# boring head purchase Q



## SE18 (Dec 29, 2014)

I'm looking to purchase this for my SB9A:

http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/the-533/3"-BORING-HEAD-MT2/Detail

My tailstock has MT2 so I think this might work.

The cool thing about a boring head is that it can also be used for taper turning:

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/11561-Taper-tool-for-lathe-from-boring-head

Any comments on the CTC boring head would be appreciated before I spend the $$


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## GK1918 (Dec 29, 2014)

I would say money wise its right in there with a Criterion.. Hope its direct reading also, that makes life easy.


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## chips&more (Dec 29, 2014)

Excellent idea! But maybe a smaller boring bar head, like 2”, and that takes 1/2” bars instead of 3/4”. I think it’s a lot easier and cheaper to find 1/2” bars. And your lathe is a 9”, wouldn’t a smaller boring bar head be more size relative…Good Luck, Dave.


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## SE18 (Dec 29, 2014)

Thanks; perhaps I'll go with the 2" one then, as a 9A is rather whimpy compared to other monsters.

Since I don't turn that many tapers, I think I'll use my dead center and turn that down to fit into the boring head instead of ruining an MT2 shank on a live center (the shank has to be straight to fit into the boring head).

I'm working on some nasty steel right now that's pretty hard (don't know the type) and while I normally use HSS, these carbide tipped boring bars may be what I need


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## Terrywerm (Dec 29, 2014)

For boring in a lathe you only need a boring bar and a boring bar tool holder, affixed to the tool post. A boring head is designed for use in a milling machine, where the work is held stationary, centered under the spindle and the boring head. The boring head and bar then rotate to do the cutting. It can be adjusted to take sequentially larger cuts up to the capacity of the boring head.

Granted, you can use a boring head to offset a center, used for cutting tapers on the lathe, but you will need to make or modify your own centers, as the bores in the boring head are straight, not tapered. Making your own center with a straight shank to fit the boring head would be easy to do, and easy to heat treat as well. Keep in mind that if you intend to modify an existing dead center, you will need to anneal it before you can turn the shank down. It would be a good idea to re-harden that dead center after you have completed your modifications to it.

I brought this up because I would hate to see you spend money on something that you may not need or be ready for just yet. By all means, you can purchase the boring head, but I just wanted to be sure that your expectations would be met.


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## SE18 (Dec 29, 2014)

Thanks, Terry, some good points


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## Terrywerm (Dec 29, 2014)

There was someplace on another site where they had a project to make an offset center tool that used a standard MT2 center. It was adjustable, and wasn't too difficult to build if I remember correctly. In reality, they can be found on a number of different sites, but the one that intrigued me the most was the one made here: http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/tailstock-offset.html 

The writer doesn't offer any plans, but does show some nice photos. I don't think it would be too difficult to build, and could be done entirely on the lathe if you have a milling attachment (or if you are determined enough and are good with a hacksaw and a file). It clamps onto the barrel of the tailstock instead of fitting inside. Less likely to come loose or move on you when you least expect it.


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## SE18 (Dec 29, 2014)

I built a mill attachment for my lathe which has a vise. I suppose you could use that to offset a taper as well (use the vise to hold a center, sandwiched in a tapered hole of some sort)

Here's the old link:

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...tach-(-65)-handmade?highlight=mill+attachment

I haven't used it much as I have a mill now that a friend made from a drill press which is a lot more stable. But holding a center shouldn't require much holding power


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## Lornie McCullough (Dec 30, 2014)

I can't speak to the taper turning issue, but I would point out that:

Putting the boring head in the tailstock limits you to the spindle-travel of the tailstock, which isn't very much compared to using a boring bar in a tool holder (as Terrywerm suggested), and getting the full travel of your carriage and crossfeed.

