my motor only has 4 wires, 2 brushes 2 coil. It is very important when starting to turn large objects to make sure the lathe is set to a low speed. This way you can accommodate different sizes of wood between the centres. It is now simply a case of unbolting it from its mountings. “With a variable speed metal lathe like the LeBlond RKL, you get the RPM to match up to your cutting feed rate and the surface finish you want on a piece,” Cook says. If A and B are 60 cm apart that requires the shaft to turn a full 600 rotations for the nut to travel the distance (because the pitch is 1mm - that's one rev per mm). However, there are significant advantages to having a braked motor, most importantly, you don't have to wait ages for it to spin down. If you want to make something like this yourself, and you plan, as I did, to spend very little and to recycle other peoples landfill material, you certainly will have to think 'outside the box' as you put materials and things to new and unintended uses. This spin down time can be quite substantial if your turning something hefty. Again see the pics and their descriptions for more. How would I go about mounting/using it? I like making stuff, and learning about how things work. In case you are interested, aluminum (in vacuum) makes a better heatsink because of its emissivity at lower wavelengths of the IR spectrum. Sydien DC6-60V 6V 12V 24V 48V 30A PWM DC Motor Speed Controller, Stepless Speed Regulation Start Stop Switch with Digital Display - - Amazon.com, Buy ZCPlus Universal Power Adapter 24 V 6 A AC/DC Power Supply Transformer for LED Strip Rope Light Printer Scanner Router Fax TFT LCD Monitor Radio Camera Computer, US Plug …: AC Adapters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases, Zulkit Junction Box ABS Plastic Dustproof Waterproof IP65 Universal Electrical Boxes Project Enclosure with Fixed Ear Black 6.22 x 3.54 x 2.36 inch (158 x 90 x 60 mm)(Pack of 1) - - Amazon.com. There are true electronic variable-speed lathes with DC motors these days and others that offer lever-controlled, clutch-type variable speed changing. Don't worry though I will try my best to offer techniques and advice (including where the best places are to get stuff), anyway it is much more exciting when you have a hand in the design process. Possible sources: metal bed frames, surplus construction site materials, old gates, old trailer or other large machinery framework. Be very careful. As shown in the diagram, we still keep the 240V DC running through the field coil as well, this gives the benefit of reducing starting current surges. I would love to hear what you guys use to make your designs.A more complete and up to date set of instructions for this project and videos of the lathe, and other bits and bobs can be found on our blog at: http://www.floweringelbow.co.uk. It eliminates all the change gears. ( any light hyd.oil for now ) Turn lathe on and rotate the vari speed handle all the way counter clockwise and hold that position for a few seconds. Can’t argue with those results! This lathe is made almost exclusively from stuff other people threw away or didn't have use for anymore, and a big part of the challenge is creatively using these readily available materials. We also use a very low voltage (and high current) to energize the field coil. I decided not to have speed control or any belts/gears. I found that belt sanding (real course 40 grit) followed by drill mounted wire brush seemed to work. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I use some aluminium angle to bolt them in. That’s an amazing finish right off the turning tool. 0-2500 RPM. I used the same for the lathe bed mounting screws. Here is what I came up with, how I did it, the parts used, and the results. The pulse-width-modulation circuit that we want can be made in a number of ways. You are using an out of date browser. The objections we raise usually seem so reasonable that much of what we might do never gets done. As headstock consists of parts from an axle from a big trailer. The friction caused the acrylic to get too hot. I have been told its an old Sieg. For the wood lathe - which is what we are making here - people have used various materials to form the bed of the lathe. Using the change gears in a mini lathe, the finest feed you can get is 256 threads per inch. Many lathes from the factory do not have a low enough speed for a very out of balance object. It is simply more fun to be able to control things. So, I set out to slow down the feed rate. Mine is a VERY snug fit and was nearly impossible to push up and down the rails by hand - which is partly why I wanted the lead screw. Add oil to at least half full. When it comes to actually making the