TA Alignment on 16" CW After Reconditioning

So I'm thinking ahead to when I have to recondition and align the Taper Attachment on my CW. Not much in old posts on this subject. Is there an established procedure?

There's four bearings per side in two planes (vertical and horizontal). From the stroke length it is capable of, the slide must travel past at least one pair of bearings, maybe two, in either direction. I would think that this setup would be extremely sensitive and cause a bump in your workpiece as the end of the slide re-engages a pair of bearings. Since the bearings are mounted on eccentrics, one would assume they could be perfectly aligned...but where do you start?

I'm thinking bottom bearings first, levelling the end bearings and using .0005" shims as a gauge to tweak up the center ones to be coplanar. Could then do the same with the four nearest the bed ways and make them parallel, then bring the outer side bearings into contact.

Anyone with a better way please share..

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining in the slightest. This lathe found me, and I'm thankfuk for it. As for planning and executing, I've got the "planning" part down, it's the execution part that needs work. I can think through problems far faster than devote the time to solve.

Just got the crossfeed unstuck but my mind is a mile ahead on the TA. I worry about total travel but realistically the longest taper I will ever do is a #4MT or crown a 12" width flat belt pulley, so like 6" maybe?

That being said, I think the biggest rock is cleaning, inspecting, and reconditioning what I already have off, because I'm out of bench space!

I hear ya.. shop is 36'x45' and when we bought the place it was EMPTY. Now so full it's hard to move around, like you say. It's mostly woodworking equipment.

Building a 28'x40' wing that will be the metal shop. Lathe is machine #1..