Axminster m950 drive centre

[supergoose]

Hi,

Recently acquired an axminster m950, and in my haste to try it out I purchased a 2mt drive centre from axminster.

Upon trying to use it, it fits the tailstock,not the headstock- it's far too big.

The manual says the spindle is 1 inch, 8 tpi, 2mt taper- and that the tailstock barrel is 2mt which is why I assumed it would fit either end. I realise now that the manual describes the spindle, rather than the tooling that the spindle will accept.

What do I actually need to do to use this lathe for spindle work? The manual is fairly light on any detail, and I can't see any type of tooling that fits on the current spindle that would accept another 2mt tool?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Richard_C]

Do you have a chuck on the lathe and did you take it off before trying the 2MT drive centre?

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

My Axminster arrived with the face plate fitted.
It will be 75mm diameter with 4 to 6 holes in

 

[supergoose]

I removed the face plate. The headstock is now just the spindle which has the hex shank followed by a one inch screw thread. The hole in the part with the screw thread is around half the diameter of the tailstock.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Sounds like a number one morse taper.
Can you get a photo with a mm rule showing the dimensions of the hole, After Christmas I will measure a 1mt live centre and a 2mt live centre I have here
Ok won’t be nasa standard but it should point you in the right direction.
I am in titchfield so I can’t even say pop round, borrow a 1mt to try
Ok as it’s Christmas and I am a softie post the pic, I will look as soon as I can. Maybe even LEND you a 1 mt drive centre to try
That way you get to play,

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

As you are new here do not post your postal address in these areas
Send me a pm... in fact I will pm you
Ok pm sent

 

[Davegree]

I had a 950 and it was 2mt both ends. There isn’t a mt2 to mt1 adaptor is the headstock spindle, is there?

 

[cally60]

Google turned up a set of instructions for the M950, and spec is shown a 2mt for drive and tailstock centres. I think Davegree is probably right

 

[ChaiLatte]

There isn’t a mt2 to mt1 adaptor is the headstock spindle, is there?

I do not want to say that your suggestion is impossible, but there are a few factors that would need consideration.

As we have questioned above whether there was a chuck attached, that suggests _any_ standard 2MT item would not fit when the lathe is in this condition.

If the 2MT centre would not fit with a chuck attached, what is different about the reducer which would allow it to fit?

Similarly, have you ever seen a adaptor (reducer) where the fat end of the male piece fits flush with the fat end of the female piece? If there were an adaptor fitted, it would project from the spindle and be very obvious to look at. The fat end of the inner female taper is always outboard of the fat end of the outer female taper. They have to be this way and cannot be displaced any closer laterally as the wall thickness would be insufficient.

All that said, thre could be _something_ in the spindle but it may not be a conventional Morse taper reducer.. As above, photos would assist.

In particular, a photo from the back end of the spindle, looking through the spindle towards the tailstock, so we can see light at the end of the tunnel, would show if there is any step or reduction in the spindle bore.

In a similar vein, describe what is the largest diameter of material that can be pushed into the spindle from the back end and how far it can be pushed.

 

[HamsterJam]

@supergoose, I am near Okehampton and can lay my hand on a Jacob chuck (drill chuck) with a 1MT shank if you would like to borrow it to try it in your spindle.
I might have a 1MT drive centre lurking in the workshop but I’d need to check that.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

I am wondering if it’s not an adapter in the head stock if the lathe was s/h has someone repaired/replaced the spindle with a mt1 instead of the mt2
SG will be sending me pics later, when I get back from church I will look at my mt1 drive centre
I would also lend to try a mt1... titchfield po14 is a bit far to pop round to borrow for ten mins lol

 

[supergoose]

attached pictures -

1) view through the spindle from the back of the machine - nothing blocking it as far as i can see
2) the front of the spindle. Inner hole is 1/2 inch
3) Faceplate that came with the machine, live centre that came with the machine, drive centre from axminster


I think i am concluding that the spindle itself is 2MT, but the inner of the spindle is 1MT?


