out of round turning

[latech15]

My lathe, a hand-me-down crapsman, it turning out of round. When I got ti the centers didn' t line up. I had to pull the tail end of the mandrel over nearly an inch to make the tail center go intothe hole. But it turned pens round and dead on with the bushings. I took it apart and lined up the centers exactly. The mandrel is dead straight, and now it is turning nearly a 32nd out of round.

What is the deal? I am using the same bushings and mandrel that I was using. Could it be that the centers are not paralell? If so how do you fix that?

BTW I just started turning about a week ago.

 

[alamocdc]

If you were moving the tail stock end of the mandrel by nearly one inch, I'd guess that the mandrel is now bent and casuing the problem, but it's only a guess.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

There is a reason you called it a crapsman!

 

[Penmonkey]

Sounds like you need a new mandrel. When you get one be careful not to put to much pressure on the mandrel from the live center. Just enough to make it spin.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Penmonkey
<br />Sounds like you need a new mandrel. When you get one be careful not to put to much pressure on the mandrel from the live center. Just enough to make it spin.

He needs a new mandrel AND a new lathe. One inch out of alignment is incredible.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Or just not properly adjusted. I can adjust my Delta by over 2" for off center turning. It all depends on the design. Craftsman has a bad rap with some of their stuff, but if you go back a some years you will see that some of the 40's & 50's lathes were re-badges Atlas lathes. I have restored 2 of them and the last one was a very good lathe that would give many new ones a run for their money.

Bring your tail stock up to the mandral, but not quite inset into the rod and hand spin it to see what the rod does.

 

[Randy_]

Chances are good that the mandrel is bent if you had to pull it 1" to make it match the live center. Sounds like the headstock is misaligned and needs to be adjusted or possibly the thing has been damaged and the frame/rails/tubes are bent?? I'm amazed that the first pen turned out OK.

A picture of your setup might help??

 

[bob393]

1"

W[xx(]W never in my life!
My K-Line is about 1/16 out and it gives me fits.

 

[latech15]

Sorry guys, I guess I need to preview my posts a little better. It was out an eighth of an inch. Not an inch!

I took the mandrel out and rolled it on my table saw and there was no light showing under it at any point so I don't think it is bent. I got the tail stock lined up. It is almost like the bushings are out of round. I can turn the lathe on with just the mandrel on it and you can't even tell the thing is spinning.

I ran into the same problem with a baron kit tonight. the middle two bushings were turning out of round about a 64th. I can sand it down to a point where you can't tell that there is a problem on the finished pen but it takes a while.

I know I need a new lathe. This one was a freebie and my first lathe, but it really irks me that I can't figure out what is wrong with it.