Clean Up Time For Your Lathe’s Morse Taper
by Alan Stratton on Friday, June 21st, 2013 | 3 Comments
On my lathe, I don’t think about cleaning the inside of the spindle or tail stock, but I should. Gunk can build up in the morse taper of these areas and throw off how well your drive and tail centers seat, center, and hold your work. The gunk can also cause damage to these tools.
But cleaning the morse taper is difficult. It’s a small area – I cannot use a steel brush as it will eventually damage the morse taper.
However, I saw a tip in American Woodturner that helps a lot — use a #20 shotgun cleaning brush. The brush ($2-$3) itself does not have a handle but I’m a woodturner, I can make one out of a pen blank. That is what I did.
Thanks for sharing this information. I believe that maintenance is very important. That is why cleaning on those areas are essential and I am glad that you found that brush to clean for it.
I’m happy you find it useful.
Good turning,
Alan
Alan I have been very impressed with you site, You defiantly provide very crisp instructions, and wonderful ideas, thank you very much for you time and your passion for wood-turning ideas.
Sam Bullard