PSI turncrafter tailstock issues

[Jeremymc98]

I am a rookie at turning and when I first received my turncrafter and noticed the tail stock wiggle I didn't know it could cause issues.

My questions is:
The tailstock can wiggle almost 1/8" along the axis of the lathe bed. It locks in tight but at times when drilling blanks it causes alignment issues. Does anyone know 1. If there is a way to adjust out the slop. 2. How do I do it if possible.

Thanks in advance. Everyone here is always tremendously helpful

 

[Dalecamino]

If you will slide the tail stock off the end of the bed, I believe you can tighten the bolt on the bottom of the plate that snugs up against the ways when you turn the cam lock lever. You may have to try a few times to get it where it holds tight. I've only had mine off one time.

 

[monophoto]

As Chuck noted, you can tighten the nut on the bolt that fastens the tailstock to the bedways. And you need to figure out to do that because it does loosen over time, and you will need to periodically retighten that nut (as well as the similar nut that locks the banjo in place.)


But that said, the problem is more likely to be that a flaw that is commonly reported with this lathe is that the Turncrafter tailstock is sloppy. There is a rectangular protrusion on the bottom of the tailstock that fits between the bedways that is supposed to align the tailstock to the bedways. Unfortunately, it appears that it is often too narrow, and as a result, the tailstock has a slight wobble around a vertical axis until it is locked locked down, and that slight wobble means that it can be locked down with the tailstock slightly out of alignment with the tailstock. Short of shimming the sides of that protrusion (and I don't have a clue how I could do that), there doesn't appear to be a solution.

This issue is most problematic when drilling, and there is a simple solution for that - before starting to drill, face off the blank and, using a skew or similar tool, cut a small dimple in the center of the blank. Then, center the drill bit on that dimple before locking the tailstock down to the bedways.

 

[pshrynk]

Well that explains a lot. Thanks! I got me some adjusting to do tonight...

 

[Jeremymc98]

Thanks for the great feedback. Always a super helpful group and to s ok knowledge

 

[turncrazy43]

As Monophoto suggested, you could do the pre dril of the blank with a set of centering drill bits. They will drill a small hole in the end of the blank and when you use the drill bit you intend to use on the blank it will act as a guide. That should help as well.
Turncrazy43

 

[monophoto]

Just out of curiosity, I just did some measurements on my 12" Turncrafter.

The spacing between the two bedways is 32.06mm, and the rectangular protrusion on the bottom of the tailstock that is intended to align the tailstock to the bedways is 31.86mm wide. So there is a 0.2mm gap between the bedways and the tailstock alignment block. That gap means that the tailstock can rotate very slightly when the alignment block is between the bedways.

I'm not a mechanical engineer, so 0.2mm seems to be a very small error. But the fact is that the vertical axis of rotation that goes through the center of that alignment block is several inches away from the tip of the live center that is supposedly aligned with the axis of the headstock. Therefore, a very slight rotation of that alignment block can lead to a more significant misalignment between the headstock and the live center.

The bed of the Turncrafter is a solid casting, so there is no adjustment on the spacing between the two bedways. Likewise, the alignment block on the bottom of the tailstock is part of the tailstock casting, and also cannot be aligned. I suppose that it is theoretically possible to braze additional material onto that alignment block, and then carefully grind/file that additional material back to create a more precise fit, but that's beyond my skill level.

I've had my Turncrafter for four years and I've been extremely pleased with it. So while I recognize that it has this characteristic, I put it in the category of one of the things that you get in a lathe that costs less than $500. There are lathes that are more precise - and they cost a lot more.

 

[Oldfolks]

I had the same problem. I took an old feeler gage apart and epoxied a 0.2 piece to one side of the alignment block. That seemed to correct the problem.