Has anyone successfully used a wood lathe chuck for light-duty
metalworking? I'm looking for minimal height on a rotary table to
provide more Z axis clearance on my milling machine.
https://www.wttool.com/index/page/ca...e=SiteChampion

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message ...

Has anyone successfully used a wood lathe chuck for light-duty
metalworking? I'm looking for minimal height on a rotary table to
provide more Z axis clearance on my milling machine.
https://www.wttool.com/index/page/ca...e=SiteChampion

*********

I just recently saw a video were somebody was considering a wood working
lathe chuck on a rotary welding table. I don't see where it wouldn't work
with appropriate concessions and care when setting up jobs.

Since no one seems to have used one, I will throw in my outside opinion:
I think that the biggest possible problem is that the stock may not be
held parallel to the axis. I.e., it may be tilted to a degree
acceptable to a woodworker, but not a metalworker. Even if you reground
the jaws, the grind might only be good for that diameter.

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Since no one seems to have used one, I will throw in my outside
opinion: I think that the biggest possible problem is that the stock
may not be held parallel to the axis. I.e., it may be tilted to a
degree acceptable to a woodworker, but not a metalworker. Even if
you reground the jaws, the grind might only be good for that
diameter.

I'd be threading the back 1-1/2 - 8 to fit a BS-0 dividing head and an
adapter I made for my South Bend. Probably the face would end up
drilled and tapped for studs to clamp gear blanks after the jaws
centered them. A cheap wood chuck seems better for my first attempt at
butchery but I don't have one to examine, to see if the center hole
can be opened to 1.5" and if new jaws can be fitted.

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...
"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Since no one seems to have used one, I will throw in my outside
opinion: I think that the biggest possible problem is that the
stock may not be held parallel to the axis. I.e., it may be tilted
to a degree acceptable to a woodworker, but not a metalworker.
Even if you reground the jaws, the grind might only be good for
that diameter.

I'd be threading the back 1-1/2 - 8 to fit a BS-0 dividing head and
an adapter I made for my South Bend. Probably the face would end up
drilled and tapped for studs to clamp gear blanks after the jaws
centered them. A cheap wood chuck seems better for my first attempt
at butchery but I don't have one to examine, to see if the center
hole can be opened to 1.5" and if new jaws can be fitted.


The model for this is a faceplate with four removeable jaws that mount
in radial tee slots, which I saw in an old book. The gear blank mounts
on spacers that allow turning the OD and both faces of the edge, and
the jaws only center it and then are removed, they don't control
wobble or need to be strong enough to resist cutting force.
http://www.neme-s.org/Model_Engineer...&%20Clamps.pdf

On 7/14/2019 7:05 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
I'd be threading the back 1-1/2 - 8 to fit a BS-0 dividing head and
an adapter I made for my South Bend. ...

The model for this is a faceplate with four removeable jaws that mount
in radial tee slots, which I saw in an old book. The gear blank mounts
on spacers that allow turning the OD and both faces of the edge, and
the jaws only center it and then are removed, they don't control
wobble or need to be strong enough to resist cutting force.
http://www.neme-s.org/Model_Engineer...&%20Clamps.pdf

In that case, you could true up the face on the lathe and everything
would be nicely aligned

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
On 7/14/2019 7:05 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
I'd be threading the back 1-1/2 - 8 to fit a BS-0 dividing head
and
an adapter I made for my South Bend. ...

The model for this is a faceplate with four removeable jaws that
mount
in radial tee slots, which I saw in an old book. The gear blank
mounts
on spacers that allow turning the OD and both faces of the edge,
and
the jaws only center it and then are removed, they don't control
wobble or need to be strong enough to resist cutting force.
http://www.neme-s.org/Model_Engineer...&%20Clamps.pdf

In that case, you could true up the face on the lathe and everything
would be nicely aligned


Unless it has tee slots like the wood lathe chuck, which would become
tapered. I'd clamp the stripped chuck body to a trued faceplate to
thread the spindle hole.

This was prompted by difficulties fixturing and remachining hubs that
adapt bicycle sprockets to the 3/8-16 threaded rods that lift the head
of my sawmill. These hubs fit in a Sherline 4-jaw on a 5C mount but
the total indexer height left little room to mill and drill the hubs.
https://www.sherlineipd.com/5C.htm

My Clausing mill is an early model without the head riser block. The
maximum table to spindle height is ~11.5", which fixturing and a drill
chuck eat up quickly.

LMS sells a 5C mount for small metric chucks. I put my 6-jaw on one.