Lathe Leveling - Waste of time ????

[@ken481959]

The issue is not really whether the machine is level, but is rather that it is square to itself, and will maintain such squareness. I say this because after spending a couple of enlistments in the Navy, level is something that is relative to the center of the Earth, and not usually pertinent to machine function. Ensuring squareness is much more important to machine function (most any machine) than is levelness. And using the correct terminology when discussing such things is important so as to not introduce confusion into the subject. I am glad that you did talk about squareness when setting up a lathe.

[@donfoster1832]

Very clear and informative. Thanks. Over the years of watching all you folks in the KZbin machinist group, I have come to understand how even monolithic chunks of metal regularly deform and shift, and how that influences accuracy. Extreme examples as you show in this video are a sure way to understand how subtle changes within a system can affect major errors.

[@TAWPTool]

Very timely Joe, as I begin to "level" my new lathe. I know the effort and time required to produce these video, and we all appreciate it! Thank you.

[@joepie221]

Thanks for watching Guy. Much appreciated.

[@scottthornton9237]

The lathe and mill at work are of the same brand. We were having a problem with the mill, called a Mfr. rep out. As it turns out he was the same person who set-up both machines when they were delivered. As he walked into the shop he glanced at the lathe saying "Who and why did someone screw with the leveling, bet it is cutting a taper." (there were other Machinist in the shop before us). It took this guy all of 10 min to dial in the late to a half thou over three feet. That was impressive! Great video and explanation as usual, Joe! You have a knack of making it all make sense.

[@mikesargent2139]

Agreed. Joe takes something that would fill chapters in book and in 12 min gives a clear picture of what is going on, home to

[@robertpoirier5157]

Wow, now I can see the light ! As a novice I would have never though about the influence of the headstock on the center line of the bearings. It just makes lots of sense now. Many thanks for sharing your invaluable experience !

[@backspaceaw11]

This is the best lathe demonstration I've seen. Thanks Joe.

[@swamppifi6186]

perfect timing for this video..just relocated my mill and the lathe is being set up in a few weeks time....thanks Joe

[@ClipperDays]

Perfect timing. I have just brought my "new" lathe into the shop and have to "level" it next week.

[@gheumann]

Even when I think I know everything, I don't. You always make me think. Thanks!

[@thatoldbob7956]

Joe, finally somebody comes out what I was saying 10 years ago when I was member of the Atlas group. They We t buta. They poured a voncrete leveles top for a 6” Atlas. TUBALCAIN also also. agreed me. My point was how do you level a lathe on a ship? They mixed twisted beds with leveling.. Thanks for explanation in an unmistakable way. I am also planning to clear the misunderstanding about “vertical shear”. I am watching your work, terrific job. Congratulation. Bob

[@joepie221]

Thanks Bob.

[@andyZ3500s]

Great video Joe. I like the way you broke down the different things going on.thanks andy.

[@desertparagliding5091]

Perfect explanation Joe. Thanks for all the good advice.

[@tced2858]

Excellent explanation....that's why i like your channel..

[@t.d.mich.7064]

I had the opportunity to run an identical lathe for about 6 years, along with other toolroom machines. It had DRO's and was the finest lathe I ever used. I have used alot of fine machines in my life and this was one of them. It accomplished some exotic work for me.

[@joepie221]

I love it.

[@richardgalli7262]

Thank you Joe for the intel I am going to check the alignment of my lathe again.

[@dalemcinnes1834]

Thanks Joe. I have acquired a new to me lathe. Very excited about it and been pondering this leveling process. Very timely for me to see your video and thanks as it is making sense.

[@joepie221]

Great. Once the fog is cleared, its not so scary.

[@32thedoctor]

Thanks, Joe. Excellent video. Simple but informative. I had asked a question about this a while back and was hoping you would address it at some point. I hadn't considered the influence of those far left adjustment feet. I was just keeping even force on them compared to the other two. That did the trick for me and I'm a happy camper. Thanks again.

[@johnmcdonnell6109]

That was an awesome demo and explanation Joe! Thanks!

