Minilathe tailstock build up

[cfellows]

I'm beginning to think seriously about making a new foot for my minilathe tailstock.  Current footprint is about 2.5" long left to right and 2.75" deep front to back.  I'm thinking of something closer to 4.5" long, left to right and 3" deep front to back.  I have a piece of bras that I could make it out of or could probably order a piece of cast iron.  Any thoughts of the pluses and minuses of using brass?

Chuck

[websterz]

Brass is going to be more subject to thermal expansion than steel so it may move in temperature extremes. Also brass picks up chips easily and they can embed worse than in ferrous material. I made a new base for my 7x12 tailstock a year or so ago and used a piece of mystery steel. It gave me the advantage of being able to use my surface grinder to get the new base just right height wise. If it were me I would not use brass, but that is just my personal opinion which, according to my wife, is not worth much most days. 

[cfellows]

Brass is going to be more subject to thermal expansion than steel so it may move in temperature extremes. Also brass picks up chips easily and they can embed worse than in ferrous material. I made a new base for my 7x12 tailstock a year or so ago and used a piece of mystery steel. It gave me the advantage of being able to use my surface grinder to get the new base just right height wise. If it were me I would not use brass, but that is just my personal opinion which, according to my wife, is not worth much most days. 

I hadn't considered some of the things you point out.  Did you make any alterations to the base or just make a bigger one?

Chuck

[websterz]

I did mine as part of a camlock modification so there were a couple of changes to accommodate that, but for the most part I just made it bigger.

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

Chuck,

Iron or steel are your best material choices to match the stiffness and expansion coefficients of the rest of your lathe.  It's not so much that the footprint of MiniLathe tailstocks are bad as it is that the fit and clamping are (generally) poor.  Honing and lapping your bed true is the best place to start in my experience.  Ensuring that your tailstock bore is properly aligned with your spindle is the next exercise.  (As I made a taper turning attachment for my MiniLathe, I did not need to keep the set-over capability which simplifies this step immensely.)  Finish that off with a good camlock and you will be amazed how much better and faster everything happens on your MiniLathe!

[cfellows]

The biggest issue I have with size of the tailstock base is that it isn't very unstable when not locked down.  I like to just slide it on the ways for reaming, tapping , etc.  I already have the cam lock change done.

Chuck