MY 13X40 Jet Lathe nightmare

OK here is the problem:

With a calibrated test bar, MT5 & plain end:

Position 1 at end of chucked bar:

You can see that the dial indcator is zeroed.

Now the cross slide has traversed 10" toward the headstock.

The allowable error is 0.0004" per 5".  So in this single obsevation ( out of 100s) it the result is nearly 10 times the allowble and 20 times that tested.

So now finally, look at this:

Added 12/24/2012:

Let me digress somewhat. This particular model in a pin headstock lathe, as shown above. Being a neophyte, I was somewhat unsure of the exact methodology to test for headstock alignment and being bullheaded, yes bullheaded, my thoughts were "I paid, they should provide the product". Well was I mistaken. From the above test report, presuming reports are real and not fabricated or pencil whipped,  this machine tests generally 1/2 of the allowable JET criterion.  From my limited experience, I deemed this excellent, so why was I so adamant?  The machine would not perform a simple 10 " headstock test and everything I did was wrong. Not 90%, but 100%.

My confidence in JET was negligible. Here is one example:

This is the furnished steady rest, supposedly scraped in.

It took a year to convince WM to replace the steady rest.

The first year of warranty I spent trying to get their attention and could not and finally, the retailer (dealer) was able to get a "tech" assigned, whereas Walter-Meier hired a subcontractor, Mastercraft Sharpening Setrvice, Laverne, TN. At this time, the warranty expired was 1 year of a two year term. Thus in the interim I proceeded to destroy my 3 jaw chuck and the 4 jaw chuck furnished with the lathe.

Here's what happened:

As I was trying to make some sense out of a complex situation:

1. I would take a 1" bar and chuck up and face it with the 3 jaw chuck.
2. then center drill it at the headstock, got to be right!
3. Then extend the bar to the live center
4. clamp into the 3 jaw chuck. 
5. Machine the bar some distance and check diameter.

Presuming the headstock is aligned, everything should check end diameters, it didn't.

Look below at an exagerated scale. The green tailstock is in line with the check centerline. The 1" bar is flexible enough to bend when the jaws are tightened and the live center is locked. I kept doing this over and over, assuming they were correct, until I destroyed the 3 jaw chuck and it would not longer center. Then I switched to the 4 jaw chuck and it too was destroyed.  First of all WM is not responsible to ascertain if the customer is "qualified".  My background is engineering, 45 yrs, and I should have analyzed the situation correctly before now.  In all fairness, WM replaced the 3 jaw chuck and I purchased a quality 4 jaw chuck and would have destroyed it had I not realized something untoward was causing undue forces.  My $1500 4 jaw chuck would have gone by the wayside also. By the by, I went through 3 cheap live centers.

WM also had a dog in this fight. They should have reacted in a timely manner, aligned the headstock and replaced my 3 and 4 jaw chuck.  They took advantage of my situation by stalling as long as possible.

Now the whistle has not yet blown on WM and they have, tenatively, agreed to revisit the issue  since the lathe motor failed.  That is to be seen, since in doing so they will acknowledge culpability.

What am I going to do? Well, I am mildly physically impaired (much less than others), and the loooow down work is hard for me to perform. As recommended by others, my next goal to to begin the task.

Now, my suggestion is to be sure you have in writing any warranty issues with your retailer and their fiducial responsibility in warranty matters. In our state the vendor, not the manufacturer, bears the ultimate responsibility. Let the buyer beware of the irresponsibility I encountered with WM.

This is just getting started trying to find the error:

QED

Added 11-19-2012:

On 11-14-2012 WM sent a subcontractor to evaluate the headstock condition and to repair the motor capacitors.  They did so and addressed the headstock alignment issue. Here is their solution.

1) Use 4 jaw chuck

2) add aluminum shims (1/8") to jaw contact points on bar.

3) install 2 test guages after bar centered.

4) use chuck wrench extention to tighten the chuck jaws until alignmentt is acheived.

5) Me being a novice have never heard of this method.

 Let me know if anyone has used this procedure. I have serious doubts and my $1000 chuck will not be treated that way.