My PM90...Good news/bad news

[Mike Cruz]

Well, I've been slowly working on her. While none of the real cosmetics have been started yet, I've taken the advice of some others and got her all up and running before attempting any cosmetics. So here is a pic of her all together. VFD mounted to the wall; tack, pot, FWD/REV in a box and mounted; ways cleaned up and protected; bottoms of the tailstock and banjo cleaned and protected.

That was the good news. The bad news is that I just took the time to put a spur drive in the headstock spindle, and a live center in the tailstock. They don't line up. The tailstock live center is about an 1/8" lower than the headstock spindel spur drive. :eek: I have a semi easy fix... Risers to make this a 16" lathe are in the conceptual process by a fabricator. I could just have the tailsock one made an 1/8" taller. What do you think?

[Thom Sturgill]

Sounds like a plan to me!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Before committing to new risers - have you spent any time trying to find out why the difference? Is the lathe level?

[Mike Stephens]

Steve is absolutely correct. The lathe must be level a long the ways and across. It is amazing the flex in cast Iron.

Good luck to you Mike. I hope it all works out.

[Mike Cruz]

Nope, didn't check that. Guess what I'm gonna go do...:rolleyes:

[Roger Chandler]

Ditto on the level. Bed must be level end to end and front to back or the ways will flex to the point the centers will not align.

If that does not cure the problem, then a shim will work under the tailstock if it us too low, or the headstock if it is too low.

[Tony De Masi]

You got the right advice here Mike. I'm sure you will post your outcome later tonight.:D

[mickey cassiba]

Mike
A long time ago I was trying to set up an old turret lathe.I had to set the HS end level and firm(bolted down). Aligning the TS was accomplished by twisting the south end of the lathe using shims and spacers. It worked. I'll try to find the service bulletin. It came from Warner & Swazey. I used the concept to straighten my little midi lathe.
Mick

[Jeff Nicol]

Mike, Steve and aeveryone is correct, the machine must be level even with the pending risers. If still off, some of the old lathes can get worn on the tailstock from moving back and forth on the ways bu most times it is the leveling.

Jeff

[Dahl Troy Perry]

Dale you may have to tell what the indicator sag is I'm a toolmaker and know but most people have no idea and there is a lot of toolmakers I know have never heard of indicator sag .Indicator sag is when you turn a indicator upside down the weight of the needle and the internal parts will make the indicator read off so beware of this.

[Baxter Smith]

Mike, this is just a guess but I didn't think the tailstock looked like it fit the ways of your lathe. Went to OWWM and found this pic.
http://owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=3721
I am guessing that this may be the reason it is slightly off if the bed is level. Good luck with a solution.

[Jeff Nicol]

Mike, this is just a guess but I didn't think the tailstock looked like it fit the ways of your lathe. Went to OWWM and found this pic.
http://owwm.com/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=3721
I am guessing that this may be the reason it is slightly off if the bed is level. Good luck with a solution.
Baxter, I was thinking the same thing as I read down the posts, and when I read yours it was obvious that the tailstock is from a PM45 and not the 90. Great eyes!

Jeff

[Mike Cruz]

Baxter, when I read your post, I thought...AHA! But by looking at the pics and looking at my tailstock it looks like I have the right one. But without dimensions, I can't be sure. It would seem that with dimensions, it would be obvious. I'll do some research. Thanks.

[Josh Bowman]

Mike,
Assuming the ways are not twisted or bowed. Could you not just take the tailstock to a metal scrap yard and have a couple of 1/8" steel spacers sheared to fit? Might even luck out and find the right size in the scrap bin. Then just epoxy the spacers to the tailstock? You might have to do a little polishing of the contact surface, but I think that would work.

[Thomas Bennett]

Mike, congratulations on your set-up. I especially like the dust collection system. I haven't seen that before.
Baxter, you are a genius-Mike has the wrong tailstock.
Mike, as you probably already know, you can check ebay and OWWM for a replacement.

[Dick Strauss]

Mike,
Leveling might help the situation. However, the OEM tailstock should span the whole width of the bed. I think Baxter has it right (it probably is a PM45 TS!).

I think the riser will take care of the issue if it is still an issue after leveling.

[Mike Cruz]

Yup, that's a possibility. But, if I get the risers, I'll just probably end up getting the tailstock riser a little thicker. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Mike Cruz]

Two things. Yeah, if it is supposed to span the entire ways, then it is a PM45 TS. :mad: Thanks Baxter for figuring that out. It would explain a few things. For instance, while this is a 12" lathe, I think it actually has about 12 1/2-12 3/4" capacity.

Second, as for leveling. Actually, the headstock end is about 1/8" lower than the tailstock end. So, lifting the headstock won't bring them together...more likely it would separate it more. In any case, I will level it, but will either look for a PM90 TS, or just take care of the difference with the risers.