Lathe Tailstock help (advice) needed

You're supposed to use a barrier; waxed-paper works pretty well from what I understand.

Here is a pretty nice paper although I would probably bronze sleeve, bore and hone if it were me.

Bottom line is who cares if a drill wobbles--leave extra stock to compensate, bore a short while with a single point off of the compound and then follow ip with a reamer....or just bore the whole dam thing....if you're doing work between centers, lock the quill, it'll repeat just fine ...

On 6/27/2013 6:27 PM, Jon Elson wrote: ... and then line-bore the

Except you'd need the tail stock to do the line boring. Catch 22! Bob

If you want to get tricky, you could set up a steady rest outboard of the tailstock to hold the tail end of a boring bar. Getting everything set up right would be a bit of a challenge, but it should work.

Then you have to figure out how you're going to feed the cutter.

I think I'd try rough-boring and then reaming, maybe with a D-bit reamer -- if time is no object. My tailstock slides along pretty smoothly if you half-tighten it and set it ahead of the carriage, and then push it with the carriage. That would probably cost me my membership in the precision amateur machining association. d8-)

Or rig up something out of scrap to hold a center. Doesn't have to have a spindle or morse taper. Getting it aligned would be tricky, shims probably. I guess you'd use the saddle to push the tail stock. Or bolt the tail stock top on the saddle, maybe on its side if too tall. Alignment would again be fiddly. I'd push it if the lathe had enough bed length. It's going to take a long floppy boring bar. Light cuts.

If you get this done, I'll be interested. My tail stock is a little worn too. Plus I need a line boring setup for some models I want to build.

Pete Keillor

I used the recommended spray-on waxy mold release agent sold by Devitt for use with Moglice, and put 3 layers on. It still stuck REAL hard, but then the Sheldon saddle is a huge piece with a lot of surface area contacting the bed.

Jon

Yes, it IS a catch 22. You'd probably need to rig a temporary support, or use a steady rest if you have one for the far end of the boring bar.

Jon