Thread: Problem mounting faceplate on Herless lathe

I have a Herless SSB 16 BUK lathe that I bought s'hand a few years ago. It came with a faceplate but part of it is missing (it may not be the correct faceplate for this lathe). There is no boss to screw it onto the spindle or any other way of mounting it. I was in process of making a threaded boss but then realized that the P.C.D of bolts that I would use to attach faceplate is to small to bolt to the flange on this boss. I have now decided to machine up a taper to fit the taper inside lathe spindle (I think MT 5) weld a flange to the machined taper and bolt the faceplate to this flange. Am I missing the obvious. Any thoughts please. Thanks Ken
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Cant you just change the PCD to suit what you have.

Originally Posted by Kentower

I have a Herless SSB 16 BUK lathe that I bought s'hand a few years ago. It came with a faceplate but part of it is missing (it may not be the correct faceplate for this lathe). There is no boss to screw it onto the spindle or any other way of mounting it. I was in process of making a threaded boss but then realized that the P.C.D of bolts that I would use to attach faceplate is to small to bolt to the flange on this boss. I have now decided to machine up a taper to fit the taper inside lathe spindle (I think MT 5) weld a flange to the machined taper and bolt the faceplate to this flange. Am I missing the obvious. Any thoughts please. Thanks Ken
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That faceplate looks to me like it is made to fit a short taper spindle nose, similar to camlock but using three bolts. If so, then you would find that the center hole in this faceplate is slightly tapered. And as you found out, this face plate will not fit onto your threaded spindle nose. Not as is.

Your best option is to find a ready made faceplate that fits your lathe's spindle nose. That may be hard if it is an old or/and rare lathe model. Second best option is probably to make a backplate, as used for chucks, to attach to this camlock type faceplate. Or maybe you can find a raw cast faceplate blank, that you can bore and thread to fit your spindle nose, then mount onto your lathe and face/turn to run perfectly true. Chris

Is the bore on that plate tapered? The studs look camlock-ish. I mean someone may have fitted modified studs to adapt it to something else.

What you could do is remove the studs and carefully drill through to the face, in a size smaller than the thread. The bottom of the hole is probably pointed so you will be able to centre up ok. Then counterbore the face and bolt through into your threaded spud. I've done this to a face plate to adapt from D16 direct mount to D15 back plate mount. Although I haven't finished the process, that part of it appears successful. Have a careful measure-up first to see if it's feasible. The beauty of it is it's reversible if you're careful.

Ken it is a 5 mt, you would have to use a draw bar to lock it on,as there is only 1/4 inch to spindle nose flange no room to use bolts.

I think the better way is to remove the three bolts and face the flange then make a suitable size bush with a good size flange to match existing flange bolt it on and bore and cut the corect thread which only goes from the face to half way in the bore,the remainder fits the spindle, I
hope this might help .I could show a photo if I could get the attachments to work,

Eddie

I have a 15BK Herless lathe and the spindle on it is a flange with the 3 holes in the outer and a short locating taper. As already said the 3 studs go through the holes and a "D" washer is inserted between the back of the flange and nut. They hold the unit on the short taper.

Ken

Hi Ken what year is your Bk model lathe,

Eddie

Eddie,

I seem to recall somewhere around 1985 or so. I haven't looked at the plate for some time.

Ken

Eddie.

I "almost" made a mistake.

The lather is a SSB-5MK. March 1985.


As to the original post. Not the right faceplate for the lathe spindle. 2 choices are

1. thread the faceplate and machine a rear register face if the is enough material in the faceplate,

2. make up an flanged adapter/backplate with the lathe nose thread one end, and 3 mounting holes for the studs in the flange and a locating taper for the faceplate.

Point 2 is the most likely scenario. A nice little turning project. I would turn a very accurate replica of the spindle thread for use as a plug gauge; then turn the rear section of the adapter and thread the socket parts with the spindle thread. Use the thread plug gauge to obtain a nice snug fit. Fit the threaded part to the nose thread of the lathe and finish turning the adapter face and taper for the faceplate. For turning the taper I would remove the 3 studs from the faceplate ( remove hex bolt beside them and they will pull out) and use the faceplate as a gauge.
Drill 3 holes through the flange for the 3 studs. On the unit here the lathe taper wholly supports the backplate with the 3 studs used only to hold the backplate in place. There is a small gap between the two.

