|
|
|
||||||||
|
Mini-Lathe
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This is where it all started! I became interested in machining through shooting rimfire benchrest but I had no idea where to even begin. Next, I had to take a machine tools class in college and while I was taking that class I started researching home machining. After finding only a few sites with limited information, I ran across Varmint Al’s mini-lathe page. I was hooked and I had to get one. So in January 2000 for my birthday gift, I drove to Lexington KY to purchase my mini-lathe. The next day I drove back to get another one after the first one never fired up, but I was just happy to get a it.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here is a pic right after purchasing it. I know it is not the best, but I was trying to show is the lathe right out of the box with everything it comes with.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here is all the stuff I had added to the lathe with in the first year.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Well, that was four years ago and I thought I would keep this short and just show you some things I have done with the lathe over the last few years.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here is the smallest thing I have ever machined, a vent/oil plug for my radial engine.
This part started as a 1/8" piece of brass that was faced off, centered drilled, threaded with a 5-40 die in a die holder for the tail stock, fliped and filed while the lathe was spinning to create the radius on the end. Lastly, it was then cross drilled to intersect with the center drilled hole on the mill.
What a Blast!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Turning the taper for the bearing housing
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This is what started it all, Wind Flags!
|
Scope alignment bars
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here is another thing I did on the lathe that just blew me away! I needed to mount my rotary tool to my cnc machine and B.D. had molded a thread on the very front of the tool. So I decided to use the threads to mount it with. I started with some delrin mounted to a face plate. I drilled, bored and the threaded the part. This was the first time I had ever attempted to turn internal threads on a lathe. I was shocked when it actually threaded on to the part! This stuff is killer! By doing the math and taking my time, this part one done in one try and fits like a glove. SICK!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Well, these are examples with what I have done with the lathe, but that is not even close to all of the things I have machined with it. Over the last four years, I have turned hubs for my father-in-laws brake business, modified/built tons of RC car parts, fixed/ modified stuff for the house, machined stuff for friends and I did it all with the lathe. Email me if you have any questions, Dean
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here are some links that might be useful!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| page created with Easy Designer |