While putting things in order in a pile of electronic junk, I found the remains of tape recorders. A 9-volt power supply, which has a well-recognized shape and was made back in the USSR, those who lived at that time and owned an Electronics or IZh tape recorder will understand perfectly what we are talking about. And also an old electric motor, also from some kind of tape recorder. It turned out that the block and motor still work perfectly together, nothing is rusty or stuck.
In general, I decided to try to assemble a mini lathe from all this, especially since I always wanted to have a small and quiet machine on hand for processing all sorts of small things. You can, of course, collect or buy gadgets (holders) that turn a regular drill into the machine, but such drills are usually very noisy due to all sorts of gearboxes rumbling in them.
In principle, I have a superficial understanding of the structure of a lathe; at first glance, everything seems simple. The only thing that was confusing was how to place the electric motor and tailstock on the same axis. And also, what errors are allowed in this case, because I didn’t want to get a vibrator for a vibrating table or a mobile phone instead of a lathe.
That same old power supply, for our time it is of course huge, but for a test run this is not so important.
I cut out a casing for the engine with metal scissors, drilled and bored out holes for the motor in it, then bent it in the shape of the letter “Py” and then installed the engine in it. I selected pieces of wood of the appropriate size for the base of the machine. Since my machine will be purely experimental, that is, assembled on my knees and from improvised means. He decided to first assemble a rough model, and if it worked as it should, then it would be possible to bring it to mind.
I screwed the base for the motor and the back wall onto self-tapping screws, so that I could later screw the casing with the electric motor to them.
I remade the ends of the casing a little (I bent them inward)
I drilled and screwed the casing with the motor to the back wall and to the base.
I cut out a lid from cardboard and placed it on a couple of screws on top.
This is how it all looks now, in my opinion, in turning terminology, this thing is called “Frontstock”
I sawed squares from the same board, coated them with PVA glue and pulled them into a stack. This cube will serve as the tailstock of my homemade lathe.
I screwed this cube onto four self-tapping screws, a pair on top and a pair on the bottom.
If there was a drill chuck on the motor shaft, then a drill could be clamped into it and it would indicate the direction for the holder in the tailstock. And since I have some kind of brass pulley mounted on the shaft for the tape recorder belt, I had to go a slightly different route. I just took a sheet of paper and stupidly wrapped it around this pulley, fixed the ends and turned on the motor.
Having made sure that the opposite end of this tube rotates near the cube without run-up or beating, I turned off the motor and outlined the contours of the tube on the cube.
I drew the axis of the tube on the side planes of the cube by eye, so that when drilling a hole for the holder, I could guide the drill along these lines.
Also by eye, I drew these lines together on the opposite side of the tailstock.
Then I drilled this cube and screwed in a self-tapping screw, which will act as a workpiece holder.
I missed it a little, but this is not so important, since in this way it is impossible to achieve perfect accuracy. But since this is only an experiment, we move on and close our eyes to all the mistakes and inaccuracies. :-)
We clamp the workpiece and turn on the motor, bending our head slightly to the side, in case this blank wants to explore the vastness of the universe. :-) To prevent the holder from drilling out the workpiece, I ground off a little thread from its tip.
I put a piece of elastic on the pulley itself and then stupidly glued the blank to it with hot glue. Thus relieving the headache of searching for a suitable cartridge or holder. And besides, for some reason it seemed that the flexible connection slightly compensates for the curvature of the axis on which the motor and holder are located, and at the same time the curvature of my hands. :-)
Oddly enough, everything worked like clockwork, the motor is certainly weak, but it copes with its mini-tasks with a bang.
I tried a bunch of different cutters, but most of all I liked processing pieces of wood with a regular metal blade and sandpaper. Apparently due to the lack of a tool or a weak motor, all other tools immediately bite into the workpiece and stop the motor.
I tried to sharpen a tin rod, or rather a lead-tin rod (solder). Here it was already possible to process the workpiece well with a cutter made from an ordinary needle file, sharpened at the end.
These blanks were also placed on glue. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the heating of the rod during processing. But since the cutter removes very little, I was never able to heat it to such an extent that the rod would come unstuck from the rubber cushion.
Here I tried to sharpen a prototype for casting shells for this tiger. But later it turned out that his native shells have a more wretched and primitive appearance. And what I carved was more suitable for a royal tiger, so the idea was abandoned.
A little bit of a lousy video of him buzzing.
