I was given a Metal Lathe., Help me choose projects. Options

[914bub]

You can make anything you put your mind to. . .
My Chevy V8, most from scratch.
Crank took 2 weeks, cam 1 week. . both from solid round stock . the
roller rockers were the hardest because I needed 16 identical. .

That's impressive!

[NeunEinVier]

My first thought is to turn some clutch pulleys out of brass. Do you have other suggestions?

A pistol silencer, so you can be James Bond?

[Kansas 914]

You can make anything you put your mind to. . .
My Chevy V8, most from scratch.
Crank took 2 weeks, cam 1 week. . both from solid round stock . the
roller rockers were the hardest because I needed 16 identical. .

That's impressive!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Just WOW!

[veekry9]

You are in the fla machine belt,supporting nasa and have experts all around you.
Take advantage and prepare yourself accordingly,this is not an overnite,instant gratification endeavor.
I have seen and heard of too many horrible industrial accidents and have become skeptical of selfproclaimed 'gurus'.
Grenade training in the military is defined by strict protocols,so too should be the instruction and manual study of your new lathe.
Bone up on the tech,it's a tool of great versatility with which you can test yourself to get good at.
Getting great at it requires decades of practice and application.
The machine you have for cheap must be supported by the acquiring of tools of telemetry,500$ basically to start.
Electric drills and saws may be your experience to date,and if so,a period of training is needed,because it's the right thing to do.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


Broaching allen sockets in titanium bolts on a manual lathe,circa 1981,<10pcs.

(edit)
Come to think of it,an ad for a part time machinist of skill may be an alternative way to part cost in labor and time.
Hire a machinist to make your swingarm bearing barrel or front upright to carry a driven axle!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Series9]

I think I'll be getting this set:

[Series9]

The machine you have for cheap must be supported by the acquiring of tools of telemetry,500$ basically to start.
Electric drills and saws may be your experience to date,and if so,a period of training is needed,because it's the right thing to do.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This is all excellent advice. Trust me, it is clear to me that this could be a very dangerous machine. It's also clear that I have almost everything to learn.

[Mueller]

The machine you have for cheap must be supported by the acquiring of tools of telemetry,500$ basically to start.
Electric drills and saws may be your experience to date,and if so,a period of training is needed,because it's the right thing to do.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This is all excellent advice. Trust me, it is clear to me that this could be a very dangerous machine. It's also clear that I have almost everything to learn.

No gloves, no long hair (female grad student died this way a few years ago at one of the universities) , long sleeves also a bad idea.

Don't leave key in chuck and turn on lathe....I did this before, luckily the key went straight up in the air and not into my face...it did almost land on the hood of my car!

Don't be tempted to put a chuck into a chuck! Yes, people have done it!

[veekry9]

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/prod...20Tools%20Lathe

http://www.yellowpages.com/orlando-fl/mach...hop-tool-supply


These are some basic tools to get started,do try to be a csob as a money pit is right in front of you.
Planning is everything,make your plan,work your plan,plan to make a profit.
A wee Scotsman told us that in '68,the instructor of the course,of WW2 machining experience.
Know what you are doing before you start making chips,or you'll make chips of gold.
Much to learn of turning,there is.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za0t2Rfjewg

I'm guessing the lathe has no toolpost holders,which is why you're looking to purchase a set.
You won't need a large capacity,3/4" will suffice.
(edit)I see in the photo up top,the post you have will do fine for your application.
The quickchange holders are for production speed and repeatability,can be useful for toolroom applications,setup speed.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

btw,
If your sump smells like shit,it is because there is shit in it.
You'll want to keep it as clean as a toilet bowl,at minimum.
An extreme biohazard,keep it off your skin,eyes,mouth.
Steph and staph out of the sump.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrotizing_fasciitis
http://fluids.doallsawing.org/products_det...roduct=DOALL014
http://www.zepcommercial.com/product/Heavy...itrus-Degreaser

[iwanta914-6]

I used to operate Lathes and Mills when I was a kid. My dad owned a machine shop so I learned from one of the best machinists. Of course I chose not to follow in his footsteps and haven't operated any machines since I was 18.

My suggestion is that you take some classes at a local vo-tech just to get a better understanding of the basics, which includes all the safety lessons.

[veekry9]

https://www.google.ca/search?q=miniature+v8...yA95qXWQQ22M%3A
Ya gotta appreciate the massive workload to achieve these works of machining art.
(edit:01/06/16)
http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/dahlberg.htm
Mindboggling,dedication,talent,perseverance,skill...
I happen to have made a plastic model of this car along with a Stutz Bearcat in the early '60s.
Why I like it,the time and talent as applied to machine sculpture,as you would a fine Swiss watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoDFV_-FPrc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Rfvu7k2nI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L4Hj85Kb5o