[@thomastarner8683]

So basically to check the head you face the part as close to the head as you can. Then check it by moving the part out say 10 inches and skim cut it again. If the head is out it will show up in the face as being out of square. If the ways are twisted the the machine will cut a taper. Thanks for the video, this gives me some ammo to help convince management to have our lathes looked at. We have one machine that is cutting a .004 taper in ten inches or .0004 per inch. Kind of hard to hold .0002 to .0005 tolerance on 4 inch long parts. (Interference fits on couplings) with machines that don't cut straight to begin with.

[@beachcomberbob3496]

This came just in time. I'm about to go through the levelling of my restored lathe on my channel. Thanks for the tips, Joe!

[@zedo5851]

Joe great lesson in alignment of the lathe. One of the interesting features on the Colchester lathe is that if you remove the side cover of your headstock you can see where provisions were made to adjust the spindle alignment in relation to the ways in or out. Up and down is done with shims or scraping under the head and final alignment is done when placed into service. I have rebuilt several larger 21"version of the model lathe you have that have this provision not 100% sure if the Student does. I have not seen this on another lathes I have worked on. The Colchester head doesn't sit on prismatic ways like Monarch does so they have to be spot on leaving the factory. Happy Diving Zed

[@clintonemerson3346]

Thank you Joe, that video was very helpful. I am a hobby machinist and the way you illustrated the motions at work really increased my understanding of tuning up my lathe.

[@joepie221]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rtkville]

Good explanation Joe! I check mine often because it' bolted to the floor. Thanks for the video!

[@rodhenry4862]

I'm glad you had a great trip and have returned safe and sound! Thank you for the information about lathe leveling it's very useful! This old Tony's was useful too, but your example was spot on! Again Joe, Thank you sir!

[@joepie221]

The models really help. Thanks for watching.

[@larrykent196]

Joe I agree just a slight twist sometimes is just enough to get the machine to cut straight. I prefer the tail stock end slightly lower to get the coolant running south. All good information thanks for posting. Best to you.

[@metalshopwithtroy5755]

Thank you Joe and This Old Tony as well. Am currently in process of doing this very same excersise after i manufacturer my adjuster feet for my lathe.

[@joepie221]

Thanks for watching Troy.

[@brianjohnson217]

Hi Joe thanks for your excellent video on lathe alignment . Regards Brian Johnson

[@milesthom3201]

That was a great video Joe. I would really like to see how you adjust the headstock on this lathe. From UK

[@toolbox-gua]

Simple and clear. Now we should all have true parts. Thank you.

[@bummlife]

Huge fan. So glad to see your back. Thanks for your great explanations. You have improved the quality of my work twice fold. Thank you

[@joepie221]

Excellent. Thanks for the support.

[@cossiedriverrs]

An inspiration as usual Joe, THANKS!

[@TomS-u6o]

Newbie to lathe work, Joe you’re a great teacher, no BS straight to the point and easy to understand. Thank you! I bought a second hand Grizzly G0750G lathe and I decided to bolt the cabinets to the floor and make adjustable riser blocks between the cabinets/stands and the lathe. My thoughts are, because the stands aren’t ground true it would be easier/faster to true just the lathe and not both cabinets & lathe. Is this method asking for trouble?

[@joepie221]

As long as the lathe is sitting on a surface rigid enough, it should be fine. If the machine is heavy enough not to walk around, or fall over on top of the cabinet it should be OK.

[@peteoburrito920]

I knew about the level bed part but I’ve never considered the headstock being parallel with the bed. Thanks for this info I know what I’ll be doing on my lathe next

[@britishreaction54]

This really helped me visualise what is going on. Thank you.

[@SpruceSculptures]

Eye opener for me Thanks Joe, glad business is busy

[@bostedtap8399]

Great model, very clear to the the hobbyist. Always a bone of contention, ref lathe leveling. You are levelling the lathe, to de-stress and align, using an accurate engineering level. Large lathe builders will grip a suitable diameter thick wall tube in the chuck, turn the OD with no steady or centre, and adjust level to minimise taper. Place level on the as turned of, this should now agree with the overall level reading. Your engineering or machinists level should have an accuracy of 0.05 mm per Metre or 0.0005" per 10", there are more accurate ones, but you can achieve a reasonable result on small sub 1 metre or 3 feet bed length with a 0.5 mm per Metre (builders level). Thanks for sharing Joe, and best regards from the UK. Lathe leveling on a ship is the same,

[@TXShelbyman]

Thanks Professor Joe! Now I understand the geometry behind getting the lathe level.

