chuck plate/face plate

allen levine

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new york city burbs
I was given some 2 x6 oak that was part of some piece of furniture. I cut all the dados out, pulled all the nails and screws out, and cut around to make pieces.
I glued a one inch block of hardwood to the 2 inch block, so I can screw the glue block into the face plate, so I can play with it, see if I can make anything resembles a plate or low bowl.
I was looking around for really, really cheap chucks just for my cheapo lathe, and IM a bit confused between face plates vs chuck plates.
I can mount a chuck on certain face plates but not on other, need chuck plate. Are they the same thing?does is depend strictly on hole alignment on plate as to whether or not it will hold a certain chuck?
 
Allen, the only chuck plates I'm familiar with (and only vaguely, at that) are for metal lathes. I think you're looking for something like one of these, sometimes referred to as a "scroll chuck":

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CUG3418C.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSC500.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSC2000C.html

Any of those would be decent starter chucks, and still be worth having down the road when you upgrade your lathe.

Another good chuck that can move with you to a new lathe would the Nova G3:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...Teknatool_Nova_G3_Chuck___tekna_nova_g3?Args=

The closest things to a chuck plate I know of for a wood lathe are commonly called "jumbo jaws" or "flat jaws" like these, and they still require a chuck like one of the ones I linked to:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/flat-jaws.html
 
Allen,

I think you might be referring to chuck mounting plates, as Vaughn stated, which would be used to mount chucks for metal lathes. (although I think I have seen something about them somewhere for certain wood lathe chucks too)

I would like to suggest one more of Penn State product, the Barracuda 2.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSC3000C.html

I have one and like it. It came with four sets of jaws and is a key operated chuck, which is much easier to use than the other "Tommy bar" chucks. I also bought a set of flat jaws which come in handy for finish turning the bottom of bowls and such.

Aloha, Tony
 
Recommend the Barracuda 4. It is big but since it comes with four sets of jaws is very-very versatile. You can put a spur in the center and maybe never have to remove the chuck.
Even though you claim the lathe is cheap, you can still do good work with the right accessories and you can keep them if you replace the lathe.
 
Those smoke breathing Californians are right, :D


Chuck Plate is a term relating to Metal Lathe turning, it is a disk screwed to the spindle , contains slots tho insert the tail of a dog that hold the stock and applies torque to turn the materisl. (the material is suspended between centers, on on the tail stock assembly and the other inserted in the middle of the Chuck Plate)

Face Plate is reserved for wood lathe, where it is a disk that threads onto the spindle and has holes for screwing the material (or a sacrifice material glued to stock) Some turners are happy with glueing the faceplate to the stock with hot glue, etc.

A chuck, is a gripping device that will hold the stock. 3 jawed chucks are usually reserved for round stock on a metal lathe. Four jawed chucks have been designed for wood lathes holding round stock. There are also four jawed independent chucks where each of the jaws are adjusted indepently allowing for odd shaped material can be clamped in. These are used both with metal lathes and wood lathes.

Back when I began turning, no one had thought of adapting a metal working chuck to a wood lathe, :dunno: we only had spindles or faceplates, :huh: then someone got a good idea and made adaptations, some fine devices have emerged.

Progress: :thumb: I use faceplates, independent jawed chucks and the self centering chucks. Each has it own advantages and none is better than another. Just Preferances.
 
