# What's this arbor/center and what should I do with it?



## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 15, 2022)

Absolute beginner here, with 7x14 lathe...
The seller on AliExpress sent me this by mistake instead of the 'half cutaway' dead center I ordered.




(The seller shipped the correct item quickly, so no problem there..)
It's MT2; the stub end taper included angle is 60 degrees. As a dead center for tubing it would seem to have a very limited range of use, and the end isn't harder metal.

What is it, and what can I use it for?

Thanks!


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## YYCHM (Mar 15, 2022)

What does the center of the stub end taper look like?  Solid?


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 15, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> What does the center of the stub end taper look like?  Solid?


Yes, solid with center drill small hole - same as the MT end.


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## YYCHM (Mar 15, 2022)

Tube center or a blank is about all that I can think of.  BTB - None of my centers are what I would consider hard except for my carbide tipped MT3 dead center.


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## Tom Kitta (Mar 15, 2022)

It could be attachment for something.  You can just re-use it as scrap MT2 for ... attaching something.


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## PeterT (Mar 15, 2022)

It might be a machineable arbor blank. Like if you had a custom taper you wanted you would turn on the end to fit a specific socket taper or whatever.
Maybe they interpreted 'half cutaway' as 'half done' LOL


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## DPittman (Mar 15, 2022)

Make yourself a mt drill chuck mount


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## whydontu (Mar 15, 2022)

drill it and ream to fit your favourite centre drill


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## Janger (Mar 15, 2022)

Turn it into a live centre. You will want one of those too.


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 16, 2022)

Thanks for all those ideas!
I think I'd need to make myself a work holder for that MT first, and that's not going to happen on my 7x14 minilathe.
I suppose I could buy a MT3 to MT2 adapter, and mount the MT3 in the headstock....I'll give that some thought. without a drawbar or recess for the tang, won't the MT just slip if I try to turn it?


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 16, 2022)

Janger said:


> Turn it into a live centre. You will want one of those too.


I have a couple of those now - the skinny one makes it easier to work next to the tailstock end (like threading off the end of a piece.)


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## YYCHM (Mar 16, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Thanks for all those ideas!
> I think I'd need to make myself a work holder for that MT first, and that's not going to happen on my 7x14 minilathe.
> I suppose I could buy a MT3 to MT2 adapter, and mount the MT3 in the headstock....I'll give that some thought. without a drawbar or recess for the tang, won't the MT just slip if I try to turn it?



I've made MT2/3 dead centers that way no problem.


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 16, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> I've made MT2/3 dead centers that way no problem.


Good to know, thanks for that. I'll wander off to AliExpress to see about either a MT2-MT3 adapter or a 'MT extension', as I could chop the socket part from 
one of those. The adapter would be cheaper, I think.


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 16, 2022)

whydontu said:


> drill it and ream to fit your favourite centre drill


Do you grind a flat on the center drill and then use a setscrew to hold it?


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## YYCHM (Mar 16, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Good to know, thanks for that. I'll wander off to AliExpress to see about either a MT2-MT3 adapter or a 'MT extension', as I could chop the socket part from
> one of those. The adapter would be cheaper, I think.











						SLEEVE MT3/MT2
					

Busy Bee Tools is Canada's largest Woodworking & Metalworking retailer. Find power tools, woodworking tools & metalworking tools at factory direct prices.




					www.busybeetools.com


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 16, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> SLEEVE MT3/MT2
> 
> 
> Busy Bee Tools is Canada's largest Woodworking & Metalworking retailer. Find power tools, woodworking tools & metalworking tools at factory direct prices.
> ...


Thanks.
Or this $9.15 CAD, with free shipping...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000898273338.html?s
if I had a local BB, I'd go there for my Chinese and Indian stuff; BB does support a few Canadian jobs. But generally I can't afford to shop there because of prices and shippng costs.


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## YYCHM (Mar 16, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Thanks.
> Or this $9.15 CAD, with free shipping...
> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000898273338.html?s
> if I had a local BB, I'd go there for my Chinese and Indian stuff; BB does support a few Canadian jobs. But generally I can't afford to shop there because of prices and shippng costs.



Do you have a KBC or KBS  close to you?  Lee Valley might even have them (I didn't check).  The problem with AliExpress is the god awful wait time  Check Amazon.


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 16, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> Do you have a KBC or KBS  close to you?  Lee Valley might even have them (I didn't check).  The problem with AliExpress is the god awful wait time  Check Amazon.


Thanks for those suggestions. Yes, long long delays in getting stuff from AliExpress or Banggood..not ideal if I haven't planned well in advance. 
Nothing much is close to Victoria . Princess Auto, Cdn Tire, KMS Tools and Leevalley are about 'it'. If I was interested in paying 'stratospheric' prices I could shop with the "no worries on the price; put it on the government/shop account" crowd at Ackalnds Grainger or Western Equipment I suppose, but that's not likely!
If I want something cheap and Chinese quickly, my pick is amazon.ca - though I'd rather not shop there, I often can't afford not to, with free shipping vs silly shipping costs at other places.
Even with Amazon, I need to pay attention - it's easy to pay double or triple the AliExpress price on Amazon and still get shipping taking 6 weeks. 
I just ordered a MT2 'extension' Accusize via amazon.ca. My plan is to chop off the socket and chuck it in the lathe. With the 4 jaw I should be able to get it running true enough.


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## whydontu (Mar 16, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Do you grind a flat on the center drill and then use a setscrew to hold it?


Yup, easiest way to do it and the set screw stops the centre drill from getting stuck by vacuum.


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