Need LH Thread adapter for lathe

[Doug Hepler]

I would like to mount faceplates, etc outboard on my Delta 46-460 lathe. The outboard spindle is 3/4-16 left hand thread. Most of my faceplates are 1-8tpi right hand thread. So I'd like an adapter from male 3/4-16LH to male 1-8 RH but I cannot find a supplier. Do you know of one?

Mounting a faceplate to the left of the headstock seems like such a common desire among turners that I feel I must be missing something. (I do understand the need for setscrews to prevent this from unscrewing itself.)

Doug

[david privett]

my old lathe had a 3/4 x 16 lh on the outboard side of the headstock and what I did was to use grizzly part # d1105 and turned a wood faceplate and attached to the insert with machine screws then counter sunk used wood screws to attach work. But a glue up idea would work also.

[Brice Rogers]

David has a good idea to use an insert.

I have an old Sears 9" lathe and at a swap meet I bought a handful of faceplates for a few bucks each. When I got home, I was surprised to find that one was 3/4 - 16 Left Hand. For a moment I was disappointed that I couldn't use it for turning. Then I realized that it would make a great sanding disk for the left hand side of my lathe.

If you google the part number, you'll see that there may be three of those 8 inch faceplates for sale right now on eBay. The part number that is cast into the faceplate (Sears Craftsman by King Seeley) is 018924. They are kind of pricey compared with what David suggested.

I don't think that you really want a "male 3/4-16LH to male 1-8 RH" as it is going to unscrew when you use it.

BTW, if you follow David's good suggestion, make sure that you leave enough room for the spindle lock to still function.

[Doug Hepler]

David and Brice

Thank you very much. I ordered the 018924 faceplate from ebay. Brice, I would not have found that without your suggestion. This is a more elegant and direct solution. But, not to appear to be a total novice, I had the "opposite thread" arrangement on a lathe I owned previously (possibly one of the Craftsman/King-Seeley lathes that this faceplate was made for). I used it for years. Setscrews are effective in preventing the setup from unwinding.

All the best

Doug

[Brian Brown]

Doug,

Sounds like you found your solution, but I am wondering what you plan to turn outboard? I assume that you are thinking platters and similar items. I know when I turn 12" items on my 46-460 inboard, it is really easy to bog down the motor when I am cutting at the outer edges. I think anything larger diameter would be a problem for a motor that small. After you have made some turnings, would you let us now how well it works, and if the motor is powerful enough for larger diameters. Also let us know what diameters you were able to turn. Wood species might be helpful also. There are a lot of larger diameter items I would like to turn, but a new lathe is not in my near future. I just don't have the space, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I look forward to seeing how well this works.

[Brice Rogers]

I hope that the faceplate doesn't interfere with the locking pin on your spindle. If it does, you may be able to put some washers under the LH faceplate.

For my lefthand faceplate, I use it primarily for disk sanding. I attached a disk of MDF and slapped on an adhesive backed sandpaper. Then I decided to "charge" the edge of the MDF with red rouge (abrasive) and have used it for fine honing (and touch up sharpening) some of my tools. On some really hard woods, I have switched from turning on the right to honing on the left (when the tool started to dull) without turning off the lathe or without losing any time. Once, I had a decent catch on the right side and the left disk quickly unscrewed and went cartwheeling around my shop. No damage. It was actually kind of funny.

[Doug Hepler]

Brian,

My principal intention for my outboard faceplate is sharpening, honing and polishing. I'm thinking along the lines that Brice described. I may slap a LV honing guide (maybe they call it a grinding guide) to the left of the headstock. Maybe 400-600 grit paper or just a leather disk charged with rouge, freehand. I sharpen turning tools on a high-speed dry grinder with soft (white) 60 & 80 grit wheels and rarely stop to hone. The idea of using my lathe is that I can select so many slow speeds. I used to have a big, slow, old Dunlop water wheel before I downsized, and I miss it. It was great for carbon steel chisels.

I am trying this as part of my resistance to buying a dedicated sharpening machine (Tormek, Worksharp, and LeeValley in increasing order of preference) But who knows what I may try once I get the faceplate set up? So far, I'm happy with 12" swing. But I thought my previous 9" swing was fine for a while, and then went to the 12" 46-460 in part for the increased swing and easily variable speed. Outboard turning has always seemed a bit heroic to me because of the difficulties in getting a solid, yet adjustable, tool rest.

Best regards

Doug