[@cpcoark]

Excellent Joe. Now, could you go into how to tell if your taper is caused by a twist or head alignment?

[@rogerpetrella5993]

Great video. As an advanced beginner I could never understand why the lathe had to be "level". I always thought it was in relation to the floor and couldn't figure what difference that would make. Now I understand that level is actually better described as a type of twist. Luckily my lathe has always been "level" with no problems.

[@richardgalli7262]

I did not appreciate the longitudinal axis tilt of the head stock until now. I am now going to do some investigating.

[@charlescartwright6367]

Aloha Joe, "great minds think alike and fools seldom differ" and my wife never would say which side I was on.... I agree with you completely, but have known few who agree with us. Most say level the ways then tweek the tailstock end to bring the taper out of your work, I never could understand, or agree with that. Now with the aid of your "state of the art" training aid it all becomes clear, I hope my friends were watching. As to the training aid isn't "modern technology" wonderful? Keep the great source of common sense coming our way. Mahalo nui loa. Aloha ke Akua.

[@joepie221]

The hinge point is probably more of a bow point, but the end result is the same. Hawaii was beautiful. I'd like to go back someday under different circumstances and do some diving. Kona night Manta ray dive ----- Bucket list.

[@pennise]

Joe, Thanks for sharing. I always learn something new when I watch your videos.

[@wlogue]

Thanks Joe, glad you’re back.

[@ramsay19481]

When you think about the word "level" just think of all the lathes that were and probably still are in ships, portable machine shops, etc.. They cannot maintain them in a "level" condition.. The twist and flex in the bed is much more important....I have a 1942 LeBlond trainer on which I set an indicator on a work piece between centers..Change shims under the feet and tighten the bolts slightly and watch the indicator needle move.. Mike in Louisiana

[@csacsamolnar]

Lathes on ships have 3 feet, so no matter of the level it will never bend.

[@MichaelLloyd]

Nice, simple graphic. I like it! I'm a big fan of ToT too.

[@tedchambers4381]

Joe the only thing that you did not mention is run a spider front and back of the head stock and indicate both the rear and front at the spider's .because if you have not set up the chuck the jaw's and or the scroll can be out there by given a false reading number one to level is to have perfect aliment with the spindle . just my 2 cents worth . :)

[@loydsa]

Very clear video Joe, thanks for taking the time to make this. Best Regards Sarah

[@davidgagnon2849]

Excellent video. I'm just getting into machining, have a 10" Atlas lathe, and I'm probably not going to get it dead on, but.....at least I know and understand now the hows and whys.

[@joepie221]

Excellent. Good luck and have fun.

[@MaturePatriot]

Great video. I was in the process of refurbishing and setting up my lathe (until my recent health issues), and this will come in handy when I am back in my shop. Love the Clausing lathe.

[@johnreese3943]

Another great presentation. Thanks. Newer lathes present another problem. The headstock does not locate on a V way. It has jackbolts to align the spindle centerline with the centerline of the bed. How about a short video addressing that adjustment?

[@joshua43214]

Headstocks aligning on the Vee are the suck. level the bed to remove any twist. Put a 3" diameter aluminum pipe 14" to 16" long in the 4jaw, and make test cuts with a shear tool, and measure the diameter at both ends. If you need to align the head stock, keep in mind it will shift when the bolts are loosened. So put an indicator at either end of the tube before loosening the bolts. Once the horizontal alignment is complete, sweep the top of the tube to verify vertical alignment. I disagree with Joe on the importance of vertical alignment, it has to be way off before it has a meaningful effect on the taper. This is just simple geometry. Fire up Fusion 360 and check for yourself. For example, if the headstock points up 0.050" at 12", the result will be about 0.0008" taper. The smaller the diameter the bigger the affect. 0.015" mis-alignment will give about 0.0009 taper.

[@joepie221]

Please point out at which part of this video, I said vertical alignment wasn't important. i think you misinterpreted something.

[@johnreese3943]

You addressed vertical alignment very well. Not discussed was the use of jacking screws to shift the headstock front to back. I know hoe to do it with a 2 collar test bar held in the chuck. I am betting there are a lot of viewers who could have benefited from that discussion.

[@mikemichelizzi2023]

Thanks for the facing tip for checking headstock alignment!

[@joepie221]

Its quick and effective.

