To fix or leave alone?
Martin Connelly | 26/05/2021 09:47:56 |
![]() 2549 forum posts 235 photos | The department I supported at work (RGT then EGT then eventually Siemens) used alignment mandrels for years, we had to make them as large a diameter as possible because of sag. We calculated the effects of diameter and material and wall thickness to get them to have as low a sag as possible but it was always there. We ended up with aluminium alloy mandrels with diameters that reduced along their length, staring off about Ø200 then a section of about Ø150 until we had a mag base type rod in the end. The sag was lowest when the diameter was as large as possible and wall thickness did not need to be very high. As soon a laser alignment became available we bought into it immediately. So I have to say Hopper is 100% correct here, your long and slender mandrel will have measurable sag that will be there regardless of spinning or not. So side to side may be OK but up and down no chance. Machine tool setting was done with optical systems for years to avoid sag like this and we had one at work that we could not use on most of our setups because of there being no way to mount it. When we got the laser based systems we gave the optical system to the local astronomy society. Martin C |
Robin | 04/06/2021 14:22:35 |
![]() 678 forum posts | Well of course I tried it my way first, dismal failure. Then I fixed the Engineers' level, removed the bodge piece of folded Chinesium, redrilled the scale pivot to square, put it back together again. Then I levelled the bed. The tiniest tweak on any foot changes everything, took hours The largest bar I had was about 1.5" diameter. The chatter was decorative at the end but I got 6" of smooth. Left hand end 1.5712" Right hand end 1.5709" Error 0.0003" Bliss |
Martin Kyte | 04/06/2021 16:10:29 |
![]() 3445 forum posts 62 photos | If you bturn a waist on your bar so you have 2 'collars' at either end you only need to turn those for your test. instead of traversing down the entire length. regards Martin |
Tony Pratt 1 | 04/06/2021 19:00:53 |
2319 forum posts 13 photos | Posted by Martin Kyte on 04/06/2021 16:10:29:
If you bturn a waist on your bar so you have 2 'collars' at either end you only need to turn those for your test. instead of traversing down the entire length. regards Martin He's been told this already Tony |
Martin Kyte | 04/06/2021 19:32:04 |
![]() 3445 forum posts 62 photos | Well he aint listning then. ;O) Martin |
Robin | 04/06/2021 19:55:08 |
![]() 678 forum posts | Posted by Martin Kyte on 04/06/2021 16:10:29:
If you bturn a waist on your bar so you have 2 'collars' at either end you only need to turn those for your test. instead of traversing down the entire length Hi Martin I did think about that but any weakening of the bar would bring that chatter closer to the headstock and everyone seems to agree I need 6" for the test. Plus I still have 1.5" or useable diameter for something else, I'm paying over £29 a meter for 1.5" BMS, precious stuff... Robin |
Neil Wyatt | 04/06/2021 21:01:00 |
![]() 19226 forum posts 749 photos 86 articles |
Here's one I made earlier... Neil NB further tests made with DTI, no need to cut it again. Edited By Neil Wyatt on 04/06/2021 21:01:59 |
Robin | 04/06/2021 21:40:29 |
![]() 678 forum posts | Posted by Neil Wyatt on 04/06/2021 21:01:00:
Here's one I made earlier... Proof of my new notion that all the best lathes are out by 0.0003" Grumpy people are probably a sign of 0.0004" or greater. We should pity them |
John Reese | 06/06/2021 23:44:21 |
![]() 1071 forum posts | Pete Rimmer and Hopper are right on the mark. I suggest making the test cuts with sharp HSS to minimize part deflection due to tool pressure. For aligning the headstock to the bed suggest you look for jacking bolts on the headstock. My Clausing Metosa had jacking bolts on the outboard side of the heastock. My Nardini has the jack bolts directly below the chuck. |
John Reese | 07/06/2021 00:17:35 |
![]() 1071 forum posts | There is absolutely no need t purchase a test bar. They come from China or India and are of unknown accuracy. The way you turned the test bar in the chuck is the right way to do it. I feel your pain getting the lathe level. It involves a lot of deep knee bends. If you ever need to re-level the machine find a helper to turn the leveling screws while you read the level. |
Robin | 07/06/2021 12:05:49 |
![]() 678 forum posts | Posted by John Reese on 06/06/2021 23:44:21:
Pete Rimmer and Hopper are right on the mark. I suggest making the test cuts with sharp HSS to minimize part deflection due to tool pressure. For aligning the headstock to the bed suggest you look for jacking bolts on the headstock. My Clausing Metosa had jacking bolts on the outboard side of the heastock. My Nardini has the jack bolts directly below the chuck. Hi John I measured again, about a zillion times, and I think I got it wrong. Blooming Vernier scales. I think I am 0,0016" out on the diameter. Best not tell the grown-ups because they get cross. The bar is still in the chuck and a DTI in the tool post says it is 100% parallel so nothing has moved. If I drop the front right jack to get 0.0008" error on the DTI would that be cheating? Robin |
Howard Lewis | 07/06/2021 14:37:59 |
7227 forum posts 21 photos | If bat first, you don't succeed, try again. The EXACT diameter does not matter on your test "bobbin", as long as the reading is the same at both ends.. I would advocate reworking until you get Zero deflection on the DTI, or whatever level of error is acceptable to you. Trying to work to produce an error, may cause confusion. Howard |
Robin | 07/06/2021 15:05:08 |
![]() 678 forum posts | Hi Howard The DTI is following exactly the same erroneous path as the tool, so it reads true. I reason that I have to make it read wrong before it can cut right. Misaligned lathes are about as easy to understand as quantum field theory. Robin |
Howard Lewis | 07/06/2021 15:27:09 |
7227 forum posts 21 photos |
I had assumed that you were using the "bobbin" method of checking the alignment, as per Ian Bradley. The DTI method is presumably being used with an alignment bar., Not sure that you can mix the two methods, (DTI measuring a bobbin, since it would follow the path taken by the tool). But use whichever one provides the required end result of a twist free bed. Howard |
Robin | 08/06/2021 10:32:33 |
![]() 678 forum posts | I unscrewed the front. right foot until the DTI showed about a 0.0008" error. I repeated the skim cut and measured it twice, using my new found skill for reading Vernier micrometers Left-hand end 1.5696" or 1.5695" Right-hand end 1.5698" and 1.5698" again Will it stay that way? 26 thou on the screw moved it 1.3 thou on the diameter which is 20:1 |
Howard Lewis | 08/06/2021 13:44:05 |
7227 forum posts 21 photos | Looks like you have succeeded. Good on yer! Howard |
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