Lornie


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## xalky (Dec 30, 2014)

Lornie McCullough said:


> I can't speak to the taper turning issue, but I would point out that:
> 
> Putting the boring head in the tailstock limits you to the spindle-travel of the tailstock, which isn't very much compared to using a boring bar in a tool holder (as Terrywerm suggested), and getting the full travel of your carriage and crossfeed.
> 
> Lornie


I think you missed the point of using the boring head as an offset device for the tail stock. Rather than offset the tail stock to offset the center, he uses the boring head to make the offset with a center in it. This saves him the trouble of having to reset the tail stock back to dead center after the job is done.


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## Smithdoor (Dec 30, 2014)

I can see what trying to do it works ok
But if it turns at all know you have a costly scrap 
I use a sb 9A too I just off set the tail stock when need a long taper. Works ever time no scraps
Yes I do have a boring head w/Morse #2 but I only use it on the mill not the lathe

Good luck
Dave





SE18 said:


> I'm looking to purchase this for my SB9A:
> 
> http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/the-533/3"-BORING-HEAD-MT2/Detail
> 
> ...


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## martik777 (Dec 31, 2014)

Get some HSS stock while you're at it. CTC has a great selection of  round, square and rectangular  stock at very low prices: http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/the-472/HSS-HIGH-SPEED-STEEL/Detail


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## SE18 (Dec 31, 2014)

martik777 said:


> Get some HSS stock while you're at it. CTC has a great selection of  round, square and rectangular  stock at very low prices: http://www.ctctools.biz/servlet/the-472/HSS-HIGH-SPEED-STEEL/Detail



CTC has good prices on lots of stuff. I think Enco's HSS prices are pretty competitive as well. I'm still mulling my options. The idea of making my own boring head is rather appealing.

Since we were discussing the tapered center and grinding it straight, I thought I'd follow up with a question. Apparently, these tapered MT2s that live centers are attached to are hardened, as it was mentioned to anneal it first before turning then re-harden.

I'm rather puzzled why the MT2s are all hardened to begin with. I use several drill chucks that have MT2s and on rare occasions, the MT2s will spin in the TS spindle if the drill bit catches. Having a hardened MT2 spinning in the TS spindle can't be good. So why in the first place are they hardened?


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## rgray (Dec 31, 2014)

I followed that project by Gary K with great interest. I had already built a boring head with 1/2" holes. I got a cheapy live center and turned it down to go in the boring head.

I struggled to make this work. It was long and had a lot of flex in it. My homemade boring head was aluminum so that may have been some of my trouble. I ended up having better luck with two 3/8 ball bearings, a cut off 1/4 drill shank and some yo-yo bearings. A ball bearing goes in the bottom of the boring bar hole, then three yo-yo bearings, a piece of 1/4" drill shank in them and then I used another 3/8 ball bearing between the drill shank and the work piece. Grind a convex on each end of the 1/4 shank.

There are things that will throw you off... If you are not on center when indicating on the taper, your adjustment will be off. I made a piece for the QCTP. It has a 1/2" bar through it that is spring loaded forward. The end is squared so it gives you a wide end to run along the taper assuring an on center measurement. The indicator goes on the opposite end. I looked for a thread on here about one but couldn't find one. I included a pic of the crude one I built.

My lathe is farily new 2011. The tailstock ram has some rotation to it that needs to be accounted for. the boring head needs to be level when that rotation is turned in the direction you are turning the material. I say level because my homemade head is rectangular...if the lathe is level I can use a level on my boring head. The offset needs to be on the horizontal...any tipping will make a different taper.

I also made things hard on myself by using unknown steel and hot rolled. If I was to make any now I would use 0-1, 4130/4140 or 1144.

Gary used his face plate to run his driving dog. I use a piece of 3/4 aluminum with a groove cut in it to lock into the D1 style chuck mount. They are in the pic with the indicator adapter along with my crude driving dogs I made.

Good luck and have fun!!


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## rgray (Dec 31, 2014)

SE18 said:


> I'm rather puzzled why the MT2s are all hardened to begin with. I use several drill chucks that have MT2s and on rare occasions, the MT2s will spin in the TS spindle if the drill bit catches. Having a hardened MT2 spinning in the TS spindle can't be good. So why in the first place are they hardened?



