# Considering building a lathe



## jimmyjames (Mar 19, 2013)

Since everybody here keeps showing some awesome turned pieces im considering building a lathe, im not interested in these mini lathes you can buy for a few hundred dollars to turn pens and such on, i would think bowls and bigger things, with that said larger swing lathes are expensive. I already have just about everything to build one, i have a 3hp 220v single phase motor and a bunch of channel and boxed iron, about all i would need to buy is some pillow block bearings, step pulleys a belt and some fasteners, i will have to machine the spindle shaft to fit the pillow blocks, thread for the chuck and keyway for the pulley but thats no biggie. Has anybody here built a lathe? lathe construction is just so simple and cant see spending so much money on a big one.


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## AXEMAN58 (Mar 19, 2013)

A person of your many talents and machining experience should have no problems building a killer wood lathe. One word (actually, several) of advice...build that sucker very heavy. With 3 ponies worth of power, you're gonna need some weight to keep it from walking right outta the shop.


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## Steelart99 (Mar 19, 2013)

bore the shaft for a standard morse taper ... lots tools fit that. Also use standard threads on shaft.


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## jimmyjames (Mar 19, 2013)

Yeah i think i would use the 1 1/4 thread, id like to go bigger but that also makes the chucks ALOT more expensive. For the tailstock i actually have a tailstock assembly from an old leblond lathe that my brother had taken to the dump, i cant remember the morse taper size on it, it maybe too big for this build, that old leblonde was a 24x96.... and if i remember right the morse taper was massive


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## jimmyjames (Mar 19, 2013)

You think i should machine the spindle shaft for morse taper and mount the chuck that way or just machine the shaft with the thread and mount the chuck directly?


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## Steelart99 (Mar 19, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> You think i should machine the spindle shaft for morse taper and mount the chuck that way or just machine the shaft with the thread and mount the chuck directly?



i'd do both. There are some taper shaft mounted fixtures like stopper fixtures and then chucks that use the external threads.


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## Final Strut (Mar 19, 2013)

I don't think the 3 horse motor will be big enough. I would consider something like this.


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## Dennis Ford (Mar 19, 2013)

I use a home made lathe, they are simple machines (but not simple to make without machining equipment).
I second the idea of making it from heavy sections. It sounds like you have the tools and skills to make a nice machine. Since you are using a single phase motor, you will need a step pulley system for speed changes. A low speed of about 200 rpm is good up to ~20 inches diameter. A high speed of 2000 should be good for the small stuff. A few intermediate speeds and you are covered for most anything.


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## Mike Jones (Mar 19, 2013)

Your spindle wants to have both the threading for a chuck (i,e, 1-1/4 -8 tpi) and a morse taper. You will use a spur drive (Morse taper) to start projects that you can't start with a face plate. The spindle, then, needs to be drilled out so that you can use a knock-out bar to get the drive spur out. Don't forget....!!! you'll want a banjo with adjustable height tool post.

If I was going to build a lathe, I would design it along the lines of the Oneway
You can get mass without cast iron that way. Mass is a good thing!


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