Riten - vs - Royal Centers

[projectnut]

Here is another question. What is the drawback in running a MT2 live center in a MT3 TS using a sleeve adapter?

There is a Swiss SFJ live center on eBay, but with MT2 shank. It is perfect for my the JET 1024, just curious about its use with a sleeve.

I have done it a number of times and found only 1 minor drawback. My older lathe has an MT2 tailstock and my newer one has an MT3 tailstock. To see if I could interchange the centers I bought an MT2 to MT3 adaptor and an MT3 to MT2 adaptor. Both work well without any runout problems.

The MT2 in the adaptor sleeve extends the center about an inch beyond the normal length of the MT3 center in the MT3 tailstock. However the MT3 center in the MT2 adaptor extends the length of that setup about 4 inches beyond the normal MT2 center in the MT2 tailstock.

In my case the machine with the MT3 tailstock has a bed length of 56" and the one with the MT2 tailstock has a bed length of 60". So far I haven't had to run anything between centers that wouldn't fit on either machine with either setup combination. However if you have a machine with a shorter bed the larger center and adaptor in the small tailstock may create interference problems.

 

[Bamban]

Well, besides the used interchangeable tip Royal on eBay that I got for 60, I secured a good deal on a brand new Riten. It arrived today. What a beauty. We will be turning a lot of barrels.

 

[Tozguy]

I think you made a good buy, Nez. It looked to be in good shape in pics but you never know with ebay. That is an older style changeable tip live center. Similar to the newer ones but if the bearing needs to be changed, Royal should do it. They can completely refurbish it if needed; hopefully, yours will be good.

Royal knows that in order for a changeable tip to run concentric with the live center axis, that tip MUST be ground in the live center in which it is used. That's why you have to send the tip and center to them. If you bought a set of tips on ebay or made tips you need, contact them and they'll arrange for you to send your kit in and they'll bring it to specs. For a Royal, that means 0.00005" TIR under load.

Just wondering how the Ritten is working out for you Bamban and whether it needed any work.