Shopsmith Forums

A friend has just acquired a 520 and has asked me if an other than SS live center would work with his tail stock. I don't turn so, I've no idea.
Thanks for your help.

The tail stock has a #2 Morse taper, so any live center with that taper would work.

Thanks, Brenda.

I'm new to this forum and trying out the post feature.
Anyone know where I can get a live tail stock center with a 5/8" post.
Thinking I could turn things on the faceplate and then place the faceplate on a live 5/8" tail stock center.
I have a live 1"-8 center but can't seem to find a simple way to adapt it to a 5/8" post.

rdgrnstd wrote:I'm new to this forum and trying out the post feature.
Anyone know where I can get a live tail stock center with a 5/8" post.
Thinking I could turn things on the faceplate and then place the faceplate on a live 5/8" tail stock center.
I have a live 1"-8 center but can't seem to find a simple way to adapt it to a 5/8" post.

What pray tell do you intend to due after mounting the faceplate et al to the live tailstock?

Not sure what ya have in mind either but ebay has about every combination of mt2 shafts and parts combinations you could ever want or put together ? also harborfreight , they have mt2 jacobs chucks .
Pretty sure SS still has a mt2 shaft and you can put about anything ya want on it ?. jmo

rdgrnstd wrote:I'm new to this forum and trying out the post feature.
Anyone know where I can get a live tail stock center with a 5/8" post.
Thinking I could turn things on the faceplate and then place the faceplate on a live 5/8" tail stock center.
I have a live 1"-8 center but can't seem to find a simple way to adapt it to a 5/8" post.

Welcome aboard.

I am unclear at to what you're trying to do.

To get us all on the same page as to terminology.



A - Drive Center - mounts on the 5/8" spindle (headstock) for turning between centers

B - Dead Center - mounts in the tailstock when turning between centers (does not turn)

C - Live Center - mounts in the tailstock when turning between centers (has bearings, point turns with work) #2 Morse Taper

this is more elaborate Live Center that has interchangeable points
The spindle on a regular lathe has threads on the outside (like your 1" - 8 tpi description) but a drive center would mount in the hollow end which would be #1 or #2 Morse taper. and a Live center would not have threads either.

Do you perhaps mean a scroll chuck. (like this)
if so you can get a 1 - 8 tpi to 5/8 smooth adapter from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Lathe-Spindle-Ad ... B07B4CPC3P

There is also a lathe arbor that is 5/8" on one end and #2 Morse taper on the other, that lets you mount things that normally go on the spindle in the tailstock instead.
https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cat ... arbors.htm
Please, post a picture of what you are trying to do, and/or rephrase your question.

rdgrnstd, there's a way to do it (with a slight part modification), but I too am curious as to why you would want to.

The Nova Live Center System that Ron showed above not only has a #2 Morse tape shank -- it also has a #2 MT bore in its nose. That's how the various accessory tips mount.

The Shopsmith tailstock chuck arbor has a #2 MT shank, and a 5/8" OD nose that will accept any Shopsmith spindle-mounted tooling. The problem is, the Nova live center's #2 MT nose bore is shallow -- less than an inch deep. So you'd need to cut the tailstock arbor's MT shank down to about 7/8" long. It would still engage most of the depth of the MT bore in the Shopsmith tailstock, however, so this modification probably wouldn't limit its usefulness.

If you do use the Shopsmith tailstock chuck adaptor with the SS faceplate on a conventional lathe be sure to use tailstock support when you turn. The vibration from the tool can cause the morse taper to loosen in the socket. (I know) I use a second chuck mounted on a 1"8TPI live center ( from PSI) in the tailstock of the conventional lathe to reverse a bowl
Bill V

thanks for all of the reply's.
I was going to turn various pieces with a 5/8" hole that I could then place on a live tail stock center and use it as a ram chuck. This piece would then be stationary on the live center. I would use it when turning anything, like a ball between two centers and being able to rotate the ball with out the ram chuck wanting to slip off. Or even a bowl with out the ram chuck wanting to slip off. Sound like I'll just stick with the 1"-8 live center and make an adapter to 5/8".