Best deal on MT#2 taper finish reamer?

[Jim Underwood]

I'm in need of one of those taper reamers for a MT#2 spindle. I've looked up prices at MSC and Enco, but they are pretty pricey. Anyone got a lead on a less expensive reamer?

[Dan Forman]

I've heard of them going in the mid $30 range on eBay. Remember though, sometimes you get what you pay for. That said, I haven't heard any complaints about th eBay reamers, I'm just a bit cautious.

Dan

[Jim Underwood]

So...

anyone?

I've looked on McMaster Carr, MSC, and Enco. All of them are over $50, with Enco being the best price (but not by much).

I did find this today at Tool Crib Depot in Florida:

http://www.toolcribdepot.com/WebShop/Reamers/R038.asp?prodcode=R038

They only want $27 and some change for theirs.

[Jeff Nicol]

I was thinking....mmmmmm If a guy had a drill bit with a morse taper #2 on it one could clean it up and put some self stick 220 grit on it in three thin strips evenly spaced you could mount it in the drill chuck in the tailstock. Then bring it up to the spindle and ease it in turning the spindle by hand until it seats true. This would be cheap and easy. If you had a morse taper made from wood and put some paste grit on it for lapping in valves you could do the same thing. I am all about cheap so there are my solutions for not buying a reamer!

Jeff

[Will Krautkramer]

Personally I'd go with a reamer over an abrasive method, but I'm always worried about stray abrasives messing up my equipment.

here are some cheaper Morse taper reamers, never bought from them personally but have heard good things about them in the past.
http://www.victornet.com/cgi-bin/victor/productlist.html?subdepartments=Morse+Taper+Reamer s%3A795%2C634

[Bernie Weishapl]

I definitely would use the reamer and no sandpaper. I think it would be possible to embed some abrasives in the taper.

[M Toupin]

Use the proper tool for the job.

Sand paper will just make a bad situation worse. Just like trying to sand a out of round bowl, it never gets true.

A reamer is supported all the way around and actually cuts the high spots down rather than bouncing around in the socket.

Bite the bullet and buy a proper finishing reamer. You'll be supprised how often you use it once you have one on hand.

Mike

[Jeff Nicol]

I still wonder how you all get the problem in the first place? I have three lathes and turn every day and have yet to have one gaul or have a problem. If each day a little preventative maintenance is done there should be no trouble. They make a nice wiper to run into the taper before using a spur or center of any type. This assures the taper is free of gunk before you start. I always have the compressed air at hand and blow off everything anyway. The reason for the gauling is try to turn some thing large to fast and hammering in the drive to hard and putting to much pressure on the tail stock. I think it is better to have the spur or what ever you put in the headstock to just seat and a firm tap to set it and that is enough. This way if you are at high rpms and get a huge catch the taper will spin a bit but not have so much pressure on the two surfaces that they try to weld themselves together. As for the grit in the taper, the amount of pressure and turning the lathe by hand to just buff it up I don't think would cause much trouble. When we sand on the lathe the grit is everywhere and if you don't clean out the taper before using it there is probably some in it when you put in the spur anyway.

I looked in all my lathes and each one of them had been honed with some sort of grit from the factory, so I think in minor cases my idea would work fine!

If the amount of metal being pulled out is significant and you keep reaming it pretty soon the spindle will be junk.

Not trying to step on any toes but, make sure it is right before you start and troubles should not occur.

Jeff

[Peter Lamb]

Depending on how bad the taper surface is Packard Woodworks sells a Taper Mate for $15.95, page 38 Fall 2008 catalogue
Peter L

[Jim Underwood]

I still wonder how you all get the problem in the first place? The reason for the gauling is try to turn some thing large to fast and hammering in the drive to hard and putting to much pressure on the tail stock.

Well that's sort of the picture. I didn't hammer the center. Actually I needed a much larger drive center. I was just rounding off some larger pieces on a larger lathe, between centers, so I could finish them off in my mini (yes, yes I know- they're too large for the mini too). The OEM drive center kept "drilling" a hole in the green wood, and I had to keep tightening up the tailstock to get the drive center to bite. So it must have happened somewhere in the process that the drive center slipped and galled.


