How to Align the Tailstock On a Metal Lathe - Quick Machining Tip #18

[@angelramos-2005]

Hi Stuart.I appreciate your kind response.I finally decided to be happy enough with my Harbor Freight lathe-milling machine to be within 1 thou in both longitudinal and circular deviation.It is more than I need,or maybe not?.I bought some test bars an other pieces since my lathe does´nt have the the adjusting screws in the tail stock..Being in Spain now,I use my dial indicators both inches and metric at the same time.In inches I read thous and in metric I read "cents"( 1 hundreth of a milimeter ).Since 1mm.=40 thous,then 1 thou=2.5 cents and 1 cent=.4 thous.Easy enough.Gracias amigo y hasta pronto.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Thanks for the inspiration for the video! No adjusting screws, huh? That's a new one for me.

[@rgmveraart]

@@StuartdeHaro my Weiler MD220 has no adjusting screws in the tailstock as well. Thanks for the good info in your video's!! Regards from The Netherlands Ronald Veraart

[@highpwr]

Turning a point on a piece of scrap in the chuck to use as a center is a huge time saver vs fitting a face plate & 'traditional' center. Several good tips in this one. Bueno.

[@aceroadholder2185]

Stuart's method works fine AFTER you have performed several other inspections on the tail stock. If you do the alignment as Stuart describes and the lathe is still turning taper that, though small, is especially noticeable if you are for example turning seats for several bearings on a shaft and no matter the alignment they are different diameters there are some other things you need to check and possibly correct. My 1989 Taiwanese 12" lathe has the same tail stock as Stuart's lathe and I found the following misalignments, all of which will cause the lathe to turn taper: a) The axis of the tail stock quill is not parallel to the axis of the head stock spindle or b) the axis of the tail stock quill is above or below the axis of the head stock spindle. c)the axis of the tail stock quill is not parallel to the the head stock spindle in the horizontal plane. These faults are corrected by modification to the cricket that slides on the bed ways and which the tail stock sits on. The quill is leveled first. Grind the cricket or shim it so the extended quill is absolutely parallel to the bed. Then grind or shim the cricket until the quill is even with or 0.0015" max above the lathe spindle axis (this allows for wear and clamping). Lastly using shims or jack screws on the back of the tail stock (if provided) make sure the extended quill is parallel to the lathe bed. Finally test as Stuart shows with a shaft between centers. The lathe should turn straight no matter the position of the tail stock or how far the quill is extended. Actually before you do any of this you need to check the head stock spindle. The easy way to do this is spend $50 for a ground test bar to fit the Morse taper in the head stock. My lathe required 0.002" shims at the back and using the jacking screws on the back side of the head stock that hangs over the bed to get it all parallel with the bed. This may seem like a nuisance to do but it really improves the usefulness of your lathe. You can turn diameters straight and to size without having to use a file and Kentucky windage. Importantly you will notice that small drills 1/16" dia. (1.5mm) will not be bent to go into a hole that's being drilled.

[@le3045acp]

this is the way i was taught to align the tailstock and has worked very well for me i try to lock the tail stock at the place im turning the part and align it at that position then remove my test bar and insert my part and turn it usually it keeps my within a small amount of emry cloth lol

[@joell439]

Fantastic simple explanation that is very easy to understand and follow. Thank you 👍😎👍

[@EvoKeremidarov]

I love your videos man... they are short, straight to the point and give a ton of knowledge

[@Guymgat]

Fantastic video! Helped me in a pinch at work today.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Good to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@mechanical1955]

That is a good way to do it , others recommend turning a plug the same diameter as the tailstock spindle and aligning them , It doesn't work if like my old atlas lathe the morse taper in the tailstock spindle is not machined accurately in the centre of the spindle Took me a while to identify that little problem

[@StuartdeHaro]

I can imagine!

[@ironhead65]

I've seen similar done using just a few aluminum discs pressed to the bar with the center drilled ends. Thus the discs are consumed, but can be replaced as they are consumed.

[@turningpoint6643]

I almost never use the centers that came with my lathes in the head stock. I do the same as you do Stuart with the addition of cutting a .050" or more step in the part where the chuck jaws grip it. That prevents the center from ever being pushed back within the chuck jaws and the part that's between centers from becoming loose. A small but imo important detail.

[@StuartdeHaro]

I like it! I going to do that. Thanks for the great tip!

