Thread: Ideas please, lathe adapter..

Probably a silly idea, but...
I have a really basic ww lathe.
Its spindle is 1"x10tpi
I want to make what amounts to a collet chuck, to hold a pen turning jig. This is a basically a threaded rod, say 6mm dia. Maybe 1/4.
It came with an er16 collet on an mt2 taper.

Ive thought of somehow attaching a 2mt sleeve to an appropriate nut. But how to keep it straight?
Weld a lump of steel to the socket, and drill and tap to keep it all straight (say using an mt drill reversed in the chuck aa an arbour)
-forgot to say i also have a 9x20 lathe)
Just had another idea - Drill a 1/4 hole into the spindle with a set screw. May even be able to do that directly in the wood lathe.

I haven't seen any sort of collet chuck that would fit.
Any other ideas?

https://mcjing.com.au/collet-chuck-set.htmlm this is a 1"x8 they used to be available in 1"x10, may be call them and ask ( be a simple task to make a adaptor )

This may be a stupid question, does you headstock not have a morse taper.

If its a ww spindle id just make a blank collet with your desired thread on. Normally take standard 8mm or 10mm watchmakers collet pretty easy to make a blank.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

Any reason you don't just use a #2 Morse Taper Collet?

Pete

Sounds as if the lathe doesn't have a Morse Taper, if it's a lathe I'm thinking of, I doubt it has one in the tailstock either?

Any chance of a photo PLEASE????
Without a Morse Taper in either end, it makes it difficult to turn a pen, BTDT. Tried that, with NO success. Only other way would be to turn between centres, very hard to get the parts to match though.
Kryn

Doh I misunderstood.

Beall Tool in the US make collet chucks for wood lathes. They don't have a 1x10tpi threaded chuck but you could see if they will make one or get the 3/4x16tpi one and have it bored out and rethreaded. Might be more than you are willing to spend though and you'll still need to come up with a live centre for the tailstock.

Turning between centres as suggested would be easiest and you can make your own TBC bushings if you want. I've never used a mandrel to make a pen, always turned between centres.

You could use the 9x20 lathe to make the pens on. One penturner I know has turned thousands on his 7x14, the only lathe he has.

Pete

Thanks all. I'll spend a bit more time searching.
No MT at either end.
This is not mine, but pretty similar (although red not blue)
images (1).jpeg

I am using the 9x20 for first pen, but now I need to make a usable tool rest, and had this odd thought that using the wood lathe might be easier...
It has more or less a live centre for the tsilstock, just need some sort of collet for head.
(and i think the ww lathe top speed is higher than the 9x20).

Adaptor.jpg
Put the internal thread into the blank, then remove that from the lathe. Make up a copy of the spindle thread (1"x 10tpi) and without removing that from your lathe, screw the tapped blank on (that is, use the copy as a mandrel). Turn the outside, ER thread and cut the internal taper. Job done.

Note that 1"x10tpi is a BSF thread so a 55 degree tool will be needed for the internal thread.

Michael

Note - that sketch is not to scale, and missing all refinements...

Originally Posted by Michael G

Adaptor.jpgNote - that sketch is not to scale, and missing all refinements...

Yet holds a certain artistic presence…

Sorry I misinterpreted WW as webster whitcombe a format of watchmakers lathe apologies my comment is irrelevant.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by russ57

Thanks all. I'll spend a bit more time searching.
No MT at either end.
This is not mine, but pretty similar (although red not blue)
images (1).jpeg

We've had several of those lathes donated to the mens shed but have always moved them on as the've all had problems, usually with flexing tail stocks and tool rests, and runout, and poor head/tailstock alignment, both of the latter are difficult to check because they don't have MT head and tail stocks.

Perhaps before you go to the trouble of making anything I would suggest at least checking the run out on the side of the spindle - if its too far out then you will be wasting your time making any sort of an adapter.

I hope this doesn't not sound too rude but you might be better off seeking an MT machine.

To add to what BobL said only more bluntly, if you want to turn pens or anything of any quality sell that for scrap because that is all it is an pick up a used Woodfast or similar

And here's me thinking flex was a design feature... It does move a little for sure. 😂

Fair point, and i could end up there sooner or later. But budgets...
Maybe making a tool rest for the 9x20 is a better spend of time.
(i was given the lathe, so have a moderate chance of avoiding the sunk cost fallacy.. &#128521

Originally Posted by russ57

And here's me thinking flex was a design feature... It does move a little for sure. ��
Fair point, and i could end up there sooner or later. But budgets...
Maybe making a tool rest for the 9x20 is a better spend of time.

I'd say so.

(i was given the lathe, so have a moderate chance of avoiding the sunk cost fallacy.. ��)

Ok then you have nothing to lose except a bit of time.

FWIW. at the mens shed one of those lathes was sold ( I was embarrassed to say I think it was for $100) to a member who took it home. Said member had only just started to learn turning at the shed and he found the old lathe was OK for rough work but eventually he got frustrated with its limitations and went back to using the old Woodfasts and Toughs at the shed and quickly worked out what a half decent lathe was. By then he had become totally hooked on turning and then went out a bought a new lathe.

I've had one of these exact lathes and I must admit it was just horrible, in design and in use. Certainly no fun at all to use. Rattled like a bucket of loose bolts, flexed like mad, gutless, I hated it and ended up giving it away as I would have felt bad if I tried to sell it.

You really would be better off picking up a second hand mini/midi lathe for a couple hundred if you can. At least those work well and you can produce quite nice items without much trouble.