Modifications to tailstock ?

[OldWood]

I've a fairly recently purchased 2nd hand Wadkins Bursgreen BZL. I've found that the tailstock shaft (quill?) won't take a full depth MT2 - the drill chucks I have for the Myford metal working lathe are on MT2 arbours and do not lock up on the Wadkins quill by a mm or so, due predominantly to the rectangular tang on the end of the arbours.

The other thing I've measured is that the hole down the centre of the Wadkins quill is only some 9mm (3/8"?), despite the overall diameter being 32 mm.

I don't want to cut back the half dozen or so arbours off the Myford that might be used on the Wadkins so I'm proposing to drill out the offending couple of mm in the quill. This doesn't give me any concern.

The question I want guidance on is whether there would be advantage in opening up the centre of the quill from it's current 9mm to something around 12mm - or whatever long drill I can lay my hands on around that size.

Thanks
Rob

 

[CHJ]

The tailstock barrel bore is normal for a wood lathe, it gives clearance for a standard boring auger but provides some alignment guidance.

Most wood lathe Morse Taper shanks are truncated and don't have the anti-rotation/removal tang used on a metal pillar drill.

If you want to drill clearance for the tangs I would only do it from the front just enough to accommodate it, not right through.

Caution, you need to check very carefully how the internals of the tailstock thread are designed, most tailstocks have some form of Quill ejection built in, even if this is only the end of the threaded spindle pushing against the taper. You may find that the geometry is such that there is not enough length to accommodate your machine morse tapers and still give you the full tailstock travel.

 

[Bob Chapman]

I've had the same problem of morse tapers not seating properly. Rather than modifying the taper or the quill (with the attendant risk of bu....ing it up) I simply ground a little off the tang until the taper would seat properly. I was actually surprised at how little I had to remove.

Bob