Lathe Face Plate

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plongson

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Just curious... In the opinion of the group, if you have a really nice milling machine (ie. Bridgport) is there much need for a face plate on your lathe? Seems to me the mill would have you covered 90% of the time...
 
plongson said:
Just curious... In the opinion of the group, if you have a really nice milling machine (ie. Bridgport) is there much need for a face plate on your lathe? Seems to me the mill would have you covered 90% of the time...
Click to expand...

I have face plates for both of my lathes. I use them when I turn between centers.

The face plates have a big center hole in them, & the faceplates are not tall. This allows me to put a dead center in the spindle nose of the lathe.

Finally, the flat surface of the face plate is a nice mounting surface for a drive pin for the lathe dog.

Turning between centers sure is a great solution when you want to pull out & reinsert your workpiece over & over again.

Also, if the workpiece is symmetric on both ends, you can machine one end & then flip the workpiece around. This will assure symmetry on both ends. Good for shafts!

To your point about milling machines, I believe there was a time with a lot of machinists did not have milling machines, & face plates are one way how they managed.
 
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There are things that just aren't compatible with the mill without additional tooling. Like turning a feature on a odd shaped part that won't fit or clamp in a 4 jaw.

Don't limit your thinking to boring operations.
 
Face plates are also very affordable, as are dead centers, lathe dogs & drive pins.
 
When I got the lathe, 16" SB, the face plate and anything associated with it was missing. I would like to get all the parts together so I'd have the option. But dang, where in the world do you scrounge up parts for a 1962 SBL? Plus, looking at the parts diagram it looks like there is a bushing that goes in the spindle that holds the Morse #3, a thread protector (?) then the face plate...Am I correct?

I am a rookie when it comes to face plates...
 
plongson said:
In the opinion of the group, if you have a really nice milling machine (ie. Bridgport) is there much need for a face plate on your lathe?
Click to expand...
Since about 2007, I have had a Bridgeport clone that qualifies as a really nice milling machine, and two lathes, a 10” Logan for 10 years and a 14” Takisawa for 5. I didn’t have a faceplate for the Logan, didn’t miss it at all, and while I have a 12.5” faceplate for the Takisawa I have never used it. I don’t see much use at all…though I have a 12” rotary table that is used infrequently and might substitute for some faceplate ops.
 
plongson said:
Just curious... In the opinion of the group, if you have a really nice milling machine (ie. Bridgport) is there much need for a face plate on your lathe? Seems to me the mill would have you covered 90% of the time...
Click to expand...
That is a bit like asking if ”you need more tools?” The answer from this group is going to be “YES”. Granted, I don’t use the face plate very often, but sometimes it is a better solution to getting a certain job done.
 
There is a difference between a lathe faceplate and a driving or dog plate, faceplates are of a diameter close to the swing of the lathe and are usually slotter or T slotted for holding work, a driving or dog plate is perhaps half the diameter of the faceplate and usually has an open slot at the periphery for the tail of the lathe dog and also 3 other closed slots for whatever purpose. I do turn between centers occasionally and use the dog plate together with the tapered spindle bushing and a soft steel center that can be easily trued if necessary.
 
plongson said:
When I got the lathe, 16" SB, the face plate and anything associated with it was missing. I would like to get all the parts together so I'd have the option. But dang, where in the world do you scrounge up parts for a 1962 SBL? Plus, looking at the parts diagram it looks like there is a bushing that goes in the spindle that holds the Morse #3, a thread protector (?) then the face plate...Am I correct?

I am a rookie when it comes to face plates...
Click to expand...
eBay, FB, this forum. Parts for that lathe are out there. I have a 1942 13" and was able to scrounge up some NOS parts for it. As far as a faceplate for it, you juts need to find one with the right thread for the spindle. Or make a back plate for it.
 
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