Mandrel Saver for non-standard tailstock

[Barry Abrams]

I recently received a Lathe passed down from a father in law (that he got passed down from his father about 20 years ago). I've been able to turn things on it fine, and for a free lathe, it works great!

The tailstock is kind of weird. I removed the live tailstock center the other day to see if I could mount a m1 or m2 mandrel saver for use with my pen mandrel, and I found there's actually not a whole at all. The 10tpi threaded rod goes through the tailstock and just ends. The live center just fits snugly on the threaded rod.

Here's a photo:

I've scoured the internet for a few days to see if there's any kind of adapter, and haven't found anything. I'm pretty new to turning, so I'm not 100% on the terminology. Can anyone help me find anything that could work?

 

[Richard Coers]

It may be that the plug showing is part of a center and is just stuck in the threaded shaft. I would take it out of the tail stock, and heat the threaded shaft to see if it will come out. Is there a hole in the handle end of the tail stock? That would be for a knockout bar. After that, it would be time to visit a machine shop. If you don't have a buddy that machines metal, you may have almost as much in the machining bill as a half of a new mini lathe.

 

[Bill Boehme]

The picture is too dark to see what the end of the TS quill looks like. Does it have a Morse taper socket or is it solid?

Also, if a mandrel saver is the hollow tipped device that I have seen for pen turning, I would personally not use them. I think that a better option is a 60 degree live center with a blunt tip or even doing away with the pen mandrel altogether and turning between centers.

 

[Ian Thorn]

Why not just buy a pen mandril that is ajustable for lenght if the is what you are after they work fine just dont put too much pressure on the tailstock or you will bend it, just a thought is the headstock shaft hollow or that wont work

Ian

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Barry - I think your live center came apart and the MT shaft stayed in the tailstock.

Have you tried backing the tailstock handle back hard enough to drive the live center shaft out of the tailstock? Usually there is an ejection pin that works in conjuction with backing the tailstock handle out to eject your live center.

or

Run a knock-out bar in from the handle end of the tailstock. If you don't have a knock-out bar that size you don't need anything special, just go to your hardware store and get a steel rod that will fit in through the hole. Then use that to knock out the live center shaft.

I use a 1/4" all-thread rod for my tailstock knock-out "bar".

I have and use the mandrel saver and like it a lot too.

Let us know how it works out.

Tom

 

[Barry Abrams]

The photo should show that the TS Quill has a solid end (sorry it is too dark of a photo). I haven't had a chance to see if it's hollow yet, but I'll check tonight.

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Barry - What make and model of lathe do you have there? 😕

Tom

 

[Rob Wallace]

Drill it out!

Hi Barry,

If the quill is truly solid......

What would preclude you from removing the tailstock quill, as long as it is confirmed to be solid, and bringing it to a machinist to drill it out, and then machine in a MT2 Morse Taper? This would be at least as cost effective as trying to find or make any kind of adapter to fit on the threaded portion?

I think installing a MT2 taper would be FAR more versatile than doing anything else.

Rob Wallace

 

[Ian Thorn]

If the quil is solid the Rob has given you the best sulution

Ian

 

[mark ravensdale]

Strange!!!
I have seen parallel shafts on old metal working lathes, but nothing like your photo (although the photo is not too clear)