Reaming a spun Morse Taper

[20ft]

I plan to ream the MT2 tailstock of my Harrison L5 because a previous operator has spun tooling and grooved it pretty badly.

What is the correct or best way to go about this?

My initial plan is to chuck the reamer in the 4 jaw and get it turning true then set the lathe to the slowest speed and peck at the tailstock with a regularly oiled/cleaned reamer until a reasonable amount of grooving has gone.
Then lastly remove the quill and face the end off so that the tooling doesn't bottom out before the taper locks.

Should I confirm the alignment of the tailstock first using a centre?
Is dykem layout blue ok for checking the contact area or do I need something else?
Is this something I can even be trusted to do or should I ship it off to somebody that can do it?
Would pictures help?

Bearing in mind that I have very little machining experience and certainly didn't do any at school, not even a wood lathe (I'm too young to have had a real education; mine was all screens and keyboards)

Thanks to anybody who sacrificed enough time to read all of that and come up with any advice.

 

[Dilkris]

Have a look at this - (assuming you haven't done) - any help?

Lots of other video's on similar subject also.

Bing

 

[zzr1200]

Isn't the L5's tailstock taper a MT3???

 

[20ft]

Isn't the L5's tailstock taper a mt3???

I based the assumption on the fact that one of the tools says 'MT2' on the removal tang but I'll double check before I buy a reamer.

It is a very good point though because there is plenty of material there to oversize it up to mt3. My tooling is mostly MT2 so I'd rather keep that if possible.

 

[Brad93]

I based the assumption on the fact that one of the tools says 'MT2' on the removal tang but I'll double check before I buy a reamer.

It is a very good point though because there is plenty of material there to oversize it up to mt3. My tooling is mostly MT2 so I'd rather keep that if possible.

You won't ream an mt2 to mt3, your reamer will be blunt long before.

A reamer will remove some imperfections, but bear in mind a reamer can only follow a hopefully round hole.

If there's a number of hard high spots, it could cause the reamer to cut softer spots opposite and oversize the bore.

Personally i'd rather bore and then grind the taper using a tool post grinder or send it to someone with an cylindrical grinder (with ID attachment)

You need stuart's micrometer blue, dykem is a rapidly drying layout fluid, no good.
Or High Spot blue

 

[brightspark]

i have an L 5 its 2mt .wasnt holding some of the bigger drills round the 20mm size without slipping borrowed a 2mt reamer and ran it in slowly . it didnt like it. on taking it out no material was removed so the metal must be fairly hard .best bet would be get a new or mint mt drill or sleeve smear bit of micrometer blue on it and push it in run it round and take out and look to see where the high spots are or how bad it is

 

[Kram]

Set it up on headstock and recut it with a finishing insert? Grinding would ofcourse be better but cutting works.

I have had the same problem with mine, the problem is that with no drawbar or other retaining feature, its very easy for it to overload and spin, each successive time the taper gets slightly worse.

I was thinking of modifying it, move the feed screw and drive through a slot in the far side, to allow a drawbar from the back. Theres no reason the feed has to be from the back!
Problem is to modify it while I may need to use it - I need a spare!

Instead for large drilling I now use a toolpost mt2 socket and drawbar.

 

[20ft]

I'll grab some mic blue and see where we're at.
I guess if it's hardened then the only realistic option is grinding? but that seems like complete overkill for a sacked out old lathe.

 

[20ft]

Set it up on headstock and recut it with a finishing insert? Grinding would ofcourse be better but cutting works.

I have had the same problem with mine, the problem is that with no drawbar or other retaining feature, its very easy for it to overload and spin, each successive time the taper gets slightly worse.

I was thinking of modifying it, move the feed screw and drive through a slot in the far side, to allow a drawbar from the back. Theres no reason the feed has to be from the back!
Problem is to modify it while I may need to use it - I need a spare!

Instead for large drilling I now use a toolpost mt2 socket and drawbar.

Out of interest how do you ensure that the drill is on centre and parallel each time?
I love the idea but the workflow sounds like hassle unless I'm missing something

 

[Kram]

Ideally you set it up against something in the headstock, if thats busy, something in the tailstock.

QCTP holder will give the correct height and putting it against your work will get it parallel, but really needs a bit of bar through headstock or tailstock to get it on axis.

I guess if it's hardened then the only realistic option is grinding? but that seems like complete overkill for a sacked out old lathe.

Carbide will have no problems, its unlikely to be very hard, but cuttting requires very light finishing type inserts. Most inserts will not do fine cuts - using those will butcher it.

 

[20ft]

I've confirmed that it's morse 2 not 3.

A general purpose file easily cuts it.

I can tell without blue by the marks on the tooling that it's making barely any contact on a brand new morse tool but you can probably predict that from the picture.

I'd have more confidence in the accuracy of a reamer than my ability to cut a taper.

Do I need a roughing or coarse reamer and then use a finish reamer or is it already far beyond recovery by reamer?

Do I just give up now and get somebody to turn/grind it? if so who/where

 

[20ft]

Ideally you set it up against something in the headstock, if thats busy, something in the tailstock.

QCTP holder will give the correct height and putting it against your work will get it parallel, but really needs a bit of bar through headstock or tailstock to get it on axis.

Carbide will have no problems, its unlikely to be very hard, but cuttting requires very light finishing type inserts. Most inserts will not do fine cuts - using those will butcher it.

interesting, I think I've got a tool post MT2 adapter kicking around so I'll have to give it a go

still want a tailstock tho

 

[Kram]

I'd have more confidence in the accuracy of a reamer than my ability to cut a taper.

First check if your compound has enough travel for the mt2 taper. If it does, its quite easy.
To set it up you put a good taper in the headstock and adjust compound until your indicator stops moving, indicator must be on centre height. Swap the tailstock into the chuck with near zero runout.
Then the cutting, just turn the compound smoothly.

Practise by turning a new taper from scratch, even a new tailstock shaft. I dont know what thread yours has in the back but I think mine has a removable nut.

I've done a few ER tapers with good results, this was a silly test with a long bar..