Given that a 1MT drive centre is <£10 from axminster I may just purchase a new one if that seems sensible?

 

[Stigmorgan]

I removed the face plate. The headstock is now just the spindle which has the hex shank followed by a one inch screw thread. The hole in the part with the screw thread is around half the diameter of the tailstock.

Looking at Google images there isn't a hex shank on the drive, I would hazard a guess that someone has put an adapter on to take a smaller threaded chuck, if you can remove the adaptor you should be ok to fit the 2MT
Edit- just seen your pics, that looks like an adaptor, have you tried unscrewing it?

 

[HamsterJam]

, that looks like an adaptor, have you tried unscrewing it?

That was my thought too. Always very hard to tell from pictures but I have 1x8tpi on my lathe and that thread looks smaller and finer pitched.
I wonder if the 1x8tpi thread and 2MT hole are ‘hiding’ under that hex nut.

 

[supergoose]

Looking at Google images there isn't a hex shank on the drive, I would hazard a guess that someone has put an adapter on to take a smaller threaded chuck, if you can remove the adaptor you should be ok to fit the 2MT
Edit- just seen your pics, that looks like an adaptor, have you tried unscrewing it?

It could be an adapter as I think I can see a small gap, though if it is it has probably been on for a number of year's.

I can't see an obvious way of locking the spindle to get more leverage to try and dislodge it- any ideas on that problem?


Edit- have borrowed an axminster chuck from the father in law, and I believe it is an adapter from the one inch 8tpi spindle to a 3/4 inch 16tpi thread.

This is fine if I want to use a chuck, but I am still at a loss on how to remove the adapter to allow the use of the 2mt tooling

 

[HamsterJam]

I think i am concluding that the spindle itself is 2MT, but the inner of the spindle is 1MT?

I doubt it, morse tapers are usually quoted as internal on lathe spindles and won’t be threaded.

 

[Stigmorgan]

It could be an adapter as I think I can see a small gap, though if it is it has probably been on for a number of year's.

I can't see an obvious way of locking the spindle to get more leverage to try and dislodge it- any ideas on that problem?


Edit- have borrowed an axminster chuck from the father in law, and I believe it is an adapter from the one inch 8tpi spindle to a 3/4 inch 16tpi thread.

This is fine if I want to use a chuck, but I am still at a loss on how to remove the adapter to allow the use of the 2mt tooling

I'd start by getting some penetraing oil on and letting that soak in whilst you work out how to remove it, is there anything on the back of the headstock that you can grip while using a spanner on the nut? Getting some heat in to expand it with heat gun may also help loosen it a bit

 

[Stigmorgan]

Looking at this Google image there's a hole in the headstock for locking the spindle in place to unscrew the chuck/faceplate

 

[Deckerwoodworking]

I'd start by getting some penetraing oil on and letting that soak in whilst you work out how to remove it, is there anything on the back of the headstock that you can grip while using a spanner on the nut? Getting some heat in to expand it with heat gun may also help loosen it a bit

View attachment 194638
Looking at this Google image there's a hole in the headstock for locking the spindle in place to unscrew the chuck/faceplate

There are two holes in the white painted body casting near the spindle nose thread . One hole is I seem to remember threaded but the other is a plain hole .I believe that two short rods were supplied from new . These were to lock the spindle . It would seem that as in most cases of change of ownership these get left behind . You could use a fat ended mail punch or similar rod in the plain hole to hold the spindle whilst using a spanner on the two flats of the thread adapter which seems to be on there. You might need to give the spanner a sharp whack.

 

[supergoose]

There are two holes in the white painted body casting near the spindle nose thread . One hole is I seem to remember threaded but the other is a plain hole .I believe that two short rods were supplied from new . These were to lock the spindle . It would seem that as in most cases of change of ownership these get left behind . You could use a fat ended mail punch or similar rod in the plain hole to hold the spindle whilst using a spanner on the two flats of the thread adapter which seems to be on there. You might need to give the spanner a sharp whack.

I don't have those holes on my lathe- the manual states that those are present in models made after 1996, so I may have purchased a very old model indeed!