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my 88 dollar lathe came with a face plate.
I was going to buy a cheap chuck with it, but the chuck said it needed a plate.
I decided 88 dollars was enough to experiement.
So I cut up a piece of birch, the only thing I had planed and flat in my garage last night. Mistake, because birch is hard, hard hard.
I screwed it into the face plate, then glued a piece of oak(oak from a piece of furniture my wood guy was discarding, but I took it home, descrewed it, cut around all the dados, and had some short thick pieces, figured eventually for cutting boards).
I cut the oak down to almost a circle.
I screwed the plate onto the headstock, and with my cheapo dull chisels(alot of practice, nothing to sharpen them with except sharpening paper, not working out too well), and began to spin a tiny bowl. I just wanted to make a small change dish for my son for helping me out with the driveway this morning. Oak is hard, my chisels are too dull, my hands are tired, but after an hour of playing, I was in around an inch, nothing fancy, as simple as simple can be, and the dull chisel hit the side of the oak and boom, the top of the side cracked off. so much for that. I was only going another 1/2 inch down, then going to even it out and put poly on it. Getting the oak off the birch was another story. I used too big of a glue block, couldnt cut it off on the lathe, so I went to the bandsaw, and almost took my fingers off.
So much for wood turning today. I need to get something to sharpen the chisels with, its down right dangerous. (to use dull chisels, especially when youre unskilled)
Another problem with my 88 dollar lathe, is that the lowest speed in only around 1200, maybe too fast for a bowl, I dont know. But I did have fun, loads of fun until the bandsaw got mad.My fault, but it will never happen again. This is how it ended up, and when you guys see pictures of my backyard, youll see my lathe pieces thrown around, I chuck them onto the lawn so I dont have to have them laying around the shop.
(my wife said it looks like a doggie dish, shes right ofcourse. but I have no shame. I did learn to spin oak you need really sharp chisels)
I got a jewelry chest waiting on magnets, gonna go do something I dont know how too.

btw, spinning things is alot harder than those guys on the videos make it look. I think Ill master hand cut dovetails before I can spin something Id use on a piece of furniture.
 

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Man, your day was full of lessons, huh? You learned the danger of dull tools, and the hazards of cutting round stock on a bandsaw.

I hadn't realized your lathe's lowest speed was that high. That is indeed way fast for bowls and such, especially the initial roughing cuts. Is this the lathe you got?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45276

And the last question...which set of turning tools did you get? Was it the $9.99 set or the $45.00 high speed steel set?
 
That was a day of lessons.
Interesting that you throw out failed pieces. But, you are showing determination to stick with it. :congrats: That's good.
Interestingly, I seem to get sentimentally attached to my failed pieces and just keep them on my workbench. Very large, eclectic collection of blown pen blanks and larger stuff. Needless to say, the 'work' area on my workbench is shrinking.
BTW, those pros use green wood. That's why you see shavings fly like crazy. I think most of use wood on hand and that is invariably dry.
 
Vaughn, yes, that is the lathe, I have not put on the sanding disc plate.
I had purchased a set of chisels last trip, around 2 months ago to harbor, it was 39.99, on sale that day for 29.99.
They arent dull.
It has to be that oak.
I went back in before I started the jewelry chest, and took out another piece of scrap walnut cutoff from the legs I just made, A short piece. In 2 minutes I had a perfectly round dowel, put some shape in it and made it a very short candle holder. My daughter wants me to make her all sizes and shapes of single candle holders. It cut and spun the walnut with ease, simple.
And pine cuts like butter.
Any suggestions as to how to slow down the speed?(there are only 4 pulley adjustments lowest is like 1100 something)
Hey, that lathe was 119.00 last week, reduced to 109.00, it was in their circular.(the receipt, with my 20% off coupon)
I was going to buy the 99 dollar black lathe they have, but they didnt have it on display, and the sale price was close enough with this one.
Jets gotta get some sale going either before or after xmas season. (you guys at Jet listening?)

ONe more question, maybe stupid, but just in case before I order wrong thing.
Everyone has their choice of chucks I see, and I see they are all top quality, Im sure. Im pretty sure my lathe is a #2 Morse taper, so any of those chucks will fit? Is it a standard size? (and someone else direct me to a decent set of chisels, nothing extravagant, but something a novice will be happy with. I will buy a grinding wheel before I start to spin much else, that I can get anywhere)
 

