FILENAMES: 7x10nutstarter1.jpg 7x10nutstarter2.jpg 7x10nutstarter3.jpg DESCRIPTION: These are pictures of a tool to aid in mounting lathe chucks. Posted by James Waldby . The following description was provided: ================================================================= Nutstarter for HF 7x10 minilathe chuck nuts This item is a small clamp to hold a nut while starting it onto a stud when changing chucks on the HF 7x10 minilathe. See picture 1 (http://www.metalworking.com/dropbox/7x10nutstarter1.jpg). You place the nut flat into the clamp opening, turn the bolt down finger tight to hold the nut in the clamp, and then attempt to start the nut on the stud. When holding a nut, the clamp is thin enough (0.31") overall to fit between the headstock and the back of a stud. See picture 2 (http://www.metalworking.com/dropbox/7x10nutstarter2.jpg). Dimensions and Construction - See "plans" in picture 3 (http://www.metalworking.com/dropbox/7x10nutstarter3.jpg). The clamp body is 5/16" (0.3125", or about 8mm) square by 1.5" long. I drilled a .188" #10-bolt clearance hole 1/2" deep and drilled through with a ..162" bit (tap drill for #10-32). Then I cut a recess .4" wide by .2" deep (slightly larger than the 10mm wide x 5mm thick 6x1 metric nut) near one end, leaving about 1/8" of metal behind and below the recess. I threaded the 0.162" hole for a #10-32 bolt. I tapered the sides of the recess and the clamp end for better clearance. The clamp can turn through part of an arc when you are trying to start a nut. The finish on this one would be better if I had cut the recess with an endmill rather than filing it out, but it works ok anyway. Also, this bit of 5/16" square was sawn from 5/16"x1.5" bar stock.