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Hope Threading Jig

Joined
Jan 10, 2024
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I didn’t realise I needed one of these but there is a lot of thought that’s gone into the design. The click stop advance system and hinge plate are a genius idea compared to others I’ve seen. The depth stop is handy. Quick to set up as well. Simon is a great guy to deal with and very nice when I’ve spoken to him at some of the shows. Take a look.

 
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I’ve just had a look at a video of the Chefwarekits one and although superficially similar it doesn’t have the click stop advance, hinge plate or stop of the Hope jig.
 

john lucas

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I have the original version of the chefware kits. I use my Baxter threader 99% of the time if I'm not hand chasing threads.
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
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Traverse City, MI
I'm too cheap to buy one, and when I built my jig, I was in sort of a hurry. (had to demo it for our club about a week later :oops: ) I wanted to make some kind of hinged design like that, but ended up with a built in digital readout to replicate the position. It works pretty well.
 
Joined
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Bay Settlement, WI
I’ve just had a look at a video of the Chefwarekits one and although superficially similar it doesn’t have the click stop advance, hinge plate or stop of the Hope jig.
I have a Chefwarekits jig ... it does utilize a click stop advance. I like the hinge plate on the Simon Hope jig!
 
Joined
Dec 9, 2022
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Springfield, OH
I have had a Hope Threading Jig for about 5 years . Bought as part of a group buy some members of Ohio Valley Wood Turners Guild. The learning curve wasn't bad. Included directions are good.

This wood jig fits in my bed ways and helps me align the Threading jig mounted in the tool rest. The 2 flat head screws in the base help make it fit perfectly in the bed ways.
20181115_170437.jpg20181115_170323.jpg

I later purchased a 8tpi spindle that I really like for small boxes.
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2024
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Location
Bournemouth, UK
I have had a Hope Threading Jig for about 5 years . Bought as part of a group buy some members of Ohio Valley Wood Turners Guild. The learning curve wasn't bad. Included directions are good.

This wood jig fits in my bed ways and helps me align the Threading jig mounted in the tool rest. The 2 flat head screws in the base help make it fit perfectly in the bed ways.
View attachment 65448View attachment 65449

I later purchased a 8tpi spindle that I really like for small boxes.
Thanks for posting, I was thinking something like this might help with alignment.
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
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Erie, PA
I've seen or tried them all but for me there is nothing even close to being better than the Baxter Threading Jig. Expensive, yes but you are getting a quality beautifully machined super accurate instrument. I have two, do you need two? Probably not but they are so good that when the opportunity came up to get the second one I just got it. And yes I do use both as they are different sized and fit different lathes.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
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Seattle, WA
With the threading jigs of this type there are two ways to thread, an okay way and a better way. In the video in post #1 he used the okay way for the lid and the better way for the base (??). It involves whether the cutter is doing a climb cut (better) or a conventional cut. I've seen this often in demonstrations. I've never been able to determine if the demonstrator knows the difference between the types of cuts. The climb cut is definitely better in soft troublesome woods. It can be a confusing issue for noobs to understand. Google on it, it's a commonly used industrial process known as "thread milling".
 
Joined
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I’m familiar with the term as I use a milling machine. As many have found, when milling metals, sometimes you get a better finish climbing and sometimes not. As you are often going backwards and forwards you can see the effect immediately. I’ve never given this any thought for wood though. If I mill wood (with a fly cutter) I try to go with the grain.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
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I did film a video about the Baxter jig, and after reviewing it, I need to do it over from scratch. Funny how you forget things when it has been a while.... Anyway, I do like the idea of the clicks for depth of cut. Getting the Hope and Chef Ware threaders set up square to the lathe bed always appeared to be a chore. That centering spot for the tailstock solves that problem, but I wonder if another method might work better. I am sure there has to be a way. I also like the collar on the back of the threader for a depth stop for how far you go down. Interesting that he cuts the lid down to adjust the timing for the threads. I am having a cutter set up made (the machine shop called it an X/Z cutter, not X/Y) so my cuts will be spot on parallel from the get go rather than sighting or using the 6 inch steel ruler trick. I have always figured that the tenon and recess need to be spot on parallel in order for the threads to mesh perfectly, and the thread cutter will not make 'close' good enough. I also have found that having two lathes is a HUGE time saver. I do make sure to to rough turn all box blanks first. I never turn more than 1 1/2 inch diameter boxes because wood moves, and going bigger can present problems later. Eric Lofstrom does his boxes some what larger, like 3 or so inches, and he turns them down several times over about 6 months. One he wouldn't pass around because just the heat of peoples hands would make the fit of the lid change. I adjust the tenon/bottom of the box shoulder to get the timing correct. Interesting that this guy adjusts the lid. May have to try that. I may have to get a Chef Ware set up, just because I am curious....

