Easy Pro Thread Cutting Jig.

[kip allen]

Any one have any experience with the Thread Cutting Jig out of England? I saw it on Ebay selling for $150.00 plus $50.00 for shipping. Or the one from Chelfwearkits for almost $400.00. It looks stronger but it's double the cost. What do you folks think?

[Peter Blair]

Hey Kip. I have the one from overseas. It works fine but as you say is not quite a solid as the one from Chefwearkits. The new ones from Chefwear have a lot more options such as changing the number of threads etc. Having said all that the Easy Pro works fine for me, there is a little slop and the ways are not quite right and although I use it seldom it seems to thread just fine.

[James Combs]

Any one have any experience with the Thread Cutting Jig out of England? I saw it on Ebay selling for $150.00 plus $50.00 for shipping. Or the one from Chelfwearkits for almost $400.00. It looks stronger but it's double the cost. What do you folks think?
Hi Kip, I haven't used a threading jig much but I did make one (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?229057-Shop-Made-Threading-Jig). As an option it is not too difficult to make if you have some basic metal working tools and skills. I think I have about $120+ invested in mine. I bought a few of the more complex parts but generally found most of my materials in my scrap metal/parts bin.

PS, they are a lot of fun to make as well as use.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Google search "homemade thread cutting jig for wood lathe". I made my own, I started with a design similar to Bonnie Klein's thread cutter for her mini lathe. It uses the Taig cross slide, instead of the Taig slide I used a 4 way macro camera slide rail, about $30 off of eBay. My threading block is hard maple that I drilled and tapped, hers is metal, I am guessing aluminum, since I have never seen one of hers in real life. I made mine to fit my particular lathe, it all bolts to the ways, not into the banjo.

I made 2 threaded blocks with different thread sizes, one is 1-8TPI and the is 3/4-16TPI, I already had an adapter so my chucks fit both threads. I used all thread as the shaft. I had the taps, drill bits, screws, and everything except the camera macro slide rail. Total cost was less than $30, buying all everything, except the drill bits and taps would probably kick the cost up to $50.

Sorry no pics, mine is at my shop in New Mexico, and a triple bypass has me spending the summer at home in Texas.

[kip allen]

Thank you all. I think I will look into making my own. Thanks again and I hope Marvin gets better fast.

[Bob Vavricka]

You might check the Thread Champ, it is made by a member of our club (Central Oklahoma Woodturners Association). I was impressed with some of the features when it was demonstrated to our club. It's not cheap, but appears to be well thought out. However, I plan to make my own, because I get about as much enjoyment making jigs, etc. as I do using them. http://www.flutemasters.com/thread-champ1

[Peter Blair]

Wishing the Thread Champ was available when I bought my Threading jig from England. Looks like a killer of a tool!!!

[Jason Edwards]

Don't forget Baxter's Thread Master from Best Wood Tools. Pricier than the rest but superbly made and works great.

[Peter Fabricius]

I had a look at the Thread Clamp when at the AAW Symposium in Atlanta, well thought out and the construction looks good, BUT it costs Big $$$ just like some of the others.

I was the tester of the British EZ Threader and Sphere Cutting jigs a few years ago and I have demonstrated it to the Woodturning Clubs in Ontario. It is economical and it works just fine. Remember not too many of us are going to use this jig for commercial applications. A small threaded box every now and then, oh! A threaded Fineal would be cool as well. Not every day use but a jig that works. Cindy D. Was very interested in the threaded Fineal application when discussing this with her....

I also tested out the Chefware Kits EZ Pro and the Interrupted Thread cutters. Craig has made big improvements to the jig and it is certainly heftier and higher priced. The New Interrupted Thread cutter is the neatest thing, allowing 2 Start Threads to be cut and then sections of thread to be removed so the box and lid go together just like a bayonet lens on a 35 mm camera body. Really neat. If anyone wants to try this then the Chefware Kits units are for you. The interrupted thread cutter uses the main body of the EZ Pro to hold the parts.

I have more info and pictures available if anyone is interested.

Peter F.

[kip allen]

Hi Peter, I am very interested in you views on thread cutters. It seems like you have checked most of the ones on the market. So yes please send any and all the info you have to help me make a intelligent decision. Thanks in advance.

[kip allen]

Bob, thanks for the lead. I did some checking and then called and talked to John Miller. Very interesting guy and I learned a lot from him. It is a little more (well a lot more) then the one from England but it is well worth looking at. He has a totally different way of looking at it and think he is on to something. Thanks again for the heads up. I will let you know if I pull that trigger.

[Mike Peace]

I still have one of the original EZ threading jigs from the UK. There were some quality issues but the price was right. As delivered, my Teknatool SN2 chuck would not fit it without putting the lead screw between centers and filing down the nose piece. The UK model had a very poor shop made cutter that burned the threads and you needed to use a drill chuck or buy a collet. But those two items can be had for less than $50. The Chefware EZ Threading Pro XL is much better and comes with a commercial cutter and a collet to hold it. I did a video review of it that you can see here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_lJdiSD15Q

[kip allen]

Thanks Mike. I saw your video and enjoyed it along with many of your others. What do you think of the Thread Champ? It is a lot different from the rest. If you have checked it out please give my you option please. Thanks.

[Mark Greenbaum]

For the cutter: Which drawbar and collet system would you folks recommend? I'll probably make my own jig with various threaded rods for different pitch threads.

[Peter Blair]

Kip, it looks as though you have lots of information from some very experienced turners. I would suggest that all the jigs on the market today will do a very good job of threading. After using the one I have and watching lots and lots of video, and of course if I could afford it, I would personally choose the Thread Champ the innovations I see would work really well for me and the way I thread. Good luck with your choice and I know whichever way you go you will find it easy to add threads to t
your pieces!

[Peter Fabricius]

Kip asked me about a UTube video demonstrating the interrupted thread cutting jig.

Mike Peace has one....
Here it is: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ulu4BA5pbso

Hope this helps, it is a really neat feature and is exclusive to Chefware kits, thanks for the demo Mike!
Peter F.