Building a miniature universal lathe

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Hi,

After reading for months on pros and cons, I am rapidly failing to resist the urge to build a homemade small lathe.

Could anyone please advise me where I could download the digital version of “Building a miniature universal lathe” published in ME from issue 4159 to issue 4179 (published during 2001 to 2002)?

Thanking you with best regards,

ViKARLL

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Hi

I am sure that I have these in my archives if David (Editor)

will allow I can photocopy and email them to you

 

Bob

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Many thanks Bob, for you prompt response and kind offer.

You are a guardian angel if you can do that

 

 

David, is this OK?

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Hi.

 

I have a book called “Building a Small Lathe” by L C Mason, this describes building a 1 3/4″ centre height machine.

It was published in 1977, but I think TEE publishing supply a reprint.

 

Might be worth checking whether it would help you.

 

http://www.teepublishing.co.uk

 

 

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

My book is “Small Lathes Making and Using” The “Amateur Mechanic & work” hand book. Dated 1920. Theres also a “Popular mechanics” book of similar vintage. I tend to buy books on old machinery ( and some very old).

Aparently, back before the War it was not difficult to get castings for most of the lathe, including the bed, headstock etc. Ian S C

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Hi Ian,

 

I saw your book “Small Lathes Making and Using” listed in eBay.

 

Is this an instructional book that gives step by step guide to build a small lathe? Does it use stock parts or castings?

 

Please advice.

 

I have also taken V8Eng’s clue and looking at the L.C. Mason option.

 

But so far no luck with what I originally wanted, “Building a miniature universal lathe” by ME itself.

 

Thank you,

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi Vikarll

 

If you are contemplating building a lathe, that can cut threads you will need to make gearing, also for automatic feed more gearing.

 

You may wish to consider CNC as an option. Gearing is not required for screw cutting or feeding using CNC (It is done mathematically by the CNC software), apart from an initial reduction stage between the motor(s) and the machine. CNC will allow almost any thread pitch to be cut.

 

If you have the equipment to hand to make the gears then no problem. If however you have to purchase them on the open market then you may find that the cost of CNC is comparable

 

CNC has become significantly less expensive over the past couple of years

 

You may wish to Google Artsoft Mach3 or the open source program EMC2 and browse through the forums. Both have excellent support via the net from thousands of users.

 

On the other hand if you wish to build a traditional lathe then enjoy your journey.

 

Cheers

John

 

 

 

 

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Hi

Apologies for delay will hopefuly PM you them this week

 

Bob

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Many thanks Bob. I am really grateful if you can do that.

 

John, I am an ICT Engineer by profession with a background in Electronics, so for a change I wanted to go pure mechanical on this.

 

But as you say; having to make gear trains, yet them not being compatible with any thread etc, bothers me enough. Perhaps I may plan for the essential hardware with a provision to incorporate a couple of stepper motors in case I realise halfway, that I am not ‘geared’ for gears….

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Vikarll,

A solution which is part way to CNC would be the electronic leadscrew.

Here is a link to the electronic leadscrew website Electronic Leadscrew

 

Les.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Vikarll, like most publications back then it pretty much leaves it up to the builder on the finer points of building, anyone builing would be expected to know a bit about what is required.Ian S C

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi Vikarll

 

I have tried to simplify this a bit for members that are new to CNC.

 

Steppers…..These days I think not. A step and direction based controller yes. To explain; there are lots of controllers from quite a number of suppliers available for DC Brush (Less expensive) or AC brushless servo motors (More expensive) with a position feedback encoder built in, they accept the same step and direction signal from the CNC software. The controller then takes over and makes the move.

 

This means that you can use Mach 3 or EMC2 or other CNC software (that outputs step and direction signals) to the servo and leave the servo to make the move.

 

Steppers can “loose” steps if they encounter a force a bit larger than their holding torque causing an error (lost motion) in the part. They are an open loop control without feedback…the control system is not aware of lost steps.

 

Having position feedback to the Servo controller (Hardware) Via the encoder (on the servo motor) guarantees the position move (instructed by the PC based CNC software) has been done correctly or an error is triggered.

 

In the past servos were quite expensive? This is no longer the case.

 

I am researching this very issue for myself at the moment for my next project, the XY axis will be driven by DC Servos and brushed motors. I do plan to use two small steppers for a light duty positioning mechanism.

 

happy Googling

 

Cheers

John

 

 

 

 

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Thanks Ian, fair enough. No matter how descriptive a book is, you have to customize the design to your own scope, I guess.

 

John, very interesting; little I knew how close to home the servos have reached. I want to go the conventional path (meaning mechanical) but shall give the alternatives a shot if

-or rather when- I get stuck! Hope you will keep us posted somewhere on your progress with the next project. Good luck!!

[Billy MillsParticipant @billymills]

Have a look on lathes.co.uk for “multimachine”  under home built lathes. This is one of the most interesting articles that I have seen for years.

 

Billy.

Edited By Billy Mills on 14/11/2011 16:43:53

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Hi Vikarll,

 

As electronics and microcontrolers are teh ‘other half’ of my hobiies I can understand the urge to keep the mechanics and the electrics separate; it’s a different set of challenges. Cutting gears is surprisingly easy, but even if you buy your gears the leadscrew should present no terrors. If your late is small you could use rolled M6 studding as a leadscrew with satisfactory results – the 1mm pitch would be accurate enough to make other metric pitches from using simple gear ratios.

