Faceplate - homemade or buy one?

[MrAudio815]

Earl,

Very nice. It looks like it holds some large pieces. Did you use a normal nut or did you find some that are longer? Is there anything that i need to know before I make some?

Yup its a normal nut and if you have a Tractor suppy where you are or a hardware store that you can purchase by the pound go there, you'll get more for your money.

Here is a few more pic's of the Homemade Faceplate or in this case a Homemade Lathe disc sander using the same concept. I hope with the pictures Earl provided and mine you can make some Faceplates for your self

The Nut is nice and tight against the Headstock


Sandwhiched in between two hardwood scrap pieces and glued and screwed to 1 5/16 MDF










How it is done


Nothing pretty, but hey it sure works.


Have fun, lets see your's shortly in the near future now! :gar-Bi :icon_thum

 

[Gotcha6]

Looks like I need to eat a little Humble Pie. My earlier post about a faceplate being hard to make seems to be out in left field. :embaresse You guys make it look easy. :thumbs_up:thumbs_up

 

[bob vaughan]

I'd been thinking in terms of a metal nut and also a steel plate. By epoxying on wood plates, that'll give the opportunity to leave the front open so the front of the spindle nose won't strike it. The back of the nut should contact the shoulder of the spindle nose for the best working conditions, the more true that is, the better.

If it isn't perfect from the machine shop, it'll still work.

The key word here is: TRY.

So what if it isn't perfect. Use it until your skill and experience level justifies the investment in a good faceplate. You'll know when that is. Faceplates will always be for sale. Oneway makes some good stout ones.

 

[CarvedTones]

Dennis,

I didn't post pictures as I haven't made any recently; my experience was with a previous lathe. You are right in that it is difficult to make them correctly as far as initial assembly - every one I made was out of balance, not truly round and not perpendicular to the bed. But they were close and the lathe itself is the perfect tool for correcting the minor problems.

I probably won't be making any real soon. I saw a little box from Grizzly come in and it will be under the tree. Because of deciding to ask for the Bosch jig saw, I dialed back my chuck on the list from the $100 one to the $50 one, but for the small stuff I do it should be fine (I hope...).