Frank H. Jackson

The angle-plate is one of the handiest attachments to a lathe a workman can have, and is one of the easiest to make.

If the tool of tools (the lathe) is used to its fullest capabilities, it can be made to answer for many other machines. Milling, shaping, planing, etc., can be very efficiently done on a lathe with the aid of various attachments, one of which is here described.

In making my angle I used a casting as shown in the sketches, it being, when finished, 4 1/2 in. long and the shelf part about 21/2 in. wide, which is suitable for a lathe from 7 to 9 in. swing. A pattern for the casting is easily made. I also planed up a piece of hard maple perfectly square 2x2 1/2x4 8/4 in. long, and fastened it to the face plate, A, as shown at B, Fig. 1. C is a trysquare testing the upper face of wood which must be exactly at a right angle to the face-plate. Fig. 2 at D, represents the angle-plate casting bolted on the wood block preparatory to turning off one of the faces. The casting must, of course, have some holes drilled to take the necessary bolts to hold it on the face plate; these holes should be put in the proper places so they can be filed into slots, as shown in Fig. 3, which shows the finished angle-plate.

After one face has been properly turned off, as shown in Fig. 2. remove it and again bolt it, the turned face down, on the block, being careful to locate it so the cut will cover the entire surface. When this side is properly turned the various slots can be drilled and filed out, the edges trued up, and, if care has been taken, you will have an angle-plate that will answer the purpose as well as one costing a considerable amount.

If a suitable casting cannot be obtained a piece of wrought iron rolled angle plate will answer the purpose. Look over scrap piles; they often contain pieces that can be used to good advantage.