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Butch is dead on.

If the lathe is set up so it is uphill, downhill, tip towards you or away from you makes NO difference. The thing is it must have no twist in it.

If it is twisted as the carriage runs up and down the length of the ways the tip of your tool will run in-and-out, and up-and-down the length of the lathe bed. The result of this is that when you adjust the tool it will not produce the same dimensions through the duration of its action.

The best way to deal with all of this problem is to make yor lathe's bed as level as you can get it. Go to the library and look at some book if necessary. I advise shims under the feet, and varying the tightness of the bolts.

If you buy a taper attachment it must be mounted with its guide bar level to the bed of your lathe. All things become easier if you make the lathe bed level to the floor.

When you use your level make certain that you don't induce parallax into your leveling. You need a level that at least spans your lathes bed.

swarf,
They are not machine people and only know what they learned on the internet. If you read my post I did not say that I didn't level my lathes. I did say that twist in the ways are the most important and no, I do not use a wood level. I have 3 different machinest levels.
I chamber a few barrels and have never had one slip with my 2 cathead setup. I do not cut over .050 at a pass cutting a tenon or more than .020 in threading. I do much less when I am making my final cuts.
Can you explain to me what a perfectly leveled lathe will help tooling or in measuring?

This is what a Sarrett 98-6 level looks like.
I got it for cheap, but I had to adjust it:)

I have a Starrett 98-8, a 98Z-12, and a VIZ.

My brother and I do gunsmithing together.
He uses a theodolite for building tooling, but he puts the soft pads under his lathe and does not level it. He got that from JC Manufacturing, where they have pads under all machines.

The nice thing about a leveled lathe or mill, is that if there is something difficult to indicate in, you can put a level one it. I did that last week when milling out the back side of the recoil lug on a Mosin Nagant from 92.5 degrees to 90 degrees so it will fit the pillar I was making. The receiver upside down is hard to put in a mill vise. But put a level on it, and you can see where to go within one degree. And that is all I need for that gunsmithing.

Clarkm,
I still wonder what is difficult to indicate on a lathe that is not level? Everything is relative to the ways, not the level.

Good god Butch. I cut .020-.025 per pass on tennon diameter and a measley .003 per pass when threading. I need to go jump off the nearest bridge or tall building.

Butch, I was only trying to explain your twist statement, and why twist is important. I was trying to educate our inquirer a bit as to your answer.

Further more: "Measuring" is an art in its self. Parallax is induced in reading a level by not looking down at it from directly above. When you buy a quality machinist level, like a Sterrett, it is adjusted to level on a "well gauged" as level surface plate so that it is "really" level to ALL things that are "really" level. To be really good it must be well machined, and well adjusted. That is the difference between "cheap" level and a quality machinist level, or a quality level that has been abused or not adjusted with the correct equipment makes all the difference in the world. In industry they do that, level checking, and adjusting, in a metrology lab with proper facilities.

If you have a taper attachment for your lathe it needs to have its guide bar set up so that it's axis is the same as the lathes bed. If the lathes bed is as level as you can get it set up, all is easier, you can set it up with a level.

You can only get a lathe level to the point it has been machined and ground by it's manufacturer: and hasn't been abused. The better you have it set up, the better work you can produce. Real, heavy duty, quality, machine tools are made so that they are so heavy they can be just about set down and do good work.

Sometime, somewhere, and old tool maker is saying, "you what it square? Square to what?" The same old tool maker is probably saying "you want it level? Level to what, and level for how far?" A twisted lathe bed induces errors in your work that you cannot compensate for as the tool travels either down the bed, or across the bed. That is what we are trying to tell you. Other things induce error. The trick is to induce as little error as possible before you start.

Tooling is determined by the job that you what to do, and the equipment available to you. Some of it must be fabricated, and some of it is expendable i.e. drills, mills, bits, inserts, etc. Some expendables need to be modified for the job at hand.

I am certain I'd enjoy seeing Butch's equipment, and the set ups he has "generated." That's how I term this process of setting your objectives, accessing YOUR equipment, and making and finding what you need to do your job as best you can. Butch always seem to have some good stuff, and I always enjoy seeing his "stuff," and hearing about what he is doing.

For give me a bit: I am working on a recently flooded basement, and now my lathe really does need to be re-leveled. I got a bit of rust on both my "U-Turn" and my "Cherry Corners" action wrenches. For the unknowing: both of these are small arts of mechanical genius that are no longer being made. To top it off: I'm working with a lap top for the first time, and hate the key board. Oh, and I really never learned to type well. I'm also trying a pill that seems to make me spell like former VP Dan Quale. Think "potatoe."

I think that I'm ready to run for VP. I will re-tread the "Red Tape" ticket. My platform will consist of a promise to cut Red Tape - but only lengthwise.... I like to eat TOO much, and think I can still remember why you chase good looking young women if someone reminds me too. I also know it's sometimes good not to catch up. From what I read in the paper the Secret Service guys will appreciate me and be willing to help me. I can use their help on these things. Oh, I also like to be waited on.

For my friends here: fly tying is much like doing your own gunsmithing, but it is cheaper, as long as you don't start to tie your own flies. You do see the similarities?

I was not directing my post to you.

I guess I was thinking of the mill last week. I had a flat bottom of a Mosin Nagant receiver when it is upside down in the mill vise.



Trying to get an air tight fit of the receiver with a combination front pillar/recoil lug. I need the lug on the receiver to be 90 degree and straight, not 92 degrees and curved.

Not a problem, but I thought the thread was about lathe accessories.

After you set up the lathe run a length of bar stock from headstock to live center, take small cuts and use a follow rest if you can. 30 inches should be long enough. Then measure the diameter on the ends and along the length. See if you have any surprises. Rather crude but can be quite revealing. You could also get a premachined test bar to do similar. If you intend to also work actions and bolts you will need much more specific tooling. Get good quality micrometers and practice with them til you read by eye and by feel. A very good dial caliper can be useful for diameter and depth to get you a quick in the ball park reading then finish up with a good micrometer. Rifles are all about being parallel,concentric, and perpendicular where it needs to be and having you machines and work relieved of stress.
Have fun!

Yes get back to lathe tooling.
As to leveling..........
What do they do in the machine shop on a ship.....

roll around

That test should expose any leveling issues you may have

Only thing it will show is whether your lathe has a twist in the ways or wear in the ways. If level in all ways were that important, what about the above example? A ship moves all the time. Think about it and get your heads out of the sand.

i said nothing about indicating degree of level by machining and then indicating a length of bar stock .I do not care about level if the lathe is relieved of stress and relatively level.I just said it can be very revealing good or bad. Can also help to determine where your lathe does its most accurate work and what its limitations are due to wear or damage. Even if " all it will show is twist or wear in the ways, "these are two very important things to know.