A tailstock is a device found on lathes and milling machines used to turn metal between centers, improve accuracy, and prevent vibration. It consists of a body, adjustable base, feed screw, and handwheel. It can also be used for drilling, reaming, and threading tasks.
A tailstock is a device found on both power and wood lathes, and occasionally on several different types of milling machines. Tailstocks run along the longitudinal or X axis of the lathe bed. They have the ability to serve a wide variety of purposes on the lathe, but are often used to turn a piece of metal between centers. Not only does this improve the accuracy of the turning process, but it can also help prevent vibration, which occurs when the metal begins to bend during turning.
The tailstock usually consists of five different components. The first component is the body, which makes up the bulk of the device. The body is fixed to an adjustable base below it, which runs along the bed of the lathe. A feed screw is used to move the tailstock, which is turned by a handwheel located on the back of the device.
On some lathes, the speed of movement of the device along the bed can be controlled with built-in gearboxes. After the device has been moved to a desirable position, it is then locked into place with a lever. Then, the workpiece is clamped to the tailstock spindle, which holds the workpiece in place at its center of rotation.
A tailstock is typically made from a strong and heavy material, such as cast iron, due to their frequent use and importance. In use, a lathe center is mounted to the inner end of the fixture, which helps to secure the workpiece during rotation. This is especially useful for larger lathes, where the capacity between centers is exceptionally long. This way longer workpieces, such as gun barrels, can be clamped correctly during machining. Long pieces of material that are not fixed can not only cause vibrations, but can also affect the running accuracy.
While the tailstock is primarily used for turning between centers, it can also serve other equally important purposes. Tailstocks can be equipped with different types of drills and tools. These make tailstocks capable of drilling, reaming and threading tasks.
A tailstock drill consists of a bit fixed in the same area where the chuck would be. As the workpiece turns, the tailstock remains stationary. Then it can be used to drill holes in the workpiece as it moves up and down the bed of the lathe. For finishing or larger jobs, a boring bar can likewise be fitted and used for reaming procedures.
A tailstock die can also be used to thread the ends of the stock. This is similar to what you might find in a tap-and-die set, but these are specially made with set screws to hold them securely in place. Just like the drilling and reaming processes, the tailstock remains stationary as the workpiece rotates. During this type of procedure, however, the workpiece typically rotates at much slower speeds.
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