Author Topic: Wear? Alignment? ... Uhhg  (Read 16298 times)

savarin


Carpenter84

Re: Wear? Alignment? ... Uhhg
« Reply #46 on: September 07, 2018, 09:24:51 PM »
Oh ok. I had done that previously but had cut along the whole length instead. This seems easier.

What I never understood previously was the 4 passes I made on the test bar was that the taper reduced with each pass with no change in the machine.
If a taper exists, shouldn't the taper be the same on each cut? Not become less with each pass?
Shawn

cathead

Re: Wear? Alignment? ... Uhhg
« Reply #47 on: September 08, 2018, 05:04:39 AM »
I can remember running a 18" lathe one time that had about .030" wear in the bed ways.  You think that wasn't hard trying to hold a couple of thousandths in 12"?  Taper was about .012" in 6" in certain places gradually got some what better to about .002" as you got out future than 12-18" from the chuck.  It didn't manner how you adjusted things, that was it.  What you did was make a mental note where the high areas were in what you were cutting.  And you adjusted in your cross slide by similar amounts.  You also had a dial indicator mounted on the cross slide that helped you keep track of this too.  After a while you got good at holding a couple of thousandths on the wore out lathe.  Any closer than that, your file and emery was your best friend.

Oh, i know I got off track here.  Back to your question, do you fix what you have, or buy something to replace it?  First, don't replace it.  Buy another to add to your collection.  Once you have it running like you want, start rebuilding the old one.  Just my opinion.  I used to love rebuilding this old junk.  I'm just about burn out from all I've done over the years.

Ken,

You hit the nail on there head on that post.  I run old stuff mostly and have learned where the wear is and how to deal with it. 
I do a lot of my finishing work with a file because of the limitations of accuracy on my old machines.  It's all part of the game.         



Ken
Cathead @ Catwerks

4GSR

Re: Wear? Alignment? ... Uhhg
« Reply #48 on: September 08, 2018, 08:11:02 AM »
They have files that you used to be able to buy called "Lathe Files".  They have a high helix angle on the cutting teeth of the file for fast metal removal on the OD's of a part in the lathe.  Then you came in behind that with a smooth file last emery cloth for that nice finish and dead on size. 
Ken

Carpenter84

Re: Wear? Alignment? ... Uhhg
« Reply #49 on: September 08, 2018, 09:29:59 AM »
After hearing about Mr Pete talk about lathe files, I spent some time finding one. Surprisingly hard to find locally. Ordered one on line. Love it. I tend to use it on most things, not just the lathe. But they not to use it on anything that'll damage it.
Shawn