Homemade metal lathe made from an I-beam. DIY metal lathe, inexpensive option. Preparing to create a device
The article is a step-by-step instruction for making a metal lathe with your own hands. How to do homemade unit at home?
The use of a lathe is necessary in auto repair shops, in the engineering industry, in repair shops and training workshops.
The cost of the machine is high and not every workshop or workshop can afford to purchase it. Knowing what parts are needed and how to connect all the units into a single mechanism, you can make it with my own hands.
Basic structure of a lathe
A lathe is created on the basis of a bed that is stable and durable, withstanding impressive and serious loads. The main system of mechanisms and assemblies is mounted on it.
The first lathes appeared in the 18th century, after the manufacture of the caliper. Russian inventor Andrei Nartov came up with a mechanism that spun using a flywheel, and on the machine itself all the parts were made of metal, including screws, racks, and pulleys.
With the development of technology, it was replaced manual drive to mechanical.
There are several types of metal cutting machines, which differ depending on power, size and productivity:
- The tabletop metal lathe has a maximum weight of up to 100 kg and a power of up to 400 W. Its use is relevant in small workshops and private workshops, in which metal parts are processed and repaired, and not produced in large quantities.
- A semi-professional lathe most often represents a symbiosis of turning, milling and drilling equipment, on which small batches of products are made. Power up to 1000 W allows you to work in production mode.
- Professional lathe for working with metal, it is equipped, as a rule, with automatic program control, has a high mass and high power. Machines of this type are used in production and large enterprises for processing parts up to 3000 mm from materials of various compositions.
Their high cost, large scale and high power are unacceptable for use at home or in small businesses. Alternative option maybe theirs self-assembly, which will allow you to quickly and efficiently produce parts and produce blanks.
How to assemble a lathe yourself?
To make a homemade lathe you will need:
- hydraulic cylinder, shock absorber shaft;
- metal shafts, angles, channels and beams;
- cylindrical guides;
- beams, pipe, fasteners;
- welding machine;
- electric motor, two pulleys with belt drive.
First of all, we manufacture the main frame structure with longitudinal guides. For this, two channels and two metal rods with a thickness of at least 30 mm are used with a working area of the machine of 50 mm. Two longitudinal shafts are attached to two channels using guides with petals. Each petal is attached to a channel bolted connection and welding.
The headstock is made of a hydraulic cylinder. In this case, with a wall thickness of 6mm. Two 203 bearings are pressed into the inner diameter on each side. Inside the bearings there is a hole with a diameter of 17 mm in which the shaft is placed. Lubricant is poured into the hole of the hydraulic cylinder. There is a nut under the pulley large diameter, which prevents bearings from being squeezed out.
Pulley fits from washing machine. The diameter of the pulley shaft must match the shaft on the engine. Then by rearranging the pulleys different diameters you can change the rotation speed. The headstock is installed on metal beam.
The transverse support is made of a metal plate to which cylindrical guides are welded. Two guides are driven into them; the shaft from the shock absorbers is used as guides. To move in the transverse plane, tightly fitted bushings are placed on each guide.
The tool holder is made of two thick metal plates. It is secured to a stand made of brake shoes through a metal nut. The tool holder plates are connected to each other with bolts.
The chuck for securing the part is made of metal pipe. Fastening is done with four bolts. Which are screwed into pre-welded nuts.
The drive uses a motor from a washing machine. In this case, 180W. The motor is connected to the headstock via a belt drive. The machine is equipped with a self-tensioning mechanism. The belt is tensioned by the weight of the engine. The structure of the corners is secured using canopies.
All parts are assembled into a single structure. The lathe is ready for use.
Video: making a metal lathe at home (several parts).
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Every home craftsman would like to have a metal lathe in his arsenal of tools. Such equipment allows you, if necessary, to turn a broken part yourself, cut a thread, make some kind of trinket and much more. However, since industrial units Not everyone can afford them, and they take up a lot of space, so most craftsmen prefer to make compact homemade metal machines with their own hands.
Read in the article
What can be done with a mini-lathe, and where is it used?
