Strange Idea !

[Tangoman]

G'Day Folks,

first a disclaimer - I've had a few glasses of Chardy !

i've had an idea ( rare and painful according to swmbo) . I want to do some basic metal and acrylic turning but really can't justify the cost of a metal turning lathe, my idea is to fit a compound cross slide to my wood lathe. This is the primary difference between the lathe types.

Has anybody done this ? Any and all ideas advice welcomed !

Regards,
Cam

[dai sensei]

Brass & Aluminium can be turned on a wood lathe, the Al with TCT. Make sure you rough up surface, clean with metho, then use a good epoxy.

[steamingbill]

Hello,

Have a look here http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=5155 .......... this photo is somewhere in that thread http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Turningalu.jpg

and here https://www.google.com/search?q=turning+aluminium+on+wood+lathe&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=PF4UU5quFoLQyAH8pYC4CQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAA&biw=1632&bih=947&dpr=1 (have a look at some of the images on the images tab)

and here http://www.vintageprojects.com/machine-shop/lathe-tool-slide.html

Bill

[brendan stemp]

It definitely is possible and feasible.
Consider the main differences between the two styles of lathes:
the metal lathehas the tool holder/cross slide
a metal lathe is geared to run slower
a metal lathe has an automatic feed facility to make the cross slide travel on the x and y axis (there is probably a better explantion of this).

If you dont need this last feature and you can slow your lathe's spindle speed down sufficiently without compromising the torque, and you can get the cross slide, and you can set it up square to the bed, then all barriers will be overcome. Chardy or no chardy:)

Good luck with it and I would be interested to see your reults if you decide to do it.

I remember Vermec had some cross slides for wood lathes. Worth giving Enzo a call.

[Syd Sellers]

G'Day Folks,

first a disclaimer - I've had a few glasses of Chardy !

i've had an idea ( rare and painful according to swmbo) . I want to do some basic metal and acrylic turning but really can't justify the cost of a metal turning lathe, my idea is to fit a compound cross slide to my wood lathe. This is the primary difference between the lathe types.

Has anybody done this ? Any and all ideas advice welcomed !

Regards,
Cam
Cam, this is a great idea. Even Rockwell Delta thought it was a great idea and made a cross feed for my old Rockwell 12" lathe. I use it all the time for making tool parts. I cut mild steel, Al. and brass.

It's too bad the makers of the modern day wood lathes don't make a cross feed accessory. I found both of mine on eBay.
Have fun, safe turning.

[Oldgreybeard]

Have you considered mounting a drill press / mill 2 way cross vice to the lathe bed to act as a tool holder? Carbatec have one for about $100 (<cite class="_Fe">www.carbatec.com.au/ (http://www.carbatec.com.au/)two-way-cross-slide-vise_c8480</cite>‎). Plenty of others on the internet - google 2 way cross.
You might need to play around with the mounting to ensure that the tool is spot on the centre line of the chuck, but it should be do-able. Seems a much safer method than hand holding the tool. This would give you manual feed of the x and y axis.

I would be interested to know if anyone has tried this approach.
Bob

[BobL]

Have you considered mounting a drill press / mill 2 way cross vice to the lathe bed to act as a tool holder? Carbatec have one for about $100 (<cite class="_Fe">www.carbatec.com.au/ (http://www.carbatec.com.au/)two-way-cross-slide-vise_c8480</cite>‎). Plenty of others on the internet - google 2 way cross.
You might need to play around with the mounting to ensure that the tool is spot on the centre line of the chuck, but it should be do-able. Seems a much safer method than hand holding the tool. This would give you manual feed of the x and y axis.

These cross slide vices are generally too sloppy to use under any sort of side load. They are really designed only to move work into position under a drill press but then they meed to be locked in position while cutting/drilling takes place. If the cross sliders are moved under load the piece/tool chatters and vibrates around leaving a ragged finish. I suppose one could be tuned up to be better than they come out of the box. They are also a bit too high for most small lathes.

