2MT pigtail for polishing mop

[cally60]

Does anyone know of a source for these? Axminster sell them, but delivery is ‘in next 4 weeks’. I was hoping for something sooner.
I know that there are other types available, but I do really want to go with MT in headstock

 

[ChaiLatte]

Please could you link to the Axminster one. You could be asking for alternatives to something people have never seen. Showing them what you are seeking will always give you a better chance of replies than just wrting some words.

Buy a Morse taper ER collet chuck, one collet and a plain shank pigtail.

Buy a Morse taper blank arbor (https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/Soft_Stub___Blank_End_Arbors_.html) and a plain shank pigtail. Drill the blank arbor and loctite in the pigtail.

I assume the Morse taper needs to be retained by a drawbar.

You would need to be mindful of the hand of the thread on the pigtail you buy.

 

[cally60]

Thanks, what Im looking for is an alternative source for the pigtail arbor as Axminster are out of stock:

https://www.axminstertools.com/axmi...0041?queryID=f6993ec5f07f9adaa8a48ff033f22b46

It has a recess in the tip, so it that a live centre in the tailstock can be brought up to support it.
It looks like such a simple solution that I will wait for stock if I have to.
I thought that someone like RDG would supply these, but can’t find one anywhere

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Use a 1MT with a sleeve?

 

[cally60]

I could do that if the delivery date keeps getting pushed back.
I don’t think anyone else makes/supplies these. Or if they do they are keeping their details from Google

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's because a pigtail isn't usually driven from a morse taper.

 

[ChaiLatte]

It has a recess in the tip, so it that a live centre in the tailstock can be brought up to support it.

You could use a file on a pointed one and then touch it with a centre drill held in a tailstock chuck.

We live in a free market economy with concepts of supply and demand. That no-one else sells them but Axminster may have some connection to this.

You might do well to assure yourself that Axminster's "back in stock in four weeks" actually means what it says rather than "we have no idea if we will ever stock these again and the product is only still listed on the website because we have not yet sold the last of the other variant."

Do you know anyone in the USA?

https://woodturnerswonders.com/products/axminster-woodturning-lathe-mounted-polishing-mop-arbor-2mt

It has been reported here that people have had success obtaining stuff the website lists as out of stock by telephoning one or more of the stores and enquiring. You might get lucky and find one of the stores has the item on the shelf.

 

[cally60]

Maybe that’s what a happening. Previously it showed stock due in 1 week, then this became 4 weeks. I’ll call them in the morning and find out when/if they expect stock. These are made in England, so maybe at their own workshops.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Why not just buy a standard pigtail and put it in a jacobs chuck with morse taper? That would also put the buffing wheel farther out from the headstock, which you might find useful.

 

[RonnieI]

Why not just buy a standard pigtail and put it in a jacobs chuck with morse taper? That would also put the buffing wheel farther out from the headstock, which you might find useful.

That's my solution. I centre drilled a dimple in the end of the pigtails so I can pull up the tailstock for a bit of stability. I use polishing mops on the pigtails (to polish motorbike alloy cases) and made an arbor for a wire brush that works well.

 

[ChaiLatte]

Why not just buy a standard pigtail and put it in a Jacobs chuck with Morse taper?

As above, you might need to ensure the arbor on the Jacobs chuck is drilled to accept a drawbar so the lot would not be pulled out of the taper.

People are focussing on the support/stability the dimple in the end of the pigtail provides, but it has another far more critical function, that of stopping the whole lot walking out of the spindle if a drawbar is not used.

This tailstock retention of the pigtail could be more important with a Jacobs chuck, as the arbors on most chucks have a tang, for ejection from a tailstock, so cannot accommodate a drawbar.

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Another idea might be to buy a straight-shanked pigtail and a standard Morse taper collet of the correct diameter (https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Collets/Morse-Taper-Collets/MT2-Collets-Metric-Sizes). The challenge is that these are only designed to grip stock very close to their nominal diameter, so you would need to confirm the shank on the pigtail is a standard size, held to a reasonable tolerance. First time you fit it, you could loctite the two together so they stay together for the rest of their life.

 

[cally60]

Axminster customer service said that these will definitely be back in stock, in about 4weeks time, so I think I will hang on until then.
If they become unavailable for any reason, I think I will get one to fit my Jacob’s chuck.