Homemade bowl lathe....

[froglips]

K, I got me an idea.

Take a large diameter >24" cast iron pipe, fill with anchoring cement.

Embed in the cement theaded rod.

Bolt down a long, 2" spindle in two pillow block bearings (thrust i think) mounted to a steel plate attached to the theaded rod.

Thead one end of the spindle for 1" x 8TPI to match the common thead size on most commercial lathe attachemnts.

Attach a 4 step pulley to the spindle and a 4 step to the motor. Manual belt change for speed adjustment.

I'd pay a machine shop to mount the spindle in the bearings, cut a keyway for the pulley and cut the treades.

Would there be a reason to have the spindle end bored out for a morse taper? Maybe look at adding a second spindle later with the morse taper?

This is for my Dad for xmas. He is a dedicated bowl turner and has outgrown his Midi lathe. He does not really use the bed or tailstock, so I'm not looking for that. He has a 1 car garage thats exclusively for his shop. Cement slab floor. Point being, it does not have to be moved.

Still looking at options for freestanding tool rest.

My head hurts from all the digging around online, so I was hoping to run this past real people, not just random bytes on the digital wasteland

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions? Still looking for good web sites to help spec this out.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[ashley_phil]

That sounds like a ton of work! You can get a dedicated VEGA Bowl Lathe for well under $ 2,500

http://www.vegawoodworking.com/2400 Bowl Lathe.html

Now you can certainly rig something up for less money. Just throwing this out as an option for you.

 

[MikeH]

That sounds like a ton of work! You can get a dedicated VEGA Bowl Lathe for well under $ 2,500

IS THAT ALL?????? 8-O8-O8-O8-O8-O

 

[froglips]

Oh yes, I looked at the Vega. Drooled, fondled, etc. And lots of other amazing, but sadly pricey commercial options.

The commercial options we are looking at is the new Nova 1426 or the Woodtek 12.

For now, I'm curious about the viability of a homemade option.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[froglips]

I am a big fan of the Function over Form.

Just look at my wardrobe!

Jim

 

[ashley_phil]

This was floating around this summer. Don't know if they are still around or not:

Wood Lathes for Sale -$400​

2 Shop-made Industrial-size Lathes. Both were made
20+ years ago, by a machinist in Lincolnton, NC.
1.) The long lathe has an overall length of 90
inches, maximum stock length of 70 inches.
The bed is 2 – 6 inch channel steel beams.
2.) The bowl lathe is 2 – 8 inch channel steel
beams. Included is an assortment of pulleys
and 7 knives.
$400 for both the lathes and the accessories. “I am
open to bartering & dickering!” Call Don Hovis
daytime 704-618-0076, after 5 pm 704-597-1856​

 

[Wildwood]

If you do a Google search will find a lot of information on building a homemade bowl lathe. Plenty of tips, tricks, and techniques including part suppliers out there. Have read several articles on how to built a lathe, just don’t have the skills or tools.

Really think a good tool rest and tail stock as important as the head stock. You don’t want a tool rest that moves while you’re turning. Once locked down don’t like it when either the base or tool rest move while turning.

The tail stock can be an important safety feature when turning a bowl. While not an avid bowl turner, normally start off turning a bowl blank between centers. One reason for that is speed and safety, another is allows me to delay making design decisions. Even after chucking up a bowl may or may not bring up the tail stock for safety reasons. Like that option!

Hope this helps. Good luck with your project.

 

[Eaglesc]

Get an old junk vehicle.
Convert to propane.
Jack it up on blocks.
Use the rear wheel for turning.
(Don't get a positraction or limited slip differential model.):-D
Added benefit reverse

 

[DaveD]

A few years ago there was a bunch of pictures and writeup on the WWW by some people trying to go for a world's record on turning a BIG bowl. They used (I think) a big john deer tractor, blocked it up and used one wheel hub to act as the faceplate. The carver actually sat on the tool rest arm to do the turning. If I remember right the bowl way probably 12-14' in diameter and maybe 5-6' deep.

The pictures were impressive and they actually finished the bowl. Can't seem to find the pictures now.

 

[froglips]

Wow, that sounds like fun! I could "retask" my mom's Camary. I'm sure she won't mind one bit As they say, its better to ask forgiveness than permissions........

