Lathe tooling is expensive -- especially good quality adaptor and face plates. Here's a way to practice your machining skills and make yourself a few custom face plates and adaptor plates for practically nothing!!
I needed an adaptor plate for my new 6" 4 jaw chuck -- the chuck bolt pattern didn't fit the OEM pattern on the lathe. I found an adaptor plate from a vendor, but they wanted $85 for it. Too much for my taste so I "rolled my own".
I went to WalMart and picked up two 10lb cast iron exercise weights ($4.00 ea.)
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/9.jpg)
Since I will be machining this thing anyway, extensive bolt pattern measuring and centering isn't necessary. I simply traced the pattern of my original OEM chuck onto a piece of paper and then transferred the pattern to the 10lb weight. Then I drilled and tapped it.
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/13.jpg)
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/12.jpg)
Here is the weight mounted on my spindle.
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/8.jpg)
Long story short -- this is what you wind up with after a few dozen passes with the lathe (a roughed in adaptor plate)
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/10.jpg)
Next I made high speed finishing cuts to clean up the plates and get the thing looking clean. BTW -- cast iron is machined "dry" -- no lubricants.
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/5.jpg)
Final diameter for my 4 jaw chuck was cut and here you have a finished adaptor plate (total time -- 2 hours)
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/6.jpg)
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/11.jpg)
Use the same basic technique to make a cheap face plate. Here I needed two large slots and precise bolt holes for a special clamp that I had made.
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/Image01.jpg)
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/Image02.jpg)
same process as the face plate, but I needed slots and holes, so it took a few more steps --
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/Image03.jpg)
Finished -- a specialized face plate for a specific purpose
(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Lathe/Image04.jpg)
The more you practice, the quicker you become. I've made specialized faceplates in less than an hour.