# Anyone here ever make a lathe?



## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Hey,
I'm thinking abut building a lathe to turn pens. Has anybody ever tried something like this?
Thanks,
Marcel


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

Not me, but good luck.


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Thanks Trifern


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## jjohn (Mar 26, 2008)

I did make a very small lathe using a regular drill. Mounted the drill up side down in a wooden holster. (Had to design the holster to fit the drill). Clamped the holster on a 1×6 about 1 ft. long. drove a small nail on the opposing mounted wooded chuck. (The wood spun in the nail).

Don't know if I explained that well enough to be any help. It did work well enough to lathe 4 legs for a nick/knack table.

necessity is the Mother of invention.


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

i did and i have a small motor that i use with the tail stock as a bolt that i ground the tip into well i tip. i just cant figure a good spur yet.


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Thanks guys!
I have a question about pen mandrels…are they just a piece of metal rod, with threads at the end and a nut? I don't see why that costs $20+shipping. Ok, so you get a Morse Taper, but I don't need one. $15 for a drill mount?


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Yes a metal rod. It has a jam nut to hold all of the pen pieces tight so you can turn them but should not be a problem to make one. Getting the correct size might be a problem. You will want it to fit tight inside the pen blank. Probably metric size rod.


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## moonroc (Apr 21, 2008)

There is a easy way to build one just by adding an adaptor to a drill press. You can find it here http://www.pennstateind.com/store/dplathe.html at around $20.00 I have not used one but maybe someone esle in the forum may have. Good Luck


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Allrighty Karson, thanks. That helps a lot!
Thanks for the suggestion moonroc, but I do not have a drill press.


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## SteveKorz (Mar 25, 2008)

I started to build a full size lathe a year or so ago. I got the idea from shopnotes. I finished the body and had to quit to get caught up on other things. To be honest, I forgot all about it until you brought up this thread. It didn't look too hard to make in the shopnotes mag.


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Good luck with that Steve, a full size lathe might be a pain to make.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Yes for turning billiard table legs but it was a bit risky. I was just a power drill chuck with belt drive on a washing machine motor. nothing compared to a modern lathe but for pens you could use anything. you don't need a large lathe but you need to control the main enemy thats vibration. An old drill press could have a lot of the components you need. But I would look out for a second hand lathe, there are bargains around.


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## MyGrowthRings (May 4, 2008)

Yes, I made two over one weekend when I had a one-time need during a turning class I was teaching. I believe I still have one of them in my garage and will post a pic if I can dig it up. 
I used a 5/8" steel rod in bearing blocks for the headstock so I could use Shopsmith lathe accessories, which were easy to obtain at the time.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

I've been looking around for the bits needed to convert my King DP into a lathe, but the biggest morris taper I've seen used in lathes is 2 and my DP has a MT4. Maybe there are stepping adapters? to use the more readily available MT2 lathe parts?


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Billard table lags…wow! If I had a drillpress, I'd have this whole pen thing made! I'll keep an eye out for lathes, but I really want to make the lathe myself, I really enjoy making things, figuring out their weaknesses and keep on revising.

A picture would be fantastic, TDJ!

I'm sure there is a stepper or something of the sort SOMEWHERE one the great, vast internet Mark.

Thank you all!


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## tjocpa (Apr 11, 2008)

ShopNotes number 73 has plans for a shop-built mini-lathe and accessories.


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## DannyBoy (Oct 26, 2007)

If you look around, there are a few plans out there for a treadle lathe that uses a foot treadle and a large flywheel for the motion. They are almost entirely made of wood, but because of that they tend to be big and heavy.

~Danny Boy


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## matter (Jan 30, 2008)

Do a search on FWW, there was a "beer box lathe" design article- possibly as early as late 70's or early 80's. I know a guy who built it, and enjoyed it for quite a few years.

Good luck.

Matt


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Where could I get Shopnotes #73?
Thanks Danny, but thats not really what I am looking for.
Whats FWW?


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## tjocpa (Apr 11, 2008)

This is the cover of the ShopNotes #73 with the shop built mini-lathe. Is this what you had in mind? I remember it because I thought I might build one some day. Haven't yet. The ShopNotes website is: www.shopnotes.com They may be able to provide the issue.


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

It looks a bit bigger than I was thinking about, but it does look good! Thanks so much!


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## MyGrowthRings (May 4, 2008)

Marcel T,
Here's one of the lathes I made one weekend. They worked very well. They were clamped to a bench, with the motor mounted on a board and clamped to the back edge of the bench. The belt was ridiculously long because it's what I had on hand. There are more details and pic on my blog.


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## matter (Jan 30, 2008)

FWW is Fine Woodworking magazine.


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow TDJ, that looks awesome! Thanks for the picture 
Thanks Matter.


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## Woodshopfreak (Feb 26, 2008)

NO but it doesn't look that hard to make. Just need a motor and some plywood and you will be well on your way to make one.


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## BigCM (Mar 13, 2008)

Well I gotta dremel and some offcuts, this should be interesting  Thanks Tyler 
(I really do overuse those smileys)


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