# Homemade wooden chuck for my 1920's lathe



## WTCTDF

I posted a while back about my 1920's lathe. One of the biggest issues I had was the inability to use modern accessories like a live center tailstock and a chuck style headstock. Today with christmas trees in mind, more specifically the stand, I made a custom chuck for my lathe using the wheel attachment I have for it. Here are some pictures.

*DISCLAIMER: If anyone decides to make something using these pictures as reference, be EXTREMELY careful.
A - Can only loosen bar screws so far or they will hit the rail.
B - When turning, watch where your knuckles go, you do NOT want one of the screws to catch you. I will probably next be making a custom guard to block me from putting my hand where the screws spin.*









































































This is the head stock with no attachment on it.










This is my only other option for the head stock:


















And for those that have not read/seen my other posts containing pictures of this 1920's lathe, this is the dead center tailstock:








Still trying to figure out a way to use a modern live center, but thus far my only viable option has been a fellow lumberjock who offered to make me a custom #2MT fitting for my tail stock, but I unfortunately have not had the extra money so far.


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## Nubsnstubs

Put this thread in the Woodturning forum. I'll bet there are 1 or 2 guys chomping at the bit that can steer you onto a chuck. That contraption looks pretty dangerous with the screws sticking out, but you already know that. My concern is the way you have it locked down. There is no way to keep it from twisting out of there if you get a catch. 
Put a pin dead center of your contraption, drill a hole dead center of your work piece, then slip it over the pin, and lock it down. It will be a little more secure.
What size is that thread on the spindle? ............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## TerryV

Don't know if you've tried it yet but it looks unusable. But the faceplate could hold a wooden screwchuck or a wooden jam chuck or a glue block. Don't worry too much about the live tailcentre, dead centres still work, just put a bit of wax on the wood.

Terry


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## WTCTDF

Nubsnstubs - Jerry, thank you for your advice, I will add a pin for extra security. As for the thread I'm not sure, and to be honest I'm unsure how to measure/check that. Also, I will move this to woodturning as soon as I finish typing this reply.

Terry - Yea, I still use it with the dead center, my issue is that mine is heavily worn out (my own opinion and a few others from this site based on pictures). Although, I have not tried wax yet, any suggestion of type of wax?

Note to all: I would never even think about using this without the tail stock for added security of the piece, this is not meant to be a chuck to completely hold the piece on its own. I only had the lathe on with the tailstock not against the blank long enough to take the 2 pictures of it spinning.


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## wormil

I looked up your old thread. So the homemade live center never panned out?

Your homemade chuck is too manly for me. It's for people who will stick their hand into running farm machinery and that's not me 

If you have threads on the headstock, why can't you use a 4 jaw chuck? Oneway has an adapter for about every size spindle ever made. Teknatool has fewer sizes but are less expensive (if they happen to have your size).
http://oneway.ca/chucks/adaptors.htm
http://www.teknatool.com/products/Lathe_Accessories/adaptor_page.htm


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## WTCTDF

Nah, I tried multiple times to make a live center, none worked out. I may try again at some point. As for the spindle, I honestly just hadn't thought of an adapter, I feel kind of silly lol, I looked online for old attachments made for the lathe, but never thought of an adapter. I'll check that out, tho I'll have to figure out how to measure the thread of mine.


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## wormil

According to the Blue Star catalog they are 1/2"-13
pg 14 http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/110/755.pdf


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## TerryV

Dan - when I used a dead centre I used paraffin wax from a bit of candle. I think any wax would do. Make a small hole with a bradawl, scrape a bit of wax into it then put it in the lathe. Sometimes it scorches a bit but if you get the pressure right it works fine and can be more solid than a live centre. You might need to fix the driving centre if you find it needs too much pressure from the tailstock to keep it engaged. I doubt if the shape of the point is critical as long as it is smooth enough to slip.

Terry


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## racerglen

X2 to Terry and the paraffin, I'm still using the Craftsman my folks bought me in the early '60's with a dead centre, no issues as long as you've got that touch of lube. That's the way I learned turning in junior high.


