How to Measure a Taper on a Lathe

A lathe is a versatile piece of cutting machinery that is used to cut and shape an array of materials. Tapers are cut on lathes using a method that offsets the tailstock while the tapered piece is secured between two centers. The tailstock offset is the measurement that describes the taper. It is essential to find this measurement if it is not included in your lathe project plans. Use whole inches and decimal amounts when taking the tapered piece's necessary measurements and completing the offset equation.

Tapered piece
Tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Use the tape measure to find the diameter of the large end of the taper, the diameter of the small end of the taper, the length of the tapered section and the total length of the piece of tapered material.
- 2
  Subtract the diameter of the small end of the taper from the diameter of the large end of the taper. Multiply the remainder by the total length of the tapered piece to find the numerator of the tailstock offset equation.
- 3
  Multiply the length of the tapered section by two to find the denominator of the tailstock offset equation.
- 4
  Divide the numerator by the denominator to find the final measurement of the taper.

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