Suggestions Please

[Peter Blair]

Thanks again John for taking the time to help. I shall begin using visegrips. I generally drill deep when I do hollow forms starting with a 1" and progressing up to what ever I can fit. Incidentally I have been using compressed air as you suggest ever since I first read the idea in a previous post of yours, thanks. I have ordered a new MT for my chucks and a set of reamers. Hopefully this will remedy my issues. Thanks again to all who have made suggestions to help me!

[Dan Hunkele]

If a threaded rod is used in a tailstock to keep the taper seated it will render the tailstock inoperable. The rod will keep it from being cranked out for drilling.

[John K Jordan]

If a threaded rod is used in a tailstock to keep the taper seated it will render the tailstock inoperable. The rod will keep it from being cranked out for drilling.

Yes.

I wish someone would design a tailstock that could accommodate a draw bar - would be a big enhancement. I've sketched out some ideas in the past but to retrofit would require more machining than I was capable of or willing to tackle.

Someone here mentioned they used a tailstock drawbar with their lathe but I don't remember seeing a response with details. For me, a drawbar that locked the quill with drilling by simply sliding the tailstock would have several serious limitations.

[Prashun Patel]

In my experience, it takes some precision to drill exactly - i mean exactly - straight. Any slight variation will cause subtle wobble at the tail stock. I suspect it's this wiggle that causes the taper to loosen.

I would suspect your taper is fine and can tolerate a scratch or two.

When I drill, I grab the chuck with a quick clamp. The rubber pads hold the chuck well enough (it does not require a lot of force, and I let the bar of the clamp rotate and lean against the ways. This takes most of the force off the taper. I back out frequently, which evacuates chips and allows the drill to keep true.

[Dick Strauss]

After you are sure your MTs are good on both the headstock and tailstock, you can mount the drill chuck (in the headstock with a drawbar) and use an MT2 to threaded adapter and chuck on the tailstock side. You rotate the drill with the motor and advanced the turned piece you are trying to hollow using the tailstock ram wheel.

[Peter Blair]

Dick, this would work with other projects but I am generally drilling a hollow form of longer than say 6" supported with a home made steady rest the piece is shaped prior to drilling. My tailstock MT3 is the issue and I doubt that it would make much difference if it held the work of the drill.

I tried holding the chuck with a set of vase grips but the vase grips managed to make the chuck hard to use. They seemed to sort of squash the chuck and render it almost useless. In addition I did fine it difficult to use the tool rest as a stop. Setting it up exactly parallel to the bed of lathe was problematic. I did manage a hole by going small first and slow while holding the chuck and trying to hold my air gun at the same time was also awkward. I do have an older key type chuck fitted with a #2MT and a 2 to 3 adaptor that I just may have to go back to using. I only change to the keyless to make things a little quicker.
Thanks again for all the suggestions and help!!

[John K Jordan]

I tried holding the chuck with a set of vase grips but the vase grips managed to make the chuck hard to use. They seemed to sort of squash the chuck and render it almost useless. ...

Are you gripping the body of the jacobs chuck with vise grips? I gripped the mandrel behind the chuck body but maybe there is more space on mine.

All the chucks I have holes machined in the sides. The right sized rod can be used to keep the chuck from rotating in the tailstock along with the tool rest but the holes on some chucks are shallow. I don't use a rod since I want a hand free for the compressed air gun.

For small diameter (and even deep) holes, I just hold the chuck body with my left hand.

[Peter Blair]

Yes John, my visegrip jaws were too wide to get to the mandrel. I received the taper cutters and gently cleaned the taper and drilled a couple of holes yesterday. Holding the chuck in my left hand. I did have one issue it happened when I began to withdraw the drill. I believe most of mu issuers are a result of working wet/green wood which changes shape as you go and likely causes the out of roundness that makes the drill chirp and vibrate and come loose. The last holes I drilled I stopped the lathe before with drawing the drill and that seem to work. Thanks again to eveyone who has offered suggestions to help me!!

[John K Jordan]

Yes John, my visegrip jaws were too wide to get to the mandrel. I received the taper cutters and gently cleaned the taper and drilled a couple of holes yesterday. Holding the chuck in my left hand. I did have one issue it happened when I began to withdraw the drill. I believe most of mu issuers are a result of working wet/green wood which changes shape as you go and likely causes the out of roundness that makes the drill chirp and vibrate and come loose. The last holes I drilled I stopped the lathe before with drawing the drill and that seem to work. Thanks again to everyone who has offered suggestions to help me!!

I have used some channel lock pliers that were thinner and would fit between the back of the chuck and the quill. Also, I ground down the sides of a vise grips and wrenches and such to make the jaws thinner for special uses.

Also, once I used one of those strap clamps with a flexible strap that tightened around the chuck body.

But are there hole in the chuck body that could be held with a steel rod but they are shallow. I think there is enough metal in the body to drill the holds a little deeper. That, I think, would be the best solution in the long run. If I can get to it I'll post about the results. (I think I have 6 pr 7 Jacobs chucks so if I mess one up it won't hurt too bad!

JKJ

[Peter Blair]

John I have about 50 keyless chucks that were in a Lot that I got at auction and of course they don't have a hole. I do have an older key type but it had a #2 MT and I had to add a 2 to 3 to make it work in my tailstock and it was a bit clunky but I don't recall it ever coming loose so I just may have to go back to using it. Thanks again for taking the time to make suggestions and try to help me resolve this issue.