Kitchen Bench Top Face Plates

[Cliff Rogers]

I scored a bit of kitchen bench top that had been cut out for a sink.

Nice thick water resistant chip board with laminex on one side & melamine on the other.

It wasn't big enough for a router table so I chopped it up into squares on the band saw to turn it into threaded face plates for vacuum chucking.

I have 2 different lathes with 2 different spindle threads so I made 3 for each lathe.

I borrowed a couple of big taps from Jim (powderpost).

I used my big bowl jaws to hold the blank while I marked it out & cut the hole with a small scraper.

I planned to have the laminex side up against the flange on the spindle as I though that side would stand up to the compression of being tightened up longer that the melamine side would.

If you look at the 4th & 5th picture you will see that I made a little step inside the hole for the last bit of un-threaded spindle.

I used a big shifter to hold the tap & get it started on the lathe & then I removed the blank & finished it in my hand.

Once it was threaded, I reversed it onto the lathe spindle & cleaned it up.

I have some epoxy timber preserver that I plan to use to seal the bear chipboard edges & thread. It comes with a thinner so it soaks in & once it is set, I'll get it a couple of days before I stick it back on the lathe so it doesn't end up stuck there.

[RETIRED]

Neato. You may have to retap after the epoxy Cliff.

[artme]

Yep! Neat work there Cliff!:):)

I have some bench top but just plai chipboard on the unlaminated side. Might laminate it and give that a go.

[Cliff Rogers]

Neato. You may have to retap after the epoxy Cliff.
It is very thin runny stuff & it soaks in.

I have used some on ply for sealing ply & apart from the smell of the thinners, I am impressed with it.

I actually bought it to try on some of my turned bowls but haven't got that far yet.

I reckon that I'll be able to get it back on the spindle thread OK & if I don't I know where to go it get the taps back. :)

[Cliff Rogers]

Yep! Neat work there Cliff!:):)

I have some bench top but just plain chipboard on the unlaminated side. Might laminate it and give that a go.
Ta, if you stick it back to back (plain to plain) it should be good.

[artme]

Think 40mm thick faceplate is a bit of overkill!:o

Besides, I get more plates just by laminating the back.

[Cliff Rogers]

The ones I made are about 39mm with the laminex & melamine.
The spindle doesn't stick out the front.

[hughie]

Cliff, excellent idea and well done, food for thought. :2tsup: