Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.
Spring in the Jaws and in the part will work against you when you get close to zeroed in. But if you keep your indicator on the part as you move the Jaws, you can literally watch it center on the dial. This also allows you to tighten the Jaws on the part as you get close to zero.
Another trick is to tighten two jaws at once and loosen two at once if the high spot isn't aligned with a jaw.
Wait until you try to adjust your tailstock! (If you haven't already) I think each time I think I can improve the alignment of mine I get it so out whack and frustrated that I am eventually just happy to get it back to where it was before I started mucking around with it.
Wait until you try to adjust your tailstock! (If you haven't already) I think each time I think I can improve the alignment of mine I get it so out whack and frustrated that I am eventually just happy to get it back to where it was before I started mucking around with it.
Wait until you try to adjust your tailstock! (If you haven't already) I think each time I think I can improve the alignment of mine I get it so out whack and frustrated that I am eventually just happy to get it back to where it was before I started mucking around with it.
I have a pair of buttons that I use to align my tailstock well enough for most purposes. It is basically a pair of flat buttons cut at the same time so their OD'S are identical. Then they are drilled through and then chamfered to a 60 degree taper. The chamfer must be done by cutting it not by drilling it with a center drill.
In use, you put one center in the chuck and one in the tailstock and pinch the two buttons together with both centers. You can easily use your fingers or a micrometer to feel, see, and measure how much your tailstock is off.
Just like a lathe center standard, these buttons are a great project for new lathe owners.
Edit - here is a link to some buttons that are quite similar to mine. The author does a great job of describing how to make them. Mine are not as long as these are. I think that shorter buttons help to magnify any difference in alignment.
I have a pair of buttons that I use to align my tailstock well enough for most purposes. It is basically a pair of flat buttons cut at the same time so their OD'S are identical. Then they are drilled through and then chamfered to a 60 degree taper. The chamfer must be done by cutting it not by drilling it with a center drill.
In use, you put one center in the chuck and one in the tailstock and pinch the two buttons together with both centers. You can easily use your fingers or a micrometer to feel, see, and measure how much your tailstock is off.
Just like a lathe center standard, these buttons are a great project for new lathe owners.
Edit - here is a link to some buttons that are quite similar to mine. The author does a great job of describing how to make them. Mine are not as long as these are. I think that shorter buttons help to magnify any difference in alignment.
Yes I've seen those before but never have purchased or made them, I guess I like frustration. Actually the hard part with my lathe is not determining how far out the tailstock is, it's adjusting the dang thing.
I just struggled with keeping the relative directions and reactions straight in my head. I think I have it now, and a mantra to help me remember, "push the big numbers down". Meaning that the dial indicator will register a higher number on the side that it too close, so I need to move that side away by tightening the jaw (after loosening the one on the other side).
Does it matter which range of the dial indicator you use? Almost fully extended? Almost fully compressed? In the middle?
I don't ever remember which way the dial goes, honestly i don't care to remember...to many other things on my mind....what i do....just pull the plunger in with your finger, "ok in the dial goes that way', Dont fret, it doesn't really matter if you upset the indicator 100 times while your dial the part it, the dial indicator is only comparing one side to the other so as long as you don't upset it in between comparing one side to the other its fine
if your indicator shows different readings at the end/middle/beginning of the range....toss that thing in the garbage....so as long as your not running out of travel your golden
