To further the discussion on registers, my Mellor lathe has its register at the same diameter as the thread, much the same as this Myford MF74, proving it was pretty common back in the day:
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
There may well be additional benefits to having a useable register, but I have not noticed them on my lathe yet.
I will freely admit that there are much better methods of mounting a chuck than with a spindle thread, but this is what I have.
In all the tests I have performed, the chucks and faceplates locate repeatably against the abutment face using just the threads.
The rear of the backplates, or the abutment face, would need to wear significantly between fittings to cause any real difference and even then so long as it is still concentric and I am not attempting to re-cut a thread between fittings am I ever going to notice?
There is no register on the backplates or faceplates, in fact there is a significant gap where the register would be expected to exist, to clear the threads when initially mounting the chuck/faceplate before engaging the threads.
These lathes were good enough for all sorts of precision engineering jobs back in the 1930s and 40s.
Food for thought?
Edited By Zebethyal on 26/07/2016 15:05:31