Spindle Nose Thread Protector - VIDEO

[hersch_tool]

Hi all,
I run a hobby machining YouTube channel, and I make a lot of tools for the shop.
Here is my latest video making a spindle nose protector for a threaded spindle nose.
This is for a 1-3/4" x 8tpi spindle nose.
Not very complicated or anything, but maybe interesting to some folks nonetheless?
Major operations include turning, drilling, boring, threading, milling and indexing on the mill.
Thanks!

[mklotz]

Not intended as a criticism of the OP's video but my approach to the same project may offer some ideas for others attempting this.

I first made a copy of the spindle male nose threads on my own lathe to use as a gauge. I could test this gauge with existing chucks to ensure that they had the right amount of clearance.

Now, when I started to make the female nose protector, I had a test gauge to use against the female threads I was turning.

This gauge was really useful later when I made a screw-on collet chuck for my lathe.

When not in use as a gauge, it serves double duty on my rotary table. Mounted to the table with screws, it allows any chuck that screws onto the lathe to be screwed onto the rotary table.

[hemmjo]

I do not under stand why, when the grooves came out “ugly”, he did not just go around again taking 0.005 or what ever was necessary to clean them up. As I recall he chose the original depth arbitrarily anyway. What harm would come from a few thousandths deeper.

That is a very nice job. I have had that on my todo list for a while, but it is not near the top yet.

[DIYer]

Thanks hersch_tool! We've added your Spindle Thread Protector to our Lathe Accessories category,
as well as to your builder page: hersch_tool's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Spindle Thread Protector by hersch_tool

tags: lathe, spindle

[hersch_tool]

Not intended as a criticism of the OP's video but my approach to the same project may offer some ideas for others attempting this.

I first made a copy of the spindle male nose threads on my own lathe to use as a gauge. I could test this gauge with existing chucks to ensure that they had the right amount of clearance.

Now, when I started to make the female nose protector, I had a test gauge to use against the female threads I was turning.

This gauge was really useful later when I made a screw-on collet chuck for my lathe.

When not in use as a gauge, it serves double duty on my rotary table. Mounted to the table with screws, it allows any chuck that screws onto the lathe to be screwed onto the rotary table.

Thanks for your comment.
Making a gauge is a great idea in general.
However, in this case it wouldn't have helped me much, and would have been a lot of additional machining for no real benefit.
Since I didn't have access to the actual spindle for which this was intended, if I'd have made a gauge then I would have been working to the same dimensions, derived from the same thread profile out of the machinery's handbook.
So, the spindle cap and the gauge would have certainly worked together, but it still would not have told me anything about how well the cap would fit with the spindle nose for which it was intended.
But yeah, if this were my spindle nose, then making an exact copy for gauging and other uses would be a great benefit.
Thanks again!

[hersch_tool]

I do not under stand why, when the grooves came out “ugly”, he did not just go around again taking 0.005 or what ever was necessary to clean them up. As I recall he chose the original depth arbitrarily anyway. What harm would come from a few thousandths deeper.

That is a very nice job. I have had that on my todo list for a while, but it is not near the top yet.

Thanks very much!
As I mentioned in the video, this part was being made for someone else, not for my own use.
This is the reason I decided to start over entirely so as to produce the best part possible.
Cheers!