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## WTCTDF

*Rick* - Thank you for that, thats awesome. My actual lathe is a bit older, although it appears the only difference is that the one in that catalog shows the spur center having a center spike on it. On mine the center spike is on the threaded drive shaft itself, ans the spur center is essentially just a nut with the spur wings on it. Would your opinion be that that would not have been a big enough difference to change the threading? And more importantly… dont you wish a 48" wood lathe was still only $5.35? lol

Also just to show that things cost astronomically more nowadays, I looked it up and $5 1936 is equal to $84.44 2014, therefore by todays money value, that lathe would have cost less than $90. Whereas we all know for a good heavy duty 48" lathe nowadays your talking 4 digits lol.
1936 to 2014 conversion

*Terry & racerglen* - I will give that a try next time I set her spinning, I had bought some sealing wax a while back, just never got around to carving a seal with my family crest. Would this work just as well?








(Sorry, it rotated the pic sideways and I dont know how to fix on here)


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## TerryV

If you mean the sealing wax they drip onto documents then I should think no, it's too hard. I've heard beeswax recommended, and candle wax works. Oil would work but will soak too far into the wood. Even with wax, you want to leave a little bit of excess wood to trim off later to stop the wax interfering with the finish. If you grind a punch to match the angle of your centre it might work better than a bradawl.

Looking at the photo I should say the centre looks OK, not too worn.

Terry


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## WTCTDF

Ill take a good close up of the center later, the point seems ok, but it appears the post used to end in an inverted bowl, and thats whats worn down. As for the wax Ill put away the sealing wax and use candle wax, I have near 100 tealight candles so I've no issue with losing a few to this task lol.


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## wormil

> *Rick* - Thank you for that, thats awesome. My actual lathe is a bit older, although it appears the only difference is that the one in that catalog shows the spur center having a center spike on it. On mine the center spike is on the threaded drive shaft itself, ans the spur center is essentially just a nut with the spur wings on it. Would your opinion be that that would not have been a big enough difference to change the threading? And more importantly… dont you wish a 48" wood lathe was still only $5.35? lol
> - Dan


Change the threading? I'm not sure what you are asking.

And yes, even with inflation you can't buy an equivalent lathe today for $85. There were a lot of companies making hobby lathes back then, really cranking them out. Most of those companies didn't survive the Depression.


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## WTCTDF

All I meant with the threading change comment was that sometimes throughout product evolution components change, i.e. the lathe depicted there technically has a different headstock than mine, they changed from mine (center spike is part of the threaded stock) to the one depicted in that catalog (center spike is part of the spur). Just didnt know if you thought that change may have meant the threading being different on the different models. It's really a null point tho, I cant imagine it would be different. At some point I'll just buy a cheap nut at Home Cheapo or Lowes thats for a 1/2"-13 and see if it threads on, that will confirm it for me without a doubt.

My other question (as I'm still new to the lathe) would be do you think the adapters on the sites you linked would work due to the fact that the center spike is part of the lathes headstock spindle? In the diagrams on the website it shows a spindle that ends flat like a standard machine bolt. On my lathe the center spike protrudes past the end of the threading, I'll have to measure it, but ballparking from memory I think its like 1/2" or so.


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## Dal300

Since I don't have a lathe or do any major turning, I am wondering why you couldn't use those eight holes to just drive screws through into the piece being turned.

It seems to me that you wouldn't have to go far into the wood and you could use the dead center on the back end to keep enough pressure to ensure the screws stayed attached.

Maybe I'm wrong, but, then again, I did mention that I don't have a lathe.


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## WTCTDF

I've been doing that so far, however, the minimum size blank I can do that with is 2 by 2 square, if I want to turn something smaller or start with a one inch dowel or the such, I have to use the spur drive, which with the tail stock issues I have been having doesn't work that well. However, that maybe rectified by the previously mentioned wax idea.


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## WTCTDF

Rick - That was the proper threading, I bought a 1/2"-13 nut at Lowe's and it threaded right on. So now I know the threading and can look into adapters.


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## MrUnix

> Also just to show that things cost astronomically more nowadays, I looked it up and $5 1936 is equal to $84.44 2014, therefore by todays money value, that lathe would have cost less than $90. Whereas we all know for a good heavy duty 48" lathe nowadays your talking 4 digits lol.
> 1936 to 2014 conversion


To be fair, that $5.35 is just for the lathe.. Add a 1/2HP motor with an on/off switch, v-belt and step pulley for the motor and you are over $19 without a stand, according to the catalog that Rick linked to. And adjusted to todays dollars, that's a bit over $320. But I know what you mean.. my 1949 Delta (bare lathe) listed at just over $35 back in the day.. today, I pay almost twice that just to take the wife out to dinner!

Cheers,
Brad

PS: Another idea to add to your options would be to go out and get a 1/2-13 tap so you can make your own wooden faceplates.