[@kylemichael2175]

Great video Joe. Thanks!

[@mikenixon9164]

Good tips

[@dogpaw775]

just what I wanted, clear and concise: thanks.

[@CharlieTechie]

Fantastic explanation of what is going on in leveling; thanks, Joe.

[@joepie221]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ActiveAtom]

Hey Joe, Ok thank for sharing a topic in these videos all the time. Lance & Patrick.

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

Hi Joe, It's great knowing you guys are out there doing what you do to help guys like me enjoy what I do! TFS. G :)

[@barrybeggs8543]

When I ret 11 years ago,my wife bought me a14-40 in. grizzly lathe. I know bought across the pound.I leveled it up,with a sterett prec. level like you inst., with the help of a 40 year machinist. I can hold .ooo5 with no digiital read out. .still 11 years latter . The old machinist still comes down on his walker to do his little projects ... Also no taper on a 2 ft. shaft It was below "o" in the garage had to reline it once. In warmer meather.. Wisc. winters

[@joeestes8114]

Yes perfect timing here to because tomorrow Iam setting my lathe! Thanks for sharing!

[@johnmarshall4433]

Thank you. A great explanation of lathe geometry. I will be checking mine now.

[@TheArsonsmith4242]

A great example of why Level isn't 100% the best way to describe it is the fact that every ship in the Navy has an engineering room with a lathe in it rocking around with the sway of the ship. Also like your Clausing-Colchester, a decendant of my old Clausing 1500,

[@joepie221]

I love these lathes. I have run many and they all perform great. the 15" is my favorite.

[@chrisfrakes994]

Hi Joe, thanks for another fantastic video. I learn some much from your clips. Would you be able some time to do a video on how to check lathe bed wear and how much wear is "too much." I'm looking to buy a second hand lathe and there seems to be no online consensus for either of these two points. I'd love a quick easy set-up/technique that I could judge a candidate mill on to determine if it's ok for what I need or if it's junk. Thanks

[@jamesnorman8489]

I agree with @componenx. Having served on numerous navy ships, including a repair ship, I would say it could be mounted on the overhead, as long as the be is not twisted. I have my two lathes mounted on glue-up wooden bench tops (suggested by Atlas), and held down by two lag bolts through the from legs, allowing the rear ones to float. Works fine for me.

[@maciekm7953]

Thank You very much 👍

[@bpark10001]

Some lathes (such as mine), the ways run all the way under the headstock, and the headstock rests on the bed like the carriage. These lathes have only 4 leveling points. So bed twist is the only thing needing worrying about. Comment about headstock alignment: you really need to do the indicating UNDER the work on the tailstock end to detect bend, and indicate IN FRONT of the work to detect bed twist.

[@theradarguy]

Thanks for the video, Joe. I must have missed this one last year and I need it now since I am rebuilding a 13 x 40 with 6 level adjusters.

[@stuarthardy4626]

Joe When people say they have levelled their lathe and not done any accuracy checks just make me ROFLMAO. Then I ask them why is it important to get it level to the big ball we live on Yes it can help on a mill to set up a job Then I ask them how do you level a lathe on a ship ? As you know the do have machine shops on board ,certainly not at sea , could it be done on dock maybe , dry dock again maybe , is the ship floating level I doubt it very much but as you say the lathe must be true to itself , and be without stress , if it’s set up that way to be truly level to the big ball matters a jot keep up your very informative vidieos Now I must get down to the WS and get the concert mill warmed up and make some parts for my miniature triple expansion engine , while that doing its stuff do some bits on the manual mill , lathe work to come later 😀

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Thanks for this great information.

[@larrycollar1322]

What do you do when your machine only has four leveling screws. Two under the headstock and two under the tailstock.

[@robertoswalt319]

An old machinist told me that the smaller the lathe bed is the less you have to worry with leveling the lathe. I think he was saying that a 20 lathe bed isn't as sensitive to being out of tram versus one that has a 40 inch bed. That may be why some lathes have only two adjusters at the head and tail end because the bed is solid enough that there isn't a need for the extra adjusters.

[@joepie221]

I agree. i would expect to see only 4 adjusters on smaller machines.

[@davidgiles5461]

Great advice Joe 👍👍👍👍

[@marcao2711]

i have discovered your channel today, thank you for all this amazing content... greetings from Brazil!

