Home made Lathes

S

Side Pocket Kid

Poolhall Junkie
Silver Member
Well, i've been looking around and the prices for a lathe is HUGE. Not something for someone to toy around with, thats for sure...

I've been wondering though... These machines haven't been that high tech from the start, then again they weren't that accurate either..
Does anyone have any plans or anything for a home made lathe...
I've seen lathes for touch ups made from sewing machines...
But I want to build something that can actually do the cutting and all for a complete butt..
 
Side Pocket Kid said:
Well, i've been looking around and the prices for a lathe is HUGE. Not something for someone to toy around with, thats for sure...

I've been wondering though... These machines haven't been that high tech from the start, then again they weren't that accurate either..
Does anyone have any plans or anything for a home made lathe...
I've seen lathes for touch ups made from sewing machines...
But I want to build something that can actually do the cutting and all for a complete butt..
Click to expand...

http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/series/

It would need some modifications to be suitable for cue work, but if you can handle building the lathe you can surely handle the required mods (extend the bed and use a larger spindle with a 1.5" through hole). If you are really interested I might be convinced to provide some/most of the castings (money might work for convincing me :) ) You can see mine at :

http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=18007

BTW, order up a Lindsay catalog, it is a very entertaining publication and the material they sell is excellent for do-it-yourself types.

Dave
 
Wow, the old gantry. You have more patients then I. Thought about building one years ago for fun, but saw where too many others had built one, that were left incomplete, read the horror stories with castings gone bad, and thought It probably was'nt for me. Nice job on It though. Looks like the original pics on the plans.


Anyway, just something for the fabricator types here, sure some people will apprietiate this source. I know surplus center has been mentioned on here, but could'nt remember if this place had been or not, and just ran accross it. looks like they have gear motors, steppers, and a host of other fun stuff. May be of use to some people here besides Me.

http://www.herbach.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HAR&Product_Code=TM93GBG0194
 
Cue Crazy said:
Wow, the old gantry. You have more patients then I. Thought about building one years ago for fun, but saw where too many others had built one, that were left incomplete, read the horror stories with castings gone bad, and thought It probably was'nt for me. Nice job on It though. Looks like the original pics on the plans.[/url]
Click to expand...

;) I'm waiting for the Side Pocket Kid to ask how long it took to build ;)

Dave

OK, about 2 1/2 years, maybe 250 hours and about 100 hack saw blades
 
DaveK said:
;) I'm waiting for the Side Pocket Kid to ask how long it took to build ;)

Dave

OK, about 2 1/2 years, maybe 250 hours and about 100 hack saw blades
Click to expand...

Hah... wow, that is just a tad bit longer than what I thought it would be.....
I might be up for the challenge though.. thanks for the info
 
Side Pocket Kid said:
Hah... wow, that is just a tad bit longer than what I thought it would be.....
I might be up for the challenge though.. thanks for the info
Click to expand...

I'm not the quickest fellow ... if you know someone with a milling machine (or metal shaper) the job can be done much quicker, especially of you have a source for the castings. The bloody patterns take as much time to make as it does to finish a rough casting.

Dave
 
DaveK said:
;) I'm waiting for the Side Pocket Kid to ask how long it took to build ;)

Dave

OK, about 2 1/2 years, maybe 250 hours and about 100 hack saw blades
Click to expand...




Sounds like you made decent time on it to Me :D . I don't know how many I've seen on DYI websites, that were far from built, or never were finished, and gave up on, because the builder grew frustrated with the work and time involed. You did something there, in just completing It.

I've been there with the hacksaw blades :( . I use the spent blades to make temporary templates with sometimes, and have many with the teeth totally gone, and the cutting edges look like the backside of the blade.
I did get a small mill to help some, but still working on tooling her up.

It seems like a cool project you had there, I wanted to, and almost tried It for Myself. I've just been modifying exsisting parts for projects mostly. Guess I was'nt ready to get into the scraping & casting part You mentioned. There is a certain satisfaction to fabricating everything from scratch though. Good job on it.


