27-08-2012, 11:52 AM
As most members will know I've recently been doing some wood-turning but using an engineering lathe. The main problem with this is the lack of a proper tool rest. As I want to be able to turn both metal and wood I wasn't prepared to modify the lathe in ways which would make it one or the other.
After some thought I realised that it's a simple matter to remove the compound slide and fit something in it's place.
I haven't much in the way of material so it's been a case of using what I'd got and I had got plenty of 15mm water tube.
I initially turned a bit of wood which would fit inside a short piece and then drilled this to take a bolt. I then filed the sides off a large washer and soldered a nut under the hole so this could go in the way of the cross-slide.
At the top of this upright I fitted a T. Instead of soldering this I slit it and secured it with a Jubilee clip so as to allow adjustment of the angle.
I was able to use it to turn some other bits of wood to go inside the cross pieces to give a degree of reinforcing. While doing this I realised that the upright was too long but, as per the design brief, it was a very easy matter to refit the compound slide and turn a bit off it.
This is very much a Mark I as copper isn't really strong enough and there's no height adjustment. Now I've proved the design I'll see about making another with 15mm steel bar. If and when I get access to welding gear it will be even better.
For all that having the proper equipment would be nice in some ways it wouldn't be as much fun and the sense of achievement when success is achieved would be much lessened.
- Joe
After some thought I realised that it's a simple matter to remove the compound slide and fit something in it's place.
I haven't much in the way of material so it's been a case of using what I'd got and I had got plenty of 15mm water tube.
I initially turned a bit of wood which would fit inside a short piece and then drilled this to take a bolt. I then filed the sides off a large washer and soldered a nut under the hole so this could go in the way of the cross-slide.
At the top of this upright I fitted a T. Instead of soldering this I slit it and secured it with a Jubilee clip so as to allow adjustment of the angle.
I was able to use it to turn some other bits of wood to go inside the cross pieces to give a degree of reinforcing. While doing this I realised that the upright was too long but, as per the design brief, it was a very easy matter to refit the compound slide and turn a bit off it.
This is very much a Mark I as copper isn't really strong enough and there's no height adjustment. Now I've proved the design I'll see about making another with 15mm steel bar. If and when I get access to welding gear it will be even better.
For all that having the proper equipment would be nice in some ways it wouldn't be as much fun and the sense of achievement when success is achieved would be much lessened.
- Joe