Anybody had a new lathe spindle made?

[Scottike]

Has anyone out there had to have a new spindle made for a smaller (10") lathe? I am just curious as to how much a custom lathe spindle would run a guy. ($300, $500, $1000+?)I would hate to waste the time of one of the outfits that do this work only to find out I'm totally blown out of the water.
Thanks in advance for your replies.

[CCWKen]

Machine yr/make? Spindle mount type?

Since some halfnuts can go for $500+, I'd venture to guess a spindle would cost more than most used machines.

[Bruce Griffing]

I don't know about a new spindle, but if you have a southbend or similar lathe, this guy will rebuild your spindle/headstock.

http://www.millermachineandfabrication.com/

I know he does good work. He did a cross slide screw repair for me on my lathe.

[Scottike]

My lathe is a 10x36 Rockwell that currently has a 1 1/2x8 threaded spindle and uses 4C collets. It would be really nice to be able to utilize the much less costly 5c tooling. By the time I invest in a set 4C collets I'm looking at a $300 bill, same for a 5c collet chuck, and then I loose a little precision. If a I could get a custom spindle built for somewhere around $500, that would give me an L00 chuck mount and me let use 5C collets in the spindle, it would be well worth the money.
Or... maybe I'm just Dream'n

[Bruce Griffing]

I think $500 for a spindle is optimistic, but you could ask Brian Miller. He is certainly capable of such a task. My guess is that you are better off finding used tooling on ebay or buying a different lathe.

[Scottike]

I was just thinking ...maybe it's time for a little larger lathe. Maybe a Rockwell 11" or...?

[The Doctor]

I checked the spindle price on Logan's site for my 2500 series 12" with L-00 a while back(just for curiosity), over $2000. That is not even a special part! A proper spindle needs to be made out of a good alloy, stress relieved after machining, hardened, and finally ground to an extremely precision dimension. The material alone will probably cost a few hundred dollars, and the heat treating will not be cheap either. With the L-00 nose, you'll also need to buy or fabricate the threaded retaining ring, which will also not be cheap.

If you had a friend with a large enough lathe in very good good condition and a chunk of metal laying around large enough to make it from, you could probably make a spindle which would fit for almost nothing. However, I doubt you would get the same actors you have with your present spindle, and what you came up with would probably wear fairly rapidly.

As I see it, there are only 2 sensible ways for you to proceed. One is to find a used spindle for your lathe with the proper nose on it, if one has been produced. The other is to buy a machine which has such a spindle and sell your present unit. I have never run or even seen a Rockwell lathe up close, so I really can't comment on whether or not it's something you should get rid of any way, but I really don't think you will find getting a new spindle made to be a reasonable course of action.

Good luck
Ed

[J Tiers]

Well, the new spindle won't have any bigger hole through. 5C have a larger hole through than a 1 1/2-8 spindle handles. And I am not sure you can even PUT a 5C in that size and have any wall thickness left.

So you would be putting a V-8 in a Volkswagen bug. Or trying to, anyhow.

Collets in any case are ok for medium precision, but cheap 5C are probably no better than the precision of an add-on collet chuck.

If you get an adjust-tru type 5C chuck, which are indeed sold, what's the problem?

And, naturally, a 4jaw is as precise as your adjustment skill can make it.

Then, for smaller stuff, which is most all you will get through your little spindle, you can use a 3C collet, with a closer you make on the machine, and mark the orientation of. That gives very fine precision of centering if used in same orientation as made.

Also, for larger stuff that you can't get through the small spindle hole, an ER collet holder may be an option, as you need far fewer collets.

So there are additional options. None of them need a new spindle.

3C is the cheapest, likely, aside from using your 4 jaw.


[This message has been edited by J Tiers (edited 12-31-2005).]

[aametalmaster]

Hey i put a Ford 351 Cleveland V8 in a '66 Beetle, what a screamer. Anyway here is a link to my ER40 x 1 1/2" thread collet chuck i made...Bob
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aametalmaster/album?.dir=fe87&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

------------------
Bob Wright
Salem, Oh Birthplace of The Silver & Deming Drill

[Luke55]

When I bought my Rockwell 10X36 the spindle was broken in two parts. Experts that look at it said it is a factory defect. Anyway the guy that sell it to me is a master machimist so he built a new one.Three years ago I remember it cost him $200 only to have it grind.

[Rustybolt]

I can't see replacing a perfectly good spindle when there are other alternatives.Aftermarket collet chucks can be made to run dead nuts.
How many 4C collets can you get for $300?

[Scottike]

I can get new 4C collets from Hardinge for 39.50 ea. for 1/8" sizes, and 78.00 ea for intermediate & Metric sizes. Plaza Machinery has good used for 20.00 and some new for 25.00 each. I have seen a few on ebay for 20 to 25.00 ea.

[Scottike]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Scottike:
I can get new 4C collets from Hardinge for 39.50 ea. for 1/8" sizes,
and 78.00 ea for intermediate & Metric sizes.
Plaza Machinery has good used for 20.00 and some new for 25.00 each.
I have seen a few on ebay for 20 to 25.00 ea.</font>