Lathe alignment help

[monark88]

My old DDL 11", wood lathe is not concentric point to point. Is there any way to readjust for true alignment of points?

I just finished setting the lathe up yesterday after 4 or 5 years of it sitting idle, and found the points are 1/16" out of alignment, with the tailstock point off, laterally, toward the back of the lathe. Up and down, (Height), alignment is not a problem.

I'll be using this lathe primarily for the indexing function in doing fluting and making some pepper mills.

thanks for any ideas.

Russ

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

I've not had a bunch of luck doing this, but if you can shim the headstock side (front) it might swing it right in. 1/16" is quite a bit , though. I'd try maybe some beer can aluminum first.

Good luck & Happy Father's Day.

 

[plantman]

Russ; When I restore lathes, and find that the tailstock does not line up perfect, I use this method for correcting the problem. Drill and tap into the tailstock where they will meet the rails of the lathe bed. Use set screws to adjust side to side, or up and down. This will give you a perfect alignment. Jim S

 

[frank123]

Russ; When I restore lathes, and find that the tailstock does not line up perfect, I use this method for correcting the problem. Drill and tap into the tailstock where they will meet the rails of the lathe bed. Use set screws to adjust side to side, or up and down. This will give you a perfect alignment. Jim S

That's what I did with my HF mini.

Not at all hard to do, just requires a bit of thought. I used screws on all four corners of the mating and used a file (draw filing with it) to true up the insides of the bed for better consistent movement at all location on the bed. I did grind the tailstock down a bit to give more leeway in adjustment with the screws. (didn't need any height adjustment)

 

[monark88]

thanks guys, I'll look into this tomorrow. Yes, I know 1/16 is quite a lot. I almost decided to just get rid of the lathe, but thought again.

The distance between "rails" (ways) of bed is only 1/2" on this delta lathe. bed is of steel, not cast iron. Hopefully that won't be a matter in attempting your fix.

Russ

Russ; When I restore lathes, and find that the tailstock does not line up perfect, I use this method for correcting the problem. Drill and tap into the tailstock where they will meet the rails of the lathe bed. Use set screws to adjust side to side, or up and down. This will give you a perfect alignment. Jim S

That's what I did with my HF mini.

Not at all hard to do, just requires a bit of thought. I used screws on all four corners of the mating and used a file (draw filing with it) to true up the insides of the bed for better consistent movement at all location on the bed. I did grind the tailstock down a bit to give more leeway in adjustment with the screws. (didn't need any height adjustment)

 

[low_48]

Depending on the rigidity of the lathe, or the base, try shimming under the the leg. Also try shimming where the lathe meets the base. Some lathes would surprise you how easy they are to twist.

 

[Tom T]

One time powermatic told me to start by shimming the legs as most floors are not flat or level. Mine was on wheels which did not help.
I really like the screw idea also.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

If your lathe is twisted because it is not on a level surface, then using screws to align will only help if the tailstock is always in the spot where you aligned. As soon as you move it back to mount some material it will be out of alignment again. Get the bed straight first.

Ed

 

[monark88]

I fiddled with the tailstock and got it almost Point to point, seems to be about 1 / 128" difference(as much as I good guess). Then I noticed that the quill was "wobbling" a bit. It would wobble from spot on to being off as I just mentioned. But much less than originally at about 1/16th, before I worked on the tailstock.

Anyone experienced such a problem? I took the quill from the tailstock and looked to be ok as I rolled it on a flat surface.
Russ

 

[randyrls]

Then I noticed that the quill was "wobbling" a bit. It would wobble from spot on to being off as I just mentioned. But much less than originally at about 1/16th, before I worked on the tailstock.

Russ; Are you talking about the head stock? Check the inside of the taper. You need to clean out any gunk. Inspect the inside of the taper with a light and check for any burrs on the inside of the taper, or the outside of the center. Do the same for the tail stock.Clean out with some denatured alcohol and a brass bristle brush. You want all the surfaces squeaky clean!