My guess is they tried to get a standard center to stick out the optimal distance to use a face plate and dog?

The spindle sleeve is shorter than the full Morse Taper. South Bend used the larger end for gripping power and that is what I suggested a person should do when recreating one.

But none of your pieces in the picture was the shorter South Bend factory adapter that was the subject of this posting.

Sorry but you have missed the reasons why normally one would not make the adapter sleeve fit the small end of a Morse Taper as you previously suggested. I am not interested in going out on a new tange

Bill You can hold a rotating object better with 2 hands rather than one. The more surface contact offered by boring to the larger diameter of the sleeve offers the same principle of griping power. Som

I prefer to use the largest diameter possible to have the most grip in a taper. I also prefer to keep things as close as possible to the spindle (least overhang), to reduce stress and amplification of

I am having trouble with this part of your statement also. "Remember that the narrow end goes in the adapter, not the large end." The whole idea of a taper is to hold a tool or adapter. That includes

Did you divide by 2?

Do to the varied level of users on the site, it is best to be direct and blunt or a sheep can easily be lead to slaughter. Lowering your credibility for that user/buyer in future posts.

Caveat Emptor Umm... Look at the pictures!!! It might be the box but it is a crude home-made ball center without the ball or a piece of scrap metal. Buyer beware!!

I would check closer before making that MT4 as I think it would be a very thin sleeve and could prove it's self problematic in use and removal.

I have not but would say that is your call. You can also ream the finish internal taper using a Morse Taper finish taper in the tail stock. I would only do this turning the spindle by hand not under p

I turn the outside and then with it installed in the spindle bore the inside. It becomes an exact fit for your lathe that way. Good luck, glad the group provided help.

Most South Bend used a .602 taper which is not a MT4.5. It is propitiatory and unique to SB.

I am surprised it is listed in 1957. That is nearly 100 years after the Morse standards were created. We don't know when it showed up but seems relatively new compared to the original standards with t

The new so called MT4.5 also is listed as a taper per foot of .6240, where South Bend lists most of their propitiatory tapers at .602 as per the factory South Bend literature I posted earlier. It is a

I agree Paul the so called MT4.5 is a more recent made up designation created to explain what for years what was known as a proprietary taper.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1617/17500.pdf A 14.5" uses a Morse 3 taper with a sleeve that on the outside is a special South Bend taper. It is fairly easy to turn your compound and hand cut the s

A 14.5" uses a Morse 3 taper with a sleeve that on the outside is a special South Bend taper. It is fairly easy to turn your compound and hand cut the special taper. The angle is achieved when you hav

The other thing to remember is the tool needs held more flat not at the angle of the common lantern tool post holder. As shown in the attached old advertisement.