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Tool Post Adapter

Thomas Stegall

Thomas Stegall

Joined
Feb 3, 2011
Messages
164
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1
Location
Niles, IL
In the past year I purchased a very large custom lathe from a friend. The lathe came with many accessories and tool posts, but I am no longer able to use McNaughton Center Saver and other 1" tool posts, because the lathe's banjo uses a 1 1/4 dia. tool post and the Center Saver does not have this as an option. I have tried to find something I could insert with a 1" inner diameter and a 1 /14 outer diameter about 6" long, but I have not had any luck. And, I don't have any access to a metal lathe etc. to machine it myself. Can anyone help with this? Any suggestions?
 
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Thomas,

you can make a shim from 1" PVC water pipe.

cut a section about 4" long and then cut it in half lenghtwise.
hack saw works.

sand any frayed edge from the saw
you now have a 1/2 round shim

PVC varies a bit in thickness you might need more or less than the 1/2 of the round.

a less elegant solution but more enjoyable preparation is to use a couple of pop-sickle sticks

Al
 
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You might try turning something out of hard maple or cherry. Wax the outside so that it moves freely and away you go.
 
finding a section of pipe with a 1 inch inside dim. is easy but the outside dim. will need to be machine to 1" 1/4
the pipe chart list 1" pipe o d at 1 "316
may I turn a bushing for you ?
P M me if you wish
 
Call Christian at Woodworkers Emporium In Las Vegas. That is where I bought several of them for my VL300 to convert 1" posts. Great guy also.
 
Hi
A 1 1/4 inch tool post for the McNaughton Center Saver is an option.
You can order it from Lee Valley. It is a special order, but is available. I made several adapters to use my 1 inch tool rests on my Vicmarc lathe, which takes a 30mm tool post, but figured I wanted the real thing for the Center Saver. Lee Valley has the posts available in special sizes.
Good luck and happy turning.
 
PVC pipe has the same dimensions as iron/steel.

For nominal 1", ID is 1.049"; OD is 1.315". You can turn the OD of the pvc pipe on your wood lathe (BTDT). I'd use a piece about 8" long (including waste) for mounting in a scroll chuck; cone center at the tailstock.

You'll need a hole in the bushing to accept the clamping screw anyway, and that can address the slight inside slop. For maximum variability, put several holes at different heights, in a helical pattern. Such a pattern would allow very small increments. OR, make several of them; a 10-foot piece of 1" pvc won't break the bank.
 
I have used Oilite® sintered bronze bearings as bushings to reduce hole sizes. They typically have wall thicknesses of 1/16, 1/8, and I believe 1/4 inch also. You can get them either as flanged or straight. Sometimes I have "nested" them when the hardware store didn't have the exact size that I wanted.
 
Seth,

The adapter at Penn state is to adapt a tool post that is only 5/8 in diameter. I need an adaptor for 1" tool post to fit my Nichols Lathe with a 1 1/4 banjo. I could special order the McNaughton part as some have suggested, but that would not fix the problem of various other tools not fitting. Thank you to everyone who provided suggestions and/or information, this has been the only down side of my Nichols lathe which I absolutely love.
 
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