Metalworking carriage on a woodworking lathe?

Hi Graham

In principle it could work. You will need some secure way of holding the rings and a very much slower speed than is usually available on the wood lathe.

Using a compound slide on a wood lathe is not a new idea see HERE

It might be safer and quicker to seek the services of a friendly model engineer though!

Good luck

Norman

The spindle speed on a wood lathe (usually 500-2500 rpm for hobby lathes) is far too high for metal cutting especially a large dia piece as you describe. Unless the cutting speed is about 150 surface feet per minute for steel, you will burn up the tools. A 6" diameter is 1.57 feet in circumference. At 150 sfpm this is around 95 rpm (slower than that will work too).

JD

I'v got the "Popular Mechanics do it yourself Encyclopedia", and vol 13 has a build artical for a compound rest for a wood lathe. From what I can see at a glance, the only machine needed (you could proberbly do without), is a drill press. It does suggest a jack shaft to drop the speed to something usable for metal turning. It's one of many articals from the Popular Mechanics mag of the 1940s to the 1960s. Ian S C

Hi ian,

Do you have the original publication details for the article as the Popular Mechanics magazines are published on Google Books

Regards

Terry

The Myford ML8 woodworking lathe used to have as an optional accessory, a compound slide.

Graham

If you decide to persue the wood lathe option.......

Does your lathe have the option for fitting a faceplate to the left hand end of the mandrel? If so you could fit this and make a handle from a piece of broomstick and screw this such that it is at right angles to the plate. Disconnect the drive belts and enlist the services of a willing (?) volunteer to wind the handle slowly, in the manner of a barrel organ operator, whilst you operate the tool slide. You will then have what many of us wish for - a variable speed drive for free! ( Although I guess it may have some hidden costs later in terms of favours or beers owed )

I still favour the path of finding a willing ME friend!

Norman

Graham

Where are you if in west country welcome to come and use my workshop
Bob

Terry, I'v got the "Popular Mechanics DIY Encyclopedia", my dad had it, so I just hung on to it as there are some useful bits in it. I imagine all this stuf is on line, under Popular Mechanics. The artical covers 6 pages, including 2 pages of drawings. Ian S C

While this video deals with wood machining the idea of a metal-working tool approach is evident

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3VG6dsVYs

Don't know if these reference the same article above but Popular Mechanics Feb 1959 shows a home-built lathe. Might get some ideas there.

Last (& not least), I have noted references "on the net" to building small lathes in old issues of ME but I have no further data.