Unimat SL Lathe Headstock Alignment

[PJs]

Thanks Paul for the info and generous offer. I've got a ways to go with the squaring of the saddle and the new extended cross slide in X,Y & Z (.0005 -.0008) and really want to make some new gibs out of better material, plus shimming the new rack to better meet the drive gear. Then it will be time to tear it down....although not sure what I will find on the bottom of the old headstock and how it mates to the v-way and bed. The v-way on the new extended cross slide was a mess. It had ~1.5thou rock corner to corner and not touching about 1/3 the length nor parallel to the bed by about 2 thou. A lot of hand work with out a mill! Picked up a B&S tenths DTI on ebay a while back in excellent shape and now when I put the bed and components on the granite I'm seeing things in a new light!

I get it now on the AL test bar. Once you get it to where it is now you should be able to chuck it up and adjust accordingly. Makes perfect sense. Absolutely right about the temps with tenths measurement. I have had to wait ~10-20 minutes some times after working the bed and cross slide...it's good though to give my fingers a rest.

That 2 bar system on your Unimat SL is pretty impressively square after all these years. You've sure taken good care and done lots of good thing to and with it!

You've confirmed for me this tapered end test bar is the way to go since you've used it on both machines now to such great tolerances! Thanks again...very much! ~PJ