Thread: Selling the Stubby

Yeah, well as I posted earlier, I ground some of the threaded tip away to allow the hex nut to seat on the chuck body, and that made it worse.

The one chuck i did that doesnt wobble is done as follows,

First the insert was turned down so that the shoulder located against the body of the chuck (as you have now done Ern) t was fitted tight into the chuck with no grubscrews (in case they tipped it off centre)

Then the chuck was put in a metal lathe with the chuck closed up tight and the jaws face touching the metal lathe chuck (this was with no jaws fitted so the face of the chuck was "true:" against the metal chuck.

Then the back of the insert was turned off so that it was running true.

When i fitted it to the woodlathe it runs perfectly true now as do most of the jaws when i fit them to it.

BUT what a lot of work to get a precision made peice of tooling to operate as it should when purchased. GJ is right about the lack pf standard or whatever should apply to their manufacture.

Pity they are such a good chuck and reaonably cheap price otherwise i wouldnt recommend anyone buy them.

I am bringing the new titan to Robbos tomorrow to explain to everyone what was done.


Cheers

Originally Posted by rsser

Yeah, well as I posted earlier, I ground some of the threaded tip away to allow the hex nut to seat on the chuck body, and that made it worse.

I also think that it is ordinary that the insert has no "face" to seat against the chuck, instead it seats against a hex nut. I think there is a place for someone to make inserts that are well made and to fit.

Anyone interested. (probably should put this in the metal work section)

Cheers

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

This is in total contrast to metalworking machinery where all tooling is to a standard, whether it is CAT, BT or ISO doesn't matter the standard is stated on the packaging and tolerances MUST be adhered to.

I have been messing about with a 10 X 28 metal lathe to make parts for my wood lathes. It has a 2 1/4 in. X 8 tpi nose

When you buy a chuck new you buy the adapter / back plate separately, mount the back plate on your lathe and face it and reduce the diameter to the size of the chuck. When the chuck is mounted it will run true on that lathe only.

If you buy a used chuck, you take off the back plate and true it, remount the chuck.

If you buy a new or used faceplate, that also must be trued before use.

The screw mount metal lathes have an unthreaded area behind the spindle that the faceplate or chuck back slips over and bears against. That is what keeps it accurate. The thread only holds it on.

Those bearing areas on the back plate and behind the spindle thread must be kept absolutely clean so that the chuck or face plate will not wobble.

My Hegner wood lathe with 33mm X 3.5 thread has the same system. I have not put a dial gauge on either the faceplate or Oneway chuck. By eye the faceplate seems to run true.

Originally Posted by rsser

Neil, how did you measure your insert's problem?

Hi Ern, sorry about the delay in replying to this.... been on the road this last week (heading towards Qld) and 'off line'.

In my case I didn't need to measure the problem, the wobble was so bad there was no quibble when I went to exchange it.

An offset micrometer would measure smaller deflections.

Neil

There's a long list of mods and adaptations in the change of lathes.

The Stubby has a nice flat headstock top to sit an anglepoise lamp on so I knocked up a couple of saddles for the Nova; held on with cheap 2 sided tape for the moment.

The Vicmarc hollowing tool support's clamp plate is far too big for the Nova's modest bed slot so I got the local steel merchant/fabricator to make up a replacement. The bolt needed shortening to clear the bed webbing. The base spigot that sits in the bed slot is the same depth as the bed. I first tried to source a thrust washer to lift the base but no luck with the sizes so went the route of packing the sides of the clamp plate.

Same guy had some 5mm thick discs so I cut one to size as a clamp plate for the steady rest. The rest base will need to be trimmed of 5 cm but there's plenty there due to an initial design c*ck-up, er, variation

Next step will be an outrigger extension following the advice of the brains trust.

Haven't turned anything yet .. the lathe's just a cardboard cut-out actually. Jim's got them on sale. The Chinese have finished using them for the factory layout

Almost all of the carpal tunnel symptoms have gone with rest and exercises so soon I'll have to justify Jeff's generous timber gifts and do another lidded box.

Originally Posted by rsser

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Almost all of the carpal tunnel symptoms have gone with rest and exercises so soon I'll have to justify Jeff's generous timber gifts and do another lidded box.

Ern, good to hear the carpal is improving. My little gifts of wood to you were far from generous - you were the first of the Forum army to arrive here when I screamed "help". Thanks guys, you all know who you are.

The head is still in overload after the other weekend, but you must learn (if you already don't know it!) how to hollow end grain using the Ken W. approved method.

Briefly, drill a depth hole, set the rest on centre and tilt your long and strong spindle gouge at 45 degrees.

Pull-cut from the centre to the outside, taking 1-2mmm cuts at a time. When you reach the side, push the tool handle towards the lathe bed so you have a flat wall.

It's a safe cut - I just can't master the one tried to teach me! Never mind.
And it leaves a much better finish off the tool than my Ci1 scraper.

Aside from a sore neck peering down into the inside of a lidded box, it's certainly much less of a strain on the body than big lumps spinning for bowls. Challenging enough too I think.

I'm looking forward to the pic of your first box on the lathe. After you and I get going, we might try some dense Oz hardwoods. Redgum may be moderately hard, but it's nothing like those desert woods. And by gee they do hold great for finials.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff.

Yeah, Ken demo'd at Koonung Woodturners on Sat and I was looking closely at his end-grain hollowing technique too.

Here are a few of my boxes. Form's pretty ordinary. The second is figured blackwood about 3" high. The first is redgum about 5" high and the last is Tas Myrtle also about 3" - this was an attempt at a copy of an antique that didn't come off.

With the redgum I bored a hole with a saw-tooth bit and used a square(ish) end scraper to hollow it out in stages running parallel to the wall. It was hard work not least cos of the extent of tool overhang. After that I got a heavy duty scraper.

Ken reckons this method is slower than his and he's right .... but you do what you know works until you play with something else.

Alright, Ern, the challenge is on.

Your boxes are way in front on mine, so I will practice some more and more.....

I'll post some pics tomorrow night of Lidded Box No 6 and see what you reckon.

Again, great to hear the hands are holding up.

Jeff

Nice beads on the box on the right Ern, tricky.

Last time I tried a bead it was a blast (literally).

Nice work on the boxes, Ern ...and glad to hear that your on the mend - makes turning that much easier and pleasurable.

Thanks guys.

Yeah, left hand is good, right hand is same old.

Greg, I had trouble turning beads too when I started so these were cheats. I used a beading tool. (Not a beading/parting tool). They're made by Sorby, Hamlet and Henry Taylor - all different designs. HT works best IME.

G`day the best tool i find for beads is a 1/4(6mm) straight chisel. The way ken hollows is the go.The only quicker way is the richard raffen style but I don`t know anyone who can do that except him.
Mick

Yeah there's as always more than one way to skin this cat; some inventive methods forum members have reported in the thread called IIRC Turning a Bead on a Bowl.