In general, that’s all, the machine turned out to be relatively silent, small, only 23 cm long, but the main thing is that it was assembled with your own hands and, moreover, it works. Basically I expected big problems when assembling a lathe, but as it turned out, the machine assembled on the knee works great. Perhaps this is due to the scale; if the dimensions of the machine were larger, and the part was clamped tightly (into the drill chuck), then there would definitely be more adventures.
By the way, it’s very easy to turn this lathe into a mini emery machine. You just need to glue a cutting disc from a Dremel onto the pillow and as a result you get a mini emery. This sandpaper helped me a lot when I needed to grind 70 plaster castings for this model of the Tiger tank. Of course, it is almost impossible to center it by eye, unless you grind down the disk itself. But at high speeds the beating is almost unnoticeable, and besides, it is reinforced, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking and something bouncing into your eye. But in any case, no one has yet canceled safety precautions when working with sandpaper. Therefore, we keep our head away from the expected trajectory of the flight of disk fragments or work with glasses.
I recently built my own 3D printer and the first serious printout on it was a mini drilling machine for hobby and modeling (), because I always dreamed of a silent mini drill. Actually, a 3D printer is quite useful thing, with its help you can without special effort create cases, brackets and other odds and ends, and thereby somewhat expand the fleet of various mini-machines for hobby, and this lathe can be brought into divine shape.
Thanks to metal lathes, people have the opportunity to make some parts themselves. It is not always possible to buy a part for a car or special equipment.
And most often not because there is not enough money, just if we're talking about about old Soviet special equipment or automobile industry products, many models are no longer produced. But nevertheless, this does not deprive the user of the opportunity to use them. Do-it-yourself metal lathes make it possible to do everything you need at home.
Why buy a metal lathe when you can make one yourself. It's not that difficult, and all you need is some drawings, a little patience and some old electrical equipment. Let's look at how to make such equipment yourself.
TV 16 screw-cutting lathe
The principle of operation of any lathe is to process the part as it rotates. Thus, the cutter inserted into the plane of rotation will remove unnecessary elements upon contact with the workpiece. Such equipment can be automated, allowing the operator to do the following:
- Perform longitudinal turning of a cylindrical workpiece with a smooth or stepped surface;
- Process ledges or grooves in a future part;
- Perform grooving of external or internal surfaces conical shape;
- Carry out thread cutting, both internal and external, using a cutter or drill;
- Ream or countersink holes in a metal workpiece;
- Cut off excess parts or cut grooves;
- Roll the grooved surface of the workpiece.
The main purpose of using a metal lathe is to process shafts, bushings or disks. Thus, a person gets the opportunity to make an axle, flywheel, sprockets, various liners, etc. from a blank. You can also process body parts on a universal lathe.
There is a certain classification of turning equipment. They are divided as follows
- According to turning characteristics. There are as many as 9 subgroups when dividing equipment in this way.
- Size range. The classification is carried out depending on the diameter of the workpiece that you will be processing.
- Level of specialization. Depending on the profile of the work performed and the capabilities of the equipment.
- Machine accuracy class.
The most famous and used for home workshops are screw-cutting lathes.
They gained their popularity back in the Soviet years, when they taught the younger generation how to process metal parts. The main purpose of the machines in this group is precisely to train specialists to work with more complex equipment.
This implies ease of operation and mastering of the machine. As well as a high level of safety and minimum safety requirements for the operator.
Nowadays such equipment is produced in a modern style. Such models have increased functionality designed for the operation of an enterprise; therefore, it is not advisable to install such equipment at home.
It will be expensive - there is no point in overpaying for functionality that you will never use in your life.
Old TV-16 machines, which were used to equip almost all labor rooms and production workshops for training specialists in educational institutions, ideal for home. The problem is that getting such equipment even from a reservation is very problematic.
You can, of course, buy from a photo on Avito, but you will buy it second-hand, and it is not a fact that the machine will last you a long time, after the old owner.
It is best to do it yourself, especially since there is nothing complicated about it. You will need tools and materials that are not a problem to get. By building a metal machine with your own hands, you will not only get equipment for working with workpieces, but also save a lot of money on the purchase and services of turners.
How the machine works - important structural elements
Design diagram.
Any equipment necessarily has a basis, without which it will not function. In a screw-cutting lathe, such structural elements are:
- Headstock and tailstock;
- The bed or frame, which is the basis for the equipment;
- Electric drive;
- Control centers - driven and driven parts of the machine;
- A handhold where the operator will rest cutting tools for processing the part.
This can also include grounding and a protective shield. The first will ensure your safety from defeat electric shock, and the second will protect against chips getting into your face.
The unit will be installed on a special steel. If you manufacture this equipment yourself, the frame is the base.
