Tail Stock Alignment Tool

I have read, perhaps on this forum but not sure, that a printer roller is a good item to use between centers to align the tail stock. This is because the roller is a good diameter (about an inch), hardened steel, and has drill centers on each end. I was wondering if this information is dated. I have had the opportunity to strip several printers and found all the paper rollers to be about 3/16" rods with rubber rollers spaced along the rod. The print cartridge traveler is slightly bigger but not by much. Neither have drill centers in the ends. I surmised that perhaps the roller of the old dot matrix printers was as described in the write up I read. Just curious if anyone uses a printer roller as an alignment tool and what kind of device did it come out of.

Google 2 coller spool and tail stock for details on making one.

This is a "first task" thing in the manuals that came with not to be discussed here home machines.

Easy to make and handy for adjusting back.

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I currently use a two collar tail stock alignment jig that I made, early on, out of 1.5" steel round stock. It is about 12 inches long and with the center 8 or 9" relieved to about 1" I have a collar near each end. I run it between centers driven by a carrier and face plate. I take a cut on each collar without resetting the cross slide or compound. I then mic the two collars. If the tail stock end is the larger of the two I move the tail stock toward the front of the bench. If the tail stock end is smaller I move the tail stock toward the rear of the bench and repeat this exercise until the dimensions are the same.
The purpose of my question was to cheaply come up with a hardened solid tool that I could put between centers and run the dial down the side and determine any offset I have that way and reset with that.
There are many different ways to skin the cat I was just looking for a particular one. You can buy an alignment tool which I don't want to do. I can make what I am looking for but I don't like making a jig or tool on the machine that I plan on using it on.
I appreciate the comment. Keep the chips flying and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Never thought of that and I tossed a printer last year..Next one going out I may take out the shaft.

Running a dial ball on the face of a small shaft can give a false or confusing reading because the bed may rise or fall due to bed and saddle error so going up or down on the radius of the bar, and you are checking one distance only.

Yes you can cross feed indicator over the rod top to check height to zero zero at that length..
I always thought a straight centered bar with having a ground flat perhaps 1/8 would be good..One of these days with little to do I will make one. I have a number of straight test bars of different lengths that I used for grinding machines.

I was looking for a roller in the !" diameter neighborhood to eliminate sag and reduce the bed rise and fall error. Unfortunately most consumer printers seem to have rollers in the neighborhood of 3/8" plus/minus.
The straight centered bar came to my mind as well. Most alignment tools are round, be they consistent diameters for the length or the two collar variety. I wondered myself, why couldn't you take a square bar about 5/8", 3/4" or larger and center drill each end. Placed between centers you could put a level on the top to ensure level and/or the side to ensure plumb. After which you could run the dial indicator from the head stock to the tail stock on the top to check sag and rise or fall and vertical height of the tail stock in relationship to the head stock. You could also run the dial along the side to check side to side alignment of the tail stock in relationship to head stock. Just a thought.

whats a level on top/side of a bar between centers is going to tell you?

sounds like a good way to drive yourself bonkers.

I wasn't very clear. I was referring to a piece of square stock between centers. Thus a level on top would simply indicate you had a flat plane. I was visualizing the level being perpendicular to the axis of the bar and the bed, not along the axis. Like wise the idea to plumb the side of the square stock was again so you had a straight plane and weren't skewed and thus have that impact your dial reading as you moved along the side, or the top for that matter, from the head stock to the tail stock. I.E. say you had a 3/4" or even more a 1" square stock in place and you didn't have it flat or plumb. Any movement left or right or up and down of the dial in its travel would alter the reading. Granted, it might all be minuscule and over-kill but that's what keeps things interesting and the mind going.

I've never really understood the value of these test bars. If I'm trying to align the tailstock I would rather replicate real world cutting conditions. Throw a piece of barstock in the chuck, drill a center in the end, move it out of the chuck about 6 inches and put it on a center. Take a test cut along the length and measure the diameter at various points. Make adjustments until its as close to a true cylinder as possible. I don't care where the tailstock ends up, I just want to be able to cut a cylinder.

Now, I suppose if I was drilling holes with a tiny drill, I might be more concerned.

Point well taken. You are correct, alignment of the tail stock to the head stock is one thing but the real proof is in the pudding. I.E. can you turn a true cylinder with your setup/present condition. For my edification, If you might clarify please, based on your explanation above, it appears you continue to hold the one end in the chuck. Do you read out the bar right in front of the chuck with a dial or have you determined that your chuck clamping is concentric. Or perhaps you use a 4 jaw and dial it in. Just curious.

Agree not a whole lot of help with the level..
Mostly you want to turn a straight part, have the tail center the same center as the head stock, have the axis of the head and tail straight with each other. The centers test bar by itself is only part of the task.
a good bar stock in a collect might be a good start.. or in a very good chuck or acart head. Yes a taper test bar is perhaps the best start.

Tecmec said:

Point well taken. You are correct, alignment of the tail stock to the head stock is one thing but the real proof is in the pudding. I.E. can you turn a true cylinder with your setup/present condition. For my edification, If you might clarify please, based on your explanation above, it appears you continue to hold the one end in the chuck. Do you read out the bar right in front of the chuck with a dial or have you determined that your chuck clamping is concentric. Or perhaps you use a 4 jaw and dial it in. Just curious.

Click to expand...

If I'm modifying an existing part, I would want a concentric chuck and would use a 4 jaw. But for the tailstock alignment it doesn't matter. We are really aligning the tailstock to the spindle axis, not the chuck axis. If I'm making a part and doing it in one chucking, I couldn't care less how concentric my chuck is. If I'm going to be working between centers, I would take my test cuts with a piece held between centers.

michiganbuck said:

Agree not a whole lot of help with the level..
Mostly you want to turn a straight part, have the tail center the same center as the head stock, have the axis of the head and tail straight with each other. The centers test bar by itself is only part of the task.
a good bar stock in a collect might be a good start.. or in a very good chuck or acart head. Yes a taper test bar is perhaps the best start.

Click to expand...

I keep hearing this, but I have never agreed with it. The problem is when you don't level the Lathe, you may be introducing a twist in the bed. And when the bed is twisted, the saddle does not necessarily twist with it. You can leave a gap on one corner which can introduce vibration/chatter marks on the part. This can be very difficult to diagnose. Also, this gap can accumulate abrasive particles which could damage your machine. Leveling the bed is the first step to making sure the bed is not twisted. If the bed is not twisted everything fits better reducing the chance of chatter marks in your work. Then you can proceed to align the tailstock.

Have fun and stay safe.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year's.

Joe.

Joe ,I was not saying don't level the lathe.. agree a lathe should be level.
I was refering to a level on top a flat of square bar stock between centers.
Buck

michiganbuck said:

Agree not a whole lot of help with the level..
Mostly you want to turn a straight part, have the tail center the same center as the head stock, have the axis of the head and tail straight with each other. The centers test bar by itself is only part of the task.
a good bar stock in a collect might be a good start.. or in a very good chuck or acart head. Yes a taper test bar is perhaps the best start.

Click to expand...

I keep hearing this, but I have never agreed with it. The problem is when you don't level the Lathe, you may be introducing a twist in the bed. And when the bed is twisted, the saddle does not necessarily twist with it. You can leave a gap on one corner which can introduce vibration/chatter marks on the part. This can be very difficult to diagnose. Also, this gap can accumulate abrasive particles which could damage your machine. Leveling the bed is the first step to making sure the bed is not twisted. If the bed is not twisted everything fits better reducing the chance of chatter marks in your work. Then you can proceed to align the tailstock.

Have fun and stay safe.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year's.

Joe.