Truly a noob question

stl

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Just starting on this lathe thing.
Probably a dumb question, but what holds a chuck with a morse arbor from spinning when using it is used with a drill bit on the tailstock.
 
Friction ? The tapered stub mates against the walls on the tail stock piece very snugly.
 
Two tapered surfaces can lock together quite snugly. So, in a word, yes, friction is the correct answer.

Morse tapers will generally pop apart pretty easily without much persuasion, but from time to time they can lock together very tightly.

On the other hand, if you have a Morse taper that allows the drill chuck to spin loose easily, there are probably some nicks on one surface or the other, or maybe just some dirt or other foreign material in between the two surfaces.

Oh, and there is no such thing as a dumb question, either. If you don't know, but want to know, you can and should ask!
 
Just starting on this lathe thing.
Probably a dumb question, but what holds a chuck with a morse arbor from spinning when using it is used with a drill bit on the tailstock.

Welcome!
I clearly recall wrestling with this same question not very long ago.
Like Wermie said they hold well, yet come apart easily.
If you have questions about how to them apart please ask.
A bigger hammer may not be the best solution.

Daryl
MN
 
Thanks for the replies. So I then would assume that you would NOT have any oil on the arbor since that would reduce the friction.
 
Exactly right. A nice fresh coat of oil won't be your friend this time. Before you place the taper in the tailstock (or spindle, as the case may be, wipe out the inside socket with a clean, dry cloth. This will remove any particles that might be there. It's a good idea to take a look inside with a flashlight and check for any dings or junk that might be in there.

Wipe off the tapered shank, then slide the chuck, bit, bearing centre, or whatever about half-way in. Then slide it briskly home. You want just enough force to make it stick well.

In the tailstock, it's a good idea to crank the tailstock out far enough to make sure the end of the taper won't hit the solid end of the socket. Most tailstocks release the tool when you crank the barrel back in all the way.

To release the taper from a spindle, it usually requires inserting a bar of some type in from the outboard end of the spindle, then giving the bar a sharp rap or ten with a mallet. If your spindle tooling is held in with a drawbar, leave the threads engaged but loosened. This will keep the tool from sailing across the room when you succeed. :yikes: If you're using a solid bar (I use a piece of broomstick for this), place a large rag over the tooling to cushion it and the lathe bed when it takes flight.
 
To release the taper from a spindle, it usually requires inserting a bar of some type in from the outboard end of the spindle, then giving the bar a sharp rap or ten with a mallet.

Drill presses usually have a slot in the spindle for driving a wedge against the tang on the tool. I have one where I have to align the slot in the spindle with one in the quill to get at it.
 
A morse taper socket should have a slot at the deepest part, where the tang at the end of the male taper fits. This will stop the taper from revolving, under heavy cuts.

My tailstock socket did not have this slot, and drilling with larger MT drills(over 3/4") was always an adventure, as the drill would sometimes slip.

I ended up modifying my tailstock barrel to incorporate some large setscrews, giving me the means to hold the tang and prevent the drills from rotating.
 
or answer B - a drawbar. If your tooling has a threaded end, even though it is a morse taper, use a drawbar (basically a big bolt) to keep the morse just perfectly tight. DO NOT tighten the drawbar except just enough to put tension on the morse taper.
 
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