Taper attachment

[augercreek]

Is it possible to make a taper attachment for a Grizzly lathe? I would like to taper some barrels but without using a follower rest it can't be done.

[jeepmann1]

Yes check out the 20mm linear shafts and bearing kits At Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Linear-Shaft-Slide-Units-Supports/dp/B002BBKPLU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_328_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=412Mjrn2ewL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1DANCPE6K5GJCADPV746
a little fabrication and these will work well. U tube has some videos on homemade taper attachments as well
Good Luck
George

[akajun]

What GRizzly? I have the 0709 and purchased one from them. Caution it takes about a days good work to install.
Here is a little secret though, You cant use a standard follow rest when tapering barrels, YOu must use a pheumatic finger rest that you build yourself, which I plan on doing, however, as of now I just use my steady rest, a bag of shot to kill the chatter, along with playing with my feeds and speeds. My taper attachment only has 12" of travel, so you cant do an average barrel in one setup. I generally do the tailstock end first, either over 50% of barrel length or as much as I can, and set the steady up on the headstock end.
When I get that tapered like I like it, I move the steady to the other side and finish up.
A taper attachment is more rigid and produces a better finish than offsetting the tailstock though.

[StolzerandSons]

I bought a second tail stock for my Grizzly Lathe, this way I can leave one centered and true and the other I can off set for taper turning. I leave the stop screw at the end of the bed hand tight so I can easily remove it and slide the tailstock off and put the other one on when needed.

[Cap'n Morgan]

You can make your own "copy attachment to cut long tapered parts, and also barrel profiles and tapered threads on your manual lathe.

This is just a general guideline, you'll need to engage your own ingenuity along the way.

Basically you mount a guide profile behind and parallel to the part you want to cut . It can be a ruler, set at an angle, a flat bar with the profile you want to copy, or even an old rifle barrel.

Remove the set screws that hold the cross slide nut in place, leaving the cross slide free to move perpendicular to the part. Mount a "follower" (preferable with a small ball bearing or hardened pin) on the cross slide to ride along and "read" the guide profile.

Set the compound slide at 90 degrees - it will take over the cross slide's job! Once things are lined up, you just run the lathe as you normally would while pushing (by hand) the cross slide "follower" against the profile. If you engaged some of the aforementioned ingenuity, you may even have added some sort of spring to keep a constant load on the cross slide against the guide profile.

Notice that any profile, other than a straight taper, will (theoretical) need the guide profile to be made with compensation for the diameter of the follower, but this is hardly noticeable on a barrel profile. The smaller the diameter of the follower, the smaller the error.

Did any of the above make any sense? If not, feel free to ask, and I shall do my best to confuse you even more...;-)

"Keine hexerei nur behendigkeit!"

[bangerjim]

Tailstock offset it the fast and very easy to do it! But if you want to use a real taper attachment, yes, you can either make or buy one. I made mine, but installing it is a royal PITA. You have to remove the cross feed nut to allow the tool holder slide to move freely as you move the apron along. I use the tailstock offset method when I need quick tapers. Rarely ever use the attachment. It was one of those projects done in the dead of winter while trapped in the basement in MI!

Good luck with your tapers!

banger

[country gent]

At work for both accuracy, preccision, and ease long tapers were turned between centers with the tailstock offset easier to set up and can be way more accurate. We made a 2 1/2" sine bar up with a vee bottom that cound be set with gage blocks and held to the bar with a light clamp or rubber bands. You then offset the tail stock indicating along the sine bar. Once done it was quick and easy to put a striaght mandrell in between centers and re set tailstock to straight again indicating the mandrell. We had a duplicator follower on one lathe that used .090 thk sheet metal forms clamped down for the follower to duplicate. The sheet metal form was made and formed, back edge was cut to set size and installed with follower on edge. large flowing radiouses were formed and some other rough shapes but it was a pain to get right and to size with it.

[John Taylor]

Several years ago I made an adjustable live center for the tail stock. This allows the center to be moved over without moving the tail stock for turning tapers. After making several and selling them I sent the idea to Pacific Tool and Gauge and they started making them http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/misc-gunsmith-tools-accessories/2019-ptg-adjustable-tailstock.html#/911-choose_morse_taper-morse_taper_3 . Their price is a bit higher than what I was charging but then I don't have the time to make them anymore. On long barrels it is a good idea to use a steady rest to help keep down chatter.

[cwheel]

It is sure possible to make a taper attachment for your Grizzly lathe, and I sure like the idea of making one from those linier shaft assemblies, could end up a nice slick unit. That said, Grizzly still makes these for many of their lathes and has them in stock, why re-invent the wheel here. It could well be that they still stock one for your lathe, and depending on which one you have, might end up being much cheaper to just buy it than make it. Grizzly's prices on these are all over the place depending on what lathe you have. I am one who often makes this mistake, but not in this case. When I bought the lathe, the taper attachment was around $250 extra. My time and materials were worth more than that. Could be the case with your lathe, worth checking. Just a thought,
Chris

[augercreek]

Thanks for the input fellows.