Mid-America Lathes is now cuemakersupply.com

[epoxypop]

it's a pita especially if you do more than tapering and on one lathe

 

[SSDiver2112]

Absolutely it’s a PITA, but until I have more space and money, I have to make do with what I have.

I would love to have a dedicated tapering station or CNC. Just not at that stage yet.

 

[chuckpilegis]

Absolutely it’s a PITA, but until I have more space and money, I have to make do with what I have.

I would love to have a dedicated tapering station or CNC. Just not at that stage yet.

So I am asking is there any benefit to having an adjustable offset taper attachment compared to dedicated tailstock. In your opinion of course.
I would agree having taper bars would be better for a compound taper

 

[SSDiver2112]

So I am asking is there any benefit to having an adjustable offset taper attachment compared to dedicated tailstock. In your opinion of course.
I would agree having taper bars would be better for a compound taper

I just felt the tail stock would be more solid and accurate. having an attachment sticking out of a chuck attachment might have more play and the offset attachment has to be made parallel to bed to be accurate. I'm sure it works, I just like the tailstock better

 

[keninar]

I’ve been running the large bore machine for the last 8 years or so – and feel your collective pain when it comes to tapering stock. OEM tailstock is adjustable, but as described earlier, it is a pain to set accurately for the taper and then return to straight work. Went the 2 tailstock route for a while, but ended up needing different tapers for different situations, so that wasn’t the most efficient. The taper bar approach Chris is working on will add a great deal of flexibility to this machine. But in the meantime...........

Then found an adjustable live center that has simplified things, at least for me. The vernier dial, in conjunction with an indicator, allow me to set what I need, without messing up the OEM tailstock alignment for straight work. Granted, more tools open the door to less accuracy, but this has worked for me. Found it on ebay (using the title in the attached pic). It is offered with a Morse Taper, but upon further inspection it was also available with a 12mm straight shank – less than $100 USD. Just checked and the 12mm option is out of stock, but might be worth keeping an eye on. Perhaps there are other vendors.

Good Luck

keninar

 

[chuckpilegis]

I was looking on amazon just now and they have a few different ones with a straight shank if anyones interested

 

[kling&allen]

I have separate tail stocks as well. I note that even the “drilling” tail stock has an incredible amount of play when it’s extending. Taig designed the lathes for clockmaking and small metal work, not to hog holes in dense hardwood. I’m hopeful that someone makes a more robust drilling tail stock for it some days.

(Yes I bore my holes to final diameter as well after step drilling, but I still view the flimsy tailstock as the major disadvantage from a metal lathe)