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Post by phoenix1967 on Mar 7, 2009 20:20:08 GMT -5
First Frankensaw, now Frankenlathe (supper was Frankenfurters grilled on the Frankenforge) A few years ago, a buddy of mine gave me this tiny wood lathe. It was for making pens (writing type). The motor was burned out (a little 1/8 hp dc thingy with all kinda 'lectronic stuff) so it sat rusting in the shed for the last 5 years. My success wuth the bandsaw mod prompted me to dig it out, and with my mad scientist cackle ringing through the yard, Frankenlathe was born... The lathe The motor (yes, that's a 1/2 HP dryer motor!) I made a bracker to hold the motor, drilled (carefully!) into the steel core laminations, tapped for 1/4 20, bolted it up! I cut a hole in the overhang on the countertop to run a v belt through. Next was wiring. I ran power down to a box for a dimmer switch (so I could control the speed) and soldered the connections. I need to fab a sheetmetal guard for it, but it was getting dark and I was eager to try it out. I'd say it works!
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eric
Button Buck
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Post by eric on Mar 7, 2009 20:59:40 GMT -5
If you have the facility for passing a drill bit through one of the stocks, you'd have the ideal lathe to turn musical instruments like flutes and whistles. Can you?
Eric
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Post by phoenix1967 on Mar 7, 2009 21:20:17 GMT -5
My method for that is simple... Drill the hole FIRST... use it as your center, then turn it down. it's a lot easier to use cane or bamboo for that though. I could turn you a flute blamk if you would like, just let me know what inner and outer diameters you want. Max length on this is around 13 inches though...
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eric
Button Buck
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Post by eric on Mar 8, 2009 7:44:56 GMT -5
Thanks Lawren, but I already have the facilities here for that. Just thought I'd ask if you had a hollow tail stock. I use an armourer's drill which has a hole and flute running up it's length (it's meant for boring out gun barrels) and with compressed air running up the hole and the swarf being blasted back down the flute, it just chews through a long length of wood in seconds. It's also self centering, so it never runs off. Follow that with a stepped drill then a reamer and I can do a tapered flute in about ten minutes. Another ten for turning the outer, ten for drilling the holes and there you have a flute, bagpipe chanter, drone or whatever in half an hour's work.
Eric
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Post by beaudro on Mar 8, 2009 12:29:09 GMT -5
Eric, how long of a peice can you drill through? if it's made for gun barrels i would think it was fairly long. I cant go very far with my cheap lathe, using standard drill bits the bit does what it wants to when i get about 18 inches into anything. I'm in need of drilling out peace pipe stems, some are 28 inches long. I use a real small drill bit if i can ,,, it's easier with a bit around 3/8" , but would prefer 3/16 or 1/8" .. I couldn't convert this to metric equivalency.
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Post by phoenix1967 on Mar 8, 2009 14:05:33 GMT -5
It's funny you mentioned that Eric. Now that I have brought it back to life, I'm gonna start casting the parts (like the tail stock) outta beer cans, making different Tail and Head stocks, and a cross slide for working metal. The options ar limitless now that I have a decent bed to rork from. The beer can lathe will be cast from these parts.
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eric
Button Buck
Posts: 43
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Post by eric on Mar 8, 2009 17:51:20 GMT -5
Eric, how long of a peice can you drill through? if it's made for gun barrels i would think it was fairly long. I cant go very far with my cheap lathe, using standard drill bits the bit does what it wants to when i get about 18 inches into anything. I'm in need of drilling out peace pipe stems, some are 28 inches long. I use a real small drill bit if i can ,,, it's easier with a bit around 3/8" , but would prefer 3/16 or 1/8" .. I couldn't convert this to metric equivalency. S'ok, I work in inches too. I can go about 48" with the one I have, although I never have had to. It's 3/8" diameter - perfect for a first bore. If I need to increase the diameter, I use a conventional drill welded onto steel rod and go slow and easy. In about an inch, withdraw and blow out the swarf, then repeat. Ream if necessary.
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