Tail Stock Trouble

[Nicholas Briggs]

So I got my drill chuck from PSI today. Slipped it in the tail stock, put a pen blank in my chuck, and got to drillin. When the drill bit made contact with the blank it began to wobble. I started messing with my tail stock and found that before locking it down, there is a bit of play, perhaps a millimeter or so. I'm not sure how to lock it down so it lines up perfectly. So my my question is; How do I ensure that the drill bit is perfectly lined up to the blank?

[Brian Weick]

How are you nick,
Where is the play- I'm guessing it is either a Mt #1 or #2 - Drill Chuck? Do you have a picture of the tail stock and the Chuck you can put up! Need a little bit more information.
Brian

[Nicholas Briggs]

Thanks for the reply Brian,

The play seems to be where the tail stock meets the rail. I can adjust where it sits my a bout a milameter or so before locking it to the rail. The chuck is a #2 mount, but it seems to be nice and snug. I'm convinced the problem is the tail stock it's self, or at least how it meats the rail. I'll try to get pics up soon. Oh, and this is a Craftsman full size lathe.

Thanks!

[Brian Weick]

Thanks for the reply Brian,

The play seems to be where the tail stock meets the rail. I can adjust where it sits my a bout a milameter or so before locking it to the rail. The chuck is a #2 mount, but it seems to be nice and snug. I'm convinced the problem is the tail stock it's self, or at least how it meats the rail. I'll try to get pics up soon. Oh, and this is a Craftsman full size lathe.

Thanks!

are you sure you are dead center with the chuck center on the headstock- there shouldn't be any play in the tail stock . I don't know what type of tail stock lock down you have; without pictures it's hard to evaluate what may be wrong. what is the model # I already have information on hundreds of lathe's and lathe manufacturers.
just need the model #
thanks
Brian

[Nicholas Briggs]

Model # is

351.217150

[Brian Weick]

http://images.craigslist.org/01010001020301040020070910c98bf68a4b779c49dc006de2 .jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/01010001020601040620070910239b000e5c06d7355f00b76c .jpg
Does this look likeit as far as style?
Brian

[Nicholas Briggs]

Got some pics for ya.



Front view
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/nethowler/front.jpg


From the back
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/nethowler/back.jpg

This was taken from underneath the rail, with the tail stock directly above
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/nethowler/bottom.jpg

[Brian Weick]

Got some pics for ya.



Front view
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/nethowler/front.jpg


From the back
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/nethowler/back.jpg

This was taken from underneath the rail, with the tail stock directly above
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i95/nethowler/bottom.jpg

Is that play in the tail stock (quill) spindle- or is it at the base?

[Brian Weick]

first of all - is there slop in the male/female machined area on the base of the tail stock where it drops into the bed channel- if that's the case - you have a problem- there is no self alignment with the headstock spindle center point then (up and down the bed) You have to check that first - If the tail stock base has the play then you will have to get the drill bit up to the stock(pen blank) slowly bring out the tail stock shaft with the drill chuck and start boring , see if you are getting the same size whole as the bit ~ if it is larger than the bit then you have to move it closer to the center until you have the same size boring as the bit- then lock her down- if everything is secured - you should have smooth sailing from there.
Brian

[Brian Weick]

If that's not the problem- tighten that nut a little more - you may have slight drop in that offset locking shaft, or wear and it need's to be adjusted slightly to get back the locking power when secured down.
Brian

[Nicholas Briggs]

There is very little slop in the base of the tail stock, just enough to let it slide along the bed. I tightened the nut, but anymore and it wont allow the tail stock to move. It looks like the play I'm experiencing is just part of the way the tail stock works. To clarify, there is only play before I lock it down. So the task is to line up the drill bit to the dead center of the stock before locking down. The play is only about a millimeter at the tip of the bit, but if I'm off even a half of that when drilling a 2" blank, the far end of the blank has a larger hole. Not sure where to go from here, other than just trying to line it up by eye.

Do other lathes have this problem?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nicholas,

Would you try something for me?

Put a live center in your tailstock......Move the tailstock so that the live center in the tailstock is close to the point of your drive center.......Lock down your tail stock and see if the points of the drive center and the tailstock line up.....perfectly...........


If they do.....move your tailstock away about 2" .....lock it down and extend your quill until the live center and the drive center are close together and see if the points still line up.

Good luck,

[Nicholas Briggs]

Hi Ken,

I have tried this.

They line up fine as long as I line them up before locking down. The play in the tail stock is only there before locking down. So if I do this test, I can line the two up OK, but when drilling a blank, I don't know where the exact center of the blank is. Hope this makes since.

[Bobby Perry]

The Craftsman is the same as the Pakmgren lathe. I had the same problem with my Palmgren. I even broke off the handle that you tighten the tailstock with. I never did get it to line up perfect, I just played with it till I got it almost perfect.

By the way I am getting a full refund from Palmgren as soon as I ship this old one back to them.:D ( I like my Mayo lite:D)

[Bonnie Campbell]

Sounds like the same thing I've got with my tail stock. It has a wobble when moved. And can be aligned if you take your time before locking it down (thank you Palmgren for such high quality!). Since my chuck can hold accurately, I chuck up my wood to be drilled and then center the bit on the end of the wood. I make sure the bit is butted right up against the wood before I lock the tail stock.

