old folks
Member
I have a Record 300C Swivel Head Mini Lathe... the drive center and the live center do not meet evenly. </u>please</u> tell me how I can fix this. Thank you... see pic
Originally posted by Paul in OKC
<br />HI John. I agree with Steve, this mismatch will actually mean very little for wood turning since diameter sizes and tapers are controlled by your hand with the tool. This does not cause the concentricity issues people have, that is from wobbley mandrels. As a machinist the thought of this would drive nuts a little, but for wood turning the distance between the tail and head is great enough that there should be no problems.
If I may respectfully disagree.
Having a misaligned headstock and tailstock means a lot and MAY (and WILL) cause non-concentric pens!!! The reason, you are actually bending the mandrel with this when you mount it.
I really have to think about this reply 100 times because I have so much respect for Paul.
Originally posted by Dario
<br />The lathe is actually fixed (If I read it right on another thread). The misallignment is only because the headstock was not locked.
That is not the point I am after now though. More on information for the good of many (mine included).
You are right that the direction is the same...but what will happen to the mandrel? Will it keep on flexing back and forth at the rate of the lathe's RPM...minimal as it is, won't that break the mandrel eventually? To see my point...try to exagerate the misalignment and see what happens to the mandrel as you give it a turn.
Originally posted by RussFairfield
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I disagree that it should be ignored. While an offset, either parallel or angular, between the head and tail stock center-lines may not be a problem for spindle turning furniture parts where there can be some flexibility at each end of the stick held between two centers, it becomes a real problem if you ever want to drill a hole in a piece of wood, like using the lathe to drill pen blanks. It also a problem if you ever turn anything on a faceplate or in a chuck and want to use the tail-center to support the wood. In either case, 1/32" is a lot.
Originally posted by Rifleman
<br />Hope it is new and under warranty. Unlikely it is fixable.