In article ,
"JayW" wrote:

I have an old lathe that I got from my Dad. I would like to start using the
thing, but for more then just spindle turning. The tailstock has a
non-rotating center (would that be called a dead center?), but no recess to

Do not worry about the tailstock. For spindles, lube up the dead center
and go. They worked fine for the first 6000 years or so of known lathe
history.

For faceplate or chuck work, you don't need it anyway. If you need to
drill, you can hand-hold a drill with a bit of practice, and a
center-spot put in with a parting tool to help get it started.
(saftey-crat-notice - if you hand-drill stupidly, I suppose you could
manage to hurt yourself - so don't be stupid.)

If you really truly want a morse-taper tailstock, build one out of wood
- look for articles on building an entire lathe from wood, and borrow
the tailstock part, adapted to your iron bed. This is a pretty small
lathe, so building somethng sturdy enough to suit should not be too
difficult.

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