# I turned a taper...on purpose...what a saga!



## ShawnR (Mar 1, 2021)

Do you ever have those days (turning into several days) when you go to the shop to do one simple thing and end up doing several other things instead, but based on that initial intent...? I doubt I am the only one.
Last week, I decided to see how "accurate" my lathe is, that is, turn a straight piece and measure the diameter at either end..sounds simple enough....  (insert sound of impending doom here)

Day 1  Decision to turn test piece
1 find suitable material  (1/2" x 16"    should be good...taking light cuts)
2 load it up and start turning
3 find chatter---sharpen tool bits---still chatter--sharpen more, ---choose other bits,---- try HSS, ----then back to carbide---chatter, chatter......walk away
4 decide problem must be in live centre (sloppy..it isn't but must be it) so figure dead centre would resolve the issue---can't find a dead centre--must have given it away by mistake with that old lathe.....lament about that

Day 2
5 surf internet for dead centre---pretty cheap to buy--shipping would be 2 -3 times so should make it---sounds hard--better youtube...for days.....does not look that hard--should do it some day
move shaft to lathe bench, (getting dusty from other projects ) for future consideration

Time ticks on, other projects get done, dogs get walked.

Day 6 after surfing internet for lathe alignment ideas, learn that level is important... although not on ships.....rather don't twist the lathe bed so usually level the lathe....decide to try a thicker test piece...find 1" stock..decide to level lathe first.....half a day to make solid adjustable feet for lathe bench which currently sits on casters...level bench with carpenters level....cheap carpenters level but that looks better....turn test piece...must be wrong, only out less than .001"..turn again, try vernier caliper...try other vernier caliper....try micrometer again....check micrometer with test piece....looks good...ponder what it was before levelling...?  mmmmm...lathe is not the source of any problems that I might have......need to find other excuses...


Day 7
6 decide to finish turning dead centre and taper...looks interesting (and I might need a dead centre some day) thanks to youtube....youtube equals confidence...not necessarily skills, but confidence......load up existing taper and slide tail stock over (saw this on a video)---tail stock is tight, must be seized or stuck--remove tail stock, disassemble, clean, deburr, (had this thing for 20 years and now I am deburring?) reassemble and pat self on back for finally doing that deburring thing
7 reinstall reassembled tail stock on lathe, load MT2 taper between chuck and live centre  and slide tail stock back and forth till cross slide tracks perfectly (for me) using dial indicator
8 feel good, go inside to reaquaint and reintroduce myself to wife

Day 8

9 back to shop in the morning, anxious to get turning--realize you can't (should not) turn a shaft between a chuck and an off set centre---reconfigure stock with one centre and one straight shaft pointy thing in chuck.....need a "lathe dog" ----never used a lathe dog-----used to have some-----probably lost that in that lathe transaction too!

Day 9
10 start making a lathe dog--find material, cut, drill, tap, weld, get torches, heat burn, bend, cut to length.......that worked out ok...pat self on back again.
11 back to lathe, find out stock is loaded perfectly!......if tool was on the back side....
12 realign tail stock in correct direction this time.....pat self on back again as that was easier...try to use sensitive dial indicator to do that really good job!! ..don't have a holder suitable---decide good enough
13 forgot to centre drill blank--have a centre gauge..how hard can it be? ...marking dye...centre gauge---centre punch---extra lighting, drill press, centre drill....looks good!
14 load it up...wait...wtf...how did the centre go off centre?!!!  I am turning a taper..put worst end at narrowest end.....it will work......maybe....
15 start turning...finally making chips!  turning nice, dog is working....finish is good (ish for hot rolled generic steel)...........wobbling...retighten chuck....still looks good...finish turning taper....cool! 
16 finish not a like a mirror, ground shiny surface like on youtube...mmmm...sand paper....more sand paper...more sand paper....looks good! pat self on back again..still no mirror but pretty good for me!
17 realize should have milled ends first...nice taper but how to finish ends with a tapered shaft in chuck? .mmm realign tail stock as per scale on tail stock...looks close...this aligns cross slide  with tail stock so can turn parallel again....theoretically..if tail stock is in exact spot.....should be pretty close....
18 cool...that worked...turn ends straight.....what ends do I want? forgot that a dead centre was the goal...milled off that part already
19 remove from lathe, cut off excess with cutoff saw....reinstall in lathe using aluminum soft jaws to hold it to face off other end (should have done this first?..maybe? 
20 try it....nice! holds nice...like really nice...but kind of useless ....but I turned a taper...  on purpose!  And it only took me a week+....!  
21 clean, degrease, take photos, post saga......move onto to something else.....thank goodness I don't do this for a living! 

Hoped you laughed. I did!

Cheers,


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## YotaBota (Mar 1, 2021)

This sounds so familiar, you must be the brother no one told me about. lol


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## Crankit (Mar 1, 2021)

Once a year...I get one of these soap operas!


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## DPittman (Mar 1, 2021)

Thoroughly enjoyed reading that and needed a laugh tonight.   Thanks for sharing your talents.  
Yes most of my shop days sound similar.


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## historicalarms (Mar 1, 2021)

the only part of the saga you forgot was the laying awake at night for hours trying to figure out a viable solution to the project problems... and then the shortcut  to the original solution.


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## ShawnR (Mar 2, 2021)

historicalarms said:


> the only part of the saga you forgot was the laying awake at night for hours trying to figure out a viable solution to the project problems... and then the shortcut  to the original solution.



I seem to do that with all of my projects. I thought in retirement I would sleep longer but now wake up earlier, thinking about shop projects! 

Could be worse....


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## Hruul (Mar 2, 2021)

LOL I know this saga all to well.  Make a lot of jigs, projects, finish other projects only once I want to make something and realize that I really could use/need that piece/jig that I started before and never finished.


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## Tom O (Mar 2, 2021)

It’s a given fact that the brain knows when your head hits the pillow that’s why we nod off in chairs!


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## CalgaryPT (Mar 2, 2021)

ShawnR said:


> I seem to do that with all of my projects. I thought in retirement I would sleep longer but now wake up earlier, thinking about shop projects!
> 
> Could be worse....


Boy does this comment hit close to home.


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## Swharfin' (Mar 3, 2021)

Yep all the above


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## Darren (Apr 16, 2021)

Shawn, do you need a MT2 dead center? I think i have a few kicking around


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## ShawnR (Apr 18, 2021)

Thanks @dfloen but I have the live centre for the lathe and will be selling it when the new one is setup. Don't think I will be needing one. 

Regards, 

Shawn


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