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Newbie tailstock question - Goodell-Pratt 125

LatheNub

Plastic
Joined
Aug 8, 2022
Hi there all. 1st post here. Just picked up a Goodell-Pratt 125 lathe locally that came with the 4 jaw chuck and the compound slide. My question is...I read somewhere that the tailstock is a MT0 and the (headstock) is MT1? I'm trying to find a drill chuck attachment for the tail stock so that I can then find drills for boring a hole in stock and tapping it. All I see are tapered pieces of metal with a chuck in the end of it. Is this what I'm looking for? Does it just get pressure fit into the tailstock? Is there a way to remove the current center support (pictured) and replace so that it is attached better? I've never used a metal lathe so any help in starting with these or pointing in the right direction would be great. As well as drills and cutting bits for it as it only came with one (rounded unfortunately). I did manage to figure out disassembly and such...so that's good (any recommendations for grease are welcome also).Thanks everyone for any help.
 

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The "MT" stands for "Morse Taper" - it is a standard for a certain taper rate for mating parts. So yes, the tapered piece of metal with the drill chuck attached is what you are looking for.

You are correct in that you press the attachment into your headstock/tailstock, and if they aren't damaged or worn too badly, and are of the same taper rate, your attachment will stay in the tailstock/headstock. This doesn't need to be a lot of pressure - don't go whacking it with a sledge. In some cases I will carefully use a soft (plastic or brass) hammer to seat the attachment into the Morse taper, if I can't get it in by hand. Make sure to wipe out any chips or dirt with a clean rag.

I am not entirely sure what the photograph is of. You say center support (?) but may have the terminology wrong. Can you provide a picture of where on the machine this part was located?

If you are beginning, there's lots of resources on YouTube on the basics. I think one of my favorites is Mr. Pete, as those are some of the videos I watched when I was first getting interested in machining. A lot of questions you may have as you are learning, he has answered: https://www.youtube.com/c/mrpete222

I would also love to see some more pictures of this machine. The Goodell-Pratt factory was once very close by to where I live. They must have made a lot of lathes, as there are quite a few of them kicking around, despite not having been made for 100+ years. Take care of the old girl and be gentle - that's a piece of history! :)
 
Thanks so much for your input. It means a lot that you took the time to do so. I'm putting some photos of the one I'm thinking of grabbing first and then the photos after are of the lathe. Any thoights on grease? Thanks again.

P.s. I'll try and get more pics up......everything I take seems to be too high a resolution.
 

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Ah, I see now what that piece is. The word for it is escaping me - it's been a long day.

From the picture it looks to be in good shape considering the age of the machine.

What are you concerned about with it? It should move in and out when you spin the black handwheel, so long as the lock on the tailstock (the real little lever on the top of it) is released.

Just for curiosity, where are you located?
 
Here are the photos. It does move nicely and comes out......I just didn't know if the drill chuck was to be pressure fit or stretch to that threaded rod in the end of it. Lol..... Makes sense though.
 

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It is essential that a newbie would learn basic terminology and machine functions or such a person can break a machine, or be injured. The book How To Run A Lathe is often recommended as a lathe starting place. An Amazon copy can be purchased for a low price. eBay is another source.
Good to have a copy so you can read the whole book.
By asking one simple question here and then another it will take a lifetime to make apprentice level.
 
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Thanks so much for your input. It means a lot that you took the time to do so. I'm putting some photos of the one I'm thinking of grabbing first and then the photos after are of the lathe. Any thoights on grease? Thanks again.

P.s. I'll try and get more pics up......everything I take seems to be too high a resolution.
The pictures show a very low quality drill chuck that has been grafted on to a Morse taper drill bit shank. The size of the shank is not stated, but it may be a number 1 Morse, which would not fit a number 0 hole. The picture does show something similar to what you need. Just be sure it has a number 0 Morse shank and a geared chuck.

