Level 13x36" lathe (Knuth Basic 180 Super)

faavs730222

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Hi all, I am having trouble leveling my lathe, it is a (Knuth Basic 180 Super). I get a .1mm taper over a 150mm cut. When I check it with a Dial Indicator on the top of the turned shaft it showed a .1mm difference. I put a ground bar in the chuck alone, and checked it and it also gave me a .1mm difference on the top of the shaft. When I put a dead center in the head stock and one in the tail stock the tail stock is lower than the head stock. The machine is a 2004 model but did not work very hard, I cannot see any wear on the bed. The lathe has 6 x adjusting screws at the bottom, 4 x at the head stock and 2 x at the end of the bed. The head stock is also adjustable on the y axis, but I suspect that the bed just might be twisted, but why the difference in high? Looks like the head stock is not parallel to the bed. Will it get better if I turn the 2 x adjusters out at the rear?
 
I have a similar arrangement on my lathe. I used a 8" level, very carefully level across the ways near the headstock, and than at the tailstock end. Going back and forth between ends till each end was the same. Than I ran a test cut as you mention . The careful leveling in my case to bring me within a thousandth. If it had not been, I would have done additional adjusting based on what the manual suggested.

Hth
Rich
 
Hi Rich, that you for the help. I checked my head stock screws and the front right one was loose. So I recon my Head Stock is out of alignment to the bed. How do I proceed now. Do I first level the bed as best as I can, do a test cut, adjust the bed some more if the cut is out and only then try to do the alignment of the Head Stock?

Thank you,

Anton
 
  • Hey Anton
  • That's a tough situation, there was a thread here about a month back on basically the same situation. You need to know that the bed is close, or any of the adjustments made to the head are just going to make your situation worse.
  • Hth
  • Rich
 
Hi Rich, Thank you very much, I did as you suggested. I carefully leveled it from back to front (i wish I had a Precision Level) and did a test cut, my firs cut was out .1mm over 150mm, I adjusted it at the tail stock end and did another cut, now it is spot on. I am busy to center the tail stock, I am using Mr Pete222's method. Thank you again. Anton
 
Hey Anton
Glad to hear it worked for you. It can be a very frustrating procedure sometimes.

Rich
 
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