New Grizzly Gunsmith Spider Back-Plate

R

Ron of Va

Guest
I got my Grizzly catalog in the mail today, and noticed a new item for the gunsmithing lathes. It is a spider to use in place of the 4 jaw for chambering. They say it is useful for shorter barrels. (I couldn't find it on the web site)

What is the general opinion on such an accessory?
GunsmithSpider.JPG
 
A friend made one for his Griz g'smith lathe and likes it. I bought a new backing plate to make one for my lathe. With 3/8-24 threaded cap screws, dialing in a barrel should be easier than with the very course threads found on 4-jaws. Maybe brass swivel feet on the screws, we will see.
I'm going to use aluminum bolted to the backing plate, probably with several dowels also, so I'll have way less than Griz price in mine.

Jay, Idaho
 
Jay said:
A friend made one for his Griz g'smith lathe and likes it. I bought a new backing plate to make one for my lathe. With 3/8-24 threaded cap screws, dialing in a barrel should be easier than with the very course threads found on 4-jaws. Maybe brass swivel feet on the screws, we will see.
I'm going to use aluminum bolted to the backing plate, probably with several dowels also, so I'll have way less than Griz price in mine.

Jay, Idaho
Click to expand...

I'm going to be doing the same thing as Jay. Had a back plate and got a nice thick piece of aluminum from Butch. Have all the components sitting in a box waiting for my procrastination to run out. My lathe has a D1-4 mount so I couldn't use the Grizzly anyway. I suspect, though. that the Grizzly might be thinner than what I can achieve using a back plate and 1" aluminum.

Finally got a barrel from Lester Bruno yesterday so I have no further excuse to not get the spider done.
 
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The cost seems reasonable

I am surprised they can sell them for the prices listed. They appear to be well made. Does anyone make one to fit a South Bend with a threaded spindle?
 
wouldn't chamber a barrel any other way

That is a good price. Backing plate will cost you close to that. I would replace the brass tips with ones that were larger in diameter. I made mine out of 1/2-20 TPI screws and the the tips are 1/2" in diameter. I pressed the tips in after inserting the screws. I've been using one almost 15 years, hundreds of barrels. They are mushroomed on the front but still work just fine.

For those of you that want to make one get a backing plate for a Bison Set-tru chuck. It will have a boss sticking out in front for the chuck adjusting screws to work against. You can drill and tap that for the holes and turn the backing plate down in diameter as much as you can. Makes a very small/narrow package.

Double check the width of the boss. I had room for 1/2" screws in mine. It was for a PBA chuck

Dave
 
I have most of the taps for SB lathe spindle except 2-3/8" x 6. A piece of heavy wall tube, treaded, and it would be cake to drill and tap the four holes. What size is your spindle?
 
P.S. that is a good price. I have a D1-5 spindle nose and backplates cost about that much. You get the spider for free.
 
Dave Tooley said:
wouldn't chamber a barrel any other way

That is a good price. Backing plate will cost you close to that. I would replace the brass tips with ones that were larger in diameter. I made mine out of 1/2-20 TPI screws and the the tips are 1/2" in diameter. I pressed the tips in after inserting the screws. I've been using one almost 15 years, hundreds of barrels. They are mushroomed on the front but still work just fine.

Dave
Click to expand...

Dave,

Thanks for the input, 1/2-20 with pressed in brass tips will be used.

Jay, Idaho
 
Thanks Shiraz

Gentlemen,

How about some kudo's for Shiraz, the owner of Grizzly. He hangs around this forum, taking all kinds of unnecessary and unwarranted abuse for having the audacity to make his living selling foriegn manufactured products (therefore he must me un-American), yet he recognized a good idea for a product that gunsmiths would want and use, so he made it for us. How many large companies out there would do that? Especially for a group as small as benchrest gunsmiths.

And before somebody pipes up, yeah...I know he's going to make a profit on them. But I don't think he's going to be buying a private jet because of it. He'll probably only sell 50 or so units.

Again, thanks Shiraz for listening.

Justin
 
I started building a spyder for my lathe a couple of months ago, but did not finish it since I haven't been able to get the adjusting screws for the sides (and didn't want to make up an order just for 4 screws). I haven't decided whether to use 3/8" or 1/2" fine thread cap screws, but the problem in getting them locally is that no one seems to have them with fully threaded bodies in the longer lengths.

There is a length situation with my headstock due to the type of spindle I have. It is an L00 long taper, and is longer than the threaded or cam lock spindles, so it would be very beneficial to use a spyder for shorter barrels.

Here are a couple of photos of what I have done so far. I fitted a piece of 5" diameter aluminum to an old backplate that I bought, and bored a hole that should allow sufficient clearance for the barrel to be properly centered. I can't go smaller in diameter due to the L00 mount, so I am thinking of recessing the holes into the side for the adjusting screws. Any thoughts on this?

Jim

SpindleSpyder008copy2.jpg


SpindleSpyder007copy3.jpg
 
Jim,
I did mine in a similar way to yours. Mine is a L00 also. I turned my L00 adaptor to .500 in thickness with a hub left in the center. I machined my aluminum adaptor to fit over the hub. I believe that I am at least .500 closer to the headstock than yours is. I have 4 1/2" 20tpi set screws with copper inserts in them. They are 2.5" long. I don't like the brass buttons. They are too hard.
Butch
 
I used number 4 copper wire from Home Depot. It is used for grounding antannas and such. A #7 drill bit is perfect. I held the bolt in the lathe chuck with a threaded coupling to drill the end of the bolt.

Cut the wire to length, insert into bolt, and then give the end a whack with a hammer and the copper is swaged to the hole, no epoxy needed.
SpiderBolts.jpg
 
Wish they made it for D1-4's..

Hey Butch.. I went from copper to brass because it was harder but still didn't mark the barrels, lol... To each his own, eh ?
 
Jim Wooten said:
I started building a spyder for my lathe a couple of months ago, but did not finish it since I haven't been able to get the adjusting screws for the sides (and didn't want to make up an order just for 4 screws). I haven't decided whether to use 3/8" or 1/2" fine thread cap screws, but the problem in getting them locally is that no one seems to have them with fully threaded bodies in the longer lengths.
Click to expand...

That's a great looking start. Why not just get some 5/8" hex stock and make your own bolts? Easy to fit them with brass tips. And you can make the thread to be a really nice fit in the holes if you use leaded hex stock.

I did that for the spider on the back of my spindle. Works great.

Fitch
 
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