Advice: It is best to choose a high-quality and durable metal for the base. The stronger the frame, the more securely the equipment will be fixed. This eliminates rattling of the screw-cutting turning unit.
The tailstock will be installed along the frame. This device is movable. The front one is motionless. It is connected by a belt drive to the drive, which causes the workpiece to move.
In turning and screw-cutting equipment, the center, which is the leading one, will connect the motor together with the rotation transmission device. The electric drive itself is best installed on the frame. At home, strong metal corners and profiles are best suited for creating a frame. You will also need some pieces of wood to act as a stand to help eliminate vibration from the equipment.
What is important here is not so much what you will use, but the stability of the finished frame. A motor is suitable as an electric drive; it is best for it to be from under washing machine high power.
The entire installation will be powered with a voltage of 380V, so you will definitely need to run wires into the garage that can meet this requirement. You will also need old table, which will be a stand for the machine. Best to choose strong table made of wood or metal.
The transmission of revolutions to the shafts can be done using a chain, friction or belt drive. A belt is best because it is the most effective, simple and reliable type.
Features of the design of a do-it-yourself screw-cutting lathe
General view of a homemade machine.
It is not difficult to make a homemade lathe at home. The main thing is to follow a number of rules that will help you do this. The first step is to replace the driven and driving centers of the equipment on the same axis. In this way, the user removes vibrations that may occur during the processing of metal workpieces.
Important! When using equipment with one leading center, you need to install a special jaw chuck or a faceplate.
Thanks to these elements, the user will be able to secure the part for further processing cutting tools.
Important! Under no circumstances should motors be installed as commutator-type electric drives.
If such a unit is not provided with additional counter-load, the torque will be too strong. It will not be possible to grind anything at such speeds. In addition, the part may simply fly out of the clamps, which do not provide sufficient gripping force.
In this way, you can not only damage the workpiece itself, but also suffer badly if it hits a person. For this purpose use asynchronous motor. The essence of its work is that even with an increase or decrease in load, the rotation frequency transmitted to the shafts will not change.
Such a unit will allow the operator to process parts of the following dimensions:
- Thickness - 10 cm;
- Width - up to 70 cm.
The tailstock is a unique structural part of the machine where the driven center is mounted. It can be stationary or dynamic. To move it, a simple bolt is used. By twisting or unwinding, the headstock will move in the direction desired by the operator.
Before installing such a bolt, lubricate it machine oil, for better and more comfortable gliding. Only then is it permissible to insert it into the thread, which is designed to move the tailstock of the installation.
To work on creating a machine from improvised means, you will need several simple tools that every person can find
- Electric welding;
- Bulgarian;
- Grinding machine;
- Drill with a set of drills;
- Spanners;
- Measuring tools - a caliper along with a tape measure or ruler;
- Pen, pencil or marker for marking.
The first step is to think over the drawing, and then proceed with installation.
Design of a future product
Drawings with dimensions.
- Length - up to 115 cm;
- Width up to 62 cm;
- The height of the equipment axis is 18 cm.
Important! These dimensions should not be exceeded when manufacturing a machine in a home-made environment. This may lead to disruption of its geometry during operation.
When you draw up a project, draw out all the details, or download drawings with dimensions from the Internet and work according to ready plan. If you try to keep all the points in your head, you will definitely make a mistake that will ruin all the equipment.
You will rely on the accuracy of the project and drawing of the future equipment not only during the work process, but also during the purchase of the necessary consumables.
We create a lathe based on an electric motor
Now let's look at the sequence of assembling a home metal lathe.
- We make the frame. According to the drawing, we process the channel or profile corner. We measure and trim what is unnecessary. Using welding, we securely weld the frame so that we get an even rectangle.
- Installation of slats and headstocks. A rail with a tailstock on one side will be mounted on it. And weld the front headstock to the other.
- Drive installation. An electric motor is installed on the rear side of the frame. It should be placed as close as possible to the headstock, so that with the help of shafts and a belt it is possible to practically ensure the possibility of transmitting rotation to the working part.
- Installation of the tool rest. When the previous stage is completed, we install the tool stand. It is not welded, but is made movable using nuts and bolts. The movement of the tool rest should be in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece.
- Installation protective casing and putting the belt on the transmission shafts.
- Connecting the motor to the network and grounding.
- Visual inspection for correct assembly and test run.
Tip: To better understand how to make a machine, look video below.
Congratulations - your home lathe is ready. Now you can easily make any necessary details from metal for special equipment or a car. You can also now repair certain parts yourself vehicle or household tools.
