Headstock spindle damage

[Robert Feingold]

Some how the internal taper of my headstock became scratched. There is a raised rough ring about 1/16" wide. My drive centers do not seat properly.
I have a jet 1642 lathe. What are my options for repair?
Not happy

 

[billooms]

Best solution is to take the spindle to a reputable machine shop and have them ream the taper. Morse taper reamers cost about $50 so they will probably charge you for the cost of the reamer if they don't have one. If you have some basic machining skills, you can probably do it yourself (see Enco #891-4730 hand reamer for MT2).

 

[Bill Boehme]

The damage is called galling. You can buy a Morse taper hand reamer to easily repair the damage yourself. Be sure to throw away the the drive center that caused the damage as it can't be properly repaired to where is won't cause future damage to the spindle socket.

After hand reaming, it needs to be polished with a Spin-L-Mate tool.

To prevent future damage, always clean both the spindle socket and the drive spur MT shank to remove dust and oils. Also make certain that the drive is solidly seated. If the load is heavy and out of balance, consider using a spur in a chuck because high torque and vibration can cause the drive to slip which is the reason for the galling.

There are two types of MT hand reamers. One is for damage repair and the other is for light clean up. Damage repair is for removing raised ridges. The grooves cause no real harm other than being unsightly.

 

[john lucas]

Are you sure it's a ridge and not a scratched divot. If it's a scratched divot it should just have a high point kind of like a burr on a scraper. You can remove that wrapping sand paper a round a dowel and touching it lightly until it's gone. that's assuming you don't have access to a reamer. Once you hit it with the sandpaper color a morse taper with a magic marker and insert it. Twist it and pull it back out and you should be able to see where any high spots in the spindle are rubbing on the morse taper.
If it's a galled build up it will be hard to remove with sandpaper and you could mess up the morse taper. In that case the reamer is the best option. I do have one but try very hard to never use it. I have repaired a couple of machines for friends but I'm always worried that I'll change the angle of the taper since I'm not a very good machinist. Consequently I do it a light as possible to hopefully just remove any damage and not anything else.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Are you sure it's a ridge and not a scratched divot. If it's a scratched divot it should just have a high point kind of like a burr on a scraper. ....

John, what you described above as a "scratched divot" is exactly what galling is -- maybe your idea of galling is simply just more extensive galling.

Many years ago on New Yankee Workshop, Norm Abram, who isn't exactly a master woodturner was scraping some spindles for a project using a spur drive center in the spindle and described a "safety feature" where the spur drive was supposed to spin in the Morse taper socket of the spindle if there were a catch. Now, because of Norm's ignorance, a whole bunch of new woodturners believe that to be true because Norm said so.

 

[john lucas]

Ha Ha Ha now that's funny I don't care who you are. Robert Vaughan showed me a very original drive center that he made. It doesn't have a center pin at all. The drive is a morse taper rear and the front metal is a hollow tube. It is very slightly tapered on the inside leaving a tube that is about 1/2" deep and maybe 5/8" around. It works somewhat similar to the way the Japanese drive a piece of wood onto a ring to drive work. It does not slip. Sort of the opposite of the "safety" centers that are designed to slide. His grips extremely strong. I may try to make one some day. He did find that you need a hardened piece of steel to make this thing.

 

[John Lawson]

John, is the workholding part something like this?

Heurekafutter--mit-3-Ringen

This one threads onto the spindle.

 

[Sergio Villa]

Ja, bitte

"Anschlagfutter
Zum Anschlagen an das Heureka-Futter eignen sich nahezu alle Holzarten. Durch die geringe Einschlagtiefe (wenige mm) und das schlanke Futter kann fast ohne "Verschnitt" gedrechselt werden."
Ja, bitte

 

[Bill Boehme]

"Anschlagfutter
Zum Anschlagen an das Heureka-Futter eignen sich nahezu alle Holzarten. Durch die geringe Einschlagtiefe (wenige mm) und das schlanke Futter kann fast ohne "Verschnitt" gedrechselt werden."
Ja, bitte

Yeah, I'll have what he's having, with large order of fries.

 

[Tom Sherman]

John, I have one of Bob's drive centers, it works very well. It reminds me of one of the safety centers only doesn't have the spring loaded center pins.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I have a hollow dead center -- would it resemble that?

 

[Bart Leetch]

"Anschlagfutter
Zum Anschlagen an das Heureka-Futter eignen sich nahezu alle Holzarten. Durch die geringe Einschlagtiefe (wenige mm) und das schlanke Futter kann fast ohne "Verschnitt" gedrechselt werden."
Ja, bitte

"Stop chuck
For fitting to the Heureka lining almost all types of wood are suitable. Due to the low insertion depth (a few mm) and the slim lining can be lathed with almost no "blend". "
Yes, please

As best as I can translate.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Ich danke Ihnen vielmals

 

[John Lawson]

Ich auch. Danke.

 

[Sergio Villa]

Mit kartoffen, ja?

 

[Robert Feingold]

Spur drive for a Nova chuck.

I ordered the reamer and will let you know how it goes when it comes in.

Nova makes a spur drive for their chuck but it looks skimpy. Does anyone know of a better one?

 

[hockenbery]

I ordered the reamer and will let you know how it goes when it comes in. Nova makes a spur drive for their chuck but it looks skimpy. Does anyone know of a better one?

I have a ONEWAY spur drive. It is quite nice.

I don't use it often. It will fit the Vicmarc chuck and I think it will fit the novas.
It is a similar configuration to the worm screw.

I prefer the drives with the morse taper.

Al

 

[Bill Boehme]

I have a ONEWAY spur drive. It is quite nice.

I don't use it often. It will fit the Vicmarc chuck and I think it will fit the novas.
It is a similar configuration to the worm screw.

I prefer the drives with the morse taper.

Al

I agree with Al. The Oneway spur drive is probably the best. I have also used it in Vicmarc and Nova chucks.

 

[Sergio Villa]

I use an extension from "best wood tools". Initially just to gain some space between the wood and the spindle, now I use it every time I need a MT drive. The precision of the one I have is excellent. I have even used it with a chuck. I had a oneway spur drive and sold it with the stronghold. If you decide this way just use the flats with a monkey wrench, do not by the spanner wrench, too small, it ruins the holes on the extender.
Regards.

 

[Chris Reynolds]

Morse taper reamer

Robert
Go gently with the morse reamer, don't be tempted to use it in a powered drill, usually turning it by hand is sufficient. I recently cleaned out a tail stock taper, remember the smallest amount you clean out can magnify the distance/depth the insert seats, as others have stated you only need to clean up the high spots. Hope this helps
Chris Reynolds

 

[Don O. Jr.]

Exactly as Chris described-be gentle. I had to ream out my drive spindle many years ago due to galling. I got the reamer from Enco. There should be a center dimple on the back end-opposite the reaming cutting edges-that you can put a tail center into to keep it aligned. A wrench on the square end with the handle against the tool rest to keep it from moving and turn the spindle by hand with SLIGHT tail pressure should easily remove any raised galls or burrs. It worked well for me and I have been much more careful since then and have not had to do it again. I did not polish the MT socket but really should have. Keep it clean after you get it back in shape.