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Kiwi Greg
22nd August 2003, 02:05 PM
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
22nd August 2003, 02:40 PM
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
23rd August 2003, 02:46 AM
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
23rd August 2003, 03:29 PM
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
25th August 2003, 10:05 AM
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
22nd February 2013, 09:01 AM
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.
255252 This is a small sander and the part that holds the bearings is turned and bored on my wood lathe.

TTIT
22nd February 2013, 02:13 PM
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 :U MeTube - ttit's videos (http://www.ttit.id.au/video/MeTube.htm) (scroll to the bottom of the page)

turnerted
22nd February 2013, 03:47 PM
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
22nd February 2013, 05:53 PM
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 žin. 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!!
22nd February 2013, 07:57 PM
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? :D


However I wouldn't even consider trying to turn ferrous metals on one of my lathes. :no: Not without being able to crank the speed way, way down and/or a tool holder.

dai sensei
22nd February 2013, 08:46 PM
Gee guys, this thread is from 2003 :o :doh:

Skew ChiDAMN!!
22nd February 2013, 09:08 PM
So? :D

Old-Biker-UK
22nd February 2013, 10:53 PM
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. (http://www.lathes.co.uk/MYFORDWOOD/))

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
22nd February 2013, 11:45 PM
I wish I could find a compound slide for my old ML8.

Jonzjob
25th February 2013, 04:01 AM
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Alugoblet1.jpg

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.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Turningalu.jpg

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 !

Paul39
25th February 2013, 05:57 AM
High speed steel tool bits are used on metal lathes, same steel as used for wood turning.

I made a bunch of ferrules from a chrome plated steel tube. I chucked a piece of wood in my 4 jaw and made an inverted cone hollow in that for a drive chuck, and used a cone center on the tail end.

Running at 800 rpm, I made a series of V notches in the tube using a old carbon steel diamond parting tool on its side, deepened them with a fine tooth hack saw, then stopped the lathe and cut off the pieces with the hack saw.

Yes, chrome plated steel is hard on carbon tools, that is why we have grinders.

I sanded the ends on sandpaper stuck on a block held in the 4 jaw chuck. After gluing the ferrule on the handle I remounted between centers and trimmed off the extra ferrule with a Marples carbon steel wood chisel, keeping the tool rest about 8mm from the part.

It sheared off the steel quite smoothly and surprisingly did not dull the chisel much.

A little rub with some 320 grit to round over the end and I was finished.

I have done the same with salvaged copper pipe.