Lathe needed for the manufacture and processing of metal parts. Professional equipment is quite expensive, so in order to save money, you can make a homemade metal lathe with your own hands. This can be done in several ways, and drawings of such a product are easily found on the Internet. You can use improvised materials for production, but the size of the machine can be any.
Any homemade lathe consists of the following elements:
- drive is the main part of the mechanism, which is responsible for its power. Selecting a drive with the required power is one of the most complex tasks. In small do-it-yourself metal lathes, you can use a drive from a regular washing machine or drill. Typically, the power of this element starts from 200 W, and the number of revolutions per minute starts from 1500;
- bed - a supporting frame of the structure, which can be made of wooden blocks or steel angles. The frame must be characterized by high strength, otherwise the entire structure may fall apart from vibrations during operation;
- tailstock - made of a steel plate and a steel angle welded to it. The plate rests against the guides of the bed, and the main purpose of the tailstock of a do-it-yourself lathe is to fix the metal part during processing;
- headstock - a part similar to the tailstock, but mounted on a movable frame;
- master and slave centers;
- caliper - a thrust mechanism for the working part.
Torque from the engine to the working part of the machine can be transmitted in several ways. Some people prefer to directly install the working part on the motor shaft - this saves space and allows you to save on spare parts. If this option is not possible, torque can be transmitted using friction, belt or chain transmission. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The belt drive for the electric motor is the cheapest and has sufficient characteristics high level reliability. To make it, you can use a belt for an electric motor, removed from any other mechanism. The disadvantage of a belt drive is that over time the belt can wear out and will have to be changed more often the more intensely you work with the machine.
Chain transmission is more expensive and takes up more space, but will also last much longer than a belt one. Friction transmission has intermediate characteristics between belt and chain.
Helpful advice! When assembling a lathe, choose the type of transmission that will best suit the task at hand. For example, for a mini lathe with your own hands would be better suited installation of the working part directly on the shaft.
Do-it-yourself lathe support: drawings, how to make it from scrap materials
The caliper is one of the most important parts of a homemade lathe - the quality of the future part, as well as the amount of time and effort you will spend on its manufacture, depends on it. This part is located on a special slide, which moves along guides located on the frame. The caliper can move in three directions:
- longitudinal - the working part of the machine moves along the workpiece. Longitudinal movement is used to turn threads into a part or to remove a layer of material from the surface of a metal workpiece;
- transverse - movement perpendicular to the axis of the workpiece. Used for turning recesses and holes;
- inclined - movement at different angles to grind recesses on the surface of the workpiece.
When making a lathe support with your own hands, it is worth considering the fact that this part is subject to wear as a result of vibrations that occur during operation. Because of them, the fasteners become loose, play occurs, and all this affects the quality of the manufactured part. In order to avoid such problems, the caliper must be regularly adjusted and adjusted.
Adjustment of a homemade support for a lathe with your own hands is carried out according to gaps, play and seals. Adjusting the gaps is necessary when the screw responsible for moving the part in the longitudinal and transverse planes has worn out. As a result of friction, the caliper begins to loosen under load, which significantly reduces the accuracy of the part. Gaps can be eliminated by inserting wedges between the guides and the carriage. The play of the part is eliminated using a fixing screw.
If the oil seals in your machine are worn out, they should be thoroughly washed and soaked in fresh machine oil. In case of critical wear, it is better to completely replace the oil seals with new ones.
Homemade metal lathe with your own hands: assembly procedure
The mechanism is assembled in the following order:
- From metal beams and channels the machine frame is assembled. If you are going to work with large parts, then the materials for assembling the frame must be used to withstand a large load. For example, if you plan to work with metal workpieces longer than 50 mm, the thickness of the materials for the frame should start from 3 mm for corners and from 30 mm for rods.
- Longitudinal shafts with guides are installed on the channels. Shafts can be welded or bolted.
- The headstock is being made. To make the headstock of a lathe with your own hands, a hydraulic cylinder with a wall thickness of 6 mm is used. Two bearings must be pressed into the cylinder.
- The shaft is being laid. For this purpose, bearings with a large internal diameter are used.
- Lubricating fluid is poured into the hydraulic cylinder.
- The pulley and caliper with guides are installed.
- The electric drive is being installed.
In addition, from the do-it-yourself drawings of a metal lathe, it can be seen that to increase the stability of the cutting mechanism, a tool rest is made, and a thin strip of metal is fixed to the lower part of the structure. The latter serves to protect the working part of the machine from deformation during operation.
