Need a Machinist's Help.....

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Oct 12, 2011 | 04:08 PM

cigarxtc

Thread Starter

Postmaster

Joined: Apr 2000

Posts: 2,881

Likes: 1

From: North of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Need a Machinist's Help.....

Okay, I need some help from you professional machinists.(or anybody that might be able to help.) I'd like to use and old Sears Craftsman lathe, circa 1940s, to turn some tap handles. It belonged to my wife's grandfather. He used it to make various wood furniture parts. Unfortunately I did not find a 'live center' or 'dead center' in the cabinet drawers to go with this lathe. It's a smaller table top mount style. There is a single pointed morse taper dead center like piece that came installed in the tail stock. I took it out and had our two machinists at work measure and verify that it's most likely the size 0 Morse Taper bit. Now my dilema is that i can not find online, or locally, a morse taper size 0 'live center' or 'dead center.' I'd like to use the live center in the tail stock and the dead center in the live stock end. Ebay was no help.
Can anybody tell me where to find a morse taper size 0 'live center' and 'dead center'?

Oct 12, 2011 | 05:33 PM

luv_mud

Senior User

Joined: Sep 2003

Posts: 213

Likes: 0

From: Northwest BC Canada

Not sure if this will help but a quick google search found these.

1182inst

straight shank arbors,straight stub mt arbors,threaded arbors,dead centre,lathe centre,revolving centre,econo live center,dual bearing,live centre,triple bearing,manufacturer,manufacturers,suppliers,suppl ier,exporter,exporters,india
(Half way down page for dead centre)

Oct 13, 2011 | 04:04 AM

hotroddsl

Posting Guru

Joined: Jan 2007

Posts: 2,364

Likes: 3

From: Gilbert Az.

DiEugenio machine tool supply Phoenix, Az, this is where I have been sourcing machine tool parts for years! Maybe they can help look them up on the web.
Jim & fat Monty

Oct 13, 2011 | 11:29 AM

thendrix

Laughing Gas

Joined: Jan 2007

Posts: 765

Likes: 4

From: Fairmount, Georgia

Try MSC. mscdirect.com

I would look further into buying a center with a straight shank and use a tapered adapter. This may be your only choice as that is a pretty small morse taper

Oct 13, 2011 | 06:33 PM

bpounds

Hotshot

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 17,400

Likes: 319

From: Whittier, CA

The old mini-lathes used some 0 morse taper stuff. You might try searching for Sherline or Unimat accessories. The 0 size is pretty much obsolete, but places that specialize in those tools can help you.

I was going to suggest MSC also, because I love that place, but a quick search didn't show any centers in that size.

Oct 14, 2011 | 07:25 AM

cigarxtc

Thread Starter

Postmaster

Joined: Apr 2000

Posts: 2,881

Likes: 1

From: North of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Thanks all. Ya, i called MSC and they dont carry any 0MT sized stuff. The one that Mud gave a link for is listed for $60. That sounds expensive for a small live center. I found a seller on ebay that has a handful for sale for $57 bucks each. They are craftsman, but man, that still sounds like a lot of money for a small little 0mt center.

The machinist at work did a search for me yesterday thru Sherline but could not find any either.

So I may be trying this one first:

LittleMachineShop.com - Live Center, 0MT Heavy Duty

I can get it shipped to me for under $30. I can swallow that.

I'm also tempted to try making a turning spur. I can machine one to fit in my 0mt drill chuck. That way i dont have to find a tapered 0mt turning spur. These 0mt pieces seem very very hard to find.