Chuck choices for Wadkin BZL faceplate?

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KingAether

Eternal noob
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The one thing thats stopping me pulling the trigger on a BZL is old spindle size and lack of available chucks that fit. It would come with the original 6 1/2 faceplate which currently has a Pratt chuck on it but its a 3 jaw and i would like to get a 4.
Can anyone advise on a chuck that will fit the original faceplate? I saw the price of the Sorby patriot with the adaptor and laid an egg, something like that isn't an option currently or would it be better to buy a tap/die and recut the spindle or a chuck i buy to match?
Thank you
 
Just for info you cant cut a thread that size with a tap or a die in steel you must cut it with a lathe first then clean up with a tap.. perhaps up to 1” and 16tpi you may be able to do with a tap but any bigger or courser tpi you will find it impossible...and you still have to cut the registers on a lathe
 
Just for info you cant cut a thread that size with a tap or a die in steel you must cut it with a lathe first then clean up with a tap.. perhaps up to 1” and 16tpi you may be able to do with a tap but any bigger or courser tpi you will find it impossible...and you still have to cut the registers on a lathe
I didn't mean from a blank or the full threads but using a tap/die to recut threads on the spindle or a chuck, im not sure but believe its not much metal to remove to make a whitworth thread
Im hoping to find a chuck that will fit the 6.5" faceplate that came with the lathe at retail to save having to get the thread cut; i feel like i would rather replace the spindle for a modern one than have all future accessories cut to match but it is something ill keep in mind in case it comes to it
 
I didn't mean from a blank or the full threads but using a tap/die to recut threads on the spindle or a chuck, im not sure but believe its not much metal to remove to make a whitworth thread
That makes little sense (to me at least!).

You haven't said what thread you have on the lathe spindle nor what you have on the chuck so it's impossible to give proper advice but 'Re-cut' to 'Whitworth' would generally be a futile effort. If the original were UNC you might have a small chance for some sizes but would end up with a compromised thread and if the original is metric anything longer than about 2 pitches would be useless.
 
That makes little sense (to me at least!).

You haven't said what thread you have on the lathe spindle nor what you have on the chuck so it's impossible to give proper advice but 'Re-cut' to 'Whitworth' would generally be a futile effort. If the original were UNC you might have a small chance for some sizes but would end up with a compromised thread and if the original is metric anything longer than about 2 pitches would be useless.
I just had another look through old posts and i think i'd got myself mixed up. I'd read about a gentleman who had a backplate thread cut but in UNC so while it didn't fit people recommended it would work to recut the thread himself. In my memory they where talking about recutting a more standard thread but alas, i was wrong.
I think i might just sit on my hands and wait while another comes up with a more useful chuck included; one has been sat locally with a whole pile of accessories and extras for months but its asking for ebay restored kind of prices currently
 
I just had another look through old posts and i think i'd got myself mixed up. I'd read about a gentleman who had a backplate thread cut but in UNC so while it didn't fit people recommended it would work to recut the thread himself. In my memory they where talking about recutting a more standard thread but alas, i was wrong.
I think i might just sit on my hands and wait while another comes up with a more useful chuck included; one has been sat locally with a whole pile of accessories and extras for months but its asking for ebay restored kind of prices currently
Just get a blank backplate the diameter You need with the correct thread, then you can machine it to suit any backplate mounted chuck you like.
 
The Versachuck is available with quite a number of unusual thread sizes, maybe if you can find out the exact thread spec you may be able to get one.

The faceplate currently being used as a chuck backplate most likely could be fitted to a different chuck, can you see how many bolt holes it is using? Most chucks take 3 or 4 bolts that I have seen. You would need to faceoff the faceplate in a lathe and cut a new register as others have said, however compared to thread cutting this is a much easier task.
 

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