My Smithy 3 in 1

[Torch]

So then, if you wish to mount the face plate, an adapter is placed between the plate (that forms the spindle end) and the face plate? Makes me wonder why they wouldn't make the plate the same size for all accessories, so no adapter is needed.

This is my first, and probably last, time to ever teach you anything remotely related to machine equipment!

No adapter is needed to mount the face plate -- that bolts right up to the spindle just like the supplied 3-jaw. The adapter is only needed to mount different sized plain-back chucks (such as the 4-jaw pictured).

And looking back at the OP's original question: Yes -- maybe. This drawing is from the manual for my HQ800V -- made by the same factory as the Grizzly and BusyBee machines for certain, and probably many of the others as well.

It looks to me like a 3-pin cam-lock chuck spindle was at least contemplated at one time. I don't know if they are still available or if they ever were produced. I don't know for sure that they make the Smithy machines and even if they do, that the spindle size for the OP's machine is the same as mine. I cross-referenced the bearing part number for the above diagram and the dimensions are the same as the spindle in the Grizzly 9729, which seems to be the base model version of my machine, and I know that they have an R8 mill spindle that is a drop-in replacement for the standard MT3 mill spindle because I had to swap it myself when they mistakenly shipped the machine with the wrong one.

The factory where these things are made is the Anhui Chizhou Household Machine Tool Co., Ltd. Their website is http://www.czjyjc.com/en/index.asp. Warning: Dealing with them can be an exercise in frustration because a) English is not their strong suit and b) They tend to cut off the conversation abruptly for no apparent reason. The 12 hour time difference doesn't help either.

[Harold_V]

Chuckle!

There is much about machining I do not know, so the opportunity to teach is quite good! Unlike many, I didn't undergo a proper apprenticeship program---I was hired to be trained for a job specific purpose. Thanks to some great mentors, I gained considerable knowledge, from which I built a wonderful set of skills, but they are limited. No problem---I simply pursued that which was at my disposal and it treated me well, right to the day when I abandoned machining in favor of refining precious metals for a living. I could have easily continued machining were that my desire, but, by then, I hated the machines. Took years before I could look at them as anything more than the enemy.

The cam lock spindle, in my opinion, is the epitome of proper spindle construction. It's fast, easy, and apparently perfectly safe. In all my years, I've never known one to fail. I've never even found a loose pin. Should you, at some time in the future, pursue a different lathe, I'd encourage you to insure that it was that spindle type.

Harold

[Torch]

Thanks to some great mentors, I gained considerable knowledge, from which I built a wonderful set of skills, but they are limited. No problem---I simply pursued that which was at my disposal and it treated me well,

I had a friend who was a machinist about 20 years ago; I bought a 3-in-1 almost a year ago and started reading. I can now turn a 5lb block of aluminium into a pen. Trust me, I won't have this opportunity again in the forseeable future!

The cam lock spindle, in my opinion, is the epitome of proper spindle construction. It's fast, easy, and apparently perfectly safe. In all my years, I've never known one to fail. I've never even found a loose pin. Should you, at some time in the future, pursue a different lathe, I'd encourage you to insure that it was that spindle type.

Oh sure, now you tell me! By the time I ordered the machine, I knew enough to order it with an R8 mill spindle but didn't think to ask about a camlock for the lathe. The bolt-on system does seem to be very secure and the boss, which is a bit of a press-fit, ensures the chuck is registered in exactly the same place every time. I marked the holes 1, 2 and 3 on the flange and the chuck before I ground the jaws in place with a tool-post mounted die-grinder so it's pretty good that way.

But it is a bit of a PITA to change. The bolts are in an awkward place, with little room between the flange and the headstock casting. The chuck has to be gently tapped with a hammer to remove it (making sure that the bolts are just loosened, not removed, so the chuck doesn't come crashing down!) The chuck must then be supported with one hand whilst trying to catch the threads with two finger tips (easier for lefties!).

The camlock system sure looks easier! I may have to brave dealing with the factory long enough to see if retrofitting the camlock version is even possible now.