Free Wood Lathe Projects - Combination Lathe - Page 1

by Joe V. Romig

The attachments for this free wood lathe projects tutorial making it more than a lathe so that various kinds of work other than turning may be accomplished. The materials necessary are few, and outside of a few parts, it can be constructed by the average boy at home with ordinary tools.

The material used for the construction of the frame consists of either well seasoned oak or maple, 2 3/4 inch wide adn 1 1/2 inch thick. These timbers can be purchased surfaced on all sides, adn they must be straight and true to size.

The lengths to cut the pieces are given on the general drawing. The end standard at the headstock is cut to the full length so that the upper end is used as a bearing for the headstock spindle.

A vise jaw, about 2 1/2 ft long and of the same kind and dimension material as the frame, is attached with screws made of bolts on the standard, at the tailstock end of the lathe, the feet are made of two boards for each standard, and are of the same material as the frame and 7/8 inch thick.

After cutting the pieces to the right length, making sure that the ends are square, and boring the holes to receive the bolts snugly, they are put together, the horizontal pieces for the ways and feet are perfect right angles to the uprights. This will insure the parts running freely in the finished machine. All bolts should be supplied with a washer under both head and nut, and the nuts drawn up tightly for this free wood lathe projects tutorial.

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The headstock extends 7 inch above the upper surface of the ways, thus making a swing of 12 inch. One of the standards of the headstock is the extension of the lathe standard, as previously mentioned; the other standard being cut 9 3/4 inch long and attached with bolts between the ways in the manner as the lathe standards are fastened. A block, 3 inch long, is fastened, between these standards to aid in holding them rigid.

The bearings for the spindle, of this free wood lathe projects tutorial, which is a piece of steel, 3/4 inch in diameter and about 9 inch long, are made in the upper ends of the standards in the following manner:

A 1 1/4 inch square is laid out on the upper end of each standard, with its center exactly over the center for the shaft, and the wood is cut out to make a square hole, which should be slightly tapering one way or the other toward the center of the standard, to hold the babbitt metal used for the bearing.

A 3/8 inch hole is bored, vertically down from the upper end of each standard and in the center, to meet the square hole. This is used as a gate for pouring the melted metal in and later to make an oil hole. Prepare 8 pieces of cardboard to hold the melted metal in the square holes while it cools, by cutting them about 2 inch square and making a hole in the center of each, 3/4 inch in diameter.

Two of these pieces, for this free wood lathe projects tutorial, are held between the two standards while the shaft is run through them and the square holes. Paint the parts of the shaft used in the bearing with thick white lead, or wrap it with one thickness of writing paper, then line it up perfectly parallel with the ways in both directions and tack the cardboard pieces to the standards.

Place the remaining two cardboard disks on the ends of the shaft and tack them to the standards also. Place putty over all the edges and pour melted babbitt metal into the hole at the top. When the metal is cool, remove the cardboard disks and turn the shaft, first in one direction and then in the other, until it can be taken from the bearings.

A 1/8 inch hole is then drilled through the metal in the top for an oil hole.

The ends of the shaft should be threaded by a machinist, and nuts fitted to it and faced up true. The threads should be cut just long enough to allow the back of each nut to turn freely against a washer placed on the shaft against the standard. A split or solid pulley may be used, as desired, on the shaft between the standards. If a solid pulley is used, it must be slipped on the shaft as the latter is run into the bearings for this free wood lathe projects tutorial.

The pulley is fastened to the shaft with a pin run through a hole drilled in them. If a small flywheel is attached to the outer end of the spindle it will aid in keeping a steady motion.

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