Knob for Lathe Tailstock Clamping Lever

[Paul Jones]

The knob for the lathe tailstock clamping lever was missing on my used 12”x37” geared-head lathe when it arrived. I designed my own version that is comfortable to use and pleasing to the eye. It is made from 12L14 steel and internally threaded with 3/8-16 thread (and not M10x1.5 considering this lathe was built in Taiwan in 1987). The knob is approximately 0.75” dia. by 2.25” long and made from 12L14 steel. I used a clamp-type knurling tool for the 21 pitch diamond medium pattern knurls. The OD for the knurl diameter can be any diameter that is a multiple of the spacing of the knurl teeth divided by PI (3.14159). In this case it was approximately 49X(0.0476”/3.14159)=0.743” to ensure the knurling pattern tracks well and stays in sync.