Need short MT3 headstock dead center

[AMDtrucking]

I'm sorry, my question may sound newbie (because I am), but I'm trying to turn a piece between centers with a lathe dog. My standard length Morse-3 dead center, inserted into Craftsman 101 12" lathe headstock, is too long and the arm of my lathe dog, cannot reach the faceplate.
Am I missing on something? Do shorter dead centers exist? I couldn't find one. Maybe there is another method?
Please advice.
Thank you.

 

[amuller]

Have you tried a #3 to #2 sleeve and a #2 center?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

how much is the tail short?
you could construct a dog with a longer tail,
or put external threads on the tail and make a internally threaded extension from pipe or solid stock too, but you should keep the length to a minimum.

i just cut an MT3 taper for a slitting saw arbor,
i could make you a soft center pretty easily (you could too ), if you can ascertain how long you need the total length of the center to be
a picture would help too, if you have the means to post it

 

[benmychree]

Or, you could chuck a piece of round stock and turn a center point on it and drive the dog with the chuck jaws.

 

[Wreck™Wreck]

You have a lathe so just drill, bore and tap a piece of stock that bolts to the face plate that will reach and hold the dog arm.
Nothing could be more simple for a machinist.

Like so

 

[AMDtrucking]

Have you tried a #3 to #2 sleeve and a #2 center?

No I haven't, will it make it shorter? Actually, it made it even longer.

 

[AMDtrucking]

Or, you could chuck a piece of round stock and turn a center point on it and drive the dog with the chuck jaws.

I thought of that, but instead, I turned my own MT3 taper (With my tail-stock offset) and made my own stubby MT3 center. But I want a hardened one or even carbide tipped. I couldn't make one myself. I need it about 30mm shorter, then standard. Sorry I am Russian and use metric. That is 1.1811" shorter.

 

[Robert LaLonde]

Or, you could chuck a piece of round stock and turn a center point on it and drive the dog with the chuck jaws.

Yeah, what he said.

I thought of that, but instead, I turned my own MT3 taper (With my tail-stock offset) and made my own stubby MT3 center. But I want a hardened one or even carbide tipped. I couldn't make one myself. I need it about 30mm shorter, then standard. Sorry I am Russian and use metric. That is 1.1811" shorter.

You don't need carbide in the chuck end. Its not going to see any friction unless you are turning a taper with an offset tailstock. Even then it would not see as much as the tail stock center, and a little high temp grease goes a long way.

 

[AMDtrucking]

You have a lathe so just drill, bore and tap a piece of stock that bolts to the face plate that will reach and hold the dog arm.
Nothing could be more simple for a machinist.

Hah! Why didn't I think of that? I have a mill too.
But I want my work to be as close to the spindle, as possible. I think, the shank of a dead center is not that hard and I could cut it with carbide insert and turn it 60°, after I grind a chunk off one broken carbide tipped dead center. No, I am NOT going to use parting off tool on it. LOL

 

[benmychree]

Headstock centers are generally left soft so that they can be trued up with a cutting tool when necessary; often they are marked with a groove near the 60 degree point so they can be identified versus the tailstock center which is always hard. It is a good idea to stamp the end of the spindle and the center with reference marks so that they can be replaced in the same orientation each time they are used so that they tend to run true at each use. Who has used a dead center in the tailstock for several dog's ages? We used them in high school machine shop class in 1963, but not since then other than on cylindrical grinders.