i bought a turncrafter pro from PSI and have a problem with the centers lining up correctly. The headstock is higher than the tailstock. I'm not in front of it, but i'd say the difference is 1/16th of an inch. I called PSI, they said to send it in for warranty replacement which i will do, but if there is a reasonable fix, i'd like to avoid the shipping hassles (not to mention, not having the lathe for a month!) Any ideas?

Thanks

Carrington Tate
Durango, CO

Carrington, Is it possible that the headstock is shimmed too high where it is mounted to the bed? I would look there to start with. Sometimes they get carried away in the factory, also if you have one it would be a good idea to check the chuck with a centering gauge, dial indicator, it possibly could be your chuck these are a few of the possibilities, another thing is that the headstock, where the bearings are set could be out of square, I would take a good straight shaft, chuck it up and use a level to check the chuck and head stock that way also. Otherwise there may be no corrective measures that you can do, other than send it back for warranty work. Just my take on the subject.

What you'll want to to do is insert the live center in the tailstock, then close up the chuck on the headstock. Now run the tailstock up so that the live center cone nearly touches the face of the chuck. Where does it point on the chuck face? Right in the center of the remaining chuck opening? Or somewhere else?

............

Carrington, you did the right thing to check for runout, aside from using a shaft and dial indicator. The runout you're experiencing is enormous. Galen could right about the headstock having been shimmed too much. The only other possibility is that there is something in the morse taper on either the headstock or tailstock that is causing one of the centers to be out of line. This isn't a likely cause of the trouble on a new lathe but it's pretty simple to check. Tell PSI you just want your money back and buy a Jet or Rikon, you won't regret it.

Carrington,

I have a turncrafter and it lines up perfect........If you put the spur cntr in the headstock and live cntr in the tailstock..the points line up and touch perfect. It has been great for turning realseats and pens etc... I hope you can rectify with one of the suggestions above.

I just wanted to let you know from my experience it wasn't the design...unless I got the only good one?? ;-)

Tom, i did as Joe Brenner listed, same as Andy Dear does in his video, and the two do not meet perfectly in the middle. The headstock is higher than the tailstock. I have not tried the chuck method you mention, but can try when i get home.

Thanks for the responses

Carrington Tate

Good lathe! Love mine. Sorry to hear you have a problem. From what I understand PSI is very good with there warranty


Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I am like Mike and some of the others. My TCP has been a good lathe without any problems. Sorry you are having problems...........

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

If they don't meet, you won't get good results from the tool. It's a pain to send it back, but you may have to. Or... see if they'll just replace the headstock and tailstock units.

.........

Yeah,

Try drilling or turning between centres with this beauty and you are going to get some horrible work coming off. I appreciate that every company occasionally makes a bad one but to be this far out of alignment is ridiculous. What happend to process control and then that having failed good old inspection.?

Personally I would be very peed off. lets hope the service side of things is better than the manufacturing side. Another way to see how far out is to put a live or fixed center in the head stock and tail stock. Mount a mandral betwen them and run your DTI (Dial test Inicator ) along the mandral. But from the sound of things you don't need to it's so far out. Grrrr

Mike O.

I also have a TurnCrafter Pro also. I was worried about the same thing, but I did the test with the drive center and the live center. They lined up perfectly. Have had no problems.

Bill in WV

i contacted psi and i am sending it back. They gave me their ups account#, so it looks like the worst part is just not having the Lathe for a while. Thanks for all the responses. Have a great weekend

Carrington