circuit, there is loads of good advice on soldering here on instructables, so I will not talk much about that. just tell me what to do ! See circuit diagram. It also lends itself to grinding custom shapes like cutting little coves, beads, round over shapes grooves etc. A much better method is to make a very simple triac controller circuit, also referred to as a pulse-width-modulation or chopper circuit. I am starting to think this might be my first aluminium casting experience... Now to build a small furnace that will double as a bbq ;). So what is the shaft speed if: it took 60 seconds to travel between A and B? And here is a picture of the mounting plate off the lathe. I have viewed your steps and they are very helpful! If you have some, apply thermal paste before bolting up the assembly. Very cool. This feature is fairly standard on most decent sized power tools. The calculation to get a maximum ballpark speed for your bowl blank on a wood lathe is as follows. Maybe someone else knows something about that. Using sharp drill bits helps a lot! To do this we will need the optional components mentioned earlier - a transformer (100VA should suffice - but see what you can find) and bridge rectifiers (these get quite hot, high current ones are a good idea). There are a number of different ways to do this. It is a good safety feature to have a so called 'no volt release switch' on your lathe. Just connected the head piece right to the motor shaft. It can't be too strong, but consider the weight and size ;) Mine ended up being much heavier than expected and I need help to move it about. Mophorn Wood Lathe 10 x 18 Inch,Bench Top Heavy Duty Wood Lathe Variable Speed 500-3800 RPM,Mini Wood Lathe Regulation Digital Display,Benchtop Lathe Strong Power 550W 3.9 out of 5 stars 40 $333.89 $ 333 . These tend to be a good and surprisingly plentiful (keep your eyes out) source of one horsepower series wound commutator motors. If not you can skip this step. many thanks and many respect to you! Whatever you find to use, cut your metal to a sensible size with a hacksaw , or similar (if you only have a junior hacksaw make or buy a full size one or you will waste a lot of time). 6 years ago After a little experiment with a piece of channel clamped to the workbench, the limitations of that approach became apparent. Not to let an opportunity to tidy up pass me by, this found its way onto the lathe (well part of it anyway - the rest went to the correct recycle facility). The JET 1221 Electronic Variable Speed Midi Wood Lathe was designed to provide you with the ultimate control while turning and provides a wide range of features that make your turning experience more enjoyable. Can’t argue with those results! Anyway enough babbling. Made a lathe from a 1750 rpm cap start motor. I don't use the variable speed at all. Did you make this project? The lathe is equipped with a 2A motor and variable speed controls so you can slow it down or speed it up as you need. The premium for variable speed appears to be outrageous from the manufacturers and in this case one gets the bonus of a spare motor after plus the parts are non propriety but also the removable control would be ideal for lathe work to put it where you want it or even make … Slightly overkill, but it works brilliantly and can definitely stands the forces. on Step 10. You can now work out the rpm (revs per minuet).. What a gift you have Sir and Im awed at your brilliance and good heart for sharing!! If like me you were on a time budget to get it away from your parents sub-Arctic outside shed just cut it out and get as much of the electronics as possible. I used a section of aluminium channelling (same as used on the lathe bed) bolted together with a bit of old heatsink rescued from a discarded computer PSU, with a bit of flattened copper pipe. As you can see the steel is well rusty and actually quite pitted but is hopefully still thick enough to add the rigidity we're after. A variable speed motor in a wood lathe gives the tool the ability to change speeds as needed. I need to order some parts but I have no idea what brand it is. Variable speed is nice but the lowest speed settings should be slower as it is too fast when trueing up a large piece of wood and the lathe wants to jump around a little bit too much at that speed. Grizzly H8259 Pen Turning Wood Lathe for Pen Turning. The central supports are going to join to the front and back panels, bracing them and giving us a way to attach the angle iron that makes up the lathe bed. Designing one yourself and using free or cheap materials is even better. It is important to cover away the drive belt anyway - exposed it presents an intolerable safety risk. Very cool Danny. There will likely