First impressions and a question.

[Tazmaniandevil]

So, I set up the RP DML36SH yesterday and turned a quick pen to try it out.
First impression is how much quieter than the ML8 it is, although far less torque. Easy to clean, belt adjustments for speed are far easier, and banjo range is far better.
On the downside the drive centre and revolving "live" centre are rubbish compared to the ones I got with my ML8. No worries there though, #1MT means a simple swap from one to t'other.

First question for RP users though. Should there be an index system for the swivel head? It seems an awful kerfuffle re-aligning the headstock after swivelling for off-bed turning.
Surely there's an easier way than guessing, then trying to align the headstock with the tailstock when the drive centre rises when the headstock locking bolt is slackened.

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

 

[Vic Perrin]

Kiss test them Tazz, I do it on my Record Maxi 1 every time I move the headstock.

It only takes a few seconds

Vic

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Yeah, I was doing that. The problem I found though was the weight of the motor pulls the drive centre up in the air when the locking bolt is loose enough to move the headstock meaning I have to guesstimate the alignment, tighten the locking bolt, then double check & adjust as necessary.
I suppose it's a small price to pay for the increased capacity.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

As said just use the kiss test but don't get anal about excessive accuracy, it's not an engineering lathe. The only set up where alignment is really needed is when holding work in a chuck and supporting with the tailstock.

Regards Mick

 

[NickWelford]

You could turn a double ended morse taper. Stick one end in each of the stocks and it's aligned. Voila!

 

[Dalboy]

I think that it would not take much to have an indent type system on a lathe when manufactured. I have a old draper lathe and when turning the headstock there are three settingd In line with the tail stock 45deg and 90 deg makes life very easy

 

[gregmcateer]

You could turn a double ended morse taper. Stick one end in each of the stocks and it's aligned. Voila!

I've thought this seems the perfect solution. I think Toolpost may sell one, (poss a Teknatool product?).

I have asked a couple of metal-spinner friends if they could do it and one said v tricky. the other said give him a drawing of what I want and he'll try.

Do I assume it's difficult to do?

 

[jpt]

Mark Raby was selling double ended morse tapers for allignmet at a reasonble price, they arent on his web site http://www.markrabywoodfinishing.co.uk/ but it would be worth contacting him as he is still adding items to the site.

john

 

[Spindle]

I've thought this seems the perfect solution.

Hi

In metal this would be total 'over engineering' IMO - in wood OK if you honestly feel you need it.

One thought - you've been a little over zealous in aligning the stocks using your double ended MT and it's now grabbed as designed - how are you going to extract it?

But why do you feel the need for this level of accuracy?

Regards Mick

 

[Grahamshed]

So,as a newbie, what level of accuracy do we want Mick ?

 

[CHJ]

....
Do I assume it's difficult to do?

Yes, not so much difficult but time consuming and needing a lot of trial and error checking for someone with an ordinary manual metal lathe.
The Morse tapers require a tight angle setting accuracy, most home or small workshop lathes could take a person an hour or so of setting up and trial turnings to get the angle spot on.
Then dependant upon whether the person needed to offset the tailstock for between centres turning (the easiest way to turn a double ended taper fitting) as opposed to short section compound slide turning, a period of resetting and checking to put things back true.

 

[Spindle]

So,as a newbie, what level of accuracy do we want Mick ?

Hi

Set it by eye - bring the tail centre to within a mm of the drive centre, look vertically down whilst rotating the headstock to the aligned position. That will get you to less than 0.5mm.

As I said, there is no need to align the centres for anything other than tailstock supported chuck mounted work, (well nothing else I can think of at the moment).

Regards Mick

 

[CHJ]

So,as a newbie, what level of accuracy do we want Mick ?

The only time you need real accuracy of alignment of headstock and tailstock spindles is for drilling holes when you need them to be true to size and central alignment.

Between centres turning does not need the centres to be aligned.

A word of caution regarding doing a Kiss test, although on the face of it this seems a perfect measure of alignment, centres can meet this test and still be way out of line for drilling purposes.

This is an exaggeration of Kiss test problems that can occur, if tailstock is not aligned true to the headstock spindle axis, you can get a change in alignment as you extend the tailstock quill or move it along the lathe bed. Not something to be expected with a quality lathe but something that can occur through less than perfect machining or twisting of a lathe bed bars or casting through poor mounting on unlevelled surface or bench.

If you visualise the effect of moving the tailstock back along the bed and putting a drill chuck and drill in it you can see it is pointing way off centre.

 

[gregmcateer]

Mick, Chas,
Thanks for explaining.
Seems eye test, (no pun intended) would be sufficient, then.
Greg

 

[Spindle]

if tailstock is not aligned true to the headstock spindle axis, you can get a change in alignment as you extend the tailstock quill or move it along the lathe bed.

Hi

Whilst extending / retracting the tailstock quill will result in a change to the alignment in the circumstance of Chas' diagram, moving the tailstock along the bed will not, (assuming that the headstock alignment is true to the bed).

Regards Mick

 

[mikec]

I have a Record CL4 (started with DM36SH) and I have a double ended 1MT I use for alignment. It is so much more accurate than using the tips of the centres. I clamp down the tailstock with the double end 1MT mounted then slide the headstock in to mate securely with the other end and then tighten up the headstock.

Removal is easy, I use the protector on the headstock and a rod through the hollow centre of the tailstock.

This makes it so much quicker and more accurate as I don't have to battle with the headstock being out of balance.


Regards,

mikec

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Cheers folks. As I said I think the weight of the motor tilting the headstock back was worrying me when re-aligning it. I think a "double ender" is the way forward. fnrrr fnrrr fnrrr......
I almost always support whatever I have in the chuck using the tailstock unless drilling or hollowing. Good to know the alignment is not as critical as I believed.
I will have another dig in the bits I got with the lathe. There is a whole pile of odds and ends in the various boxes. Failing that, a nice bit of oak should suffice.

 

[Harry 48]

Hi Tazz for a quick reference line up the head and tail stock then put a piece of tape across the joint of the swivel joint cut through the tape . when you want to line up the head use tape to realign the head after trying this if you are happy with it scribe a line across as a reference