Helpful advice! A do-it-yourself metal lathe can be used not only for direct purpose, but also for grinding and polishing metal parts. To do this, connect to the electric shaft grinding wheel.
Selecting an electric motor for the machine
Most important part homemade metal lathe, a video of the making of which can be easily found on the Internet, is an electric motor. It is with its help that the movement of the working part of the machine is carried out. Accordingly, the power of the entire structure depends on the power of this mechanism. It is selected depending on the size of the metal workpieces you plan to work with.
If you plan to work on a machine with small details, a motor with a power of up to 1 kW is quite suitable for this. It can be removed from the old one sewing machine or any other similar electrical appliance. To work with large spare parts you will need a motor with a power of 1.5-2 kW.
When assembling a homemade metal lathe according to ready-made drawings, keep in mind that all electrical parts of the structure must be reliably insulated. If you do not have the necessary experience working with electrical equipment, it is better to seek help with connection from a specialist. This way you will be confident in the safety of operation and the reliability of the design.
Making a lathe from a drill with your own hands
If you want to save on spare parts and significantly simplify the task of assembling a homemade lathe, you can use a regular one as a drive. electric drill. This one has constructive solution there are a number of advantages:
- Possibility of quick assembly and disassembly of the structure - the drill is easily detached from the frame and can be used for its intended purpose.
- Easy to carry and transport the machine – a good option, if you have to work with metal workpieces in the garage and on the street.
- Savings - the drill not only acts as an electric motor, but also eliminates the need to use a gear, and also allows you to use replaceable attachments as a working tool.
Of course there is also negative sides at a lathe from a drill. How can processing of large parts be possible using this tool? This is practically impossible, since the drill has a relatively small torque and big number rpm Of course, you can increase these parameters if you still install a belt drive and use it to transmit torque from the drill to the spindle, but this will significantly complicate the design, the main advantage of which is simplicity and compactness.
Making a homemade tabletop metal lathe based on a drill makes sense in cases where you do not need to carry out large-scale work, and only need to turn small parts.
To make a metal lathe based on an electric drill, you will need the same parts as for a conventional design, with the exception of the electric motor and headstock. The role of the latter is also played by a drill. Given the compact design, a regular table or workbench can be used as a bed, on which all components of the machine will be fixed. The drill itself is secured to the structure using a clamp and clamp.
Helpful advice! The functionality of a lathe based on an electric drill can be significantly expanded by adding various attachments and additional accessories to its design.
Using a homemade lathe, you can not only turn parts, but also apply paint to a rotating workpiece, wind wire on a transformer, make spiral notches on the surface of the part, and perform many other actions. In addition, if you assemble a copier attachment for the machine, you can use it to quickly and effortlessly produce small identical parts.
Features of do-it-yourself metal lathes, video instructions as a way to avoid mistakes
Like any other equipment, homemade lathes have their own characteristics that must be taken into account during assembly and operation. For example, when working with large parts or when using powerful electric motor strong vibrations occur, which can lead to serious errors when processing the part. To get rid of vibrations, the driving and driven centers of the machine must be installed on the same axis. And if you plan to install only the leading center, a cam mechanism must be attached to it.
It is not recommended to install a commutator motor in do-it-yourself metal lathes. It is prone to a spontaneous increase in the number of revolutions, which can lead to flyout of the part. This, in turn, can lead to work-related injuries or property damage. If you cannot do without installing a commutator motor, you must install a gearbox along with it to reduce the speed.
The ideal motor option for a homemade lathe is asynchronous. It does not increase the speed of rotation during operation, is resistant to heavy loads and allows you to work with metal workpieces with a width of up to 100 mm.
Rules for installing and operating any type of electric motor for a lathe can be viewed in numerous video instructions on the Internet. With their help, you will not only avoid common mistakes during assembly, but also save time and effort due to the clarity of the material.
Safety precautions when working with a homemade lathe
When working with the structure, certain safety precautions must be observed. So, after assembling the machine, you need to check its functionality. The spindle should rotate easily and without hesitation, with the front and rear centers aligned on a common axis. The center of symmetry of the rotating part must coincide with the axis of its rotation.
Any video of a do-it-yourself lathe shows that after installing the electric motor, it is covered with a special casing. The latter serves not only to protect the machine operator, but also to protect the motor itself from dust, metal particles and dirt. For a machine made on the basis of an electric drill, such a casing is not needed.
Helpful advice! If you are planning to install a structure based on a powerful electric motor, then be sure to make sure that your electrical network has enough power to operate it. At home, it is better to get by with a motor from household appliances, which will definitely work from the voltage in your outlet.
