Lathe Build

[trevor.veatch]

I'm rolling the thought around about building my own lathe. I've come across a 1/4HP 1725RPM electric motor. I was wondering if I could get what I need out of this motor for a lathe? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated! Attached is a photo of the info plate on the motor.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/29/0e619ee078d1b803992b8ddd6bd03b82.jpg

[DaveTTC]

What do you want to turn. Pribably cheaper to by one but i love lathes and have thought about building one too

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[mat_au]

OR look for an old lathe and restore it. thats something id like to do, find an old old lathe and restore it

[trevor.veatch]

I want to be able to turn calls and bowls.

[derekcohen]

1/4 hp?

The minimum power needed is 1/2 hp and preferably 3/4 hp. I doubt that you could get enough torque from 1/4 hp.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[DaveTTC]

OR look for an old lathe and restore it. thats something id like to do, find an old old lathe and restore it
:whs:
And

1/4 hp?

The minimum power needed is 1/2 hp and preferably 3/4 hp. I doubt that you could get enough torque from 1/4 hp.

Regards from Perth

Derek
:whs:

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[hughie]

I want to be able to turn calls and bowls.

With a 1/4hp motor calls and small bowls is about all you will be able and mainly in soft wood. Generally speaking you would want around 1hp to be able to turn most thing you see here. It pays to look ahead when buying a lathe, because as your ability and experience increases so does your desire turn more and varied pieces. Which mean usually more difficult and bigger pieces.

Do a search of the forum as there have been many DIY lathe projects here from the very simple to the ambitious and complex specialist lathes.

Its not only the $$ that can effect the outcome but also your engineering background and or ability. If your lucky you will have some very good friends with all the abilities you need :U .

[trevor.veatch]

What would y'all recommend as a good beginner lathe for calls and bowls? How big of bowls could you turn? And not break the bank. Don't mean to ask for the impossible just trying to get an idea.

[DaveTTC]

Something like a jet, nova / tecknatool, woodfast are sone of the ones that qui kly spring to my mind for a starter lathe that will last a while.

Would go second hand and try and get some tools with it.

$500 is probably a good starting point. Should be able to get a good set up for under 1K with accessories.

It is more a thing of what you cAn spend and go from there.

Just looked at your location. You look to be in the states. Knock a couple of hundred of each of those prices. Not familiar with your market but believe you can do much better over there and a larger range of products. By all means if you see something advertised share the link and we'll give you our opinion.



Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

[joe greiner]

Harbor Freight lathe #34706 is substantially identical to the MC900 in Australia. (Both Jet clones) Enter [mc900] in the search box (upper right of page) for some copious sentiments.

Cheers,
Joe

[Goggomobile]

trevor
great to hear a man after my own heart. .. It's a journey when you invent 😀

perhaps you could try the 1/4 horse and if you find it too small retro fit a large one ... I make lots of things with washing machine motors as they are easy to remove and are wrong 1/2 to 3/4 horse .. 3/4 is better ... Get one with foot mount rather than flange ... I couple these to a burnt out bench grinder which is great because they have double bearings and two shafts ...

i can sketch something up and send thru if you like ...

Randal

[trevor.veatch]

trevor
great to hear a man after my own heart. .. It's a journey when you invent [emoji3]

perhaps you could try the 1/4 horse and if you find it too small retro fit a large one ... I make lots of things with washing machine motors as they are easy to remove and are wrong 1/2 to 3/4 horse .. 3/4 is better ... Get one with foot mount rather than flange ... I couple these to a burnt out bench grinder which is great because they have double bearings and two shafts ...

i can sketch something up and send thru if you like ...

Randal



Randal
That's what I like to hear. Funny thing is I have access to a washer machine and dryer motor. Just wasn't sure if I could get variable speeds out of them. I'd be interested to see what you've come up with or have brainstormed. I haven't given up on the 1/4 HP yet. Even if I could use it to turn calls and make a bigger version for larger projects. I have access to plenty of raw materials for framework and rests as well as welders, torches, plasma cutters etc...

