So, am I nuts.....?

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

.... wait a minute, don't answer that.... :D

I'm hoping to be able to swing a One Way Talon chuck and a couple of faceplates, but, after a kind suggestion via PM from Rich Stewart, I'm thinking of getting a tap that is the same thread as the headstock of my lathe (3/4" x 16TPI) and thus, I could make faceplates myself out of various things, thick plywood, or even alumi plate...?

So is that idea nuts or what? :D

Cheers!

[Gary Max]

If you have that much time and metal working talent---why not.
For me-- I would just buy one --by the time I went to a machine shop and had it made--- it would be a lot cheaper to call Lee Valley and give them a couple of bucks.

[John Hart]

I would love to make my own face plates. I have visions of having a pile of them. Unfortunately, I don't possess the skill or equipment to make them like you do Stu.

Oh...and for what's it's worth....Yes, you're nuts.:)

[Andy Hoyt]

.....Oh...and for what's it's worth....Yes, you're nuts.:)

True, but in this instance his nutitude has immense value.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I would love to make my own face plates. I have visions of having a pile of them. Unfortunately, I don't possess the skill or equipment to make them like you do Stu.

Oh...and for what's it's worth....Yes, you're nuts.:)

Well, what I was thinking (and I know I can get myself in trouble doing that) is that even with some THICK plywood, say about 1" thick, with a chunk of hardwood glued to the middle, then a drill bit the right size, and then the tap, you would have a faceplate. You can true it up on the lathe, and I could make those chucks, what are they called? They use all the small grippers around the outside of the bowl?

Well, I could make them up easily. I would not make them o steel, as I have no tools to true or balance the steel up, aluminium, sure, but not steel.

Just a thought, as the price of one tap, and I could have a heck of a lot of faceplates!!

Cheers!

PS, thank for welcoming me to you club John ;)

[Andy Hoyt]

Stu - I think that the tapped wood would likely wear itself out pretty quick and result in significant wobble issues. Or a bad catch would de thread it in a Toyko Minute.

How about some big honking steel nuts of the correct thread epoxied to the wooden portion? Just thinking outloud.

[John Hart]

Yeah...now here's what I was thinking.... I could use my one 4" faceplate as my base, then turn a bunch of Acrylic faceplates that have a 4" recess that would fit over the steel faceplate. I could drill and tap four holes in the acrylic and have plenty of faceplates that way. (I just happen to have a giant slab of 2" thick acrylic).

The gripper thing you are talking about is a Cole Jaw I believe. Mike Ramsey made a beauty that you should look at. I mean...this thing is great!!

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Yeah, cole jaws, I saw that thread, I'm going to copy that one for sure! :D

Shipping kills me, a $10 faceplate becomes a $60 faceplate if I want it before summer :(

I'm going to get the Talon Chuck, while I'm at it, I'm going to get some other stuff too, not all turning related :eek: so the hit on the bank account will be only once, and the explaining will only be once as well ;) :)

I'll see if I can get that tap here locally....

Cheers!

[tod evans]

stu, you have a welder........make nuts out of steel plate 1" thick and weld `em to a 3-4" plate and affix whatever you choose to the plate....oh- true the plate to your spindle by strapping a grinder to the tail stock and advancing it slowley into the spinning plate......02 tod

[Blake McCully]

Stu,
I've made my own "face plates" just get some 1X8" nuts, and a good chunk of hardwood. Drill a hole 1" in the center to accomodate the nut then get the wood round to the diameter you want. Drill the hole deep enough to be able to take the nut all the way down, flush with the wood, drive it in with a nice mallet and surround it with thick CA glue.

That way, you have face plates, materials for jam chucks, glue blocks, any number of things.

Hope this makes sense.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey, that would work, you "Da Man" Tod!! :D

Now....... where can I find some nuts with that thread....... (inches)....

[tod evans]

Hey, that would work, you "Da Man" Tod!! :D

Now....... where can I find some nuts with that thread....... (inches)....

buy the tap......02 tod

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Stu

If you can make your own, and can handle steel, then by all means make your own. Thick aluminum is okay, but a lot of aluminum faceplates I have seen have a tendency to flex in use, and that is bad news. Plywood ones are going to flex no matter what you do, and I do not think they are worth the trouble. All of my (current) faceplates are either cast iron or steel.

As an aside, I use a 4" faceplate for chunks up to 18" in diameter and upwards of 100 lbs. You do not need a 6" or larger faceplate unless you are going to be doing really huge pieces in the 100 lb plus range.

Bill

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Thanks for the info Bill!

Cheers!

[Rich Stewart]

I thought this was going to be the joke about the guy that walked into the shrinks office wrapped in celophane. Dr. says, "I can see you're nuts."

[Paul Douglass]

So you are telling me the chucks this guy makes are a waste of time?

http://www.aroundthewoods.com/index.shtml

I was going to try to make some....

[Rich Stewart]

Hey Stu, How much trouble would it be, since you already have a store, to start a little turning store there. You could import the stuff, keep what you want, and sell the other stuff to Japanese guys that get sucked into the vortex, making your stuff like FREE. Sounds so easy. must be a big hang up somewhere.