Making a lathe chuck back plate, first timer

I made a backplate for my 9 inch sb lathe out of aluminum. I first made a 1 1/2 8 nipple. This was really helpful because when I cut threads I like to advance my tool until I get a good fit instead of trying to calculate how deep to cut.
 
great white said:
]By the same token, having a local shop make me one (even if just a raw plate with threaded center hole) would also be crazy expensive.

:)
Click to expand...
What exactly do you consider "crazy expensive"?

$150.00 for material.
3 hours machining time @$125.00 per hour.
$525.00 for something that you can not buy on ebay or anywhere else.

One will quickly run out of money doing such work in the USA at Asian import prices.
I am curious, at what price would you actually buy this part.
As little as possible is not an answer.
 
P. Waller said:
What exactly do you consider "crazy expensive"?

$150.00 for material.
3 hours machining time @$125.00 per hour.
$525.00 for something that you can not buy on ebay or anywhere else.

One will quickly run out of money doing such work in the USA at Asian import prices.
I am curious, at what price would you actually buy this part.
As little as possible is not an answer.
Click to expand...

comment like that demands on one possible answe:

As little as possible.

And I’m glad I don’t live where you live if it’s $150 for a 6” diameter chunk of cast iron...
 
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If I am not mistaken, your Atlas has the same type spindle as my 9 inch South Bend. It is an 1 1/2 x 8 thread. All you need to do is search ebay for 1 1/2 8 back plate. No matter which one you get you will have to do the final machining. You mount the back plate on your lathe spindle and machine it to fit your chuck. They do this to minimize the run out. I have done several for my South Bend. Take your time and you won't have a problem. I did make one back plate out of aluminum which has worked out fine, but the cost for one from ebay isn't that much. Here is a possible solution.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Fully-Ma...h=item46104c7d0e:g:wJsAAOxy2E1SDQtH:rk:2:pf:0
 
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