So a couple of years ago when I read here that my tail center and my spindle center should align closely, I ran to the garage to check, and my Delta LA 200 was perfect. Phewwwww! A year ago, when I started turning pens, I had a problem with the tips away from the headstock being out of round. I read here that I needed a 60 degree tail center. $20.00 later I had said tail center. Problem is, my pens are still out of round ( the full length of the pen), but the problem is not consistent. After much blood sweat and swearing, I found that the tailstock only lines up part of the time. Every time I move the tailstock in, it lands in a different position. No way to accurately measure how far it is off, but I am guessing from the inaccuracy on the pens, that the error is as much as .006.-008in. It could easily be worse. If I lightly push the base of the tailstock away from me while tightening the locking lever, the alignment seems to be better, but it is still hit and miss. Each time I load a pen I have to turn the lathe on and feel for vibration, stop the lathe, try again, rinse lather repeat, ad infinitem. What a pain and time waster. I tried standing on one foot, wearing a red hat under a full moon, with my left pinkie in my right ear, and tossing a rotten egg over my right shoulder while chanting Moody Blues lyrics, but I still get the same results. Now the neighbors watch me closely, and the eggs stink.
Any thoughts on how to get a consistent alignment? When the problem is this bad with a pen, it is much worse with a vessel. It seems that a shim would only work if the alignment problem were consistent. I suggested to SWMBO that we buy some new condiments like Mayo or Mustard. That was a week ago, and she is still giggling.
Any great ideas from the "School of Hard Knocks" crew here?