Household mini-lathes, as well as similar industrial equipment, are designed for processing metal workpieces and giving them cylindrical, conical and spherical shapes. Nowadays they are used in almost all industries, which makes it possible to reduce human participation to almost zero, but for home needs a simple machine is suitable. Despite the fact that compact turning equipment has inherited most of the functions from its larger counterparts, however, it can only be used to process small workpieces and parts. Also on mini-machines you can perform end trimming, external and internal threading, boring and much more. Compact turning equipment is perfect for home use, installation on or in a small machine.
What does a lathe consist of: main components
For the most part, industrial and household lathes are similar. The difference lies in functionality, power and weight. The figure below shows the structure of a typical screw-cutting lathe. The main nodes are:
- bed;
- caliper;
- headstock (placement of the gearbox to adjust the rotation speed and change the amount of torque);
- tailstock(for more stable and reliable support of the workpiece or part clamped in the chuck (spindle), as well as for installing drills, taps and other tools);
- tool holder
bed
One of the main elements is the frame - a massive metal base on which all the main components and parts of the equipment are mounted. It must be strong enough, and the mass must be such as to prevent the machine from tipping over during operation. For the floor version, massive supports (pedestals) are added.
Lathe support
The lathe support is designed to move along, across and at an angle to the spindle axis of the cutters fixed in the tool holder. The device has a cross design, consisting of three main elements: a carriage, a transverse and a cutting slide.
Making your own lathe headstock
The headstock is one of the most complex components of a lathe, especially for self-made. It houses a gearbox with a spindle and a control unit. Under the headstock casing there is an electric motor, which is connected by a belt drive to the gear pulley.
This unit contains a block consisting of replaceable gears designed to transmit and change the spindle rotation speed and torque from the feedbox shaft. You can buy a lathe headstock or make one yourself.
Lathe tailstock
The tailstock of a metal lathe is movable and is designed to press the workpiece to the center of the spindle. One of the elements of this unit is a quill, on which a stationary or rotating center is installed, the tip of which rests on the workpiece. The workpiece is installed in a chuck on the spindle and supported by the tailstock. This ensures reliable fastening of the part for high-quality processing.
Drills, taps, countersinks, etc. can be installed in the tailstock. When installing and moving on the skids of the frame, it is necessary to avoid sharp and strong impacts on the body of the unit in order to prevent displacement of the centers.
Making your own tool holder for a lathe
The tool holder is designed to attach a metal processing tool to the support of a lathe and moves both in the longitudinal and parallel directions relative to the workpiece. There are two types of tool holders: two- and four-position. In the first case, you can simultaneously install two cutters using screws, and in the second - four, which allows you to quickly change cutters if necessary without stopping the lathe. A special handle is provided for quickly changing cutters.
Making and installing a metal lathe with your own hands
Making a mini metal lathe with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. You just need to compose detailed plan action, drawing, prepare necessary materials and tools, and, of course, some skills, and a great desire.
Design and drawings of a metal lathe for a garage
This stage is the most important, since the correct execution of all further operations and the correct operation of the equipment depend on it. First of all, you need to decide on the dimensions of the machine. The average size of equipment used in everyday life is 900×350×300 mm. You should not deviate too much from these values, as this will lead to inconvenient work and productivity will decrease significantly.
Having decided on the drawing and dimensions of a small lathe, we move on to preparing the necessary materials.
| Illustration | Description of action |
 | The cast iron frame can be replaced with a frame made of steel angles and profile pipes. You should not use wood, since in this case you should not rely on the durability of the machine and the accuracy of the work performed. |
 | It is preferable to take a low-power one as a power unit asynchronous electric motor, since even with a sharp decrease in speed the drive will not break. The engine power must be selected in accordance with the expected diameters of the workpieces. |
 | Choosing drive belts various diameters. |
 | As fasteners we use a set of bolts and nuts of various diameters and lengths. |
 | Slides made of steel rods are made from steel rod, which is recommended to be hardened. You can also use ready-made elements from a factory-produced used machine of suitable size (this also applies to other equipment components). |
  | The spindle and tailstock are considered the most difficult components to manufacture yourself, so you can contact a specialized workshop or the manufacturer. If you decide to make these parts yourself, then the headstock can be made from metal of the appropriate thickness and. A simple spindle is made from a bolt with a sharpened end, nuts and a steering wheel. |
 | Feeding longitudinal and transverse screws can be turned on a machine in a specialized workshop or made independently from rods with already cut threads. |
 | To create rotating units, rolling bearings mounted on the housing are suitable. |
 | The caliper can be made from a steel plate with a thickness of 8 mm. |
 | The tool holder is made prefabricated from a thick steel plate, ordered in a specialized workshop, or taken from another machine. |
Once the drawing has been selected and all the necessary materials and components have been prepared, you can begin assembling the unit.