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## wormil

> I ll just buy a cheap nut …
> 
> ... do you think the adapters on the sites you linked would work …
> - Dan











https://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-information/measuring/tpiandpitch.aspx

Not sure about the adapters. You may be out of luck anyway as I didn't see one for 1/2-13. I wouldn't spend much money on this lathe, instead I'd keep an eye out for something more conventional. Pre-WWII lathes have all sorts of random spindle sizes. My 1920's GP has a 1"-10 with #1 Morse Taper (MT) headstock and #0MT tailstock. Best option is something with #2 Morse tapers and 1"-8 thread. Older Craftsman lathes usually have 3/4-16 and #1MT, which are reasonably common.


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## emart

This guy had a similar problem while making his treadle lathe. He used some tapered tools to modify his tail stock for a live center.


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## Dal300

Here's your 1/2×13 tap, Tappity Tap Tap

(I have some old taps and dies out in the shop, I can look today and see what the sizes are. I know I had a 3/4×6 Acme die which will work for some stuff I'm building).

Also, just thinking about it, you could use the two spaced holes to mount a plate with holes that have less space between them, then mount your work piece to them.


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## Dal300

Success! I found two 1/2×13 taps and an antique GTD 'Little Giant" adjustable die with handle. It looks like it could be a 1/2X13, but it would have to be tried on some stock to see since I don't know what the numbers mean.


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## WTCTDF

Rick - I have never intended to spend too much on this lathe, I intend to use it as a learning tool and to see if I enjoy turning enough to warrant the purchase of a more modern lathe. I think my price cap for this lathe would be somewhere around 150-200, as I am willing to put some money into it due to its sentimental value, just not toooooo much and break the bank lol.

emart - That video was actually really cool, I wish I was half as good with hand tools as he is lol. As for doing what he did, converting the dead center into a #1MT, I am unfortunately too much of a sentimental sap for that lol. This was my great grandfathers lathe, that he purchased brand new. When it came to me it was 100% original, the only things I have done are changing the drive belt and the power cable on the motor (altho I kept both). I do not wish to permanently alter the machine or its components. Thats why I had found the gentleman on this site who was willing to have me ship him the half threaded rod that is the tailstock spindle so he could use a metal lathe to recreate it, but with a #2MT end instead of a dead center.

Dallas - Once again I have had a "duh, why didnt i think of that" moment reading here, I actually never thought to simply screw a plate of some sort to allow me to screw into smaller stock. I guess sometimes when faced with a problem you focus on it too much and miss the simple obvious answers lol. As for the tap, what is your meaning with all that, actually tapping wood plates to make my own attachments?


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## Dal300

With the tap and die you could thread anything you wanted to fit the treads on your lathe.
Drilling a hole larger than the shaft in a piece of wood then epoxying a nut into a counter sunk hole would allow you to thread the wood onto the shaft securely. You could also simply thread a steel plate and screw it on, putting the attachment holes anywhere you wanted them.

If you wanted these you can have them if I can get them to you.

By the way, I am working on a small homemade lathe, in the design stage and parts collecting stage right now. I don't want to buy any more parts than I absolutely have to, so that slows the process along with the fact theat my meds keep my mind muddy so I can't draw or de4sign effectively anymore.


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## MrUnix

*As for the tap, what is your meaning with all that, actually tapping wood plates to make my own attachments?*

Absolutely.. I have an odd sized spindle thread as well, but fortunately I have the proper sized tap for it. You can make up a bunch of wooden faceplates from scraps. They can be used directly by gluing onto the bottom of whatever it is you want to turn (and parting off when done), or you can use them as bases for additional things like a screw center, friction/jam-fit chuck, whatever…










Cheers,
Brad

PS: They are re-usable as well.. if they get too short, just glue another piece to it.


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## TheDane

Alan Stratton did a YouTube video on wooden faceplates last year … 




He also provides written instructions for the process he uses to make them.


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## MrUnix

Only problem with Alan's method is it requires a 4-jaw wood chuck and a drill chuck for the tailstock.

There is a much easier method that doesn't require anything extra. Start by drilling and tapping the wood blank that will become the new faceplate. Doesn't need to be precise.. just try to get it as straight as possible and as centered on the blank as you can. Screw it on the spindle, true the face, chamfer around the hole and add a tennon if desired. Flip it around and finish truing it up. Done!

Cheers,
Brad


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