You should also adhere to the following safety rules:
- The working tool must be positioned parallel to the surface of the workpiece being processed. Otherwise, it may come off, causing the machine to break down.
- If you are machining end planes, the part should rest against the tailstock. It is very important to maintain alignment, otherwise you risk getting a defective part.
- To protect your eyes from metal shavings and particles, you can build a special shield or simply use safety glasses.
- After work, the structure must be cleaned, removing metal filings and other production waste. Be careful not to let small parts fall into the motor.
Options for upgrading a homemade lathe
If you need a machine that can not only turn, but also sand and paint the workpiece, the basic machine can be easily modified. It is best to do this for a design based on an electric drill, since it is easiest to replace the working part.
There are several popular modifications of a metal lathe. How to make a cone-shaped hole? To do this, you need to attach two files to the base so that they form a trapezoid. After this, a spring mechanism is mounted, which ensures that the files are fed forward and at an angle, which allows you to drill cone-shaped holes into the part.
In addition, to work with metal parts You can make a machine with a collapsible base of different lengths. Using several boards or metal corners you can move the working tool closer or further to the fasteners holding the part, and also change the size of the gap between the fasteners. It is most convenient to make such a design on the basis of a regular table or workbench.
If you attach a grinding wheel to the electric motor as a working tool, using the machine you can not only polish the surface of the part, but also sharpen knives, scissors and other household tools. Thus, the lathe turns into a convenient multifunctional mechanism.
Assembling a lathe at home is a fairly simple task, which is further simplified by numerous video instructions and drawings from the Internet. At the same time, the structure can be assembled literally from scrap parts, using old household appliances and waste from installation and construction production.
Main advantage self-assembly- This is cost savings. In addition, it is worth noting the ability to independently adjust the dimensions and power of the device in order to adapt it to your needs. A homemade machine can be not only large, but also very miniature, designed for processing small parts.
A lathe is necessary for the production and processing of metal parts. Factory devices cost a lot of money. That is why, for greater savings, it is worth making a lathe with a cutter to process iron with your own hands. You can quickly assemble it using several methods, and it’s worth searching for high-quality drawings and videos online. Any available materials can be used for assembly, and the dimensions of the machine depend on production needs.
Basic components of a small lathe
Do-it-yourself high-quality lathe, always consists of the following parts:
The torque from the electric motor to the working part of the device can be transmitted by several methods. Some people directly place the working part on the axis of the electric motor. This method will help save space and the number of spare parts for the machine. When this method cannot be implemented, then the torque should be transmitted using different types transmission Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages.
Belt drive for engine It is considered the cheapest and has good reliability. To do this, you need to use a belt for the engine, which was removed from another product. The main disadvantage of a belt drive is that after some time the belt wears out and will need to be replaced. The frequency of replacement depends on the intensity of the machine.
Chain transmission often takes up a lot of space and is very expensive. Its service life is significantly longer than that of a belt mechanism. And the friction transmission has average characteristics, in contrast to the chain and belt mechanism.
A good support for a do-it-yourself metal lathe: drawings
The caliper can be considered the most important detail a machine assembled with your own hands, because it is this that influences the quality of the processed product, the amount of effort and the length of time spent on its manufacture. Such a part is placed on a specialized slide, which moves along guides installed on the frame of the device. The support is capable of moving in the following directions:
When making a support for a small homemade machine, you need to take into account the fact that this part is subject to wear due to strong vibration during operation. As a result, the fasteners often become loose and play appears between them, which affects the quality of the workpiece being processed. To avoid such problems, the caliper must be adjusted and tuned frequently.
Caliper adjustment small machine performed by backlash, clearances and several seals. Such work must be done when there is wear on the screw, which is responsible for the movement of the part in the transverse as well as in the longitudinal plane. Due to high friction, the caliper can become loose under heavy loads, and this reduces the accuracy of machining the workpiece. It is necessary to eliminate backlash by installing wedges between the carriage and special guides. A small gap in the workpiece can be eliminated using a special securing bolt.
When the oil seals wear out in a homemade machine, they should be washed thoroughly and treated with high-quality lubricant. If there is significant wear, the oil seals must be replaced with new parts.
How to assemble a good mini metal lathe with your own hands
Making a good machine To process iron with your own hands, it is always done in this order:
And also from numerous drawings it is clear that in order to increase the stability of the cutter mechanism, you need to make a specialized tool rest, and at the bottom of the product it is worth installing a small iron strip. This strip is necessary for reliable protection working units of the device from damage when processing workpieces.
