In preparation for reaming out my tailstock
, I leveled my 3in1 machine. Took about 45 minutes. I was surprised how much it was out of whack.
About 1/8" drop in length and a slight twist to the ways. It's bolted to a steel desk with adjustable 'feet'. I used the 'feet' to level it. I'm thinking of maybe gluing a pair of spirit levels to the frame so I can see at a glance if the level has changed. My area of the country has severe Winters and short Summers. Ground upheaval is a real problem, especially with tree roots. Keeping an eye on my 3in1's level sounds like a good idea...Or I could just check it periodically with my machinists level on the ways...
Alternately, I could place a marble on the table and see if it rolls off...
Next I took my tailstock apart and cleaned it thoroughly. Draw filed the flats to eliminate any burrs; chamfered all holes. Greased & re-assembled. I used two ground steel .348" rods to align the lathe spindle and the tailstock chuck, for a rough zero. It's pretty close, maybe a half to a thousandth off. Hopefully, the reaming will take care of that. The tailstock barrel is not hardened.
Also thinking of upgrading to a pair of Baldor 3/4hp motors and get rid of the cheap Chinese motors...Replacing capacitors on the Chinese motors is a recurring problem...
