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Thread: home made wood lathe
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22nd June 2012, 06:50 PM #1Novice
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home made wood lathe
Seeking advice from fellow members on what equipment I should look for when building your own lathe.
I have a 3/4 hp single phase electric motor 1500 rpm.
what size drive shaft? what size thread and MT.
I was thinking about using self aligning pillow bearings.If I do should I use roller or ballbearing.I have heard that you use the ballbearing on offside and the roller on the business end (chuck end)
Should I use a 5x step pulley?
Depth of Throat
Length of Bed
Keeping in mind that I would like to use the lathe for Bowls,Table Leg etc.
I will retire in a 1 1/2 years and want to get things sorted out.
I'm pretty good with my hands and shouldn'y have too much trouble putting it together.
I was thinking of using a DC motor and controller but seems to be too dear.
Thank you for your replies
Tinkerbelle
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22nd June 2012 06:50 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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22nd June 2012, 07:22 PM #2
I built my own lathe some30 years ago. I think you need to do a little bit of "homework" first before you commit yourself to a design. By "home work" I mean have a look at the current supply of lathe accessories that you think you may go for in the future. This may mean that you like say, a technatool chuck and all the bits that can be added to them, you may even see a particular face plate setup that you like this could dictate the male tread on the drive. What I would like(now, but wasn't aware of back then) is a morse taper on the drive, to take spur drives and the like. With a morse taper that may mean you will have to have a 30mm shaft so this will influence the size of bearings you need. I used 1" pillar blocks with self aligning ball bearings and driven by a 4 step pulley and a 1Hp 1440 rpm motor. The tailstock will definitely need a morse taper to allow you to mount a drill chuck and live centre etc.
Don't move too quickly into the building of the lathe just take the time to see what is available and see how those bits will influence your design.
I am happy with my lathe but (like all things) I could have done things just a little differently.
PS welcome to the Forum. I keep telling people that this is the place to bring your problems to be sorted out with really good adviceJust do it!
Kind regards Rod
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22nd June 2012, 09:34 PM #3Novice
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Thank you for your sound advice,and I will take this into consideration.
I'll look through some of the threads to get some more ideas for the set up and accessories.
Regards
tinkerbelle
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22nd June 2012, 09:54 PM #4Senior Member
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Hi there tinkerbell, the idea of building you own woodlathe is wonderful , as always but, yes it is actually cheaper to buy a woodlathe rather than building your own. If you are just getting into woodturning there are plenty of reasonable second hand woodlathes for sale on ebay.
Should you wish to proceed with building your woodlathe you will probably find that the individual components needed will cost more than you think.
On the other hand if you have a good mate who is a engineer/toolmaker, he or she would be the best person to assist you with building your own woodlathe.
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22nd June 2012, 11:46 PM #5
Tinkerbell
Please keep us in formed as to how you will proceed. Personally, I would build my own lathe again. There are a lot of "cheap" lathes to be had, that's true, but I reckon that they are also too lightly built, as you tighten the tail stock you actually bend the bed of some that I have seen. With out going overboard in design you can easily come up with a sturdy lathe that will serve you well. I can take some photos of mine if you would like, just let me know.Just do it!
Kind regards Rod
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23rd June 2012, 12:19 AM #6
Check out some other threads on this site for what others have done. Here is one:
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/sho...8/#post1482840Brad, HardingPens.ca
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23rd June 2012, 12:23 AM #7SENIOR MEMBER
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23rd June 2012, 12:52 PM #8GOLD MEMBER
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Tinkerbelle,
If you have not been turning, it would be best to find a men's shed or place where you can do some turning. This will get you some experience and give you an idea of what you like best.
Making long spindles and big bowls is going in two different directions. With bowls you want a short bed, lots of swing and possibly no tailstock to get in the face easier.
With long spindles you need less swing and a long bed and a tailstock with maybe a steady rest for the middle.
One can have both with a bowl set up on the left side of the headstock. Then you must have a way of fixing the face plate or chuck to not unwind, or have a reverse thread on that end of the spindle.
If you buy a good stout used, ugly, rusty, lathe with sound bearings, you can get something running in a weeks time. After you have built your ultimate lathe you can sell it at a profit or use it for smaller things when the big one is occupied with something that you do not want to disturb.
I have a weakness for 20 year old Woodfasts. Big chunk of cast iron, heavy steel cabinet, everything built to stand up to school abuse.
Welcome to the addiction.So much timber, so little time.
Paul
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23rd June 2012, 05:54 PM #9
do a search of the forum as there have been many threads started on building your own lathe. This includes comments on how to choose a lathe and things you might want to consider in doing so.
Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. — Pablo Picasso
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24th June 2012, 09:28 PM #10Novice
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Working it out.
Thanks very much guys,I think I will go to a Mens Shed,watch,listen and pick their brains as well and give the lathe a burl.I'll go a few times and see how I go before committing myself.
I've only placed one thread,and I have had fantastic replys.Thank you for all your time and input.
Regards
Tinkerbelle
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