Drilling on Lathe without tailstock

[NJC]

Hello, I have an Okuma LB-15 that I recently purchased and just got running. I'm trying out some things in manual mode to get used to the machine. I tried to drill a pilot hole to do some boring and found that with the drill chuck mounted in a sleeve in a toolholder, the drill is too high, not in the center of the stock. I don't have a tailstock for the machine yet. Any ideas on how I can approach this with what I have, is there a different toolholder made for this?

Thanks, Scott

[DareBee]

Make a new toolholder that is the correct height.

[broby]

make sure the ID holders are on centre by mounting a dial gauge on the chuck and doing a sweep of the ID tool holder. If the tool holder is mounted correctly and is not badly worn, then maybe the machine has had a bang and the coupling between the turret and the machine is out of line.
This would would require someone with knowledge of the inside of the machine to realign for you.
It would be much easier in the long run to have the machine aligned correctly, rather than putting a bandaid on it by "making" a dodgy tool holder!
If the ID tool holders are not on line with the spindle centreline then neither are any of the other tool holders in the correct centre height, thus all your tapers will also be incorrect.
Cheers
Brian

[NJC]

broby, you are 100% correct, it dawned on me after I posted that the centerline of the toolholder should be in line with the spindle. I was able to get some information from another zone member on how to level the machine, correct the turret inclination, set the turret offset and align the headstock. I found that the machine was wrecked before I got it, the outer bolts that hold the turret in position were all bent, the turret inclination was in left field, the headstock is out and the I never leveled the machine when I got it, (I thought just wire it up and go), big newbie mistake

Thanks for sharing the info, you were dead on!

Scott