Does anyone have recommendations for:

A machine shop in the Triangle area?

Scrap yard or place I could get some large diameter cast iron pipe or large barrel? Something to fill with cemet for the base?

Websites to order things like pulleys, belts, bearings?

I'm leaning towards the Baldor/Dodge double tapered roller pillow block for front and back.

Anyone think a morse taper cut in the spindle is needed for bowl turning?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[froglips]

Mike, if you want to PM me your machinest of choice, maybe I can work out something.

I do have a 55 gallon plastic barrel that was used to store fuel. Do you think that plastic barrel filled with anchoring cement would do the trick for a base?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[froglips]

Well, progress has been made!

I went with 2 inch flange pillow block bearings and a 2" x 3' O-1 drill rod for the spindle.

After getting an old FineWoodworking book on lathes, my design has changed.

2 verticle 12"x6"x48" LVL beams bedded in a cement base. The flange pillow block bearings were used in the lathes made in the FWW book. A lot easier to mount, IMHO.

Still stuck finding a machinist to take on my small job. I called around the area, they were all too big to take on a one off project of my size.

Also cannot find any pulley's with a bore diameter of 2". I just started looking at automotive pulleys, they seem pretty big.....

Any tips or places to look would be appreciated.

No one said doing it yourself was easy, but they could've at least handed me a beer!

Jim

 

[nelsone]

Pics man, where are the pics. You have to take us along for this ride!:lol:

I have nothing that will help you out, but I really do want to see how you go about this!

 

[NZAPP1]

Also cannot find any pulley's with a bore diameter of 2". I just started looking at automotive pulleys, they seem pretty big.....

Any tips or places to look would be appreciated.

Jim

Jim
Try MCMaster Carr I was just looking and seen some that may work :icon_thum

 

[4yanks]

Also cannot find any pulley's with a bore diameter of 2". I just started looking at automotive pulleys, they seem pretty big.....

Any tips or places to look would be appreciated.

No one said doing it yourself was easy, but they could've at least handed me a beer!

Jim

Jim,

Maybe something like this.

http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/H3224

I looked at some industrial supply sites that have pulleys as I have been shopping them with the intention of replacing my bandsaw pulleys. You're right 2" bore is hard to find.

 

[froglips]

Wow, if you beat your head against the wall long enough, you get the answer you wanted.

Turns out for >2" shafts, you have to move up to "bushings and sheaves", not pulleys.

The bushing fits the shaft, then is bolted to the sheave/pulley. I attached a cutaway example.

I found them availabe at MSC, Grainger, Fastenal. Oddly, not at ENCO.

Thanks for the McCarr Master, thats the site i couldn't remember. They are winners too, easiest to find the parts. Let me pick the criteria so much better than the other sites. I'm gonna post seperately singing their praises!

That grizzly answer is quite interesting. Boring my own holes that big sounds like a big job.

Thanks for the contact Mike.

I'll start taking pics when I got stuff. To date, all the bits are in the mail!

Thanks everyone.

Jim

 

[Robert Arrowood]

Don't know if they have one in you area. Check out PULLAPART.com. Or check with any old manufactureing plants in your area.They may have just what you need. Good Luck!:icon_thum And don't forget to take pic's of wip.:icon_thum

 

[froglips]

Major update....

I found a machine shop! Of all places, a post on the Raleigh CL Tools.

http://www.mebfab.com/Home/HomeMain.html

Its run by Dan, a former Chemical Engineer. He also sells a lot of old used machinery.

As soon as I get the shaft from Enco (ha, not quite how it sounds), he said to bring it over and he can cut the threads and keyway.

I'll be sure to follow up on this trip.

After 9 phone calls, I thought there weren't any Machine shops for us little folk.

Jim

 

[froglips]

Major, and heavy updates.

The bearings and shaft have been delivered.

All I can say is thats one hunk-a hunk-a steel! Also got the bearings.

Ordered the pulley's. Went with a 4 step pulley for the drive, and a 9.6" Sheave+bushing for the shaft.

Also located two suppliers that carry LVL's.

Question to the gang, any tips or sites for mounting shafts into bearings? I got a 2" shaft and 2" bore bearings, they sure are snug..... aka I can't get them together!

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Eaglesc]

Put the shafts in the freezer, warm up the bearings.