Lathe runout

J

josie

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am new to using lathes and am trying to learn how to make sure my lathe is running true. My question is what do you use to make sure the headstock and tailstock are line up. I was thinking of using a peice of drill rod that is center drilled and put between centers to check runout. Can I count on drill rod being perfectly straight? When I line up a dead center in the headstock and tailstock they look to line up pretty good but I need to learn an accurate way to check this.

My next question is does anyone have suggestions for mounting a rear chuck on a Grizzly 13x40. I am lookin for specific chucks and procedures for mounting it.

Thank you everyone.
 
Try putting a indicator in the chuck and then check the id tapered bore of the tailstock, if you want to do better, then you would want a 1" dia rod that has centers in both ends by 24" long or so, then have the rod ground on the od between centers
 
josie said:
I am new to using lathes and am trying to learn how to make sure my lathe is running true. My question is what do you use to make sure the headstock and tailstock are line up. I was thinking of using a peice of drill rod that is center drilled and put between centers to check runout. Can I count on drill rod being perfectly straight? When I line up a dead center in the headstock and tailstock they look to line up pretty good but I need to learn an accurate way to check this.

My next question is does anyone have suggestions for mounting a rear chuck on a Grizzly 13x40. I am lookin for specific chucks and procedures for mounting it.

Thank you everyone.
Click to expand...

Josie, I am what you would call lazy. I just take a 30" piece of maple (shaft wood) by 1" diameter. Take a straight pass on the wood. Measure close to both ends. If the tail stock side is larger or smaller move half the distance in the correct direction. Make another pass and correct if needed. Of course if you already have a piece of ground rod that may be quicker.

Jim.
 
josie said:
I am new to using lathes and am trying to learn how to make sure my lathe is running true. My question is what do you use to make sure the headstock and tailstock are line up. I was thinking of using a peice of drill rod that is center drilled and put between centers to check runout. Can I count on drill rod being perfectly straight? When I line up a dead center in the headstock and tailstock they look to line up pretty good but I need to learn an accurate way to check this.

My next question is does anyone have suggestions for mounting a rear chuck on a Grizzly 13x40. I am lookin for specific chucks and procedures for mounting it.

Thank you everyone.
Click to expand...


First thing I would do is purchase a machinist level and make sure the bed of the lathe is dead nutts level in every direction. Front to back at the head end and tail end....side to side on both ways. A carpenter level is not going to get it done.
Then and only then can you proceed with any other set up procedures.

JMHO......
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
First thing I would do is purchase a machinist level and make sure the bed of the lathe is dead nutts level in every direction. Front to back at the head end and tail end....side to side on both ways. A carpenter level is not going to get it done.
Then and only then can you proceed with any other set up procedures.

JMHO......
Click to expand...

I would start with making sure the machinist level has been properly calibrated first... then after everything is "level" make sure the machine is in a controlled room, one that will not cause the machine to move under extreme hot and cold temperatures, humidity, etc. :eek:

Yeah that's it- maybe the room should have a vestibule- so as the sudden burst of air from opening the door does not affect the afore mentioned.:thumbup:

Ok rediculous... but Dave is correct. Going thru this now with my CNC proto- everything MUST be level- FIRST! PERIOD!!

Good luck.

PS- left and right should be dead on the tail, if you find the tail is high, depending how high or low, this may be okay. If not you might have to shim the tailstock. Cigarette wrappers work great, otherwise use brass shims.

Of course- the head could be cocked on the lathe... but that is another ball of wax. Grizzly has a few insructions on how to check for that.

-Chris
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
First thing I would do is purchase a machinist level and make sure the bed of the lathe is dead nutts level in every direction. Front to back at the head end and tail end....side to side on both ways. A carpenter level is not going to get it done.
Then and only then can you proceed with any other set up procedures.

JMHO......
Click to expand...

No machinist here by any stretch, but based on my (limited) experience, I agree with Dave.

I will add that if you don't already have some, buy some good leveling feet for your stand. They will make leveling the lathe much much easier. Your stand should have threaded holes for 6 leveling feet. Do not buy the ones with neoprene pads, or rip the pads off if you already have those.

Kelly
 
Poulos Cues said:
I would start with making sure the machinist level has been properly calibrated first... then after everything is "level" make sure the machine is in a controlled room, one that will not cause the machine to move under extreme hot and cold temperatures, humidity, etc. :eek:

Yeah that's it- maybe the room should have a vestibule- so as the sudden burst of air from opening the door does not affect the afore mentioned.:thumbup:

Ok rediculous... but Dave is correct. Going thru this now with my CNC proto- everything MUST be level- FIRST! PERIOD!!

Good luck.

PS- left and right should be dead on the tail, if you find the tail is high, depending how high or low, this may be okay. If not you might have to shim the tailstock. Cigarette wrappers work great, otherwise use brass shims.

Of course- the head could be cocked on the lathe... but that is another ball of wax. Grizzly has a few insructions on how to check for that.

-Chris
Click to expand...

I agree.....one can get a little too anal with some things.......but in a perfect world you can never be too exact.
There are surely tolerances to ever step along the way to a completed project but your machines are the corner stone of cue building.
I've learned the hard way about not having them dialed in.
Even the larger pieces of cast can and will twist over a period of time from not being level. With the smaller machines it's almost a given that the beds are going to twist if they are not leveled out.
How much twist or flexing remains to be determined by various conditions.
(what the machine sits on...levelers used...so forth and so on.....)
If you are going to do all of your work up close to the headstock it is a smaller issue. But if your bed has the slightest twist or flex in it when your out 20-30-40 inches away it gets multiplied even more.

<~~~not a machinist by any stretch but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express one night.................
 
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