Mini-lathe Taper Attachment Concepts

[nitacboss]

Has anyone ever given thought to designing a small taper turning attachment for one of the small 7 x 12 mini-lathes? I realize you'd need to disconnect the cross slide screw but it just don't seem like it'd be a big deal. I figure a cam follower on a bracket attached to the disconnected cross slide picking up a slot milled into an angle adjustable bracket mounted to the back of the bed. Opinions, ideas, comments?

[Thrud]

Go for it - you could write it up for HSM as the mini 7"x10" seem to be a popular lathe.

[nitacboss]

Well OK Thrud, thanks for the push. I think?

Could one of you guys please tell me how the taper attachments on the "big" lathes work. I have not been exposed to a lathe with such an attachment since shop classes in high school and cannot remember how they work or were set up. Also how was the actual taper adjustment to the attachment made?

[nheng]

It would be slick if someone could come up with a design in which you throw a small flat (or timing) belt over your crossfeed handle and the taper attachment drives it with just enough slippage to keep it pre-loaded against the taper "drive" pin or whatever. Just like the take up reel on old reel-to-reel recorders.

In the yahoo Super 11 group (Emco), I posted some manuals in .pdf format a while back. One or both of them have an exploded parts view of their taper attachment. I took a copy of the image into paintshop pro one evening and in about 5 minutes of cut and past, had a pretty good looking picture of what it looks like imploded. Dumbass didn't save it though.

You could also mount your cutting tool in a separate block, mounted on and driven by the taper bar. I think the Emco may have been done this way. I seem to recall it had several dovetail slides.

Like Thrud says, write it up for HSM if you come up with a plan. It would be nice to see more stuff like this or the b--tchin vise in future issues

Den

[SGW]

I think if you rummage around on http://www.metalworking.com/ you can find some plans for a taper attachment, which may give you some ideas.

[G.A. Ewen]

nitacboss, A friend of mine has a taper attachment on a Standard Modern. I will take a photo of it tonight when I'm in town and E-mail it to you. It may give you an idea where to start. Regards, George.

[Rotate]

George, send it to me and I'll post it for everyone to see.

Albert

[lynnl]

Den, as I recall one of the 'Metal Working' or 'Projects..' books contains a mod someone made much like you suggest. Don't remember if its function was taper turning, but it did incorporate linkage to tie either the x-Slide or compound feed to carriage travel.
I'll try to remember to dig that article up and describe more fully.

[nitacboss]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by G.A. Ewen:
nitacboss, A friend of mine has a taper attachment on a Standard Modern. I will take a photo of it tonight when I'm in town and E-mail it to you. It may give you an idea where to start. Regards, George.</font>

G.A.,
That would be great!
Rotate,
Thanks as well!

I also heard through a friend that he remembers his dad's lathe (make unkown but to his long since deceased father) had its taper attachment through a rear mounted lead screw type contraption. God what complications that must have been! Apperently, from what he remembers, the rear lead screw was driven by a second set of gears. This in turn transmitted power to a acme screw on the cross feed. The front lead screw drove the saddle and the rear drove the cross slide and the whole thing drove his dad nuts! I wonder if it can get any more complex than that?



[This message has been edited by nitacboss (edited 05-29-2003).]

[Peter S]

There are several Yahoo Groups dedicated to mini-lathe projects. Here is one that has a few articles on taper turning attachments. You will have to join the group (I think), just remember to edit your preferences so as not to receive advertising etc.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mlathemods3/

go to Files, then Taper Turning, there are several to look at, eg. a taper turning attachment for Emcomat 7-8 & 9x machines.