- Joined
- Jan 16, 2014
- Messages
- 11
I'm getting to know my first lathe - a 1945 LeBlond Regal - 15". When I bought it I didn't realize it was this old but preliminary checks seemed to be OK - speeds, feeds and general operation.
I'm trying to do a few projects and I see the 3 jaw 8" chuck I have has about .009" runout at the OD of the chuck. Concerned this is way too much, I checked the chuck plate that the chuck bolts to and found it had the same amount. So at that point, I didn't see the chuck being the problem since the chuck plate also had the same amount. The chuck has a shallow counterbore which pilots on the chuck plate OD. It's a slip fit and three fasteners pull the chuck home onto the chuck plate. I can't feel any clearance between the two so I don't see an issue here.
I pulled the chuck off and checked the spindle runout with a .0005" dial indicator (at ID of spindle shaft). The indicator says the spindle has about .0005" runout so I think the bearings and shaft are running true.
The problem seems to be the chuck plate interface with the spindle.
This vintage lathe has a threaded spindle that the chuck plate attaches to. From LeBlond literature I have, they made a change to a tapered seat chuck attachment I'm guessing sometime in the 50's which should eliminate my problem but that's not an option right now.
Does anybody know if my runout issue is common with the threaded LeBlond spindle and is there a way to adjust or compensate for all this runout?
I haven't pulled the chuck plate off the spindle yet but that's my next move. I'm wondering if a shim over the spindle nose would re-position the chuck plate radially when tightened and reduce the runout. The other thought I had would be to just turn down the chuck plate to remove the runout but then I might get a slight clearance between the chuck plate and chuck.
Any comments or experience with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks very much.
Gary :thinking:
I'm trying to do a few projects and I see the 3 jaw 8" chuck I have has about .009" runout at the OD of the chuck. Concerned this is way too much, I checked the chuck plate that the chuck bolts to and found it had the same amount. So at that point, I didn't see the chuck being the problem since the chuck plate also had the same amount. The chuck has a shallow counterbore which pilots on the chuck plate OD. It's a slip fit and three fasteners pull the chuck home onto the chuck plate. I can't feel any clearance between the two so I don't see an issue here.
I pulled the chuck off and checked the spindle runout with a .0005" dial indicator (at ID of spindle shaft). The indicator says the spindle has about .0005" runout so I think the bearings and shaft are running true.
The problem seems to be the chuck plate interface with the spindle.
This vintage lathe has a threaded spindle that the chuck plate attaches to. From LeBlond literature I have, they made a change to a tapered seat chuck attachment I'm guessing sometime in the 50's which should eliminate my problem but that's not an option right now.
Does anybody know if my runout issue is common with the threaded LeBlond spindle and is there a way to adjust or compensate for all this runout?
I haven't pulled the chuck plate off the spindle yet but that's my next move. I'm wondering if a shim over the spindle nose would re-position the chuck plate radially when tightened and reduce the runout. The other thought I had would be to just turn down the chuck plate to remove the runout but then I might get a slight clearance between the chuck plate and chuck.
Any comments or experience with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks very much.
Gary :thinking: