Mother Necessity's inventions

[arbud]

Ya say you're havin' trouble centering your faceplate? Ya say ya can't get it back in the same place if you remove it? Hogwash, it can be done; you need Mother Necessity's centering invention.

Go to the hardware store and buy a bolt the same size as your faceplate thread, mine's 1" x 8tpi, for 2-3 bucks. Take it to you local machinist and have a point turned on the threaded end for another 2-3 bucks. Go find a piece of wood, find the center of same, and mark it w/an awl. Screw the bolt into the faceplate so's it sticks out the other side, insert the pouint you had turned into the hole you made w/the awl, screw the faceplate down the bolt 'til contacts the wood. There ya go, dead center, centre if you're Canadian, a punto if you're Latino...nevermind.

 

[hockenbery]

Arbud,
Nice invention!

I have my students use a block of wood turned round on the lathe so that it just slides through the face plate with a sharpened nail in the center.

Yours is probably more accurate but mine is cheaper and easier to make. The only metal work is cutting the head off the nail and sharpening it with a file.

enjoy!
Al

 

[woodboy]

I spent 20 bucks from woodturnerscatalog and bought one I new would be dead center, of course now that i am using my chuck most of the time I don't use it much.

 

[Bob Hadley]

If you would rather make something than buy it, just for the heck of it, this is a one of those projects you can save for a day when doodling around your shop is more fun than starting something.

Most hardware supply stores (real ones, not Home Depot) offer various grades of bolts and/or threaded rod that match lathe spindle threading. For sure, 1 x 8 tpi and 3/4-16 tpi should be no problem. Buy a cheap, low-grade bolt (hex or socket-head) that is long enough to protrude through your particular faceplate. Don't get a heat-treated bolt or a grade 8 bolt as you may need to saw the head off.

Basically, put the bolt in your chuck and use your tail-stock with a drill chuck to center-drill a small hole to insert and epoxy a clipped nail for a pointer.

A 12-1/2 gauge galvanized finish nail measures 0.099. A 39 number drill is almost perfect. If you have something different, drill some test holes to find a perfect fit. If the hole is to big the pointer will never be on center. If it is too small you'll never be able to drive the nail into the hole.

When drilling the bolt, if the drill wanders, start with a beefier drill just to create a entry point and then switch back. Drill the hole at least a 1/4 inch deep and clip your nail to about 3/8 inches long. Clean the hole and epoxy the nail in there. When the epoxy is hard, re-chuck the bolt and use a file to put a clean point on the nail.

That's it.

BH

 

[arbud]

chuck?

Bob, thanks for the alternative. I do have a question: What does one do if one doesn't own a chuck?

 

[Bob Hadley]

Hmmm... It's called the vortex.
On behalf of everyone already sucked in, I welcome you.
You can't get out until you own one of everything. Sorry.
BH

 

[Ken Grunke]

no chuck? Make one

Bore a hole in a scrap piece of wood held to a faceplate, for a snug fit of the bolt (with the head cut off). Use superglue to hold the bolt temporarily while you drill the hole for the nail. When done, heat the bolt with a torch to release it.
If you cut the bolt's head off, you'll need to drill a cross-hole for a "tommy bar".

 

[Paul Porter]

Where does a guy...

...find a 33mm by 3.5 bolt in the U.S.? Any of you Canadian turners want to trade a bolt for a nice chunk of Desert Ironwood?

Paul

 

[arbud]

rebolting development

Paul, Try Fastenall (I didn't look for a website) the fastener co. That's about 1 1/8" nc so they might have it.

 

[woodboy]

paul most hardware stores have them you just have to look hard and not trust any incompetant people who barely know the difference between the bolt you need a bolt of cloth and a bolt of lightning.

 

[Erwin Nistler]

I use a piece of maple turned to a snug fit inside the threads of my faceplates. In the very center I have a sharpened screw the protrudes just a bit. This is easy to use as I put the wood plug in the wood first, while easy to see the center, then drop the faceplate over it. Quick and easy.

 

[Doug Dubowski]

another way is to simply insert a brad point drill bit (which is the same size as the hole in the face plate) through the face plate and line up the brad point with the center point punched in the wood.

DGD