How to choose a motor for a homemade metal machine
The most important part of a lathe, photos and videos of the assembly of which can be found on the Internet, considered an electric motor. With its help, the working part of the product moves. Thus, the maximum power of the machine depends on the power of this part. This indicator must be selected depending on the dimensions of the iron blanks that will be processed in the future.
When you need to process small workpieces on a lathe, an electric motor with a maximum power of up to 1.4 kilowatts, which can be taken with ease, is enough for it. sewing machine or other electrical device. To work with large workpieces, you need an electric motor with a power of up to 2 kilowatts.
When making a small lathe using videos or drawings, you need to take into account that all electrical components of the device needs to be well insulated. When not great experience work with such equipment, you should seek help from a qualified specialist. This can ensure the safety of the assembly and the reliability of the device.
How to quickly assemble a homemade metal lathe from a drill
When you need to save on spare parts and simply make it easier to make a device with your own hands, you can use a simple electric drill instead of a drive. With this method there are the following advantages:
There are also some disadvantages at homemade device from a drill. It is quite difficult to process large workpieces using such a tabletop machine, because an electric drill has a small torque and a large number of revolutions. You can also increase the power of the machine by installing a belt drive. With its help, torque will be transmitted from the electric drill to the shaft. However, this will greatly complicate the device, the advantage of which is considered to be compactness and simplicity.
Assembling a machine using an electric drill is advisable in cases where there is no need to process large parts, but only small workpieces are turned.
To assemble a similar product, the same parts will be required as the standard model with the exception of the headstock and motor. The drill will replace the electric motor. Due to the compactness of the machine, the bed can be a workbench or a simple table on which all parts of the device will be fixed. The electric drill is attached to the product using a clamp and a metal clamp.
Using such a lathe, it is possible not only to produce various parts, but also to paint workpieces, wind wire on a transformer, apply spiral notches to the surface of products and perform other necessary actions. And also if you make a special attachment for the machine, you will be able to easily produce small identical products.
Metal lathes
It will find its application in any private home or garage workshop.
Such equipment allows you to cut parts made of metal, wood, foam plastic and a number of other materials, drill holes, cut threads, and process ends.
Anything that involves changing the shape or surface of a part is done on a lathe. This work is possible both at home and in a specially equipped office.
It is not surprising that the first, most primitive prototypes were made in Ancient Egypt, stone was ground on them.
In museums there are turning and milling mechanisms for metal from the 14th-15th centuries; rotation in them was carried out by a foot pedal.
The rapid development of industry at the end of the Middle Ages required a qualitative breakthrough in equipment - the manual mechanism was modernized, and the first turning and milling machine for metal, powered by electricity.
A little later, computer numerical control (CNC) equipment was created.
Modernization of production required more and more highly specialized tools, and CNC equipment began to be created not only for working on wood or metal, but also performing very narrow operations, for example, edge cutting door leaf or drilling cavities for a lock mortise.
They are still used in this form to this day.
In this article we will review existing equipment and consider how to make a simple machine with your own hands, and how independent modernization can improve the equipment.
Industrial equipment is divided into light machines weighing up to 1 ton, medium weight machines - up to 10 tons, and heavy machines - over 11 tons.
Each machine performs one or more actions for processing wood or metal at home or in production.
All modern turning equipment is equipped with CNC, from the simplest to the most complex, which controls the turning of the part with an accuracy of tenths of a millimeter.
The modernization of machine tools has divided equipment into heavy and bulky equipment, performing tasks for heavy industry, as well as miniature high-precision equipment, producing tiny parts of precision instruments - this benchtop machines with CNC.
Regardless of the size and purpose of use, lathes have the same basic components and components.
It consists of a base on which a frame is installed, along which the caliper moves along guides.
At opposite ends of the equipment there is a headstock, which transmits rotation through the spindle of the workpiece, and a tailstock, which moves freely and is fixed depending on the size of the workpiece.
The CNC is connected both to the motor (it stops rotation at the right moment) and to the cutting element itself.
A close relative in terms of operating principle is the milling machine. It is also used on wood and metal.
The milling mechanism, due to the cutter installed in the spindle, performs a rotational movement, and the translational movement of the part feed can be either straight or at an angle, depending on the task.
Usually the milling mechanism is equipped with CNC. The center, which simultaneously performs milling and turning operations, has a very wide application.
DIY equipment
There are many options on how you can create a homemade turning mechanism.
If you often have to do the same work, then benchtop lathes in your home workshop will be a good help.
