few questions about my 'new to me' record power No 0

[Homerjh]

Ok, so got it earlier as well as a box of bits (another thread about what some of them are!) but seems to be a good deal, also in the box of bits there seems to be a pen mandrel and some blanks and some other odd looking things.

anyhow, all set up and turned 2 bits of scrap wood, the first needed to be knocked into the drive centre more as it come loose and got a bit too close to the centre so ended to remove.

the 2nd was a block of wood from a pallet, this turned out really well, i think it is pine but a bit of coving and cuts with the parting tool and used the larger tool to rough it down then the smaller one to tidy.

anyhow, back to the questions :

1 - the alignment of the headstock and the tailstock is slightly out. i have it pretty much spot on centre when looking down but looking up/down it is about 1-2mm out. I can't see how to resolve this, as it seems pretty much 'fixed' as is, so is there anything i missed when putting it together? it is the one with bars which apparently are not that 'accurate' compared to a cast bed, or is it something that isn't that critical for what i am doing?

2 - there is a NOVA chuck, seems to be all there but there isn't any way to tighten the jaws so they can't move. it looks like there are holes but nothing in them. should there be the small nuts that you use allen keys for in there and if so any idea what size so i can get some?

3 - on the headstock there is a twisty thing over the thread, what is this for? doesn't seem to hold anything but does seem to be used to 'push' out the drive centre good.

4 - is there anywhere on them to ID the age/year, the motor has a load of text on about specs/etc but no obvious date. be interested to know as it seems to be built like a bloody tank!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

1/ Did you tighten down the tailstock?
2/ If your Nova is the same as mine (quite old) you put a bar in the hole in one side and another bar in the other. The two sides should revolve freely by hand.
3/ It's thread protector/centre extractor. Don't forget to leave it on.
4/ Can't help.

 

[Homerjh]

1/ Did you tighten down the tailstock?
2/ If your Nova is the same as mine (quite old) you put a bar in the hole in one side and another bar in the other. The two sides should revolve freely by hand.
3/ It's thread protector/centre extractor. Don't forget to leave it on.
4/ Can't help.

1 - all tight as far as i can see, will look tomorrow

2 - it twists fine (and that may be one of the unidentified tools ) but what i mean is once something is chucked there isn't any way to keep it secured.

3 - k

 

[Phil Pascoe]

There is no way of keeping the chuck secure or no way of keeping the item in it secure? ... A couple of pics. would be good.

 

[Homerjh]

will get some tomorrow.

But to explain, the chuck is screwed onto the lathe. the wood is then mounted into the chuck by twisting the chuck to move the faces, this then grabs the wood.

but there isn't anything to stop the chuck from 'undoing'. looks like there may be some allen screws that need to be fitted, but nothing in the holes.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That's it. You just tighten one side against the other. There are no allen screws.(at least, not on mine.)

 

[Homerjh]

That's it. You just tighten one side against the other. There are no allen screws.(at least, not on mine.)

expected there to be something to lock it in place, but maybe as you don't have anything it just locks itself and is ok.

will stand well back then the first time i use it :x :lol:

 

[Dalboy]

You will find that the rotation will keep the chuck on the lathe and the chuck has been around many years and except when someone does not tighten the blank and seat it correctly is when problems occur I have a multi star chuck and have used the same type of system to tighten it with two bars and have not had any problems. Mind you I tend to use my Patriot chucks more nowadays as I have three all set with different jaw sets to save time changing them

 

[Homerjh]

Thanks all, had a better look today, found the 'tools' to tighten it up so tried my hand at at a live edge mushroom from some unknown tree (Birch i think) from my sisters garden a few years ago.

After cutting a tenon and ensuring the chuck was tight and all fitted ok, there was no movement and everything was very secure. Just a shame the tail stock is a mm or 2 lower than the headstock so couldnt use that for extra stability, will need to investigate how to shim it up.

it does look a bit rough grainy, but it is very smooth (sanded to 240 i think as that's all i have) and i am pleased with how it has turned out, especially from a bit of wood that has been in the middle of the firewood pile for a couple of years.

quite like this turning lark, can get something pleasing to the eye completed quite quickly.

 

[Dalboy]

Good job on the mushroom hopefully first of many turnings.

You may find that by putting a small shim under the tailstock end foot that it will raises it enough to line up if you have mounted the lathe on a bench and it is not all level it can throw out the alignment of the centres so when setting up did you put a level across the bars from front to back at bothe ends and also along the length. If you don't understand this then go to the record site and log in and look at some of the instructions for lathes with bars I know it describes all of this in the CL3 bar type lathe.
If you still have problems send me a PM with your e mail address don't put it on an open forum

 

[Homerjh]

no i didn't test the level TBH.

just checked and it was almost level on the bars but the centre was out, but putting a shim in it makes it level now, but the bars are now quite obviously not level to the worktop, and on the spirit level the bars are touching the 2nd ring.

anyhow will take a look at the CL3 instructions.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For most purposes the tail centre being 1mm - 2mm out won't make the slightest difference.

 

[Homerjh]

ok, i have just found some wood and shimmed the rear up. now it seems to be spot on now, but checking the headstock spur that seems to 'run out' hence the confusion, but that is the centre pin so probably all ok for my needs, and i put the johnson chuck in there and checked and it is hitting the centre point fine.

the bars though are now higher at the rear than the front, but seems to be aligned now and putting in stock in the chuck and checking centre it is good now, previous there was an obvious misalignment. i know you generally don't need the tailstock with the chuck but apparently it is good for some extra stability.

thanks all, just a bit of OCD, but suppose thats the thing with the bar based lathes that it may need more fettling to align.