Any aspiring woodworker who has unhappily eyed the monotonously round or square legs on his or her homebuilt furniture has — at one time or another — wanted to own a wood-turning tool. The trouble is, a lathe hardly rates first priority on the purchasing list for a growing shop . . . since the cost of such a device simply isn't justified by its versatility.
RELATED CONTENT
After 1,500 miles of alternative fuels vehicle driving, we found that you can run a truck with a wo...
Almost half the world’s original forests have disappeared, one-fifth since the late 1950s....
Glowing, gruesome or giggly, carved pumpkins are a ubiquitous symbol of autumn, the end of harvest ...
Table documents the various wood shaper manufacturers and the specifications they offer....
If you're looking for a way to reduce your high winter heating bills, consider wood heat. It's a gr...
Consequently, MOTHER's fabricators figured that the assembly of a wood turner from scrounged materials would be a perfect project for the discerning — but frugal — wood fashioner. Our researchers dug deep into their heaps of scraps and spare parts, and managed to pull out all the pieces necessary to build a fine spinner . . . with the exception of a ball bearing mandrel, and two spurs purchased from Sears, Roebuck and Company.
The finished lathe — which will accommodate wood chunks up to three feet long and over a foot in diameter — turns out handsomely carved legs and rungs ... while costing just a few cents over $20 to build. (Of course, unless your scrap pile has achieved the proportions of MOTHER's, you're likely to spend a few dollars more for new materials . . . but this tool would be a bargain at five times our price.)
THE BED
Common angle iron, U-channel, and a piece of pine shelving (as shown in Fig. A) make up the base upon which the tool's working parts ride. You'll find the components specified in the Materials List, and the dimensions and weld points are indicated in Fig. B. The legs for the stand are bent to square up to the U-channel base . . . a task that's much easier if the bend points are first heated with an oxyacetylene torch. In addition, the angle iron used for the braces — which span between each leg and the base — should be bent and ground so no sharp edges protrude.
In order to avoid banging your shins on the 1 X 12 wooden support shelf, round the board on its "working side" — and set its far edge against the opposite legs — before drilling and bolting the shelf in place.
Furthermore, since washing machine motors have different mounting configurations, be sure to design the braces for the "power plant" (they're welded to the left rear leg) specifically to fit the bolt pattern on your unit. It's also a good idea to provide for a sliding mount . . . so belt tension can be adjusted.
THE WAYS
In order to clamp different lengths of wood into the lathe's spindles, the tailstock assembly slides on a pair of tubular steel tracks . .. as detailed in Fig. B. The runners — which slip along the lathe's ways — are made of larger tubing, which provides a .005" fit . . . and the tool rest slides on a foot of exactly the same specifications. (Note: When centering the two tubes which form the ways, be extremely careful to ensure that the "pipes" are parallel and that no parts become distorted by the welding heat. In addition, file off any welding spatter which might interfere with the smooth sliding of the parts.)
