Tool tip

Today I had a slice of roundstock that was already faced on one side but was a little too thin to face on the other side. I was using the jaws for larger material. Both of my lathes have only 4" chucks. I stuck 3 rare earth magnets of the same size on the jaws where the stock would sit. This allowed enough room to face the part. It not only spaced it out but held it up against the jaws until the chuck was tightened. If aluminum was used it would still work with the part being held in place manually. It could also be used with even thinner material by adding more magnets. I have quite a few.

I'm sure this is not something new to some but may be of help to others.

Nice and simple standoffs and would imagine they are < a thou. of thickness! Only worry is the centrifugal force perhaps tossing them out at high speeds. Any issues with magnetizing the chuck and chips sticking to it? Thanks Floradawg for something new in the memory banks!

Yeah, chips sticking is a small problem, but I try to make sure they are cleaned away. The magnets have very strong attraction. My lathe has a v-belt to change rpm so I usually run it at a medium speed unless I'm drilling with a large drill. Then I change the belt to granny gear. For facing even a small part it would not be necessary to use a high rpm. I have very rarely had the need for the highest rpm that this lathe is capable of. Changing the belt around is happily a not so frequent event.