New Lathe Question .... Jet JWL1236

[Mark Waltrip]

I just started working with my new lathe, and in tinkering around I found a few problems. Could someone please shine some light on the issue for me?

The main issue I have is as follows ....

I was messing around this afternoon and decided to bring my tail stock all the way up to the headstock to see if the two met. I found that with the spur in the headstock, which should be perfectly centered, the tailstock DID NOT meet nose to nose with the headstock. It was almost 1/2" off to the left of where it should be to meet the headstock nose to nose.


Any suggestions on adjusting, or is it not supposed to match up?

[David Peebles]

Hi Mark,

I do not have that lathe, but I think the headstock has the ability to rotate. It may be that the headstock is not quite lined up to the bed. I would check this first.

Best wishes,
Dave

[Gordon Seto]

Your lathe has a swivel head. Vertical misalignment is a defect.

Get this gadget to help horizontal alignment after the headstock has been swiveled.
http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merc...es-acc-mrstool

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mark - sorry to hear you are having alignment issues! Let us know what you find out!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Mark I think your headstock swivels. I have the same tool that Gordon pointed you to. My headstock swivels and when I bring it back before I lock it down I insert the alignment tool. Once they are aligned I lock it down. I may be wrong but I think you just need to move the headstock slightly then lock in place.

[Dick Strauss]

Mark,
I think the others here have got you pointed in the right direction for the gross misalignment you are seeing.

Once you get it close, make sure you have the tailstock locked down before doing the fine adjustment for alignment. Also, some folks have discovered that the alignment can be a little "off" until the lathe is leveled. In other words, the lathe bed twists ever so slightly if not supported equally all the way around causing the two points to not be aligned.

I'm not an expert but passing along wisdom found in other posts here on SMC.

Good luck,
Dick

[Mark Waltrip]

Thanks for all of the help everyone.

My main concern was thinking that I had a defective unit, but from the reports here it is normal for the pivoting head models.

Thanks for the help.

[Dean Thomas]

David's right. I DO have that lathe and my misalignment was not so severe as yours, but bad enough to drive me nuts. A friend and I talked and he came over, looked at me funny, loosened up the head and jostled slightly. CLUNK as it fell into place. Hmmm, still not a perfect alignment.

Come to find out that on some of the 1236s that CLUNK as it falls into the neutral position is not absolute! There is some wiggle room in that CLUNK. Wiggle until aligned and THEN tighten it down. Problem solved. If you're unsure, notice that your tailstock also has a touch of front-to-back movement. Get yourself a chunk of steel that will barely fit through the knock-out hole. Get the chunk long enough to then extend into the tail stock. You can discern center in the tailstock pretty quickly.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Could one get 2 morse tapers..threaded in the end....connect them end to end..with the headstock loose....put one in the tailstock...one in the headstock...lock the tailstock down...put a slight pressure on the morse tapers alignment jig using the quill....tighten the headstock down.....

and then move the tailstock at will and still maintain proper alignment?

[Dean Thomas]

I s'pose one could, but for my machine, once I get my machine aligned, all I have to do is remember whether I push the tail stock to the far side of the gap between the ways or pull it toward me. I just line up the tips and I can figure it out. Then I'm usually good for the day.

THEN I can move the tailstock at will.

PS: Dick's post below tells me that I'm not the only one to experience the play in the CLUNK factor.

[Dick Strauss]

They do sell a double ended metal MT2 taper just for this purpose.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merc...es-acc-mrstool

I'm sure there are others...