Thread: Lathe hammer

Knocking live centres and jacobs chucks out of the Morse taper socket in the tailstock of the lathe can be a pest. I saw this idea for a Lathe hammer in one of Robert Wearing's books.
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Instead of using a steel lump, I put a 1/4" brass rod into a pair of brass plumbing fittings that I picked up at Bunnies. I used brass for the rod:

1. because it will be softer than the morse tapers sitting in the tailstock and won't be so likely to damage them; and
2. I had it on hand.

To make it weigh enough, I melted about 250g of lead and poured it into the brass fittings with the rod held upright and in the middle(ish).IMG_0100 (2).jpg

Then I tidied it up IMG_0102 (2).jpg
and glued a bit of leather on the top of the lump to protect the threads of the tail stock.IMG_0103 (2).jpg

Good news, it works, - the rod makes the fitting pop out nicely from the tailstock socket.

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Further, the hammer lives very nicely on the lathe bench upside down with the rod in a 9/32"hole.IMG_0109.jpg

A nice 2 hours or so putzing about.