[hughie]

Harbor Freight lathe #34706 is substantially identical to the MC900 in Australia. (Both Jet clones) Enter [mc900] in the search box (upper right of page) for some copious sentiments.

Cheers,
Joe

I would go with Joes advice especially if you can get one 2nd hand, and its a cast iron bed with a fairly decent design. Although the engineering is a bit rough, but then the best lathe wont make you the best turner :U

The actual lathe cost will be the least of your expenditure. Tools, well Benjamin's Best has a fairly decent reputation for the price, but then Joe can probably give you better local advice.

[hughie]

Here you go heres one I built several years ago.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=70958&highlight=DIY%2C+lathe

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I want to be able to turn calls and bowls.


The minimum power needed is 1/2 hp and preferably 3/4 hp. I doubt that you could get enough torque from 1/4 hp.

I'm thinking that gearing the pulleys down 3:1 would give a basic bowl lathe running at 500(ish) RPM at about 1/2 - 3/4HP torque.

It'd be of very limited in use... way too slow for smaller bowls & spindles... and may need a hand-spin to bring even medium blanks up to speed on start. :rolleyes: But I think it'd be usable in it's own small capacity and would probably make for a passable dedicated sanding/finishing lathe.

(I'd use it! Actually, I did similar with a 1/4HP GMC lathe that I later converted to a linisher. But only 'cos I needed the linisher waaay more than I needed yet another lathe. :p)



However, the advice already given here is more practical if a general purpose workhorse lathe is desired.

[trevor.veatch]

Here you go heres one I built several years ago.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=70958&highlight=DIY%2C+lathe

Hughie,
Did you have finished pics in that post or did I miss them? Looks real good

[Paul39]

Trevor,

Below is a 28 inch swing bowl lathe that a a guy welded up. I paid $250 for it with a 1 1/2 HP, 1725 RPM, almost new Craftsman motor. The seller said he paid $250 for the motor.

Here is a lathe for sale that a guy built locally:

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=198012

If you can get to a store with a selection of lathes to look at and operate the controls, that would help you with what you want to build.

Harbor Freight has several wood lathes that are quite decent.

They also sell this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/14-inch-x-40-inch-lathe-with-7-inch-sander-67690.html

"It is a piece of excrement, an abomination on the face of the Lord."

Look at this one and operate the controls so that you know what you don't want. If you are in a hurry to do some turning and one of these presents itself for $20 or so, buy it.

I have two, one was given to me, the other I paid $10 for, both with motors. They are worth what I paid for them.

The above is a contradiction, but if you are hot to turn something and have little money that is a start.

If you are going to build a lathe that will be easily used find a tail stock with the preferred center height and work from there. #2 Morse Taper is common for both head and tail stock. Common head stock thread in the US is 1 inch X 8 threads per inch. Or 1 1/4 inch X 8 tpi for big bowl lathes.

I got a tail stock off ebay for $50 for my big, big, bowl lathe. About 4 years a building, not yet finished. Meanwhile I have a 13 3/4 X 36 inch Hegner and a 20 inch swing Woodfast variable speed bowl lathe. The green one below.

The Woodfast is wonderful. I paid $850, and it needed some care before it was ready to run. Photo below is just as I bought it , rusty, faceplate rusted on the headstock, tail center rusted in the tailstock. I had to try it out as soon as I got it home.

The Hegner was $500 with an 8 inch 1725 rpm grinder, Wolverine grinding jig, Oneway chuck, Oneway tail center set, and a big stout bench.

The Hegner has a square tube bed and even though the lathe was made in Germany and over $2000 new, the bed flexes and shakes all over the place until the out of balance is turned off the blank.

Nothing like a cast iron bed OR big heavy C channel. I have two 7 foot pieces of Peterbuilt road tractor frame for the big big lathe.

[hughie]

Hughie,
Did you have finished pics in that post or did I miss them? Looks real good

I have a smaller one thats complete, ran out of space in my small shop