Converting Cheap Lathe into Slack Sander ?

[Alden]

I had this idea the other day when thinking about tooling up, does anyone think its a good idea to pick up a cheap wood lathe with a good motor and use it to drive a couple belts for a slack sander ?
Seems like it would be straight forward, mount the lathe to the floor, chuck a drive shaft with a couple of wheels onto it, mount a bracket on the wall above it with two arms, a pivoting arm below with a wheel and a fixed arm above to hold spring tension onto the bottom arm.
Seems like for a couple hundred bucks you could build a nice slack sander with two belts and adjustable speed, but am I being too simple ? Would it be difficult to get it tracking straight without having an adjustment for that ?
Any thoughts about what I'm missing, or how to actually build one this way ?

[Massis]

If you can build one from an electric motor, you can build one from a wood lathe, as it's just an electric motor with a housing and a bed...

Whether or not YOU can build a decent, well tracking one is more up to you than up to the lathe I think...

[Alden]

Right, makes sense to me. I was just concerned I might be oversimplifying things, forgetting to add something vitally important like some kind of tracking adjustment.
I see some variable speed lathes going really cheap around here, seemed to be a fairly easy way to build a sander.

[pipeguy]

Just make one out of a used electric motor and some step pulleys made mine for under $25.00 its easy never mind a lathe

[Alden]

Yeah, it seems like it would be pretty easy to do it with a motor and pulleys, but I dont know where to get a good motor without spending a lot. Any ideas where to find a good motor ?
I was thinking of doing it this way because I can get a VS wood lathe free from a friend and could drive two belts with it, and have speed control.
I dont know what I'll end up doing.
Thanks for the input.

[jogilli]

go to your local hardware store.. buy a belt sander.. straight iron.. angle iron and order an idler wheel from beaumount metal works... just make sure the belt sander runs under 1400 RPMs...mine is measured out to work w/ 2x72 belts.. works like a charm



james

[Alden]

Brilliant !
Thats on the list of possibilites.
Would a standard bench grinder work as a motor. with step pulleys to adjust the speed ?
I just want to set something up with two belts I think, one finer one coarser.

[caskwith]

If you can get a free lathe then by all means use that. A box metal frame could be welded to the bed to support the idler wheels.

[jogilli]

Edward

I agree with Chris.. spend as little as you can (on quality parts) while still buying/getting setting up your workshop.... if you can get a free lathe.. work with that.. step pulleys would work.. but don't go out and buy a motor to just get a motor

james

[oklahoma red]

go to your local hardware store.. buy a belt sander.. straight iron.. angle iron and order an idler wheel from beaumount metal works... just make sure the belt sander runs under 1400 RPMs...mine is measured out to work w/ 2x72 belts.. works like a charm



james

Yankee ingenuity at work!
I want to know who has to pedal the Schwinn to make it work, your wife or kids or??

[Alden]

I want to know who has to pedal the Schwinn to make it work, your wife or kids or??

Hehehehe.
Thanks James and Chris for the advice. I'm going to go take a look at the lathe this weekend. Its a Harbor Freight lathe, barely used but a few years old.
Chris, I dont follow you on the box welded to the bed, but I may see what you're saying once I sit down and design it on paper.
I was thinking Beaumont wheels on an aluminum rod with a channel milled down the top to give the set screws a place to grab and both ends milled square to mount in chucks.

[jogilli]

Oklahoma.... got the same question at work.. it's for my sun... saves me paying for electricity.. the only problem is when I near the 2 hour mark he starts to complain.. I guess I have to mount a TV down there for him to watch while he plays gerbil

and I personally would stay away from aluminum and stick w/steel

james

[andrew]

This is one the next things I need to build next. Great pics guys!