Choosing an electric motor for a homemade lathe
The electric motor is the most important element metal lathe, be it industrial production or homemade. He is the one responsible for the operation of the equipment. The functionality of a lathe largely depends on the power of the electric motor. If the machine is intended to work with workpieces Not big size, then an engine with a power of up to 1 kW will be sufficient (you can, for example, take it from an old sewing machine or). For large parts you will need a power unit with a capacity of 1.5-2 kW.
Assembly procedure for a metal lathe
In order for the lathe to work properly, it is important to assemble it correctly, and to do this you just need to follow the following algorithm:
- Frame formation. Since creating a cast iron frame at home is almost impossible, you will have to use steel pipes, which are cut to size and welded together. We make sure that all corners are level and follow the drawing.
- Creation of side racks.
- We connect the racks with guides, and mount special bushings on the side supports.
- Bushings are installed on the guides on which the tailstock will be mounted, and they will also be used for reliable fastening tool holder.
- Creating sites from steel sheet required thickness for installing the caliper and quill.
- Mounting the lead screw.
- The vernier and the steering wheel are attached to the lead screw.
- Fastening the platform for installing the headstock.
- Assembling the headstock and tailstock, after which they are installed on the machine.
- Creating a support and tool holder.
- Assembling a subframe for an electric motor. To do this, use steel pipes or a corner. The subframe will allow you to raise and lower the electric motor.
- Installation of the power unit and its subsequent connection to the electrical network.
- Test run of the lathe.
- If everything is functioning normally, then you can paint the machine (if desired) and start working on it.
If desired, conventional turning equipment can be re-equipped with your own hands to milling machine on metal.
Making your own lathe from a drill
You can also make a lathe from an electric drill, but this design is mainly suitable for processing wood. Of course, it can be used to work with metal, but the power unit used must be as powerful as possible and the parts very small. For example, such a machine is suitable for a home-grown amateur jeweler. This design consists of a minimum of parts. So, let's move on to step-by-step instructions for making a lathe from a drill with photos and descriptions.
| Illustration | Description of action |
 | On |
Wood is easy to process. Using simple tools, you can create things of amazing beauty and functionality.
Separately, it is worth noting products that have the shape of rotation figures: tool handles, staircase balusters, kitchen utensils. To make them, an ax or chisel is not enough; you need a lathe.
Buying such a device is not a problem, but good machine it costs expensive. Get one like this useful tool and it’s easy to save money, because you can make a wood lathe with your own hands.
Why is it needed and how does it work?
A lathe is designed for the manufacture of wooden products that have a cylindrical or similar shape. This is an indispensable item for repairs. country house With wooden stairs, a carved porch, but not only.
With some experience turning tool will allow you not only to save on purchased decorative elements, but also to earn money, because wooden crafts handmade are highly valued.
Whether such a machine is needed in a home workshop is up to the master to decide.
Of course, if you need several handles for chisels, it is easier to buy them, but if you want to make an all-wood staircase, then a set of balusters will cost a very large sum. It is much cheaper to make them yourself. By the way, you don’t even have to spend money on buying equipment - a simple machine can be made in your own workshop using scrap materials.
The operating principle of a wood lathe is not particularly complicated. The cylindrical workpiece is fixed along the axis of rotation. Torque is transmitted to it. By bringing various cutters or grinding tools to the workpiece, it is given the desired shape.
Main parts of lathe:
- a frame on which all components are fixed;
- electric drive;
- headstock;
- tailstock;
- handyman
For ease of operation, schemes for changing the rotation speed are used. IN professional equipment This is a real gearbox, a system of gears that allows you to regulate the speed within a very wide range. This is difficult; it is enough to equip a homemade wood lathe with a belt drive with several pulleys of different diameters.
