Bent or just not straight

[Nautilus21]

Hi guys

Hope you are all good

I have acquired a cl4 and finding that when I turn almost anything I get a good (reasonable) finish on one side but not on the other... So requiring a lot of sanding to get it to passable condition...

Looking when turning at a long spindle there is a little out of true... There doesn't appear to be any play in the bearing

Is this possibly a bent head stock or am I just not lining it up properly (any tips?)

Other thougughts appreciated...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Start by bringing your tailstock (with a centre in it) up to the headstock with a drive centre (or another centre with a point) and tighten down both. See if the points touch.

 

[jurriaan]

If you turn some wood on a lathe with a bent spindle, it will still end up round.

Only if you take it off and then re-attach it to the spindle in some way, will you notice the bent spindle.

What sides are you talking about? I can hardly imagine you have a bowl with the good side in front of you, and after rotating the spindle with that that bowl 180 degrees there's a bad side in front of you?

If that were the case, I'd suspect the wood.

Or are you talking about inside/outside? In that case, I can't really see how a bent spindle would affect your finish. It would be possible to get a bowl that was thinner on one side compared to the other, but that shouldn't affect the finish?

 

[CHJ]

or am I just not lining it up properly (any tips?)

Other thougughts appreciated...

If you are turning between centers the alignment of headstock and tailstock are not critical.
When you do a tailstock kiss test be aware that although the points can align the axis of the two spindles may not be true and can show problems when you try to drill holes from the tailstock.

 

[JimB]

Could be the wood if you're turning between centres especially if you're only used to cutting in one direction, say right to left. In that case you might be going with the grain on one side and against it on the other.

 

[hawkeyefxr]

I had the smaller versions of the cl4 and mine was running out of true, it turned out that when i bought the lathe i stropped it down for transportation. When i reassembled it i took it for granted that is would line itself up, it didn't. I had to slacken off the clamps each end and tweak it a little.
Eyeball the the two round bars, where one meets the other along it's length they should both be parallel.
Also the headstock and tailstock centres should meet point to point. That may not be as critical as an engineering lathe but if your super clever with your turning chisel on a spindle you will get a perfect round cylinder, it the centres are out you will get a taper. That is useful on an engineers lathe but a royal PITA to get lined up again quickly.

 

[CHJ]

it the centres are out you will get a taper. .

If you are turning between centres on a wood lathe with normal free hand tools you will turn a true round spindle regardless of centre alignment. Look at a pole lathe turner, probably only has a couple of nails in blocks of wood very approximately resembling some degree of alignment but his output is perfectly round.

If you are trying to turn a spindle with the wood driven in the Chuck then the tailstock centre needs to be in alignment or else the wood will be constantly flexing to match the offset.

 

[Dalboy]

Something that you have not said is how long a spindle and how big a diameter the longer and thinner a spindle the more chance of deflection when turning nearer the centre of the spindle. This can be over come by using your left hand(assuming you are right handed) to aid stabilising the spindle but only one it has been rounded.

 

[Nautilus21]

Thanks guys...

All useful posts and comments

I'll do a bit more and try and get seem pictures.....

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