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Allen
Chucks (usually) screw on to the spindle rather than with an MT. Most come with some adapters to fit the threads on the chuck from common spindle threads. If your spindle is a weird type, you may end up spending quite a bit to adapt the chuck. Do check chuck threads vs. your spindle threads before spending money on the chuck.
If you have the HSS set of tools, those should serve you well for a long time.
Put that sanding disk on, get some fine grit papers and use that for sharpening. It will take practice, but you can do it.
As far as slowing down your lathe, someone with mechanical expertise would have to look at it and figure out a way to adapt. If the drive pulley comes off easily, you might be able to slide a different tiny one on and get slower that way. Just an idea, dunno :dunno: without seeing it.
 
another glue block,(maple this time), another piece of wood(maple this time), and one more try tomorrow morning with the 1100 speed.
No reason I shouldnt try.
This is my chisel set, HSS marked on them, made in china, (and which one is the skew and which one is the cutting tool?)
This is my lathe, and thats the driveway I resealed and coated this morning at 5:30 am.(I had my son for that)
 

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Your glue block is WAY too small :D

It should be just a bit bigger than the faceplate, and yes, the face plate is a bit on the large size, the stock units that come with most lathes are usually way too big:dunno:

You need a larger glue block for support of the work piece, and for more places to put more screws. To help with your problem of removing the glue block when done, you can put a piece of brown paper bag between the two pieces of wood, some will say to use newspaper, but I have found that this seldom works, the news paper is not thick enough.

Now, if you use a piece of brown paper, you have to glue the heck out of it, and leave it clamped overnight at the least, 24 hours is even better. Yes, a joint without the paper is even stronger, but the paper joint should be OK if you don't have a bunch of bad catches. When you go to remove the block, a good sharp, wide chisel helps a lot.

Sharp tools are your friend!:wave:
 
I thought 2 machine screws would be sufficient to hold a 6-7 inch diameter in place.

I gotta go look up the spindle threads, and get some kind of chuck for this.
 
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It was a 3/4 inch 10tpi, but I no longer have it:(:(

I mounted another piece of maple last night in the middle of the night, hehehe.......finished the jewerly chest this morning, and set up the lathe, clamped it down, cleaned up and got ready, and when I threw the switch, nothing. No sound, ho hum, nada.
I checked all the fuses and outlets, and I had my son take the switch off, figured a wire fell off the switch, nope, it was dead.
I called Harbor, the closest store to me is a state away, but they dont ship, and its only a week old, so I hopped into the car, not wanting to drive from Long Island to Saddle brook, NJ, but I did.
My wife came along to keep me company, in case my eyes went south, I needed a copilot.
She made sense, said why exchange it for another one. If I have another problem, its too far away.
We decided I can handle a lathe(we both know I have no skill, but working with a lathe was why I bought this one in the first place), and she suggested I buy one of good quality. She suggested. I told her they can run for what I want up to 700 dollars.
Her response was if thats what it cost, thats what it cost.
Im not waiting for Jet to put a sale on, IM going to the tool guy tomorrow to see what kind of deal he can give me on a jet variable speed.
And thats that. So my 88 dollar lathe, cost me an additional 22 dollars in tolls and gas, but at least I know I can work with one.

BTW, kudos bigtime to harbor freight, they stand behind their products and want the customer to be happy, and they are polite, courteous, helpful, even on the phone they come back to tell you they know youre holding, but they are checking their inventory. This is a good operation, a well run business. I will continue to be a customer of theirs whenever I pass by their stores.(I picked up a few things with my credit today ofcourse)
 
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Interesting story.
I'm kinda relieved it is gone. When I saw the picture with the.....how can I say this politely?........really flimsy bed, I got a sinking feeling that you were destined to be very unhappy with this lathe and, subsequently, turning in general.
Happy :D that you have a new, and genuine lathe in your future. Do some shopping. Check out the new Delta midi, it looks like a winner.
 
Jet 1220 Variable speed. Ordered, bed extender ordered,bench grinder ordered, only havent ordered the chuck, waiting for the guy to call me back. Ill have to wait for a stock shipment so I dont have to pay freight on it, maybe 2 weeks. Not a big deal.
Im looking foward to turning some table legs. thanx for all your advice and help, I cant promise I wont be asking questions later on, but Im on my way at least.
 
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