The Lathe Tailstock of the Universal Parallel Lathe

The Universal Parallel Lathe Tailstock, also known as the Moving Head, is, contrary to the lathe Headstock, a moving element. It is located on the right side of the lathe, and can be slid or moved along the entire length of the lathe bed.

Its main functions are to serve as a support in the work of turning and drilling holes, among others.

It is built like almost all the structure of the lathe, in cast iron and is basically composed of two main parts, which are: the body and the clamp that holds the tailstock of the lathe and keeps it fixed to the bed of the machine.

Lathe Tailstock Body Parts

The Tailstock Spindle, which is a mobile element, is cylindrical on the outside and tapered on the inside. The taper of the inside part is standardized, usually a Morse standard. Its tapered design allows it to be made fast and easy with the accessories that are fitted to it, such as The points of the Lathe that can be fixed or mobile and the drill chuck. At the opposite end of the spindle there is a nut that allows the advance or retreat of this element. The material with which it is made is alloy steel, hardened and grinded. Some spindles have a scale engraved on their body either in millimeters or inches, an aspect that is very important.

The Tailstock screw is a fixed element that allows the advance or retreat of the spindle, it is usually manufactured with left trapezoidal thread, it is also attached to the handwheel by means of a wedge and nuts or tapered pins. It is manufactured like the alloy steel spindle.

In its base there is an element called “CLAMP”, which serves to fix the tailstock to the lathe bed, by means of a lever that is attached to an eccentric shaft, a screw and a nut that serves as tension and adjustment to the system, so that when it is operated, the mechanism adjusts and when it is loosened, the tailstock is free.

Another element not less important, is a Sliding Base that is located in the lower part and that makes contact with the lathe bed. The peculiarity of this element is that it can slide or move transversely to the lathe’s axis, so that the tailstock can be off-centered in order to make or turn tapers.

Also the lathe tailstock has a mechanism that allows the fixing or mobility of the spindle and is made up of a screw, a nut and two split bushings. This element allows the spindle to remain fixed when turning shafts and when using the points of the lathe.

In essence, these are the main functions and parts of the lathe’s tailstock, an element without which the lathe would be of little use.

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