Vaughn,
You are right of course especially when green wood turning to a finished product as I have often done. However I have repeatedly trued my headstock and tailstock, tightened the camlock down as much as possible, then found massive error when I turn the blank around. Checking point to point again I find 1/4" offset or more. It is maybe a sixteenth off vertically too which I haven't fought with considering the other issues.
One reason I have gotten away from trying to rough large out of balance bowl blanks is that I noticed with the cam lock tightened as much as possible and the fairly loose fitting pin dropped through the hole to lock orientation of the headstock it was oscillating quite a bit, something in the neighborhood of an eighth or more at the base. Considering that the piece I am working on is considerably further out from the axis than the base of the headstock, that roughly eighth inch again translates into a huge amount at the other end of the work piece. Fed up with this beast to be honest, may have to try to make an adapter for my cue lathe to hold the Talon chuck. One thing for sure, the bed and headstock of my cue lathe is more stable than the Craftsman is thanks to a couple of large pieces of 1/2" thick cold roll I added to the base for it!
For one reason or another I haven't turned in weeks. Just realized it is time to quit bellyaching and go turn something like a spaghetti western, good, bad, or ugly, very likely good, bad, and ugly!
Hu