I Decided to Align the Tailstock Today...

When I had my shop, we had a Clausing Colchester 15 and 17, Mori-Seiki 17, Howa Sangyo 17, Hardinge HLV and a couple of other more forgettable lathes. I'd be happy with .0003 over 14 in. on any of them. I'm stunned that my SB Heavy 10 is that close. In a job shop environment, you can't afford the machinist who will continue to chase a dimension after it's in tolerance. Perfection is not possible, close enough is.
 
Whew! I am glad I ain't the only one. I realize this entire hobby/occupation/obsession is about accuracy and precision. I get that, really. However, my time in the construction trades has taught me that if you are ever gonna get the job DONE, ya gotta KNOW what you can get AWAY WITH! I have worked with a few people across several occupations that could never get something FINISHED, because they insisted on achieving a level of accuracy that was not relevant to the job.:faint: I, for one, have stated here and elsewhere, that I DO NOT have a contract with NASA, or Boeing. I strive for accuracy, and for improvement in accuracy, but the primary focus is on getting the job done, to the satisfaction of the customer. I take the lessons I learn from the job, and apply it to the next one, rather than obsessing over goals that do not apply. Sorry, rant over. Thanks for letting me vent!

Hehe. I understand what you're saying, but 3 TEN-THOUSANDTHS over 14-1/4" inches is even good enough for NASA and Boeing!
 
Since I started this thread, I decided I should actually check the alignment using the 2 collar method. Here's my setup:

View attachment 265621

The center to center distance on the collars is about 14.25.
I got .0003 difference, the collar at the chuck being smaller.

Think I'll let it alone.
I suspect that the factory specs for that test would be somewhere around zero to .0005" toward the tool post and the same for tailstock center height, zero to .0005" high. You are golden...
 
Hehe. I understand what you're saying, but 3 TEN-THOUSANDTHS over 14-1/4" inches is even good enough for NASA and Boeing!
A friend of mine who works for NASA said actual tolerances (beyond the blueprint) are frequently in the 2 thousandths range,.
 
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