I tried tightening my tail stock nut, but then the thing doesn't want to slide.... can't win for losing with Palmgren ;) I will say I didn't have the problem with my original tail stock (but then that one ended up with a busted lock down lever). So, being tired of calling Palmgren, I'm making due with this one. And like you say Nicholas, once locked down the 'play' isn't there. But there is a line up issue.....

[joe greiner]

A small amount of slop is necessary to be able to move the tailstock. The term of art is "running clearance," and it must be incorporated in any machinery. Some tools, such as jointers and cross-slide vises, have adjustable gibs to reduce the clearance to the minimum acceptable. Metal lathes usually have such devices, but I've not seen a wood lathe made to such precision. (Maybe I just haven't seen enough expensive wood lathes!)

Aside from that, Machinery's Handbook has a section on "Accuracy of Drilled Holes." Almost a dozen factors are listed, only one of which relates to rigidity of the setup.

I'd suggest barely touching the end of the workpiece with the drill bit, and observing any eccentricity. Loosen the tailstock clamp, adjust the setting if necessary, re-clamp and proceed. All this assumes that the workpiece itself is properly centered, which should also be checked.

Joe

[Brian Weick]

There is very little slop in the base of the tail stock, just enough to let it slide along the bed. I tightened the nut, but anymore and it wont allow the tail stock to move. It looks like the play I'm experiencing is just part of the way the tail stock works. To clarify, there is only play before I lock it down. So the task is to line up the drill bit to the dead center of the stock before locking down. The play is only about a millimeter at the tip of the bit, but if I'm off even a half of that when drilling a 2" blank, the far end of the blank has a larger hole. Not sure where to go from here, other than just trying to line it up by eye.

Do other lathes have this problem?

Nick,
As far as other lathes- you get what you pay for Nick- and yes some do have this problem. It really sounds like You are not centered with the drive end- your drill bit is acting like an auger- hence,your wobble, vibrating bore. One other way you can correct the centering problem on the face of the blank is to remove the drill chuck , slap in the center point in the tail stock and put it up against the pen blank ,lock it down and press it in using our tail stock quill adjustment, back it off - if it has the same impression as the center point - that's your center point on your blank, back it off and remove the center point, re-install the drill chuck with the bit in the quill, move it up into position and align it up (center it) to the center point impression on your blank ,lock it down - now you know your mark for boring. As you move the quill into the pen blank, you should have a clean bore with no wobble. When you turn between centers , you wouldn't know if you had a "true" center alignment unless you had a Pattern lathe -a carriage cutter attached to the side bed of the lathe and ran it the length of the stock(what ever you are turning) if you took the blank off after being rounded - you would measure the diameter of both ends if there is a difference on the tail stock end +/- there is where you would need to make the lateral adjustments on the tail stock end. But when you bore into wood blanks - you have to be dead center, pretty much, otherwise your bit will travel out in the boring process. everyone that responded feels the same way obviously- The problem can be further than that, you may get your center aligned with the drill bit and start boring but if your tail stock quill is not perfectly aligned vertically/horizontally to your headstock spindle You are going to start boring in on an angle and the entering point of the blank will start to enlarge at the entrance point and could snap the bit write off if forced in further. Just make sure you really take the time to align your tail stock with the headstock spindle center and you may have a lot more success.
Hope this helps
Brian

[Bob Hallowell]

I had that same lathe but in the palmgren version and yes mine hade the same play in the bed like that. It looks like they make the notch on the tailstock slightly small so the ways don't have to be machined as acuratly

Bob

[Nicholas Briggs]

Thanks for the info everyone. Looks like I'm going back to the drill press. I'd rather drill twice since I only have a 2" quill, than end up with holes that are to bid for their tubes from using the lathe.

I was looking at that Jet Mini on amazon the other day, anyone know it has similar problems?

[Rich Stewart]

Maybe I didn't read this correctly but it sounds like the wobble happens when the tailstock is not locked down. Of course it will wobble. It's not locked down. Move the drill bit to just short of the piece, lock the tailstock, and start turning the crank to advance the drill bit into the blank. When you get to the end of the quill travel (or the bit loads up and needs to be withdrawn) unlock it, pull the tailstock back, wind the quill back all the way in, slide the tailstock with he bit into the hole you already cut and lock it down again. Use the handle to advance the drill bit into the piece again. Twice should do it. Did I miss something about this question?

I have the jet mini variable speed.

[Bob Hallowell]

Rich,
I think there is play in the tailstock left and right of center before it is locked. another way to look at this would be putting on you live center on and take it right up to your drive center and see if it lines up. on my old palmgren I could move it about 1/2mm left to 1/2mm right of the drive center. so knowing where to lock down his tail stock so it is centered is the problem. If it is not centered he does not get a straight or an even sized hole. My new lathe is always lined up but I had the same problem he did.

Bob

[Nicholas Briggs]

You didn't miss a thing Rich. The problem is when I lock down the first time and advance the bit, it's not lined up. So the bit starts cutting off center. This causes a larger hole than the bit should drill. Hope I'm explaining this clearly.

[Tom Sherman]

Nick you might a trick that I have seen other turners use, before drilling, try putting a small dimple in the end of your piece to center the drill bit. A skew works well for this.