wood faceplates

[cody michael]

i bought a wood tap to make faceplates? how is easiest way to drill it out (i was planning on screwing wood to metal faceplate and using jacobs chuck)

how do you attach wood to it? screws just like a metal one or glue?

[Mike Lipke]

I turn the block of wood round, then turn a tenon on one end, put that end in a chuck true up the non tenon end whilst the piece is chucked up, then drill the hole, turn the recess, take it off the chuck, turn it around, screw it on the headstock, turn the tenon off and true up the whole thing now that it is mounted via the threads you just made.

[Thom Sturgill]

I use mine for vacuum chucks and jamb chucks, so no attachment to the block per se. I also use MDF fairly often, just soak the threads with thin CA to stabillize, and then re-cut them to clean them out. As stated above, a tenon turned on one face gives a good hold in a scroll chuck. Long jaws allows it to be spaced far enough from the chuck body to allow the tap room to pass through the block without hitting the chuck.

[Terry Murphy]

What is the proper size drill to start with?

Terry

[Kenneth Whiting]

I just picked up a spindle tap last weekend. I might not have the best method but what I have been doing is putting the piece of wood I'm going to use on the drill press and drilling out the 7/8 inch hole close to the center before turning it. Then I tap it and put it on the lathe to turn it round and size it up. This seems easier than turning it then tappong it and having to true it up again.
My head has been spinning (pun intended) with all the possibilities this opens up. I will be using it to make bottle stoppers and pepper mills by the end of the week, and already have it set up to finish a bowl. When I forgot to pick up the right bushings for the Mrs. to make her first pen I made a mandrel to do it on, instead of making that 45 minute each way trip back to Woodcraft to get the bushings.

[Mike Wenman]

What is the proper size drill to start with?

Terry

Just got one myself and reading the instructions that came with it, drilling 1/8" smaller than the tape size does the trick.

[Mike Golka]

I turn the block of wood round, then turn a tenon on one end, put that end in a chuck true up the non tenon end whilst the piece is chucked up, then drill the hole, turn the recess, take it off the chuck, turn it around, screw it on the headstock, turn the tenon off and true up the whole thing now that it is mounted via the threads you just made.

I have made several for my Oneway 1640 in a similar fassion as Mike with the exception of turning the tenon off. I tap completely through as Mike Lipke does but then clean the threads out of the tenon area and true up the face of the tenon so it looks and seat on the spindle just like a metal chuck insert does.

[Thomas Canfield]

I make the blanks similar to what Mike showed using a circle cutting jig on bandsaw and glueing them together before drilling. I use the drill press to drill the hole (7/8" for 1" and 1 1/8" for 1 1/4") after first drilling a relief hole as required for shoulder on drive shaft . I then install the tap in the drill press and set drill for slowest speed (290 rpm on my Delta). Applying downward pressure and holding the blank with a strap wrench, I start the drill and quickly shut it off and blank will rise on the tap. I have to remove the tap from the drill press to get the faceplate off, but it is fast. There have been a couple (or so) that did not have enough down pressure and ended up threaded at an angle and were not usable, but most run true. Coating the threads with shellac or thin CA and then retap by hand finishes the plate.

[Mike Lipke]

When someone asks, "what size hole", it would help if you told us what your spindle size is.

Beall's site, by the way, lists all the answers to these questions.

I have the Beall tap, and find it very useful.

[Skip Spaulding]

I checked out Beall site, they have a good video on utube using their tap. You can order one through Woodcraft, same price and free shlpping.

[Steve Kubien]

As far as screwing through the new faceplate and into your project, I would just use thick CA on the project piece and accelerator on the faceplate, ala Jamieson. In fact, the 15" purpleheart on my lathe right now is done that way. You lose no thickness either by having to turn past the screw holes. Great system.

Steve

[art san jr]

Hi Cody,

probably a bit late ...... but Bob Hamilton has pretty good videos of 'HOW TO' on this at his web site: bobhamswwing.com. They are at 'Index of Articles' on page 2 under 'Beall Spindle Tap'.

Well worth checking out, very detailed. HTH.

Art.