My Newly Built Wood Lathe

[Michael Poorman]

Hi All,

I'm a long time reader. Below is the wood lathe I built. I referenced this forum regularly while designing and building my lathe. Thank you all for your knowledge you've so freely shared. I hope you enjoy.

Specs:
54" Swing
18" Between Centers
~1300 pounds
2 hp 3 phase motor
VFD controlled

 

[Tom Coghill]

Mike,

That looks Nice! What's her name? Bluebell? Big Blue? Babe the Blue Ox?

Looking at it, I don't see the 1300# weight, unless those steel box sections are filled.

Apart from the shippping issues, you could go into business making those as long as they had standard connections (#2MT, etc.) so it could accomodate all the additional items on the market.

Do you mind sharing what this cost you to build it?

Tom

 

[Michael Poorman]

Tom,

Thanks for the complements. Her name is Big Blue. I don't know of any lady that would like that name, but it seems to fit her well.

The steel beams are filled. The beam that the head stock sits on is packed densely with sand. The 4" square tubing under the ways and the leg is also filled and packed with sand.

I actually brought the lathe home (~30 miles away) finished up and assembled in the bed of my small pickup.

The head stock is from an old Logan lathe. It has a #3MT in the spindle and the threads are 1/2 x 8. I bought a Vicmarc 120 chuck along with the 9" jaws for the lathe. I love this chuck! The tailstock has a #2 MT. The quill is from an old drill press, and it advances in the same manner as a drill press.

As far as the cost goes, I acquired many of the parts from friends and family for free. I also unlimited access to a local friends machine shop. My cost was close to $750. Most of that was spent purchasing the VFD, brake module, controls, pulleys, and tooling for the machining of the lathe.

If you are interested in keeping up with my work and shop progress, please follow my blog, www.woodshopmike.blogspot.com

 

[Bart Leetch]

So how did you get a #3 MT inside a 1/2 x 8 spindle?

I'm a little different I would have fill everything with concrete thats how Vega does their big bowl lathe.

http://www.vegawoodworking.com/

 

[Michael Poorman]

Hahaha I meant 1.5 x 8. I don't think I'd trust a big piece of wood on a 1/2" spindle. I thought about concrete but went for sand instead.

 

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

2 guys in GCWA have a homemade lathe and both are dubbed "Big Blue" - though neither of theirs has a 54" swing.

I hope you don't have to remove the tailstock...it looks very heavy!

 

[Michael Poorman]

It is heavy and awkward to hold. I have thought of putting some handles on it eventually. The thing to remember is lift with your legs, not your back.

 

[hockenbery]

So how did you get a #3 MT inside a 1/2 x 8 spindle?

I'm a little different I would have fill everything with concrete thats how Vega does their big bowl lathe.

http://www.vegawoodworking.com/

I was wondering about the 1/2 spindle on such a large machine. Typo?

Sand has a couple of advantages: dampens vibration, is removable, cheap.
Of course it can leak out if there are holes.
The big Nichols lathes are usually filled with sand.

Michael ,
Looks like a machine that will give you a lot of service.

Al

 

[Michael Poorman]

Hockenbery,

Yes, 1/2 was a typo. The spindle is 1 1/2 x 8.

I have yet to see any evidence of sand leaking out. I went with sand for the same reasons you have mentioned. Since the lathe it's built from steel it could resonate badly without a medium to dampen the harmonics that develop. The sand seems to be working out quite well.

The biggest piece I've turned so far is 19 x 4. She did just fine.

 

[Steve Doerr]

Mike, what an awesome looking toy, I mean lathe Big Blue looks like it will be a very stable and useable machine. I can't wait to see some of your "big" pieces. I think your idea of handles on the tail stock are going to be really helpful and important. You may want to consider building a jig/trailer of some sort that you can off load and move the tail stock aside for when you need better access to the center of the turning.

Just thought of something--your lathe may put a new perspective to the term "jumbo jaws" should you build some to finish the bottom of your turnings

Steve

 

[odie]

The word "awesome" also came to mind when viewing the pics of your Big Blue! It's really great to see what ingenious home made lathes and tools other turners are coming up with......:cool2:

ooc

 

[allen jay]

lathe

that is the ugliest piece of cast iron i have ever seen""_
what would you pay me to haul it off the scrapers??
fabulous work

 

[Steve Worcester]

So how did you get a #3 MT inside a 1/2 x 8 spindle?