If they weren't hardened they would gall easily. Once galled they are next to impossible to remove. 
I have experience with this on snowmobile crankshaft to clutch tapers. It was all the rage in the 1980's to put neverseize on your crank end when installing the clutch. Idea was it would then be easier to remove. The clutch would slip and eventually break the retaining bolt as it over-tightened and eventually gave way. Some galled the tapers from the slip. Many had to be cut off. The galling was like having a sideways key.


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## Mark_f (Dec 31, 2014)

I been reading all the interesting stuff in this thread and there is a lot of good info here, but back to the original point, I think you want a boring head to use in the tail stock of your lathe. I too have an SB 9 and thought about the same thing once and then figured out it would be a waste of money. You can make a tail stock taper attachment for next to nothing, in fact I posted an easy one in the members projects a little while back. You can bore any size you want with a simple boring bar on a lathe. If you want to do milling on the lathe, You can make an easy table to replace the compound and use your lathe as a mill. I also posted an attachment for a 4 jaw chuck to turn it into a boring head  to bore using the milling table. I guess the point I am trying to make is I could find no reason to ever need a boring head on the lathe and figured to spend the money for it elsewhere. That is just my opinion anyway, right or wrong. or maybe I missed the whole point of the thread. 


Mark Frazier


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## Kernbigo (Dec 31, 2014)

here is what i use and if you need a real lot of taper i put a center in the headstock with a ball bearing in it and turn between centers


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## aametalmaster (Dec 31, 2014)

I was given a boring head that i had no use for except make a MT#3 arbor and use it in my 10K lathe's spindle. Made a simple drawbar to hold it in and have used it for many projects that were easier to do with it. Like machine off my sons Remington 700 bolt knob to be rethreaded and a new knob made. Or bore out this antique JD carb for a new gasket and nut just to name a few projects...Bob


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## jocat54 (Dec 31, 2014)

terrywerm said:


> There was someplace on another site where they had a project to make an offset center tool that used a standard MT2 center. It was adjustable, and wasn't too difficult to build if I remember correctly. In reality, they can be found on a number of different sites, but the one that intrigued me the most was the one made here: http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/tailstock-offset.html
> 
> The writer doesn't offer any plans, but does show some nice photos. I don't think it would be too difficult to build, and could be done entirely on the lathe if you have a milling attachment (or if you are determined enough and are good with a hacksaw and a file). It clamps onto the barrel of the tailstock instead of fitting inside. Less likely to come loose or move on you when you least expect it.



I made one of these based on his photos (not exactly like his). It was pretty easy to make and works well. Think I will make some ball centers to use with it sometime.


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## xalky (Dec 31, 2014)

I love to see all the different ideas people have for setups. That's why a place like this is so awesome, you get to learn the million and one ways to accomplish a task.


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## indianbullet (Jan 1, 2015)

I have to tag myself in this thread, lots of good ideas and great links to reference one day.


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## SE18 (Jan 1, 2015)

Bob, pretty neat setup you got. Never saw boring head used like that in HS with drawbar similar to collet drawbar. It's nice you can do things with your son like that. My daughter isn't interested in this sort of stuff, nor is wife. Happy new year all and thanks for sharing ideas


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## aametalmaster (Jan 1, 2015)

SE18 said:


> It's nice you can do things with your son like that. My daughter isn't interested in this sort of stuff, nor is wife. Happy new year all and thanks for sharing ideas



Both of my kids are shooters. My son bought the new Rem 700 and wanted a threaded bolt knob. He was going to send it out for like 150 bucks and asked if i could do it. Sure i can. Just took 2 days making a fixture to hold the bolt without screwing it up. I could have bought a fixture but it is held in a chuck and my lathe swing isn't big enough. Plus with mine i can angle the fixture to give a swept back knob, which he wants now. Gave me something to use my brain on for a few days. Here is a pic milling the fixture upside down with my lathe...Bob


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