MT #2 taper question

[sdb777]

I was looking at a site that sells crow call reed(mouthpiece that presses into the call body), and it stated that it had a MT#2 taper. What is that?
Yes, my lathe takes tailstock pieces with that MT#2 configuration, but I've now got to drill a hole in the call body with that taper?!?!?! Where do I get that drill bit?




Scott (always has to be difficult doesn't it) B

[admin]

Normally, MT-2 and MT-1 are headstock and tailstock tapers. I'm thinking it'd be like a pen mandrel type thing that would hold the call while it's turned to diameter.

TJ.

[Ruffnek]

What you need is a MT#2 reamer. Here's one place you can get them: tool.wttool.com/tools/Morse%20Reamer

I'm sure Tim will be along with more to add since this is right up his metalworking alley. ;D

If you don't want to buy the reamer, I also found a site that shows how to turn the reed down to a straight 5/8" diameter. It looked like a pretty easy process.

www.thogamecalls.com/PDF%20Tutorials/TurningCrowCallsLattaMethod.pdf

[TDHofstetter]

You can also get a MT#2 reamer for only $20 here:

www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=891-4730&PMPXNO=3904656&PARTPG=INLMK3

If you use one, you have to be REALLY CAREFUL and go REALLY SLOW. It goes fast, and it's easy to go too far in a hurry. Ya can't ever put material back in, either, after you've reamed it out.

One nice side effect, if you decide to ream, is that you'll evermore after have a MT#2 reamer that'll also work to (VERY GENTLY) clean up the MT#2 sockets in your spindle & tailstock.

[sachbvn]

Tim - speaking of cleaning up the sockets of the MT#2 pieces.... question - it seems like when I use my buffing wheel it is harder than hell to get out of the socket.... I used to use a wrench and then just strong hand the buffing mandrel and get it out - but I smack the draw bar (carefully and squarely) with a rubber mallet hammer to knock it loose. Sometimes I have to hit it harder than others.....

In fact - the other day the pen mandrel was so stuck in there - I was using the chitty wrenches that came with the lathe and a Cresent wrench to loosen the mandrel - the cheap ass wrenches started to round over the hexed part of the lathe....that big ol' nut looking thing that looks heavy duty.... started to round the corners off. I was super pissed, that does NOT look like an easy fix even if Grizzly were to send me a new one. Luckily - I've found that a pair of angled jawed pliers does a much better job holding that piece while I used a Cresent wrench on the pen mandrel.... and then other times - it just slides right out.

Oh - and I couldn't use the knock bar because the pen mandrel's MT#2 cone end has a frigging hold in it - it's not solid metal, so the knock bar was trying to lodge itself in the end of the pen mandrel.

Geez.....

Zac

[TDHofstetter]

Zac, it sounds like ya need a little bigger knockout bar - one barely small enough to fit down the bore. It also sounds like you may need to clean up (not with a reamer, not yet) the tapers... you may have a little finish on 'em. Shellac is REALLY bad about that, but any finish can bind the tapers. Ya might try lightly wire-brushing the mandrel, and at some point it'd be a good idea to scrub out the spindle's tapered socket with a series of solvents (selected according to which finishes might be inside there). If that's not enough, it may take a "green weenie" (silicone taper cleaner, similar to a reamer) to grunge it out inside.

Typically, if the tapered socket has built up a wart on the inside, stuff won't stay locked in it any more. The reamer fixes that so stuff WILL stay in. A Morse taper is a "self locking" taper, s'posed to grip well enough to need mechanical assistance to break the connection.

Let's figure out the ID and length of your spindle bore so we can come up with another bigger knockout bar for ya. That hole in the back of the mandrel - is it threaded? Like 1/4" or 3/8"? If so, we can rig ya a dedicated threaded knockout bar.

[Ruffnek]

Jan 3, 2010 10:58:51 GMT -6 sachbvn said:

I used to use a wrench and then just strong hand the buffing mandrel and get it out - but I smack the draw bar (carefully and squarely) with a rubber mallet hammer to knock it loose. Sometimes I have to hit it harder than others.....
Zac

Zac, I don't believe you SHOULD be able to turn the MT#2 mandrel with a wrench. It sounds to me like it is gripping the way it should have all along...so that it takes a knockout bar to remove it. Sometimes I have to whack the knockout bar pretty hard to remove whatever I have in the lathe headstock.

If it were able to turn, neither drill presses nor Jacobs chucks in a lathe tail stock would work very well. In fact on the DP, the mandrel would probably fall out if it turned even a fraction.

Am I missing something? Tim?

[TDHofstetter]

Not missing anything at all, Cody - you're right on the money.

[sachbvn]

Cody - yeah - not sure why I didn't think this through, because that totally makes sense....in terms of a DP or putting a Jacobs chuck in the lathe.

Well - hopefully I didn't cause a problem - I don't think I did, but I did squirt a little WD40 in the socket at one point, so.... I guess - at worst I can try and clean all that out and then let it wear away over time.

The hole that the knock out bar goes into must be 1/4" threaded because I use a 1/4" draw bar with my buffing mandrel.

I will measure the knock out bar I have - and see how thick it is.

Thanks!
Zac

[fredbelknap]

Zac I have the same system you have. I have a 1/4" all thread threaded into the buffer mandrel with a lock nut on it . On the other end I use a fender washer and a nut behind that . I just loosen up the outside nut and give it a wack with a wooden mallet. So far it justs pops loose. I use the same system on a jacobs chuck on the tail stock. Mine is a beal system and it is threaded for 1/4"x20 all thread.

[sachbvn]

I have been using a black rubber mallet, maybe I should turn myself a wackin' mallet out of wood! Or just something without "give" and see how that goes. So far, getting the beal mandrel out isn't much of a problem, though sometimes a decent pop of the mallet is needed, it's the pen mandrel that was a problem.... Due to a hole being in it's taper. I'll tinker more tomorrow and see how it goes.

Thanks!
Zac