I looked in all my lathes and each one of them had been honed with some sort of grit from the factory, so I think in minor cases my idea would work fine!If it were minor, it's possible it would work. But usually when people are looking for a reamer, it's not minor.


If the amount of metal being pulled out is significant and you keep reaming it pretty soon the spindle will be junk. I highly doubt it. The reamer is self centering, and besides it's what machinists use to get it to the correct taper anyway.


Not trying to step on any toes but, make sure it is right before you start and troubles should not occur.Well Jeff... in a perfect world with perfect people we wouldn't need tools for repair, or people that can use them, would we? Hopefully I'm learning from my mistakes or at least can repair them.:o

[Scott Conners]

Personally, I'd never trust the tolerances of sandpaper and adhesive to fix a taper. There is just too much room for error IMO. A tiny change in the straightness of the taper and now you've got that much less surface area driving your inserts and galling is all the more likely.

[M Toupin]

I still wonder how you all get the problem in the first place? I have three lathes and turn every day and have yet to have one gaul or have a problem. If each day a little preventative maintenance is done there should be no trouble.

In a perfect world your right, but we all know the world ain't perfect. I don't know how old you lathes are, but I've restored many very old machines. Damaged tapers is a very common problem, especially on older machines.


This way if you are at high rpms and get a huge catch the taper will spin a bit but not have so much pressure on the two surfaces that they try to weld themselves together.

Slipping is exactly what causes galling. Any time two metal surfaces slip there's some damage done. The worse the slip the worse the galling. Morse tapers work by a friction fit and rely on a perfect mate the length of the taper. A firm seat is essential to a solid connection.


I looked in all my lathes and each one of them had been honed with some sort of grit from the factory,

Interior surfaces such as a headstock are reamed. Exterior surfaces such as a drive spur are surface ground. A proper ream leaves a mirror smooth surface that is perfectly tapered.


If the amount of metal being pulled out is significant and you keep reaming it pretty soon the spindle will be junk.

Finish reamers only remove a vary small amount of material. You'd be hard pressed to remove enough material with reasonable reaming to do any damage. I just restored a OSS and had to take about 1/32" of material off to repair the galling. 1/32" is a lot of material for a reamer and took considerable effort and time. To get to the point that a spindle wouldn't properly seat would require removing a LOT more material. I seriously doubt anyone would be able to get to the point that the taper is "junk" without going through several reamers.

Mike

[Jeff Nicol]

I hope no one is upset with me, but sometimes the truth hurts. A spur drive works O.K. for small items and if the wood is wet and still has bark on it you are asking for trouble! Take some time and use a chuck and a woodworm screw or a face plate. Or get one of those large spurs that mount in a chuck. I say this with full knowledge of the outcome from my own failures!

I agree with making mistakes and learn from them, but when you ask the hard questions get prepared for the hard answers. I am by no means perfect, but when something is not working pressing harder and cranking it in more is not the answer. That is when we are to stop and study the situation and find a better solution.

Don't take the quote bellow the wrong way, my Dad printed it up for me years ago when I was younger and thought I knew it all! I have a copy hanging in my shop to remind me that there is always more to learn!



"ANY FOOL CAN KNOW, BUT THE POINT IS TO UNDERSTAND" Albert Einstien

Tomorrow is a new day, lets all get there

Jeff

[Dean Thomas]

I'm with Scott when it comes to using the right tool to do a job. Can't tell you how many things I've messed up and seen messed up by trying to avoid spending the buck for the right tool.

Depending on how bad the taper surface is Packard Woodworks sells a Taper Mate for $15.95, page 38 Fall 2008 catalog.
The tool mentioned here is plastic and is designed to gently clean out the gunk that typically finds its way into the taper. Keeping that gunk out of there will help prevent slippage and galling. Good tool for ANY turner to have protected from harm and nearby for regular use.