tools

• A drill and bits
• Hack saw
• File (s)
• Spanner (2)
• Angle grinder, (or files and time!)
• Welder
• Normal stuff really, apart from the welder. (You could always borrow/hire one but get a little help if you are in ANY doubt. It's hot and bright!).

Part 1

My Cheap Woodworking Lathe/..continued

(c)2007Paul Pinfield This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

To hold the wood at the headstock (motor end) I just welded a nut that would fit onto the spindle of the motor [right] to a little metal plate [below]. You can get them or something similar from any hardware store, or probably around the house somewhere. Or you could just cut off a bit of flat steel bar and drill some holes in it. Check the way the motor turns and that the thread will tend to tighten as the lathe spins rather than undo, for obvious reasons. I guess there's no reason why you can't put the motor at the right hand side of the work if your motor turns clockwise. The cheapest and simplest way to do this is to walk around the table!! Whatever way you put it, the top of the work MUST be spinning towards you when you start turning.

Since this is really just about making a cheap lathe I won't go into how to turn wood or stone. Suffice to say DON'T try turning at all without a bit of research. Clearly it spins fast and things go wrong fast if you mess up, so Beware and take Care.

Part 2

DIY Lathe /...continued

I made this one so you could clamp or screw it to a bench, table (sturdy), or any old Chippendale sideboard you happen have lying around. The steel came from the local scrap dealer. It’s 50mmx50mm (2x2in) square section steel tube. Usually it's available in two wall thicknesses and I would go for the thicker one if you can. The more solid and stable a lathe is the better the results are and the safer it is to use.

The bits are dead easy to weld with even cheap gear. So a DIY arc welder and 10-15 electrodes will be enough. If you never done any welding, at this level, it's dead easy. But get guidance and DON'T look at the brighty lighty or you will go slightly blindy!

Just cut up the bits and weld up the frame. The length of the lathe can be as you desire but the longer it is the less stable it is, especially if you are turning long thin stuff. You'll have to fix up some mountings for the motor, to suit >. I welded a bit of 2x2 angle iron accross the frame and drilled a couple of holes in it to take the mounts. Again, it's worth selecting the motor carefully. If you have, or can get, one that has the spindle right through, some lube holes, a motor that can easily be rewired to change direction of spin if you need to, and has convenient mounting points, it will be all the easier.

The "other" end is the tailstock. Again just a bit of 2x2, a couple of nuts and bolts (one filed to a point) and a bit of welding. The bolt that holds the work is filed sharpish and has a locking nut at the back of the mount. You need to weld a nut to the inside, motor end, face so you can adjust the pressure from the tailstock. I tapped one of the holes in the 2x2 on mine so you can’t see an inside nut in the picture. You need more kit for this so do it the easy way with nuts at either end.

The mount has a nut welded to the underside and a spacer plate welded on to hold the tailstock firmly in the slot of the frame. There's also a spacer at the bottom end but it's not really necessary as all it does is hold the bottom, loose plate at right angles while you move the tailstock up or down the frame. The bolt goes through the base plate and spacer clearance holes and screws into the nut in the bottom of the tailstock.

Part 1... Part 3