Most often, a drill mounted on a base is used for the operating part of the equipment. With basic skills in working with electronics, it is possible to even come up with a CNC machine.
Base or frame turning equipment can be made from corners of metal or wooden beams.
Tabletop lathes can have a base in the form of a strong particle board.
If you are faced with the task of short-term processing of small parts, then it is quite possible to use a motor powered by a 220V network.
The frame design must ensure that the following conditions are met:
- both the leading and driven centers are located on the same straight line, which is parallel to the axis of rotation;
- the center of symmetry of the part coincides with the axis of its rotation;
- the part is securely fastened to the headstock.
You can turn a part that rotates between the headstock and tailstock using any tool - files, needle files, etc.
Homemade tabletop lathes are designed for side processing of parts. For example, it will be convenient to use them to process the baluster of a wooden staircase.
It’s easy to create not only tabletop, but also full-fledged lathes with your own hands.
The main thing is how they will differ desktop options from a full-size machine – this is the engine.
The larger the size homemade machine, the more bulky parts it can process.
And to work with large workpieces, of course, you will need a powerful engine.
Lathe from engine
Let's consider a homemade machine, created with your own hands from the engine and power supply of an old Soviet tape recorder.
Its basis will be wooden plank, from its pieces, cut in the shape of squares, the side of which is equal to the width of the base of our future machine, we will form the tailstock.
We will form a casing from metal, in which we will cut a hole for the output of the rotating mechanism. We fix the engine on the casing.
Now you need to find the projection of the center of rotation onto the tailstock.
To do this, you can make a cylinder out of paper that clearly corresponds to the distance between the headstocks, fix it on the headstock and use the drive to wrap it around the axis several times.
If the cylinder rotates smoothly, then the point of fixation of the part will be the center of the circle that describes the cylinder on the tailstock.
We insert a self-tapping screw or any other holder for the workpiece into the center. Of course, this work was done by eye and does not imply high precision turning works.
Modernization, which will increase accuracy if the distance between the headstocks is more than 20 cm, is possible if the center of the workpiece is held level, placing it between the engine head and the tailstock.
We made the simplest mechanism with our own hands.
It can be processed lateral surface long cylindrical and cone-shaped parts, as well as a simple beam.
Considering the low power of the machine, it is only suitable for wooden parts. In a similar way, you can make a milling mechanism with your own hands.
Lathe using drill
Modernizing the idea of finding what's available electrical appliance that produces rotation, will tell you to use a drill for a do-it-yourself turning mechanism.
It can be found in every home. Often, and not just one, because it is usually purchased inexpensive option, and then it turns out that it is rather weak in power.
For a turning mechanism, you will need a drill, any base (a piece of plywood, a board or a slab), a wooden skewer on which the workpiece will be placed, and a wooden square for the tailstock.
We fix the drill in any way, fix the tailstock made of wood at the marked length, insert a rod into the drill and drill a hole in the headstock.
The skewer and the workpiece rotate, and the person, with the help of sandpaper processes the workpiece.
Such a mechanism can be modernized, during which any processing device (for example, a file) will be attached to the base, which will be a manual analogue of CNC.
So, if we need to make a cone-shaped recess around a wooden part, we can make the following improvements - we take two flat files, fix them so that they touch the part, and a trapezoid is formed between the surface of the part and the base with the files.
Now we need to ensure that the files are fed forward and at an angle using a simple spring mechanism.
Options for improving the mechanism:
- Upgrading to metal work can be done by replacing the skewer with a healing mechanism. Attach a spring fixation with a plate to the metal rod, install one such rod in the drill, and the second in the tailstock. It will rotate between the plates metal blank, and we will be able to perform metal turning;
- At home, work with long workpieces is often required. You can make a collapsible drill mount; easy modernization of the base of the mechanism will allow you to rearrange it to process longer objects;
- Equipment modernization can be carried out by taking a more powerful engine (for example, from washing machine) and make the base larger area. There is no direct relationship between the area of the base and the power of the engine, but it must be taken into account that vibrations occur during engine operation, and the base of the machine serves as a support, thanks to which the equipment itself with the rotating part will be in an equilibrium position.
We looked at how easy it is to do homemade mechanism for turning work from parts that you probably have at home.
Upgrading the simplest equipment to suit your specific needs will help you process items in a more complex way.
To create a home lathe with a full-fledged CNC, you will need a control unit, however, it is difficult to make without special knowledge.
As we have demonstrated, a manual analogue of CNC can be simple tools for processing wood or metal, fixed to the base at the correct angle.
