Cutting tapers ???

[Lone Watie]

Quick question on tapers:

I was just messing around this morning with the compound on my mini-lathe by cutting some internal tapers on a small left over piece. If I want to cut a 60º taper, at what angle do I set my compound? Thanks.

 

[Chucketn]

Is the 60 deg taper inside, or outside like a dead center? I've not cut any inside tapers except for center drilled ones.
I also have a Micro-Mark lathe, 7x14. I have made a few MT2 taper tools with it, and many 60 deg tools for centering my mill, centering taps, locating my rotary table, and other uses. We need more info as to what you want to do.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[Lone Watie]

Do you have a dial indicator?
Stick your live center into the headstock taper,and move your compound till the indicator reads zero movement.
Then lock it down,and check again.
That will be the most accurate method.
That's how I do it.

I didn't even think about that. Great idea, thanks. But, for my own knowledge - if I want to cut a 60º taper do I set the compound at 60º or 30º. Or for any other angle for that matter, for example 10º - would I set the compound at half? Just trying to piece things together, and am probably confusing the halfing with something else.

 

[Lone Watie]

It would be half the included angle.
Setting the compound by the degree marks is a good general starting point.
Not dead accurate.
On my little South Bend the marks are on the backside of the compound.
Hard to see.
So I think,that they did that on purpose.

This morning I was using a protractor (one of those metal ones with the long arm which rotates) to set 60º on the compound and cut the taper on some scrap, of course the angle was no where near 60º when I compared it to my centers, so was just trying to figure out best way to get in the ballpark, and find out where I went wrong. Better to learn on some scrap. So, I should have set the compound at 30º for a 60º taper.

 

[Chucketn]

What straightened out this question for me was getting a "center" gage, I think thats what it's called. It has a 60 deg notch in the end and on one side and is used for setting the threading tool and for checking that you have ground your threading tool to the correct angle/
Here's a picture:
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/t...mpaignId=T9F&gclid=CKaJwoHL8a0CFcuP7QodAzyirA

The pointy end is 60 deg. To cut that angle on the end of a piece of round stock I would set the topslide to 30 deg off center axis of the lathe.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[Lone Watie]

Is the 60 deg taper inside, or outside like a dead center? I've not cut any inside tapers except for center drilled ones.
I also have a Micro-Mark lathe, 7x14. I have made a few MT2 taper tools with it, and many 60 deg tools for centering my mill, centering taps, locating my rotary table, and other uses. We need more info as to what you want to do.

Chuck in E. TN

I'm not planning anything specific, I was just messing around with the compound with a piece of scrap and wondering about setting angles. What material did you use to cut your MT2s? How do you like your 7x14? I'm getting to know mine little by little each day and getting it dialed in pretty good.

 

[Chucketn]

I love my 7x14. I've had it about 5 years now.
I made my first MT2 taper to mount a copy of the lathe nose to my Rotary Table. I made it from a pies of shafting from my junk box.

I have also cut the taper off a Bridge Reamer and made it into a live center with several different ends.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss157/chucketn/livecenterset.jpg
I am working on accessories for my boring head to use for turning tapers also.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[Kevin45]

It all depends on your compound. Some compounds have "0" at the 9:00 position looking at it from top down. Others have 90 degrees at the 9:00 position looking at it from the top down

 

[GK1918]

I agree with Kevin, In my little dumb world - tail stock dead center is 60* or should be, loosen coumpound & move
carriage to the dead center hold cutter against dead center while raking it with your carriage hand wheel. Now
read the degrees on the compound, I do MT tapers same way I just rake a known taper then put dial ind. to check, and
when dial reads -0- thats it, then read degrees on compound and write it down. Again mind not engauged with
type== should have said keep finger pressure on tool while raking it.

 

[Lone Watie]

I love my 7x14. I've had it about 5 years now.
I made my first MT2 taper to mount a copy of the lathe nose to my Rotary Table. I made it from a pies of shafting from my junk box.

I have also cut the taper off a Bridge Reamer and made it into a live center with several different ends.
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss157/chucketn/livecenterset.jpg
I am working on accessories for my boring head to use for turning tapers also.

Chuck in E. TN

I'm enjoying mine so far, as well. Amazing how much time goes by when I'm playing around with it.