Leadbetter expanding chuck

[Rod_G]

I am a teacher in Sydney and wish to use the expanding chuck on a Leadbetter lathe unfortunately we have lost the bit to drill into the timber.

If anyone knows where we could purchase a new bit it would be greatly appreciated.


Rod

[orraloon]

Give Bruce a call on 97185395.
If you have the time then call round to pick it up then check out some of the other bits and pieces he has for the lathe. It should be worthwhile.
Regards
John

[Manuka Jock]

I am a teacher in Sydney and wish to use the expanding chuck on a Leadbetter lathe unfortunately we have lost the bit to drill into the timber.

If anyone knows where we could purchase a new bit it would be greatly appreciated.


Rod

Thats a long trip for work everyday from Liverpool to Sydney and back mate

[GoGuppy]

Give Bruce a call on 97185395.
If you have the time then call round to pick it up then check out some of the other bits and pieces he has for the lathe. It should be worthwhile.
Regards
John

[Hardenfast]

G'day Rod. I have a Leady lathe purchased directly from Bruce in Sydney, and I also have one of his expanding chucks. The lathe and the chuck are great - I use the Leady chuck for just about every turning project I do.

However, the first thing I did was throw away the "drill bit" he supplied to bore the mortice hole for the chuck. Far too difficult to use - almost dangerous in my opinion. You'd be much better off to get yourself a saw-tooth forstner bit of comparable size - I think a 60mm bit works nicely. Much easier to use and control and a cleaner cut as well.

They do leave a small centre hole in the mortice, but that's easy to get rid of if it annoys you. I think you'll enjoy using the Leady chuck even more when you've got a forstner bit to mount it.

Wayne

[orraloon]

Wayne,
I cant agree with you there as I find the cutter the thing that makes the chuck so worthwhile. It has to be kept sharp however. I use the lowest 2 speeds depending on how the timber cuts. I cant see it being any more dangerous than any other bit citting a hole that size. The morse taper will slip before anything goes bang. As for keeping it sharp just a rub on the oilstone now and then.
Regards
John

[Hardenfast]

Wayne,
I cant agree with you there as I find the cutter the thing that makes the chuck so worthwhile. It has to be kept sharp however. I use the lowest 2 speeds depending on how the timber cuts. I cant see it being any more dangerous than any other bit citting a hole that size. The morse taper will slip before anything goes bang. As for keeping it sharp just a rub on the oilstone now and then.
Regards
John

Maybe you received a different version of Bruce's purpose-made mortice drill than me, John. The bit he gave me was not machined to Bruce's usual standards I'm afraid - 60mm drill bit with uneven cutting surfaces and an inadequate centre spur on hard, hard blank = catch.

I guess it will also depend a little on how securely you can clamp the blank while you're drilling it. Odd shapes and uneven surfaces are not unusual for turning blanks - to me anyway - and can be a little difficult to secure firmly.

Trust me, try a nice sharp 60mm forstner bit as a comparison.

Wayne

[orraloon]

Wayne,
Looks like we have been approaching this from different directions.I always do the recess on the lathe with the cutter in the tailstock. The work is on a faceplate and roughed down to round first. I have never had a problem this way. If the bit is a bit blunt I can tell by the noise it makes and the time it takes to cut. A bit that size is more than my small benchtop drillpress would find comfortable anyhow.
Regards
John

[GoGuppy]

Wayne,
Looks like we have been approaching this from different directions.I always do the recess on the lathe with the cutter in the tailstock. The work is on a faceplate and roughed down to round first. I have never had a problem this way. If the bit is a bit blunt I can tell by the noise it makes and the time it takes to cut. A bit that size is more than my small benchtop drillpress would find comfortable anyhow.
Regards
John

This is pretty much how Bruce showed me to use the bit during one of the free training lessons he gave me having recently bought on of his lathes.
I have not had the opportunity to use the bit myself, as I have only last week bought a jacobs chuck to hold the bit. Bruce also showed me how to sharpen the bit if and when necessary.
I guess a 'nice sharp 60mm forstner bit' would do a good job as well!

Cheers

[Hardenfast]

Wayne,
Looks like we have been approaching this from different directions.I always do the recess on the lathe with the cutter in the tailstock. The work is on a faceplate and roughed down to round first. I have never had a problem this way. If the bit is a bit blunt I can tell by the noise it makes and the time it takes to cut. A bit that size is more than my small benchtop drillpress would find comfortable anyhow.
Regards
John

OK, makes perfect sense now John (and Guppy). Fixing your blank to a face plate and introducing it to a Leady bit in the tailstock would eliminate any of the probs I had encountered when drilling the blank via a drill press. I always seem to be in too much of a hurry with these things to go to the trouble of mounting projects on a face plate etc, I'm embarrassed to say.

For me, the forstner bit in a drill press works great - 2 mins and I'm turning. The forstner cuts so smoothly I usually don't even bother clamping the blank. It pretty much sits there held with one hand while drilled - even hard woods.

Shame I didn't keep the Leady bit - I would have given it to you.

Wayne