pipemakersforum.com

Hello everyone, I am knew to this site so take it easy on me. I have been saving up for a machining lathe for some time now and my step father(bless his heart) went out and bought me a lathe as a gift. Yes, that lathe is a mini wood lathe 8" by 12" with a Mt-1 headstock by Harbor Freight. The problem is, I can't find any accessory that will fit that size head stock to hold the stummel in place. I'm told that I need a 6" wood lathe chuck but I cannot find one that size for the life of me. The only one I have found is a 2" wood chuck. Has anyone with this same lathe figured out any solution to this dilemma? I had no problem finding a mt-1 drill chuck and a mt-1 live center.

Also if anyone happens to have the same lathe, could you give me some tips on what I need to make it useful for pipe crafting? Like I said, I intend on getting a machining lathe but I would like to make this one work in the meantime. I don't want my step father's thoughtful gift to go to waste.

Please help!!! Thanks a bunch.

Dave

I'm not aware of anyone else that uses that lathe, never mind for pipe making. Unfortunately, your'e in uncharted territory here.

Looking at the manual, the spindle threads are 3/4"-16tpi. That's a very common size, so you should be able to find all kinds of chucks from Oneway, Teknatool, PSI, etc that fit it, along with associated tower jaws for gripping blocks. The Oneway chuck from Oneway is a good fit for this.

Okay, well thanks a bunch, I actually haven't received the lathe yet I just went to H.F. to check it out and I saw that the headstock was an Mt-1 so I started looking around for accessories that would fit that size headstock.

Maybe I'll be able to make use of it after all! I appreciate you putting the time into looking at the lathe's manual and replying to this post.

Best regards,

Dave

MT1 is a machine taper, and really should only be used for things like dead and live centers, as well as jacobs chucks or large taper-mount cutting bits. The faceplate and work-holding chuck will screw onto the spindle in order to ensure a secure fit. A machine taper can vibrate loose, whereas a screwed on chuck won't.

Kurt,

So will I be able to make use of this lathe in anyway when it comes to pipe crafting? Like: Drilling, rounding the bowl and attaching buffing wheels to it for finishing jobs? I don't want to except the lathe as a gift if it turns out it won't be useful. Again, I have not received the lathe as of yet, but I'll be getting it from him this up coming weekend. Obviously I don't know a anything about lathes. I plan on taking a pen turning class at my local wood craft shop to help me understand how to properly use one.

Thank you much,

Dave

In my opinion - yes, with care. This lathe is a bit smaller than the one most beginners use, but that should not be used as an excuse or crutch. With some thoughtful consideration, it should serve you well as a pipemaking platform.

I found out long ago that one should never discount another's desire to do something, even in the face of enormous adversity. If you really want to make a pipe with that lathe, you'll find a way to do it.

A couple other forum members an attest to my own "shortcomings" as far as tooling when it comes to making pipes or knives. If you refuse to let your tools limit you, you can do amazing things.

Kurt,

Thanks for the encouragement. I will make it work then!

Best regards,

Dave

Okay, So I finally got my lathe and I've been playing around on it some but it's time to get serious. I have no idea what kind of chucks I need to hold the briar block in place. Can someone please give me some advice? I need a chuck that fits a 3/4 x 16 TPI.

Thanks,

Dave

Oneway, all the way.

Get a Oneway chuck and a set of Tower jaws. It's the best solution for hobbyists in my opinion.
http://www.oneway.ca

Okay, I just now realized that I put this post up in the wrong section, sorry about that. Anyway I went out and bought a SuperNova2 with a long nose jaw set and of course an adapter to fit the 3/4x16 TPI. The fellas at the woodwork shop had no idea how to chuck the briar piece (I brought one along.) First of all, I would like to hear your thoughts on the chuck and jaws I just purchased (very expensive.) and I would like to know how I chuck the briar? Do I leave a Jaw off? Obviously there is no way to center this without leaving a jaw off. They did NOT recommend that I leave a jaw off for safety reasons. Please fill me in.

Thanks for your time,

Dave

That's a four-jaw chuck. What you do is leave two jaws off, and just leave a set of opposing jaws attached.

I'm not really aware of any safety problems with regard to leaving two jaws off. At this point you are basically emulating a two-jaw chuck, which are widely used in a variety of situations.

I can snap a pic if need be. Just let me know....