Thread: Converting a Metalworking Lathe to Wood Turning Lathe

The significant issue with using a metal lathe for woodturning is the speed. Most metal lathes are geared much lower. Unless it's a very large metal lathe and you are going to be using it for turning very large wood pieces, you are likely to be frustrated with the slower speed range.

Getting a woodturning saddle/banjo arrangement to fit the metal lathe is another issue.
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you need to provide some detail of the lathe. the larger lathes can be ok ? but depends what you wish to turn as well. cheers Bob

It can be done, but why bother? There is quite a lot that needs to done and all the slides etc are fitted with close tolerances not conducive to wood dust. There will be some significant mods to change the chuck. The standard chuck on the lathe is way too powerful and prone to crushing.

Having said that you could hold your wood chuck in the metal chuck. It certainly would an easy chuck change. Not sure what to do with the compound and cross slides on the saddle though
Speed will most likely be a issue as well as stated most metal lathe rev more slowly. But the up side is that the whole thing will very stable and have no vibration . They weigh a ton.
Theres a guy on the Canadian Forum that turns on a metal lathe, looks like a medium sized bench lathe.

At the end of the day I would not recommend it. But.... if its the only way you can get into wood turning. I suppose you should give it a go, especially if its free.

Many a metal lathe has become a wood lathe Holtzapffle Lathes

Cross slides great for thread cutting in wood, Ornamental work

have often wondered myself what the pros and cons were.

I wouldn't bother. I know this is probably heresy saying this in this forum but, I reckon turning metal is heaps more satisfying than turning wood!

Depending on what the lathe is, because most metal working lathes cost more than wood working lathes you can almost certainly swap it for a MUCH better wood working lathe than you could convert it into.

Originally Posted by BobL

I wouldn't bother. I know this is probably heresy saying this in this forum but, I reckon turning metal is heaps more satisfying than turning wood!

Who is that man? You atheist.

Considering all lathes were originally made of wood it is just going full circle

disadvantages of metal lathes into wood lathes

bed length
between centres
swing
not having a headstock that swings

Basically a patternmakers lathe is a metal working lathe turned into a wood working lathe.
If you wanted to turn precision objects definitely the way to go although the swing diameter might be a bit limited.
Freehand turning would be a different kettle of fish.

An old friend of mine (from HS) uses a metal lathe for turning wood in limited applications. But he bought it for about $100 - a bargain out loud.

I don't remember the details, but I reckon the major problem would be dust control and shavings all over, especially since metal lathes usually have cutting fluid employed for effectiveness - very sticky for shavings. I suppose you could apply food wrap to the ways for protection.

Setting the toolrest height could be awkward, because there might not be enough headroom to attach one to the cross slide.

All things considered, I think it would be better to use separate lathes for metal and wood if you intend to do serious production on either. And preferably separated by distance.

Cheers,
Joe

Just on the wood shavings and dust sticking to the slides which was a big problem for me as the slides must be lubricated.
An lovely old gent, a retired machinist gave me a bottle of Jojoba oil and it works a treat. No sticking of dust and the slides glide like ice.

Originally Posted by GrinlingGibbons

I have an opportunity to buy a metalworking lathe with the intention of converting it to a wood turning lathe. Is this a practical thing to do? If so, would anyone have any idea what is required to do this? If the cost is prohibitive and the resulting lathe is inferior then I might be further ahead to look at a good quality used wood turning lathe.

Depends. If the Metal lathe has the swing and distance between centers for what you want to do, it will work.

If you are only going to turn wood and the bed is flat topped, you can remove the carriage and buy or make a banjo for the tool rest. Or just put a bar of steel in the tool holder, adjust it parallel to the bed and use that as the tool rest. Not so good if you are making long spindles.

The advantage of a metal lathe, assuming the price is dirt cheap because it is worn out of tolerance for metal work is, stout heavy build, almost always cast iron, the older they are the heavier. If it has threading capabilities, making boxes with screw on lids is easy.

I have a retired 12 inch swing X 30 inch between centers Delta wood lathe on a wood stand that I can pick up and carry around. My South Bend Heavy 10 metal lathe, 10 inch swing X 24 inches between centers weighs 1024 pounds with its motor stand.

If you intend to buy a 4 jaw scroll chuck be sure the spindle nose of your prospective metal lathe is small enough. My heavy 10 spindle thread is 2 1/4 inches x 8 threads per inch. With enough time and money almost anything can be made to fit, but sometimes the same money will buy a complete outfit ready for the intended task.

If you need more speed use a 3450 rpm motor instead of the 1725 furnished (USA 60 Hz). AU 2800 instead of 1400? Some plain bearing lathes will not run that fast without overheating.

The bed does not have to be lubricated with sticky way oil as in metal cutting because the carriage is not pulling a tool through steel. Light oil and wiped off just as with a wood lathe is fine.

A vacuum and a 3 inch polyester bristle brush will keep the dust from gumming up the works. If the lathe has sealed bearings dust will not get in. If it is slinging oil dust will be washed out.

Older metal lathes tend to sling oil out of the headstock bearings. You would want a belt driven lathe as opposed to a geared head lathe. A geared head lathe with a stout tailstock would give you maybe 30 inches between centers on a 7 foot bed. It will also take 5 gallons of expensive gear oil which leaks out on old lathes. It will also weigh around 3000 pounds.

A good working metal lathe will be worth at least twice the money of a wood lathe of similar swing and distance between centers.

Here is more than you will ever want to know about lathes and other machines.

Machine Tool REFERENCE ARCHIVE

Another site for mostly wood working machines.

VintageMachinery.org - Welcome

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