Making D1-4 Cam Lock Spindle for Lathemaster 9x30

[JohnT]

I have a Lathemaster 9x30 and would like to have a D1-4 camlock system on it. Right now it has the stock brain-damaged chinese quasi camlock. Where the studs mounted directly on the back of the chuck go thru holes in the spindle flange and a so-called locking ring. This so-called locking ring is then rotated a bit (see in jpeg as thin black knurled ring at back edge of spindle flange). Doesn't lock it though you still have to put nuts on the studs and tighten them down. In essence if you removed the rotating plate it would be the same as a straight bolt on chuck. I think it's retarded. Matter of fact- I KNOW it is.
See attached jpegs of the spindle and chuck. You can see what a tight fit it is to tighten the nuts on the studs behind the spindle flange. It's so dimwitted it is such that that you MUST use an open end wrench! a ratcheting box end won't fit! "Let us see now, how can we make mounting or unmounting the chuck as difficult as possible?"

Has anyone made a new spindle for a lathemaster that's D1-4 camlock?

 

[Sk8Ter]

there are many solutions...here is one idea...make a new backing plate and drill the 4 mounting studs all the way through the chuck (front mounting) the bolts will go through the chuck (from the front) and get screwed into the new mounting plate....

no wrenches involved only allen wrench very easy on off etc...

hope this helps

Lawrence

 

[ninefinger]

John,

I feel your pain with the 3 bolt, fractional turn at a time, chuck mount system. I had such a system on my old 3 in 1. That is one reason I bought a replacement lathe (used) that had the D1-4 from the factory.

Were you planning on making a whole new spindle? I think that would be time and cost prohibitive. I think you have some choices to make:
1. Do you really need to keep this particular lathe? If you can fit in a slightly larger lathe then just buy one with the right spindle.
2. If you're determined to keep this lathe and add camlock - is there enough room / meat on the spindle to add and modify? Do you have the drawings for a D1-3/4 camlock ? (I do if you need some guidance)
3. How will you make / modify the spindle? That would require a large lathe and grinding equipment to do it right...you really need the spindle nose to be hardened to survive repeated chuck changes and to protect your investment in making it...I made a D1-4 adapter for my rotary table and it is not hardened but it won't see the usage my lathe sees, plus I can already see some minor damage on it after just a couple of months of what I thought was very careful use...
4. what is your budget to do this? Again consider option 1 if it looks like you need to throw a bunch of money at it to get it done.

Lastly - I think a D1-4 camlock is perhaps a touch too large for a 9" lathe - D1-3 would be more appropriate perhaps? IE D1-3 is used on Grizzly Southbend lathes 8" and 9.8" swing
http://www.grizzly.com/products/8K-8-x-18-Lathe/SB1001
or http://www.grizzly.com/products/10K-28-Bench-Lathe/SB1002

Looking forward to see what you choose....

Mike

 

[JohnT]

Thanks for the replies everyone!
Well after stewing over it for sometime now I've decided that there is most likely only one efficient way out of this mess. Touching on what Sk8Tr has said: as it turns out I recently bought a Buck Adjust-tru six jaw, which is what I want to use primarily. Like almost all of these types of Bucks they have counterbored holes through the face of the chuck (six holes usually) clear thru to the back side of the chuck (Bison doesn't, it appears BTW so that would have caused an additional headache). So what I will have to do is make up and adapter plate that has the 3 retard-chinese quasi-camlock studs on the backside. This will go directly on the spindle flange (and stay there). The front side of the adapter, then, has the six threaded holes so that the chuck then is bolted to the adapter. Adapter just stays in place and the Buck four and six jaw chucks are changed via the six SHCS through front face of each chuck. See attached model of adapter.
Not exactly happy with the system but it's way better than the retard-chinese system that came stock.
No, getting another lathe is not a very good option. Reasons against getting a larger lathe: one, is the space and room to keep the larger lathe, two the cost, three the sheer mass. Note that I'm trying to build a Live Steam three-truck Climax in a spare bedroom! So lack of size and weight matters. Yet you cannot have too small a lathe on the other hand.

 

[old-and-broken]

I'm watching this with interest. I have the exact same lathe, but it never crossed my mind how upset I should be over its method of assembly.

Like a happy fool, I just do what I have to do to change between the three jaw and four jaw chuck. What's wrong with me? I should be upset shouldn't I?