Need to face new faceplate?

[Cannonmn]

A new-to-me 14" Leblond faceplate installed on the 19" Leblond lathe has 0.003 runout on the outer rim, which is fine with me. But the face itself has 0.017 runout in the axis parallel to the ways, way too much. Do I take facing cuts on the front of it as if I were cutting in a Chuck backplate, or do lathe operators just live with faceplate runout?

[Magicniner]

I face them, otherwise you need to compensate for any run-out in your set up for any part with a reference face against the plate,

- Nick

[Stepside]

1) remove and check for burrs and/or dirt on both the faceplate and the register on the lathe.

2) If okay in step one, then face. If step one shows problems, take care of them first.

3) If a non-threaded mount, mark so you always use the same pin holes in lathe and plate that you used to face the plate.

[Forrest Addy]

1) remove and check for burrs and/or dirt on both the faceplate and the register on the lathe.

2) If okay in step one, then face. If step one shows problems, take care of them first.

3) If a non-threaded mount, mark so you always use the same pin holes in lathe and plate that you used to face the plate.

Yup! Absoultely as above!

[Paul Alciatore]

Absolutely check it first. 0.017" runout sounds like a lot to me. Also check to see that it seats properly on the lathe. The internal thread could be cut short.

1) remove and check for burrs and/or dirt on both the faceplate and the register on the lathe.

2) If okay in step one, then face. If step one shows problems, take care of them first.

3) If a non-threaded mount, mark so you always use the same pin holes in lathe and plate that you used to face the plate.

[old mart]

posted in error

[boslab]

When I got my Harrison lathe the 12" screw on faceplate had been faced so many times the boss was proud of the face, still is!, I need to get another or bung a plate on it, I've often wondered why faceplates don't have a sacrificial face that can be replaced, it's on my list
Machines in work like DSGs faceplates usually went on really close, bar one with a slack thread/register, thein lay the explanation, slack and wobbly.
All it takes is a chip or bit of dirt to throw the thing off, as has been said, any tiny error at the centre gets magnified like an optical lever.
Mark

[pinstripe]

Your faceplate probably belonged to the guy I saw on a video that said he faces it every time he uses it. Can't remember who it was. It would last hundreds of uses if the cut is light, but it still seems wasteful to me.

[Rich Carlstedt]

When our faceplates at work got "thin" , we mounted a 1" disk of Aluminum on them which renews the faceplate and allows for custom holes and slots.
+1 for Stepsides comments

Rich

[Cannonmn]

Your faceplate probably belonged to the guy I saw on a video that said he faces it every time he uses it. Can't remember who it was. It would last hundreds of uses if the cut is light, but it still seems wasteful to me.

I think I know that guy too! He likes to do everything 200%. Like the time he had to turn down some hex steel bars on one end. He already had 3-jaw chucks but paid over $1K for a six-jaw because he felt using only 3 jaws for hex stock would be cutting corners.

[boslab]

I think I just wet myself, cutting corners!, I like the Ali plate idea, I can see that happening
Mark

[softtail]

Remember the outer end of the plate will be really be spinning compared to the center when considering rpms..

[huntinguy]

When our faceplates at work got "thin" , we mounted a 1" disk of Aluminum on them which renews the faceplate and allows for custom holes and slots.
+1 for Stepsides comments

Rich

We put the aluminum plate on the new faceplate. After it was lightly skimmed to clean up. That preserved the original face surface in case we really needed it.

[Dave C]

Remember the outer end of the plate will be really be spinning compared to the center when considering rpms..

Wrong! Surface speed increases with diameter but RPM is the same as spindle speed regardless of diameter.

[Joel]

He said "when considering RPM's" - as in, for selecting the appropriate spindle speed.