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steamingbill
25th July 2013, 07:41 PM
Hello,

After quite a bit of googling I have found these 2 recipes for an easily made home made live centre.

Might be of interest to other people.

I know it would only cost $X down the shops but I havent got a morse taper on my tailstock. Also haven't got any metalworking skills so making a live centre is a tad awkward.

Half way down the page on first link - I can adapt this idea to my needs. Its kind of "!!! why didnt I think of that"

Lathes & M/C tools - Page 7 - Kitbuilding & Scratchbuilding - RMweb (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/17222-lathes-mc-tools/page-7)

and here is 2nd link - needs some metalwork skills that I have yet to acquire - may be useful to other people. Bunnies have the pipe parts.

Home Made Live Center | Rocky Roost Wood Turning | Syd Sellers (http://www.rocky-roost-woodturnings.com/wood-turning-blog/home-made-live-center.html)

Was surprised at how difficult it was to find these - took a lot of googling - I guess everybody just buys them.

Any other easily made designs out there ?

Bill

BobL
25th July 2013, 08:46 PM
These are two MT2 centres for holding pipes I made earlier this year.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachments/f65/255519d1361683685-pipecentres-img_3545.jpg
I mainly use them on my MW lathe but I also use them on a WW lathe, the bigger one for holding PVC pipe and the smaller one for support/holding some wooden objects with up to 45 mm diam holes at one end.
The bigger one uses two bearings whereas the smaller one only uses one.

steamingbill
26th July 2013, 10:42 AM
Hey Bob,

Couple of healthy looking devices you have built there. I'd enjoy having those skills. Lots and lots of times I've thought "wish I could tweak that piece of metal"

If I read these books (old but google shows them highly recommended on internet forums)

How to run a lathe - South Bend
The Amateurs Lathe - Howard Sparey (have placed request at library, Victorian library system is fabulous)

And buy one of these (or similar on ebay)

Carba-TecŪ C1 Metalworking Lathe : CARBA-TEC (http://www.carbatec.com.au/carba-tec-c1-metalworking-lathe_c2463)

And spend $100ish ? on some simple cutting tools

Should I be able to do that too ? Or do I need to acquire a lot of experience first ?

I know I could go down to local engineering shops and get jobs done and end up spending less money but I'd just like to be able to do a few more things myself.

Have been looking - Not much in the way of Tafe courses etc where I am.

Bill

BobL
26th July 2013, 11:31 AM
Hey Bob,
Couple of healthy looking devices you have built there. I'd enjoy having those skills. Lots and lots of times I've thought "wish I could tweak that piece of metal"
Cheers Bill


If I read these books (old but google shows them highly recommended on internet forums)
How to run a lathe - South Bend
The Amateurs Lathe - Howard Sparey (have placed request at library, Victorian library system is fabulous)
That would be a good start


And buy one of these (or similar on ebay)
Carba-TecŪ C1 Metalworking Lathe : CARBA-TEC (http://www.carbatec.com.au/carba-tec-c1-metalworking-lathe_c2463)
That's a very small lathe called a micro lathe designed for small model making rather than someone that wants to make basic tools.
I'd be shooting for at least 1/2HP motor, MT2 on the tail stock, 19 mm feedthrough on the headstock and more swing and bed length.
That would be the C3 or C4 carbatech lathe but you would do better keeping a look out for an old Hercus 9" that pop up from time to time.


And spend $100ish ? on some simple cutting tools
Unfortunately not - metal work tooling is a bit like the inkjet cartridge cost of the inkjet printer. You'll might even end up spending much more on the tooling than the lathe


Should I be able to do that too ? Or do I need to acquire a lot of experience first ?
One of the best ways would be to find someone who can quickly show you the basics and then use the MW and hercus forums for help.


I know I could go down to local engineering shops and get jobs done and end up spending less money but I'd just like to be able to do a few more things myself.
Of course that is always the way but I'd doubt you'd spend less money in the long term.


Have been looking - Not much in the way of Tafe courses etc where I am.
Courses are useful if you can get access to them.

Paul39
27th July 2013, 01:33 AM
Steamingbill,

What sort of fitting do you have on your tailstock? If it is a male screw thread there are long nuts used for joining allthread rods that could be adapted.

Do you have a dead center for your tailstock? That will work with a bit of lubrication and not too much pressure.

The Carbatech metal lathe will work for small things. I bought a variation of that years ago that started me down the primrose path to wood turning.

That lathe and $200 - $300 of measuring tools and tooling and about 50 hours of practice will let you make a $25 live center and a lot of other SMALL things. That lathe is the equivalent of a pen lathe.

In addition to the little Chinese metal lathe I have a 1964 vintage 1050 pound South Bend Heavy 10 metal lathe, which many people consider a small hobby lathe.

A wood lathe and tools can be use to make metal things. A wood Lathe will not cut threads.

My Hegner wood lathe has a 33 X 3.5 metric spindle thread. I bought several 33 X 3.5 nuts and threaded them on the Hegner and used a high speed steel scraper, file, hacksaw, and sand paper to make hubs for a hand wheel and face plates.

It would be best to take a metal working course that would let you make a few bits to fit on your wood lathe before spending the $ for a small metal lathe.

steamingbill
27th July 2013, 11:34 AM
[QUOTE=Paul39;1677589]Steamingbill,

What sort of fitting do you have on your tailstock? If it is a male screw thread there are long nuts used for joining allthread rods that could be adapted.