Manufacturing of the bed
The bed is a frame that combines all parts of the machine into a single whole. The strength of the structure as a whole depends on its reliability, because best material for the frame - steel corner. You can also use profile pipe rectangular section.
First of all, the dimensions of the future unit are outlined. This indicator largely depends on what specific products the machine is needed for. The average size the bed of a home lathe is 80 cm. Using a grinder with a metal circle, cut two identical blanks.
Laying wooden blocks, the angles with the shelves up and inward, are laid on a flat surface, their upper edges should create an ideal plane. The same distance is maintained between them, approximately 5 cm. To orient them correctly, use a strip of appropriate thickness.
The longitudinal parts of the base are fixed with clamps. Cross members are made from the same square. There are three of them. Two are attached to the edges of the structure, the third, which is a support for the headstock, is approximately twenty centimeters from the left edge. The exact dimensions depend on the type of motor used and the parameters of the pulley that could be found.
All that remains is to weld the frame into a single whole. The seam must be reliable and of high quality; it can be welded manually or using an automatic machine.
It is important to immediately decide how the machine will be used. Desktop installation or production of a stand-alone unit is possible. In the second option, it is necessary to provide legs. They can be made from the same square, or they can be cut from timber of suitable thickness. Application wooden legs will allow you to save on material, in addition, the machine can be made collapsible.
Electric motor for machine
The basis of the lathe drive is the engine. When choosing this unit, it is important to pay attention to its main characteristic – power. For a home machine, models with a power from 1200 to 2000 W are suitable. The type of connection is important; there are single-phase and three-phase motors.
In a low-power table lathe, you can use a motor from a washing machine. He is unlikely to cope with the processing large workpiece, but will help make small decorative elements and kitchen utensils.
Direct drive or belt drive
There are several ways to transfer rotation to the workpiece. The simplest is direct drive. In this case, the workpiece is attached directly to the motor shaft. Distinctive feature This design is simplicity. With all this, direct drive has a number of significant disadvantages.
First of all, a direct drive machine does not allow you to adjust the rotation speed, which is critical when working with hard material. It is also worth considering the load on the electric motor, especially when working with large workpieces. No matter how well it is centered, it cannot do without vibration. The motor bearings are not designed to withstand longitudinal load and will often fail.
To protect the engine from damage and provide the ability to adjust the speed of rotation of the workpiece, it is worth considering a belt drive. In this case, the engine is located away from the axis of rotation of the workpiece, and torque is transmitted through pulleys. Using pulley blocks of different diameters, it is easy to change the speed within a fairly wide range.
It is advisable to equip a machine for your home with pulleys with three or more grooves, which will allow you to process wood of any species with equal success, and, if necessary, work with soft alloys.
Headstock and tailstock
The workpiece being processed is clamped between two devices called the headstock and tailstock. Rotation from the engine is transmitted to the front one, which is why it is a more complex unit.
Structurally, the headstock of a homemade lathe is a metal U-shaped structure, between the side faces of which a shaft and one or more pulleys are mounted on bearings. The body of this unit can be made of thick steel; bolts of sufficient length are suitable for assembling it into a single whole.
An important part of the headstock, as well as the machine as a whole, is the shaft, a spindle with three or four pins designed to fix the workpiece. This shaft is passed through the bearing of one of the cheeks of the U-shaped housing, then pulleys are mounted on it. A key or fixing agent is used to secure them. cylindrical parts, the second cheek is put on last, the structure is securely tightened with bolts.
The tailstock's job is to support the long workpiece while allowing it to rotate freely. You can buy a ready-made part from a factory machine, or you can use a powerful cartridge electric drill, fixed on a square suitable length. A shaft with a pointed end is clamped into the cartridge itself.
The headstock and tailstock are installed on the bed. It is important to understand that the axes of rotation of both shafts must completely coincide. Otherwise, breakage of the workpiece, failure of the machine, and possibly injury to the turner are likely.
Tool support: tool rest
A tool rest is a table on which the tool rests during operation. In principle, it can have any configuration, the master can choose, the main criterion is convenience. One of the best options for a hand rest is trapezoidal turntable made of thick steel, mounted on a platform that allows it to be moved in all directions. It will allow you to process any workpieces and manufacture products various sizes and shapes.
