spindex adapter?

[kd0afk]

I need to drill holes for a Tommy bar on a chuck. I don't have a mill and I don't want to screw it up with a drill press. I was thinking of making a mandrel so I can mount it in a boring bar holder but maybe some sort of a rotary indexer would work better. A spindex is only $75 or so but they are for 5c collets. Is there an adapter that will go from 5c to a 1-1/2" 8 spindle thread so I can transfer work still in the chuck?

 

[kd0afk]

To clarify, I want to be able to hold the work and use the lathe as a drill. You guys are way smarter than me and probably got that but I just thought I'd clarify to make sure.

 

[goldstar31]

If you have an ordinary electric drill, you can mount it on the saddle in a block. It could be wood.

You can then lock your lathe spindle and drill away with that. All that you would need is a block under one chuck jaw between that and the lathe bed.

In the absence of a mill( or a vertical slide) is to use the traditional block of metal on the lathe saddle. Pepper it with as many holes, taps, straps and clamps as you feel the urge. When it becomes useless- get another for next to nothing.

And, I have to add, you'll be a another member of a very informed circle of workers.

 

[MCRIPPPer]

do you have a four jaw chuck? you could mount a block of steel in it, face one side, bore two sides for bearings, make a spindle with the correct thread on one side and a mount for one of your change gears on the other. make a detent to catch the gear teeth. use a gear with the right amount of teeth and you have an indexer. bolt it to the cross slide and now you have a drilling spindle and the indexer with adjustable distance from center.

or you could do the opposite and put a drill motor on the cross slide and figure out a way to index the lathe spindle.

 

[kd0afk]

I really don't need to index the thing as much as just hold it perpendicular to the spindle.
I think a 5/8" shank with the correct sized head with a tapped hole for a bolt to secured the work so I can mount it in a boring bar holder. I have to cut some finger grooves also.
I also found a few pages over from the spindex in the catalog a 5c collet shank with a machinable. head.

 

[MCRIPPPer]

put a piece of round in your boring bar holder, chuck the chuck onto it!

 

[kd0afk]

That will work for the baseplate but not really. the nut has to be drilled first.
So, I'll stick with my plane of using a mandrel to hold the nut in the boring bar holder. Then I can chuck it up on a bar in the boring bar holder and then drill the base plate.