how to align a craftsman mono tube lathe

I assume that you checked the adjusting screw on the back side of the tailstock on the bottom edge. Norvin

"Norvin" wrote: I assume that you checked the adjusting screw on the back side of the tailstock on the bottom edge. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I used to have a Harbor Freight clone. The round mono-tube "lathe bed" is held into the headstock with one or two set screws. When these slip, the tailstock goes out of alignment. I used to recheck and adjust this regularly. One of the many reasons I upgraded to a better lathe.

Look for a double ended morse taper. One end in the headstock, everything loose, bring up the tailstock, seat the other end of the MT in the tailstock and tighten both headstock and tailstock to the tube. This presumes you have matching MT on both ends. I think Woodcraft used to sell these.

And Craftsmans use a #1 MT, instead of the #2 that seems to be standard on almost anything else. What a surprise.

Look in the yellow pages under machinists ...

Thanks for your good suggestions. The misalignment seems only horizontal *so far).

Packard has a Morse Taper alignment tool (both #1 & #2) which I will order before I do any serious lathe realignments

The Tailstock has a locking set screw but adjusting it does not seem to do much of anything.

I did not find any setscrews holding anything (other than the belt guard) at the headstock end of my lathe.

I will loosen the tailstock end of the monotube mount and see if the monotube can be rotated.

"bernie feinerman" wrote: (clip) I did not find any setscrews holding anything (other than the belt guard) at the headstock end of my lathe.(clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Let's take this a step at a time. It's a mono-tube lathe, which means that the lathe bed is a a tube inserted into a hole in the headstock, about 6" below the spindle. Look for what holds the tube in the hole--either set screws or hex head bolts or something. Whatever it is, has allowed the tube to rotate, which permits the tailstock to move through a little arc.

You don't need any special alignment device. Put a live center in the tailstock, and a spur drive in the spindle. Bring these together so they just kiss. If they don't meet, as you say, then using the tailstock as a crank/lever, rotate the monotube until they do. Now search for those locking screws, and tighten them REALLY TIGHT.

If you con't find them, I'll drag my old lathe out of storage and take a picture, which I can e-mail you.

SNIP

============ Small lathes with 3/4-16 spindles have to use the MT1 because the spindle is too small for the MT2. That's why there are 3 common Morse Tapers.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

There you go! Dead simple using the tool. There Are other methods, but I've always found the tool the easiest and most reliable. YMMV

to be 3/16" or more.

Does the tailstock rock back front to back ON THE TUBE? If so, there is a set screw on the back to tighten it up against the alignment rail on the bottom of the tube, assuming the rail is tight against the tube. You want the tailstock set screw just loose enough to slide, but tight enough to keep it from moving front to back.

If it does not, then loosen the end bolt on the right tube base and see if the tailstock AND tube will move back and forth in relation to the headstock. If not, loosen the setscrew in the back of the headstock and align using the tips of the drive spur and the spur on the tailstock. Then tighten the setscrew.

Mine is an old Harbor Freight clone but is probably identical. The setscrew is in a hole in back of the headstock toward the motor. It uses a 5 mm allen wrench (YMMV). You may have to blow the crud out of the hole with an air gun. Once everything is in alignment and the setscrew tight, tighten the bolt on the end of the tube last, making sure the guide rail on the bottom of the two tube sections are aligned.

I no longer use mine other than as a polishing wheel, but I have seen the guide rail loosen on the tube, the two tube sections loosen from each other, and the tailstock loosen on the guide rail.

"Gerald Ross" (clip) I have seen the guide rail loosen on the tube, the two tube sections loosen from each other, and the tailstock loosen on the guide rail. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Harbor Freight version makes up the rail out of two sections, pressed together. Mine have also loosened--I think this is a very poor design, probably done to make the shipping easier. The Sears version, as well as the Ridgid, sold at Home Depot, both have a one-piece monotube.

Leo Lichtman and others are right. There is a setscrew in the headstock to lock the monotube in place.

In my lathe (its about 40 years old), the setscrew is located in the bottom of the headstock and I had the lathe lag bolted to a solid wooden stand.

Thank you for your good suggestions and patience. bernie feinerman

Okay. Let's put it this way, then: Craftsmans use a 3/4" spindle instead of the 1' or 1 1/8" that seems to be standard on almost anything else. What a surprise.

Even the mini lathes use a 1" spindle.

I have an old Craftsman mono-tube that I got from my father-in-law. Leo is right about there being a set screw that holds the tube in place. The set screw is on the side of the headstock nearest the motor at the base of the headstock. I was having the same problem you are and had to search hard to see it because the small hole for the set screw was full of dust and debris. If you need pictures let me know and I will send them to you.

John

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3/4-16 was used on a lot of older small lathes. The Sears unit was designed back in the 70's, I think.

Ken

It's a fair bit older than that, as I recall. Well back into the '60s, at least, but I have no empirical evidence of that other than a slowly fading memory. Unfortunately, I can't say when I first became aware of their lathes, but I know I was looking at them in the '70s and I don't have the impression they were new then.