(
You may find this illuminating. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
" Here we show that a dense uniform dispersion of silicon carbide nanoparticles (14 per cent by volume) in magnesium can be
achieved through a nanoparticle self-stabilization mechanism in molten metal. An enhancement of strength, stiffness, plasticity and high-temperature stability is simultaneously achieved, delivering a higher specific yield strength and higher specific modulus than almost all structural metals."....wow!
I've worked with some amazing hitemp alloys,if they are referring to the top 3%,we have a new paradigm of power to weight across all applications.
Magnesium-SiliconCarbide Composite(MgSiC) conrods,pistons,valvegear,chassis.
Big changes coming.Wow.
http://gizmodo.com/new-magnesium-composite...h-to-1749578336
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v528/...ature16445.html
)
/
(edit:2/22/16)
Think of an engine block with cylinder bores of < 3mm wall thickness,an engine of half the weight.
Pistons weights allowing high rpm use,the temp stability to allow much higher velocities.
Who will be the first to offer a superleggara boxer engine for a ridiculously exorbitant price?
A 40 Kg advantage will eventually find it's way to a 914 engine bay. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
/

[Series9]

Don't be tempted to put a chuck into a chuck! Yes, people have done it!

Dammit, it came with a small chuck and I thought that was how it was used.

I figured out how to remove the 6" chuck and it's attached by 3 cam-locks. The small chuck has a shaft with threads on the rear portion, so it appears the small one is for another type of lathe.

I have some tools. I'll take pictures and ask for more advice.

[toolguy]

I think I'll be getting this set:

Look up KDK toolpost and holders. . The best and most versatile design
There are some knock off's on EBay that are just as nice.. . this is the 100 size set. . that is what you want for a 12 inch lathe

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-PIECE-KDK-STYLE-...5-/231314112361

[aircooledtechguy]

You can make anything you put your mind to. . .
My Chevy V8, most from scratch.
Crank took 2 weeks, cam 1 week. . both from solid round stock . the
roller rockers were the hardest because I needed 16 identical. .

I marvel at guys like you with these kinds of skills. . . AMAZING!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

When it's done and running you have to post-up a video!!

[veekry9]

My first thought is to turn some clutch pulleys out of brass. Do you have other suggestions?

A pistol silencer, so you can be James Bond?

Warning!
This is not a drill!
Graphic content of industrial accident within!Gore.
An example of not following rules of MC 101.
http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41444

(edit:01/12/16)
He looked as surprised as anyone could get.
I found this while searching for 'Mas' engine lathe.

(edit:05/22/16)
Photobucket has taken down the pix of the accident,
I suppose the horrible nature of accident investigation is too offensive.
Civil War pix,or plane and train crashes.
Boer War,WW1 and WW2,Korea and VietNam and so on.
Used to be,the dead were front page news,all around the world.
Surely,they were more offended than the viewers,decades or centuries later.
They were professionally taken for reference in law,an inquiry for recommendations to regulation changes.
The purpose,to avoid more accidents,like the carnage on the highways.
Teaching more people about the results of ignored rules or seatbelts might have an effect on the number of casualties.
/

[VegasRacer]

My first thought is to turn some clutch pulleys out of brass.

Like this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[Series9]

My first thought is to turn some clutch pulleys out of brass.

Like this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Yes, exactly like Wills' souvenir.

[zambezi]

Don't be tempted to put a chuck into a chuck! Yes, people have done it!

Dammit, it came with a small chuck and I thought that was how it was used.

I figured out how to remove the 6" chuck and it's attached by 3 cam-locks. The small chuck has a shaft with threads on the rear portion, so it appears the small one is for another type of lathe.

I have some tools. I'll take pictures and ask for more advice.

Maybe the small chuck is for the tail stock for drilling holes. That is how ours is done.

[toolguy]

12X36 and 13x40 import {China or Taiwan] lathes almost always come with a 6 inch camlock chuck with a D1-4 spindle mount. . Going up to an 8 inch chuck is double the rotating weight, A 6 in chuck is around 20 pounds, 8 in is about 35+ pounds,
You lathe looks to be a 12x36 with probably a 1 1/2 motor at best. A 6 inch chuck is what it is best suited to turn.

Consider what the HP is on the motor on yours. . .and the weight of the piece you are turning when considering a larger chuck. . Wanting to hold larger objects is why the chuck jaws are reversible and have 3 steps, once you exceed the limit of the chuck you should consider a bigger lathe to match a larger chuck. . .

A drill chuck is what is used in the tailstock, just like on a drillpress but with a Morse taper mount.

Once again, just my 2 cents, but think safety here. . flying metal is hard to stop.

[Olympic 914]

Warning!
This is not a drill!
Graphic content of industrial accident within!Gore.
An example of not following rules of MC 101.
http://www.silencertalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41444

Veekry

Thanks for posting this.

Very graphic....

I also was given a small lathe, old Logan 10x24. and I have very little metal working experience. I have made a couple small parts and am very careful when using it.
But these pictures will be in my mind anytime I use it from now on....

[sean_v8_914]

grab a chunk of broom stick. make a contoured handle. pencil out a simple handle with some steps and dia changes. them try to make the wood look like your picture. my son just gave me a lathe. my first real project was to turn down the ID of a steering hub adapter. im having fun with it. this thread is awesome. thanks for the guidance