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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Lota brisbane
    Posts
    15

    Default 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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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    moonbi nsw Aus
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    69
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    2,065

    Default

    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 advice
    Just do it!

    Kind regards Rod

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Lota brisbane
    Posts
    15

    Default

    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

  5. #4
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Flagstaff Hill
    Posts
    178

    Smile

    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.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    moonbi nsw Aus
    Age
    69
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    2,065

    Default

    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

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    61

    Default

    Check out some other threads on this site for what others have done. Here is one:
    https://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/sho...8/#post1482840
    Brad, HardingPens.ca

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    brisbane
    Age
    52
    Posts
    579

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tinkerbelle View Post
    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. From what? is it self cooling? is it sealed against dust? 3/4 should put you in the range of the getting by, 1hp is better, though you'll have to push the 3/4's limits to realise this.
    what size drive shaft? what size thread and MT.
    This is kind of a three part question, Richard Raffan recomends a 30mm drive shaft (on a 1hp motor). Thread standard for australia is generally M30 x 3.5. and most companies for chucks and acsessories will cater to other standards no worries, this is about where you want to be in regards to your acsessories. Ditto with your morse taper, i'd say MT2, but its a personal choise again, most acsessories i see cater for 2's.

    drive shaft less than 25 will have too much "play" in larger turnings, regardless of bearing setup, and again to quote richard drive shaft larger than 38 requires too much energy to stop or get to speed efficiently, paraphrasing somewhat, but the essential truth in use is there.

    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)
    Either, Or, tbh, it depends on what your turning, roller ball will accomodate a lot of out of balance things and reduce your tool chatter at the workface, whereas the tapered will eliminate this to a degree along with tool feed thrust amplified by force of the work and tool feed, again a personal choise i believe, given you wish to do long spindles and heavy bowls i think the mixed pair as you describe if matched could work well.
    Should I use a 5x step pulley?
    how many speeds are you chasing?
    Depth of Throat
    Something i'm not sure about what your asking?
    Length of Bed
    Below you mention table leg, those sort of spindles dictates a 900+ bed, especially if you use a chuck, allowances for the chuck seldom taken into account...
    Keeping in mind that I would like to use the lathe for Bowls,Table Leg etc.
    Bowls around 75kg in weight should be doable in a 300-310mm swing (diam.) with your motor specs, as for length 900-910 should be enough for majority of your spindle turnings (legs).
    I will retire in a 1 1/2 years and want to get things sorted out.
    Thats a big congrats, legitimatly,l to a well earned break.
    I'm pretty good with my hands and shouldn'y have too much trouble putting it together.
    You sound very hands on with your questions, and kudo's, not a lot attempt their own lathe.
    I was thinking of using a DC motor and controller but seems to be too dear.
    DC would mean using an inverter? i'm not sure, others will have the answer i'm positive.
    Thank you for your replies
    If i had unrestricted acsess to a machine shop / expertise / labour / engineering / trade experience, i'd turn out myself a hobby lathe to be envious of, for me though the reality is quite different, and the above observations and quotes make sence, i went for a commercial product as i saw fit for use for me, there's my thoughts for the penny's they're worth, i wish you the best of luck !
    Tinkerbelle
    .

    Neal.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    North Carolina, USA
    Posts
    2,327

    Default

    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

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Flinders Shellharbour
    Posts
    5,689

    Default

    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


  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Lota brisbane
    Posts
    15

    Default 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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