Spindle Lock
I needed a spindle lock for my older Jet mini to give me a third hand while mounting stock in chucks and when trying to free stuck chucks. I also didn’t want to disturb the original casting of the lathe so I decided to make a temporary unit. The lock consists of a base, upright, and locking pin. The base and upright are connected by a small pin made from 1/8” drill rod with a turned cap. The small pin fits through a horizontal hole drilled through the base and tenon on the bottom of the upright. The upright is made from scrap red oak and the base from scrap pine – both are cut appropriately to clear a spinning chuck. The base is fastened to the ways using a 1/2” carriage bolt with flat and lock washers and a 1/2” nut. An appropriately sized hole with counter-bore (for clearance of the carriage bolt from the mounted chuck) is drilled into the base. The locking pin is made from 3/8” steel rod with a turned handle. A slightly over-sized hole (it is important to make the hole no bigger than required for the pin to slide freely in order to limit spindle movement) is drilled near the top of the upright for the locking pin to pass through into the holes in the spindle head.
One day I plan make a better looking version of this spindle lock using hard maple, but for now it suits my needs. Hope someone finds this info useful and that it inspires those without a spindle lock to do something about it!
Photo 1. Spindle lock with locking pin out. Photo 2. Spindle lock pin inserted.
Best regards,
Matt