Thread: spindle aid

Good solution

If the tailstock live center has a removable center point, remove it before mounting the nose cone, so that the aid can be removed by the drift rod. I made something like this, but made the fit really snug over the barrel of the live center; learned the lesson the hard way.

Cheers,
Joe

Thanks Joe. I recognized that possibility but I wanted the center for better support so I removed the set screw that holds the center in. Failed to mention that in my comments. I have already moved to a quite different design which requires a new live center and therefore some "management consultation" with the bean counter

Here's my solution to supporting the hollowed end of a slender turning. Make your own live centre. All you need is a bearing of some sort, even the ones from inline skates will do and some nice hardwood.

Cheers
Shorty

Attachment 102721

Fixer. That looks like a good solution but I cannot see the right hand end well enough to see the (I assume?) taper??
I might go that way , thanks.

Originally Posted by oldiephred

Fixer. That looks like a good solution but I cannot see the right hand end well enough to see the (I assume?) taper??
I might go that way , thanks.

Here you go Phred. No2 morse taper to fit my tailstock. Not to hard to achieve once you get the hang of it.
Attachment 102791

Cheers
Shorty

I did something very similar with the tailspur that came with my one of my MC-900s, which looks much like the one in the orig. sketch.

I was turning spheres at the time and wanted to change it from a centre-spur to a cup type fitting.

The "cover" slipped off the bearing quite easily so I could slip the wooden cup over instead, but when it came time to swap the two back over again... Major hassles! The metal one would push back on again, but would also trap air inside and as soon as I let go it'd "pop" halfway off again.

Rather than muck around with it, I've left it as my "special" MT & bearing, for custom centres. And still use it quite a bit, even though I now also have a commercial modular system.

Have similar to The Fixers