Andrew

For a "quick and "dirty" check just put centres in both headstock and tail stock, advance the tail stock and trap a 6" rule between the points of the centres. The deviation of the rule should give you a good indication of how good the alignment is.

Norman

Edited By NJH on 14/11/2016 22:38:56

Reread your manual. To check the bed for level you turn a sample bar held in the three jaw chuck with no tailstock centre. Then by jacking up various feet on the bed, the bed is bought into level until the daimter turned is consistent the full length of the test piece (nominally a piece of 1" bar 6" long.

Once that's set, you can then turn a test piece between centres and adjust tailstock until it turns nice and parallel.

If you are already happy with how your lathe turns pieces held in the chuck without a centre, no need for levelling at all. Just turn a piece between centres and adjust tailstock until you get a parellel result.

Hi Andrew,

Take a look at Harold Hall's page on aligning lathe centres.

http://www.homews.co.uk/page392.html

Les

I have an early Southbend lathe similar to the Australian Hercus. They are slightly smaller than the ML10. The army used them in their workshops which could be in temporary premises and the instructions were to only clamp down the bolts at the head end and to leave the tail end loose. The bed is sufficiently rigid to remain straight.

Paul.