[@joepie221]

Glad you found it. Greetings from Austin Texas. I hope to earn your subscription.

[@marcao2711]

@@joepie221 for sure!

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

Straight is important , but level is extremely important in a job shop for set up of odd ball parts esp line boring & assisting with steady set up's on long shafts . Cheers .

[@robertoswalt319]

Maybe a better term to use instead of "level" would be "True?" As long as the head stock and bed are parallel / perpendicular is the key since the term level is relative to so many factors especially mobile machines in ships etc.

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

@@robertoswalt319 A spirit level is sometimes used in job set up when indicating is not a complete option , like with some face plate work .

[@robertoswalt319]

@@swanvalleymachineshop When I commented to the term level in my comment, I wasn't referring to spirit levels. I was commenting on the topic that Joe brought up about how the term "Level" had been, in his opinion, too broadly used. Many seasoned machinists will say that a machine doesn't have to be truly level as long as the bed is true to the plane the bed resides. I agree that spirit levels are often a good choice when trying to get a part set up.

[@CliffDiseker]

Hey Joe, I have a Grizzly G4003G lathe. It has four adj. feet under the headstock and four under the tailstock. How would you recommend an order of "leveling" the lathe before I go to "trueing" the headstock?

[@joepie221]

Level the head stock with the 4 legs under it first. Its the most weight. Then do the bed, but go back and check the head stock legs as you progress.

[@roguecnc788]

Thank you for this video, i get the problem, i now get why it happens but im still not sure how to fix it. Would you be able to do a long form video of setting up a machine from scratch, which variable to correct at what time? Thx again

[@paulmorrey733]

Thanks Joe

[@theonlybuzz1969]

Thanks again Joe, as per usual you have pointed out something else that we should consider, you mentioned about a round bar that you can measure from, what sort of thickness should we be looking for, would a ground bar be better (we normally use a 25mm ground bar by 600mm long to set up our A axis when we put it back into the concert). Thanks for your help, I for one feel like I have learned quite a few tricks from you that helps me out a lot! Thank you...Phil

[@worthdoss8043]

Putting the level on the top of the ways is an assumption that the top of the ways are true to the load bearing section of the ways. Since we are measuring bed twist and not level I feel it would be more advantageous to put the level on top of the cross slide. Then move it from one end to the other. You can look at the load bearing part of the ways as the supplier and the cross slide and tool post as the end user. The end user is what you want to check, not the top of a V way that has no function other than to take up space. All this assuming your ways aren't worn out which seems to be a growing problem with older lathes.

[@Rubensgardens.Skogsmuseum]

Agree. In Sweden we talk "technical surfaces." Some take pressbrake tooling, use the outside as distance blocks and I tell them they are not true. They say they are true to the thousands and they are but only on the technical surfaces.

[@treyinok]

I heard someone say / write years ago about lathe "leveling"... There are lathes on battleships. Level by itself doesn't mean a lot. Twist and contortion ruins accuracy.

[@ken481959]

Precisely correct.

[@gregwarner3753]

Lathes should be mounted on a rigid base and the mounting tuned to make straight cylinders. On land gravity provides a reference. I have worked on lathes and other machine tools mounted on a ship. On a ship gravity is rarely perpendicular to anything.

[@melgross]

Well, what do you do when your lathe only has two leveling feet under the headstock? Many lathes have only two.

[@836dmar]

Mel Gross My Clausing is that way.

[@joepie221]

Is it a smaller swing?

[@836dmar]

Yes, Its a 12" Clausing 5902@@joepie221

[@melgross]

Mine is 14”. A Southbend FOURTEEN. It took me several hours to get it set up.

[@williecuellar3627]

Hey Joe could you use a bore sight to sight your tail stock in?just wondering thanks.

[@dimitar4y]

if the dot is small enough, sure. But it still won't be absolutely dead on.

[@mattholden5]

@ Joe Pie This is precision seeker's gold.I don't know how I wasn't able to see this video before. Thank you.

[@joepie221]

Glad you like it.

[@johnbrace4719]

Wow 45 years in the game and always learning thankyou

[@h2opower]

This seems like a good time to use some really stiff ceramic rod, what are your thoughts on this Joe?

[@joepie221]

If they don't sag, go for it.

[@Siskiyous6]

Thank you Joe!

