Lathe attachments
Lathe attachments
So I inherited a cheap lathe when I bought my house; it seems to work alright, but I've never used one before. Where can I get and how can I attach buffing and sanding wheels to it? It's just got a faceplate, no chucks....but it seems a waste not to use it.....
- KurtHuhn
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Cummins Industrial Tool sold (and sells) a wide variety of tools that are very similar (if not identical) to the same tools sold by Harbor Freight. There should be a model number somewhere on it. That said, the biggest deal is if there's a hole in the spindle, or if it's a solid spindle. If there's a hole, chances are it's a Morse Taper hole - either MT1 or MT2. If there's a Morse Taper in the spindle you're better than halfway there for some good tooling like drill chucks and arbors.
For the wood lathe guys, judging by these pictures am I totally S.O.L.? I can't find any kind of chuck or attachment for this hunk. Should I just start saving my pennies for a decent lathe and forget about this one? Thanks!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15961634@N02/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15961634@N02/
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Your best bet is to determine the thread on the spindle nose. A thread gauge would be ideal, but a careful eye and a steel rule should work if it's a coarse thread. Once you know the thread pitch you can start searching for accessories to fit.
There are some Yahoo groups out there full of guys who would be more than happy to help you determine what you've got and what you should do with it. I'd recommend trying that route before you spend good money for a new lathe that you may not need.
There are some Yahoo groups out there full of guys who would be more than happy to help you determine what you've got and what you should do with it. I'd recommend trying that route before you spend good money for a new lathe that you may not need.
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is the most valuable thing in the world."
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Like, one of these has gotta fit, Scoob!
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... ,330,49238
Those are offered in more spindle sizes than I even knew existed.
Once you've got something like that, you can go in numerous directions, from mounting small arbors into the chuck (like a sideways drill) to using it to hold something more like the Bealle system.
PIMO sells fairly generic arbors for like 3 bucks.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... ,330,49238
Those are offered in more spindle sizes than I even knew existed.
Once you've got something like that, you can go in numerous directions, from mounting small arbors into the chuck (like a sideways drill) to using it to hold something more like the Bealle system.
PIMO sells fairly generic arbors for like 3 bucks.
I'm sure you can find a chuck for it. But if it were me, I don't think I would spend more than maybe $60 on a chuck.
And if you can't find a chuck in that price range, I would sell this lathe to a straight wood turner guy for, say, $75, and use that money toward the purchase of something better suited to pipemaking.
The thing being that you could easily invest two or three hundred dollars in attachments to fit what appears to be something on the order of a Harbor Freight lathe that probably sold for under $150 new.
And when the motor goes out or the spindle gets sloppy, you'll pretty much be out the money you invested in attachments for it.
I say: save your money, research and scout-out some vintage American steel, and when your savings line up with the right opportunity, jump into that one.
Then, hopefully, whatever money you sink into attachments, etc., won't wind up in your trashcan in six months.
Just my $.02.
And if you can't find a chuck in that price range, I would sell this lathe to a straight wood turner guy for, say, $75, and use that money toward the purchase of something better suited to pipemaking.
The thing being that you could easily invest two or three hundred dollars in attachments to fit what appears to be something on the order of a Harbor Freight lathe that probably sold for under $150 new.
And when the motor goes out or the spindle gets sloppy, you'll pretty much be out the money you invested in attachments for it.
I say: save your money, research and scout-out some vintage American steel, and when your savings line up with the right opportunity, jump into that one.
Then, hopefully, whatever money you sink into attachments, etc., won't wind up in your trashcan in six months.
Just my $.02.
Hey, thanks you guys. I understand now that I can get a scroll chuck for it, but what about a drill chuck? It's my understanding (probably deeply flawed) that to drill you mount the block in the chuck and have a drill chuck on the tailstock? I was emailing a guy at a woodworking supply and he said that he thought I wouldn't be able to get a drill chuck which fit...? Thanks again, I appreciate everyone's help/advice.
- KurtHuhn
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I agree with Robert. While you could certainly find a scroll chuck for the headstock, I wouldn't invest any more than a few dollars in it. That is a solid spindle, and looks like it's probably 3/4"-16tpi - though without standing in front of it, I wouldn't bet any money on that guess.
