MOTHER'S $20 WOOD LATHE
(Page 2 of 2)
THE POWER TRAIN
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Any 1/2-HP washing machine motor can be coupled — by way of a pair of three — step pulleys and a V-belt — to the ball bearing mandrel in order to provide power to the lathe. If your motor is a single-speed unit (and there are some two-speed examples available which can be incorporated into our lathe design), the spindle will turn at either 950, 1,725, or 3,125 RPM . . . depending on the belt's position on the pulleys.
SPINDLES
Most mandrels have a 3-1/4" X 5-1/4" bolt pattern and an overall shaft length of approximately 10 inches. Such a unit will fit neatly atop the 4" X 6" plate on the headstock box.
On the other hand, the construction of the tailstock spindle is more involved. A hint: When welding nuts to the various parts, install the bolts before tacking, so that the threads of the nut won't be distorted by the heat. (Note, too, that the 5/8" coupler nut must be driven into the two 3/4" coupler nuts before it's welded in place.)
HEAD- AND TAILSTOCKS
The working portions of the lathe are set atop steel box sections ... with access holes cut for the clamping bolt (on the tailstock) and the switch and wires (on the headstock). The spindles on the headstock and tailstock must be perfectly aligned to prevent wobble. One way to accomplish this is to weld the headstock into position first, and then align the tailstock to it. Slip one of the pulleys onto the spur end of the mandrel and slide the tailstock spindle shaft into the other end of the pulley. Then weld the tailstock box to its runner.
DETAILS
The lathe's switch is a common wall box set inside the headstock and wired to interrupt the flow of power to the motor. And, since the brushes of the power unit could conceivably become fouled with the shavings from the woodwork, the motor and the belt drive are enclosed in a sheetmetal box with an access door.
CARVING
Once you've applied a coat of paint to the lathe, you'll be ready to try some wood turning. There are a number of different ways that this tool can be used to turn out finish-quality work, and — if you're not already familiar with basic lathe - operating procedures — you'll get the most use from the tool by doing a little outside study.
Who knows? You might end up becoming involved enough to build a faceplate for your lathe to turn out bowls . . . or your interest might turn to any number of other possibilities which your new tool — with a few "homegrown" modifications — is capable of.
MATERIALS LIST
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