M@ taper

[Dennis McGill]

I've been cutting a lot of M2 tapers, (as part of a practice thing). Is there a template so that I don't have to keep taking the drive out of my lathe to see if the M2 taper is right.
I'd like to find a female taper to insert my M2 turning into for sizing.

Does this make sense?
McGill

 

[KurtB]

Morse Taper

Dennis,
There are taper cleaners commercially available that would also serve the pupose of being a model for the male version of an MT2. You can turn the male version fairly easily by measuring the small and large diameters, and then turning those diameters, for the correct length, with a little concave surface in between (so it doesn't interfere with the correct diameters).

The female, although more difficult to create, is theoretically the reverse of the male. You could also take a MT2 chuck, and turn a female until they match, depending on your patience.

Having said all that, you may decide that it is simply easier to purchase the ready made items, with almost no sacrifice in time, and spend the rest of the day turning beautiful, artsy, and classic items!

I know what I would vote for! Good Luck!
Kurt

 

[GeorgeH]

I use either my spur drive or live center MT2 as a model for determining dimensions for my morse taper accessories. I use a MT2 "plug" to keep debris out of my spindle when I'm using some other form for mounting the piece I working on. Careful measuring and a good set of digital calipers works well for my needs. Once I've got the difference in diameters between two points along the long axis the rest of it is simply a matter of maintaining the taper overall. To test for sizing, the MT at either end of the lathe bed (spindle or tail stock) does the job.

 

[Dennis McGill]

Thanks

Thanks for the help. I'll be shopping for cleaner.

 

[Ken Grunke]

Dennis, you can get sleeve adapters with any size MT taper hole from several different suppliers. Enco and mscdirect.com are two that come to mind. Not sure if this link will work but here's a MT3 to MT2 adapter sleeve for under $8.00:

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=1649113&PMT4NO=0

What I did was make a wooden guage, using a couple 3/4" x 1-1/2" x 2" long pieces of wood glued to a piece of scrap plywood. My live center was the guide to position the pieces for gluing. It must be buried under the lathe under shavings as I can't find it to show you a pic.

 

[Danny Yarbrough]

Alan Lacer's method

Dennis,

A couple of years ago, I attended a class taught by Alan and Mary Lacer and Andy Barnum, where Alan showed an interesting method (I thought) of doing what you're trying to do.

Put the Morse taper center, mandrel or whatever you have, into the headstock. Using a sharpie, make a mark on the taper showing how far it is inserted into the headstock. Pop the taper out of the headstock.

Take three pieces of rectangular scrap wood, about the length of the Morse taper from the small end to your mark. One piece of wood needs to be a little wider than the other two, to form the base.

On the base piece, place the mark on the morse taper on one narrow end of the base. Align the other two pieces along the length of the taper, on either side. Remove the taper and mark the location of the inside edges of the sides on the base. Now, just glue, screw, or nail the sides in place on the base.

Here's a photo of one I made later out of some scraps of plywood.. it's a hurriedly done picture, but I think you'll get the idea.

It's not a complete female taper, but it's sufficient for you to test the taper you have on your turned element and see if it'll fit.

Hope that helps!

Regards,

Danny

 

[Ken Grunke]

Hey, that looks just like the one I can't find
I probably got the idea from Lacer, he's done two demos for our club.

 

[rjones]

Craft Supply, sells a morse taper adapter from a morse 3 to a morse 2. if you wanted a production made item, to check your fit. part no. 192-0025 around $11.00.

 

[rsser]

Maybe trace these dimensions onto card ...

 

[rjones]

Dennis I was looking around in the how to section of the aaw form and under aaw projects of all kinds there is and post about turning a morse taper. fyi