robo hippy
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2024
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Location
Bournemouth, UK
I’m seriously considering buying the Hope Jig. The alternative is to buy a cutting head and cutter and make the rest. The cutting head is, I think, a really good deal at only £69. It’s certainly quite affordable to have at least two or even three of different pitches. The flip up idea on the Hope looks extremely useful so if I do make one it would have to include this feature. I’m quite surprised that other makes haven’t included this idea. One of my club members bought the Hope jig a little while ago so I’ll have to visit him to have a good examination of it. I’m part way through another project at the moment so I’ll revisit this when it’s nearer completion.

Reed, I’ve seen a couple of different ways of making the setup of the Hope/Chefware jig much easier, so I honestly don’t think this will present any problems for me. I see placing a simple set square across the bed together with an index of some sort between the jig and banjo as a probable solution when the time comes. 😉
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
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Ponsford, MN
I’m seriously considering buying the Hope Jig. The alternative is to buy a cutting head and cutter and make the rest. The cutting head is, I think, a really good deal at only £69. It’s certainly quite affordable to have at least two or even three of different pitches. The flip up idea on the Hope looks extremely useful so if I do make one it would have to include this feature. I’m quite surprised that other makes haven’t included this idea. One of my club members bought the Hope jig a little while ago so I’ll have to visit him to have a good examination of it. I’m part way through another project at the moment so I’ll revisit this when it’s nearer completion.

Reed, I’ve seen a couple of different ways of making the setup of the Hope/Chefware jig much easier, so I honestly don’t think this will present any problems for me. I see placing a simple set square across the bed together with an index of some sort between the jig and banjo as a probable solution when the time comes. 😉
From past threads I can see that you have machinist equipment so if you have a machine lathe capable of threading metal then all you need to cut threads in wood turnings is to make an adapter to mount your wood turning scroll chuck and a router mounted to the cross slide to drive the thread cutting bit. The metal lathe should be able provide any thread pitch you desire. I have been threading woodturnings using an older LaBlond lathe for about 30 years and via other setups since about 1990. The urn pictured as my avatar has a 2.5" - 8 thread that is one of my most recent uses as in the picture below. If you are interested I can post pictures of the system in use and answer any of you questions.
24001Urn3.jpg
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2024
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Bournemouth, UK
Thanks for the offer Don. My metalwork lathe is rather to small for what you have in mind. I have done other wood turning stuff on it though so I have obtained adapters to swap chucks between both my MW and wood turning lathes. I may get back to you though if I may!
 
Joined
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Thanks for the offer Don. My metalwork lathe is rather to small for what you have in mind. I have done other wood turning stuff on it though so I have obtained adapters to swap chucks between both my MW and wood turning lathes. I may get back to you though if I may!
The majority of the threading done with the Klein style jigs is relatively small so if you can mount your woodturning chuck on your ML you should be able to thread small turnings. I would think, you sure would not want to hang a very large turning on one of those little jigs.
 
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What pitch thread would be good in something like Oak for a 2” - 2 1/2” diameter Box?
I would recommend 10tpi with extra tolerance to accommodate seasonal movement. The size of the annual growth rings can be a factor also in ring porous woods like oak. The wood should be dry when the threads are cut and not have any drying checks even ones that don't show. The use of CA can help to make a stronger thread especially if cutting in steps.
 

