View Full Version : Level Way tubes(B)
keakap
10-25-2010, 01:11 PM
I don't recall that he left it loose - for good. He left it loose so that it could be turned to compensate for any non-parallelism between thubes if that should exist. I believe it later is secured.
He may have. Off camera.
keakap
10-25-2010, 01:23 PM
Very true. However having parallelism with the way tubes still allows bent way tubes and can make table alignment a bear of a job if even possible some of the times. I am finding over 50% of the way tubes that I have have cleaned and polished have been bent at different points on the way tubes. The way tubes with a more severe bend are cut into SHORTY and MINI way tubes. I can only guess as to why the way tubes get bent in various degrees and at different places.
Fascinating. This could essplane why my digital level reads differently at various points along the way tubes, even with zero load on them.
I know they're not straight (thanks mostly to Nick's rotating shtick) but the varying level readings were giving me a headache. I expected a hollow, not a corduroy road.
The question this raises is whether to buy new ones (and hope they are not bent), buy some from eBay (which come with a full 50% chance of being bent), look for used 10E/10ER tubes (which feature an excellent chance of being straight), or making do (some would say do-do) with the present units.
keakap
10-25-2010, 01:35 PM
...The headstock would only slide about 12" at one end before binding tight. I tried rotating one or both way tubes several times without any success. I got the way tubes to where the carriage would still slide so the headstock stayed at that end. This met my requirements at that time.
I should be happy. Mine aren't quite that bad.
;>)
JPG40504
10-26-2010, 09:30 PM
Unfortunately, on my vintage machine those can be tightened only in drill press mode. Which, of course, involves moving everything that was just moved into alignment while some parts are still loose...
I'm missing something.
. . .
Notice the 'procedure' being illustrated was with the legs NOT attached. The 'other end set screws' are accessible from underneath.