Lathe Tail Stock adjustment

Froneck · Apr 19, 2021

My lathes are level, I have all the Starrett precision levels, shortest to the longest in addition to the super precision level so I'm not using a Carpenters level! (Yes I'm a tool junkie, I think it would be cheaper if I was a druggie on the other hand maybe tools took all my money so I couldn't afford drugs

)
From time to time I need to adjust my tail stock to remove slight taper (.003 to .004"/6" sometime more or less but not much.
Naturally the tail stock is clamped in location, so what is the "approved" or best way to make the adjustment?

rklopp · Apr 19, 2021

I put a "tenths" DTI against the TS ram and tweak the adjustment screws while watching the DTI. That way, I am not shooting in the dark. Then I take another test cut and check taper.

Froneck · Apr 19, 2021

Yes I too use an indicator just to confirm movement. Actual reading means nothing unless you take time to do the math. I'm wondering what to do as far as the camping of the tail stock, loosen or leave tight?

jim rozen · Apr 19, 2021

slack the clamp force enough so the pusher screw can move it easily. Bring the opposing screw up enough to touch. Then re-clamp.

Your tailstock won't shift along the bed enough during this operation to change the overall taper.

thermite · Apr 19, 2021

Froneck said:
Yes I too use an indicator just to confirm movement. Actual reading means nothing unless you take time to do the math. I'm wondering what to do as far as the camping of the tail stock, loosen or leave tight?

You were just f*****g with us, right?

I mean, not even the Devil has a lathe that don't move when clamped.

And whom d'you know who could give less of a damn?

Not as if anybody is going to send him to Hell for out of spec work, is it?

rklopp · Apr 19, 2021

Froneck said:
Yes I too use an indicator just to confirm movement. Actual reading means nothing unless you take time to do the math. I'm wondering what to do as far as the camping of the tail stock, loosen or leave tight?

My TSs won't shift sideways if clamped hard, so it's an iterative process. It's educational to see how much a TS moves laterally just from the act of clamping. Even rigid lathes are surprisingly rubbery if you did not know that already ;-).

Orbital77 · Apr 19, 2021

Froneck said:
My lathes are level, I have all the Starrett precision levels, shortest to the longest in addition to the super precision level so I'm not using a Carpenters level! (Yes I'm a tool junkie, I think it would be cheaper if I was a druggie on the other hand maybe tools took all my money so I couldn't afford drugs )
From time to time I need to adjust my tail stock to remove slight taper (.003 to .004"/6" sometime more or less but not much.
Naturally the tail stock is clamped in location, so what is the "approved" or best way to make the adjustment?

4 thou in 6" is not slight taper. Not a complete disaster but not slight. Slight is 2thou in 12". 4 in 6 make fitting bearings difficult. To put it mildly.

I would check carefully there isn't some other problem lurking in the bushes.

Technical Ted · Apr 19, 2021

I use an indicator set on the TS to make the adjustment, but then you can also run the indicator up and down the workpiece to tweak it in better. If you know the taper in your work piece by measuring it, it's easy to know what you should be seeing on the indicator as you move up and down to verify you have adjusted your tail stock correctly.

Ted

Orbital77 · Apr 19, 2021

rklopp said:
My TSs won't shift sideways if clamped hard, so it's an iterative process. It's educational to see how much a TS moves laterally just from the act of clamping. Even rigid lathes are surprisingly rubbery if you did not know that already ;-).

Sometimes turning the clamping shoe 180 degs helps.

Froneck · Apr 19, 2021

Half of my lathes have single lever to clamp tail stock, Hendey lathes lever rotates 180° from very loose to slide tail stock by hand to tight clamp. Though my 24" has 2 large bolts! Unless I have something in the lathe that is very heavy and needs tail stock for support I don't have the tail stock clamped with a pipe on the wrench to tighten the bolts and find the adjusting screws will easily move the tail stock sideways. I did have larger lathes that did have saw tooth casted in the bed and a bar that ratchets so tail stock will never move back!
I'm just asking if there is a "Text Book" type approved method to adjust Tail Stock to be perfect center to what ever axis being turned so there is no unacceptable taper.

Paolo_MD · Apr 20, 2021

I have never encountered a problem, at least of this magnitude. I suspect that there could be one of two issues:
1) the base doesn't fit the ways properly (i.e. it is deformed and/or somehow rocks when clamped) or
2) the base and top part of the tailstock don't mate properly.

Your describing that you need extremely tight clamping in order for it not to move, makes me suspecting that the base does not mate properly with the bed ways.

Putting a couple of indicators against the side of the base and the top part at various heights (one indicator at the front and one at the back), would give you an idea of what moves while clamping.

Paolo

Froneck · Apr 20, 2021

I didn't want to imply that changing clamping force will change anything. As far as I know changing clamping force changes nothing! Sometimes I use light force something like 1/2 turn of the single lever type tail stock so that heat expanding the work will not cause it to bow. Having an indicator on the tail stock I see no movement when clamping but if something large is between centers too loose will cause it to move backwards!

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