cheap faceplate for mini jet

Woodcraft sells cast iron 3" or 4" (can't remember which one) Jet brand faceplates for $12.99 each. They don't get much cheaper than that!

Peter Teubel Milford, MA

"Peter Teubel" wrote: (clip) $12.99 each. They don't get much cheaper than that! ^^^^^^^^^^ Yeah they do! Bill Noble makes faceplates by welding washers to nuts, and sells them for about five bucks. He posts here often, so you should be able to find him.

Any idea how they are for balance? There is probably a workaround for that??

Cheers, tom

"Tom Storey" wrote: Any idea how they are for balance? (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^ People often worry about runout on hand welded faceplates, but I have never heard a question on balance. These little faceplates don't weigh enough to create a balance problem. Typically, a piece of wood, starting to be turned is out of balance far more than the faceplate, and the lathe has to be able to handle it.

The usual worry is runout, and that is a non-issue also. After the wood has been turned round, there is no runout. A running error in the faceplate might result in a slight angle to the surface to which it had been attached. If this is going to be the foot of a bowl, it will be trued up when the bowl is reversed and the foot is finished. If it is the top of the bowl, it is removed as the bowl is hollowed.

If, for some reason, you need a true-running surface to which to attach your work, then glue or screw on a piece of scrap wood, and true it up.

Hi Bernie, Doesn't answer your question, but consider buying some cheap soft steel 1" X 8 tpi nuts. Turn some wooden discs of diameters to suit your needs. Use dry scrap thick enough to contain the nuts and turn the faces true. Drill a center hole deep enough to contain the nut and epoxy it into the disc. Drill holes about the face for the faceplate screws (don't use brittle ones like drywall screws) wherever you choose and whatever size you want...or leave a solid face for gluing your blanks to. Cheap, a satisfying turning project, works as well as store boughts for midi lathe work. Remember, a face plate is just a multi-screwchuck.

Lots of better description and advice available in our archives, many web sites, books and articles. Should you be interested, someone will point you to them, but if you prefer to buy, maybe somebody else might want to make their own. Arch

Fortiter,

Take a look at Darrel Feltmates web site. He drills hard wood, taps it and adds a glue block. You could drill holes around the outside for a face plate. I found a 1X8 tap and it works. Drilled a hole in the side for a breaker bar to undo it.

How about free? I don't know about Jets, but used oil filters from my Corolla fit the threads on my Carbatec. The part with the threads in it makes a good mini-lathe faceplace. Poke a hole in the filter to drain it before cutting it apart.

-mike paulson, fort collins, co

Not quite free but pipe flanges faced with trued up wood are cheap. 1/2 in. pipe flanges mate with carbatec and other 3/4 X 16 spindles, but I'm not sure if there is a pipe thread to fit Jet's 1x 8 threads. Is there a pipe thread that matches 11/4 X8? Arch

Fortiter,

"Mike Paulson" wrote: (clip) I don't know about Jets, but used oil filters from my Corolla fit the threads on my Carbatec. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This could be a major breakthrough. How come no one else has noticed/mentioned it before? Have you tried mounting the filter on the lathe and running it at high speed to extract the oil?

I suggest we start a database of make-of-car/lathe spindle compatibility.

- Andrew

yeah... what oil filter fits my south bend 9" with 1-1/2"/8tpi spindle?

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I plan to get some of Bill Noble cheap faceplates.

Also found some1x8tpi nuts at my local Tru Value hardware store so I can try my hand at epoxying them inside a hardwood disk,

I struck out locally looking for a 1x8tpi tap but think I will have enough faceplates to last my lifetime without trying that method.

bernie

Bernie, if you need more faceplates for your second lifetime try making a tap from a 1X8 bolt. File narrow slots along part of the bolt across the threads to simulate the cutting edges of a real tap. Chamfer the entering tip. Works pretty well in hardwood altho sometimes you have to harden the sides of the hole with super glue before tapping. You can also make useful dies for threading wood dowels, etc. using your 1X8 nuts. Arch, (Another Scottish spendthrift)

Fortiter,

ok, let me answer some of these questions:

1. if you are interested, my web site has the details of my cheap (err, "inexpensive") faceplates,
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1. balance is not an issue.

2. I have measured the trueness on some 1.25X8 faceplates. Welding distorts the washers a little so they get wavy. I measured 5, the worst was out by about 100/1000, the best was 45/1000 (.045 inches). As leo explained below, this is not an issue either, although it bothers some people (one person returned these faceplates, which is why I measured them). If this bothers you, I can true them up on my metal lathe - this doubles the price, but then they are as true as any machined faceplate. I have sent samples of the "trued" ones along with regular ones to some buyers as an experiment, and asked them if they saw any difference. Not one of them cared. No one, that is, except for the one person who returned them.

1. I have used these welded faceplates (not trued) with a 100 pound piece of wood (on my stubby lathe) with no problem.

hope this helps

bill

balance?

Sounds like a terriffic idea! Les see.... (C)arcatec = (C)orolla, hmmm. A coincidence? I think not. I wonder if (H)onda filters fit (H)arbor Freight?

Dave in Fairfax

Buy a one inch tap and thread a piece of 2 x 4 x 4 and drill a 3/4" hole in the center of the 4 x 4 face and tap. Then mount the square to the head stock of your lathe and turn down and true the face. Now you have a very cheap face plate. I mount my turnings with a piece of paper with glue (titebond) on both side of the paper, clamp and let dry. when you have completed your turning take a putty knife and split the paper. A sharp blow with a hammer should split the paper. I am not joking when I say split the paper. You will have paper on either side of the joint.

Bernie, Google for J & L Industrial Tool or Production Tool. Both have multiple outlets across the US. Be prepared to reach deep for a 1 x 8 tap, though. Pay attention to whether you will be covering over a through hole or tapping into a blind hole ... different holes call for different taps. On the plus side, unless you lose it, it isn't likely you will ever need to buy another.

If you have a Kitts near you, you might be able to find one in the 'by the pound' barrel, if not, they'll have cheap imports. The ones from Czechoslovakia and Poland are pretty good. For a few bucks more you can get a cobalt tap with a lot of wear resistance ... useful if dealing with abrasive or fouled woods.

Bill