Help needed Wadkin BZL spindle

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taylorcuk

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I recently purchased a Wadkin Bursgreen BZL lathe. The lathe is in great condition and has inverter/variable speed etc which is great but I am having an issue trying to find a solution to the spindle size.
Having done a bit of research, I have managed to figure out that the main spindle size is 1 3/8 x 6. Possibly a Whitworth thread.
The lathe came with a chuck on it that has a backplate with the correct thread, but the chuck is more of an engineering chuck and I would like to use my Viper/Oneway chucks (as I have a variety of different jaws already).
I looked everywhere for a 1 3/8 x 6 adapter but haven’t been able to find anything suitable. Robert Sorby make an exert that works for the Patriot chuck but I don’t think the Patriot has the same thread as the Viper. Also, as the spindle is quite long already, I am not sure whether using an exert would be a good idea as it would push the chuck quite far away from the headstock.
I spoke yesterday to an engineer who had similar thoughts about the exert but suggested I had a new spindle made with perhaps a M33 x 3.5 thread on it. Obviously this would be quite expensive but long term might be a good solution. Another possible solution that we didn’t discuss might be to cut a new smaller thread on the current spindle? Not sure if this would work.
I have also spoken to someone at Toolpost and they have suggested buying a stronghold chuck, but this also seems like quite a pricey option.
I think I might go down the route of the new spindle but wanted to ask if anyone had any thoughts about the best option or had any other ideas that might work. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about an exert - I bought my 28 - 80 with one already on it and thought the same, but if anything it's useful keeping the work away from the body of the lathe. The nova chuck runs perfectly true, so I've not dared take the exert off.
 
I had the same issues when I bought a Wadkin RS. I measured the threads and bought new inserts for my oneway stronghold chucks, fitted them and the problem is sorted. The threads on my RS were 1 3/8 x 6 and 1 1/2 x 6.
 
Thanks for the replies. I have taken out the spindle and sent it to the engineers today in order to get an adapter made. Hoping to get it back sometime next week. I haven't been turning long and am looking forward to getting this lathe set up and running.
 
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