When I got my first metal lathe in 1954, it had a tailstock with a 0MT and it was easy to buy a drill chuck with a 0MT shank. Today, finding an old chuck like that may be difficult. At present, I only know of one new source, and the Sherline chuck arbor, while stated to be 0MT, may not fit an antique Goodell-Pratt tailstock.

The South Bend How to Run a Lathe book is available online for free, so no need to buy a paper copy, at least until you know you want it.

Practical Machinist has a section for antique equipment where your lathe would be a better fit.

Larry
 
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No answer to your question here. Just some friendly advice.

Get a good manual and fast. I started teaching myself in middle school with the atlas/craftsman "Manual of lathe operation". Avocation turned into vocation and here I am 50 years later. No interweb, no youtube, no forums, no assistance. Just eyeballs, a book, and desire. And lucky enough to have a dad that knew I'd be interested so he bought me a lathe.

Sounds like you are a hobbyist. Good for you this is a great hobby. But please do some homework. It will increase your grasp and enjoyment of your hobby.

Be wary of YT vids until you have some knowledge under your belt. Anybody can post anything and they do. Not always correct.

Good luck!
 
Thank you all for your insight and wisdom. Yes...I have no intention of jumping in head first without knowing how to properly use this machine... especially with it's age. I will definitely read that book you recommended and will for sure find a correct MT chuck before just buying one and hoping it will fit. I wish there was a manual for these...I picked it up solely for my want of learning to machine, not wanting to break the bank (since it was a good deal) and due to it's small size. Thanks again to everyone who is helping out a noob.
 
Having your own copy, and taking the time to read it will be a great asset to learning lathe/machining skills .. also a simple book on shop math/trig is well worth the few bucks you pay.

Here is the free download so you can start reading while you wait for your personal copy. https://archive.org/details/how_to_run_a_lathe_1934

Standard tapers: https://littlemachineshop.com/Reference/Tapers.php

 
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Thank you all for your insight and wisdom. Yes...I have no intention of jumping in head first without knowing how to properly use this machine... especially with it's age. I will definitely read that book you recommended and will for sure find a correct MT chuck before just buying one and hoping it will fit. I wish there was a manual for these...I picked it up solely for my want of learning to machine, not wanting to break the bank (since it was a good deal) and due to it's small size. Thanks again to everyone who is helping out a noob.
Perhaps you have not yet discovered that the G-P 125 lathe is now more of a collectors' item than something to use. It was, of course, designed to be used when new, so it can still be used. But it was not a very good lathe when new, and age will not have changed that for the better. Now it is mostly considered a more or less valuable antique. So treat it with care. If it has original paint, keep it that way, but the pictures make me think it has been repainted.

Tony in England has an excellent online resource for owners of old machines and he has lots of G-P info.

And the USA Vintage Machinery site also has lots of G-P info.

You are not the first person to ask about G-P lathes on PM. Here is a link to an old thread that may be of interest.

Larry
 
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The trouble you might encounter is twofold- that is a very, very basic lathe and learning how to use a lathe with it might cause alot of confusion trying to separate improper use from the "technical inadequacies " of the lathe, like when I recently overhauled a bass clarinet without knowing how to play one.
For the tailstock, if it is indeed mt0 look for a jt0-mt0 arbor and a drill chuck with a jt0 socket. Normally one can use the top slide set to the tailstock taper angle to make whatever you need, but you are stuck with (hopefully) turning cylinders.
 
I have a Goodell-Pratt 125 which a tool rest, rather than the cross slide assembly.

Mr. Stretch has it about right. I’m afraid that learning machining on it will teach you more about using that specific lathe than machining in general.

Whichever lathe manual you get your hands on, you won’t be able to do anything involving gears because the GP125 has none. So, no power feeds or threading. What might be useful is the sections on tool grinding and workholding.

Horrible Freight has a little box of assorted High Speed Steel tool bits that will work well for this lathe.

Oh, yeah. You can’t use the compound to cut your own morse taper because the lathe doesn’t have one.

You can find 0MT arbors here, they also have drill chucks, pick one that has the same JT (Jacobs Taper) as your arbor. https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_category.php?category=10
 








 
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