Wood lathe used as metal lathe?

[Kiwi Greg]

Has any one used their wood lathe to chuck metal objects for filing or working.
How successful is it and what uses do you have for it.
I have on offer a metal chuck ( heavy duty) for $100 Internal and external jaws. Thought I would check it out if useful.

[colh]

Hi Kiwi

I've used the wood lathe to trim the excess off aluminium VCR head rollers to make glue chucks (about 70mm dia). Biggest problem was the speed - my lowest setting is 500 rpm and it was too fast - my understanding is that metal lathes run much slower. Less of a problem with small workpieces obviously, and filing will be easier than actually cutting.

Try it and see, but carefully

Colin

[Grue]

Hi Kiwi,
You would be dicing with death if you tried to turn metal in a wood lathe.
Holding a piece to file it is OK but you would need a tool holder for cutting.
The smaller contact area of the metal chuck also tends to mark the job.

Use your money to buy a chuck made for the wood lathe.

Grue.

[Jeff]

Using a wood lathe for metal work......NO! and YES!! If you plan to do work that is of a cutting nature, you are entering a very dangerous realm. However, if you are cnsidering metal shaping, you may be interested to learn about the old art of metal spinning. The latter uses soft metals, and involves forming them around a pattern. The former, cutting, is not to be attempted on a wood lathe. Go to a machine shop, have a go at a little metal lathe work and you will quickly understand. Good luck!

[grahame_a]

Hi Greg

Putting metal in a modern wood late is not a smart move and would suggest that you consider such moves very carefully.

I regularly read of people putting metal in all sorts of contraptions and shaping it - they are braver than I.

In days-of-olde wood lathes and metal lathes were not that different and neither were the tools used. The toolpost is a relatively modern invention. BUT NOTE VERY WELL the lathes turned a lot slower.

If you look at Jewellers lathes and wood lathes you will see there is little difference.

If you have an interest in this stuff have a look at some of the books from Lindsay Publications in the US, Plough books are their Australian Agents

Lindsay Publications http://www.lindsaybks.com/

Plough Books http://www.ploughbooksales.com.au/

I have a number of books on various subjects and am amazed at the equipment that was used in times gone past - but would be very wary myself of doing the same.

PS - A Myford Super Seven, or even a cheap Asian copy, makes for a nice addition to any workshop.

Regards
Grahame

[Syd Sellers]

Hi All, I have a pair of old Rockwell Delta lathes and away back Rockwell made a Cross Slid for them. I have two of these Cross Slid units and I turn all kinds of soft metals, it does a real nice job if you need a small part for a tool you are working on. I do a lot of tools making and metal turning is required.
DSC00864.jpg This is a small sander and the part that holds the bearings is turned and bored on my wood lathe.

[TTIT]

I don't have a problem with turning metal on a wood lathe as long as you don't need too much precision and know how to handle things. I've turned small bits of aluminium, brass and mild steel on my Stubby and even on it's chinese predecessor - check out this little project MeTube - ttit's videos (scroll to the bottom of the page)

[turnerted]

I have used my woodlathe to bore up to 10mm holes in mild steel rod held in longreach jaws on my 120 chuck.
Ted

[issatree]

Hi All,
Like TTIT, I also turn lots of different Metals.
My Latest Venture is to Buy No. 2MT, Drills, cut the Drill bit off, Heat the MT bit as they are usually pretty hard, let it cool.
Insert it in the head, & give it a small bang with a W/Mallet.
I've made a Skewchegouge out of ¼in. McJing HSS Steel.
I make & Flog Drive Dogs for the Wood Lathe.
They are of the Ring & Cone Type, a bit like a Steb Drive, but with out the Cerations, & was making them well before the Steb came out.
The beauty of these is, that your wood can almost never come out of the Lathe, it just Spins on the Ring.
I usually Turn these between 1200 - 1800 RPM.
Never had a problem of any kind, but do get a bit of Vibration. Have to Sharpen a couple of times.
You Turn these as if you are Turning End Grain, & they make excellent Drive Dogs. I have used this System for approx. 5 - 6 yrs.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've had no problems turning small, non-ferrous items on any of my wood lathes. ie. brass, copper, aluminium, etc. The lack of a tool holder hasn't worried me at all; I simply use an oland tool with HSS tips!

I've also had a dabble at metal spinning on the wood lathe, but somehow I ended up more interested in making the formers than the act of spinning out the metal. Maybe that's why I consider myself a wood turner?


However I wouldn't even consider trying to turn ferrous metals on one of my lathes. Not without being able to crank the speed way, way down and/or a tool holder.

[dai sensei]

Gee guys, this thread is from 2003

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

So?

[Old-Biker-UK]

Just caught up with this thread....
The old Myford ML8 lathe-based combination machine had a compound slide available as an add-on, presumably for metal turning (see here.)

Have to say I do more woodturning on my metal lathes than the other way around apart from trimming the steel or brass ferrules when finishing handles on the Coronet.

Mark

[Colin62]

I wish I could find a compound slide for my old ML8.

[Jonzjob]

Done on my Record CL1, can't remember the speed but not slow, using an HSS 3/8" spindle gouge. Held in my K10 chuck with the O'Donnel jaws fitted and a cone live end in the tail stock.



No problems with the turning. I just took light cuts and finished up with a small mountain of ali wool. Sanded down to about 400, not much sanding needed either. First time for me and it won't be the last.

I would think twice about anything harder than brass though !