Wood Lathe and Machine Drill Chuck Problems.

[Mark Waltrip]

Lathe: Jet JWL-1236 Woodworkers lathe
Headstock & Tailstock Taper: MT-2
Drill Chuck Taper: 2JT
Drill Chuck: Jacobs 14442 w/ 2JT taper


OK, so I bought a drill chuck to go with my wood lathe, an adapter that is supposed to adapt a 2MT to 2JT, and for some reason the 2MT end doesn't work with my lathe.

The 2JT end fits perfectly into the Jacobs Drill Chuck, but the other end of the adapter, 2MT, doesn't fit into my tailstock or headstock. Well, it fits, but it doesn't lock in like it should.

Any suggestions on where I'm going wrong?

[Ed Spranza]

Well, ok..

1. You have to tap them in with a mallet assuming there are no burrs, chips dirt or anything else on the mating surfaces. Does it fall out even if you do this?
2. What type of adapter did you get? A sleeve adapter or a spud?

3. A sleeve adapter will have a rectangular tang that must mate with a small slot in the tailstock spindle. Do you have it oriented correctly? There should be no alignment slot on the head stock spindle.

4. A spud adapter won't have a tang.

5. Try advancing the tailstock spindle out a couple of inches in order to clear the knock out feature in the tailstock. Then insert the drill chuck and back the chuck jaws in below the body of the chuck. Then give it a firm smack with a rubber mallet to seat it.

6. Just curious, why the adapter? Was a drill chuck with a Morse #2 taper not available to you?

hope this helps

[Ed Spranza]

...another thing you could do would be to get some prussian blue or dykem and apply the tiniest amount evenly to the adapter usually in four stripes along the length and about 90 degrees apart. (This won't work if there is just way too much slop by the way). Insert the adapter then remove. Look for the areas that are missing the blue ink or are lightest in color.
These areas are where the adapter makes contact with the tailstock spindle showing that the ink has been transfered off. You should see some pretty even transfer of ink from the adapter to the headstock. If things aren't even the the tapers on either the adapter or the tailstock spindle aren't ground correctly or the adapter isn't seated properly.

Is the fit differently on the headstock vs the tailstock?

good luck