• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

Looking for a Lathe Face Plate and a Lathe Dog Drive Plate

@YYCHobbyMachinist is it possible that the edge of the tool is a few thousandths above the centre line? this would cause rubbing. If you err in your tool height, always make it low, not high, and avoid a host of problems...
 
@YYCHobbyMachinist is it possible that the edge of the tool is a few thousandths above the centre line? this would cause rubbing. If you err in your tool height, always make it low, not high, and avoid a host of problems...

I think your right about this. Explains the super smooth finish I got using the carbide tool. I'm still using shims to achieve tool height.

Time for an adjustable QCTP eh... wink, wink, nod, nod....;)
 
Last edited:
We can fix your shimming problem. I've never needed to shim my carbide tools in my 4-way tool post. Too much work to publish a tutorial on the spur of the moment, but if you'd like to call me, we can discuss it...
 
As always @Dabbler was spot on......

TOOL.JPG


I'm like a thumb nails thickness too high. Guess I need to stop using the tail stock center as a reference???
 
Last edited:
Without a QCTP that preserves the tool setting from last time, the ruler method is usually sufficiently accurate. Another way is to chuck a scrap & skim across the front face. If you have a nub remaining the tool is low. Tool high condition is a bit different to detect but basically you will see evidence of rub vs cutting. Starting a bit low & shimming till the nub goes to zero & tip passes cleanly through the center circle is pretty goof proof. The nice thing about QCTP is it stays that way +/- tool wear or other factors.
 
To make height setting repeatable and accurate, you can make a height standard. It takes time, but has been indispensable for setting height on my QCTP and my 4-way. With home tools, it is possible to make a standard that is accurate to less than a thousandth of an inch...
 
That's brilliant John. I have a person locally selling plate steel as weights. I can order a plate of whatever dimensions I want, and assuming the adapter is steel and not cast iron, TIG the adapter onto the plate and turn it flat and true. :D
(I have an email into Lee Valley asking about item composition)

I did a spark test on mine and it is not cast iron. I got mine at busybee, leevalley may be different BB don’t show it in their catalog anymore.. It is for their B2618 chuck.
 
@YYCHobbyMachinist is it possible that the edge of the tool is a few thousandths above the centre line? this would cause rubbing. If you err in your tool height, always make it low, not high, and avoid a host of problems...

Careful there I think you forgot about parting operation where a low tool can cause your part to ride on top & something will break (hopefully the parting blade).
 
@Tom Kitta - I could never part at all on my 12" lathe until I started putting it .002 below centre. When it was on center, chatter and back pressure resulted in broken tools and bad parts. with .002 below, it parts like a dream.

I agree that too low causes even more problems.
 
They are pretty bad aren’t they! I picked up a chuck backing plate at Grizzly once. It wouldn’t screw all the way on to the spindle. I had to learn how to pick up a thread. It turned out good in the end. You would be screwed if the threads were oversized though.
 
I think I may make one... easy enough to make a threaded part for the spindle then get a round plate and weld it to the nose adapter, turn it round and face it.
 
What do you figure..... Is this worth bidding on???

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Atlas-Craft...te-8-1-2-Diameter-1-1-2-8-thread/373347219509

Everything else I have been seeing is close to $200 cdn landed.


Well price now is $110 CAD. If you need it bad then it seems its OK deal. You can make a plate yourself for far less but it takes some time. These hard to find items either don't sell for much or sell for a lot - if you have two guys in a bidding war it can go high - one guy - the 110 will stick.
 
I think I may make one... easy enough to make a threaded part for the spindle then get a round plate and weld it to the nose adapter, turn it round and face it.

Have you done any internal threading yet? I don't think that's as easy as it sounds.
 
Internal threading on a short distance is not that hard - you just don't see it as well when it cuts but motions are the same.

Main problem is how well you are going to thread it and how important is that your thread is just perfect - I don't know geometry of the plate - but I guess once you thread it on your spindle you can true up your face plate - i.e. now you can face it and you can fix up the sides - so even if threads are not that perfect you can compensate for it.
 
Back
Top