# MT3 to 2 & MT3 to 1 adapters?



## Alan H. (Jun 9, 2017)

Looking to buy some decent quality adapters for the tailstock of my lathe.  I have some reamers and bits that need the adapters.  These adapters appear not to be expensive.  I put the pair in my cart with McMaster but haven't pushed the "order" button yet.  As you likely know, with McMaster you do not know what brand you will be getting.  Small risk from my view since the stuff I have bought from them has always been solid quality. 

So as an alternative to McMaster, if  you were trying to land some high quality adapters what would you be after and where would you source them?   Thanks in advance for helping me narrow my search a bit.


----------



## Glenn Brooks (Jun 9, 2017)

I bought my adaptors from littlemachineshop.org.  Based on their very response return policy and careful selection of quality import tooling.   So far the adaptors themselves seem to be perfect. Wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again, as needed.

Glenn


----------



## T Bredehoft (Jun 9, 2017)

The adapters I have came second hand, Brand name not known.  I have no complaints about them. I do not make clocks, watches or NASA equipment however.


----------



## darkzero (Jun 10, 2017)

If you do order adapters from Mcmaster, please share what brand you get. Mcmaster pretty much never sells junk.

A couple of brands that comes to mind for USA made is Collis & Cleveland. I'm not sure if they are still produced though & I do not own any. I also had my eye on arbors & adapters made by Michigan Drill. Smaller company that makes everything in house & their prices are fair but I never did end up ordering anything from them.

EDIT: I just took a look at Michigan Drill's catalog, for their sleeves there's a "MDX Import" logo on that page so perhaps their sleeves are not made in the US.

Pretty much all of my MT adapters are import with the exception of my MT3-MT3 extension which is an older Jacobs USA made. I've had various "brands" of import from Shars, LMS, Meda, etc. They're not hardened & are pretty much the same with minor dimension differences, good enough for me. I was taught it's bad practice to use them but I use them anyway. 

My latest ones & the ones I'm currently using are from ZLive Center, IIRC I also like the Meda ones (hard to remember as they are not marked, only the ZLive ones are). The worst ones I had IMO that I did not like were the PhaseII branded ones that I got from Enco.


----------



## davidpbest (Jun 10, 2017)

I wouldn't trust McMaster for this item.   I'd stick with either a known supplier of high quality Asian imports (http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk) or a known highly reputable precision brand like Dormer if you have the budget.   I know you're not fond of MSC, but they do carry the Dormer brand sleeves.   If you like Rotagrip, you'll like ArcEuro for service.   ArcEuro is on par with LittleMachineShop in terms of quality, perhaps a shade better.    Of course, Jacobs would be a good in between brand - available from Zoro, MSC, and others.


----------



## davidpbest (Jun 10, 2017)

Headstock to tailstock sleeve I would buy - although one came with your PM1340 right?:   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3-5-MOR...hash=item51c2eab8c1:m:m0Sl_AZ9-HAGgJ6MDpp3nQw


----------



## darkzero (Jun 10, 2017)

davidpbest said:


> Headstock to tailstock sleeve I would buy - although one came with your PM1340 right?:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3-5-MOR...hash=item51c2eab8c1:m:m0Sl_AZ9-HAGgJ6MDpp3nQw



If you were referring the the headstock reducing sleeve, just want to point out if anyone is considerinb. Using a standard MT adapter sleeve like the one you linked might not always work without modification. They will stick out to far to be used with a drive plate or face plate for turning between centers. There is a reason why the reducing sleeves that come with the lathe for the headstock are so short.


----------



## davidpbest (Jun 10, 2017)

darkzero said:


> If you were referring the the headstock reducing sleeve, just want to point out if anyone is considerinb. Using a standard MT adapter sleeve like the one you linked might not always work without modification. They will stick out to far to be used with a drive plate or face plate for turning between centers. There is a reason why the reducing sleeves that come with the lathe for the headstock are so short.



True enough - I always bandsaw off the tang for the sleeves that I use in the PM1340GT tailstock.


----------



## darkzero (Jun 10, 2017)

davidpbest said:


> True enough - I always bandsaw off the tang for the sleeves that I use in the PM1340GT tailstock.