The simplest tool for this is a square welded to the base. The height of its upper edge must correspond to the level of the axis of the headstocks.
Wood cutters
As cutting tool are used for lathe. You can buy such a tool in almost any hardware store. Individual cutters and entire sets are available for sale.
If there is no store nearby, but you have the opportunity and desire, you can make the necessary tool yourself. For this you will need metal cutting machine, as well as a tool steel blade, it can be replaced with an old tool. Lathe cutter High Quality can come from, for example, an old Soviet file.
Mini machine for small jobs
Often there is a need to grind several small wooden parts, in this case it is not at all necessary to make a full-fledged machine; you can get by with a mini-wood lathe. Its production does not require much labor and will not take much time.
The design of such a machine is extremely simple. As an electrical component, a motor from an old tape recorder, powered from external unit nutrition. The bed of the mini-machine will be a piece of board of the required length.
The engine must be secured. Of course, a belt drive is not suitable for a small machine; the workpiece will have to be mounted on the motor shaft. The best device for this is a faceplate. The drive housing is a U-shaped plate, in the center of which a hole is drilled for the shaft. The engine in the housing is mounted on the frame using self-tapping screws.
The main part of the machine is ready, all that remains is to make the tailstock. Its body is made of a block of suitable size. A hole for the shaft is drilled in it exactly at the height of the engine; a dowel-nail of suitable length is used as it. The headstock is attached with glue and several screws.
Using a power source with the ability to adjust the output voltage, you can create a machine with variable rotation speed. It is convenient to regulate the speed using the foot control pedal. The design of this device can be very diverse, it all depends on the available parts.
Machine made from an electric drill
Perhaps everyone home handyman there is one like this useful thing like an electric drill. It's really universal tool, they drill with it, mix the solution, and clean the surfaces. It's no wonder that many people have the idea of using a drill motor to make a small wood lathe.
It is not difficult. By and large, it is enough to fix the drill on the bed, and install the tailstock opposite it; it should be movable, which will allow you to adjust the working distance.
There are many options for manufacturing such a lathe, they differ in complexity and the materials used. In the simplest case, the machine is a board or piece of thick plywood, at one end of which there is a stop for a drill with a lock, and at the other - a rear beam: a block with a shaft inside. As a shaft, you can use a sharpened screw or dowel of a suitable diameter.
If you have the skills to work with metal, you can create a professional-level machine. Using it, it is easy to produce products of the highest class. If the machine is needed from time to time, the best option- a machine made from a drill. If necessary, you can grind the required part, and if you need a drill, it can be used for its intended purpose.
It's all about money. Metal lathes are very, very expensive things, this applies to even the simplest models.
Making this kind of machine with your own hands is something anyone can do, which is why many home and handicraft craftsmen build these devices on their own and are very successful.
A lathe is an ancient device; it is an early device for processing a wide variety of parts from a wide variety of materials - from metal to wood, etc.
Processing is, first of all, turning surfaces both inside and outside, drilling and boring holes of different diameters, cutting threads, and forming surface relief using knurling.
Speaking of turning metal parts, then industrial turning devices produced by different factories are expensive and massive units, which are very difficult to operate.
They in no way relate to desktop devices; these are serious industrial units that, in principle, are not suitable for handicraft work. Therefore, a homemade lathe, - great idea for all reasons.
Drawing of a lathe.
You can, for example, make it in the form of a mini version, which will be quite enough for processing both metal parts and workpieces made of any other materials.
There are certain limitations when using homemade mini-machines: they are designed mainly for working with round parts, with sections such as axles, handles for tools, wheels, etc.
In mini-machines, parts need to be fixed only in a horizontal position for their rotational movements. Excess material during turning is removed by cutters, which are fixed in the support of the lathe.
Components of a mini metal lathe
Composition of any turning device traditional, all of the following elements are present regardless of how it is made - manually at home or industrially.
The devices consist of the following components:
bed
The main load-bearing element of the entire structure, giving it rigidity and strength. The bed of a homemade lathe is made from wooden beam or metal blanks in the form of finished corners.
The main requirement for the bed is the necessary strength, since the structure of the machine is exposed to strong vibration during the processing process.
