# Taper tool for mini lathe?



## MadKad (Sep 29, 2008)

Hi

I am looking into making a taper tool that would attach to my mini lathe like a tool post, I have a good idea but I am unsure if it will work, I was going to draw it up but its been that long since I drew something on my pc I forgot how to use the programs lol

Any one made one? or got any ideas?

I know there is one here : http://www.gadgetbuilder.com/Taper.html
but that to me isnt practicle (still good though) I just wouldnt like to have to adapt my lathe in such a way


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## MadKad (Sep 30, 2008)

Hi

ok I did this design and wanted to see anyones thoughts on it

http://www.madkad.co.uk/taper/taper.html

its a PDF file show page, you can click the image and then see it by holding down the mouse and moving round to view the model.

just my idea, any thoughts?


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 30, 2008)

MadKad:

I may be missing something here but here is my perspective.

I was fortunate enough to find a a south bend Lathe with factory original taper attachment installed so not real need for me to build one. 
Keep in mind there are three ways to cut a taper on a lathe well maybe four. 
1 Taper attachment 
2 set compound to angle 
3 Tail stock offset method.
3a offset live center adapter
To me the taper attachment on the gadget builder looks very usable.
I fail to see the logic behind your design. I do not see how it would work. Not to be smart here but have you ever used a taper attachment do you understand how they work?
Tin


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## MadKad (Sep 30, 2008)

Thanks for the reply mate, I haven't used a taper attachment, but I really missed out on that pic on what it would do.

Basically I would do it so that the tool post on the taper attachment would move side to side, this taper attachment would go on my lathe where the compound slide goes normally, then it would be set to the degree needed, so when the tool post slides to the right it moves more to the center at the same time.

So cutting a taper with the taper attachment on and all set, you could move the x axis in a bit at a time to take off the amount needed each time till the taper is made to the length wanted.

That was hard to try and explain, I could make the image a little better to show more, but would like some ideas on if it would work first really lol.

I do like the other one, the only thing is that there looks like there is allot of bolting to the lathe etc, with this one it would be just the standard 2 bolt where the compound slide fits also.


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## agr (Oct 2, 2008)

MadKad,

Have you seen the article by Dave Fenner in the August "Model Engineering Workshop" magazine (issue #141)? In it he shows the construction of an attachment similar to the gadgetbuilder one for use on a Seig C3 lathe. 

It may not be what you want - but might provide some more food for thought. 

Tony.


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## MadKad (Oct 3, 2008)

agr  said:
			
		

> MadKad,
> 
> Have you seen the article by Dave Fenner in the August "Model Engineering Workshop" magazine (issue #141)? In it he shows the construction of an attachment similar to the gadgetbuilder one for use on a Seig C3 lathe.
> 
> ...



Hi sorry I dont get magazine's but I would have loved to have read that article


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## macona (Oct 6, 2008)

A great base for a taper attachment would be a linear slide. Like the low profile NSK ones. It would save a lot of work. I had though about building one until I got a machine that has one, which I still have never used. :


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## John S (Oct 6, 2008)

Use a boring head in the tailstock.
Nothing to make and it still works as a boring head.







.


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## Circlip (Oct 6, 2008)

But with ball ended tips on the centres.
Regards Ian


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## MadKad (Oct 6, 2008)

Nice thats an intresting idea, two things though:

1. whats that in the cuck? and is it needed?
2. how do you get the right deigre needed?

Thanks guys by the way


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## DickDastardly40 (Oct 6, 2008)

MK,

The item in the chuck I think you are referring to is the driver (in this case a bolt) which is creating the rotation to the job as it is suspended between centres by being pushed around by the jaw of the chuck.

The angle is worked out by simple (for some) trignometry, ie. tangent of angle required * adjacent = opposite (distance to offset).


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## DICKEYBIRD (Oct 6, 2008)

John Stevenson  said:
			
		

> Use a boring head in the tailstock.
> Nothing to make and it still works as a boring head.


Sir John I keep seeing pictures of that method and it looks so simple.

One thing keeps nagging away at me though. How do you insure that the ball gizmo/boring head stays on center....just keep slapping her in and checking until you get lucky or adjust it carefully then whack it in with one of Boggie's old lead hammers.

Also, are those shop made ball widgets or can they be purchased cheaply. I think I may have a bit of Yorkie blood running in my veins from long ago.


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## MadKad (Oct 6, 2008)

I like the idea of that way, but I really think I would have truble setting up for the taper to be correct it would take me to long, with my way I would just set the taper tool like you would with the compound slide.

but I just need to work out how I could get it to slide left and right smoothly


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## John S (Oct 6, 2008)

DICKEYBIRD  said:
			
		

> Sir John I keep seeing pictures of that method and it looks so simple.
> 
> One thing keeps nagging away at me though. How do you insure that the ball gizmo/boring head stays on center....just keep slapping her in and checking until you get lucky or adjust it carefully then whack it in with one of Boggie's old lead hammers.
> 
> Also, are those shop made ball widgets or can they be purchased cheaply. I think I may have a bit of Yorkie blood running in my veins from long ago.