[Tim the Timber Turner]

I once mounted a router on my lathe with a cross slide vice.

Used it as a milling head to hollow out boxes.

Very noisy, very dirty, not much fun to use and left a rough finish.

It didn't last long in my kit.

Cheers

Tim:)

[dabbler]

I once mounted a router on my lathe with a cross slide vice.

Used it as a milling head to hollow out boxes.

Very noisy, very dirty, not much fun to use and left a rough finish.

It didn't last long in my kit.

Cheers

Tim:)

I have heard about various power tools fitted to wood lathes. The thought is way too scary for me.

In the past I've modified and/or tidied up various brass fittings for older high end coffee machine restores when new parts where no longer available. Cosmetic stuff really. Used HSS for that before I picked up TCT inserts.

Played a bit with alum as laminations, embedded in PR and smaller more solid "lumps". As others have said, easy enough really.

The alum embedded in resin was most problematic for me mainly due to using too many bits of wavy alum and the differences in the materials. And a tight deadline! Never used anything fancy just my usual toolrest.

[BobL]

Have a look at around the 4:10 mark of this vid.
http://vimeo.com/38165983

Actually watch the whole vid - it is very cool.

[Paul39]

I have turned copper and aluminum on my wood lathe using high speed steel wood turning tools. Be sure you have just the absolute minimum of the tool extending past the tool rest.

I have also cut a round section on a steel 33mm nut that I was using to make a hand wheel for my lathe. I used a mill file, resting the back of the file on the tool rest and easing the file down on to the nut threaded on the spindle.

Here are charts for cutting speeds and feeds:

https://www.google.com/search?q=cutting+speeds+and+feeds&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=k3IWU-SFAcPn0gHr6YHgAQ&ved=0CCUQsAQ&biw=853&bih=484

A carriage is nice for doing accurate metal work, such as making bearings or boring out pulleys. Free hand with HSS tools will do fine for the same accuracy as wood turning.

South Bend has a book available as reprints or can be found on line: How To Run A Lathe.

http://campkahler.com/files/How_to_Run_a_Lathe_SB_1of2.pdf

http://campkahler.com/files/How_to_Run_a_Lathe_SB_2of2.pdf

It is specific to SB lathes, but a lathe is a lathe. That may be all you need for reference.

[Sturdee]

These cross slide vices are generally too sloppy to use under any sort of side load. They are really designed only to move work into position under a drill press but then they meed to be locked in position while cutting/drilling takes place. If the cross sliders are moved under load the piece/tool chatters and vibrates around leaving a ragged finish. I suppose one could be tuned up to be better than they come out of the box. They are also a bit too high for most small lathes.

You're right Bob.

A while back I was looking at one from Hare & Forbes. Upon explaining what I wanted to do the salesman said it wouldn't work as it was way too sloppy and wouldn't sell one to me.

Peter.

[Sturdee]

I have turned copper and aluminum on my wood lathe using high speed steel wood turning tools. Be sure you have just the absolute minimum of the tool extending past the tool rest.




I've also trued up the faces of various chucks on the wood turning lathe, using a HSS scraper.

Peter.

[Big Shed]

It can be done starting with a compound table such as this one

http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M198

but then you still have to set up a tool holder arrangement and have enough swing to get the tool at centre of the work.

I remember seeing a WL48 18x47 wood lathe set up for ornamental turning using a similar set up.

Edit:

OK, found it

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=105200

[joe greiner]

These cross slide vices are generally too sloppy to use under any sort of side load. They are really designed only to move work into position under a drill press but then they meed to be locked in position while cutting/drilling takes place. If the cross sliders are moved under load the piece/tool chatters and vibrates around leaving a ragged finish. I suppose one could be tuned up to be better than they come out of the box. They are also a bit too high for most small lathes.

The cross-slide vise can indeed be fine tuned, if it has adjustable gibs. I've even used one as a poor man's milling machine with a drill press.

For an example applied to thread cutting, see post #13 here: http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=138066 as well as the link in post #6, which uses a home-built cross slide.

Cheers,
Joe