Okuma LB15 tailstock alignment

[emfgllc]

Having difficulty aligning the tailstock on an Okuma LB15. This is a manual tailstock with a hydraulic quil feed. We have loosened the bolts and the gibs but still do not get it to budge. Any suggestions?

[broby]

Get a BIGGER hammer?

[Superman]

Originally Posted by broby Get a BIGGER hammer?

Hey Brian,
You bored ??

emfgllc
There should be windage screws on the front and back, loosen one then tighten the other to side-shift the upper part of the tailstock ( Quill body , not the base that slides along the rails )

[broby]

yep!
Could not resist the obvious dumb answer!

[CarsonD]

On the LB10 there are four bolts holding the tail stock on to the base that sets on the ways or bed. There is also a set of ways that take the play out between the base and the quill housing (They aren't real apparent). It may help if you loosen it to give yourself some room for movement.

It is sort of tricky getting the little jib adjustment (wedge?) thing loosened. On mine there is a screw that tightens it. In other words drives the wedge in and removes all of the play. First you have to loosen that. Then you need to blow out of hole in the end of the jib. I cleaned mine out with a tap. Then I had to find a bolt and some washers to act as a puller to get it to pull out a little.

P.S. On the LB10 the jib is up near the front bolt of the two bolts that tighten and loosen to allow the whole unit to sled forward or back. Right there between where the upper part meets the base.

Once you get it line up close to being parallel with the spindle you can re-tighten it up. On mine it would help bring the whole unit into alignment. What I mean is when I had the center hole extended and dialed in it would help bring the rear end into alignment. It can be hard to check the alignment back there. Ideally the center should be lined up and parallel.

We have a indicator made for lining up spindles at the shop I'm at now that is great. It allows you to chuck it and then a big long indicator needle fits down into the center taper hole. The good part is that you can rotate the spindle and keep the indicator dial faced up the whole revolution. You have to be a sort of contortionist with a regular dial indicator. It doesn't have a name on it and I don't know where they found it.

I am guessing your tail stock is similar.


P.S. I tried a bigger hammer before I remembered the jib adjustment thing-a-ma-jigger. The trouble is there is no swing room! Hee Hee

[CarsonD]

I found the spindle indicator that I mentioned in my previous post. It is the one you can read facing you while it is rotated around center. It looks like it runs $286.00. It seem like a deal to me.

I guess mill guys would like it.

Here is a link.

http://www.blakemanufacturing.com/pages/aboutus.html

Pricing link.

http://store.blakemanufacturing.com/...uct_detail&p=2

[OkumaWiz]

Get the Blake co-axial indicator. It's well worth it. You don't have to use a mirror and it doesn't give the droop error readings like on a mag base and indicator.

[Superman]

Similar to the "Blake" but a lot cheaper @ $70

link

Strike the similar--it's the same
and it comes in a box as well