[@laurencestonard4593]

Hi you mention it in your video, before you start on your tail stock…. The lathe should be tied to the floor and level The bed should not be twisted when it was pulled down To check this put the test bar in the centre with about 5 “ sticking out, do a light cut with out the centre in the back then you will see if your bed is twisted. You will have to shim the tail stock end under the lathe till you get it parallel, once this is done you can adjust the tail stock You may have shown this on another video.. Thank for your time and effort in making the videos. Best wishes Laurence

[@xabi66666]

Un Saludo desde La coruña Galicia España Gracias por tú Tiempo y tus videos MUY BUENOS . MUY BUENO TU ESPAÑOL UN SALUDO.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Hola Xabier y ¡muchas gracias por mirar!

[@xabi66666]

@@StuartdeHaro A ti Por tu tiempo

[@MrDuffman83]

Very well explained

[@oh8wingman]

When I set my tailstock, I turned the entire length of the stock and then miked it at both ends. I was to say the least somewhat tedious. I like this way much better and will use it in the future.

[@Conno9220]

You can also just turn the tail, the middle and the front and check all three points. No need to turn the whole length.

[@jajanisbeth9207]

Hey Stuart, Just wondering what if I put a indicator on the chuck (not in the jaws) and spun it around the tailstock, what would I be measuring? I tried it on my lathe and was very surprised by the readings. Love your videos and humor. Thanks 🙏🏾

[@StuartdeHaro]

You will actually get some pretty weird readings because gravity is working on the indicator and the holder. I will look like it's high because the indicator is getting pulled toward the part (contacting more) when on top and away from it (contacting less) when on bottom.

[@jajanisbeth9207]

@@StuartdeHaro I agree. I used a very rigid holder but I don’t think gravity could a count for the difference in readings. What about side to side along the x axis? Would that be a way to align the tailstock? I use the method you show to align currently but I’m just curious if this possible as well.

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@jajanisbeth9207 I don't think I would do that. If you're putting the indicator holder in the chuck you're introducing the possibility of error due to the runout of the chuck. Even a collet is going to runout a bit. You want to make sure that what you're measuring isn't being influenced by something else.

[@bauerleinjohn]

Can I just mount a chrome rod between centres, indicate along that and move the tail stock accordingly instead of taking a cut?

[@StuartdeHaro]

Yup. That would work. You just need to make sure that your centers are very concentric and the bar is actually straight. Those would be your two biggest sources of error.

[@sverreeriksen1982]

Hi and thanks for good info. I did it the same way you did, but mounted testbar in 3 jaws chuck. Is senter to senter the way to do this aligment from headstock to tailstock? mvh sverre eriksen, trondheim, Norway

[@StuartdeHaro]

A test bar is nice because you already have a known standard and you can mount it, check it with an indicator, and make your adjustments. Since you're looking at the difference in taper between the headstock and tailstock, you need to divide the taper in two to get your adjustment. Otherwise the process is the same as what's shown in the video.

[@seanwolfe9321]

What if your tail stock is HIGH? In/out is good, but wouldn’t this have some bearing on this? Am I over thinking this? Feels like time/space continuum stuff…

[@StuartdeHaro]

It really shouldn't be. The bore of the tailstock is usually machined using the lathe itself to ensure alignment. Being high or low would produce a slight taper but not as bad as an error side to side.

[@freestyla101]

Fantastic explanation, as always. So is this just an alternative to the test bar method where you would sweep with an indicator? Seems like a very good way to do it where you don’t have to buy an expensive test bar.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Yep. It's just another way of doing the job.

[@freestyla101]

@@StuartdeHaro thank you Stuart, you’ve saved me money! Have you done a video on lathe levelling?

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@freestyla101 Not yet, but I will eventually when I get all my machines moved to their final homes.

[@freestyla101]

@@StuartdeHaro awesome I look forward to watching it. Do you think using a digital angle gauge on the bed to adjust the levelling feet so that it reads 0° on both ends would work? I’d like to avoid buying a machinists level if I can, and I figured it’s got to get it close. A lot closer than a carpenters level at least.

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@freestyla101 I'd guess it isn't going to be accurate enough. Even going from looking perfect on a .005"/foot machinists level to a .0005"/foot master machinists level you'll see a massive difference. You're not just trying to make the machine level. You're trying to eliminate twists in the bed that can cause tapers in your cut. A small error in that regard makes a huge difference to the cut.