john lucas

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Did an interesting experiment this morning. I wondered how critical it is to have the threader like the chefwarekits and hope perfectly parallel to the lathe spindle. So I took my chefwarekits threader and cut the male threads with the threader swung CW just a little off square. Then I cut female threads on another piece and this time swung the threader CCW off square. With 16 TPI threads to seems to work just fine. I do swing the threader away and check for fit and make an additional cut if necessary. In this case it fit fine. Can't say this would work with 20TPI . Apparently over that short distance what would sort of be a tapered thread doesn't seem to hurt.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
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Seattle, WA
Did an interesting experiment this morning. I wondered how critical it is to have the threader like the chefwarekits and hope perfectly parallel to the lathe spindle.
Sounds like what you did was cut a thread like a tapered pipe thread. Might even be a good idea to have a bit of taper in threads to account for seasonal distortion.
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2023
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Doylestown, PA
Looks like a really cool tool. I just recently bought a set of hand chasing thread tools and this item costs about as much as my lathe, so probably won't spend the money on it. Just spent a while practicing and realized I was making left hand male threads. Maybe this would be a good tool for me after all, seems fool proof.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
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Pensacola, FL
I have been threading woodturnings using an older LaBlond lathe for about 30 years and via other setups since about 1990. The urn pictured as my avatar has a 2.5" - 8 thread that is one of my most recent uses as in the picture below. If you are interested I can post pictures of the system in use and answer any of you questions.
Don,
I'm interested in your setup on the metal lathe. Could you post some pictures?
 
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Don,
I'm interested in your setup on the metal lathe. Could you post some pictures?
#1 The adapter for the 1 1/4 - 8 thread My lathe came with a 4C collet set that included 2 60 degree centers so I sacrificed one to make the adapter.
#2 The router mounted to the top slide using an angle plate note the top slide is set to 29 degrees just as though you were cutting threads in metal.
#3 Set the thread pitch you desire.
#4 engage/disengage the lead screw with the chasing dial.
ThreadingDemo5.JPGThreadingDemo7.JPGThreadingDemo9.JPGThreadingDemo13.JPG
 
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I have had several attempts with Oak. Even with CA glue none were as good as I'd hoped, but I was using the 16 tpi thread. The range of timber that will take a good thread is fairly limited. Finding supplies-more so
Are you using a climb cut? Some woods don't do well with a conventional cut.
 

john lucas

AAW Forum Expert
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I've made several oak threaded boxes with my Baxter threader. Threads were good. I didn't use CA. Oak will not take hand chased threads.
 

RichColvin

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I use my rose engine for threading. I like that I can do multi-start threads which makes it much easier for the user as they don’t have to turn the lid as many times to secure it to the body.
 
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My normal go to thread is 16 tpi, I have used it for every thing and type of wood I have tried. One of the threads I have is 24 tpi and I have no idea why I bought it as I haven't in all these years I've had the Baxter figured out what it would be good for in wood.:( 8 tpi is my second choice as there is a lot of things to use it for for lathe tooling.
 
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Well, with 16 tpi, you only have to remove 1/16 inch of the shoulder or lid to time the grain. With 8 tpi, that goes to 1/8 inch, I think.... Been a while since I did the math. Less is better. However, if you are turning 2 different colored woods, that doesn't make any difference.

robo hippy
 
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I don’t have the resources at the moment but when I do I’ll be trying out some Maple and Cherry, both with thin cyanoacrylate. I’ll also be starting with a 16 tpi thread as I’ve seen this size mentioned many times now for things like boxes.
 
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I use 16tpi 99% of the time for my boxes up to 2-1/2" diameter. I've lost count at over 300 and never had an issue. I am able to leave a few thousandths clearance for movement. I use 10tpi anything larger.
I use an early version of the chefswarekits jig. For those that are concerned about the set up of it I just look down from the top to make the spindle parallel to the lathe bed. Takes about 10 seconds.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2020
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Ashland, OR
I didn’t realise I needed one of these but there is a lot of thought that’s gone into the design. The click stop advance system and hinge plate are a genius idea compared to others I’ve seen. The depth stop is handy. Quick to set up as well. Simon is a great guy to deal with and very nice when I’ve spoken to him at some of the shows. Take a look.

Wow! That hinge plate is a game changer!! that was always the issue with my chefware jig. And yes, the click system takes the guess-work out of how deep to go! thoughtful design!
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2024
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Wow! That hinge plate is a game changer!! that was always the issue with my chefware jig. And yes, the click system takes the guess-work out of how deep to go! thoughtful design!
Not just that, you can change the thread spindle in seconds with just one lock screw. As well as the usual 10 to 20 TPI spindles you can also buy M3.5, 1 1/4” and 1 1/2” versions to make your own lathe mount jigs. The fact that just one jig can fit virtually any lathe with a simple tool post change is yet another underestimated feature.

I make a lot of my own wood turning related jigs and I can spot a genius design when I see it. I’ll be placing an order as soon as I can.
 
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