How To Align The Tailstock To The Headstock On Your Lathe

Watch this video introduction to aligning your lathe's headstock and tailstock. Tech expert Kurt Repsher walks you through how to use the Edge Technology Tailstock Alignment Bar, and explains the benefits of aligning your lathe's tailstock to the headstock. Subscribe to our KZbin Channel and be the first to see more awesome how-to videos like this one!
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THE BENEFITS OF ALIGNING YOUR LATHE'S TAILSTOCK TO THE HEADSTOCK
If your lathe is cutting a taper, your lathe's tailstock and headstock are not aligned. Like any rotating machinery, a lathe needs to be properly aligned in order to run efficiently and produce quality parts. Aligning your lathe, and aligning any machine, delivers a number of key benefits, including:
Aligned machinery minimizes waste: When out of alignment, your machinery is more likely to produce faulty parts. A tapered workpiece or an out of tolerance part may require additional machining, or to be scrapped. Aligning your machinery increases your accuracy and your efficiency.
Aligned machinery improves your working environment: An aligned machine will vibrate less, reducing noice levels and allowing smoother, more accurate machining.
Edge Technology Tailstock Alignment Bar
WHY USE A TAILSTOCK ALIGNMENT BAR?
Manual alignment of your lathe's tailstock to the headstock can be cumbersome and time-consuming, and results can be varied. Use of a Tailstock Alignment Bar to align the tailstock to the headstock allows you to both save time and ensure you have eliminated any taper on your workpieces. Accurate alignment is critical to eliminate any taper in work pieces that are supported by the tailstock. Use of a quality tailstock alignment bar makes the process of tailstock alignment fast, easy and accurate.
THE EDGE TECHNOLOGY TAILSTOCK ALIGNMENT BAR
While a variety of tailstock alignment bars are available, the Edge Technology Tailstock Alignment Bar is a popular option that is highly regarded by both professional machinists and enthusiasts for the bar's ease of use. The high strength anodized finish aluminum bar is equipped with steel bar ends that are precision ground after assembly to offer superior accuracy, with bar end diameters equal within 0.0002". Use of this tailstock alignment bar allows you to align the tailstock to the headstock in a few steps that can be completed quickly and easily:
STEP 1: INSTALL TAILSTOCK ALIGNMENT BAR BETWEEN CENTERS
Aligning your lathe step 1Insert a morse taper dead center into your lathe's Tailstock. Align a dial test indicator, digital test indicator, dial drop indicator, or digital drop indicator that is held by a magnetic base indicator holder that is on your lathe's carriage and align the point of the indictor to the center of the morse taper dead center in your tailstock. Either remove your chuck and insert a dead center into the spindle, or insert a dead center into a sleeve, and place the assembly into your chuck. Insert the Tailstock Alignment Bar Into the headstock side of your lathe. Move the bar close to the tailstock side, and adjust the tailstock as needed to allow for the Tailstock Alignment bar to fit securely between the centers.
STEP 2: INTRODUCE AN INDICATOR
Aligning your lathe step 2Attach a dial test indicator, digital test indicator, dial drop indicator, or digital drop indicator, to the cross slide surface of your lathe using a tool post indicator or a magnetic base indicator holder. Align the indicator tip with the Tailstock Alignment Bar end on the headstock side. Use cross slide to depress the indicator as needed, and zero the indicator face.
STEP 3: ALIGN THE LATHE'S TAILSTOCK TO THE HEADSTOCK
aligning-your-lathe-step3Without moving the cross slide, move the carriage until the indicator tip is aligned with the opposite end of the Tailstock Alignment Bar. Adjust the tailstock until the indicator reads zero. Now your tailstock is properly aligned with the headstock on your lathe.
TECH TIP: Intentionally moving your tailstock to create a taper? If desired, you can use the Edge Technology Tailstock Alignment Bar to position the tailstock for cutting slight tapers. The distance between the alignment bar ends is 12" (304.8mm). The amount of taper per foot is read directly from the indicator as the tailstock is adjusted.
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[@olivvapor4873]

Interesting, thank you ; How did you properly center the chuck at first ?

[@DH-sw6vg]

That's great for the horizontal axis. What about aligning it vertically?

[@wonbythe1]

Thanks, DH. As long as you can hold it between two centers and run an indicator from one end to the other, the angle it's at doesn't matter.

[@rodgraff1782]

Why are you trying to line up with a Chuck? Ever thought about removing the Chuck and installing the correct taper dead center into the spindle? As you said, chucks have run out. If you want accuracy Turn between centers with a faceplate and dogs.

[@wonbythe1]

Great point, Rod. Turning between centers is always the most accurate, whenever possible.

[@ancomm_uk]

Thanks for this. Clear and concise.

[@jefflyon100]

Mentioning that the lathe bed needs to be dialed in flat/level before this test can be considered accurate would really help new machinists. It's probably the biggest reason why new machinists have problems with accuracy using small budget lathes. My friends little lathe had a 0.010" twist, once we shimmed the bed and got it true his "dialed in" tailstock accuracy was worse than the factory setting. It's a great video but mentioning the other alignment tests would help new machinists that are beyond frustrated with inaccurate parts with where to look next.

[@wonbythe1]

Great point, jefflyon100. Thanks.

[@pmacc3557]

How to shim? I got a new lathe and it's over 1cm out in both planes

[@pieterbotes8938]

Brother, is you headstock alingned with the bed? In other words, is the center line of the headstock spindle parallel to the bed? This is the first thing you need to check. Once you are sure it is, you can align the tailstock with the headstock. Another question: Is the cross slide of your lathe square with the bed? These are important things to confirm. Just some ideas for all who might not be aware of these things.

