Oneway Tail stock taper

[Peter Blair]

My Oneway is a real workhorse I've had it for over 25 years and recently my drill chuck spins. I have tried over the years to keep it clean and the morse taper drill chuck is nearly new. I have read all sorts of ways to try to correct this issue and I am about ready to try something. Upon examination I see two very thin shiny rings on the chuck morse taper should I gently try to clean that. I do have a small metal lathe and could likely spin it with that and gently file the areas where the rings are or is there something else I should try first. I have gently moved some med steel wool into the taper on the tail stock and did find a little dirt. Would something like WD40 be a good idea as a cleaning agent then wiped and dried? Has anyone else dealt with this issue and if so how were you able to remedy?

[Grant Wilkinson]

If I am understanding, you seem to be concentrating your efforts on the taper on your drill chuck. It may be an idea to spend time on the female taper in our tailstock. I don't have a Oneway lathe, but I do have the Oneway live centre. Any time that I've gotten slippage was as a result of grunge in my tailstock, not on the male taper. I've had good luck cleaning the tailstock taper with red scotchbrite and mineral spirits. I would stay away from WD40. You want something that will flash off, leaving no residue.

[Steve Eure]

Check out this product. Not affiliated and have never used one, but know those who have. They give it good reviews.

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/90/3651/tapermate-Morse-Taper-Cleaner?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=videos

[Dick Mahany]

I have used a MT2 taper reamer very gently to clean up the internal taper. A set is less than $40 online.

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[Brice Rogers]

You mention that your MT chuck is almost new. Do you have any old MT accessories?

Before I would go too far, I would put magic marker on the new MT chuck taper and on an older accessory, turn it by hand and see where the marker is rubbed off. That is how most machinists check the fit of a MT that they are machining. It could just be that your newer chuck is at the opposite end of the tolerance as your tailstock. Also, by using the marker, you'll be able to spot areas where the chuck spinning may have created a ridge in the female MT.

I've turned a few Morse tapers on my metal lathe and that's how I checked them. Also, I have simply measured the major and minor diameters and the distance between them and checked the published specs. But I prefer to use the marker method.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

A dowel and some fine grit sandpaper, Gently clean out the defects. Clean the taper with the dowel and paper towels/DNA or MS. You can try the paper towels first and see if you get a lot of junk out.......
I have turned dowels that fir tightly in the MT to clean them out too. A sliver of adhesive fine grit sandpaper and you save some bucks not buying the reamer..... Just the bare dowel/DNA or MS actually gets a lot of junk out.

[John K Jordan]

I have both the reamers and the #2MT cleaner and use them occasionally. I have used other ways to clean off gunk, including paper towel on a stick with some solvent, or fine sandpaper.

But could either surface be galled? If a taper spins it can gall either surface and cause even more slippage and galling. I've used flat files and sandpaper to clean up the outer surfaces and use the reamer on the insides. I have used a round file on the inside in a pinch. I bought the reamer set after the unhardened tailstock taper of my metal lathe quit holding - due to a tiny bit of galling inside. I bought this set: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07933VYD7

Best thing to prevent galling is prevent the taper from slipping in the first place! I always hold the jacob's chuck by some means, by hand for small bits, with a rod in those that have appropriate holes, and with a wrench or pliers/visegrips as appropriate.

Holding a jacob's chuck with a steel rod. (I support the rod or pliers with the tool rest.)
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BTW, when possible, I avoid using a jacob's chuck and instead drill with taper shank drill bits (also held by some external means). I like these better since they reduce the total length from the tailstock with less opportunity for vibration or alignment error.

Comparing the total length of a drill bit in a jacob's chuck and a taper shank bit:

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Larger taper shank bits have #2MT tapers while smaller ones are #1MT and need an inexpensive adapter.

[Peter Blair]

Thanks everyone! A lot of really good suggestions. John if I get this straightened out I will for sure look into some method of holding the chuck. I always predrill hollow forms with as large a saw tooth forstner type drill as will work. I do have some taper shank bits but they are experienced from a machine shop and the tapers are not pristine. In the mean time I will try to clean both the best I can and test with magic marker, thanks Brice. Incidentally I am currently using a keyless chuck, unfortunately there are no holes or squares to grip.

[John K Jordan]

...I always predrill hollow forms with as large a saw tooth forstner type drill as will work. ...

I don't know if we discussed this before, but for years now I always blow compressed air continuously into the back of a forstner type bit while drilling. This not only cools the bit some but it helps clear the chips and reduces the chance of jamming, especially on deeper holes.

The type of thin needlenose vise grips are what I usually use to hold a bit or chuck.

BTW, most of my jacob's chuck are keyless. Although they are convenient and hold very well, I have developed a dislike for them for a couple of reasons - one, as noted they don't have usable holes for torque control, and two, many of the larger bits I use have flats ground on the shank for the chuck jaws to grip. But when the chuck is in the drillpress or lathe tailstock, twisting the chuck to tighten on such a bit is a pain since the jaws rotate with the body of the chuck. I have to watch carefully and rotate the bit with the chuck when it gets close. Round shaft bits, no problem.

BTW2, another thing I use for holding forstner bits is a #2MT end mill holder. Several of my forstner sets use 3/8" shafts so a 3/8" end mill holder works perfectly, using allen set screws to hold the bit. I keep one 2-1/8" forstner bit in the end mill holder all the time for drilling recesses on the layer blanks when making beads of courage boxes.

This is the one I use. It is quite precise - no play.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXSP25W
I see that one is not available at the moment but there are others. I see I paid $14 for mine.
Little Machine Shop carries sets and this 3/8" one: https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1705
These accept a draw bar so they can be used effectively in the headstock as well.

JKJ

[Peter Blair]

Thanks John my drill bits are all over the map some are round some are hex but the end mill holder is a great idea!