Thread: Metal Spinning Lathe

One does wood, the other metal?

On one you get covered in wood shavings, on the other you get covered in steel wool, oil and dirt.

Echidna,

I don't think there is a difference - (as I understand it) metal spinning is taking a thin disc of metal, and pressing it down over a form. Sort of like metal plating whatever you've just turned on your wood lathe.

Different to maching metal on a metal lathe.

Cheers,
Andrew

Originally Posted by echnidna

What is the difference between a woodlathe and a metal spinning lathe???

The tools are both hand held.

The tool rests are different with pins being used in metal spinning to gain leverage or purchase to the work.

In metal spinning the tin is generally shaped over a form attached to the spindle. In wood turning you are making the form.

The tools in metal spinning are blunt and rounded in most cases to push the metal to shape around the form.

Metal spinners use a lubricant to help the tin move easily under the tool so it can be smelly (hot oil) and messy.

Hope this helps.

100% with on this. Use EEE to buf up the finished product


( Hey we have to suck up because we got this new section on steel........nah not really )

Take a trip to Sovereign Hill, Ballarat.
They have a metal spinner who works there making stuff for sale.

Al

A metal spinning lathe also has different bearings in the headstock. Regular ball & roller bearing are not designed to take significant sideways thrust, such as is generated when strong arming a disc of metal into shape on a lathe.

A regular wood lathe will soon need a new set of bearings if used regularly for metal spinning, and perhaps a new heavy duty motor & gear/belt speed contol too.

Specialist metal spinning lathes also have enourmous 'swing over bed' (or whatever its called) as they are called on to process disks a couple of feet in diameter down into things like aircraft drop tank end caps

I think you can have lots of fun with your wood lathe, suitably geared down, spinning pewter and copper alloys into cups & bells. And you can split your head in two if you get it wrong too :eek: Get a few books from the library & familiarise yourself with the techniques & safety precautions - you may even be able to track down one of the few remaining small metal spinning workshops around, get some prectical lessons & drool on the machinery too

Originally Posted by

The tools are both hand held.

The tool rests are different with pins being used in metal spinning to gain leverage or purchase to the work.

In metal spinning the tin is generally shaped over a form attached to the spindle. In wood turning you are making the form.

The tools in metal spinning are blunt and rounded in most cases to push the metal to shape around the form.

Metal spinners use a lubricant to help the tin move easily under the tool so it can be smelly (hot oil) and messy.

Hope this helps.

Was looking for some video of a metal lathe in action and found this Metal Spinning video.....pretty cool.

I think you have all missed the point, the question was "What is the difference", well it is obvious, one TURNS and the other SPINS.

You could buy metal spinning tools to suit woodfast lathes, they are the same beast

awesome.........