be 3 stator coil connections,2 brush contacts,2 tachometer contacts,and an earth connection on the motor frame. Of course, there have been people that look incredulous when I tell them I am building a wood lathe. The chances of scavenging a correctly sized belt seemed minimal so I ordered mine over the phone, it was �8. The picture shows an old washing machine motor salvaged from a machine my parents were throwing out. Definitely one I’m gonna have to copy. What I needed was a banjo. Grinding your own cutters is not that difficult and it's WAY cheaper than using carbide. Share it with us! ON/OFF slide switch. It also has an MT1 spindle and tailstock taper to tightly grip workpieces with a lever-clamping system to make adjustments easy. Be blessed and stay blessed!! I got ideas from lots of places on the internet (including other instructables - do a search for 'lathe') and formulated my design as I collected materials. My plan was that I could make this movable base a multi purpose item - being capable of carrying a tailstock, but also a tool that could be accurately moved across the work piece, in the style of a metal lathe, but for wood. Turn the power on to the lathe. Check out his youtube channel: www.youtube.com/floweringelbow, https://www.instructables.com/id/Draw-Electronic-Schematics-with-CadSoft-EAGLE/, http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/projects/C3_BC/pages/index.html, https://www.instructables.com/id/Sharpen-Your-Drill-Bits/, How to Make Charcuterie Boards Using Clear Acrylic Templates. That's right, a BANJO, a piece that fits onto the bed and supports the actual rest. Snaps. If you're happy with that (slightly shoddy but workable) speed control setup you can skip the next two steps, however... An optional further increase can be had in speed regulation and low speed torque by effectively converting the machine to a direct current shunt wound motor. Apparently the belt tension is about right when you can just twist the belt by 90degrees but not much further without using force. I'm planning to make my own lathe like Mark has and like the one that Richie Dotson shows on his web site. I used a 12mm x 30 degree carbide round insert designed for wood turning. Simply attach the multimeter to the tacho output, set to read voltage (20V scale). It should provide plenty enough power to drive a small wood lathe like the one I am planning. The only difference is you get to choose which speed is the best for you and the project you are working on. You will probably want to vary your own design from mine, as you will inevitably find you can get your hands on different bits. I'm def going to have to give this a try. BestEquip Metal Lathe 7" x 14",Mini Metal Lathe 0-2250 RPM Variable Speed,Mini Lathe with 4" 3-jaw Chuck,Bench Top Metal Lathe,Benchtop Lathe, for Various Types of Metal Turning 3.9 out of 5 stars 79 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnXGRXljspk. CSA and UL Listed. (Dave Gingery) PS  to see more of what I have been up to with this you may want to check out my blog: www.floweringelbow.org Or if you want even more recent stuff, half finished projects and that sort of thing, like the Flowering Elbow page on facebook (also good if you want a quick response to a question). Series wound motors have no theoretical limit to their speed and the centrifugal forces can fling the motor armature apart! 7 years ago So it is a compromise of size and strength... Once I had decided that (it was partially determined by the materials i had available), I began by cutting two equal sized pieces from the 8mm thick sheet of metal. He loves to learn about, share, invent, and make things, particularly from waste materials. I got a bit carried away and decided to attach a leadscrew to my tailstock base - this just allows you to move the base along the lathe bed by turning a screw (or peace of threaded rod in this case. I would also like some tips on upgrading the motor and or speed control. It eliminates all the change gears. I used some standard 2mm copper wire scavenged from some old house wiring, and soldered on some cut (using a hacksaw) and flattened (hammer or vice) scrap of copper pipe. In the picture I am testing the motor with a DC bench supply, made from an old computer PSU (power supply unit - check out Sitnalta's instructable). i get were the two brushes go to but the coil wires i don't. This would have been easier with a drill press (that will have to be a future project though), but you can make do with a decent hand drill - and get quite skilled at using it in the process.. Use plenty of light oil on the drill bits, and go at a slow speed. The speed control display is in percent of the motor speed. I needed to make a hole