I'm a little different I would have fill everything with concrete thats how Vega does their big bowl lathe.

http://www.vegawoodworking.com/

Sand I would think would have much better vibration dampening ability that concrete

 

[Michael Poorman]

Steve,

Thanks for the idea about a trailer of sorts. I'm currently removing he tailstock and setting it on some blocks close to the lathe. It works for now but I do need something better in the future.

I'm hoping to build a large longworth chuck in a few weeks. I'm thinking a 36" version to start with made out of baltic birch ply. I doubt I'll make pieces larger than that for a while. I gotta wait for a tree to grow big enough right!?

I suppose this could start a whole new conversation, but has anyone made a longworth chuck that large?


Odie,

Thank you, I'm glad you like it.


Allen,

That sure would be a heck of a drive from CO just to toss something in the scrap yard, but I do appreciate the offer to take it off my hands I'm glad you like it.

 

[Steve Doerr]

Mike, check with Tom Coghill. I know that he built a large jumbo jaws for his Oneway. He has posted pictures some place.
Steve

 

[Bart Leetch]

Michael that sure doesn't look like a Poorman's lathe. Oh I just couldn't resist.... Are you sure you didn't make that for me????? Great looking lathe!!!

 

[Breck Whitworth]

That is a serious big boy toy!

Mike you are definitely not a rookie around a machine shop, kudos to a beautiful piece of equipment. I take it you don't make a lot of small stuff. (chuckle)

 

[Ian Thorn]

You made it that big for pen turning Wow. for the tail stock you could rig up a gantry and chain block & tackle. Nice lathe.

Ian

 

[Richard Coers]

My only critisism would be the link belt from the jack shaft to the head, and the welds. You will really have to transfer some torque when turning big diameter and I suspect you will have some slippage turning anything near 30 inches. I would have used a poly v belt. The welds look cold in the pictures. Looks like you were a little short on the welder amps to get good penetration. Should hold just fine, just a welder's opinion. Nice work overall, you're going to have a lot of fun with that machine.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Richard, I am not a welder, but I was wondering about the welded seams. Do you think that chamfered edges would have been a good idea in general when two flat plates are butt welded together?

 

[Michael Poorman]

I really wanted to use a cogged belt or two v-belts as I used from the motor to counter shaft. However, since I'd have to disassemble the head stock whenever I needed to install a belt I opted for the sectional v-belt. The biggest piece I've turned to date was a 20" blank that cleaned up to a 19" platter. I didn't have any trouble with slippage. Granted that is much smaller than the max capacity, it's still a good indication that things will work just fine.

Regarding the welds. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a professional, but I do think they are more than adequately strong. They ain't purdy but she'll hold. There are multiple beads at each seam and all of the mating edges were all heavily chamfered. Also, as you would know being a welder, the best way to tell if a seam is strong enough is a failure test, x-ray, or cutting through your weld and inspecting it. After lots of refresher practice, penetration inspection, and lots of beating the welds with a BFH, I figured I was ready to start welding the lathe. Just to ease my mind as I welded the machine together I would beat the pieces with a large hammer to ensure the welds strength.

I will say the lathe has been a blast to use. I appreciate your opinion and comments, just defending the design process and why the decisions I made were made.

 

[Dean Center]

Mike,
Congrats on your unique and well done project. I'm not sure what it is about the color, but when our local sage built ginormous lathes for people, they came out the same as yours. (The original owner of this one made him put a bed on it, but usually they were strictly big bowl lathes)

 

[Michael Poorman]

Thanks Dean! That's awesome your lathes were the same color. I used Ford tractor blue from agri supply. I was originally planning to use Kubota orange, but decided against it and went for blue while I was in the store.

 

[Bill Boehme]

John Deere Green and Yellow. Of course then you woulds need a three point hitch and a PTO. And don't forget about the tires and weights and hydraulic front end loader. You can add the baler and brush hog later.

 

[Michael Poorman]

Exactly what I was afraid of if I painted it JD green. It's enough work keeping up with accessories for a lathe.

 

[Richard Coers]

Richard, I am not a welder, but I was wondering about the welded seams. Do you think that chamfered edges would have been a good idea in general when two flat plates are butt welded together?

Absolutely Bill, the chamfer should be 2/3 of the material thickness. I have no doubt that it will hold Michael, in most places, you are not building for high stress loading. I will mention that all that weld bead on top of weld bead does not add strength. One bead, laid down with proper heat and in the bottom of a chamfer, is where you get the strength. Heavy equipment manufacturers and structural steel fabricators will use multiple beads. But they can be working with 3/4" thick steel and more. With the 2/3 chamfer rule, that's a 1/2" weld bead minimum. Definitely not single pass work.