[@terrym1979]

My Clausing 6300 lathe was dropped during moving. I suspect the bedway is out of alignment. As I can not get the tailstock alignment the full length of the bedway. Can you show how to align the bedway to the headstock ??? Thank You T. M.

[@larrykent196]

Too bad about your lathe, the truth is the parts just need to come out correctly. With 90k hours machining parts I can tell you all the lathes are a bit out somewhere. This method shown will change as the tailstock is moved into another position. Your part lengths will always vary maybe shorter or longer than that bar he used to indicate the tailstock in. This no BS no indicator method will ensure you make good cuts on your parts. Chuck up your part ready to machine with tailstock snug but not gorilla tight you may need to adjust it. Take a cut on the chuck end, enough to clean it up and wide enough to measure, note the dial position precisely. Do the same at the tail stock end using the same dial position precisely as the first cut. With the lathe stopped measure them both. Lets suppose the tailstock end measures bigger than the chuck side cut, move the dial to that position, .010 larger than your original dial setting. Tool positioned over the tailstock side machined cut with the machine on, adjust the tailstock until it just starts to tickle the cut you first made. Done correctly you can now machine a straight cut precisely. Take another chip on both ends and compare, tighten up everything when your satisfied with the results. Super fast to do, and very accurate results on any lathe at any length. Cheers!

[@JustFun-iz9rf]

Thanks

[@richsharp1524]

Thanks. I really appreciated how you explained how this tools works. I’m ordering one tonight 😊

[@traverstool1]

Thanks For letting us know Rich! If you have any questions after you receive it let us know.

[@nathandevine552]

Please explain the sorcery behind alignment of the headstock

[@jefffromjersey52]

Yeagh I was wondering the same , I guess he just figured he would let the viewer figure that part out for himself, on their Own specific Lathe ?

[@wonbythe1]

Headstocks are rarely able to be aligned. They're very rigid and usually not adjustable.

[@jefffromjersey52]

@@wonbythe1 We are talking about RUNOUT ... the Headstock , IF and when it is at perfect ZERO Runout , IS , the absolute Center , the tailstock needs to conform to that Center .

[@pangsiung]

thanks

[@hjg5291]

What was the name of the dead center you put into the chuck?

[@nlo114]

If the dead-centre in the chuck has 1.5 thou runout, (being half-way between max and min), will the turned part show the same runout when chucked-up between centers on a different but spot-on, machine?

[@Caughtitoutdoors]

How would you deal with a tailstock that has .007 drop on the nose end? I place a mag based dti on my chuck, and run it on a dead center. I can get same registration on the side to side, but not up and down. I'm thinking jacking screws in to four corners of the top half of my tailstock where the split is.

[@wilde.coyote6618]

Shim stock would be a better option.

[@oddsman01]

I’m not too sure about an aluminum alignment bar, even with ground HSS ends.

[@sverreeriksen1982]

Hi, I am trying aligment of tailstock on my lathe. Diameter is a little larger on tailstock side than headstock. Do I move tailstock towards me or away from me? If I have a difference of a tenth of millimeter, do I move tailstock half of that to get workpice paralell? mvh sverre eriksen Trondheim, Norway.

[@wonbythe1]

It depends on the machine, Sverre. With your indicator on it, move it one way, and see if the indicator needle moves in the right direction.

[@sverreeriksen1982]

@@wonbythe1 thanks so mucg for your answer

[@ricksweetser1683]

What if your tailstock center is not at the same height as the headstock center? As the dial indicator runs along the side of the tube the indication will change.

[@wonbythe1]

Hi Rick. I'm afraid that I don't have good news for you. If your tailstock is lower than the spindle axis, the lathe ways and/or tailstock is/are worn out. If your tailstock is higher, it's probably not made for that lathe make & model, but it's possible that it could be machined down to the correct height.

[@ricksweetser1683]

Didn't mean I have a tailstock that is lower. I was just proposing a "what if". Besides, if it is lower, than you can easily shim between the base and the tailstock to alleviate the misalignment. And, if it is higher doesn't necessarily mean it was not made for the lathe, just means it came from China.@@wonbythe1

[@wonbythe1]

So true, @@ricksweetser1683 If you shim a tailstock, the shims will need to be long enough to bend & secure them on both ends, so they don't slide out when you drag it along the ways.

[@ricksweetser1683]

The tailstock on a Chinese lathe is 2-piece so you can place the shims between the two parts.@@wonbythe1

[@wonbythe1]

Good point, Rick. @@ricksweetser1683

[@johngurney1069]

to many variables such as the carriage, chuck , tailstock adjustment.

[@alfredkipkurui1345]

I have been experiencing this problem (tail stock out of centre

[@traverstool1]

Hope this video helped!

[@fbloggs]

OK, so that's the lateral alignment of the tailstock what about aligning up and down?

[@wonbythe1]

Vertical alignment shouldn't change. If it's off, it's because something is worn, or it's the wrong tailstock for the machine it's on.

[@alfredkipkurui1345]

👏

[@deedeeindustrialsuperprecision]

I tried this tool on a friends 13X40 Grizzly and it did not work. He bought the tool to align his lathe and it did the opposite. The machine was fine, the tool seemed ok, the lathe was better aligned simply cutting a length of metal and adjusting the tailstock to suit like has always been done.

[@wonbythe1]

I apologize that it didn't work our for you, the way you were hoping it would.

[@deedeeindustrialsuperprecision]

I was not hoping for anything, I didn't buy this thing and never would, someone else wasted their money on it@@wonbythe1

[@DonDyarprecision]

The tool simply does not work, in my testing, save your money.

[@tinnedanger]

Why not just turn a piece of stock and measure run out ?

[@wonbythe1]

That's another good way to do it, Rob. Most people usually have something they can turn. Another way to do it is to put a center hole in each end of a precision graound rod. Using an alignment tool is just a convenience for some people.