Thread: Improving a lathe

Hi artme Re the bed of lathe we used to drive Timber wedges under the bar as a quick fix but can be annoying when it's time to move tailstock past the wedges. I have an idea for the camlock but it's not a camlock, like on the old teknatool lathes will post a photo shortly!

Hmm pipes for a bed, not good. The short answer is throw them away and use some heavy angle ie 100x150x10 etc


Heres one I have made follow all the replies as I go through it with some detail
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...200#post722200

What about heavier pipe, or even solid bar the same size ? It would not flex ! and little modification. Phil

Originally Posted by hughie

Hmm pipes for a bed, not good. The short answer is throw them away and use some heavy angle ie 100x150x10 etc


Heres one I have made follow all the replies as I go through it with some detail
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...200#post722200

Did you ever finish it Hughie?

Originally Posted by hughie

Hmm pipes for a bed, not good. The short answer is throw them away and use some heavy angle ie 100x150x10 etc


Heres one I have made follow all the replies as I go through it with some detail
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...200#post722200

Hi Hughie, I read the thread with great interest, only to be disappointed, with no final result as to how it finished up????
Kryn

Originally Posted by BobL

Did you ever finish it Hughie?

Hi Hughie, I read the thread with great interest, only to be disappointed, with no final result as to how it finished up????
Kryn

I knew somebody would ask that. its not running at present, due to a lack of space in my shed. I gotta biff some stuff away . But all that is required is to mount the motor with its VSD. I have all the parts.

This is a photo of the old locking mechanism, not sure if you can buy them still or it might be a trip to engineering shop!
If you get some they could be retro fitted to what you have.

I used to have a pipe lathe, I filled them with cement grout, which helped but I eventually got rid of it when I bent the 25mm drive shaft

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I used to have a pipe lathe, I filled them with cement grout, which helped but I eventually got rid of it when I bent the 25mm drive shaft

Thought of doing something like that Neil and while it will add mass I don't see it adding stiffness.

The walls of the pipe are only about 1/8" so they are a bit flimsy in my opinion.

The pipe is black steel and it seems to have been painted as it is slightly pitted and sliding the tailstock
for an operation such as drilling is a PITA.

I have thought of somehow extending the footprint of the tailstock base to help with sliding as it is quite short.

Might have to sus out some local talent here to get some ideas on costs and feasibility.

I remember your build Hughie but for me that is a bit over the top!!! Mind you I would love to own
your beast, if only for skite value..

I had another look at the headstock and it has 4 lugs ( two pairs ) to fit snugly over each side of each pipe.
They come off with an inside angle of what looks like 135* on their inside surface and have about 1"plus gap
between each pair.

Now not sure if the angle or square section idea is so good.

Perhaps pommyphil's idea is the best option. I would need,however, to make absolutely certain the
new pipes or bars were dead parallel.

Might be easier and possibly cheaper to sell it and get yourself a TL3000 with the cast bed, had one for years and it worked well.

Yes, a nice VL175 on eBay for $2800, on it's second listing

Artme,

I have a Hegner 175 with 2 inch square tubes for a bed. It has the same problem as yours, when I start with an out of balance bowl blank. The headstock, tool rest, and tail stock are all moving in different directions. When the out of balance is cut off, things settle down.

One of the fixes I thought of was to get some machine setting grout and put 3/4 inch rebar down the center and fill with grout.

If machine setting grout is hard to find, mortar mix will work. The grout does not shrink when it sets.

Another thought was to make a block to fit snugly between the bed and the bench below and then make a bridge over the top of the bed with a long bolt through it down through the top of the bench. I would use this when doing bowls, keeping the tool rest and tail stock to the left of the block.

I have since found two pieces of 4 foot 2 1/2 X 7 X 5/16 inch C channel for a bed that was being cut out of a metal building for a total of $6.00. Not yet installed.

I made a 3 inch oak knob with a glued in coupling nut for my tool rest banjo. I got a carriage bolt that the square fit in the banjo slot and extended through the clamping piece under the bed. There is just enough room under the bed for me to get my hand to tighten. You may have to put some blocks under yours to get enough space.

If you need more explanation, ask. I can make sketches and photos.

Excellent Paul, thank you for your time and suggestions!!

I like your bolt and block idea and perhaps your idea of Re bar and grout may work.

Chuck1 tells me that these lathes have a problem with the bars spreading under certain conditions
so I'm thinking of combining your block and bolt idea with something to tie the bars in place.