[Brenck]

Hi guys,

Im about to make a small CNC lathe, it will spin a 3 inch chuck, but i don't know the kind of spindle i have to make since i have no idea what kinds of chucks are avaliable nowadays...

I have a big lathe and it uses camlock chucks, but no chance to make a camlock for a small lathe like that...

I was wondering what is the best kind of chuck mounting to use for my aplication

Thanks

[cheetahcnc]

For that sized machine 5C might be the way to go. There are plenty of 3 or 4 jaw chucks readily available, as well as inner and outer collet systems.

[Cruiser]

Your best bet may be to thread the end of the spindle for a face plate and adapt your accessories to it ! Just have to be able to lock the plate to spindle nose, best would be bolts through face. The bolts could be coordinated to hold chucks too.

[Brenck]

Yes, thats what i was wondering, I always see the end of the spindle with a thread on in... What thread you have to do? Does it need to be left handed?

I wonder how come thoose things doesnt unscrew and let you chuck fly over the workshop....

Got more details of the machining that has to be made?

[fretsman]

To give you an idea of a thread size, Taig uses the 3/4-16 on their spindle on the Mini-lathe that produce.

Dave

[Brenck]

Is there any other options beside threading the spindle to attach the mounting plates?

I looked on my lathe that is camlock and it doesnt seem that it got a thread threre... And in the instruction booklet it doesnt show either...

Is there anything that people do to lock the mounting plate on the thread? I still think that might unscrew someday... Or be so tight that i will never be able to take it off...

[Crevice Reamer]

Little Machine Shop sells all parts for mini lathe, including spindle, headstock housing, chucks--even a complete headstock.

Maybe you can adapt something from there:

http://littlemachineshop.com/product...ast=mini+lathe

CR.

[Cruiser]

The threaded mount wasn't very popular and is rare now. I have seen one chuck part from spindle and run across the shop with lots of authority ! The best bet may be to us the adapter mounting system which locates on a taper and is locked together with bolts through chuck & adapter plate and into spindle. there is a smaller taper from spindle face to adapter and a larger taper centering chuck to adapter plate. The rub here is that the taper has to bind just as the faces make contact ! otherwise you got a wiggle or misalignment. Might consider shopping for the chucks you want to use and adapters before buying and machining.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

The threaded mount wasn't very popular and is rare now. I have seen one chuck part from spindle and run across the shop with lots of authority ! The best bet may be to us the adapter mounting system which locates on a taper and is locked together with bolts through chuck & adapter plate and into spindle. there is a smaller taper from spindle face to adapter and a larger taper centering chuck to adapter plate. The rub here is that the taper has to bind just as the faces make contact ! otherwise you got a wiggle or misalignment. Might consider shopping for the chucks you want to use and adapters before buying and machining.

Doesn't even need to have a taper. My C6 has a flange, and the chuck is held on with three studs (attached to the chuck) and nuts. The studs and nuts pass trough a plate with three matching keyhole-shaped holes, so you don't have to remove the nuts, just loose them, turn the plate, and the nuts pass through the large end of the keyholes. The chuck registers to the OD of the flange, with the flange fitting snugly into a recess in the back of the chuck.

Regards,
Ray L.

[NC Cams]

Threaded chuck = rare? Hardly

1 word, SHERLINE

Pretty sure they have an online catalog. They offer options for their own and even some older Craftsman lathes. There is even enough material in hte chuck to bore aloste a 1inch hole in it and tap for superfice threads. We did as much when we made a spindle for our cam measuring machine.

[Brenck]

Well... im thinking on machining the spindle like one that got the thread on the end, but where the threar is i will let a piece with a bigger diameter with 6 ( 3 tapped 3 passing ) mounting holes, like the ones on the chuck mounting plates... But thoose 3 holes will mount the hold the chuck mounting plate that will have the 6 holes to mount the chuck on it...

I did a really quick drawing.... Blue area is there the bearings go... Red it the part that will have the holes, green are the holes, and grey the bore of the spindle... Remembering that everything will be a solid piece machine from a round stock