matt_southward
Established Member
Hi all,
After phil.p introduced me to the top of the very slippery slope that is electrical woodturning - I come from a pole-lathe background - I moved to the dark side and bought myself a lathe and extension bed from Axminster a week and a bit ago, It's a midi 1218VS.
I've already been on to them about excessive vibration, and my conclusion that the spindle isn't running true in the main bearing, which I discovered when turning my first bowl - as when I'd trued the outside of the bowl, I realised that the bowl wasn't round, but very slightly out of round. I then did my best to check the spindle - low tech with the tip of a pencil which on just touching gives intermittent contact (I've just ordered a dial gauge from Axi so that I can get a better reading).
So, the question is - what is an acceptable amount of run-out? Both on a new lathe, and then on a used, worn lathe i.e. at what point do you start to run into trouble with your work? I realise that some run out is acceptable due to engineering tolerance, but I'm pretty sure that mine isn't right!
On another note regarding my lathe, how significant is the flatness of the bed? The reason I ask is that the cast bed on mine is out front to back - that is it's about 0.5mm lower on the front than the back (looks like the casting is twisted too after looking at it with winding sticks).
So all in all it looks like a 'friday afternoon special' but I just wanted some feedback from you guys with more experience as to what I should expect, and what I should be prepared to live with etc I might then sound like I know what I'm talking about when I speak to Axminster next
After phil.p introduced me to the top of the very slippery slope that is electrical woodturning - I come from a pole-lathe background - I moved to the dark side and bought myself a lathe and extension bed from Axminster a week and a bit ago, It's a midi 1218VS.
I've already been on to them about excessive vibration, and my conclusion that the spindle isn't running true in the main bearing, which I discovered when turning my first bowl - as when I'd trued the outside of the bowl, I realised that the bowl wasn't round, but very slightly out of round. I then did my best to check the spindle - low tech with the tip of a pencil which on just touching gives intermittent contact (I've just ordered a dial gauge from Axi so that I can get a better reading).
So, the question is - what is an acceptable amount of run-out? Both on a new lathe, and then on a used, worn lathe i.e. at what point do you start to run into trouble with your work? I realise that some run out is acceptable due to engineering tolerance, but I'm pretty sure that mine isn't right!
On another note regarding my lathe, how significant is the flatness of the bed? The reason I ask is that the cast bed on mine is out front to back - that is it's about 0.5mm lower on the front than the back (looks like the casting is twisted too after looking at it with winding sticks).
So all in all it looks like a 'friday afternoon special' but I just wanted some feedback from you guys with more experience as to what I should expect, and what I should be prepared to live with etc I might then sound like I know what I'm talking about when I speak to Axminster next