since the tailstock on my lathe is not hollow i was wondering if anyone
had a simple method of making a hollow tailstock to use for boring out
lamps. the bed of the lathe is similar to a graduate.
the simpler the better but may need to take a fair bit of weight.

wrote in message
ups.com...
since the tailstock on my lathe is not hollow i was wondering if anyone
had a simple method of making a hollow tailstock to use for boring out
lamps. the bed of the lathe is similar to a graduate.
the simpler the better but may need to take a fair bit of weight.


Simple it can't be. Concentricity and strength of materials are critical.

Now you can make any number of "steadies" to support a drill bit chucked up
in your tailstock. That would be my approach.

Geoff,
Boring & confusing without a pic, but I'll try to explain. Ask privately
if you wish.

I turned a MT2 for the hollow tail ram of my N3k and drilled a hole to
feed a 3/8" lamp bit through, only to find that I didn't have the
strength to push the long bit into the lamp blank held in the head
spindle.

To use the mechanical advantage of winding the tail stock ram instead of
pushing the bit, I cobbled a 'split collet' to hold the bit and fit
into my Nova chuck. Then I put the lamp blank between tail center and
bit and fed the blank into the spinning bit in increments of the tail
ram's travel.

A little tedious, but winding the tail ram was easy on my arms &
shoulders. As usual, I did things the wrong way, but it worked for me.
Hope thiis helps or at least, doesn't hurt.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Hi Geoff

I can see a couple of ways of doing it, depending on,1) are you able to
take out the tailstock ram, if yes, than you could turn a fitting
wooden shouldered dowel with a large enough hole in it to push your
auger through and insert that in your tailstock.
2) if not you can build a bowl or spindle steady with or without a
fitting collar to feed your auger through.
3) or hold/feed the auger through the headstock and hold the lamp in
the tailstock, again with fitting collars
4) if possible have a hole drilled through the tailstock ram.
And 5) buy a lathe with a hollow tailstock ram,G if you need an
excuse to get another lathe.

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum25.html

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

"Arch" wrote in message
...
Geoff,
Boring & confusing without a pic, but I'll try to explain. Ask privately
if you wish.

I turned a MT2 for the hollow tail ram of my N3k and drilled a hole to
feed a 3/8" lamp bit through, only to find that I didn't have the
strength to push the long bit into the lamp blank held in the head
spindle.

To use the mechanical advantage of winding the tail stock ram instead of
pushing the bit, I cobbled a 'split collet' to hold the bit and fit
into my Nova chuck. Then I put the lamp blank between tail center and
bit and fed the blank into the spinning bit in increments of the tail
ram's travel.

A little tedious, but winding the tail ram was easy on my arms &
shoulders. As usual, I did things the wrong way, but it worked for me.
Hope thiis helps or at least, doesn't hurt.
=============

Arch,
He doesn't have the hollow tail ram that you do, so it will have to be
something either between the tailstock and his lamp base or something
without the tailstock at all. Maybe a fabricated tailstock replacement to
facilitate feeding a drill through to the base, or a steady rest in front of
the tailstock to guide the drill chucked in the tailstock. Haven't done it,
but that's the ways I'd try.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX.

wrote: (clip)
2) if not you can build a bowl or spindle steady with or without a fitting
collar to feed your auger through.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This sounds like the best idea. Build a wooden tailstock-like thing that
attaches to the ways. You need an on-axis hole through it for feeding the
auger. So, drive the auger from the headstock, and force the
"tailstock-like thing" onto it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
3) or hold/feed the auger through the headstock and hold the lamp in the
tailstock,(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you are driving the auger from the headstock, and holding the lamp in the
tailstock, you need a long enough lathe to mount all this. That could be a
problem. If you are feeding the auger through the headstock, it will be
tricky to drive it at the same time. (Either the lamp or the auger has to
be rotating, doncha see?)

Hi other Leo

Yes of course Leo, you would have to hold the lamp non rotating in the
tail stock, you would have to hold the auger turning in the headstock
and feed the lamp with the tail stock ram, backup, feed the auger,
clamp and go, and backup, and etc.,
It was the 3th on my list for a reason G
Then again #5 wood be my preferred way to go.

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum4.html

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

wrote: (clip) you would have to hold the auger
turning in the headstock and feed the lamp with the tail stock ram, backup,
feed the auger, clamp and go, and backup, and etc.,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thanks--I see now. I was hung up on the thought that the auger might not
fit through the headstock spindle. I remember now that threaded lamp pipe
is often used for vacuum chucking, so, obviously, the auger should go
through if it is not too much over size.

Ken, I realized that Geoff's tailstock ram is solid. I meant my first
paragraph to explain why I didn't want to use a hollow tailstock.

Leo, first time I tried feeding the blank by winding the tail ram into
the spinning bit I kept the blank from spinning with my belt. That was
the infamous public dropping of my pants episode.

