There are advantages to leaving a turning on its faceplate from the first cut through finishing. It eliminates the work of reattaching and re-centering the work and provides a handle to remove the work from the lathe while the finish is wet. But because I may have dozens of turnings in process at any one time, it was unfeasible to mount each on a $20 commercial faceplate. So I came up with this method for making inexpensive faceplates from hardware store material. The last batch cost $1.50 each.

The faceplate is nothing more than a hex nut welded to a large flat washer. Select a big nut to fit your lathe’s headstock and a large, thick washer with an inside diameter smaller than the nut. Center the washer on the nut, and clamp with two small C-clamps before welding. If the nut and washer are plated, grind away the plating in the welded area.

Now tack-weld the nut to the washer at all six corners. It is better to stagger the welds rather than weld around the nut in sequence. This lessens the chance of warping the washer. Clean off the weld splatter, and countersink three holes in the washer.

Only rarely will the steel portion of the faceplate run true. So attach a wooden subplate to the faceplate, and turn it to eliminate any wobble. Attach the work to the wooden subplate.

Robert Calvert, Squaw Valley, Calif.

Fine Woodworking Magazine, October 1994 No. 108

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