Newbie on old wood turning lathe

[Dollydaydream]

Hi, I'm keen to have a go at wood turning and I've recently acquired an old lathe (rescued from scrap yard, budget being a little tight) and after researching think it's a Clarke CLV20RV been modified as it has a steel tube bed like CLV12 but other parts differ. There are several bits missing the most important of which is the tail stock centre. There is a screwed tail stock spindle with a plain brass 1/2" bush inside. My research shows they are usually morse taper centres. We can't quite figure out what is supposed to go in it to hold the work.
Can an expert help me please. Every thing else works and I'm keen to get going! Many thanks

[seventhdevil]

some pictures will help...

[Bill21]

Some inexpensive lathes don’t have Morse tapers in the headstock or tailstock - it reduces manufacturing costs. On some of these lathes the headstock spindle is just a solid threaded bar. A drive centre or face plate simply screws on. Tailstocks similarly just have a threaded bar to take a provided centre. Getting accessories to fit these budget lathes is problematic. As said though a picture will help or perhaps a link to a similar model.

[Twisted Trees]

We need pictures, and measurements and even then probably can only guess at possible answers.

The Clarke CLV20RV is from a cast flatbed, so probably wouldn't fit on a tube frame without a lot of changes. However if it is that the spindle should be 6" above the bed and have an MT2 (morse taper size 2) IF your headstock does not have an MT2 then your tailstock probably didn't either, they almost always match!

To be brutally honest it is not a good lathe, it is a budget machine that the brand new equivalent is under £200.

SO whatever you do, do not spend a lot fixing it. Go with a bit of faceplate work, join up with your local club see if there is some training available, that will get you access to tools and a better idea of what is required, and scan the adds see if a replacement tailstock comes your way. At the same time compare prices of second hand fully working lathes to the cost of fixing yours.   

My first month or so of turning was on someone else's lathe before I even had a roof on my workshop, guidance is invaluable as well as being the best way not to overspend on things you do not need but also how to be safe, and get a result that will encourage you to continue.

[Dollydaydream]

Struggling to upload pictures - getting error message.  Thanks for your comments which we have taken on board