X-Y Compound table for a wood lathe

I don’t have any experience with that milling table, but you could probably get it to work for limited metal turning if you can figure out a way to secure it to the lathe bed and then find a tool holder for it. Most ‘lamp-post’ tool holders pivot to adjust for height adjustment (roughly an inch or so)... and others can be shimmed to a certain degree to adjust for height. It wasn’t really designed for that kind of use, but I’ve seen crazier setups from some pretty creative people. Your lathe runs on a VFD, so certainly can be made to go slow enough – and 3HP should be fine (my South Send only has a 1/3hp, although it’s running off a countershaft).

Or, you can do like I did and just scout out a deal for a real metal lathe on CL ;-)

I’ve seen those little mini lathes like HF sells pop up now and then for not much more than what you would pay for the milling table, tool holder and everything else you would need. Check out the littlemachineshop for some comparisons of fairly cheap miins… or keep an eye out for a nice used Unimat or Sherline... way cool mini-lathes that can also be configured for milling, boring, drilling and lots of other stuff.

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

Have the same question and every year look at tables & accessories from the Grizzly catalog. Like Brad said getting the right tool holder & cutters essential. Too many moving parts for me to deal with!

Have seen one example posted over at IAP several years ago cannot remember the wood lathe just know smaller than yours and mine.

In 1920’s & 1930’s could buy whole shooting match from most lathe manufacturers here.
Think would try to solve height difference using plywood as needed to start out before going to local welding/machine shop in my town for something more permanent.

Brad suggestion for finding and inexpensive new/used metal lathe might be right on.

-- Bill

Mike, I would think once you started making those here and there metal parts it would turn into, “now I need this”, and when “this” is done, “another this”. It would turn into a vicious cycle of never ending tool making… It’s gratifying making your own tools, but it takes some time away from wood turning. With good planning, the two can be managed to look like no time has been lost to wood turning.. Actually, you might gain more turning time as you’ve got to check out the tool you just made. If it doesn’t do the job, back to the drawing board until you get it right equals more wood turning time. ..........

I’m sorry I can’t give you sources of a how to, but I will encourage you to pursue your interest. A 3 jaw metal working chuck might be better than using the chucks designed for wood turning.. ........ Jerry (in Tucson)

-- Jerry (in Tucson) www.woodturnerstools.com

I bought this at a yard sale last year and am playing around with it. I’m trying to use it for wood, not metal.

No success to boast about yet. I built a base so that the cutter is at center height. I purchased a 1/2” bar , 12” long, and square edged carbide cutters from Capt. Eddie.

HF sells cross slide vises. http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-cross-slide-vise-32997.html

This guy has a great setup for making banjos on a wood lathe. Maybe his method to attach cutters could be what you need. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3VG6dsVYs!https://s3.amazonaws.com/vs-lumberjocks.com/o6d5a33.jpg!

-- Genghis Khan and his brother Don, couldn't keep on keeping on...

If you want to use it to hold tools, wouldn’t a cross-slide vise work better?

But I’m with Brad on this one. Wood lathes are prone to harmonic vibration, and once the cutter starts to chatter, it’ll just keep getting worse.

-- Unix programmers never die; they just > /dev/null

Thanks guys for the advice and suggestions….
Brad——-I have been eyeing the grizzly catalog for the 9×22 and the 10×24?.....not sure on the bed length….but then I would need a roller bottom and with the lathe I’m at 2k again or close. I watch CL everyday, and there is seldom ever anything I consider a great deal, and only occasionally even a fair deal. But I keep watching….

Hairy- That is a great set up..thanks for showing….I may just do that and adapt it to my needs a little more.

Jerry in Tucson- In a former life I drove a Funny car and a Pro Stock for a season or two…I was 21..you know all testosterone and no brains…..is it Thunderbird raceway in Tucson? I have a story about a lightning storm there…..it was hitting the ground!!!

Anyway I make too many excuses now to not work on my projects in favor of this or that for my shop!

Bill, Im on IAP too, not very active but could you PM me the thread?

Hap Hazzard—-thanks for the insight! I really don’t want to do much, just the occasional tool for me….couldnt I file it a little if I get vibration then try a lighter cut?
THanks again all
Mike

-- Mike

I watch CL everyday, and there is seldom ever anything I consider a great deal, and only occasionally even a fair deal. But I keep watching….

Yeah, CR probably isn’t the center for tool deals :)

But if you are willing to drive up to, or frequent the Chicago area, you can find lots of good stuff up around there. Here is an example – a really nice Unimat SL for $350 in fantastic condition, in it’s original box and includes some extras: http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/5557667633.html

Might be on the upper end of what it’s worth, but they are very versatile machines. I’ve got one of those (an older DB200 model) and they can ba used for just about any material – metal, wood, plastic, etc…. With the (missing on that lathe) vertical column and headstock adapter, it turns into a drill press and milling machine, and has lots of other optional stuff for sanding, buffing and other machining type operations. The headstock/motor come off as a single unit, and they even had an adapter that turned it into a handheld drill at one point!!

Cheers,
Brad

PS: That is one of the few machines I have that wasn’t made in the US… it was made in Austria :)

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

Mike tried search feature without any luck, has been several years ago! So Googled your title and this is what came up with.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/can-you-convert-wood-lathe-metal-lathe-yes-sort-94996/

http://lumberjocks.com/Bluepine38/blog/20727

Think Hairy is onto something good too!

-- Bill

A few years ago I bought this set of plans from ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOW-TO-MAKE-A-COMPOUND-SLIDE-REST-FOR-A-WOOD-LATHE-/222080761810?hash=item33b50b7fd2:g:iFcAAOSwz2lXCVdD

The plans gave me a headache so they got put away. I’m not a plan kinda guy, but maybe you are. They actually are good plans. Maybe someday…

-- Genghis Khan and his brother Don, couldn't keep on keeping on...

That plan is from Popular Mechanics, 50’s I think. They published a simpler version decades prior.

-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/

you guys don’t think doing this would damage the lathe would you?

-- Mike

I use this arrangement to attach all the jigs I make to my lathe. T nuts in the bottom piece. It cannot hurt the lathe. I use good quality baltic birch plywood. It can easily slide in the ways and stays put.

-- Genghis Khan and his brother Don, couldn't keep on keeping on...

https://books.google.com/books?id=R-MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA190&dq=popular+mechanics+compound+slide+rest&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwipz6nkirfMAhWBHD4KHcVwD9kQ6AEIHTAA

https://books.google.com/books?id=td8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA768&dq=popular+mechanics+compound+slide+rest+for+wood+lathe&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHy6iVi7fMAhWKez4KHS2EC9gQ6AEISjAF

-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/

lumberjocks.com/reviews/product/1808

This is a review of the Delta accessory made for my 1950’s era Delta lathe. I use it for wood turning and
have turned a few electric motor armatures and have done light machine work with it without any problem.
I am sure you could adapt the Grizzly Compound slide table and tool holder to do the same thing, as
nubsnstubs stated it could add up in time and money. Since my shop exists to keep me off street corners
and out of trouble, I do not worry about the time angle.

-- As ever, Gus-the 80 yr young apprentice carpenter

Hap Hazzard—-thanks for the insight! I really don t want to do much, just the occasional tool for me….couldnt I file it a little if I get vibration then try a lighter cut?

Yes, a file would be the way to fix it. Also, if you can cut from one end and keep the pressure axial it seems to go more smoothly.

you guys don t think doing this would damage the lathe would you?

- moke

Not if you take it slow and don’t try to remove too much metal at once. The worst you can do is wear out the bearings, and they can be replaced.

-- Unix programmers never die; they just > /dev/null