Tail stock adjustment?

[Mac McAtee]

I have just acquired an older Delta/Rockwell 12" HD lathe.

When you bring the tailstock to the head, looking straight down, the centers line up. When you look horizontally the tailstock is about 1mm lower than the head stock center. I have no doubt this is from wear over time.

The ways are bolted and dowel pinned to the head, so I can't simply loosen the bolts and shift the ways up a little to compensate for the wear, the dowels prevent that. Is there a way, a reasonable way to build up the bottom of the tailstock? I don't want to braze it and the file it off because of the danger of heat cracking the cast iron, not to mention burning the paint off.

I have thought about some brass shim stock and super glue. Anyone got any methods that the general home workshop can use, or do I just live with it and keep turning?

[Jim Dunn]

What about plastic shim stock? You can buy it in pretty much any thickness you need. And how much is a mm?, anything like .001:p

[Mac McAtee]

And how much is a mm?, anything like .001:p

Like .0349" +-

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Mac,

First things first. During your alignment check, did you rotate the spindle. If you can, did you rotate the ram in the tail stock, or check that the center pin is not bent.

Ok, 0.039 or as you say 1mm, is a great amount of wear. If you are happy with the X axes and concerned with the Y, before you begin shimming the tail stock, one must check the ways to verify the wear is consistent for the entire length. Other wise just by shimming the tail stock, you may oppositely exaggerate the current situation in an other areas.

If the ways reflect a corduroy state, machining of the same is required, before any shimming of the tail stock base is performed.

All in all that is getting rather technical. For the most part, I would put the 0.039 out of my mind for now and just turn away and when you reach the point of becoming a famous artist, just do what others do. Go out and buy a BIG SHINEY NEW LATHE :D .

Bill>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Mac McAtee]

Good thoughts Bill, a straight line is still the shortest distance between two points. Thanks!

[John Hart]

Good thoughts Bill, a straight line is still the shortest distance between two points. Thanks!

Unless, of course Mac, you consider Curved Space. But then that requires a worm hole, another vortex with which we are all fondly familiar. Hmmmm:rolleyes:

Where's my laquer? (hic)

[Ron Ainge]

I to have an old delta lathe with a slight differenct between the hieght of the center on the head and tail of the lathe. Mine is not as much as yours and so I got used to turning with it and now I do not even think about it. The center on my tail stock if off by the thickness of about 3 sheets of type paper is all. I did not think that was worth all of the trouble of shimming it to bring it into allignment.

[ROBERT SCHUMAN]

25.4 is equal to one inch so 1.58 mm is ~ 1/16 ....

[ROBERT SCHUMAN]

I had an old craftsman lathe with the bolt on headstock.It was about three feet short of what I wanted so i made new ways out of white oak ,at the same time I raised the headstock and tail stock a couple of inches and bolted it to an old work table still use it works great.:)

[ROBERT SCHUMAN]

Hey Mac

Im not sure if this is your lathe but I did this and id works great ,with a couple of longer bolts you can really beef up the weight of your lathe with bigger timbers... see image #2