Dan Goth

[Dan Goth]

Hi guys.

I'm just getting into wood turning and stumbled onto this site. Part of me wishes I hadn't because after checking out the gallery I want to buy a new set up. You have some serious talent here for sure. I hope some of it can rub off on me.

I've been a woodworker for most of my life working in cabinet shops and now have my own shop doing custom stuff. I have a lathe and really enjoy using it to make the occasional chair spindle as I'm also doing furniture restoration, but also making pens and small boxes for fun.
My problem is my lathe, which I love even though it's a piece, has a jarno taper and I can't seem to find centers to fit it. I would love to get a new drive spur and a live center. Do you guys have any ideas, other than buy a new lathe, on how to proceed without breaking the bank? I've looked at the adapter sleeves but can't find one that will fit.

Any advise is very much appreciated.

Thanks, Dan

 

[Tom Coghill]

Dan,

Can you help us by providing us info about the lathe that you have? Make, Model, or at least a photo so we can help you identify the things your are seeking?

 

[Dan Goth]

Hi Tom,

Now don't laugh too hard. It's a Hill, Clark and Co. The drill chuck that came with it has a patent date of 1878, but I would guess from the little bit of info I found on the company, it's from the 30s or so. Luckily it came with a bunch of tooling so it's very functional as is but I'd sure like to get at least a live center for it.

 

[Dean Center]

It looks like you've got a scroll chuck that fits. If so, you can buy a drive center that mounts in the scroll chuck, like this one:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/6/1/25/107/-/5481/Robert-Sorby-Stebdrive-Crown-Drive-Center. Other brands are also available.

Ironically, someone in Sandwich, MA just listed a used Oneway lathe in the classified section. Now you've got a real dilemma.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Looks to me that the chuck may be a three jaw chuck. A google search for jarno taper shows a few companies that make them Riten and Brown & Sharpe which means they are probably expensive.
Bill

 

[Syd Sellers]

Nice old Lathe

Hi Tom,

Now don't laugh too hard. It's a Hill, Clark and Co. The drill chuck that came with it has a patent date of 1878, but I would guess from the little bit of info I found on the company, it's from the 30s or so. Luckily it came with a bunch of tooling so it's very functional as is but I'd sure like to get at least a live center for it.

Dan, this is a real old beauty!!! Have a look at the drill chuck and see if the taper and drill chuck are all one piece or does the chuck thread on. Maybe you can get the two apart. If so, you are set to make your own live centre using the taper you already have.
Check out what I did. http://www.rocky-roost-woodturnings.com/wood-turning-blog/home-made-live-center.html
Good luck....

 

[Hu Lowery]

Welcome!

First a warm welcome! Glad to have another newcomer aboard. I figure every guy behind me adds to my senility, err, seniority! Anyway, the good news is your lathe may be newer than you think. My early fifties Bridgeport J-head mill had a lamp just like that on it. With that old iron it is just getting broken in good!

You might measure the taper and talk to a local machine shop, particularly an older shop. If any of the standard morse tapers can be turned down to the taper you have you might buy two or three tapers so they can cut them at the same time and get the taper modified at a reasonable price, especially if you run into someone who loves the old iron. Another thought, is there a local vo-tech teaching machine work? Often it is an old machinist running those classes who would be glad to help you get old iron back in service very reasonably.

If you feel a real itch to turn and can afford it that Oneway does look like a nice deal. I drooled over the ad a bit but it is a little far away for me to come fetch and due to a back that doesn't bend or twist much I'm pretty much determined my next lathe will have a floating headstock.

Hu

 

[Dennis Ford]

Have you tried a Morse #2 taper? Its angle matches the Jarno so it might work depending on which Jarno taper you have.

 

[Bill Boehme]

The Jarno taper was originally proposed by Oscar J. Beale of Brown & Sharpe are based on a mathematical relationship to the taper number. The major diameter is one-eighth inch per taper number, the minor diameter is one-tenth inch per taper number, and the length is one-half inch per taper number. For example, a #7 Jarno taper is 7/8" at the big end, 0.7000" at the small end, and is 3½" long. All Jarno tapers taper at a rate of 0.6000 inches per foot (0.0500 inch per inch).

Morse Taper #2 is 0.5994 inches per foot which is probably close enough given that in the length of a standard MT2 shank the error in diameter is approximately 0.0002 inches from one end to the other.

BTW, my recollection is that Brown & Sharpe wouldn't have anything to do with such a sensible and orderly system. So Mr. Beale quit and started his own company.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Originally, the great idea behind Morse tapers was that the entire series would have a taper of 5/8 inch diameter per foot length, which incidentally is exactly identical to the Jarno taper. As it turned out, none of the Morse tapers have exactly the same taper rate nor are any of them exactly 5/8 inch diameter per foot length.

 

[Dan Goth]

Thanks

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the replies. I looked into the options you suggested but unfortunately I can't justify the cost. I did however locate an old teknitool nova 2000 with a bunch of extras. It has a bed extention, leeson veriable speed motor and a slew of tools I don't even know wht there function is. The whole package for a grand so hopefully the deal goes through. The owner is reluctant but desperate for cash. I'll keep you posted and if I get it I'll need some help figuring out how to use it to its full potential.
Thanks again.

 

[Bill Boehme]

As Dennis and I both mentioned, the Morse taper #2 should work fine and the cost of MT2 tools are as cheap as anything that you will find.

 

[Dan Goth]

I certainly did try the morse 2 taper and that was when I first realized I had a problem. It isn't big enough. The hole measures at .76" but the morse 2 is only .7 at its widest point. It does seem to fit the taper but it goes in too deep. Thanks for your help.

 

[Bill Boehme]

It occurred to me that might be the case after I posted the message.