Have you turned it on? Does the spindle rotate smooth and without vibration? I f not, it has suffered the common bent spindle problem, and is worth more as scrap than a tool.
If it operates okay currently, I personally would be tempted to keep it around for light duty bowl and platter turning - but that's only because that stuff interests me, and a free tool is a free tool. However, if you have no interest, sell it and put that money towards a decent lathe.
Have you turned it on? Does the spindle rotate smooth and without vibration? I f not, it has suffered the common bent spindle problem, and is worth more as scrap than a tool.
If it operates okay currently, I personally would be tempted to keep it around for light duty bowl and platter turning - but that's only because that stuff interests me, and a free tool is a free tool. However, if you have no interest, sell it and put that money towards a decent lathe.
If the tailstock has a morse taper, then it can hold a drill chuck. All you need is an arbor adapter with a MT on one end, a JT on the other and a chuck to fit the JT.BeatusLiebowitz wrote:I understand now that I can get a scroll chuck for it, but what about a drill chuck? It's my understanding (probably deeply flawed) that to drill you mount the block in the chuck and have a drill chuck on the tailstock? I was emailing a guy at a woodworking supply and he said that he thought I wouldn't be able to get a drill chuck which fit...?
This sort of wossname: arbor adapter
Just pick your sizes from this: Choose Adapter
Regards,
Frank.
------------------
Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
Frank.
------------------
Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
We're talking about teeth-per-inch. "About 8 threads" isn't accurate enough. You need to know exactly the tpi plus the diameter of the shaft/spindle.BeatusLiebowitz wrote: the threaded area is 3/4" long and has about 8 threads on it.
Regards,
Frank.
------------------
Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
Frank.
------------------
Grouch Happens!
People usually get the gods they deserve - Terry Pratchett
- KurtHuhn
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That's outside diameter as well - the peaks of the threads, not the valleys. And you can use a printable thread gauge like this to get the TPI:
http://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-infor ... -Sizes.pdf
And one thing just struck me. That tailstock is probably the hokiest looking setup I've seen almost anywhere. It does not appear that it accepts a morse taper. Instead, the barrel appears to be an acme thread, or a very coarse national or metric thread, with a bigass nut used to lock it down. Suffice to say, that tailstock won't accept any kind of morse taper jacobs chuck. Depending on how the live center is attached to the threaded tailstock spindle, you *might* find a jacobs chucks to fit it - assuming you could thread one on. However, I highly doubt that this is the case, and without extensive machining, you'll never get a jacobs chuck in that tailstock.
Like I said, if turning spindles, bowls, platters, and the like interests you, hang on to it. If not, consider seeing what someone would be willing to pay for it.
http://www.boltdepot.com/fastener-infor ... -Sizes.pdf
And one thing just struck me. That tailstock is probably the hokiest looking setup I've seen almost anywhere. It does not appear that it accepts a morse taper. Instead, the barrel appears to be an acme thread, or a very coarse national or metric thread, with a bigass nut used to lock it down. Suffice to say, that tailstock won't accept any kind of morse taper jacobs chuck. Depending on how the live center is attached to the threaded tailstock spindle, you *might* find a jacobs chucks to fit it - assuming you could thread one on. However, I highly doubt that this is the case, and without extensive machining, you'll never get a jacobs chuck in that tailstock.
Like I said, if turning spindles, bowls, platters, and the like interests you, hang on to it. If not, consider seeing what someone would be willing to pay for it.
Last edited by KurtHuhn on Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate your bearing with me. The DIAMETER of the spindle is 3/4", and thanks Kurt for the printable thread gauge; I was actually at the hardware store NOT finding one while you were typing that up.
Anyways, I think I'll just go the saving route, rather than waste money on a chuck for this lathe. Primarily I want it to drill with which appears impossible. You're right, the tailstock is useless. The live center is permanently attached to the tailstock spindle. Blah.
Thanks again for all the help. Anyone wanna buy a lathe? Top o' the line!
Anyways, I think I'll just go the saving route, rather than waste money on a chuck for this lathe. Primarily I want it to drill with which appears impossible. You're right, the tailstock is useless. The live center is permanently attached to the tailstock spindle. Blah.
Thanks again for all the help. Anyone wanna buy a lathe? Top o' the line!