Hey all, after cleaning the gunk/rust off the taper of the drive center, is it a good or bad idea to lightly coat it with an oil? Thank you, Sean
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Cleaning a drive center
- Thread starter Sean Troy
- Start date
Sean,
From what I was told, if the lathe is in use, the answer is NEVER. Reason being that the taper works by friction of the two mating surfaces while oil will encourage them to slip. Oil will also attract and hold dirt which produces galls and damage to the taper surfaces during use.
In a thread below, Dustpan asked about preventing rust on the female taper, and I suggested a swab of oil on the taper if the lathe is to be stored. That is for a stored machine only, and should be cleaned out before the next use.
Also some oils, like wd40, actually partially dry to a rather gummy consistency that would act like glue.
m
From what I was told, if the lathe is in use, the answer is NEVER. Reason being that the taper works by friction of the two mating surfaces while oil will encourage them to slip. Oil will also attract and hold dirt which produces galls and damage to the taper surfaces during use.
In a thread below, Dustpan asked about preventing rust on the female taper, and I suggested a swab of oil on the taper if the lathe is to be stored. That is for a stored machine only, and should be cleaned out before the next use.
Also some oils, like wd40, actually partially dry to a rather gummy consistency that would act like glue.
m
Thanks Mark, I'll just steel wool the drive taper and wipe it off.
Sean,
I strongly recommend the urethane "Taper-Mate" cleaner that Packard sells. It's shaped like a MT reamer and does a very good job of cleaning the interior taper surface without scratching. Even wood dust can be abrasive and start forming a gall, so I give my machine's tapers a quick "twist" often.
m
I strongly recommend the urethane "Taper-Mate" cleaner that Packard sells. It's shaped like a MT reamer and does a very good job of cleaning the interior taper surface without scratching. Even wood dust can be abrasive and start forming a gall, so I give my machine's tapers a quick "twist" often.
m
If it's already rusted, you might want to WD-40 it after steel wooling then clean it off with some solvent (alcohol will work fine). This will help break loose and remove particles of rust that would start to cement the taper and spindle together.
Or you can do what I do. I leave my chuck on at all times and simply insert my drive spur into the middle (the true middle where there's a hole) and close the jaws. It centers well, grips well, and the taper is a harder metal than the jaws so no scratches. Don't forget to leave jaws on the chuck cause the scroll mounts are hardened and WILL scratch the taper if you use them for the attachment point.
Dietrich
Or you can do what I do. I leave my chuck on at all times and simply insert my drive spur into the middle (the true middle where there's a hole) and close the jaws. It centers well, grips well, and the taper is a harder metal than the jaws so no scratches. Don't forget to leave jaws on the chuck cause the scroll mounts are hardened and WILL scratch the taper if you use them for the attachment point.
Dietrich
i wax my morse tapers
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I also do metal turning and oil is a part of the process, so it can't help but get in the spindle hole and on the morse taper shanks. I wipe the foreign material from the socket and the shank, but a thin film of oil remains and I don't think it does any harm--in fact, it may help the shank go in just a bit tighter. I'd use a very light coat of 3-in-1 oil if I had a rust problem.
Mark Mandell said:
That I do have and use and I also recommend it. Thanks Mark.