mt1 - mt2

[terrykemm]

I am upgrading my lathe. My current one is mt1drive center. Is it possible to get a mt2 drive center and change the mandrel to a mt2 drive center so I don't have to replace the whole mandrel? To just move the bushing holder to the mt2 drive center.

Thanks
Terry

 

[its_virgil]

If the mandrel will unscrew from the 1MT and if you can find just the 2MT drive and if the threads on both are the same then yes. I suspect you will pay just as much for the 2MT drive that you would for the drive and mandrel as a set. Just get a new mandrel with a 2MT and get on with your pen turning. Time spent looking to save a couple of $$ could be spent turning. Must saying.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

I am upgrading my lathe. My current one is mt1drive center. Is it possible to get a mt2 drive center and change the mandrel to a mt2 drive center so I don't have to replace the whole mandrel? To just move the bushing holder to the mt2 drive center.

Thanks
Terry

 

[magpens]

As Don said, you can buy an MT2 drive that will screw onto your mandrel, and there will be a cost saving of a few $$ over buying a whole new set. But a whole new set may be useful in the long run because mandrels do tend to acquire a bowed shape after a while.

If you decide to just get the drive, the chances of the threads being compatible are pretty good.

Try ExoticBlanks or BearToothWoods .... or even PSI since you are in PA.

There is another way to go but it would be no cheaper. . You can buy a sleeve that fits in your (new) MT2 headstock and which has, on the other end, a MT1 tapered hole. . PSI doesn't sell these but Grizzly or Harbor Freight would. . Just an alternative option, FWIW .... not really recommending it over your other options.

Here is the mandrel "page" from BTW

Bear Tooth Woods - Mandrels and Centers

and from EB

https://www.exoticblanks.com/_search.php?page=1&q=mandrel&categoryid=

and also PSI

https://www.pennstateind.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SEARCH&q=mandrel

 

[monophoto]

Terry -

I went through an upgrade a few years ago. I had a bunch of MT1 accessories that I wanted to use with the new MT2 lathe. My solution involved a number of pieces:

1. I bought an adapter that screwed onto the 1x8 thread of the new lathe, and that presented a 3/4x16 stud to receive threaded accessories. That was cheaper than buying a new bottle stopper mandrel.
2. I had an MT1 bottle stopper and an MT1 step center, and didn't want to replace both. So I bought an adapter that consisted of a male MT2 and female MT1. This allowed me to continue to use those two MT1 items. As others have said, if the the situation had been different and I hadn't wanted to address both of these MT1 items, it probably would have made more sense to just replace the taper fixing.
3. The most expensive MT1 item I had was a jacobs chuck. Fortunately, it had a removable double-ended arbor - MT1 at one end, and JT33 at the other end. I found a replacement MT2-JT33 arbor that was far less expensive than a new jacobs chuck.

 

[terrykemm]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I order the sleeves to be able to use mt1 assessors with a mt2 headstock. Should get the lathe Friday.

Terry