# My brand new Dewalt lathe and duplicator...



## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Just finished painting and reassembling. In between the build and the paint I managed to play with it a bit and it seems to work well. Yesterday my Capt Eddie chisels arrived. I have also modified a couple of old chisels I have.














































After a little more practice I am going to attempt a chess set for my grandson. Below are some pictures of the style.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

At first glance it looks like a Dewalt mini lathe ,you have made the right improvements,like the trigger,reinforced tool rest, you even bought a yellow & black safety goggles,lol.the whole thing looks well made and functional.
The chess set (last picture) looks hard to make ,it will be a good learning experience.


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

Nice, it is really cool.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Capt Eddie carbide cuts pretty smooth.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

My next project?


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

I've seen several of these DIY lathes over the years. Very inventive and it's gotta save a ton of cash and looks like it can get you the desired results.

But,
I've always wondered if a drill can stand up to long periods of high speed use while making a turning. Or is this a good way to "fry" a drill??

What say you DKV….............................


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

redryder, the drill is fairly new. It replaces a 1973 Craftsman that went TU not long ago. It is a high torque, 7 amp drill that turns variable to 1200 rpm. I've played with it a lot and like most turners I've watched it gets turned on and off quite a bit. After some heavy use today I put my hand on the body of the drill and sensed no excessive heat. I had the same concerns you do.

Since I do not want to hand duplicate all of the pawns in a chess set I have decided to add a router duplicator to the setup. I will be starting that tomorrow. I will be using my Bosch Colt for that job.

Also, I will not be using the lathe as frequently as a "real" turner does. The only reason I build this one was so I could turn knobs and build the chess set for my grandson. I could not justify buying a lathe just for that reason. What I will probably find out is I really like to turn wood and go ahead and buy a "real" lathe…and then again maybe not. If this one holds together, and I have no reason to think otherwise, then this one will be fine for what I want to do.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

I've been working on my duplicator and have a question to ask of the woodturner guys out there. In the photos I have stacked all the parts and pieces I will use to build the duplicator and now I'm trying to determine the final height that the bit of the router will sit at. I understand that the height is affected by the size of the bit I'll be using. Should I build the base that holds the router for the bit to sit approximately on the center line of the lathe or slightly above it? I will probably be using 1/4" round nose bits and be ultra cautious with the amount of wood I take off on each pass.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

I vote for slightly above center about

an 1/8th of an inch.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks woho6o9. I could play with shims to determine optimum and/or change in bit size.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

You're welcome DKV.

I think the router goes on a particular side as well.


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## abcabc12345 (Sep 4, 2014)

Dont mind me, just needing 5 posts so i can message someone.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Glad to oblige…


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

The first picture shows the x direction carriage and the second picture shows the keyboard slide I am going to mount to the carriage for the y direction movement. Hope to have the whole project completed soon so I can start duplicating chess pieces.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Almost done. Still have the follower arm for the template to install. I've played with it and it works very well. Now, on to the chess set…


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## Mas (Mar 16, 2012)

Looks like a pretty nice build hope you can get lots of use from it.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks Mas. When I complete the chess set I'll post pix.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

I look forward to the chess set pieces, may want to give that a try this winter when I am in the shop making pens and such. Interesting set up you made.


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## Pault28 (Dec 30, 2012)

That is pretty cool! Well done!


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## NickTheGreat (Sep 17, 2014)

This is wild! I love it!

I made a chess set in high school. It was a fun project, though my knights turned out like garbage.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

I've been playing around and experimenting with some walnut and rosewood in preparation for making my chess set. The other day I came across some shaped scrapers I had bought to help scrape some cabinet doors for repaint. I thought they might work great for the small nooks, crannies, humps, bumps, etc that are required to make chess pieces. Anyway, the result is pictured. Keep them sharp and they work exceedingly well. I have 12 different shapes. Quick and easy to change on the t-track I'm using…


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Just thought I'd give you guys an update on my lathe/duplicator. It now has its own on/off switch.


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