Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get tool plans

User Tag List

Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Set over tailstock centre

  1. #1
    Supporting Member olderdan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Posts
    793
    Thanks
    1,464
    Thanked 1,586 Times in 470 Posts

    olderdan's Tools

    Set over tailstock centre

    Like most I am reluctant to disturb my tailstock from its dead centre setting. Rather than make a new device I decided that my small boring head would do the same job, all I needed was to make a new No 2 Mt shank to replace the No 3 which is usually fitted. Next was a decent hard centre to fit it and I turned one from an old end mill with my CBN tool, the swarf this produces is as abrasive as grinding dust (tiny shards of flying HSS chips) so lathe and eye protection is needed. So far this has worked very well and will suffice until I finally get around to making a taper turning attachment.
    Set over tailstock centre-shank.jpg Set over tailstock centre-centre.jpg Set over tailstock centre-parts.jpg Set over tailstock centre-use.jpg
    Download plans for tailstock.

  2. The Following 14 Users Say Thank You to olderdan For This Useful Post:

    Crusty (Jan 12, 2021), Home-PC (Aug 15, 2022), homey_g (Jan 13, 2021), johncg (Jan 18, 2021), Jon (Jan 12, 2021), LMMasterMariner (Jan 14, 2021), mwmkravchenko (Aug 13, 2022), N00b Machinist (Jan 12, 2021), Ralphxyz (Nov 23, 2024), rebuilder1954 (Jan 14, 2021), Saltfever (Aug 13, 2022), tonyfoale (Jan 13, 2021), Toolmaker51 (Jan 12, 2021), tooly (Oct 22, 2023)

  3. #2
    Content Editor
    Supporting Member
    DIYer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    3,055
    Thanks
    793
    Thanked 1,891 Times in 1,686 Posts


    Thanks olderdan! We've added your Set Over Tailstock Center to our Lathe Accessories category,
    as well as to your builder page: olderdan's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:



    Download plans for tailstock.
    New plans added on 12/02/2024: Click here for 2,609 plans for homemade tools.

  4. #3
    Supporting Member Crusty's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Dry Gulch, Tx
    Posts
    749
    Thanks
    220
    Thanked 854 Times in 325 Posts

    Crusty's Tools
    I was the same as you about moving my tailstock until I finally got a steel bar and made it into a test bar for setting my tailstock on center. Now I'm not as reluctant to move my tailstock because it's relatively easy to put it back exactly on center. Your device though is much easier and quicker.
    If you can't make it precise make it adjustable.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to Crusty For This Useful Post:

    olderdan (Jan 12, 2021)

  6. #4
    Supporting Member tonyfoale's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    1,612
    Thanks
    726
    Thanked 2,721 Times in 728 Posts

    tonyfoale's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by olderdan View Post
    Like most I am reluctant to disturb my tailstock from its dead centre setting. Rather than make a new device I decided that my small boring head would do the same job, all I needed was to make a new No 2 Mt shank to replace the No 3 which is usually fitted. Next was a decent hard centre to fit
    My own reluctance to making tapers using an offset centre owes more to the offence that the imperfect centre geometry causes in my geometrically inclined brain. I have always thought that spherical or hemispherical ends on the centres was better for tapers. Coincidentally, only a few days ago I was considering this but could not find any for sale. I started thinking about how to make these, bearing in mind that they would need to be hard with a good surface finish.

    Then I remembered that I had some small elephant's foot valve actuators. These have a male threaded shank with a ball on the end and a wobbly bit which contacts the valve. Removal of the wobbly bit leaves the threaded shank and hardened ground ball. Then it is just a matter of modifying a couple of non-hardened MT arbors or centres to take the threaded shank.

    The pic. shows two types. On the left is what I was talking about, on the right is an alternative version which has a flattened ball. That ball could be replaced with a full circle ball. The version on the left would be my choice though, the ball is a better size, i.e. smaller.

    Set over tailstock centre-elephants-foot.jpg Click for full size.

    Set over tailstock centre-ball-centres.jpg

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to tonyfoale For This Useful Post:

    Home-PC (Aug 15, 2022), olderdan (Jan 13, 2021)

  8. #5
    Supporting Member olderdan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Posts
    793
    Thanks
    1,464
    Thanked 1,586 Times in 470 Posts

    olderdan's Tools
    Your observations are correct and I am aware that offset cone centres are a compromise. I am guilty of ignoring my own advice when I made that point in reply to an older post advising the use of a ball contact in this circumstance. I will make a modification.
    BTW all my attempts to contact you have bounced back so far.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to olderdan For This Useful Post:

    tonyfoale (Jan 13, 2021)

  10. #6
    Supporting Member tonyfoale's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    1,612
    Thanks
    726
    Thanked 2,721 Times in 728 Posts

    tonyfoale's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by olderdan View Post
    BTW all my attempts to contact you have bounced back so far.
    That is strange because I have received an email to which I have replied.

  11. #7
    Supporting Member tonyfoale's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Spain
    Posts
    1,612
    Thanks
    726
    Thanked 2,721 Times in 728 Posts

    tonyfoale's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by olderdan View Post
    Your observations are correct and I am aware that offset cone centres are a compromise. I am guilty of ignoring my own advice when I made that point in reply to an older post advising the use of a ball contact in this circumstance.
    Are ball centres commercially available. My searches turn up nothing except for a few DIY versions with large balls which only rest on the edge.


    Download plans for tailstock.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •