A simple homemade wood lathe. Wood lathe: device, structural units, making a homemade wood lathe with your own
There are many types of machines. They are divided by performance into industrial, designed for small industries, and desktop or household. The first two types are used in small and large industries, and for home use the last option is correct. As a rule, it is installed on a workbench and single products are made on it.
Also, the machines differ in functionality. There are the following varieties:
- Turning and copying allows you to create several identical parts. To operate a lathe with a copier, a stencil is needed, according to which an exact copy of it is created.
- Turning and milling has additional features for grooving.
- Turning screw is able to cut threads and sharpen products under a cone.
- Face-turning is used for the manufacture of objects on a wide flat base - bas-reliefs, high reliefs, three-dimensional paintings.
- Round stick makes any workpiece round in cross section form. It is widely used for the production of ax handles, cuttings for gardening tools, handles for hand tools - chisels, knives, mops. The workpiece itself in a round-stick lathe is stationary, only the wood cutters rotate.
According to the degree of automation, they are divided into manual, semi-automatic and CNC machines, in which the turner only sets the workpiece and turns on the specified program.
Lathe device
A typical wood lathe consists of several main parts: an electric motor, a bed, a handpiece, a headstock and a tailstock.
The bed is the basis of the machine, all other mechanisms are fixed on it. As a rule, it is cast iron. The large weight of the monolithic bed allows you to significantly reduce the vibration of the equipment, which adversely affects the life of the machine.
The headstock performs several functions. A workpiece is attached to it and rotation is transmitted from the electric motor through the spindle mounted on it using a belt drive.
The speed of rotation of the part is changed by moving the belt onto the pulleys desired diameter. This arrangement is similar to how the gears on a modern multi-speed bicycle work.
The workpiece in the spindle is held at one end by a driving chuck, at the other end by a turning chuck for wood on the tailstock.
The functionality of a wood lathe can be expanded with a faceplate. A part is attached to it, if you need to grind its ends, which were clamped by cartridges.
Also, machines are equipped with copiers, which allow you to make several identical parts with great accuracy.
Brief description and characteristics of the STD 120M lathe
The machine has a simple and reliable design, proven over the years. It is put in school workshops, vocational schools, in the shops of enterprises, used at home. With its help, the following turning works on wood are performed:
- drilling;
- stencil turning;
- sharpening of rotating parts of different profiles;
- facing, rounding and cutting off parts at different angles;
- processing of flat surfaces using a faceplate.
The device of the machine has its own characteristics:
- the change in rotation speed is changed by moving the belt onto pulleys of different diameters;
- the control unit is located on the headstock for maximum convenience during operation;
- the set of equipment includes several nozzles of the spindle type, which allows you to fix workpieces with any type of ends;
- for the safety of the worker, the machine is equipped with a casing and curtains with transparent windows;
- to remove chips, a cleaning unit is additionally connected.
The unit is connected to a three-phase electrical network with a voltage of 380 V and mandatory grounding.
How to make a simple lathe from a drill
As you can see, the device of this unit is quite simple, and everyone can make a homemade wood lathe. The most elementary device for turning workpieces is obtained from a conventional drill. It will allow you to carry out simple turning work at home and save on the purchase of special equipment. The drill in this case replaces the headstock and rotation drive.
Instead of a cast-iron bed, a workbench is used. Wooden stops are fixed on it for attaching a drill and a tailstock. The back stop is made of bars and an adjustable screw, the end of which is sharpened into a cone. Turning cutters for wood are various attachments for a drill, which are attached instead of a drill.
On such a simple device, handles for tools and doors, simple decorative items, balusters and much more are turned.
DIY wood lathe
This design is a little more complicated, but it also has more possibilities. It is based on a home-made bed, welded from metal corners and mounted on a workbench or on its legs. The reliability of the bed is given Special attention so that the machine vibrates as little as possible during operation. The design of the frame provides for the presence of a longitudinal guide for moving individual elements.
Relies on a handkerchief cutting tool. The bracket for it must not only move in a horizontal plane, but also rotate along the mounting axis. The support plane of the tool rest must coincide with the axis of rotation of the part in processing.
Any serviceable electric motor of any household appliance enough power. The easiest way is to mount the spindle directly on the shaft without transmission devices.
This method is cheaper and saves space on the bed. But it also has its drawbacks - it is impossible to regulate the speed of rotation and uneven wear of bearings that are not designed for longitudinal load.
Therefore, it is worth providing a separate node for the spindle. The torque will be supplied by belt driven pulleys.
The spindle is a part that fixes the workpiece by transmitting torque to it. It may look like an anti-slip stop or have screw clamps. The version with clamps is called a faceplate.
The tailstock holds the part on the axis of rotation. The easiest option is a bolt sharpened on a cone. The emphasis is more complicated made of a support bearing.
For normal operation of the machine, the centers of both headstocks and the plane of the handpiece must match perfectly.
As a result, a homemade wood lathe should look something like this:
Particular attention should be paid to the stability of the entire structure so that a strong lateral force does not tip the machine over. If the motor is running, this may cause injury. To eliminate the most common failures when working with a homemade unit, consider the following subtleties:
- the workpiece must rotate on the turner;
- before processing the workpiece with cutters, give it a cylindrical shape (if possible);
- the cutter should be pressed against the workpiece at an acute angle;
- final grinding is done with fine sandpaper, this operation is carried out with gloves so as not to burn your hands from friction;
- the harder the wood, the higher the rotational speed of the shaft should be.
When working on a wood lathe, do not forget about safety precautions. The worker must use protective equipment - special glasses, gloves, if necessary, a respirator.
The capabilities of a home-made lathe are expanded by equipping with additional nozzles and fixtures - they apply paint to a rotating part, machine identical parts using a copier, and even wind transformers.
A simple homemade wood lathe - video
A specialized wood lathe makes it possible to obtain various products and their copies from wood, provided that a copier is available. A woodworking lathe is lighter than a metalworking lathe and also uses less powerful electric motors. If we are talking about industrial applications, then CNC models are relevant here, and the faceplate serves as a workpiece clamp.
All machines on the market can be divided into three groups.
- Industrial. These are mainly CNC models, the weight of which is about 100-200 kg on average. The power of the used electric motors is 1 kW. Distinctive features- this is increased productivity, wide functionality and the ability to put production on stream. Retainer - faceplate or headstock.
- Semi-professional or designed for small production. The weight of the units varies from 40 to 100 kg. Power ranges from 500 to 900 kW. Specifications allow you to use a semi-professional type woodworking machine for a small production or workshop.
- Household. They are desktop. A similar woodworking machine weighs no more than 40 kg. The bulk of such units usually weighs 20-25 kg. Differ in compactness, mobility, but not productivity. They serve only to obtain single products, although they can be equipped with a CNC module.
Depending on the functionality, turning units can be:
- Combined. Their specialization is the performance of a wide range of operations on a single machine. At the same time, the price of such machines is high, and their processing quality does not always correspond to the expectations and invested funds;
- Specialized. Specialized machines allow you to make various crafts, wood-based products, working according to certain limited patterns.
It is important to note that specialized devices are divided into three subtypes:
- Turning and milling. With their help, you can make, process and bore grooves.
- Turning screw. Such a woodworking type of specialized machine is used to work with cone-shaped products, threading.
- CNC. Multifunctional devices that perform a whole cycle of woodworking operations. Important feature CNC module is that it automatically performs all the work. Operator involvement is minimal. Its task is to set the desired program from the CNC list.
At the same time, any woodworking unit is capable of:
- crop;
- Turn;
- Drill;
- Make grooves;
- Cut thread;
- Make holes;
- Turn the ends;
- Sanding;
- Make openings.
Specifications
Many craftsmen make a wood lathe with their own hands, while others prefer to purchase ready-made devices. When there are such models on the market as STD 120m, Corvette 74, STD 1000, Holzstar db1100, no chisels or planers are needed.
Experts advise focusing on the following parameters.
- Motor power. Electric motors determine the processing capabilities of the machine, but at the same time affect energy consumption. Industrial models use engines with a power of 1-2 kW. And for domestic needs choose 300-500 watts.
- Workpiece sizes. Here you should pay attention to the center-to-center distances and to the machine bed.
- Spindle head rotation speed. This is the main working tool capable of rotating at a frequency of 400 to 35,000 revolutions per minute. The quality of processing products directly depends on this parameter.
- manufacturer and warranty. Many experts recommend choosing brands like Corvette, STD and Holzstar.
The choice on the presented versions of devices is not limited, but they are well-deservedly popular.
Design features
Let's study general principle design of such equipment.
- The basis is the bed, the quality of which determines the accuracy of woodworking and the stability of the turning equipment itself. All elements and mechanisms are located directly on the frame. The best option the manufacture of the bed - cast iron and solid casting.
- Workpieces are mounted in driving chucks, which are located on a rotating spindle. A faceplate or tailstock with a rear chuck allows you to fix the product from two sides at once.
- Depending on the length of the cutter, the thrust bearing moves. The cutter partially rests on it during the processing of workpieces.
- Workpieces can be fixed in two ways. For the first, the centers of two cartridges are used, and for the second, a faceplate. If you prefer to make yourself a homemade wood lathe, you will need a faceplate when turning the ends. The peculiarity is that the faceplate provides for fastening products with bolts, and not with points. The faceplate is preferable because it fixes the product more securely.
- The most important design difference between turning units for metal and woodworking is that the woodworking option provides for manual feed of the cutter to the product.
Popular Models
Working on a wood lathe is a fairly common event in home workshops and industries. If you need a unit for personal purposes, drawings, photo and video instructions will allow you to make an excellent unit with your own hands.
Or pick up the chisels and get to work. Chisels are an outdated alternative to woodworking machines. So chisels, planers and others hand tools will not allow you to achieve the same result as automated chisels, that is, machines. With CNC they will be or without a CNC module, you decide.
The list of popular models includes such modern "chisels":
- Corvette 74;
- STD 1000;
- STD 120m;
- Holzstar db1100.
Let's consider them separately.
- Corvette 74 is floor unit power of 550 watts. The processing diameter and width are 300 and 845 mm, respectively. Corvette 74 weighs 85 kg. The range of spindle speeds on the Corvette 74 machine is from 500 to 2000 rpm. The current cost is 30 thousand rubles.
- STD 1000. Drive unit 22.9 kg. The maximum processing diameter of the model is 350 mm. The power of the unit is 400 W, and the rotational speed is from 810 to 2480 rpm. The price of STD 1000 is about 11 thousand rubles.
- STD 120m weighs 100 kg and runs on 380 V. Power is 0.4 kW. The machining diameter is up to 190 mm, and the spindle speed STD 120m is from 1100 to 2150 rpm. The price is about 45 thousand rubles.
- The Holzstar db1100 is a 92kg German machine with 10 speeds and a maximum working diameter of 358mm. The unit is powered by a 220 V network. Estimated price is 55-60 thousand rubles.
Do you need a CNC model, a heavy-duty faceplate, and a wide range of adjustments if you're going to be doing regular small crafts? No. CNC and faceplate are the prerogative of modern, powerful devices with high functionality. If you want to make ordinary crafts, you can try to assemble the machine yourself.
If large-scale production is planned, work with large products, the faceplate as a latch will become indispensable, and the CNC module will simplify the work.
For a home workshop in which woodwork is planned, an appropriate lathe is necessary. It is not necessary to buy it if you do not need to work very intensively on it. This is just the tool that even a child is quite capable of making with his own hands. Of course, under the guidance of adults.
We bring to your attention a video tutorial on how to make a homemade wood lathe according to the instructions that were set out in the magazine “ Young Technician". To work, you need a minimum of parts. The most complex part that is needed in this machine is the engine. The magazine recommended using a sewing machine motor for this.
The task arose - to make a chess piece and make up for the missing bishop. All parts of circular section, that is, the cross section of which is a circle, are processed according to this principle. The workpiece rotates and the cutter removes chips.
Just at hand was a very old, but not lost its usefulness magazine, in which an article was published on how to make a simple lathe for working with wooden blanks. This machine consists of a bed, a headstock, a tailstock, a handpiece.
A spindle with a cartridge rotates in the headstock, it receives rotation from an electric motor. The tailstock can move along the bed, fixed in the right place with a wedge. The armrest has freedom of movement both along and across the frame. It is also fixed with a wedge. The workpiece is clamped between the headstock chuck and the tailstock cone. The cutting tool rests on the handpiece. How to make a turning head,.
Since most of the details of this machine are wooden, the master took up a hacksaw. Details subject to the greatest loads during operation, strengthened by gluing plywood on both sides. The base and bed of the machine are assembled from planks and machines.
From metal parts needed a cone from a bicycle handlebar. To convert it into a lathe chuck, I had to drill 2 holes in it and drive nail pieces tightly into them.
This is how the design turned out.
The second metal knot is also from a bicycle. Namely, the axle of the front wheel. A cartridge prepared in advance is screwed onto it and tightly wrapped with a lock nut. This is how the headstock was assembled.
It remains to transfer rotation to the cartridge at the opposite end of the axis to fix the pulley for the belt drive. The magazine suggested cutting out 3 circles with a jigsaw and sawing a pulley into them with a jigsaw. But circles cut with a jigsaw are not very even. Therefore, it was decided to make a circle cutter. For this, on the one hand wooden block the nail is hammered and sharpened sharply. And with the back for the convenience of the handle. A plank with a pin attached to it is the base of the instrument. The diameter of the pin is equal to the diameter of the bicycle axle. With the help of such a tool, circles are cut out of plywood.
In one place, during the operation of the machine, a rather strong voltage is created.
Therefore, you need to thoroughly tighten the nuts. For the tailstock, a wooden block is selected, the thickness of which allows it to move between the bed rails.
To begin with, an oblong hole is made in the bar. So that the tailstock does not fall through on the bed, two planks were glued to the sides of the bar.
Making a handpiece for a mini lathe.
The base of the handrest is a plywood rectangle with two longitudinal grooves. It includes two metal plates fixed on the sides of a wooden bar. To prevent them from coming out, a wire pin is used. The handkerchief is also a small wooden block with a beveled top. To increase the strength, it is closed with a cover made of roofing iron. Metal scissors and a wooden mallet were used.
Equipping a wood lathe with an electric drive.
In order not to deviate from the instructions posted in the Young Technician magazine, a motor from an old sewing machine was used.
Before wiring, you need to de-energize the device. Electrical contacts must be reliable, otherwise the wiring will heat up during operation. This can get you in big trouble. Therefore, the wires are well protected and tightly twisted, and even better soldered. It goes without saying that the connection points must be securely insulated.
A rubber belt from an old tape recorder came in handy.
Result.
Now the do-it-yourself machine is finally ready and you can start turning. This is a very exciting business. This was noted by Peter the Great.
With the help of simple operations, the log usually turns into a beautiful chess rook.
It turns out that there is nothing easier than assembling a lathe for woodworking with your own hands. Very few materials and tools are needed, and functionality homemade device not inferior to factory counterparts. First you need to disassemble the device of turning equipment.
Purpose and design of the lathe
On lathes, cylindrical parts are made of wood: furniture legs, chess pieces, souvenirs, balusters for fences and much more, using the turning method. Manual work will take a lot of time, and making exact copies is almost impossible. With the help of mechanisms, you can grind and polish the finished product with your own hands, paint or varnish it.
The main elements of a homemade lathe:
- bed (this is the base on which the rest of the devices and mechanisms are attached);
- electric motor;
- headstock (a motor is attached to it);
- spindle;
- handyman;
- back grandma.
From the electric motor through a belt drive, the movement is fed to the headstock shaft - the spindle. For free rotation, the spindle is mounted in bearings. Do-it-yourself fasteners for blanks are put on the open end of the spindle through the thread. These can be faceplates, tridents or cartridges, depending on the shape of the workpiece:
- small parts made of wood (no more than 15 cm long) are installed in the cartridge: the adjacent part is slightly removed on the cone, fixed in a clamp and driven into the cartridge. There is a hole on the side of the cartridge into which an additional fixing screw is screwed;
- longer parts made of wood are fixed in a trident. At the end of the blank, a hole is made with an awl up to 8 mm deep, about 5 mm in diameter and sawn with a hacksaw to a depth of 5 mm;
- thick short blanks of wood are installed in the faceplate, fixing the connection with screws.
The tailstock supports the second end of the workpiece. It is pulled along the guides to the blank, fixed with a bolt and, using the center, firmly presses the part. The center is a part with a clamp that moves due to the flywheel.
A handpiece is a device for resting the cutter. It is moved along the axis of rotation of the part and perpendicular to it. The armrest is fixed with special handles. The upper plane of the tool rest should be 2.5 mm above the center line of the machine, at a distance of up to 3 mm from the edge of the workpiece.
When choosing a model of a homemade lathe, special attention should be paid to the design of the tailstock and stop under the cutter. Quite inconvenient options are often offered.
Homemade machine 1
The base and both headstocks are made by hand from thick plywood and bars. Between themselves wooden details fixed with glue or screws.
The headstock is mounted according to the scheme:
- the front part is fixed, a pair of do-it-yourself plain bearings is attached to it with screws. A pair of loops is attached to the bar, to which a piece of the tube is soldered. The tube is sawn into two parts, the parts are ready for installation;
- installed bearings, as a casing, cover with the upper element of the bed;
- a mandrel is mounted in them. The end of the axis is pre-sharpened, spikes are welded;
- on the other side of the axis, the shaft is fixed;
- a transmission belt is pulled between this pulley and the motor shaft.
The tailstock can be placed at the desired point. To move under it, a guide with a wing nut is made and mounting plate. The cutter stand is attached in the same way.
The engine for the machine should be taken three-phase with a frequency of up to 1.5 thousand revolutions per minute. Depending on the type of motor, it is connected with a "triangle" or "star". It is important to choose the right capacitor.
Electric motor power, W | 2200 | 1500 | 1100 | 800 | 600 | 400 |
Capacitor capacitance in nominal mode, uF | 230 | 150 | 100 | 80 | 60 | 40 |
Capacitor capacitance in underloaded mode, uF | 200 | 130 | 80 | 60 | 40 | 25 |
Starting capacitor capacitance in nominal mode, uF | 300 | 250 | 200 | 160 | 120 | 80 |
Capacitance of the starting capacitor in underloaded mode, uF | 100 | 80 | 60 | 45 | 35 | 20 |
Table 1. Selection of capacitors for electric motors of different power
cutters for homemade machine easy to carve from any chisel. First, a wood blank is processed with a rough cutter, and when about 1 mm remains to the final outline, the work is completed with a finishing cutter.
The accuracy of execution is measured with a micrometer or compared with a template with your own hands. The recesses and main contours of the product are attached with the tip of a rough cutter, they are ground with a finishing cutter.
Without removing the part from the machine, it can be sanded with fine abrasive paper and polished with wood shavings. A handful of chips are pressed firmly against the part at low engine speeds.
Homemade machine 2
The difference with the first homemade model is in a more powerful bed. It is welded, from a channel 12. The headstock is made from a square pipe. A pair of bearings 204 is installed on the headstock.
Scarves are welded between the uprights for strength. The tailstock is movably mounted on the frame. It is a bolt fixed in the sleeve with a pair of nuts. To rotate the cone, a small diameter bearing is installed.
The electric motor is hung under the frame. The stop bar can move in the required direction.
Another homemade lathe in the video:
A homemade lathe for woodworking is a very useful thing for the home of a real master, with it you can do a variety of useful, or just beautiful things.
The summer before last, I made a wood lathe. Some design flaws and I will eliminate them next summer in the workshop (in a rebuilt barn in the country, by the way, look at what a beautiful fireplace for giving you can do with your own hands, as well as homemade solar collector for suburban area). Machine dimensions; length 800 mm, width 400 mm, height 350 mm. Allows sharpening workpieces with a diameter of up to 250 mm and a length of up to 200 mm (on a faceplate, i.e. without tailstock centering) and with tailstock centering up to 400 mm. General view of photo 1.
Homemade wood lathe consists of:
In the manufacture of a lathe, a conventional metalwork tool was used:
- drill with drills
- files
- small angular Sander(Bulgarian with cutting and cleaning discs)
- electric welding machine with electrodes 3 mm and 2 mm.
A metal profile (channel) and a corner were purchased on the construction market, a few pipes of two diameters (so that one pipe fits into another), a 40 mm strip and a 20 mm strip. for a total of 600 rubles. Photo 2. The necessary fasteners were found in the garage. Separately bought a drive belt from some machine (went along the length).
The headstock from the grinder approached in all respects - a highly located axis of rotation, thrust protected bearings on the axis, four alloy washers for fastening abrasive discs. Replaceable discs are attached to two washers on the left side to change the speed, and on right side a faceplate is installed for installing a blank (also made from one of the washers)
The photo also shows a part of a drill (an old burnt Soviet one) - a cartridge and a metal case. This is just the most unfinished unit of the machine.
Disadvantages: the stand is rather weak, there is no lead screw to move the headstock (moved with a lever with fixation with a nut). The chuck itself is handy and allows forces along the axis of the chuck by default.
In the photo there are 4 beds with a caliper. It can move along the frame and across, fixed with a wing nut. On the caliper there is a stand (pipe in a pipe) for setting the height of the stop bar for cutters.
To select the diameters of the pulleys (i.e., changes in the speed of the workpiece), a graph was used (found on the Internet) - the dependence of the speed on the diameter of the workpiece and the hardness of the wood. Two frequencies are chosen that overlap each other. In addition, for some small jobs with hardwood, you can use a sharpener motor i.e. with the drive off (removing the belt and turning off the motor). This way I can set three speeds - 800, 2000, 3000 rpm. almost covering my needs.
In the photo we see a rubberized cartridge on the axis of the electric motor, playing the role of a drive pulley, two driven pulleys (each made of two layers of ten mm plywood) and a faceplate with holes for self-tapping screws that fasten the workpiece. The faceplate is simply screwed onto the axis of the sharpener (i.e., the headstock) after installing the blank.
To mount the motor, a platform was made of thick plywood, and the headstock stands on it (thereby increasing the possibility of turning larger diameter). To adjust the belt tension, the motor stands on a small plate (no photo), which has the ability to move along the platform and fix on it. As a rule, professionals who have chosen this job or hobby make their own rigging. different kind. I bought ready-made and inexpensive for the first time - five incisors for 350 rubles.