I used cheap 25" HF twist drill bits and mostly drilled thru the soft
pith of N.I. pine logs, then turned the lamp usig the holes as centers.
A shop made long D-bit would be better for harder stock.

Geoff could drill a hole thru a bar held in his banjo as a bearing
collar for a long bit on center and driven by a hand drill. However, the
poor guy asked for a simple way to make a hollow tailstock.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

wrote: (clip) you would have to hold the auger
turning in the headstock and feed the lamp with the tail stock ram, backup,
feed the auger, clamp and go, and backup, and etc.,

I hav never done this, but I have noticed that of the long drillbits,
Harbor Freight is $10, and WoodCraft $50.

Any commnents on the cheap vs. the pricey solutions?


--
Sending unsolicited commercial e-mail to this account incurs a fee of
$500 per message, and acknowledges the legality of this contract.

Hi Bruce

For deep holes I weld a rod to the drill, works for me.

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum4.html

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

well thanks for the responce guys - just so you know what you are
dealing with i have a link to a photo of similar -
http://www.lathes.co.uk/advertphoto/050917wadkin/3.jpg
firstly i should have said that i was hoping to use a lamp auger and
hollow tail centre (long hole boring kit) and that the hole cold be in
excess of 1 metre.
1. the lathe is simply a fantastic piece of engineering and apart from
a vb i dont know what would i would ever change it for - so changing
the lathe is not an option.
2. the headstock is probably 50cm wide so feeding through the headstock
and then another 50cm would be exceesive.
3. i dont think that any real engineering will be required - since i
dont have the gear it would be expensive and i could probably cog
something together from a hollow tailstock from a graduate if i could
find one for about the same money.
4. im not very confident a bout drilling with excessive long bits held
in the headstock towards a large piece in the tailstock.
5. i was thinking of gripping the hollow centre woth my banjo - driving
it in and securing. but it need constant tightening to stop the whole
thing coming off.
6. so far i like the idea from leo - if i have picked it up right -
take out the barrel of the tailstock (and providing i can remove the
back end which i will have to check) replace the barrel with a turned
piece with tapered hole to fit hollow tail centre. i can then adjust
position etc. all depends on the back of tailstock - not fussed on
drilling it out -

keep the ideas coming and thanks for your help

wrote in message
oups.com...
4. im not very confident a bout drilling with excessive long bits held
in the headstock towards a large piece in the tailstock.

If you take the fixed "steady" option versus having to adjust your steady
device in the banjo, the procedure would begin with boring a hole through
the "steady" using a short, controllable bit in the headstock or chuck,
assuring proper height and alignment. I use nylon for the bushing, but
something as simple as a PVC pipe cap might work if you were careful of
temperature and lube.

5. i was thinking of gripping the hollow centre woth my banjo - driving
it in and securing. but it need constant tightening to stop the whole
thing coming off.

6. so far i like the idea from leo - if i have picked it up right -
take out the barrel of the tailstock (and providing i can remove the
back end which i will have to check) replace the barrel with a turned
piece with tapered hole to fit hollow tail centre. i can then adjust
position etc. all depends on the back of tailstock - not fussed on
drilling it out -


Now you hold your lamp in a chuck, use your "steady" close as you are able
while still allowing the chips to fall and bore with a bit chucked in your
tailstock. Won't do a full meter, but will do a credible job on shorter
stuff.

If required, I'd go with one of the machine-made drill extenders,
personally. Lousy welder.

Hi Geoff

If thats is the lathe you have, congratulations, looks like a solid
industrial grade machine.

Now reading that you want to drill maybe in excess of 1 meter, and it
looks like you have plenty of bed length, and if that lathe was mine
and I was going to do this, with the understanding that you don't have
metalworking machines, then I would build first a steady to hold the
ends of the lamp post, (1 m long post will not stay centered) how big
you want to go depends on what else you want to use it for
(vases,hollow turnings etc.)

Then I would take the tail stock apart and measure, then turn and bore
a cylinder with a shoulder on one end that would fit your tail stock
and if needed you can fasten it to the tail stock, so now you can push
a drill right through the tail stock and drill your lamp post, does
this make sense to you ??
Hope that the auger drills straight, that is very often the biggest
problem drilling deep holes

As for you not being very keen on drilling the tail stock ram, well the
size of the lathe and its parts would suggest that there is enough
material there, however, I can not be sure of that from just looking at
a picture and there could be internal reasons for not being able to do
it, though I would be surprised if that was the case, it is up to you
to determine that after you have taken it apart.
But if you could have someone drill a 7/16" or 1/2" hole through the
ram you would never have to go through all the trouble of taking the
tail stock apart and etc., and it makes taking out centers drill chucks
and drilling long holes a lot simpler.

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum25.html

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

thnaks leo - thats is roughly what i have in mind now - i'll let you
know how i get on...