Quote Originally Posted by metric_taper View Post
This adapter came with the lathe. As indicated in the thread, every incorrectly made part clearly was assembled by the Chinese manufacture and exported this special through Grizzly. I have thought of making a new sleeve, I still need to accurately measure the spindle taper just to get something close. I'm retired, and probably will never need anything to fit this spindle hole but a true running center. I can't live with the 5 thou of runout. I've had the lathe since 2004, and just now finding the issue. Most work is always held in 3 or 4 jaw 12 inch chucks.
If you have had the lathe since 2004 and have never used the adaptor, and rarely turn anything between centres, and are unlikely to buy a set of collets for a lathe of this size, then I think that you are going to a lot of trouble for nothing.
Just take an appropriate sized piece of round steel bar, hold it with a 3 jaw chuck and turn a centre point end on it using the compound. It doesn't need fancy grinding, or even hardening, and it will run exactly concentric with the spindle, and it will remain so until removed from the chuck. In another 12 years when you might need to use it again, simply remount in any chuck and skim and true the centre point.
p.s. I am not a toolmaker but the above has always worked well for me. Precision is nice but not always necessary, and I certainly wouldn't expect to get it from a big cheap lathe.