Ken

Originally Posted by Kentower

I have a Herless SSB 16 BUK lathe that I bought s'hand a few years ago. It came with a faceplate but part of it is missing (it may not be the correct faceplate for this lathe). There is no boss to screw it onto the spindle or any other way of mounting it. I was in process of making a threaded boss but then realized that the P.C.D of bolts that I would use to attach faceplate is to small to bolt to the flange on this boss. I have now decided to machine up a taper to fit the taper inside lathe spindle (I think MT 5) weld a flange to the machined taper and bolt the faceplate to this flange. Am I missing the obvious. Any thoughts please. Thanks Ken
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It's most likely a B-2 type tapered fitting.

Lathe Spindle Fittings Page 2

Depending on the pitch circle diameter you may be better off selling/trading it to someone with a D1 series spindle nose and getting another face plate. Not like face plates rare or anything. If it is a B series it's readily convertible to D1 by swapping the screwed studs for camlock pins. The locking/adjusting bolts are already there making me wonder if it was converted from a D1 nose.

I would *not* attempt to drive it off the spindle internal taper. That, IMO, is simply asking for major problems both in setting it true and keeping it true, plus if you ever have a crash, I don't like to think about what might happen.

FWIW my Emco Maximat uses the same spindle nose and other than the minor PITA swapping chucks I'm happy with it. I don't have to worry about stuff unscrewing anyway.

PDW

This faceplate is unused. Taking in what Toggy says maybe the original purchaser was given one for a different model. With these measurements Toggy, can you confirm if it would go straight on your lathe. Hole machined through centre is 60.75mm. There is a taper on opposite side of face going in 11 mm. The taper starts at 62.75mm. The PCD of the studs is (not super accurate) 83.25 mm. It is 255mm in diam with a thickness of 19 mm.
If this faceplate fits straight on someone's lathe, I am happy for them to have it. They will need to give me back one of similar quality that I can adapt or suitable compensation.
I don't really have a decent bit of material to make a boss out of. As well, the solid material in faceplate does not quite extend out far enough in diameter to affix the 3 mounting studs into.
Thank you for all the hints. I had spent a couple of hours machining up a taper on a scrap bit of pipe and am happy with the fit in what I now know is a 5 MT. I used some graphite along the taper and it seemed to be squashed evenly along it. I have some scrap mild steel shaft that I will make a taper out of. Then I am thinking of screwing it into 20 mm plate and silversoldering it in. Tap it for a drawbar, stick it in the taper in lathe then machine same to suit faceplate. I realize this will stick in the lathe taper, so I will tap a couple of threads in flange to enable fitting to be pushed out with screws.
Ken

The other Ken aka Kentower

My lathe is a tiddler 10"X15" made in Taiwan.

Some rough measurements of the faceplate are

diam 205mm X 15.5mm thick, through bore of 35.12mm,
taper is 53.4mm outer to 49.8mm inner and some goose forgot to measure the depth
rear of taper to face of faceplate 30.22 and the best I measured the PCD at was 71.28mm.

I am guessing that your faceplate is for one of the 12" models.

This Ken

PDW, you have enlightened me somewhat. After reading up on specifications for American lathe spindle noses, I think this faceplate is as you say, ie it will fit an A2/B2 no 4 spindle nose, or the camlock spindle type D1-4.
Toggy with what you have measured, yours is possibly similar but an A2/B2 no 3 or the D1-3.
In light of this and the fact that down the track, I intend to have a later model camlock type lathe, I will attempt to make a boss in this A2 no 4 configuration. I will tap threads into the boss. Then I will drill 3 fresh holes in the faceplate on the correct PCD, recess the holes then use allen key style bolts to attach faceplate to this new boss.
Thank you for all the input.
Ken