Just slam it in, the MK1 eyeball is more accurate than you think 
Better description:-

You need a piece of bar the same size as the boring tool to fit the head, usually 1/2" centre drill one end and fit into the boring head centre drilled hole outwards.
Then get a piece of round material in the 3 jaw, not critical and center drill that.

DON'T REMOVE FROM THE CHUCK.
Now place your part between these inverse centers with a ball bearing in each end and drive with a dog on the part as in the pick.
Any sort of dog or clamp will do it doesn't have to win prizes so pretty isn't part of the equation.
The reason to use the ball bearings is that if you were using normal centers you would get mis alignment, with the balls it's a perfect full contact surface.


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## CrewCab (Oct 6, 2008)

John Stevenson  said:
			
		

> the MK1 eyeball is more accurate than you think



It's possible we had the same engineering teacher  .............. or perhaps they were brothers :

CC


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## DICKEYBIRD (Oct 6, 2008)

AHAH! (Blinding light switches on over the ol' noggin.) A good, used ball bearing sits in a tapered hole wid some lube smeared on. Yup, that's cheap & cheerful allright.;D


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## jack404 (Oct 6, 2008)

G'day folks

I threw a old Pop Mechanics offset taper turning tool plan into the download section just last week

its make from a old 4 jaw chuck ( if you have one ) its in PDF format

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=get46

HTH

cheers

jack


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## DICKEYBIRD (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks Jack, that's a good 'un too!


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## Circlip (Oct 7, 2008)

Sorry John, must get a bigger monitor, didn't see the ball ends on your photo,but at least we made Dickey think. :big:

Surprised the Pop Mech originator hasn't picked up on that one though? Having said that, quite a few illustrations show offset turning with pointy centres (centers)
 Regards Ian.


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## Brian Rupnow (Oct 7, 2008)

John Stevenson---Absolutely brilliant solution, using the boring head to taper turn, along with the ball bearings. What a great idea. Now I have one more justification to purchase a boring head for my Craftex mill.---Brian


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## John S (Oct 7, 2008)

Brian Rupnow  said:
			
		

> John Stevenson---Absolutely brilliant solution, using the boring head to taper turn, along with the ball bearings. What a great idea. Now I have one more justification to purchase a boring head for my Craftex mill.---Brian



Sorry Brian,
Two reasons !!







Put the head on a parallel shank mounted in the tool post and you now have an up and over radius turning attachment for external balls.

With no carving up of the original boring head and with a couple of extra shanks you now have a radius turning attachment, a taper turning attachment and at a push a boring head


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## Brian Rupnow (Oct 7, 2008)

John Stevenson  said:
			
		

> Sorry Brian,
> Two reasons !!
> 
> 
> ...



Good Lord, man!!! Sorry???? I'm seeing things that I have never even imagined!!! Thank you.---Brian


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## Maryak (Oct 8, 2008)

John Stevenson,

Thanks very much for your extended uses for a boring head. Top stuff, I will be adapting mine in due course. :bow:

Regards
Bob


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## DICKEYBIRD (Oct 8, 2008)

Bob, if you have an R-8 equipped boring head, you may want to try something similar to what I cobbled up. It mounts to the QCTP and turns in homemade plastic bushes. Works great!











Here's a link to a thread showing a little more detail.
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=732.0


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## MadKad (Oct 8, 2008)

thats a clever ball tool and a very easy looking design.

I am still woundering if my idea would work for the taper tool, there are some good ways shown here but I still feel that here would be alot more work involved when setting up for even a cut.

I think I will work more on my design plan to show more on what Idea I have so its more clear on what I think would work, that way people can give there thoughts more if they didnt mind


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## Maryak (Oct 10, 2008)

Dickeybird,

Thanks for the info. My mill and hence my boring head are M3 taper.

Like the idea of your bushes. :bow:

Thanks
Bob


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## Brian Rupnow (Oct 10, 2008)

Today I did my bit to keep this terrible economy going--I went in and ordered a boring head and shank for my Craftex mill. After seeing all the neat things that can be done with them over and above boring, I decided I must have one.---Brian


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## Cedge (Oct 15, 2008)

Jack
Just when I thought I had almost conquered my tool making addiction, you just had to post that old PM article. As it happened, I had a small 3 inch 4 jaw and a 2 mt taper sitting in a drawer gathering rust. I dragged them from the darkness and had a go at the build. 

I have to admit that I'm rather enjoying the results thus far. It's stable as heck and quite easily adjustable. Now all I've got to do is make up a driving dog and cut the slots for it in the face plate. 

Steve


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## jack404 (Oct 15, 2008)

Cedge, 

yes i have a lot of faith in the older PM plans 

they work and you can make them at home

glad you had a good result with that one 

i'll do some more scanning and post a few more gadets they have put out for folks like us

cheers

jack


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