I am new to turning and working with an old sears (Oliver?) lathe. I turned
a couple of pepper mills and ended up in the final stages using a jam
chuck(?) mounted on a faceplate. My problem now is the faceplate will not
turn off of the spindle - it seems locked. How do I get it off. How do I
avoid this in the future?

Many thanks for your help.

Hmm... this problem sound awfully familiar. I'm sure just about
everyone here has come across this situation at least once.

Unless the faceplace rusted on the spindle, or someone came into your
shop in the middle of the night and welded it on, it sounds like it
'simply' got too tight on the spindle. A couple of vise-grips or
simular gripping devises are in order. There might (should) be a big
nut on the extreme end of the spindle (twords the headstock). use one
vise-grip onto this nut, and use the other visegrip somewhere on the
faceplate. If the taper of the faceplace is flat, then grip there.
Then turn each vise in the opposite direction. A hammer might be
needed as well to get it started. DO NOT secure the visegrip on the
threads of the spindle, as this will only ruin them (lesson well
learned for me). Maybe some WD-40 or other liquid lubricant will aid
in the attempt. See if there is a spindle lock somewhere on the lathe,
ad this will make your job much easier.

If and when you do get the faceplace off, check the threads on the
spindle and the corresponding faceplate. Some dirt or other object got
lodged in them. If they are worn in some spots you might consider
replacement.

As far as preventing such in the future, I take the same aproach to
auto mechanics. Everything doesn't need to be tightened down with the
strength of King Kong, especially in this case. Typically, just hand
tightening the faceplace untill it won't go anymore with light pressure
is sufficient.

I do keep a pipe wrench handy for those times when I can't armstrong
the faceplate off. It isn't pretty, but it does work. I do use a
plastic washer between the headstock and the faceplate or chuck. These
are avialable from the catalogues, or you can make one from a plastic
snap on lid. You can use 1/4 inch plywood, but it is a bit thick for my
taste. Some plates have a hole for a bar to increase leverage.
robo hippy

"Brent" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hmm... this problem sound awfully familiar. I'm sure just about
everyone here has come across this situation at least once.


Only time this happens to me is when I didn't snug it, or it backed out and
resecured itself forcefully.

A reasonably non-destructive method like a strap wrench should do. You can
always escalate to the metal-movers if you need to.

Most old lathes had outboard-turning capability, which means a nut to use a
double wrench setup, though yours may not. I liked the feature on the old
Deltas. Now I have this little hand wheel which is great and slick for
slowing the piece without backing off or getting splinters in my hand, but
worthless for grabbing and loosening.

Yea - I didn't think about using the rubber strap wrenches. I would
try using these before moving to the metal counterparts too. Maybe I
haven't had enough practice at them, but I find using the strap
wrenches a bit difficult, especially if you need a lot of torque.

Several ideas.

I use one of those strap wrenches for removing oil filters when I want to
encourage a stubborn face plate. It can go around the project, the face
plate, whatever, and it doesn't mar. So far works every time.

When you mount the face plate be sure it's tight. Otherwise when you start
the lathe, the jerk that the motor gives the wood blank to start it turning
will jam it in place. DAMHIKT.

Others have said it, a plastic washer, even a margarine top with a spindle
size hole in it will keep this from happening again.

If you need something to turn against--I don't like to use the indexing
pin--it could shear or bend. I would grab both sides of the belt and pull
it tight to keep the spindle from turning. Works if you can get at the
belt.

Hope something works--darn frustrating.

Walt C


"Kc-Mass" wrote in message
...
I am new to turning and working with an old sears (Oliver?) lathe. I
turned a couple of pepper mills and ended up in the final stages using a
jam chuck(?) mounted on a faceplate. My problem now is the faceplate will
not turn off of the spindle - it seems locked. How do I get it off. How
do I avoid this in the future?

Many thanks for your help.

Thanks for the ideas. i'll try some of them today.

"Kc-Mass" wrote in message
...
I am new to turning and working with an old sears (Oliver?) lathe. I
turned a couple of pepper mills and ended up in the final stages using a
jam chuck(?) mounted on a faceplate. My problem now is the faceplate will
not turn off of the spindle - it seems locked. How do I get it off. How
do I avoid this in the future?

Many thanks for your help.

On 3 Apr 2006 15:28:15 -0700, "Brent" wrote:

Yea - I didn't think about using the rubber strap wrenches. I would
try using these before moving to the metal counterparts too. Maybe I
haven't had enough practice at them, but I find using the strap
wrenches a bit difficult, especially if you need a lot of torque.

I used to laugh at them, until I started turning bowls using a chuck screw...
Some of those hardwood blanks seem to get really "attached" to the screw and
chuck jaws and with a little practice you can get a lot of torque with a cheap
strap wrench..

2 things I've learned about them.. use one that you think is too big/long and
after you get a good bite, hold on to the loose rubber end to keep it from
paying out more strap..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

I have flats on my faceplate adapters and most of my faceplates for
this purpose, a giant spanner that size, and mostly use a giant pipe
wrench for the different sized faceplates, which works with or without
flats.

there is one more approach that has not been mentioned - presuming
your faceplate screws onto the spindle - affix another faceplate to it
with the nut facing the tailstock and use an air impact wrench to spin
it off

On Mon, 3 Apr 2006 07:17:03 -0400, "Kc-Mass"
wrote:

I am new to turning and working with an old sears (Oliver?) lathe. I turned
a couple of pepper mills and ended up in the final stages using a jam
chuck(?) mounted on a faceplate. My problem now is the faceplate will not
turn off of the spindle - it seems locked. How do I get it off. How do I
avoid this in the future?

Many thanks for your help.

Bill

www.wbnoble.com

to contact me, do not reply to this message,
instead correct this address and use it

will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com
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On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:47:02 -0700, "William B Noble (don't reply to this
address)" wrote:

there is one more approach that has not been mentioned - presuming
your faceplate screws onto the spindle - affix another faceplate to it
with the nut facing the tailstock and use an air impact wrench to spin
it off

You're used to that big ol' lathe, Bill...

I can picture some poor soul spinning his mini around a few times with an impact
wrench.. *rofl*

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

that is an amusing image. But, seriously, even on a mini lathe, I
think it would work - put the lathe on the lowest speed range so the
motor will provide maximum inertia - of course, the other part of my
post, that you could have jumped on is --- how many folks with a mini
lathe have an impact wrench and a suitable air supply handy (present
poster excepted)

bill n



On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 07:31:42 -0700, mac davis
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 20:47:02 -0700, "William B Noble (don't reply to this
address)" wrote:

there is one more approach that has not been mentioned - presuming
your faceplate screws onto the spindle - affix another faceplate to it
with the nut facing the tailstock and use an air impact wrench to spin
it off

You're used to that big ol' lathe, Bill...

I can picture some poor soul spinning his mini around a few times with an impact
wrench.. *rofl*

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
Bill

www.wbnoble.com

to contact me, do not reply to this message,
instead correct this address and use it

will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com
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