"Snappyass" Tool Co. Lathe Model #1

This post is for “BluePine 38” to help clear up the questions about the “Snappyass” Tool Co. Lathe model #1 The lead picture here is the one that appeared with some turnings earlier…I asked my i-photo program genie to please clear it up a bit. Hopefully you can see the fancy(hah hah) tool rest a little better. These photos were taken at the Tallahassee C.C. cabinet making shop where I demonstrated vessel turning to students in the program. I took 2 pcs of 1/4 ” steel plate 4” x 24” and with the help of a good friend and his acetylene torch, bent them into 2 cubes that would slide along the 6×6 piece of heart pine you see that I used as a lathe bed. To one of the cubes we welded pieces of iron pipe and added elbows etc. to fashion the tool rest apparatus you see in the photo. To the other cube we welded 2 , 1/4” steel pieces of the same basic dimensions (4X24), bending them into a rectangle before welding them. We measured and adjusted continually until able to center a ram with #2 morse taper head which was welded to the steel box and the cube below. I used the ram only occasionally to help steady larger (24” and up diameter) chunks for large vessels. I never turned anything between centers on this lathe, although it is quite capable of handling such tasks with capacity of 6’ between centers. You can see that the 6×6 beam slid in and out of the body of the lathe and was held snug with wooden wedges driven into gaps at the sides of the opening. The beam also functioned as a handy dandy seat. The business end you can see above is a 1and1/4” HSS rod threaded @ 8 TPI so as to accomodate accessories that were readily available. I used my neighbor John Read’s (now deceased WW2 vet/engineer turner etc.) invention of interchangeable 3” and 6” face plates which screwed onto a central hub. (sold at one time by Woodcraft). The other pictures give a better picture (sort of) of the 4 speed transmission which was borrowed from a defunct Monkey Ward riding mower found along side of the road near Midway Fl. With the addition of a drive pulley that would match up with my system It is capable of speeds from 300, 600 1200, & 1800+ RPM.

You should be able to tell that the body of the lathe was laminated out of MDF. I sarted with a 48” square piece to which I glued five maple blocks . I then turned it over and added MDF one layer at a time screwing and gluing each laye rtill I reached 3’ then I cut subsequent layers in half and left a seven inch ” square” hole for the “ways”. I continued layering for another six inches inches then cut u shaped pieces with the gap in the rear tall enough to accomodate the 1 and 1/2 hp elec. motor wired for 110. I left space for the belt to pass through with subsequent layers then another U shaped cavity was left open to hold the transmission. Then 6” more layers to be finished with a laminated top of walnut and holly (it’s what I had available). And that is it. Oh and I left a slight “play” in the belt to allow for slippage as a “safety” factor on the recommendation of an engineer friend. The “Snappyass Tool Co. Model # 1 was born, and it is still operable after 20 years. I will have to replace the transmission soon because it is getting very tired and it’s age shows. The final photo is of the lathe at a craft fair in Jax Fl.

-- some men see things that are and wonder why, I dream of things that never were and ask why not .... rfk