 

Neil

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Hi ViKARLL,

 

Although not exactly what you need, You may find some inspiration for ideas here and here. If you have heard of the ‘Gingery’ self build machines you might like to look in on the Gingery Lathe Yahoo forum here. There are certainly plenty of inspirational ideas there. It may help some.

 

Best regards

 

Terry

Edited By Terryd on 15/11/2011 07:45:32

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Yes Terry, I got a lot of inspiration out of the Gingery book. Especially his style of presentation. But the casting part is a problem to me.

 

I think Billy is referring to the open source project based on Lucian Yeomans concrete lathe. But I am aiming at a 7 X 12 kind of a machine and felt this design may not be suitable for such small stuff.

 

But why I am so keen about the ME’s “miniature universal lathe” is because I knew of someone who made a scaled-up version of it and used for many years. Unfortunately, both the man and machine are nonexsistant now but only the memory….

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Hi Vikarll,

 

Do you have the reference of the ME articles, My local library has archives of ME back to 1944 and I could get copies of the articles for you if you have difficulty elsewhere.

 

I just noticed your initial posting again, if you still need these articles I could scan them for you if you aren’t able to get them elsewhere.

 

Regards

 

Terry

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

As V8ENG has said, the book by Len Mason includes all the detailed instructions, including the order in which to do it, and how to align it, for a small screwcutting lathe. It is an old book, but may be available through your library. Depending on your view, the biggest problem may be that it is an imperial design and uses a lot of BA screws.

 

You will, of course, need a lathe to make it, or at least access to one.

 

Regards,

 

Peter G. Shaw

 

 

 

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Many thanks Terry, for your kind support.

 

Bob (Springbok) who has replied above has indicated that he will send me some scanned copies of the mag from his archive this week.

 

If he finds any difficulty, I will seek your help to get it.

 

BTW in my locality, this hobby is only among a niche so the sources available for such material is practically nil.

 

Regards,

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Hi, ViKARLL, sorry this posting is late, but it may be an alternative – I have a copy of the following book:

 

Kleindrehmaschine im Eigenbau (Build your own lathe) by Juergen Eichardt.

published by Verlag fuer Technik und Handwerk.

ISBN number is 3-88180-752-7

Bestell-nummer (order number) is 310 2152 (price about 4 years ago was 16 Euro)

The publishers address is: Postfach 22 74, D-76492 Baden-Baden Germany.

 

The book contains full instructions and drawings for building a complete small lathe, with many variations and accessories from stock materials (no castings). It is written in German, but the drawings are comprehensible, and nowadays Google Translate does a reasonably good job of translating.

 

The company publishes books in a range called Maschinen fuer Modellbau Fachbuch, dealing with other aspects of small machines I have not built the lathe described in the book – I was interested in modifying the lathe I owned, and wanted to gather ideas, but the standard of the machine in the book seems quite impressive. I guess a letter to the above address might get you more recent info on price, availability etc. I don’t know if you speak German, but if not, don’t let this deter you – it is still understandable.

 

Just Googled the book – site is below – still available at 16 Euro.

http://www.vth.de/shop/warenkorb/artikel-einzelansicht/3144/0d714d1c6d2a593fa979a44423f5242e.html?cHash=f962505f69

Edited By wotsit on 15/11/2011 20:12:01

Edited By wotsit on 15/11/2011 20:16:23

[Billy MillsParticipant @billymills]

Yes I was mentioning the Concrete lathe however the “Open Source Hardware” project does not need to use cement, it could be epoxy-stone or steel. People tend to think of Lathes as being built of cast iron sections with machined ways however you can build whatever you want however you want at whatever size you want it.

 

John’s epoxy-stone grinder gets enormous stiffness from clever design without the problems and cost of iron castings. Many manufacturers of precision tools are leaving cast iron for stone or composite structures. A home made lathe could follow their lead.

 

There are a few other home built machines on Tony’s site, the Stepperhead lathe is now in the Lathe manufacturer’s section.

 

Billy.

[ViKARLLParticipant @vikarll]

Thanks wotsit for the link.

 

The cover picture looks impressive, but I have no proficiency in German, so shall wait for the ME articles as first choice. Yes, Google translate does a wonderful job but I could not spot an ebook on this title?

 

BTW, I was mentally debating whether to have two flat rails for the ways or to have one broad flat rail. Both this German design and Gingery deploy a single flat rail. From a homeshop builder’s perspective, guess it is due to the simplicity of alignment and ease of construction. Is it?

 

I felt the two-rail arrangement gives better grip when locking the tail-stock etc.,

 

Regards,

 

Edited By ViKARLL on 16/11/2011 07:33:50

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Hi, ViKARLL,

The German book discusses the pros and cons of different designs (for example, eight different headstock designs are discussed and drawn) – the picture on the front cover is a bit misleading, because he covers single and dual cylindrical rods, single and double square bars, bars set on edge (with an edge uppermost), flat plates and the virtues of prismatic ways – it is a very good source of info if you want to design and build a lathe for specific purposes.

 

I understand your problem with German, especially when applied to a technical subject like this. I suppose I’m lucky – it does open up access to whole ‘second’ range of alternatives. I have posted once or twice on the availability and cost of materials ordered from Germany, as opposed to UK.

 

This site might be some interest – see the second section on the list about lathes. Its all old stuff, but very interesting nonetheless, because much of the stuff was built from what was available.

http://www.vintageprojects.com/site-map.html

 This guy has a very detailed site with pictures showing his lathe build

http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm

 

Edited By wotsit on 16/11/2011 16:53:04

Edited By wotsit on 16/11/2011 16:57:23

[Author]

Posts