[@bcbloc02]

"Level" is used because using a level to set up alignments is the easiest thing to do. It is the easiest way to use the tool involved. Trying to set the lathe to be aligned to a 20deg inclined plane would be more challenging using levels especially since as you tip a level over it becomes inaccurate due to the curve in the glass that forms the bubble. It is also possible if you install a lathe very much out of level you could have lubrication issues as the oil level in all components was designed for being on the "level".

[@chrismate2805]

The confusen for new to the trade is probably that the three main reasons for leveling was not really well explained in perspective, like for fluid requirements, heavy weight requirements and the culprit the ways to headstock alignment assist.

[@paultavres9830]

Brought my used lathe home Put my level on it and it seemed to be perfect But when i trammed a round straight piece between centers my tail stock is low Moving the tail stock closer to the chuck reduces the error Now this helps me understand it I think its exactly like you are saying it is

[@joepie221]

Anything pinched between centers shouldn't show much difference as demonstrated. Don't rule out way or tailstock wear. if you want to tram the tailstock, do it with a long bar and indicator in a chuck. Don't use a bar that will sag.

[@susanss70spartymix77]

Timing. I have half done one of two lathes today at work. Monday I finish the jobs. Great demo. Mine also have 4 bolts at the tailstock end. Never worked with that before.

[@joepie221]

I ran an 18-140 gap bed Mazak for many years. It had a center island on the bed because it was so long. Imagine how that came into play for the guys that set it up.

[@susanss70spartymix77]

@@joepie221 I never got to see them but my father set up old ww2 lathes that made the barrels for big war ships when he worked with the dep of defence. That would have been one interesting experience.

[@danielabbey7726]

Great explanation! Knew about leveling my lathes, but not about headstock alignment.

[@normcook9335]

Thanks, excellent information. I knew Part I of the info (removing bed twist) but not about the head leveling. I'm cutting a noticeable taper on my 14x40.

[@joepie221]

I bet this helps. Good luck.

[@sidewind131258]

A few comments and questions: As far as I can see, your ways looks bolted to the headstock. To me it suggest, if it is true, that you can level your headstock as a unit, and then level your bed in line with that. The 6 leveling feet you have on your machine, I have not seen in the now 12 different marks and models of lathes I have been in contact with, they all only have 4 levelers. Also all the lathes I have seen, the headstock is bolted on top of the bed, and thus have to be shimmed to change the "centerline" according to the bed. I am with you as far as you can, to some degree, level out warp front/back on a bed, but it means that you have to bolt down the cabinet to the floor, and many amateurs have their shop in a basement with wooden floor, at least in Denmark and Sweden. Otherwise an very informative video as most of your videos are.

[@softtail8210]

One of your best Video. Steve. Appleton, Wisconsin

[@joepie221]

Thanks Steve.

[@The007Weasel]

Only 4 feet on my hobby size lathe! When I installed it I mounted a DTI on the tailstock, reading off the end of a 1Ft bar in the chuck, and made sure no deflection as I tightened the bolts down. As for 'level' I just made sure the whole assembly ( stand & lathe) tilted down towards the suds tray drain fitting.

[@evilbrat5376]

Wish I had known or realized this in 1981. Worked civil service Coast Guard in one of their Base Welding/Machine Shops. Had two old lathes, a La Blonde and a Southbend. The La Blonde had a wicked taper on the tail stock end and could Not figure out what the heck was wrong. Both were Pre WW II machines to give ya an idea how old they were & both off a Navel ship out of their machine shop on board. Well thank you for this old mystery clear up. Hint - was not a machinist - OJT all the way, was wielder by trade.

[@cliffburger2808]

Great video Joe. How do you account for deflection of the test rod itself when it's way out past the chuck face?

[@JourneymanRandy]

Hi Joe. Thanks for being reminded of this.

[@dennyskerb4992]

Nice bit of information Joe, now I just need the time to checkout my lathe.

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hi Joe, This video make lots of sense... thank you. I guess like lots of people i see learn things better by seeing pictures and your videos also have them by either a whiteboard walk through or a mock up like this one. Take care Paul,,

[@dralexmclean]

Outstanding, explanation and especially the bit about "Leveling" the lathe which is a very misused term.

[@paulkerst7446]

Thanks Joe for explain lathe alignment so us armature's can understand ! PAul in PA.