in the front panel for the bed angles to fit through, I did this with small angle grinder and some filing. Bolt your lathe down to the floor, and definitely wear a face shield to protect yourself. This is important - say there is a power outage, you do not want your lathe bursting into life unexpectedly (when your not around or leaning against it) when the lights come back on. If you don't want to do a project just write down the first dozen or so thoughts that come to your mind and you will have at least a half dozen good excuses. Grinding your own cutters .... Mal as Danny said you can get a much sharper edge with HSS. Making something that helps you make other things is very satisfying, particularly if you do it in a way that uses all your creative ingenuity. x 12 in. You are testing the machine’s limits here. on Step 22. Check out Youtube Clough42 channel. to much flex mean a lot of faf, making sure it was always under tension from both ends (it can pull well - but does a bad job of pushing). Then I began to clean it up.. It has zero-phase detection for proper speed control. This on its own looked to be a bit flimsy, so I also rescued a long peace of angle iron that was rusting away at my parents farmhouse. Super subjective I know, so it is a good idea to design some adjustment into the motor mount. 6 years ago Also check out the diagram that shows what bits of the motor are what. VR1 Variable resistor or POT 220kR1 Min Resistor 4k7 (if you plan on making electronics project get a resistor pack like this)R2 Min Resistor 22k R3 Min Resistor 100R D1 Diac DB3T1 Triac BTA26-600B (the 16A version would suffice - I was in an overkill mood) Some strip board to put it all on.Optional components (more on this later):2X Rectifier J04 (BH46A) ~ �3 each (but I got very similar ones on e-bay for 99p each) 50VA Step down transformer 240V to 9V - (search out old power supplies, audio amps, hi fi's, etc.) Here I decided how high the centers would be, which among other things (like common sense and self preservation) will determine the maximum radius of wood that can be turned. please need help! Reading over the various potential modifications, I decided the DC motor needed to come fairly early in the process for several reasons. Record the time it took. First I used a small cheap angle grinder to cut the steel into two lengths (a hacksaw would be OK but slower). I really like your idea of using the carbide insert on the metal lathe. If all is well you can test it with a 60W incandescent light bulb. Troubleshooting the Mini Lathe Variable Speed Drive There are several common types of failure that occur on the mini lathe's variable speed drive. The variable speed controller comes with the potentiometer and an on off switch wired in. These motors can be run off both DC and AC making them quite versatile little beasties. S2 = A relay that gets power and therefore energizes, when S1 is pressed. 7 years ago Bring forth a scrap bike frame, an angle grinder, and I was on my way (see pics)... Something reasonably rigid that swivels and can be moved towards and away from the wood and be locked in place, and that has something that the gouge can slide along, side to side. The WEN 8 in. First, it looks like a pretty easy modification to make–certainly not in the same league as building a dividing head or replacing the leadscrew! I have made the first circuit and tested it out today, it worked! Still works nicely and since I am looking into doing heavier project loads I will benefit from the taper bearing and not break the bicycle shaft/bearings like in you photo. Again no sanding. Keeping the speed at 50% or above will usually prevent overheating. Ok so now we have a working, spinning, dancing (almost) headstock, we can measure the speed and press that motor tachometer into useful service. Chuck guard that comes with a micro switch for enhanced safety. In part 1 he discussed his experiences with grinding bits, why he uses a belt sander instead of a bench grinder and introduced some terminology about tool bit shapes and angles. Did you use a triangular carbide insert or the round carbide insert for the acrylic? If I didn't love making things why would I want a wood lathe in the first place? My feeling was that this was outweighed by the fine axle and ready made bearing housings, and more importantly I had it all there and then, and it was free! Reply Now we need to decide where and how we will fix the front and back faces. After flirting with the idea of using a rewound microwave transformer (and discarding it as overkill), I came across an old-school Spectrum power supply at the local tip (which is essentially a transformer with a rectifier and smoothing capacitor) - just the ticket!