sounds like manure don't it.... anyway... here's what I learned...
My new lathe has left and right... in and out and a vice on top that has it's
own axis with 5" of travel... normally that axis is in and out... however you
can set it up to be any degree you want from in and out to left and right...
even some negatives... If you set it up 1degee off you can then taper .0175
per inch... if your really gutsy you can set it up to take 3 degree's... but
the bit won't love you much. ( it will try and cut the first inch or two...
but after that it gives up and goes away... ( you find it in my shop and I'll
buy you a beer )
Ultimately I took a 1" mild steel shaft and turned it down over 4" to decrease
it's diameter to about 1/2". I'm going to turn a ball on top of it and then
carry it over to the milling machine and whittle off the sides to make it
about 1/2" thick total... which will make the small end of the taper round...
and the rest of the taper look.... Dahhh Duhhhh... Just like a Shifter...
Hmmm what a concept eh? This whole metal working gig is "Just " like doing
body work in Bondo... you smear all this junk on... and take off everything
that doesn't look like a Berkeley ... fun stuff...
And thanks to all of you who sent me links to some Very cool sites which all
had something to do with Tapers on Lathe's... ( Tonya couldn't figure out
what I was doing until 1 in the morning... )
Keith
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