mandrel wobble

[doohboy24]

help me out here pen turning gods!! i have a rikkon midi lathe that i got new in september. i have just recently noticed that my mandrel is beginning to wobble and leaving out of round condition. first thing i did to try to figure it out was change mandrel. no difference noticed. also tailstock is not lining up correctly on mandrel. probally about 1/16" off. what do i check next?? and where would i go to get a part for this?? thanks for the help!!

 

[toolcrazy]

Try cleaning your MT on both your lathe and mandrel.

 

[Ligget]

I screw up a piece of Bounty kitchen roll then push it into the empty MT hole, tist it around a couple of times then shove it back out with the knock out bar.[^]

I couldn`t believe the crap that came out and made everything bang on centre![]

 

[loglugger]

Packardwoodworks.com have MT clean outs, Taper Mate for a #2 MT 117902 $13.95 in the catalog that i have here.
Bob

 

[Proud_Poppa_of_2]

That was a timely post, Chuck. Coincidentally, I have a Rikon and just noticed the same problem today. I checked head and tail stock alignment and they are perfect. Tomorrow I will clean out the taper holes. Thanks for posting and thanks to the rest of you for your advice.

 

[loglugger]

Put the mandrel in the head stock, then bring the tail stock up till it almost touches. Turn the lathe by hand, if the mandrel runs true (which it should) with no wobble it should mate with the tail stock.
Bob