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4 Axis Tailstock Set-Up

S

stenger

Plastic
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Location
pa
How are you guys setting up a tail stock on your mill? Are there any tricks that can speed up this process? I have to move the tailstock for different length parts and its a real pain to get it aligned again. I can never really get it perfect. Also my machine has probing is there a probing cycle that can adjust the machine for the angular misalignment?

Thanks
 
Haas sells a tailstock. I have their “tombstone” and I made a dead center that I use with the outboard support. You might have to rig something up like a keyed sub plate.
G68 (I think) will rotate your work co-ords.
 
It should be keyed. Your 4th should be keyed. I think Haas claims .001 or .002" fit on the key.
How precisely are you trying to line it up?
 
We had a job a while back with different length parts. We made a subplate with tooling holes for the buttons on the rotary and the tailstock to fit into. Only took a couple minutes to move things around.
 
I am trying to mill slots in cylindrical parts that are from 8 inches to 20 inches long in the X. How tight should the keys fit in the table? There is some movement in my tailstock when sitting on the table before tightening. I am trying to get it as close as possible, .002 would be acceptable. So if I am thinking correctly my 20 inch part should have .002 of taper in the slot if the tailstock is within Haas spec and the rotary is aligned correctly? We are using a groove cutter to mill in the x on the -y side of the part.
 
Ours are not keyed so using an indicator is really the best way to make sure everything is dialed. Put the part in the indexer and indicate it. Make sure there is no runout, everything is straight, etc without the tailstock in place. Then put the indicator on the front of the part, on the opposite end of the indexer. Bring your tailstock in until it contacts the center drill of the part and you'll see the indicator move. Adjust the tailstock until the indicator reads zero again and doesn't pull the part off center.

As long as your parts are all the same length the tailstock does not need to be dead nuts straight, just support in the same location every time, which it will if your parts are the same length.
 
couch said:
...
As long as your parts are all the same length the tailstock does not need to be dead nuts straight, just support in the same location every time, which it will if your parts are the same length.
Click to expand...

I don't buy that for a second. If the center is crooked and a fixed height you cannot get the part to run true at all orientations.
 
stenger said:
Also my machine has probing is there a probing cycle that can adjust the machine for the angular misalignment?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Heres one we run alot, use it at your own risk.
we use it on a rectangular plate that gets a bunch of drilled and tapped holes around all 4 sides's on a 210 rotary you can adjust the "Z" aproach length as needed as I am overly cautious. uses g56 work offset.
it touchs off the far side then close side and adjusts the angle accordingly.

M06 T24 ( PROBE )
G00 G90 G56 X-0.25 Y-4.1 A90.
T17
G43 Z5. H24
(Probe A AXIS ANGLE)
(WrkOfset = 56.)
(Ywidth = 7.5)
(ZDepth = 0.35)
G00 G90
G65 P9832
G00 A90.
G65 P9810 X-0.25 Y-4.1 Z4. F100.
G65 P9818 Y7.5 Z0.2 S3.
G65 P9810 Z5.
G65 P9833
G00 G90 G56 X-0.25 Y-3.
G00 Z0.3
Click to expand...
 
Booze Daily said:
Sorry. Couch is right.
Click to expand...

An offset tailstock in a lathe will produce a taper, sometimes intentionally. Knocking the tailstock around until the bend of the part reads zero is still bending the part and inducing error. It just happens to be the same error as long as the part length doesn’t vary.
 
Hazzert said:
An offset tailstock in a lathe will produce a taper, sometimes intentionally. Knocking the tailstock around until the bend of the part reads zero is still bending the part and inducing error. It just happens to be the same error as long as the part length doesn’t vary.
Click to expand...

Reread my entire post, carefully. The center isn't off center.
 
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