Thread: Old Lathe problem

Originally Posted by mick55

Have an old lathe I have picked up from the local men's shed.
Works okay but has a fixed tailstock.
It's about 16mm diameter .
Have read that old lathes didn't have free spinning tailstock.
Question can I get attachments to fix this problem.
Cheers Mick

Does the tailstock centre come out?

And, if so, does it have a Morse taper?

If it does have a Morse taper, then revolving/live centres are readily available to replace the 'dead' centre.

If not, add a little wax to the dimple in the tailstock end of the work piece to lubricate.

A picture tells a thousand words

Think this come out alright..replace with a Morse taper?20201219_103936.jpg

There is nothing you can buy as the quill is too narrow at just 16mm. Perhaps that men's shed has a couple of metal workers that can make something up.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by mick55

Think this come out alright..replace with a Morse taper?20201219_103936.jpg

That looks like it would pop right out if you retract it enough. If there is a through hole from the wheel end of the tailstock, use a bar or rod and see if you can knock it out.

If this picture did not distort the size any, and with your 16mm measurement, it could be a MT1. That size is pretty rare here, but possibly easy in your part of the world.

EDIT:, upon further inspection of your photos, does the point also turn when you screw the handle in or out? If so, it's probably a straight dead center that is screwed onto the retractable handle screw. That handle looks a lot like a gate valve handle........... Jerry (in Tucson)USA

Originally Posted by Nubsnstubs

EDIT:, upon further inspection of your photos, does the point also turn when you screw the handle in or out? If so, it's probably a straight dead center that is screwed onto the retractable handle screw. That handle looks a lot like a gate valve handle........... Jerry (in Tucson)USA

Good question there from Jerry.

From what I can see from your photo, you have a DIY tailstock without a Morse taper. So, as Jerry has described, you have a dead centre on a threaded shaft.

BTW, the dead centre needs to be re-machined to a finer point. You will need to remove the quill to do that. While you have it out of the tailstock you could think about whether there is someone who could add a thread to the quill for you to which you could attach a revolving centre, somehow.

I think I did something like that a very long time ago. I'll have a look in my workshop the next time I'm there to see what I came up with. If I find it I will take a photo of it. It was a bit Heath Robinson, but it might give you some ideas.

Have remeasured properly and its 19ml.
If I can get it out an MT1 taper might fit.
The quill will need machining..
Probably cheaper to buy a cheap new lathe maybe.

Cheers Mick

Mick, If you wanted to have a go with what you have, you could sand off the burr on the point of the center with a file and 220 grit, and polish the whole taper with 400 grit. Drill a hole in the end of a 50 or 75 mm stick of wood big enough so the edge bears about half way up the taper of the center, rub the edge of the hole with candle wax and turn down the stick. When the end of the stick and center get warm add some wax.

This will give you an idea if you want to proceed with this lathe. People have turned wood and metal on lathes for hundreds of years without ball bearing centers. After using this lathe for a while you may find you want something bigger, better, more convenient, etc. Meanwhile you have gotten practice and found what you would like in your next lathe.

I now use lathes number 3 & 4, with number 5 and parts and pieces of monster number 6 waiting in the wings.

Thanks Paul...Will give your idea a go.
The bloke that previously owned this lathe produced some beautiful pieces with this existing tailstock .
Love your pic..
Ta Mick

Hi Mick,

From the pic that you put up of the tailstock, it is apparent that the lathe is home made, potentially with limited machinery resources. This in itself, does not suggest to me that it may be technically inferior to commercial lathes, but it means that it may have some things that you have to work around that a more modern commercially machine may have provided a solution to.The dead centre tailstock is probably the first one you have come across. I believe the dead centre is machined into the quill, rather than mounted in a socket, but this should not be a significant issue for turning between centres.

The person who made the lathe possibly did not have a metalworking lathe capable of boring an accurate Morse taper in the end of the quill, or was not sure of their ability to machine and test the taper accurately. External tapers can be difficult to machine accurately with limited facilities, and internal tapers are much harder to get spot on. Better an accurate dead centre than an inaccurate positioned live centre or one that tends to float around because the taper it is mounted in is inaccurate. My father spent 40 years making all sorts of stuff in metal with a Southbend 9in metal lathe. It did have a 2MT socket in the tailstock, but he never had a live centre for it, just a decent 2MT mounted drill chuck and a 2MT dead centre. The major thing that you are missing out on is the ability to mount a drill chuck.

You say that the chap you bought the lathe from was able to produce good work with it, so it obviously is a good machine, it's just a case of acknowledging the limitations.

Originally Posted by NeilS

I think I did something like that a very long time ago. I'll have a look in my workshop the next time I'm there to see what I came up with. If I find it I will take a photo of it. It was a bit Heath Robinson, but it might give you some ideas.

OK, here it is. As you can see it was mounted on a Morse taper because that is what I had in my tailstock.

IMG_2341.JPG IMG_2345.JPG

IMG_2344.JPG IMG_2346.JPG

With the smaller nut removed the internal thread is approximately 19mm in diameter... it might even be a friction fit on your 19mm dead centre...

The centre pin has a very small deflection when not under compression, but seats firmly enough when wound up against the work-piece.

I'll not use it again myself, so you are welcome to give it a try if you want. And if it is not a fit, just toss it if it's not worth fiddling with.

And, as others have pointed out, much can still be done with a dead centre, which is all I had for may years.

Very kind of you Neil

I will obviously pay freight.
It's people like you who restore our faith in our fellow tribe.
Mick

Neil, Your shop made center is pretty slick. Out of curiosity I calculated 19mm to inch. .748 inch 20mm is .7874 Your live center can probably be made to slip on to Mick's tail center with either a little sanding or a beer can shim.

Nice of you to pass it on.

Greetings of the season to all at the Woodturning Forum.

Thanks for sending that to me Neil.
Received it today.
Tried to thank you PM but not sure it worked.
Have a good new year Neil