# Alignment Between the Head stock and Tail stock.



## Alan Sweet (Mar 6, 2017)

How can I test?

I have started turning some small hollow items. The walls are thin (1/8-3/16"); which is what I want. But, when viewed from the open end, the walls vary in thickness. In one case as much as 1/32. It is very obvious to me. It causes lids and tops to NOT have the tight fit I am use to. I'm trying to determine whether the stocks are in alignment or I'm drilling incorrectly or ??

Thanks for any help.

Alan


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## ripjack13 (Mar 6, 2017)

Do you have any centers? ( live center) if you have two, put one in each, and bring the tail stock up to the head, do they line up on each others point?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Mar 6, 2017)




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## ripjack13 (Mar 6, 2017)

That pic shows incorrectly aligned centers....they should touch at the points....


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## Wildthings (Mar 7, 2017)

and how are you going to fix it? Buy a new lathe?


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## Tim Carter (Mar 7, 2017)

If the lathe has a sliding headstock it's easy to loosen the headstock and fix the alignment. If the headstock is fixed, then you have to loosen the bolts on the headstock and adjust the alignment and them tighten everything down again. Some older Delta lathes have an adjustment feature in the tailstock that allows the alignment to be adjusted with the set screw in the tailstock.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Mar 7, 2017)

Wildthings said:


> and how are you going to fix it? Buy a new lathe?



either file or shims under the headstock and or the tailstock....

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike Mills (Mar 7, 2017)

If the points are off side to side you can use one of these to set the alignment. On my Nova the tailstock is adjusted.
If different in height then I assume you would have to shim.
From the pic I can not tell if it was taken looking down from the top or from the side.
https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-2MTNA-Acruline-Alignment-Accessory/dp/B0064JJ3BS


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## Schroedc (Mar 7, 2017)

One thing I noticed is it looks like an MT2 dead center chucked in that chuck, those usually have straight jaws so it's possible that the center isn't aligned properly in the chuck, I'd remove the chuck, put the center in the taper on the lathe and recheck it before making any adjustments. Also- do you have another chuck? I'd check with a second chuck as well to see if you can duplicate the alignment. Generally, even if the chuck is spinning slightly off center, when hollowing you'll be turning around the center of rotation without the tailstock in place so you'd get a concentric opening anyways, Are you remounting the piece between turning the outside and the inside? If you are then I'm guessing an alignment issue when you remount the piece is what is causing the change in thickness. I occasionally have that when I'm flipping bowls over to finish the bottom, when it's a 1/2 inch thick bowl wall it isn't as noticeable but when you get down to really thin walls it shows more.


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## DKMD (Mar 7, 2017)

Who would have guessed that Marc is a little off-center?

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 4


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## duncsuss (Mar 7, 2017)

A very easy way to see if the points are lined up is to trap a thin piece of metal between them (a 6" steel rule works very well). If it twists as you tighten the grip, your points are not aligned.

One thing that's really important to note: you must test twice, once with the tailstock quill fully extended and once with the tailstock fully retracted.

Otherwise all you proved is that the tips are adjacent, which says nothing about whether the headstock spindle and tailstock quill are on the same axis.

Reactions: Great Post 1


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## duncsuss (Mar 7, 2017)

Alan Sweet said:


> I have started turning some small hollow items. The walls are thin (1/8-3/16"); which is what I want. But, when viewed from the open end, the walls vary in thickness. In one case as much as 1/32. It is very obvious to me. It causes lids and tops to NOT have the tight fit I am use to



It might be possible to finesse this so it doesn't matter whether your tailstock is misaligned.

Instead of just drilling to make the hole in the middle, drill and then follow it up with very light scraping of the inside of the rim. By definition, so long as you don't loosen the grip on the foot of the workpiece, what you turn out of the center is going to be concentric with the outside walls.

I think.


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## Alan Sweet (Mar 7, 2017)

Well, according to @ripjack13 testing method, its aligned. (Darn, it. I could have fixed that.)

Now, I'm out of ideas. I would show a picture, but my social chair woman and VP of sales says she can't find the battery charger for the camera. So pictures our out till it shows up in some strange place.

Heres what I do. Mount a dressed and squared piece, 1 1/2 sq x 6, into chuck. Using a 7/8 Forstner bit in tail stock, drill a hole 3" deep @ 600 rpm. Using a 60 degree live center (One Way) in tail stock, form the piece down to 1 1/8 d @1100-1200 rpm. Lightly sand and..

While at 1 1/8 d, the walls appear a scooch oblong and vary in thickness as much as 1/32. Tried this with different woods with consistent results, which is why I first thought it was out of alignment.

I am sure my method can be improved please point this out. I will appreciate it.

Alan


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## duncsuss (Mar 7, 2017)

Are you turning endgrain or facegrain?


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## Schroedc (Mar 7, 2017)

Couple thoughts, Loosen the belt and check for bearing play in the headstock and or play in your chuck, that could cause it and you wouldn't feel it unless you loosened the belt. My other thought is you might need to use a steady if your walls are getting that thin, that the piece is flexing as you cut taking uneven scrapings.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Alan Sweet (Mar 7, 2017)

I mount the piece normally; end grains to the stocks. Forstner bit drills into endgrain.


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## Schroedc (Mar 7, 2017)

With that process if your head and tail are out of alignment, when you bring in the tailstock and the cone center it could be pushing it sideways and when you remove the cone to finish the inside it's springing back causing things to be off center?


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## Alan Sweet (Mar 7, 2017)

When, I bring the tail stock up. I stop about 1/2 from piece, tighten stock down, and crank the cone into opening of piece. I can only apply so much pressure with tail or I will get cracking. Just enough for support. The piece does not move on entry or removal. I like your idea of a steady. Going to give it a try.

Reactions: Like 1


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## David Hill (Mar 9, 2017)

Since I mostly turn larger stuff, I have that happen too. Turned out that it's the side of the bowl/vessel flexing with the spin or due to tool pressure. A steady helped the problem a lot. Didn't think it would be as apparent in a smaller turning---but it makes sense.


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