woodworking homemade shopmade
SHOP MADE METAL LATHE
In the article "Homemade Mini Metal Lathe", this metal lathe is a little introduced. Mini Metal Lathe, I started several years ago to build this metal lathe, however I stopped half done. It is because, first anyway my skill is poorer than I thought, and the machines, i.e. China Made lathe and drill press etc. are too poor in accuracy. I decided to build a rigid and accurate lathe instead of China made shabby unit.
Now I made firm decision to complete this half done unit in this year. Now it becomes comfortable in this northern country.
First, I show what I made before stopped.
Materials, components.
I bought the motor, pulley, belt, bearings etc. are bought from the manufacturers or dealers, and main material, soft steel blocks are some factory where they cut as ordered. These materials are neatly cut, therefore I had to process by myself only a little. It is impossible that I cut, drill, file the components from big block. Even if I could, It takes too much time.
I set the component before processed to get the completed image. Size is approx. 700mm in length, 250mm in width and hight without the motor. Weight will be 80Kgs or something. Motor is 3 phase 200V, 1 HP. Speed control and reverse rotation is available.
When started project, I planned to make NC system, but now I don't. For such unit, NC is not convenient.
This is the base. Usually the cross table slides in the dovetail groove, but it is impossible for me to make the accurate dovetail groove, I made the cross table along side the both edges of the base top. And, I made the main screw is always set to this table without releasing to keep accuracy. So I make this mechanism manual and motor rotating of the main screw.
Head stock. Formed a box by thick plate, and flange type automatic centering bearing. I think I can secure the accuracy by this construction. Head stock is bolted on the base.
Cross table. Sub-cross table is set on this table to turn taper shape. I will make the accessories, such as the vertical sliding table, the index. They are a half made already.
The bite holder.
Handles of main screw, tale stock, cross table and sub cross table. The head drums of junk VCR are used.
The holder of main screw. This part is very hard to make to move smoothly and precisely.
I started again this project.
Checking the parallelism of the main shaft. This shaft is polished 40mm dia. made of mild steel I set 2 dial gauges on the cross table to check vertical and horizontal slant. The dial gauge to check horizontal slant has lever point.
I disappointed much, as a matter of fact, to see the result. The span between the center and center is 300mm, and the gauges show the max. nearly 0.1mm misalignment in the full span between center to center. This misalignment is not straight slant but waves.
This cross table slides on the base which is made of polished mild steal board of 12mm thickness. the cross table has a saddle which holds the base with adjustable brass made shims to hold the edges of the base. However even polished, this material of the base is not finished properly. Also, I processed the table to fix to the base, to mount the head and tale stocks resulting some distortion. Anyway there is no possibility to correct this waving misalignment.
I supposed the result, and I have to accept it. I, probably do not process the work of full length 300mm but shorter lengths such a 20-30mm upto 100mm. In such short span, misalignment is within 2-3/100mm.
The motor is mounted. This motor is 200v 3 phases, 0.75Kw. This motor can drive revers and variable speed. Unless gears nor belts, the torque at the low rotation is reduced. Therefore 0.75Kw power will cover the torque at low speed, I expect.
Making a pilot hole to set the sleeve pipe of the tale stock. The pipe is a piece of thick gas pipe of around 48mm dia. This pipe should be finished smooth, therefore the final hole size cannot be made at this stage. This hole is the pilt hole of 45mm dia.
I made some cutting bites. I set the carbide tip on the mild steel shank.
I am making a cutting bite to enlarge the hole where the talestock sleeve is mounted, and also to bore the inside of the sleeve pipe. I set a tip on the piece of 10mm dia. steel rod.
Completed boring bite. I will use this later, but I have to make shaft end to mount this bite.
10mm square mild steel holders and the carbide tip, Top one is for side cutting, the second is for end surface cutting and the third is for boring and taper cutting.
This shows that above boring bite is set at the end of the shaft. Position of the bite is adjustable to make any size of the hole/bore. It looks too bad, but I use it only once. I do not care how it looks.
The tale stock sleeve pipe material is put on the base. I will reduce diameter of the main shaft to set the sleeve pipe to cut the outside.
A little grumble here.
Here in the small local town where I live, it is impossible to buy the necessary tools, material etc. therefore I usually buy on line. Recently I went to Sapppro, the largest city in the northern Japan, north of Tokyo. But I couldn't find anything I wanted. When I lived in Tokyo, I could buy anything I need in the neighborhood.
I traveled to Tokyo in June, and I bought a lot of items, mainly electronics conpornents, special material, used and junk items etc. like shopping addiction.
I gave up at this time, and purchased online. Online shopping is very good as anything I want is available, however it cost much, such as freight, handling charge etc. Therefore I have to purchase a lot at a time with unnecessary staff.
Anyway I will continue the work. กก
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