Newbie needs some help.

[James B Green]

Got a Jet 1442 about 2 weeks ago. Have had no major problems up until now. I can't get my faceplate off the headstock. Any suggestions. It was fairly cold in the shop when I screwed the faceplate on. Then it warmed up after a few minutes of turning. Don't know if that makes a difference. I am now letting the shop cool down then I will try again. Any suggestions would be appreciated and any things to help this in the future.

[Rick Markham]

Did you unscrew the set screw? (never hurts to ask.) Did it go on easily like it normally does? I hope when the shop cools down it comes off for you, that's very strange. If you get it off (don't force it) check your faceplate threads (and your headstock's threads)

Now I'm not speaking from experience :rolleyes:, but if you unscrew the faceplate without the set screw being retracted far enough, you can really wonk up your threads, mostly in the faceplate, but you can also damage the spindle threads. If this happened at some point it might have taken a few times of screwing the faceplate on to have a piece of the cast iron threads from the faceplate to break off in there. I'm not saying who but I've "heard" of this happening... purely through the grapevine of course :o

[Cory Norgart]

A plastic spindle washer put on before you screw your faceplate on will prevent thread knarling.....

[Mike Wagner]

If you don't have a nylon spindle washer handy, you can cut one put of a plastic coffee can lid, butter tub, or something like that, works in a pinch.

[John Keeton]

It is also possible that there is a burr on the face of the faceplate that mates up to the spindle shoulder. That may have caused it to "dig in". Were it me, I would lock the spindle, and see if I could get some way of gently tapping the faceplate to see if it will unfreeze. I don't use a faceplate, so I don't know if there is someplace where you could set a wood block to tap on.

[Wally Dickerman]

I don't think that a cold/hot shop is going to make a difference. I've seen stuck faceplates before. The usual reason is that the faceplate was not screwed on tightly. When the lathe is turned on...Wham!! Now it's up tight.

The one time I've had this experience I ended up going to the rental shop and getting a heavy duty pipe wrench. After locking the spindle, a couple of smacks with a mallet on the wrench did the job.

I don't like plastic spindle washers. You'll get better tool cutting when it's metal to metal as the lathe manufacturer intended it to be

[James B Green]

Thanks for the suggestions. There is no set screw. Looks like I will try a heavier wrench to unloosen it.

[Steve Vaughan]

You might try keeping the cool shop and then taking a torch and heating (slowly and carefully and certainly not HOT) the faceplate in the area around the threads.

[mickey cassiba]

It was a common problem among new Delta lathes...Get a real wrench, not the stamped steel wrench that generally come with new tools. Place the open end on the face plate hex, and tap the end of the wrench soundly(don't whack it, or you run the chance of damaging the bearings) while turning the handwheel in reverse. should come right off.

[Steve Schlumpf]

One additional option is to screw a 2x4 onto your faceplate... lock the spindle in place and the 2x4 provides all the leverage you would need.

[Curt Fuller]

One additional option is to screw a 2x4 onto your faceplate... lock the spindle in place and the 2x4 provides all the leverage you would need.

Ditto that, or if you have a large crescent wrench that will fit on the flats of the faceplate use that and maybe even a piece of pipe as a cheater. Smack it with a wooden mallet or dead blow hammer and it should pop loose. When you put the face plate on the lathe, screw it on until about the last 1/4-1/2 turn. Then give it a quick spin by hand so it seats firmly against the spindle. That will hold it tight and not give it a chance to get the torqued on from turning on the lathe and snapping against the spindle so tight that you can't get it off. But don't use a wrench to put it on, it doesn't need to be torqued on.
By the way, a good first turning project is a good wooden mallet (Bonker) for all the smacking needs associated with turning.

[robert baccus]

You can buy anti-seizing compound at auto stores. even better it lubricates the threads against wear. that is the most expensive part of most lathes. ditto on the long wood bolted to the faceplate if you can get to it.-------------------------old forester

[Bill Bulloch]

I used a pipe wench to loosen mine when it happened to me.

[Dennis Ford]

+1 on using anti-seize on the threads, I prefer that to the plastic washer. I am not sure about the 1442 but my Jet 1220 has a threaded on hand-wheel; I have found that gripping it while tightening or loosening face-plates or chucks can change the bearing pre-load in bad ways; use the spindle lock.