Spindle Tap, do you use one?

[Neil Bosdet]

Do any of you use a lathe spindle tap for making your own threads in bowl blanks or glue blocks? I was reading Richard Raffan's book on intro turning and in the mounting section he talks about using a spindle tap to thread your stock or blocks to mount directly on the lathe spindle. Do any of you do this and if so for what purpose? With all the available options out there I wonder how useful/practical this option is?

Cheers,

Neil

[Steve Vaughan]

Thanks for that question Neil. I bought one a couple months back just because I could. Have yet to use it but this just might give me the answer I need. Who knows, maybe I'll have to go out and buy something else to go with it too!

[Tony De Masi]

I had used mine mostly for jam chucks and a bottle stopper chuck. A few months ago I used it to make several chucks to use with my vacuum system. Works like a champ.

[Charles Bjorgen]

I bought one from Beall for the purpose of making jam chucks. Will be trying it out soon as I set out to make a few more pepper mills. There's a video on Beall's site that shows its use.

[Jason Clark2]

I use mine all the time. Jam chucks, vacuum chucks, and cup centers. I also bought a 3/4" x 10 to make various sizes and shapes to fit on my live center.

Jason

[Neil Bosdet]

I use mine all the time. Jam chucks, vacuum chucks, and cup centers. I also bought a 3/4" x 10 to make various sizes and shapes to fit on my live center.

Jason

Can you explain any of these things you make a little more? Also, where did you find the tap for the live center?

Thanks,

[James Combs]

I had used mine mostly for jam chucks and a bottle stopper chuck. A few months ago I used it to make several chucks to use with my vacuum system. Works like a champ.

Ditto most of Tony's comment except for vacuum chuck"s". I did however, use it to thread one aluminum faceplate that I made for my vacuum system. Different size adapters screw onto this plate so only one was needed.

[Jason Clark2]

These photos might help. The first one is a large (6") vacuum drum. It's a short section of PVC pipe mounted on a blank that was drilled and tapped. The pvc is just friction fit to the wood, no glue or fasteners. The second photo shows a pair of cup centers. The one on the left is tapped to fit my headstock, the one on the right is tapped to fit my tailstock. I use them to drive spheres, peppermills, kaleidoscopes, etc. The third photo shows a different shape cup center threaded and fit on my live center. Last is a group of threaded jam chucks. I typically make 5-6 at a time. I mostly use them for jam chucks for lidded boxes but also use similar blanks for smaller vacuum drums.

I got my 3/4" X 10 tap from Enco.
Jason

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Can you explain any of these things you make a little more? Also, where did you find the tap for the live center?

Thanks,

[Greg Just]

I recently made up 4 blocks and attached MDF to it and made sanding disks to which I glued various grits of sandpaper to. Works great.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I used mine to make vacuum chucks and also a few threaded jam chucks. Do not use it often but is nice to have when needed.

[Jon Nuckles]

I have used mine to make jam chucks, but not much.

[Bob Coates]

Uses: Jam Chucks, Donut chuck, Longworth chudk, sanding disks, etc.. I Plan on making own tap for 3/4 10 from std bolt or glue 3/4 10 nuts to make live center for tail stock. I thread using hardwood block and then attaching to MDF. just make sure you clamp hardwood block firmly on all side or you could get wobble.
To make block, mount in chuck, drill hole for tap then run tap into block using the tail stock center to make sure the tap is square in the drilled hole. Just add to the vortex.....

[Thomas Canfield]

I have made about 50 jamb chucks out of MDF in different sizes in both 1" and 1 1/4" using Beale tap. I cut the MDF in different diameters with circle cutting jig on bandsaw, and then with 1/8" wood dowel glue 2 blocks together to provide required thickness for shaft length. I found that I can use my drill press at lowest speed (290 rpm) and a strap wrench to hold the MDF disk when doing the tapping and keep pressure on the tap. You do need to drill a larger than tap drill hole before drilling the tap hole to provide the clearance required for unthreaded section of shaft. I have been successful applying 2 coats of thin shellac to tapped threads and then retapping. I have also done some 3/4" threads using a 3/4" -10 bottom tap for use on the live center. I haven't found a source for free MDF here in Fredericksburg like I had in Tyler at a cabinet shop, but I will be scrounging. Another good use for the MDF disk is for a sanding disk. I would not recommend using the MDF for a face plate, but rather for use where the pressure is lighter or pressing against the disks.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Be sure that the wood you intend to tap is dry and solid, because you don't want to have any moisture in the wood theaded on your spindle. Replacing a rusted spindle is not cheap or any fun.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Use mine all the time to make jam chucks, vacuum chucks, etc. As Jamie said make sure the wood is dry and solid.

[robert baccus]

These make great glueblocks, jam chucks ect. i make mine of very hard woods such as beech-dogwood-tropical hardwoods, ect. also i soak the threads with thin CA. --------------old forester

[John Keeton]

I had one for my previous Delta lathe, and never used it. I have yet to see the need to get one for my Jet, but it sounds like others like them. For jam chucks, etc., I just chuck up a piece of wood in the chuck - much easier than tapping something. I bought my vacuum chucks, but for making them, a tap would be a necessity.

However, I have seen situations where the tailstock tap would come in handy and I appreciate the referral to Enco. I will be checking out that one!

[Charles Bjorgen]

I've also heard that spindle taps work best in cross grain wood rather than end grain. Can anyone verify this one way or the other?

[robert baccus]

Actually any screw holds much better in cross grain than end grain. in end grain screwing the threads cut the long fibers where the strength is. it should be avoided when possible. also very coarse and long threads hold much better in most woods.---------------old forester

[Marvin Hasenak]

I use mine to make custom mandrels for game calls. I also add a piece of PVC pipe to the threaded end to strengthen it so it doesn't split. A custom mandrel would cost $60, mine cost less than a dollar and last for 100's of duck calls.