[@adibsumairi7143]

Thanks bro

[@riaancoetzee8908]

Hi Stuart Thanks for the video, my question, what about the height of the tailstock. My tailstock has shims in to correct the height. How will I get it set to the correct height in order to have the height and alignment correct

[@StuartdeHaro]

That's tricky because the wear causing it to be low is almost certainly uneven. Also, how much of the wear is in the tailstock and how much is in the ways? Spinning an indicator around the quill and taking readings is unreliable because of gravity the same is true for extending the quill out a distance and sweeping along it.

[@riaancoetzee8908]

@@StuartdeHaro thank you for the reply. Will let you know what pans out

[@chupacabra1765]

My tail stock is out vertically I have not found any alignment screws to adjust this,

[@StuartdeHaro]

There are none for that. It's caused by wear between the tailstock and the ways or droop on the quill. Your best bet is putting shim stock between the upper and lower parts of the tailstock.

[@chupacabra1765]

@@StuartdeHaro K, thanks for the reply. Cheers.

[@greglaroche1753]

Why can’t you put the bar directly into the three jaw chuck? Thanks.

[@StuartdeHaro]

That wouldn't show the taper on the tailstock because the chuck would be holding it straight. Or straight-ish at least.

[@greglaroche1753]

@@StuartdeHaro I see your point that the bar would be freer to move, but I guess it depends on how much you need to move the tailstock. I’ve noticed that they sell test bars to align tailstocks with a Morse taper that goes directly into the spindle. They are to be used with an indicator not cut for sure. Do you think they are a good idea?

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@greglaroche1753 You know, I've never had occasion to use one of them, so I don't have an opinion one way or the other.

[@eddietowers5595]

Naaah, You're not a moron. You made it past the play button on your camera, let alone explain how to align the tailstock on a metal lathe. So, you're good.

[@StuartdeHaro]

That button is a tough one though. A real head scratcher.

[@dizzolve]

2:11 Cheddar is my favorite though

[@StuartdeHaro]

I gotta say, I was wondering if you meant to comment this in my burger smasher video, then I heard how I pronounced chatter and my confusion melted away like a nice slice of pure Wisconsin cheddar lovingly placed between two lacey-edged beef patties on a grilled brioche bun.

[@dizzolve]

@@StuartdeHaro See I knew you were speaking MY language :)

[@longhair2011]

I’m trying to align my lathe as I have a lot of shake

[@StuartdeHaro]

Shaking could be caused by a few things. I'd start with where the stand meets the floor. You could have a soft foot situation where it isn’t stable on the floor. If you have leveling feet, make sure they're all touching the pads. If you don't have leveling feet, you could have the same problem, but you'll need to correct it with shims under the low spots. If it's on a bench top, stiffen up the bench as much as you can. Check to see if that improves things. If not, move on to making sure the machine is mounted well to the stand/bench. If all that is solid it might be a mechanical issue such as a bad bearing. Once you have everything stable, then you can check the level of the machine, but the level is only going to fix a tapered cut, not a vibration.

[@le3045acp]

stuart long time viewer , if you really want to help a guy out i have to make 2 small gears one is with a keyway the other has a round hole 1/2" or so but its not drillable because one side is flat for the drive so it will not slip what is the best way to cut a hole with a flat on one side

[@le3045acp]

oh and by the way keep up the great work and videos

[@StuartdeHaro]

One way you can do it is to make it a round hole with a separate half moon slice to take up the space. That can be brazed, pinned in place, or just held in with a set screw (pinched between the gear and the shaft). You can also lay it out with dykem and scribe lines and drill out what you can and finish by filing to the lines. It's very fiddly and will require a lot of test fitting to get it fitting right. Check out the videos by Clickspring. He does that sort of thing a lot. Good luck with it!

[@le3045acp]

@@StuartdeHaro i kind of wanted to know the correct way to do it with the mill and what set up to use

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@le3045acp you mean the gears or the weird bore?

[@le3045acp]

@@StuartdeHaro i mean the weird bore i think ive got the gear cutting figured out

[@mikem970]

What if the tail stock is out up an down?

[@StuartdeHaro]

That would take a considerable amount of wear. The bore of the tailstock should be machined by the lathe itself to ensure alignment. If you need to, I suppose you can shim between the upper and lower halves of the tailstock.

[@mikem970]

Thanks for the information! May try to shim it, not sure I understand about boring it then What to do.

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@mikem970 You wouldn't want to bore it. I meant that it was done that way at the factory. Reboring it would require you to make a new quill to fit.

[@mikem970]

Gotcha, thanks for the help! Enjoy your videos!!

[@jdmccorful]

I like it, seems like a workable solution. Thanks for the look.