Still want to work without one?
John, someone could do the same damage by not setting a stop properly. I use them as a dimensioning device along with a graduated leadscrew handwheel and of course the trusty compound for quick and dirty work...but as a safety device to stop chuck crashes? Nope and haven't heard this as SOP. It just doesn't strike me as problem, 15 years without a crash, preventing something not spinning from hitting something spinning is what i'm there for
One could argue the contrary - that someone would be as likely to miss set the thing properly and cause a crash or that it would ceate a false security. but hey, no harm done if that's you want to do it....I'm with you so far as their usefulness as a dimensioning device goes.
lathe headstock bolts. I think greenie is right, but that's coming from the paradigm of someone who doesn't think, as a safety device. its useful. As a dimensioning device, it needs to be movable along the ways - like the simple and neat rig itowbig posted. A lathe should have nothing aligning the head stock to the ways except for the V way - the headstock should mate to bed that way. You should be able to unbolt and reattach a headstock, and I've done it more that once, without having an alignment issue. This is a precise and fundamental aspect of a quality lathe; that the spindle bore holes in the headstock perfectly align the to the V in its bottom.
However, we've seen and been told of all manner of things on import tooling and I wouldn't exactly be as surprising as the second coming to find a shimmed headstock or otherwise arrangement shouldn't be disturbed. Because of this my sense would be leave the headstock alone, drag racing experience or other not withstanding ;D. Granted, there's varying opinions on the usefulness of a carriage safety stop, mine is it's useless and not worth taking a chance disturbing the headstock.
