Shopsmith Forums

I read you can turn tapers with the eccentric tail stock. I cannot find anything on how to do that. Do you just rotate the bushing with everything in place?

this should help you out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8v4Ae8C5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_SS67qincs

A suggestion that I would like to offer is to align your tailstock's eccentric bushing to proper alignment with the headstock's spindle. Then LEAVE IT THAT WAY !!!!. If you can buy another tailstock and offset bushing from E Bay you can use the second one for your offsets. I have taken quite a bit of time rechecking my tailstocks after moving them off center for a turning and having difficulty returning to proper alignment. Just remember to mark one as the zero one to avoid confusion.
Bill V

One reason for having difficulty resetting is that the 'dial' is soft and the set screws deform it. Check if this is the case. Epoxy can fill in the 'dimple' etc.

The question is "How do I turn tappers".

I don't know because I don't turn much of anything. Looking at the turnings from that link I would say that offset turning is not a simple operation.

I never tried it with a live center, but if you use the dead center to turn a taper then wear some good noise blocking headphones because there will a terrible screeching sound coming from that tail stock.

You are best off doing a ruff turning of the stock to get it rounded and perhaps even a ruff pass at doing the taper before setting up the off-set.

If you have a recent shopsmith you will find two set screws holding the eccentric cup-center, the older ones have a single set screw. You loosen the set screw(s) and rotate the cup center, you can rotate either way. The calibrations are in 1/16" steps and I seem to remember that maximum is 1/2". You need to of course raise the tail stock to compensate for the changing height of the center as you turn it position. I like to use a board setting on the tubes and taping it against the point then when I rotate the cup-center I try to match the height that way. The 10ER is a different setup and I have never tried to do this sort of operation but there is slop in locating the center so I'm sure it will do some amount of taper.....

You need to use the control the cut by using tool rest, preferably by clamping the tool to the rest. Take light cuts and repeat until you have the taper you want.

Ed

I'se confused. offsetting the tailstock does not result in creating a taper, but rather an oblong profile differing from 'true'

JPG wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 11:56 am I'se confused. offsetting the tailstock does not result in creating a taper, but rather an oblong profile differing from 'true'

I was confused too. But then it occurred to me that if you slide the carriage and tool rest along the way tubes, somehow fixing the cutting tool to the rest, that would indeed generate a tapered turning. Reible suggested clamping the tool to the rest, but I’m having a hard time visualizing that.

I have had good luck by using this setup:
You could also just just the arm with a clamp and piece of flat stock below then the c-clamp, or any other options one can think of.

Ed