Homemade Tip Replacement Lathe
- By Not Dead Ted
- Main Forum
- 15 Replies
I purchased parts to make a homemade tip changing lathe. There are a couple other threads similar to this but their picture links are broken.
I already made a speed controller out of spare parts that I had, which generates 270 oz-in (1.4 ft-lbs) of torque from 100 to 1000 RPM... I think this is enough for tip shaping work...
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I am planning on directly coupling the motor to a chuck. I'll use cloth or electrical tape on the joint end of the shaft. The tip end of the shaft will fit though a pillow bearing with collets. My amazon order is under $101 including shipping.
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The bearings have set screws in them which I hope will allow me to adjust them using a dial caliper (which I don't own yet). I just plan on using a block of wood with a razor blade screwed into the top as a tool, or maybe just a block of sand paper.
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Is there anything I am missing?
Those bearings are dandy for farm equipment or off road vehicles, but for fine or semi-fine woodwork? Those set screws are intended to hold your shaft key in place or bore a bit into the side of the shaft. If you screw them into the plastic collet, you may end up with a ding in the collet, and little else. If put in softly to avoid drilling the plastic, they may back themselves out.
Are you using one pillow block bearing or two? If you are using two, they should be self centering, although using a cue shaft to self center them could be risky, as it may take some force to get them out of their seating. If they self center, and the collets give a snug fit, that may be the best you can do with this system, and it may well be enough.
Your stated torque is consistent with about 0.33 HP at 1000 rpm, which is about what some prepackaged cue lathes come with.
Suggest you buy some half inch dowel and cheap tips to practice on.