Draw Bar Sleeve

[Jerry Bridges]

Is there a source for draw bar sleeves to protect the spindle while using a draw bar and collet?

 

[Walter Mooney]

Jerry, how about a piece of clear plastic tubing? I guess it really doesn’t have to be “clear”, just a piece of tubing that fits kinda snug over your draw bar.

 

[RichColvin]

I use draw bars often and have not seen any damage to the spindle. I do use a cone on the outboard end to keep the threaded rod centered in the spindle’s tube, but that is more for ensuring that the pulling direction is centered and not towards one side.

What is your concern (i.e., am I missing something I should know about)?

 

[Tom Gall]

I've used both plastic tubing and "heat shrink" tubing for draw bars. Recently bought some 3/8" ID tubing (because I couldn't find "shrink" tubing in suitable lengths at the big box store) for a set of 3 sizes of draw bar collet chucks - haven't yet cut the threaded rod and assembled. As @RichColvin states, it's a good idea to have a centering cone on the outboard side.

 

[Bill Alston]

I use draw bars often and have not seen any damage to the spindle. I do use a cone on the outboard end to keep the threaded rod centered in the spindle’s tube, but that is more for ensuring that the pulling direction is centered and not towards one side.

What is your concern (i.e., am I missing something I should know about)?

I agree. I also use cones on my lathes and haven’t experienced any issues.

 

[Dean Center]

I do use a cone on the outboard end to keep the threaded rod centered in the spindle’s tube,

This is simply brilliant! The knob at the end of my draw bar gets pretty wild--now I know how to secure and tame it. Thanks, Rich.

 

[Jerry Bridges]

Jerry, how about a piece of clear plas

I use draw bars often and have not seen any damage to the spindle. I do use a cone on the outboard end to keep the threaded rod centered in the spindle’s tube, but that is more for ensuring that the pulling direction is centered and not towards one side.

What is your concern (i.e., am I missing something I should know about)?

I may be concerned about nothing. I use collet chucks regularly and I have heard that it is best to cover the all thread rod. The cone is an excellent idea.

 

[John K Jordan]

I use home-made draw bars a lot and also have never heard any rattling or detected any internal damage to the spindle. When the draw bar is tightened, even if a bit off center, it doesn't bounce around and scar the inside. I make them specifically for my lathe in two sizes, one with 3/8x16 thread for MT collets, MT mandrels, drill chucks, etc, and one with 1/4x20 thread mostly for threading into wood to pull long thin wooden spindles tightly into the headstock spindle MT.

On the 3/8 all thread I just epoxied a flat washer to the "knob" I had in a parts drawer.
Since these are pulling steel into steel the flat is enough to keep the threaded rod from bouncing around.
(With a "knob" shaped like that, don't reach around to the end of the headstock while the lathe is spinning!)


On this one made for thin wood spindles, I turned a spot on the wooden knob to fit just right into the lathe handwheel (PM 3520b).
Since I thread these directly into the wood, there is more chance of movement if the hole is not perfectly centered so the shape of the knob keeps that end centered.
BTW, I use a triangular file or dremel wheel to cut three angled grooves into the end of the threaded rod. This lets me drill a hole in the wood and use the drawbar as a tap.
On all drawbars, I also grind/file a flat near the far end. This is for holding the drawbar with a wrench to tighten and to loosen if necessary.
(The spindle shown goes from about 1/2" down to about a 1/16" in over 2'. I turned a short #2 MT on the wood to fit tightly into the lathe spindle.)


Shelving pine from Home Depot and walnut.


JKJ

 

[hockenbery]

I’ve never covered the draw bar. My draw bars are all thread and I use a wooden cone to press against the outboard spindle and a wing nut to pull the draw bar tight.

The leading edge of the drawbar would be the part most likely to touch the inside of the spindle as you pass it through.
You need those threads uncovered to put the tightening nut on the draw bar. So you would want some sort of cap you can put on an off.

If you need a cover, A nylon nut screwed on 2-3 turns should work well and be easy to get out of the way to secure the tightening nut.

 

[Jerry Bridges]

Sounds like I had an non-issue. All your suggestions and ideas are great. Glad I asked the question.

 

[Tom Gall]

I’ve never covered the draw bar. My draw bars are all thread and I use a wooden cone to press against the outboard spindle and a wing nut to pull the draw bar tight.

The leading edge of the drawbar would be the part most likely to touch the inside of the spindle as you pass it through.
You need those threads uncovered to put the tightening nut on the draw bar. So you would want some sort of cap you can put on an off.

If you need a cover, A nylon nut screwed on 2-3 turns should work well and be easy to get out of the way to secure the tightening nut.

When my lathe was new I didn't want to possibly scratch the female Morse taper in the spindle with the all-thread rod. Probably not a big worry ... but cheap insurance ... and looks nice!
Probably a 2-3" piece of tubing placed on the end of the rod would serve the same purpose - then pull it off to add the centering cone and tightening nut/wheel. But that's just another piece to drop and lose in the shavings!😂

 

[Bill Alston]

Sounds like I had a non-issue. All your suggestions and ideas are great. Glad I asked the question.

Always worth asking. 😉

Two of mine. One M10 for my woodturning lathe, the other an M12 for my MW lathe.