# Does anyone have a guess at what this live center is?



## Scorn64 (Apr 30, 2021)

I bought this live center as a MT2. (Not related to my other post) When I received it it turned out to be MT3 (I think, about 22mm where it would chuck). I figured it was a cheap Chinese one when I bought it but the bearings are American. The only identifiable markings are “new departure 8502 made in USA” on the bearing. I can’t use it and I want to represent it honestly when I resale it. Does anyone have any idea what it is?


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## markba633csi (Apr 30, 2021)

Must be old and probably pretty decent; New Departure departed many a year ago
-Mark


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## 682bear (Apr 30, 2021)

It may be a Morse taper 2-½... 22mm is small for a MT3... 

If it a 2-½, you may have to find a buyer with a Hendey lathe...

-Bear


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## Scorn64 (Apr 30, 2021)

I’m probably measuring it at the wrong spot. (I’m a nube) It starts at about 20mm and ends at 24mm. All the documentation I’ve found on determining a tools Morse taper has been pretty vague. Lol They seem to worry more about length than diameter.


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## 682bear (Apr 30, 2021)

Ok, yes, that sounds like a MT3...

-Bear


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## hman (Apr 30, 2021)

Just for reference, here's a table of Morse taper dimensions.  Unfortunately, it doesn't include #2 1/2 ...



It's from








						Dimensions of Standard Tapers
					

This page give the dimensions of Morse, Jacobs, Brown & Sharpe, and Jarno tapers.




					littlemachineshop.com


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## mmcmdl (Apr 30, 2021)

Scorn64 said:


> Lol They seem to worry more about length than diameter.


Long and thin , do not win . 

Short and thick , do the trick . 

( so I've been told )


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## rjs44032 (Apr 30, 2021)

Oh, never mind after reading down a little farther it's obviously not BS 7 taper.

Best Regards,
Bob


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## Scorn64 (Apr 30, 2021)

hman said:


> Just for reference, here's a table of Morse taper dimensions.  Unfortunately, it doesn't include #2 1/2 ...
> View attachment 364422
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you. It’s definitely a number 3 based on this. I just wish I could use it. It seems really well built and doesn’t seem to have been used much. Maybe I’ll be able to trade it for a good quality MT2.


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## Canus (May 1, 2021)

Pretty sure there are mt2 male to mt3 female adapters out there.  Google is your friend.


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## NC Rick (May 1, 2021)

Mt2 center is used on smaller lathes and the adapters used to fit a larger MT are really quite long, potentially using a lot of real estate which is not only a valuable commodity but a lot of rigidity would also be lost.  I would just get the right tool.


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