# Taper attachment/mechanical tracer



## Us Navy machinist (May 23, 2017)

I have a Southbend 9A. I want (so badly might I add) a taper attachment to make my life a bit easier. If I am able to get my hands on one for the right price, would I be able- I should be able to make another attachment based off of the taper attachment to make a mechanical tracer, right?


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## tertiaryjim (May 23, 2017)

Sounds like a project that would work better starting from scratch. The taper attachment is for straight lines and even for simple shapes a tracer would have to have a lot of movement.
Very interesting project. Wonder how the oldtimers did it.


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## Us Navy machinist (May 23, 2017)

By use the taper attachment setup I mean use the leadscrew and the same sort of clamp style attachment but have a profile with (say) a 0.1875 either pin or a bearing with an indexable insert round tool that would be used.


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## 4ssss (May 23, 2017)

Yes you should be able to get it to work, but understand that a tracer is hydraulic and it would probably move a lot easier and be able to make more complex shapes than the mechanical taper attachment. Also the cut finish  would be much better with hydraulics moving smoothly across the turned diameter.  You'd need to make a stylus (a follower) , probably better to have a bearing type, and a vise or fixture to hold the shape you're tracing.  (Think of a duplicate key cutter)


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## Us Navy machinist (May 23, 2017)

I've used hydraulic tracers, they're wonderful. I have not been able to find very many, nonetheless for a lathe from 1942- then again... that was its heyday.


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## tertiaryjim (May 23, 2017)

That simplifies it some. Still have to have a solid profile for it to follow.
I've seen some hydraulic profile lathe attachments come up on craigs list a few times.
Those old machines were probably noisy but they only needed a simple guide for the needle to follow and could do fairly complex patterns.
Might be a better solution.

Edit: Tried to post this some time ago but lost my internet connection.
Durn computers hate me!


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## Us Navy machinist (May 23, 2017)

I wouldn't be doing crazy profiles, more or less to speed up identical parts


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## Us Navy machinist (May 23, 2017)

For instance, I'm getting a horizontal mill. I want to make a profile of the arbor taper, and if I'm able to upgrade it to something like a BT30 spindle cartridge have a profile of that that I can rough in fairly quickly and just do final grinding


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## 4ssss (May 26, 2017)

There's a tracer attachment on Craigslist right now. At  $50 someone's going to steal it.

https://fingerlakes.craigslist.org/grd/6145800648.html


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