yardsalin' again

As expected , a piece of 1045 jut the right size set me back $17.50 . A fully machined back plate would be over 50 bucks ...

You have a back plate that fits into a 5C spindle? I have a lathe with a 5C native spindle. Maybe we could horse trade... if I had a horse.

I bought one of those and it has proved fairly handy but I found as supplied it had quite a bit of run-out and the chuck wasn't square. I separated the chuck from the 5C backplate and found that was badly machined but once correctly machined it now runs quite true for a cheap chuck.

I don't really need a horse anyway ... but then I don't really need this back plate either . The threads on the outside are a little banged up , nothing a tricorner needle file won't clean up . I can't think of anything offhand that I need or want ...

You have a back plate that fits into a 5C spindle? I have a lathe with a 5C native spindle. Maybe we could horse trade... if I had a horse. Bob La Londe

--------------------------------------- LMS sells them, 5478 and 5479, listed with 5C instead of backplates.

I bought one of those and it has proved fairly handy but I found as supplied it had quite a bit of run-out and the chuck wasn't square. I separated the chuck from the 5C backplate and found that was badly machined but once correctly machined it now runs quite true for a cheap chuck.

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I have one as well, in a wooden box, likely from Enco. It's not my first choice on the lathe but it's very handy for machining indexed wrench flats etc on turned parts. A chuck small enough to pass over the carriage allows facing both sides of gear or pulley blanks held by the hole ID, and (like collets) bringing the tailstock close to the chuck for accurate center drilling.

As expected , a piece of 1045 jut the right size set me back $17.50 . A fully machined back plate would be over 50 bucks ...

I read somewhere that chuck backplates for threaded spindle lathes should be soft cast iron instead of steel to minimize spindle thread wear.

---------------- A piece of cast that size is a good bit more expensive ... if I could find one .

On 9/6/2024 8:07 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote: I read somewhere that chuck backplates for threaded spindle lathes should be soft cast iron instead of steel to minimize spindle thread wear.

---------------- A piece of cast that size is a good bit more expensive ... if I could find one . Snag

--------------------------------- Gym weights?

A dumbbell became the ball pivot feet of my hoisting shear legs. The iron cut easily enough without annealing in the wood stove. I judge cast iron's condition by the chips, compared to known-good pieces like backplates. The worst crumbly cast iron I've machined was the head of a Duracraft drill press. Pipe fittings have mostly been pretty good, as was my second-hand (self-annealed) Taiwan wood stove to which I added a small window.

Push comes to shove I'd rather trade with Snag than Shars, but he does say his needs some clean up. I have nothing against Shar's. I just like Snag better.

Gym weights is a commonly suggest alternative, but there have been plenty of reports of voids, and hard spots as its the cheapest cast they can get to stay together. If they are free and you are bored it makes a nice Saturday afternoon project, but I wouldn't go seek them out.

Actually it's just a couple of very minor dings on the threads .

Gym weights is a commonly suggest alternative, but there have been plenty of reports of voids, and hard spots as its the cheapest cast they can get to stay together. If they are free and you are bored it makes a nice Saturday afternoon project, but I wouldn't go seek them out.

Bob La Londe

---------------------------------- Having a wood stove to anneal it and using HSS lathe bits and endmills that I can resharpen lets me risk mystery metal. My lathe chucks are all on purchased backplates, though I'd consider gym weight iron for a slow moving rotary table chuck adapter.

Where does one come across those weights ? I've seen a few of the sand filled injection molded plastic units at yard sales , haven't run across any CI units . I come across projects where a chunk of cast would be a better choice than mild or stainless or whatever I have on hand . My RT chuck adapter is made from a scrap aluminum lost foam casting . It's been a couple of thou off center since the day I mounted it 20 something years ago . But since I only use the 4 jaw chuck on it it doesn't really matter .

I'd watch Craigs list and be very patient. Example search for my general area:

Where does one come across those weights ? I've seen a few of the sand filled injection molded plastic units at yard sales , haven't run across any CI units . I come across projects where a chunk of cast would be a better choice than mild or stainless or whatever I have on hand . My RT chuck adapter is made from a scrap aluminum lost foam casting . It's been a couple of thou off center since the day I mounted it 20 something years ago . But since I only use the 4 jaw chuck on it it doesn't really matter . Snag

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I bought some on sale at Walmart many years ago, when they switched from plain to fancier styles or brands. I don't know what's sold now, I get my exercise from manual hoisting gear, firewood and wet lumber.

Weekend flea markets have been good sources for me, I found a repairable mobility scooter that I could need soon, a 5/8" x 96' arborist bull rope, a j-bar and industrial electronic test equipment. The rope's only defect was being 4' short of standard length, the test equipment can accurately measure the resistance of an inch of 10 AWG wire, or switch and connector contact resistance. A j-bar is like a toe jack on wheels, for moving heavy machinery etc. Part of my first full time job was helping load newly built machines onto a flat bed truck with one. The batch of logs I'm cutting up have weighed up to 4500 Lbs and I don't have powered equipment to lift and move them, or clear space to maneuver it if I did.

A neighbor tried to stack the logs with his tractor but about all he could do was show that it hadn't lost its rated 900 Lb bucket lift capacity, the logs were mostly heavier. Then he replaced several failing hoses. I stacked the logs with the tripods and gantry hoist which at the time could lift and move 2000 Lbs. Since then I've upgraded the gantry to >3000, and with improved baseplates two tripods can lift and slowly move at least 4500.

Grade 100 chain and fittings: