I'm looking to buy a cheap setup that I can modify easily. I mean really cheap.
I was wondering what kind of attachments I can put on a 1/3-1/2 hp motor? sanding wheels? I'd like to buy Kurts setup with arbours, but I'd also like to know if I can put a jacobs chuck on a motor like that and freehand drill my pipes. This kind of setup would allow me to forgo spending all my money on a lathe (at least to my mind). Don't hesitate to shoot this down and crush my hope
Anything that generates 1/4 to 1/3 HP at 1725 RPM is perfect for sanding. Even at that, it might be overkill in the power department.
For freehand drilling, they might get bogged while drilling the tobacco chamber. For that most guys use a lathe, to get the torque benefit of gearing down the RPM. The motor on my metal lathe is a 1/3HP motor, and even at that it will overpower the drive belt from time to time.
PME sells a 3 Jaw chuck that will attach to the spindle of a motor the way I think you want it to. Good luck drilling like that though; it can be done, but it would be pretty tough.
Bruce, I'd like to point out that while it may in fact be the case that such a practice is dangerous, impossible to control, and probably foolish, it could in theory be done, and therefore your previous post is incorrect.
I would think that you'd be way, way better off to buy a lathe. It costs more, initially, but the functionality for making pipes is a million times higher than the sort of thing you are pondering, breg.
i'm young and naive and i don't need all my fingers anyways.
What if he uses spade bits?
and in answer to jeffs query, thats the plan (spade bits).
also, what about turning prefab stem tenons on this contraption using the PIMO tools or therebouts?
i know y'all are going to tell me to get a lathe, but i can't right now.
You'd be best off to get a drill press and a pimo tenon tool, in that case. Drill presses can be had fairly cheap - around 80 bucks. You can drill your blocks and stems, and polish on a drill press if you have to.
When you are just starting out learning, when you're still on your first few pipes, a lathe is not necessary. Not even in the top ten tools.
Get a good drill press. You'll find that, even after you do get a lathe, the drill press will still see tons of use - not just for pipes, but for other workshop projects as well.
For God's sake, don't use a motor with a Jacobs chuck on it to drill tobacco chambers. Please.
One thing about motors (not being from a mechanical background) that has been puzzling me, is this:
I have been seeing a lot of motors without the HP on, for some reason. Is there any way to work out what the horsepower should be by looking at the other stuff (W, etc)?
You can calculate the HP, but you have to be able to measure some other stuff to do it.
HP = (V x A x Eff)/746
V=Volts
A=current (Amps)
Eff=efficiency
For quick calculation purposes, assume that most electric motors have an efficiency of 70% (.70). So a motor on 110V, drawing 10 Amps would have a rating of 1.0 HP.
"Cut your own wood and you warm yourself twice." - Henry Ford
