faceplate removal tool

[david privett]

I got one of the griz g0766 and contacted griz and asked them if they had a tool to remove the 6 inch faceplate from the spindle if it was on tight. They said no , There is holes in the outer edge of the faceplate which I used a punch and tapped it off but I assume those holes are for a lack of a better term are for a spanner wrench for removal. Has someone made or bought a wrench for this, I tried a strap wrench it was a no go.

[Reed Gray]

I have seen spanner wrenches at Kaman, which is an industrial bearing and other stuff place. You might find them through Grainger or Fastenall.

robo hippy

[David DeCristoforo]

The holes are for a "tommy bar", used in conjunction with the spindle lock and, if needed a mallet. So you did it right.

[daryl moses]

I just use a sledge hammer and a cutting torch. J/K I do it the same way you do.
First time I used it I thought it would never come off, I was about to panic. Finally took one of the tommy bars put it in one of the holes and whacked it with a wooden mallet. Came right off.
My PSI faceplate has flats on it and I use channel locks to loosen.

[Reed Gray]

I had mixed results with a tommy bar. Most of the time, the tommy bar would bend, and the hole would enlarge. I have used a big pipe wrench on occasion, and never found the right spanner wrench. I never have figures out why they aren't in any of the turning catalogs...

robo hippy

[Thomas Canfield]

I made a leather strap wrench using 3/4"W x 42"L leather strap in a plastic Harbor Freight strap wrench handle and can grab up to about 12"D pieces, and those are usually mounted on only a 3" face plate. I would think that you could grab any diameter that required a 6" faceplate and torque it off, possibly might need to use a rubber pad if surface is slick to improve grip.

[David Walser]

There is a wrench that takes advantage of the holes in the outer edge of a faceplate. The wrench is typically shaped like a hook, with the end of the hook fitting into the hole and the head of the wrench wrapping around the faceplate and the handle extending back along the opposite side of the faceplate. Record Power (a UK company) just released a new line of chucks in the US. The larger of the two chucks comes with one of these wrenches. (It's actually a double ended wrench, making it an S shape rather than a hook shape. One end is for removing the chuck from the lathe, the other is for removing the insert from the chuck.) Here's a link to the website. The wrench is shown on the righthand side, towards the bottom of the page. http://rikontools.com/productpage_recordacc.html (Look for number 78-826.) Of course, the fact such wrenches exist doesn't mean one is available for your faceplate!

Update: I came across the wrench mentioned above by accident, but it made me curious. I know several woodturning vendors used to cary them. My lathe came with one. So, I searched on e-bay for a spanner wrench. Several examples come up -- look for the "hook spanner wrench".

[robert baccus]

Go to an auto store and buy a can of antisieze lube and use on all your spindle threads. Made for just this in machine shops.