$100 screw cutting 12" lathe design

[rigmatch]

Sounds crazy but Tony Griffiths At lathes.co.uk called it "an astonishing original achievement". Most of the lathe technology was well proven 95 years ago.

The latest "How to Build" manual is at

http://flowxrgdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/multimachine-concrete-lathe-11-27-11-ver-1-10.pdf

A slightly older version is at lathes.co.uk in the home built section.

If you would like to help with the project please write directly to me:
Pat Delany
[email protected]
I can't keep track of all the places I am posting this to in an effort to get the word (at 76, time passes quickly!) out so write me directly if you would like to help.
Also I owe thanks to someone at this site who suggested using a glass plate as an alignment tool.

Pat

[MasterMaker]

I don't normally say thank you for every little thing that might be of use to me but for this file..........................

THANK YOU

[rigmatch]

Thanks

This took an embarrassingly long time, i would have given up except for the engineer/artist Tyler Disney.

[alanganes]

Interesting. Have prototypes been built from these plans?

[macona]

What a piece of crap.

Sorry, it just is. Looks like it was designed by someone who heard the description of a lathe and designed it from there.

[Tony Ennis]

I believe an explanation of what is expected to be produced on such a lathe is called for.

But remember, motivated people can do amazing things with primitive tools.

[Toolguy]

Lathe

By our standards it is crappy. For someone who will for sure never have a chance to get what we have it will be a fabulous opportunity. Most of the world's population can not even imagine our standard of living.

[The Artful Bodger]

The concept is good and I have been to countries where people would see any lathe as a great advantage but I am uneasy about promoting something that might be a significant investment in time, effort and money and still not quite make the grade.

Good idea, needs more work. IMHO.

[chipmaker4130]

What a piece of crap.

Sorry, it just is. Looks like it was designed by someone who heard the description of a lathe and designed it from there.

He's not trying to build a Monarch. Can you not see the work that's gone into this, or the endless possibilities for those not privileged to live in Oregon?

[EddyCurr]

Back in October, ZINOM posted a link to Stuart King's video of a man in
Marrakesh making chess pieces on a bow lathe

I can't complain about tool limitations...

Just a guy making chess pieces

I have no doubt he would be thrilled to have such a lathe as portrayed by
the OP. Imagine what he could do in metal.

.

[macona]

This makes an HF 7x10 look like a monarch.

Just because you put a lot of time and effort into a project does not mean the product is of any value.

If, by chance, some guy builds it and tries to use it he will find he has a machine he really cant do much with. He will have wasted his time and what little money and resources he had.

In the document he states it will give developing countries a boost their fabricating and manufacturing capability.

Not with this lathe, it wont.

Someone could just as easily build the Gingery lathe and have a whole lot better machine than this thing.

The design is just plain poor. The ways are not constrained, the carriage is barely attached to the ways, the list goes on.

[oldtiffie]

In the dark.

.......................................

Also I owe thanks to someone at this site who suggested using a glass plate as an alignment tool.

Pat

Pat.

I think that may have been me (75 in 6 weeks).

Use say 1/2"+ polished "float" glass as a surface plate or marking-out/setting-up table and if well supported (I use "Painters" masking tape strips at 4>6" spacing) on my mill table it is great. It is almost indestructable and near enough to dead flat (about 0.0001"/") and is hard to scratch etc. It is required for "safety glass" for large glass panels in public places. I've dropped mine on its flats, ends and corners and no damage. In the unlikely event that if does break it reduces to small non-sharp bits - and certainly not to razor-sharp shards as some seemed concerned that it might. I just stand it at the end of my bench where its out of the way between uses.

I like being able to take the plate to the job as its certainly lighter than a surface plate and a lot safer to lift and not a PITA at all.

If I need another for what-ever reason I get it from the local Glazier who will run the arrises (sharp edges) off and rounds it on his grinder. Costs very little.

Its only rarely that my surface plates (very good black granite) get to see the light of day (or the shop). I don't know what they get up to in the dark - and I don't ask!!!.

I very much prefer the stock-standard surface guage to a 12" digital (even vernier) height gauge as I can make masts and "pointers" to suit my SG and it can get into some very tight corners that my VHG cannot. The height guage all too often gets in its own way and mine!!

Given that granite is just as much a stone as concrete is and that both are "grindable" and polishable that concrete lathe just might work.

I've seen some excellent concrete work come out of forms and autoclaves.

The concrete lathe may not be much worse - or better? - than some lathes I've seen that seem adequate for what the operator wants them to do.

Its not just the machine that matters but the skill of the operator and what the "finished"?? job is required to do.

As needs must.

Its marvellous what a skilled Boiler-maker or Blacksmith can do with "rough" tools and materials but very high skills and lateral thinking.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa294/oldtiffie/measuring/Surfaceguage1.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa294/oldtiffie/measuring/Surfaceguage3.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa294/oldtiffie/measuring/Surfaceguage4.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa294/oldtiffie/measuring/Dig_Ht_Gg1.jpg

[macona]

Back in October, ZINOM posted a link to Stuart King's video of a man in
Marrakesh making chess pieces on a bow lathe

I can't complain about tool limitations...

Just a guy making chess pieces

I have no doubt he would be thrilled to have such a lathe as portrayed by
the OP. Imagine what he could do in metal.

.

This lathe would be just fine for wood, but it is being "marketed" as a metal lathe.

[The Artful Bodger]

I think this project as described is a very good start but it just needs a bit more work.

[oldtiffie]

"Stuffed" - or not?

If, in the mind of the user/purchaser, it is good enough for his intended purpose then pretty well by definition, its good enough.

I suspect that in some HSM shops here that there are some "stuffed" lathes/machines that do some quite good work as well as some that are very good machines and not too often used to their capacity/capability - and many in between.

There are many jobs that are over-thought - and over-machined - as well.

It is and ever was and will be thus.

If many jobs are reduced to their real and basic needs then a lot more "lesser" machines may be viable options - concrete and similar very much included.