I do the same, cut off the tangs & face the end. Unfortunately I have to shorten my arbors as well for my drill chucks. Well I don't really have to, I do it to get the most travel out of the TS quill.

But for the headstock sleeve, there's more to it than just shortening the ends. IIRC for headstock sleeves, the internal taper is bored deeper than you would find on a standard reducing sleeve.


----------



## Alan H. (Jun 10, 2017)

David,
Yes, I do have a sleeve for the head of the PM1340.  By the way, Z Live Center sells sleeves for headstock use.  Yes, the McMaster solution is a gamble.  Good thing is that it's not too expensive.   Thanks for the tips on the adapters for the tailstock.

Will,
Thanks for the insights.  I am familiar with both Z Live Center and Meda.   Not sure of the origin of manufacture of Z Live Center stuff, assume it is China.  The Meda is Indian of course.  I too had the impression that it is not best practice to use adapters but the tooling costs to avoid them convince me that they should be fine!  Seriously that is why I prefer to have something of decent quality.  

What is the general reputation of Z Live Center?   My limited impression of them from the community here is positive.


----------



## Alan H. (Jun 10, 2017)

A little research on Jacobs, Dormer and others via MSC.

The Jacobs are "soft with hardened tang".  雅各布是在中国制造的 (The Jacobs is made in China).

The Dormers are "oil toughened hardness".  Der Dormer ist in Deutschland hergestellt! 

They also sell Accupro and Collis which are "Hardened and Ground Throughout Hardness".  El Accupro se fabrica en España.   कॉलिस भारत में किया जाता है। (The Collis is made in India.) 

So what would one what (edit: want) in a tailstock adapter - soft or hard?  I assume for the hobbyist, it makes no difference.   For a production environment, I assume "Hard as the Hobs of Hell" is better.

I am betting that McMaster would send you Jacobs or Accupro.


----------



## Alan H. (Jun 10, 2017)

Okay! One of my friends and mentor here solved the MT3 to MT2 adapter source for me by sending me an ebay link.
*
The MT3 to MT1 adapter is still a work in progress. *

So here's the  Sioux that's now coming (NOS, complete with drift):


----------



## darkzero (Jun 10, 2017)

Nice find!

Maybe I'm getting Collis confused with Collins? MSC does list some of the Collis sleeves as USA but there's also some marked India.

I think Mcmaster might supply Jacobs as well but I doubt they would supply Accupro. Accupro is a MSC brand & products in the Accupro line vary for COO.

I'm happy with my ZLive stuff. They seem to be well made. I have 2 live centers from ZLive, when I ordered my first one I ordered some of their sleeves. Otherwise I wouldn't have ordered them just by themselves. My other live centers are Skoda.

Just curious, what do you use that has a MT1 shank?


----------



## Alan H. (Jun 10, 2017)

Thanks Will for the feedback on Z Live Center.  They sell a bull nose center that I have eyed before.  

My need for a MT3 to MT1 is minimal as you allude to.  I do have a 9/16 spiral reamer that is coming that's a MT1.  I am also in the initial throws of building out a decent collection of taper shank drill bits and if I land some smaller ones, then the MT1 adapter will be handy.  But it is not a high priority and I am likely not going to spend too much on one for very limited use.   

I may buy the one from McMaster just to see what they send.   I am curious and as always, I have other stuff in my cart waiting for the click of the order button.


----------



## darkzero (Jun 10, 2017)

Ah, taper shank drills & reamers, that makes sense!


----------



## Alan H. (Jun 15, 2017)

darkzero said:


> *If you do order adapters from Mcmaster, please share what brand you get*. Mcmaster pretty much never sells junk.
> 
> .  . . . . . . . . . .


Okay Will, both adapters received now.  

The MT3 to 2 is a Sioux  "made in USA" and acquired from ebay.  It's the more important of the two I bought since it will be used far more the the MT3 t0 1.   

I bought the MT3 to 1 from McMaster to see what they'd send and *it is a Jacobs*.  The finish is very good and it appears to be excellent.  I too have never gotten junk from McMaster.   I suspect the Jacobs is made in Taiwan or ML China since it not proudly marked USA.   

Here's a side by side photo of the two I bought:


----------