Drive unit
The main element of the part responsible for the power of work. The drive must be selected very correctly based on the power required. This is not an easy task and one that needs to be thought through carefully.
A used washing machine drive will suffice, construction mixer or anything else if you are making a lightweight metalworking machine.
The number of revolutions with such drives is about 1500 rpm, and the power is 200 W or slightly higher.
- Tailstock.
This is a special steel plate to which a steel corner is also welded. It is needed for tight fixation of the workpiece to the bed for high-quality processing. - Headstock.
This is the same part as the tailstock, but unlike the front one, it is fixed on the movable frame of the device. - Front and back centers.
- Caliper.
This is one of the key factors for the working elements of the device, information about which you can read below.
How is rotation done?
The device of a lathe.
Torque is generated in the machine different ways. You can install the working part on the rotary shaft of the electric motor directly. This approach will save a lot of things: both space and money for spare parts.
Unfortunately, such an arrangement is not always possible, so the so-called gears are appointed as the main executor of the rotational movement. They come in chain, belt and friction types.
Each type of transmission has its pros and cons:
Belting
Most a budget option motor transmissions with many advantages. The main one is reliability. Making a belt drive is simple: most often craftsmen take one from other devices.
There is also a drawback - this is its fragility, since the belts wear out quickly. You will have to change them quite often.
Chain and friction transmission
A chain drive is not cheap, and it is also much more bulky than a belt drive. But such a transmission will last much longer, so you will get “strategic” cost savings. The friction drive is located exactly in the middle between the belt and chain drives.
Main components of the device
The final quality of the processed part depends on the support. The effort, time and all other resources invested in the process can go down the drain without a well-established support. This part is located on special “sleds” moving along the frame along guide vectors.
The movement of the caliper can occur in the following directions:
- Longitudinal movement in which the working element of the device moves along the part being connected. This direction is performed when turning a circular thread or to remove the surface layer of paint or something else from the workpiece being processed.
- The transverse movement of the caliper is perpendicular to the axis of the part. With the help of this movement, holes and recesses are made.
- The inclined movement can be carried out at various angles of inclination, it is used to produce surface recesses of various configurations.
It should be remembered that the caliper, as the most active and moving part of the device, is the most worn.
Elements of a lathe.
Rapid wear is explained by the action of constant and serious vibration, which results in loosening of the fasteners and subsequent backlash, which always affects the quality of turning work in one form or another. Such a disaster can be avoided; this requires constant adjustment and adjustment of the caliper.
The caliper can be adjusted in different ways. If the backlash is adjusted, it is eliminated using a screw. Gaps can be eliminated using special inserts between the carriage and the guides.
Gaps appear when the screw, which controls longitudinal and transverse movements in planes, wears out. Oil seals can also wear out. In this case, they are washed and lubricated until completely saturated with machine oil. Sometimes they just need to be replaced with new ones.
Stages of assembling a lathe
The power level of the motor must be calculated depending on the planned work - the size of the metal parts that you are going to work with on your new unit.
If you plan to work with small parts, a motor with a power of about 1 kW will be sufficient. Such motors are available on sewing machines or other household electrical appliances. If your future parts are larger, choose a motor with a power of 1.5 to 2.0 kW.
The power also depends on the material you are going to work with. If, for example, your material is wood, then DIY wood lathes, including a homemade wood lathe cutter, will not require much power.
The most important issue is reliable insulation of all electrical components. The most the best option will consult a specialist. Confidence in the safety of the device and professional reliability design will not hurt you: after all, you are going to work with electricity and metals. And they don't joke with them.
Making a machine from a drill
The drill will look great as a drive to a lathe.
With this elegant solution you will save a lot of money and make your life much easier because it has whole line excellent advantages:
- The modularity of the device: it is simply assembled and disassembled. The drill can be detached from the frame and reattached without any difficulty.
- This model is very transportable, you can work with it anywhere - even in the country, even in the garage.
- Significant cost savings: no need to purchase additional replacement attachments or belt drive.
To assemble a device from a drill, you will need almost the same parts as for a regular device. Only two things will not be needed: an electric motor and a headstock, and these are the most important and most expensive structural elements.
Since the machine is light and compact, there is no need to build a stable frame; a workbench or table will be sufficient. The drill is fixed using a clamp and a clamp.
