The large size of the PM 4224 headstock gets in the way of working at the headstock end of short spindles. A MT2-MT2 extension would seem a possible aid, but the one I found was not sympathetic to MT2 drives - the end of the drive did not reach the drift key slot, and I don't have milling machine equipment. Has anyuone found a reliable source for an MT2 extension for woodturning spur and StecCenter drives?
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Morse Taper Extension
- Thread starter Don Stephan
- Start date
Would this work? #2 to #2, and has a slot for a pry bar rod so you can drive your center out of the extension. This is one example I found at Amazon for about $20.
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- Lakeland, Florida
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- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
I use these extensions with my spur center and safe center mostly to reach inside hollows in the blank.
Some of the short Morse tapers might be too short to reach the drift pin slot.
The ONEWAY safe center and Delta spur drives have tapers long enough to reach the drift slot.
For a quick and dirty you can make a pin drive. If your finished end is a 1/4 inch or more in diameter and you use or hide the hole you can turn flush to the wood and pin. You can also cut the piece free ahead of the hole sacrificing 1/2” of wood with a 3/8 long pin.
Either turn a Morse taper from wood or mount a block in a chuck. Make the working end long enough for the clearance you want.
Then drill an 1/8” hole in your blank and the center of the wood drive.
Put a 1/8 brass rod in the drive. Steel is ok, you can even run a drill bit into the wood drive for the pin.
Then just mount your blanks over the pin and snug up with the tail stock.
We used a bunch of these drives in kids classes to turn fan pulls than had 1/8” through holes for the chains.
Here is a guide to turning a wooden MT
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Useful post, Al - I’ll make a few wood M2 tapers. Next - this will be a practical exercise for students. Good onya! PaulMcgaffey
A picture would help, buy all you may have to do is use a cutoff wheel and remove the tang at the end of the adapter.
I also bought
Looking online at ones from $15 - $40 they all look identical so I'm gun shy about. Anyone bought one that works?
UPDATE: I did a thumbs down review on Amazon and to my surprise the manufacturer contacted me and issued a refund even though I had purchased it over 6 months ago. I don't use it very often but will give it another try when I need to.
I also bought one off Amazon didn't use it until this week. Was turning some sphere's and needed to get further away from the headstock to allow for my sphere jig to swing all the way back. But it doesn't work. it won't hold. After twice taking very light cuts with a Hunter tool in my jig it the extension starts spinning. I tried it a third time and used a wood mallet pounding it in to insure a tight fit. Still no luck. It came loose and spinning and caused a big catch. what started as a 4" sphere is now (if I get it finished ) down to 3".
Looking online at ones from $15 - $40 they all look identical so I'm gun shy about. Anyone bought one that works?
UPDATE: I did a thumbs down review on Amazon and to my surprise the manufacturer contacted me and issued a refund even though I had purchased it over 6 months ago. I don't use it very often but will give it another try when I need to.
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Don, consider this. (I didn't notice if anyone else already posted about it)
It's an extension machined to screw onto your headstock.
Vic makes two versions, one with threads on the right end to simply extend the chuck for deep bowls, and such.
The other also has the threads but has a 2MT socket. It also has a through-hole as per the website.
I bought the 1-1/4" to 1-1/4" threaded extension. I haven't tried the MT version. Haven't found a need for it.
I'm sure you know this, but one problem with using morse taper attachments in the headstock is they NEED constant pressure from the tailstock or from a drawbar to keep them tight. No problem with a steb or other center holding work supported by the tailstock. A big problem for a MT arbor, say one threaded to hold bottle stoppers while turning, unsupported by the tailstock, drill chucks, or MT collets used in the headstock. These need a drawbar, easily made.
If turning short spindles without tailstock support, I like to use 2MT collets. These are FANTASTIC for ornament finials, conductor baton handles, and other short spindles that can't be supported by the tailstock. They are cheap, too. These require turning a tenon on the spindle blank (I use the 1/2" size) then pulling it tight with a draw bar.
I bought several 1/2" MT collets from Little Machine shop for about $10 each.
I also got a couple of sets from Amazon that go from 1/8" to 1/2", but a set is closer to $60.
If you don't have a draw bar, they are easy to make. Most 2MT things like drill chucks and the collets, are thread with 3/8"x16. I have some mandrels that use a 1/4"x20 thread. I make the draw bars from galvanized all-thread rod from the hardware store.
JKJ
It's an extension machined to screw onto your headstock.
Vic makes two versions, one with threads on the right end to simply extend the chuck for deep bowls, and such.
The other also has the threads but has a 2MT socket. It also has a through-hole as per the website.
I bought the 1-1/4" to 1-1/4" threaded extension. I haven't tried the MT version. Haven't found a need for it.
I'm sure you know this, but one problem with using morse taper attachments in the headstock is they NEED constant pressure from the tailstock or from a drawbar to keep them tight. No problem with a steb or other center holding work supported by the tailstock. A big problem for a MT arbor, say one threaded to hold bottle stoppers while turning, unsupported by the tailstock, drill chucks, or MT collets used in the headstock. These need a drawbar, easily made.
If turning short spindles without tailstock support, I like to use 2MT collets. These are FANTASTIC for ornament finials, conductor baton handles, and other short spindles that can't be supported by the tailstock. They are cheap, too. These require turning a tenon on the spindle blank (I use the 1/2" size) then pulling it tight with a draw bar.
I bought several 1/2" MT collets from Little Machine shop for about $10 each.
I also got a couple of sets from Amazon that go from 1/8" to 1/2", but a set is closer to $60.
If you don't have a draw bar, they are easy to make. Most 2MT things like drill chucks and the collets, are thread with 3/8"x16. I have some mandrels that use a 1/4"x20 thread. I make the draw bars from galvanized all-thread rod from the hardware store.
JKJ
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For turning small stuff I sometimes use an ER32 collet Chuck like this on my wood turning lathe. Just an example, they are much cheaper on eBay.