Greg
 
Sheldon said:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?itemnumber=G9249
2 grand + another 500 or so for some basic tooling, and you are good to go.
The time and effort you will save versus trying to build something is well worth it. Also with a decent lathe, you can make other things you need, like collets, centers, etc.
Click to expand...


Yep,
There's truth in that. Somethings are'nt worth the time for cuebuilding, with all there is to get and do anyway. A good machine is a must. I already have a hightower deluxe with the works for repair & to break into some building, also have a small metal lathe I used for part making, and around 3 wood lathes. I'm able to make collets & most stuff like that. I have come along way from what I started out with, so considering that I feel good, but still My next lathe will be grizzly or one simular, unless I find a deal on a beast that's still tight & right, then it will be next in line ;) . I built My panto, mostly from parts with alittle help, and have other fixtures and machines in mind, but all in time, until then i just keep building My parts up until i have what i need. I'd sure like to have a couple of those machines you have out Your way. :D save me alot of headaches.
 
Sheldon said:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?itemnumber=G9249
2 grand + another 500 or so for some basic tooling, and you are good to go.
The time and effort you will save versus trying to build something is well worth it. Also with a decent lathe, you can make other things you need, like collets, centers, etc.
Click to expand...

That Grizzly lathe is the first import I have seen that had anything but a camlock spindle. And it has a 37" instead of 36" center to center distance. I wonder if it is a new model.
 
iusedtoberich said:
That Grizzly lathe is the first import I have seen that had anything but a camlock spindle. And it has a 37" instead of 36" center to center distance. I wonder if it is a new model.
Click to expand...

One of my lathes are very similar to that one. It has both good and bad points. A good point is that it is belt drive. A belt head has less vibration than a gear head unless you get an expensive gear head that runs in oil. It says that it is 37" between centers but centers on a lathe is counted from the spindle nose, without a chuck, to the tailstock, as far back as it goes and completely closed. On my lathe which is 36" I can just barley get in a full length cue. Also carriage travell is what is needed an though I can rig around and get a little more length you still have to get the cutter to it. My 40" lathe has no problems. This lathe also uses a 2 1/4X8 threaded chuck which is obsolete. The Camlock backing plates are much safer and when changing chucks for some reason is a snap compared to a screw on plate. You must be really carefull running in reverse with a screw on as the chuck may come off. I've had it happen. One other draw back is the speeds. it only goes to 1200 rpm. That's O.K. for cutting metal but for wood faster is better. This can be overcome with a VDS and a 3 phase motor. I have one on mine and I have the belt on a slower speed but it still will run variable speed from 0-2500 rpm. and an electrical brake. If I wanted I could take it up to around 10,000rpm but the chuck would probably explode at about 3500rpm. This was the first new lathe that I bought around 1991. Although I had a lot of trouble with it the first year, and most of which was my fault for not following the cleaning directions when I first got it, It has run great and has not failed me since. I only wish it had a camlock spindle and on my model you have to make a gear change at 14 tpi.. Since I use steel joints with a 5/8ths.X11 thread I must change these back gears which only take about 5 min. but it still is a pain in the arse. On this lathe you may not have to make this gear change. I also wish it would have been 40".
Dick
 
iusedtoberich said:
That Grizzly lathe is the first import I have seen that had anything but a camlock spindle. And it has a 37" instead of 36" center to center distance. I wonder if it is a new model.
Click to expand...

Nope, not new at all... I have one almost exactly like it that was made in 1995. It just happens to say Enco on it instead of Grizzly. Just a cheap chinese made lathe, that get resold by different companies.
 
OK. I bought my chinese import I think in 96 with a camlock spindle and a geared head. When I was looking around at the time, all I saw were 36 or 40 inch lathes and camlock spindles. I got screwed on the camlock, because it is a "non-standard" D1-4. I ordered 2 different new backlates, one from Enco and one "new old US stock" from ebay, and neither one fit. The hole spacing is correct, and the angle of the tapered area seems correct. But the backplate does not bottom out on the spindle. There is about a .050 inch gap. So I think the tapered area on the spindle has too large of a diameter, preventing the backplate from bottoming out. Now I have 2 adjust-tru chucks and a 4 jaw independent chuck that I can't use because I can't mount them on this lathe.
 
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