Hi guys, I am considering making a dead center for my grinder due to difficulty sourcing a used or reasonably priced new unit. I think that I have the process figured out with the machinery I have, but am wondering about hardening the tip. I have never hardened steel before but I think it would be necessary for a dead center, wouldn't it?
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B&S #7 dead center build
- Thread starter garageguy
- Start date
@YYCHM thanks for the reply. My plan is to rough cut the taper and point on the lathe then finish it in the grinder. Is that what you did? I am trying to figure out the order of operations . My lathe has no taper attachment but I may be able to just use the compound as long as the cut isn't too long. can I ask how you made yours? If anybody else wants to chime in I am all ears!
I've only ever dealt with Morris Tapers, MT2 and MT3. My 9" Utilathe has a taper attachment. I made MT2 tapers on my mini-lathe using the offset tailstock method. I don't have a grinder, so every thing was as turned.
Dimensions of Standard Tapers
This page give the dimensions of Morse, Jacobs, Brown & Sharpe, and Jarno tapers.
Looks like a B&S #7 taper has a OAL of 2.88". Does your compound have 3" of travel? I know mine doesn't.
It ain't that easy. To cut a taper using the tail stock offset method, you need to take into account the length of the raw stock as presented between centers.
Do you have a least one center to use as an example?
140mower
Don
I'm pretty rusty here, but this is assuming that the piece is cut exactly to length, then, yes, that sounds right to me.
Yes Craig, I have one. And as I was thinking about this I was going to ask if I make the offset according to the length of taper or the length of stock. I need to do research!! @Susquatch ,Offsetting my tailstock is not my idea of fun either. I may approach this from another angle. ( get it? )
How long is the tapered section of your example compared to the reach of your compound? I would avoid the tail stock method if you can.
The B&S #7 is 0.5015" taper/foot. Which is 0.0418" taper per inch. Divide this by 2, therefore, 0.021" per inch.
Put the round stock between centers. You need two dial indicators (unless you have a DRO). The one indicator will measure your z-axis travel (position it on the bed with the point on the carriage), and the 2nd indicator on your tool post to measure the x-axis with the point on the round stock. Offset your tailstock until a movement of 1.000" in the z-axis, shows a 0.021" movement on your x-axis indicator.
Put the round stock between centers. You need two dial indicators (unless you have a DRO). The one indicator will measure your z-axis travel (position it on the bed with the point on the carriage), and the 2nd indicator on your tool post to measure the x-axis with the point on the round stock. Offset your tailstock until a movement of 1.000" in the z-axis, shows a 0.021" movement on your x-axis indicator.