# Help with spindle nose thread



## Varmint204 (May 27, 2020)

I just picked up an old 1979 ish Honden 12 x 36 lathe in an on line auction. Unfortunately it did not come with much, no chuck and just a blank plate that screws on to the spindle. 
Other than the lack of accessory's and having the back of the spindle damaged a bit, it looks like a very lightly used machine. My question is what spindle thread dose this use. I have attached a picture with the dimensions of the spindle nose.
Thanks in advance for any help on this.


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## jcp (May 27, 2020)

The shop I worked at back in the day had a Summit 11 X 36 lathe (Taiwan mfg'd) that needed a collet chuck backing plate. The machinist that got the job threaded it 64mm x 3mm pitch. It fit fine. What is the pitch on your spindle?


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## brino (May 27, 2020)

Hello @Varmint204 

Welcome to the group!

Do you have a model number for this Honden lathe?

This thread:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/honden-l-450-info-needed.58846/post-484786
had a manual for a Honden L-450, but that one appears to be an 8 x 18".

I will keep poking around too.
Good Luck!
-brino


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## RandyWilson (May 27, 2020)

Yes, measuring the thread pitch will helpfully narrow down whether it is imperial or metric.

The bit of poking around I did showed very little. only one nugget. Any questions on PM met with decapitation, and it seems there isn't much foreign on Keith Rucker's site. Lathes.co.uk has some leads in the generic Taiwanese section.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/taiwan/


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## Ulma Doctor (May 27, 2020)

it is a metric pitch, both my 1236's have the same threads


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## Varmint204 (May 28, 2020)

Thanks for the replys, as far as I can tell it indeed looks like 3mm thread pitch. Are back plates available or will I have to make my own? As to the model it has a tag that says KING no model number. What little i have dug up it appears to be L850B, I could be wrong about that.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 28, 2020)

chucks, and backplates are like hen's teeth, sorry to say
you may find them, but usually they are mis-identified by the seller


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## Ulma Doctor (May 28, 2020)

i have heard rumor that often folks think it is 2-3/8"x6 TPI  opposed to the 3mm pitch


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## RandyWilson (May 28, 2020)

In this case wouldn't it be mislabeled as 2 1/2-6?  Or do they miss the diameter too?

OP, you might get in touch with this guy. He has *lots* of old chucks and such. He is somewhat local, I have bought from him, and I've seen the "collection".    

https://norfolk.craigslist.org/tls/d/yorktown-milling-machine-metal-lathe/7119926992.html


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## brino (May 28, 2020)

Can you supply some pictures of the entire lathe and some close-ups of the headstock?
A picture of the Honden and King plates/badges too?

I suspect that it is very similar if not identical to a number of other Taiwan/China made machines.
Photos would certainly help identify it.

Currently I am finding that most newer models in the 12x36" size are D1-4 spindle mounts.....including both King and Jet.

-brino


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## brino (May 28, 2020)

Wow, there really is almost no useful info out there about this machine......

I found one small hint in this thread:
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=89005

Post #3 gives a link to a machine tool service company that may have some info.
It is probably worth writing them a note on their "Contact Us" page asking your spindle spec.

-brino


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## RandyWilson (May 28, 2020)

The lathes.co.uk link above has a link to their store where they sell the manuals for these lathes.


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## DAT510 (May 28, 2020)

This subject is something I've chased for a while regarding my Jet 1024p lathe.  The one published constant appears to be an 8 TPI tread.  The Diameter is a different beast.  Depending on the MFG I've found it listed as both MM and Inch.  This is the first I've seen at around 2.5" or 65mm.

Attached is what if found listed in a number of different manuals:

Grizzly






Shenwai






Tida






Jet 1024, 1236 PY


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## Varmint204 (May 28, 2020)

Well at least they were consistent in there inconsistency. I have a 2 1/4" that I miss ordered. any Idea on how to bore and thread this without a chuck? or am I missing a more obvious solution.


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## RJSakowski (May 28, 2020)

You said in the first post that you had a blank plate.  You could mount that plate on the spindle and clamp your back plate to it.  If you were careful in doing so, You could drill three or four holes through both and bolt them together.  Jus make sure that you miss the locations for the chuck mounting holes.

As many have suggested before, it is wise to have a stub thread that you can use for a test fit.  This is a catch 22 situation for you though.  You could conceivably do this by mounting the stub between centers.  You will need some sort of a drive dog and will need to mount the blank plate to drive the dog.  You can remove the stub and the plate for appropriate test fits.  Because you are running between centers, this will not affect accuracy when remounting for another pass.  Using pitch wires to measure pitch diameter would also be of value.  .072 diameter is the recommended wire size.  You can make some makeshift wires from any suitable wire.  Drill bits can be used.  You can measure pitch diameter with a single wire although the math is a little more complcated.


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## jcp (May 28, 2020)

Varmint204 said:


> Thanks for the replys, as far as I can tell it indeed looks like 3mm thread pitch. Are back plates available or will I have to make my own? As to the model it has a tag that says KING no model number. What little i have dug up it appears to be L850B, I could be wrong about that.



Do you have a 3.0 mm pitch gage and a 8 tpi pitch gage? Which one fits the spindle correctly?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Varmint204 (May 28, 2020)

jcp said:


> Do you have a 3.0 mm pitch gage and a 8 tpi pitch gage? Which one fits the spindle correctly?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


These are some of the things on my shoping list.


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## RandyWilson (May 28, 2020)

Lay a steel ruler on the threads aligned with the spindle axle. Put 0 directly on the peak of the first fully formed thread from the headstock. If the 1/2" mark falls directly on top of the third thread, 6tpi. If it falls directly on the fourth, 8tpi. If it falls just beyond the third thread it would be 4.0. If it falls past the fourth thread, it's 3.0.


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## NortonDommi (May 28, 2020)

Get a decent set of thread gauges in Imperial,(both 60 & 55 degree angles). and a set of Metric gauges.  You are just wasting your time without them.  I have a friend who keeps sending me inquiries about "what thread is this?"  Sends a picture with notes on whatever the brand name on a part is and a 'guesstamate' of the diameter.  Over 20 years I have been telling him to buy some thread gauges and a verynear at the least.
  63.8 mm sounds right for a 64 mm thread as male threads are always slightly under the nominal size unless there is a special reason.  I think JCP is right.

#Here is a handy chart from Maryland Metrics:


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## Varmint204 (May 29, 2020)

Thanks for all the help. I will get a set of guages asap. And put this to rest once and for all. Looking the chart (thanks NotonDommi) I am pretty sure it is 64 x 3 mm. Now to see if anyone makes any thing for these spindles.


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