| Project by David | posted 784 days ago | 7764 views | 13 times favorited | 79 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
So sitting around BS’ing the other day and my buddy turns to me and says, “You know, I’d like to do some turning. Do you think you could make a lathe?” LOL he obviously knows how to challenge me. A few days later this is what I come up with. The frame is made from scrap 2×6’s we had. The head is a 1/2” HD Dewalt drill, which spins at 600rpm. Its single speed but who cares, I’M IN AFGHANISTAN, lol. To hold the stock, we have a lag screw in the chuck of the drill, which acts like a screw chuck. and on the tail we fashioned a bolt, sharpened to a point, mounted in some bearings we found.
For a tool rest I used a piece of 3/8 steel bar that was lying around. For now all we have is a bench chisel, which I’m going to lengthen the handle and regrind, and we have a gouge made out of some pipe we had. This things works WAY better than I had expected, lol.
-- “Don’t tell me what can’t be done, tell me what you want done then shut up and get out of my way and let me do it!”
| Pin It |



























79 comments so far
wood_maestro
home | projects | blog
69 posts in 861 days
#1 posted 784 days ago
yankee inginuity at it’s best. keep up the good work, and please stay safe.
God Bless you all.
-- wood maestro....... Be Well, Do good work, and Stay in touch
MRlonghorn
home | projects | blog
29 posts in 1536 days
#2 posted 784 days ago
carry on!!! that is amazing stay safe and dont forget the PPE.
mafe
home | projects | blog
8055 posts in 1257 days
#3 posted 784 days ago
So cool.
Inovative and well done.
Best thoughts,
MaFe
-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.
dbray45
home | projects | blog
2018 posts in 944 days
#4 posted 784 days ago
Well done and Keep safe.
-- David in Damascus, MD
David
home | projects | blog
9 posts in 797 days
#5 posted 784 days ago
nice job improvising with what you have access to!
Thank You for your service.
-- "Delay is preferable to error." ~ Thomas Jefferson
ChrisK
home | projects | blog
530 posts in 1249 days
#6 posted 784 days ago
Great job! Thanks to you all for your service!
Chris
-- Chris K
woodman1962
home | projects | blog
150 posts in 856 days
#7 posted 784 days ago
That looks like it will do under the conditions keep up the good work and stay safe
-- jjhollyawc@yahoo.com
Mike Gager
home | projects | blog
613 posts in 1435 days
#8 posted 784 days ago
nice job!
Verna
home | projects | blog
202 posts in 941 days
#9 posted 784 days ago
Where there’s a will, there is a way!!! Great way to keep the gray matter working.
Thank you ever so much for your service, and please be safe.
-- Verna -- Indianapolis, IN
Charles Maxwell
home | projects | blog
826 posts in 1975 days
#10 posted 784 days ago
That’s American ingenuity! God bless every one of you. Thanks for your courage to serve the nation.
Maxwell
-- Max the "night janitor" at www.hardwoodclocks.com
drsongs
home | projects | blog
42 posts in 820 days
#11 posted 784 days ago
That’s very cool – Nice job.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!
God Bless.
-- Respect your tools so you keep all your fingers to play guitar... and Thank God daily.
Dennisgrosen
home | projects | blog
10854 posts in 1283 days
#12 posted 784 days ago
good work and under the condition´s very well done :-)
thank´s for sharing
stay safe
Dennis
QuietStorm81
home | projects | blog
3 posts in 841 days
#13 posted 784 days ago
God. This makes me want to donate tools to you men just to aid the effort. Hell, all that time in the sun out there why NOT turn some stuff?
Godspeed men. Well done.
Dale
home | projects | blog
327 posts in 1348 days
#14 posted 784 days ago
Woodworkers are everywhere, nice lathe. Thank you for your service and I wish you “all” a safe return to the good old USA.
-- Dale West Central Pa. Do it all, before last call.
ptweedy
home | projects | blog
75 posts in 1561 days
#15 posted 784 days ago
you might go to the local blacksmith and have him make you some tools. the cost wouldn’t be much. phil
View all comments »
showing 1 through 15 of 79 comments
Have your say...