[Leo G]

Wanted to get someone with a lathe to do this work but the 2 guys I knew were 6 weeks out. I had some linear rails and pillow block bearings that I bought a while ago for a router duplicator and then I converted it into a slot maker for Euro cabinets and now I turned it into a lathe.

Made a video of me making a spindle. It's less than 8 minutes and it shows me going through the process of making a spindle for stair railings. Wish the camera was slightly more to the left. That's where the vice grips are that I use as a handle to spin the blank.

0-3:42 is putting the blank in and roughing it out
3:42-6:00 is readjusting the router setup and doing the final milling pass
6:00-end is sanding and removing the spindle.

 

[530Foreman]

Very nice, that's a slick setup. What kind of production do you think you'll do? Get it down to 5 minutes?
What are you using for the spur?

 

[Tinstaafl]

Great yankee ingenuity using what you have available. I'd probably have checked out Harbor Freight for a cheap lathe setup and gone for the bonus of having another toy to play with.

But if you're highly unlikely to need a lathe down the road, cool.

 

[Leo G]

If I'm getting a lathe I'd want something that's nice. Variable speed, couple HP, 16" turning and 42" length. But it's the first time in 20 years someone requested some kind of a turning, so I doubt I'm in the market for a real lathe.

 

[Leo G]

Very nice, that's a slick setup. What kind of production do you think you'll do? Get it down to 5 minutes?
What are you using for the spur?

I doubt I'll get the time down any more. I did a few of them at about 7 minutes from inserting the blank to inserting the next blank but they needed more sanding. The extra minute is worth it.

I'm using a Kreg screw on one end to secure the blank and on the other end it's just a board with a square hole in it.

 

[KAP]

AAAAnnnndddddd.... ONE!....

 

[Leo G]

You mean, and 35

 

[Leo G]

Great yankee ingenuity using what you have available. I'd probably have checked out Harbor Freight for a cheap lathe setup and gone for the bonus of having another toy to play with.

But if you're highly unlikely to need a lathe down the road, cool.

$400 and it's just barely big enough to do the job. The spindle blank I'm using is 33.25" and the max on the lathe is 33.375" and that's using a flat plate and a center. I'd still have to buy turning chisels and a much longer rest for the chisel. By the time I was done with it likely be $600.

 

[hdavis]

Cool.

 

[hdavis]

Wood lathes are dead simple to make. Front and rear hubs from a bike, motor, sprocket, chain, some wood and you have one

 

[Tinstaafl]

$400 and it's just barely big enough to do the job. The spindle blank I'm using is 33.25" and the max on the lathe is 33.375" and that's using a flat plate and a center. I'd still have to buy turning chisels and a much longer rest for the chisel. By the time I was done with it likely be $600.

Pshaw. All you really need is the head; you can make ways and rests from any old hardwood or angle iron, any length you need. Sharpen an old flat bar for a chisel. But yeah, for a one-off limited run like that, no point in going through the rigmarole.

 

[Leo G]

Took me under 2 hours to make my "lathe"

 

[tjbnwi]

Great job Leo.

If you ever get a bug for a lathe this is a really good one.

https://www.harveywoodworking.com/products/t-60s?variant=31578097451123

My step up would be a Oneway Lathe.

Tom

 

[hdavis]

I'm with Tin. I say grab the motor and controller out of a treadmill. 2-5 hp, depending, variable soeed.

 

[3rd4thGEN]

Most stand up drill presses make quick and dirty lathes, and are in most shops, I'd buy a 'live' tail stock?

Wear eye protection, watch your pony tails.....

A garage sale Shop smith?

 

[rrk]

There used to be a company AMT that sold lathe kits and parts, I made one when i was in high school. Worked great. Now I have a small Delta lathe and an extention. Your "lathe" works faster and more precise for those spindles.

 

[greg24k]

Took me under 2 hours to make my "lathe"

That's a really cool and clever setup, Leo! My hat is off to you my Friend!

 

[Leo G]

There used to be a company AMT that sold lathe kits and parts, I made one when i was in high school. Worked great. Now I have a small Delta lathe and an extention. Your "lathe" works faster and more precise for those spindles.

That's one of the nice things. Most of the time the top tenon is within 5 thou. I make sure it's a bit bigger and I can take my sander and roll the spindle on a surface while sanding it and bring it down to .75" +0/-.005

 

[VinylHanger]

I'm just amazed there isn't a ready made spindle like that.

Very cool though.

Are they tapered?

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[Leo G]

There are similar spindles. But the body lengths are wrong and the top is only 5/8" where these are 3/4"

Yes, tapered from 1 1/4" to 3/4" at the top. The will have a 3/4" round tenon on the bottom that is 1/2" long. I need to get all 70 made before that setup happens.