Author Topic: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates  (Read 24571 times)

Offline Jo

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Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« on: June 12, 2013, 05:39:18 AM »
I normally have a habit of using whatever comes to hand to clamp work on a face plate but I would like to make a set of small clamps suitable use on my Cowells. The initial purpose will be to clamp the Crosskill cylinder in place for the demonstration.

On my BCA jig borer I have some very nice small clamps which are simply 12.7mm wide strips with two holes in them the centre being clearance which mounts in the bed and a second threaded hole in line with it which is used in much the same way as the second thread on a tool maker's clamp to secure the work. These are no good for the lathe face plate as the holes in the face plate mean the second clamping screw would have no where to clamp on.

So do any members with small lathes have a favourite design of faceplate clamp they have found successful? Any chance of some photos?

Jo
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Offline Jo

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2013, 08:08:35 AM »
Commercially I have found some really horrible clamps and they are all too big for what I am trying to do. The first here is the Myford clamp which has never been very satisfactory in my opinion, the swan neck clamp are just as elegant.

Next up is something more akin to what I have made for my BCA except that the mounting hole in the end has been tapped and I have put a brass foot on the end of the screw.   :thinking: I wonder if a wide foot which slots in the face plate hole would work.

Still looking forward to seeing some of your clamps and faceplate mounting solutions.

Jo
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Offline tel

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2013, 09:12:09 AM »
Yes, probably something like a blank tee nut with the flange 'out', you could even add a little dimple to accept the end of the screw.
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Offline tel

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2013, 09:13:12 AM »
... tho I usually just bridge the slot with a bit of 'something handy'.
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Offline Jo

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 09:31:44 AM »
Thanks Tel I was trying to get away from having a bunch of scrap bridging the slots if I could help it. So making up some sort of adjuster like in the attachment is an option or making some little mushroom shapes to drop into the slots might be an elegant solution.

I have been toying with the idea of an eccentric clamp, see attached. The problem is that it needs to go in a fixed hole on the face plate and the degree of adjustment is dependent on the diameter of the eccentric and the thread pitch. Still thinking about this one  :thinking:

Jo
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Offline steamer

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2013, 10:03:28 AM »
I have some clamps that are very small for work like that....I'll take some photo's and post.

Dave
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Offline Jo

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2013, 11:11:31 AM »
I found these interesting little clamps that watchmakers seem to use on their face plates to hold thin bits and piece. They are not actually clamping the work on the plate but "mid air".

Jo
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Offline Raggle

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2013, 11:12:13 AM »
I often think slots on a tiny faceplate are more decorative than useful (scale models of large lathe accessories). Lots of old fellas would recommend a sacrificial plate of aluminum screwed or glued to to the original and then tailored to the job in hand by drilling and tapping in appropriate places. Pocketing is also possible of course.

Our friend vtsteam made his Gingery lathe and used it for years without the benefit of any chuck. A thread well worth reading (if only I could find it ...)  His faceplates all come with their own spindle as I recall.

Having disposed of the slots, clamping ideas may come easier.

Ray
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Offline Jo

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2013, 11:21:59 AM »
Thanks Ray, I found the thread: http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,8191.0.ht ml  :shrug: Most of his machining seems to have used bolting on from the rear of the faceplate.

Jo
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2013, 01:48:10 PM »
Jo just put the head of the adjusting screw against the faceplate, if the slot is still to wide just use oversize hex to make the screw. That way there are no loose bits that are bound to move about while adjusting the work or worse still fly off if something comes loose.

Or even use a coach bolt like this

http://allthemods.com/project.php?id=397
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 01:54:46 PM by Jasonb »

Offline Mosey

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2013, 02:11:09 PM »
Jo,
I'm afraid I can't tell you where to get these, but I thought you'd like to see some that might work for your little faceplate. Mine fit the F1 (tiny) and the Sherline 3-Jaw (tinier), and might work for you. They use 10-32 studs, and as you can see, I have them on 8 mm Tee Nuts as well as the even smaller ones for Sherline. They seem to be home made, and are hardened. I got them in one of those serendipitous drawers of other junk, and I love them. I guess you will just have to make your own. As you can see, some are very small, and are the only way you can get something mounted to the Sherline or F1 table.

Mosey

Offline JimG

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2013, 03:56:57 PM »
I often think slots on a tiny faceplate are more decorative than useful (scale models of large lathe accessories). Lots of old fellas would recommend a sacrificial plate of aluminum screwed or glued to to the original and then tailored to the job in hand by drilling and tapping in appropriate places. Pocketing is also possible of course.

I think I would go with that idea.   I've just done something similar on my milling machine where I had a piece that was going to be difficult to hold properly and I used a piece of 12mm medium density fibreboard (MDF) bolted to the table,  then made up small clamping pieces to fit with the screws being wood screws with pilot holes drilled in the MDF.  This gave me so much more flexibitilty in clamping than using the three tee slots on the table.    The MDF might not be accurate enough for a faceplate setup in a lathe,  but alloy plate used instead, and a tapping drill and a plug tap for the size of clamping screw you want to use, would prove a very flexible option.

Jim.

Offline Jo

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2013, 03:59:26 PM »
I think I might need to explain what I mean by small..... The clamp is going to have to be under 35mm long preferably less.

I have stared looking at the idea of some sort of variation on faceplate dogs which I can get down to 10mm.

Jo
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fcheslop

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #13 on: June 12, 2013, 04:44:08 PM »
 :ThumbsUp:Adventures in watch making is well worth a look :ThumbsUp:
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 06:03:47 PM by fcheslop »

Offline steamer

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Re: Clamps for use on small lathe faceplates
« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2013, 05:57:31 PM »
I find the best faceplates to be tapped only...no slots.

And ...with small parts, a  interstitial plate works best to mount stuff to.

Dave
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