Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

[bigmini]

I got the idea for these from another blog. The original original is from Workholding in the Lathe by Tubal Caine. A highly recommended read that has stopped me from abusing my chucks .

These faceplate dogs are designed to be used for attaching odd shaped objects to a faceplate where you want to have access to the entire surface. They bolt into the slot up against the work to be clamped and then the set screw is tightened to hold the work in place. Sort of like a primitive chuck.

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

The one on the left has an extra little hole there. That is the original set screw hole that was mis drilled, so I had to start again from another face. 

Here's how I made them:

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

I started with a piece of 3/4" hex bar - note the marking to line it up with the stamping on the three jaw chuck. An attempt to get some repeatability. I should have marked it right along.

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Here I have machined off the flats for the length of what will be the shank.

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Roughing down the diameter to fit my faceplate

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Once the shank fits through the faceplate. I turned down the end to 10mm for long enough so that the fatter part doesn't project out of the back of the faceplate. You can see it being checked against my faceplate here.

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Cutting the relief groove ready to turn the thread. There are lots of tutorials for cutting threads, and everyone seems to have a preferred way, so I'll skip ahead here except to show this.

Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

I run most of this job with manual feeding, and only engaged the leadscrew for cutting the threads. I did this for two reasons:

• Changing the gears is a long, tedious and messy job, that would have needed to be done six times for the whole job so it was less hassle to just feed by hand
• Feeding manually saves wear on the lead screw for jobs that really need it

The photo shows a piece of paper inserted between the gears to get the perfect clearance.

Finally - parting off. I don't know who said that parting off steel in a small Chinese lathe is impossible, but it isn't. Here's the proof:
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Then facing off the end:
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Now to the drill press to make the hole for the set screw.
I set up the workpiece using a spirit level like this
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

The hole was drilled for a 5mm tapped hole and counterbored to 8mm.
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

Tapping the hole
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

The set screws I had had heads that were 8.2 mm diameter so I needed to turn them down to fit the 8mm counterbore. To protect the threads while I did this, I made a simple 5mm threaded mandrel out of 3/8" hex bar.
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

A finished piece
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

..and how it fits into the faceplate.
Simple beginner project - faceplate dogs

The motivation for making these was largely practice, but I also wanted to be able to make better use of the faceplate that came with my lathe. By using these, I can turn anything that will fit on the faceplate.

[Trion]

It took me some time to realize how you were planning on using them, but now I see. It`s brilliant, need to make a few of those myself! Nice writeup!

[Bogstandard]

Very nice write up indeed BM, and a very good subject as well.

You can teach an old dog new tricks, and these will go onto my ever growing todo list.


Bogs

[Stilldrillin]

Very well produced, and shown! 

I used that type of clamp many times, during my employed years, on milling machines. 

Never thought of applying to lathework....... 

David D

[jim]

excellent work, i too couldn't work out the cap screws, now it makes perfect sense!

[Chuck in E. TN]

I'm not sure I understand how these clamp dogs work. Is the set screw going all the way through the hex part?

Chuck in E. TN

[ieezitin]

Chuck

The bolts are fastened to the face plate and just act like an anchor, the set screw comes perpendicular from the lathe axis, to push the work against the other bolt opposite it. Instead of actually clamping the work to the face plate your squeezing the work in place with all these bolts around the plate.

Bm. Nice job here, I never in a million years would have come up with this simple yet effective practice, dam!!! I wish you would have written this last Tuesday, I tried everything including kicking the cat to hold a piece on my face plate which I needed 100% clearance on!.

Well done     Anthony.

[HS93]

I'm not sure I understand how these clamp dogs work. Is the set screw going all the way through the hex part?

Chuck in E. TN

I'm glad you asked.

Peter

[Chuck in E. TN]

Not to be a smart ass, but...
quote "The hole was drilled for a 5mm tapped hole and counterbored to 8mm."
 I see how the dog bolts to the face plate, I'm asking if in the above quote, the hole is all the way through the hex part, as the pictures and the text don't indicate.

Chuck in E. TN

[HS93]

I'm not sure I understand how these clamp dogs work. Is the set screw going all the way through the hex part?

Chuck in E. TN

I'm glad you asked.

Peter

I did not notice it went right through that was my problem..

Peter

[andyf]

Chuck,

I think bigmini's last photo reveals all. It shows how the threaded end sticks out of the hexagonal bolt head.

Andy  

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

Not to be a smart ass, but...
quote "The hole was drilled for a 5mm tapped hole and counterbored to 8mm."
 I see how the dog bolts to the face plate, I'm asking if in the above quote, the hole is all the way through the hex part, as the pictures and the text don't indicate.

Chuck,  The convention (since 1972) is for an un-depth-identified hole to be a "THRU" hole.  Since 1982(-ish) we have a little "down-arrow" type character used to identify a "depth" dimension.  Since 1994 we use it as:  ø1.23 ("depth" down-arrow symbol) .45 to mean, "Drill ø1.23 to a depth of .45" (in units appropriate to the drawing).  A hole identified as ø1.23 means, "Drill ø1.23 through the part."

These "conventions" are codified in both the ANSI and ISO engineering drawing specifications.  The funny part of all this is how many "major engineering companies" do not understand or follow them.  Those of us who use such things forget that it may not be clear to someone without our background.  (I spent 12 years as a member of one of the committees writing and reviewing the ANSI engineering drawing specifications.  Does it show?)

[foozer]

T  (I spent 12 years as a member of one of the committees writing and reviewing the ANSI engineering drawing specifications.  Does it show?)

So your the guy! 20 years in the 325 slot 46 section Boeing, bad enough the section is upside and backwards, but the drawings, one has to hold up to a light and look from the back side to figure out what's going on. And the powers that be wonder why we were confused.    
heh heh heh

Robert

[bigmini]

Not to be a smart ass, but...
quote "The hole was drilled for a 5mm tapped hole and counterbored to 8mm."
 I see how the dog bolts to the face plate, I'm asking if in the above quote, the hole is all the way through the hex part, as the pictures and the text don't indicate.

Chuck in E. TN

Sorry about that Chuck. The 5mm tapped hole does indeed go right through. The end of the small bolt is what does the clamping when you tighten it up. It should only project a very small amount from the hexagon to ensure that the clamp is stable.

Thanks to all for the encouraging responses.

[saw]

This is a very good idea, thanks for showing us. 

[krv3000]

A nuther one for me to do    well posted 

[AndyB]

Bugger!

That's what I needed to hold the aluminium cylinder for my Rider Ericsson.

I had heard of them but couldn't figure out how to make them!!!

Thank you very much, right up there on the to-do list!

Andy

[BK]

Umm, looks like something else to make, they would come in very handy. 

[Andrew_D]

Might I offer one piece of advice??

Before the ends of the set screws mushroom out and you can't remove them, turn the threads off or turn a point or something!

Been there before!!!

Andrew

[bigmini]

Might I offer one piece of advice??

Before the ends of the set screws mushroom out and you can't remove them, turn the threads off or turn a point or something!

Been there before!!!

Andrew

That's a good idea. I've thought about putting a point on them having already turned down the heads to make them fit in an 8mm hole. I'll probably do that next.

They're intended to be used up against the work with only a small amount of the set screw protruding for maximum stability.

[j45on]

These are great 
I could do with something similar to this for my rotary table slots