Homemade Lathe

[Pat Comeau]

Hi guy's,
after doin' some research and alot of thinking...i decided to build a lathe , after what Bent told me that there's not to much use for a lathe in building pedal steel guitar except turning square shaft and a few other things...i buid my my own lathe , i had some scrap metals hanging around and with my new welder it was fun to build, i didn't folow any plans or anything...i just made what i thought a step at a time, i finished it today and turned some shafts to see if it works, i was abe to turn aluminum square shaft easy, i found a few flaws that will be easy to fix, i probably spend around $100, just the two 1/2" drill chuck cost around $60 the rest was nuts and bold, i had the motor that i took out of my old washing machine 2 years ago, i still have another 1/2hp motor for another project not sure yet what i'm gonna use it for, the motor on the lathe has 2 speed hi and low, i might build some kind of speed controller for the lathe so i can make springs, if any of you has some recommandations i'm all ears cause i don't have a clue about cutting tools ect... , i got a small cutting tool from a machine shop in town for testing the lathe, my next project will be a pickup winder .
here's some photos of the lathe .

[Pat Comeau]

here's also my new welder

[Bent]

Well Sir,
That one is tops in ingenuity! It is practical and likely all you'll ever need for aluminum. When you have turned a shaft, mount it in bushings in each end, as if you have it in your steel and then brush your hand over it so it turns. If there is anything off center, you'll feel it. If not, well you have just made yourself a lathe and bob's your uncle!
I love the X/Y axis adjusters!

Are your chucks lining up exactly on center? If so, then whatever you turn should also be centered.

Take a look at this one : viewtopic.php?f=15&t=265 that I had advertised a while ago for give-away...Could yo use that? I love the fact that here you have 0 to 16000 RPM variable speed, forward and backward no prob. It is something like this that you need for winding springs which require really low RPM. With your chucks, you are already perfectly set up for the kind of mandrel that I use for the winding.

I am sure it's been laying here just waiting for you!

[Ross Shafer]

way cool Pat!

[mac639]

By heck Pat.....you're beatin' me at my own game. Nice lathe!
Try to get yourself a variable speed motor. Sometimes you can find a used fitness treadmill on the side of the road...or somewhere. They have a SUPER strong DC variable speed motor on them. If you get one and rip it apart, make sure you save the controller with the wiring still attached 'cause you'll never figure it out how it works otherwise. Major heavy duty motor!
Anyway, good luck on your project.
I'm trying right now to build a milling attachment for my lathe.
Cheers,
Mac

[Bent]

Treadmill, eh Mac? Oh you still got it man..I had never thought of that!!
Pat, My offer still stands with my variable speed washing machine motor. It goes from 0 to 16000 RPM. I would think if you geared it down to about a third of the speed and then used the variable, you'd have all you needed there.
Y'all see the pics in for sale. I am trying to give it away, but hurry up, you're giving me ideas!

[azureskys]

Very nice Pat. Russ