Spindle Taper of Sheldon WM56P 13x36

It might be a #9 Brown&Sharpe taper.
Rex the Wrench RLP Racing
Steve wrote:

I have two Sheldons that have modified #5 Morse tapers. They are the same taper as MT5, but shorter. In other words, if you use a MT5 adapter sleeve for any reason, it will stick out of the spindle about 2 or 3 inches.
I got lucky and inherited the original adapters that came with one of my lathes.
Regards,
Orrin

According to a 1955 Sheldon catalog, the UM56B (13x34) had a MT5 spindle taper.

Ive got a couple spindle nose taper adapters that might be correct. If you want to give me the specs on yours, Ill check when I get home this coming weekend.
Might have one in 5C also.
Gunner
"Guns aren't toys. They're for family protection, hunting dangerous or delicious animals, and keeping the King of England out of your face."
-- Krusty the Clown, "The Simpsons"

Are you sure that it wasn't a MT 4-1/2? That one is listed in the ASA tapers in Machinery's handbook -- and no place else that I have seen. (Though presumably other books which list the ASA tapers would also list it.)
IIRC, the MT 4-1/2 is precisely the same taper as the MT 5, so the back end of one would probably fit.
The ASA tapers really include three different series:
1) The smallest ones are B&S tapers.
2) The middle section are Morse tapers, from MT-1 through MT-7, IIRC.
3) The large section is all 3/4"/foot tapers.
I also have heard that some makers use proprietary tapers in the spindles, and this may be an example.
That helps.
Enjoy, DoN.

I recall a recent thread where this came up regarding the Delta 11" lathe. Here's my understanding.
The ANSI standard self holding taper #4-1/2 is listed as 0.624" taper per foot, with a 1.5" gage line. The #5 in the same table is listed as 0.63151" per foot with a gage line of 1.748". This matches the 5MT taper exactly The Royal tech I talked to for my 5C adapter said my lathe took a modified #5 taper with a 1.575" diameter at the outside. The adapter fits very well, as checked by prussian blue. So I still think a number of these machines have a modified 5MT taper, using the small end, not the big one.
Pete Keillor

Does anyone know what internal taper is used on the Sheldon R15-6 lathe? It has a D1-6 spindle, with a 2.25" through hole. It has an internal taper as well as the very short external taper for the D1 chucks. I haven't made detailed measurements, but so far I have not figured out what the taper is. And, the darn MANUAL doesn't say!
Thanks,
Jon

O.K. Taking the time to go into _Machinery's Handbook_, I see that the MT 4-1/2 is a closer (but not precise) match for the MT-4's taper -- 0.62400 vs 0.62326, This show me that the MT 4-1/2 taper was created by a standards committee, instead of however the original MT series was created, as they wind up with a ridiculous number of non-zero digits after the decimal point. That 0.62400 is a precise match for another taper -- the MT-7 -- suggesting that it also may be a later extension to the Morse Taper series. Or the people who added the MT 4-1/2 taper to the series may have figured that the MT-7 had the most logical taper of the whole series. (Though why not 0.625, which is 5/8" per foot instead?) The 0.624 doesn't work out precisely even when using fractions of an inch (down to 256ths) per foot or per inch.
Good enough. I'll accept that. And that is close enough to a proprietary taper -- except that you can start with a mild steel 5 MT center, part it off short, and drill and bore a female taper in it to be finished with a MT reamer.
Enjoy, DoN.

A lot of Sheldons (I have a 11x44) made it to the UK. Here is a fine lathe site - and Sheldon 13"... there is more than this...
Sheldon 13" lathe Series M of 1955. This machine is a Model UM56B with the "two-lever" instantly-selectable spindle speed drive system. The bed of the 13" lathe was appreciably deeper and more robust than that of the smaller models. The 1950s machines had improved screwcutting gearboxes with 54 rather than 48 threads, the tailstock was redesigned with a greater forward "reach" and a 3 instead of 2 Morse taper in the barrel. The old-fashioned looking stands were replaced with cleanly-designed cabinets with full-length chip trays and improved storage.
Scott Logan had a lathe spindle page at one time - can't find it - mabye it died with the move to the new facility.
- Did anyone go to the open house? - I'm to far to drop in - wanted to. Plan to in the future.
Martin

Nope, didn't lose it. See and Yep, I was there .
Had a great time, it was good to put more faces to some of the names. As usual, Abby was there, and took photos, which are at Select the "Open House" album.
See you next time?

I was able to attend, sorry you couldn't make it Martin. My thanks to Scott and his family for being such gracious hosts and showing off Logan Actuator's new home, it's very nice. Had a great time talking with everyone and finally meeting several people from RCM, as well as Scott himself.
I made it into several pictures that Scott posted, you'll just have to guess:)
Regards Paul

Eastburn wrote in message ... Ya, I went out there. It was a lot of fun.
I particularly liked getting to see their mine hoist controller. It's a wonderful piece of post Victorian engineering, with flyball govenors and cast iron bearings. It was great, like going someplace and finding out they still run their pumps with a steam engine. It's nice to know that good engineering doesn't need to change.
Paul K. Dickman

Cool - thanks!
When I met Abby years ago it seemed she was on top of life and having a good time at the show and knew cameras as well.
Nice young lady.
Martin