Design and dimensions of a lathe.
Expanding the functions of a turning device from a drill can be done using additional attachments and other devices. You can make some great homemade woodworking machines.
There are, of course, disadvantages. You will not be able to process large parts with a drill machine. We can try to improve the model in this direction. For example, add a belt drive to increase the speed.
But the game is not worth the trouble: it will lose its main advantages in the form of simplicity and ease. Thus, homemade apparatus using a drill only makes sense in cases where you are working with small parts.
A lathe made from a drill is capable of many things: it can not only process parts. But also work with paints - apply them to the workpiece while it is rotating. This is also a homemade wood cutting machine.
Winding wire on a transformer, applying various kinds notches on the surface of parts are just some examples of the use of a multifunctional machine tool consisting of a drill and a metal lathe.
And now the simplest machine
Today there are a huge number of drawings, instructions and videos on the Internet on the topic “how to make a homemade lathe”, with the help of which independent work making a lathe is quite realistic and can be done by almost anyone.
You can, of course, aim for a mini-machine with program control. Or you can stop right there simple version, which will work perfectly at low cost on a wide variety of parts of various configurations.
Wooden posts are attached to the frame using bolts. The frame must be reliable, so it is made of steel corners. In extreme cases, it can be made from bars.
The device of a wood lathe.
The cutting element is fixed on a knot from the tool rest, and it will move along it. A sheet of metal should be tightly fixed on the moving surface to protect the structure from deformation. In addition, this will help position turning cutter on metal exactly to the part that needs to be processed.
To make the headstock and tailstock, suitable metal cylinders with the appropriate diameter are selected. They are housed in bearing assemblies that are pre-positioned in wooden posts.
The rotational motion is transmitted through the front center, connected to the motor using a belt drive. The part is fixed between the front and rear sections and processed with a cutter from a tool rest.
There are no problems with finding and choosing an electric motor for a mini-lathe.
We have already written that a low-power motor can be found on any household electrical device, any used home appliance is quite suitable for this task. Can be used as a drive grinding machines or drill.
Safety precautions
Since we are talking about working with metals, the requirements for compliance with safety regulations will be clear and strict, from which there is no escape. The first step is to check the functionality of the new machine immediately after its manufacture.
How to check the performance of the machine: the spindle should rotate without the slightest difficulty. It is necessary to measure the coincidence of the axis of rotation of the parts in the machine with the center of symmetry of the same part. The common axis should be visible at the front and rear centers.
Elements of the design of a lathe.
The electric motor is always covered with a special casing, which protects the motor from dirt and metal particles, as well as the machine operator himself. If your device is made from a drill, no casing is needed.
If you decide to equip your homemade lathe with a powerful motor, be sure to test on your home network to see if it is enough for your powerful motor. In general, it is better to adhere to established traditions and use old friends - electric motors from household appliances.
Making a homemade lathe is great and elegant solution from all points of view. Ease of execution, cost savings, efficient processing of parts - all this is about homemade lathes.
In most cases, a homemade lathe successfully replaces expensive factory equipment. Especially when there is a desire to process metal with minimal costs for equipment.
It’s not at all difficult to make a small tabletop lathe with your own hands, or you can choose a more complex drawing for the garage. The cost of parts and materials is affordable; some spare parts will probably be found on the farm.
Basic elements and operating principle
One of the most important characteristics metal lathe is the ability to withstand severe loads encountered when processing metals. At the same time, accuracy and speed are required.
A simple design for metal processing at home contains:
- base (bed);
- two racks (aka headstock);
- electric motor;
- motion transmission mechanism;
- device for securing the workpiece;
- stop for the cutter (support).
The main mechanisms are located in the headstock, but the motor homemade design may be outside. Using a transmission mechanism, the movement from the motor is transmitted to the spindle - a hollow shaft, to which the workpiece is attached using a chuck. serves to support the free end of the part.
Precision processing is achieved not only by skilled hands:
- stability of the base;
- absence of spindle “beating”;
- reliable fastening of the workpiece in the chuck.
Made according to all the rules, the mini-machine is easy to operate and compact. It is suitable for processing small metal parts various shapes, blanks made of wood, plastic.