/[QUOTE]

Yes that is exactly what I am doing see photos. Current dead centre made from a connecting nut with a spike epoxied in the middle much as you have described above.


Paul,

Thanks for response.

My tailstock and headstock are 20mm x 2.5mm threaded bar.

If I epoxy a connecting nut inside a couple of discs of plywood I then have a platform for doing whatever I want - that's what I have been doing to date at the drive end - havent done much at tail end so far.

After seeing the black holes rubbed by the dead centre and a chip of smoking material drop off the dead centre into my cuttings I was curious to see if I could make a live centre. Putting some wax or oil in the dead centre does help.

Am still learning/digesting lots - have only recently understood that the cup stops the wood from splitting.

Am interested in metal lathe as there have been several times when small tweaks to pieces of metal would have been helpful - usually I can find a "workaround".

Have wondered if for small jobs I'd be able to slow down my rpm and do small simple jobs on soft metals. Your experience seems to indicate this might be possible

One of the interesting things that has worked for me is to use a connecting nut as a chuck - I cut a tenon on a spindle that is slightly oversize and just screw it halfway into the nut and the other half is screwed onto my drive shaft - holds small pieces very well - better than a screw chuck.

With your 33mm nuts you could hold bigger pieces - after I've learned all I can from this lathe my next build will be 33mm x 2.5mm shafts. Thats also more compatible with lathe accessories from the shops. 20 x 2.5 isnt compatible with many chucks or adaptors.

Thanks for the tips

Bill

Paul39
27th July 2013, 12:55 PM
Bill,

The things you have made are wonderful, especially the cup center and drive spur.

I think you had posted photos of your lathe build, at least the headstock photo jogged my memory.

Here are the specs for Morse Taper, about half way down:

Machine taper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_taper)

Here is a US site for the mini lathe I have: mini-lathe.com home page (http://www.mini-lathe.com/Default.htm)

There is a lot of information about the little lathes.

This version of the Seig looks better than the one you mentioned. HiTorque 7x12 Mini Lathe - LittleMachineShop.com (http://littlemachineshop.com/4100)

I would look around a bit before buying. Do some reading on the Metal Working side. You might find an older 9 X 20 metal lathe with tooling for about what you would pay for a new Asian. I paid $200 for my Heavy 10 with nothing on it but a drive plate. Then it was $50 here, $100 there, $75 everywhere.

You have enough diameter in your head and tailstock spindles to bore and ream for a MT1 socket. That would be strong enough for anything you are likely to put on your lathe.

Here are MT reamers: Amazon.com: Morse Taper - Reamers / Cutting Tools: Industrial & Scientific (http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A256295011%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A2638841011)

You can read on line or download "How To Run A Lathe": South Bend How to Run a Metal Lathe (http://www.scribd.com/doc/62662262/South-Bend-How-to-Run-a-Metal-Lathe)

The above will give you an idea of metal working. An older Machinery's Handbook is also full of information.

Aluminum, copper, & brass are easily worked on a wood lathe with wood lathe tools.

If you get a big metal lathe you can turn wood on it also. See below for a handle on my Heavy 10.

steamingbill
27th July 2013, 08:13 PM
Hey Paul,

Thanks for the info.

I didnt realise that I'd be able to ream MT1 sockets inside my headstock and tailstock spindles - thats really interesting and a big help for me when considering what I can do in future with this current lathe.

Bill

Syd Sellers
28th July 2013, 10:20 AM
Thanks for looking at mine, this is for those that can work with metal a bit, but really all you need is a good Drill Press and you are set. These work out about as cheap as you can get. Even if you put the thrust bearing in, the cost is under $15.00 in Canada...
Enjoy!!.

steamingbill
28th July 2013, 05:49 PM
Thanks for looking at mine, this is for those that can work with metal a bit, but really all you need is a good Drill Press and you are set. These work out about as cheap as you can get. Even if you put the thrust bearing in, the cost is under $15.00 in Canada...
Enjoy!!.

Great - I get to talk to the designer !

I bought some pipe parts from Bunnings to have a go at your system. What they label as a 20mm pipe part doesnt correspond with my thread - need to take the threaded bar into Bunnings to get it right.

In your design do the washers and thrust bearing sit on the end of the reducer and the axle doesnt get pushed back into the reducer because the bearings are glued onto it with the back bearing pushing the washers against the end of the reducer ?


Bill

steamingbill
6th September 2013, 12:48 PM
Thanks for looking at mine, this is for those that can work with metal a bit, but really all you need is a good Drill Press and you are set. These work out about as cheap as you can get. Even if you put the thrust bearing in, the cost is under $15.00 in Canada...
Enjoy!!.

Hey Syd,

I copied ideas from your design and made a prototype wooden one.

Made a hardwood mushroom and jam fitted it into bearing that sits inside a wooden tube - works very well. Would be cheap and easy to make different attachments.

I was so happy with it I took it down to house show my wife - when she first saw it she thought it was a pepper pot grinder and immediately said how attractive it looked - had to explain what it really was - now I've gotta make a pepper grinder.

Have started looking for metal lathes and enrolled in TAFE course for novice metal lathe work in order to make a proper one one day.


Bill