Selection of parts
When the drawings of all components and fixtures have been developed, you can begin selecting parts.
Base
The purpose of the frame is to rigidly fix the leading and driven centers. For a desktop mini-machine, you can make it yourself from wooden block. This design will withstand working with small metal parts. A stationary frame for a garage or workshop must be durable; it is welded from a corner, metal strips or channel. It is recommended to use factory made guides. If not available, they are assembled from rolled metal with their own hands.
The dimensions of the bed determine the dimensions of the parts that will be processed. So, the length of the workpiece depends on the distance between the faceplate (chuck) and the center of the tailstock.
Electric motor and transmission
Most suitable for homemade machine — asynchronous motor. Its feature is constant speed rotation. To process metal workpieces, the following power is required:
- for working with small workpieces made of soft metals - 0.5 - 1 kW;
- for working with large parts and steels - 1.5 - 2 kW.
A high-power electric drill motor is quite suitable.
The use of commutator motors whose rotation speed depends on the load should be avoided. Accelerating at idle, it can lead to the ejection of the workpiece from the chuck and injury to your hands. If there is no other engine, the collector engine must be supplemented with a gearbox that controls the speed under any load.
The transmission can be belt or gear. It’s easier to assemble a belt with your own hands; it’s quite reliable. The belt neutralizes the force directed along the shaft and destroys the electric motor bearings.
You can also use a gearbox, which will allow you to operate at several speeds. And you can increase the engine speed with the help of an additional pulley.
An alternative to a gear mechanism is to mount the tool chuck directly onto the motor shaft. This device is often used for desktop mini-machines assembled from a drill or hand engraver. When planning it, you need to choose a motor with a sufficiently long shaft! To partially compensate for the load along the shaft, a stop, for example, in the form of a ball, is installed between its end and the rear surface of the housing.
Master and slave centers
In order for the part to rotate smoothly and not vibrate, the centers must be located strictly on the same axis. The workpiece is fixed with a faceplate or a jaw chuck.
The driven center is located on the rear support and can rotate or be stationary. A threaded hole is made in the support and a bolt is screwed in, which is sharpened to a cone. The bolt should have a stroke of about 3 cm in order to press the inserted workpiece tightly. The rear support (headstock) moves along the base along a guide. But in the simplest mini-machines, the end of the workpiece is supported by a retractable sharpened threaded pin, the amplitude of which is small.
Machine assembly process
The design will be based on an old working drill.
- From corner No. 40 we weld a base 70 cm long: at the edges there are two long corners, between them two - 40 cm long - this is the length working area. Between the short corners we leave a gap - a guide.
- The headstock in this case is a stand in which you need to conveniently and securely fasten the drill. Let's make it from a metal corner and plates. We cut through the vertical part round hole under the drill chuck. The cartridge should fit tightly into the hole.
- We weld the headstock to the base at the corner.
- The base for the tailstock is cut from angle No. 100. In the center of the horizontal part of the corner we drill a hole for a bolt that runs along the guide and holds the headstock. The bolt is welded from below to a rectangular pressure plate, and adjusted from above with a nut.
The support or tool holder will move along the central guide. To make a caliper, you will need a cast iron blank with a diameter of 80 mm, from which 2 parallelepipeds are cut with a grinder. We cut holes with a diameter of 22 mm in them for the bushings. We will make the rods from car axle shafts found in the garage.
We cut out the base and side parts from a metal plate. Between the rods we weld a bronze nut pressed into a steel sleeve, into which we screw a threaded pin passing through a hole in one of the sidewalls. Here we weld a homemade handle or lamb. We drill a vertical hole with a thread in the moving part with our own hands. We weld a plate - a tool holder - onto a long bolt. We pass the bolt through a square plate mounted on the bearings and screw it into the moving part of the caliper. Along the perimeter of the plate we will make clamps for the tool holder from bolts.
Common disadvantages of homemade lathes
- Low power of the electric motor, which does not allow achieving sufficient performance of the mini-machine;
- small spindle diameter, limiting the size of the workpiece;
- lack of automation, so all settings are done manually;
- limitation maximum dimensions blanks;
- vibrations due to a fragile frame.
The first video clearly shows the design of the caliper, the second video presents another model of a homemade lathe, assembled with your own hands:
