Do-it-yourself metal lathe. Metal lathe - simple and inexpensive manufacturing options. Making a lathe from a drill with your own hands: step by step instructions

Many men in the process of repairing equipment are engaged in the manufacture of the necessary metal blanks in their own workshop. Turning work requires precision and skill. It is possible to give the necessary shape and parameters to metal products using a special machine, additional equipment and tools. Therefore, craftsmen successfully make a multifunctional metal lathe with their own hands.

How to use a metal lathe

A modern industrial machine has a number of characteristics that allow you to perform many different operations. Such a device is equipped with a numerical programming device and has a complex structure. For lathe Do it yourself, you don't need so many functions. It is enough to make a universal mechanical installation that will be conveniently placed on a table in the garage.

The main work performed on home-made milling equipment:

treatment inner surface, reaming of the workpiece;
turning a cone, groove;
thread cutting;
shaped turning;
trimming ledges and sharp edges;
cylinder turning.

The metal lathe is used for processing nuts, bushings, couplings, pulleys, shafts and gears. From such parts, blanks are obtained that allow you to create or improve various mechanisms. Depending on the equipment used, it is fashionable to process not only metal products, but also wooden or plastic blanks on the unit.

A do-it-yourself metal lathe is a complete equipment with a power unit, it has a lot of weight and creates vibration. Before making such a device, it is necessary to carefully consider the design of all parts.

The mini machine for home use has 4 main elements:

Frame.
Caliper and tool holder.
Front and rear headstock.

Frame

This knot is designed to fix all equipment in a rigid position. Being the basis, the frame must be strong and not skew. The machine can be placed on a table or made a floor version by increasing the length of the support. Such a cast frame is made of channels and metal corners. The frame elements are connected by welding or bolted.

caliper

Such an element holds the cutting device and is able to move in a given direction and plane for efficient processing of workpieces. If it is necessary to create complex and non-standard surfaces, special attention should be paid to fixing this assembly. For smooth movement in the horizontal direction, a screw mechanism in the apron is used. The caliper remains movable, but if necessary, it can be fixed. The cutters in the tool holder must be tightly clamped, backlashes increase the risk of injury during operation.

Headstock and tailstock

A gearbox is located in the headstock, which provides a different speed of rotation of the spindle, adjustment of the amount of torque. In addition, the headstock consists of a turning head and a caliper feeder. The headstock provides fastening of the workpiece.

The tailstock at the back of the mechanism provides a strong fastening of the workpiece or tool in the right direction. Such a unit has the function of threading on a metal lathe.

Do-it-yourself step-by-step assembly of turning equipment

A homemade lathe consists of parts that can be found in a garage or workshop. Before proceeding with the processing and assembly of the apparatus, it is necessary to carefully consider the design and characteristics of the unit, its location in the workshop.

Necessary materials

As materials, you can use improvised means:

welded frame (replaces cast frame);
power unit - any motor with an electric drive with a power of 800-1500 W from household appliances ( a good option– asynchronous motor);
belts of different lengths can be used as a driving stone;
screws and nuts for fastening the structure;
guides, sleds made of steel rod;
spindle and tailstock (it is better to find ready-made parts, but you can make them from a profile pipe or a piece of metal sheet);
feed screws - do-it-yourself long rods with longitudinal and transverse threads are suitable for a lathe;
rolling bearings as elements of rotation;
squalls of different diameters;
steel plate with a thickness of at least 8 mm - for the caliper and tool holder.

Where to get a lathe project

An important step in creating a homemade lathe is the design and drawing of a circuit indicating the dimensions of the device. As a basis, you can use examples of factory products or drawings of masters that are freely available on the Internet.

Standard dimensions of turning equipment: 115x62x18 cm. Such parameters are considered optimal for work.

Manufacturing process

Making a lathe for metal with your own hands is carried out in accordance with step by step guide for main nodes:

Formation of the frame according to the drawing. The pipes are cut and welded together, it is important that the corners are even.
Creating side racks (for this it is better to use another milling machine).
Assembly of the support installation, connection of racks with guides, installation of spacer bushings on the sides.
Fixing bushings for the tailstock. If you use these details different sizes, more progress can be achieved.
Creating a platform for the caliper.
Installation of the lead screw, fastening the steering wheel and vernier on it.
Installation of the platform of the headstock.
Attachment to the machine headstock.
Creation of a caliper and tool holder.
Formation of the engine subframe.
Installation of the power unit and its connection to the mains.
Test run at idle.

Do-it-yourself metal lathe is quite easy to make. It is important to maintain the design parameters, ensure a rigid connection and select a suitable motor.

Video: How to make a lathe for metal with your own hands

Every home craftsman would like to have a metal lathe in his arsenal of tools. Such equipment allows, if necessary, to carve a broken part, cut a thread, make some kind of trinket, and much more. However, since not everyone can afford industrial units, and they take up a lot of space, most craftsmen prefer to make compact home-made metal machines with their own hands.

Read in the article

What can be done with a mini lathe, and where it is used

Household mini-turning machines, as well as similar industrial equipment, are designed for processing metal blanks and giving them a cylindrical, conical and spherical shape. Now they are used in almost all industries, which makes it possible to reduce human participation to almost zero, but a simple machine is suitable for home needs. Despite the fact that compact turning equipment has inherited most of the functions from its large counterparts, however, it can only be used to machine small workpieces and parts. Also, on mini-machines, you can make end trimming and perform external and internal thread carving, boring and much more. Compact turning equipment is perfect for, home, installation on or in a small.

What does a lathe consist of: main components

For the most part, industrial and household lathes are similar. The difference lies in functionality, power and weight. The figure below shows the device of a typical screw-cutting lathe. The main nodes are:

bed;
caliper;
headstock (placement of the gearbox to adjust the speed of rotation and change the amount of torque);
tailstock (for more stable and reliable support of the workpiece or part clamped in the chuck (spindle), as well as for installing drills, taps and other tools);
tool holder.

bed

One of the main elements is the frame - a massive metal base on which all the main components and parts of the equipment are mounted. It must be strong enough, and the mass must be such as not to allow the machine to tip over during operation. For floor version massive supports (pedestals) are added.

Lathe support

The lathe caliper is designed to move along, across and at an angle to the axis of the spindle of the cutters fixed in the tool holder. The device has a cross structure, consisting of three main elements: carriage, transverse and incisal sleds.

Do-it-yourself headstock of a lathe

The headstock is one of the most difficult parts of a lathe, especially for self-manufacturing. It contains a gearbox with a spindle and a control unit. Under the casing of the headstock is an electric motor, which is connected by a belt drive to the gearbox pulley.

This unit contains a block consisting of interchangeable gears designed to transmit and change the spindle speed and torque from the feed box shaft. You can buy a lathe headstock or make your own.

Tailstock lathe

The tailstock of a metal lathe is movable and is designed to press the workpiece to the center of the spindle. One of the elements of this assembly is the quill, on which a fixed or rotating center is installed, resting with the tip against the workpiece. The workpiece is installed in the chuck on the spindle and supported by the tailstock. Thus, reliable fastening of the part for its high-quality processing is ensured.

Drills, taps, reamers, etc. can be installed in the tailstock. When installing and moving on the skids of the frame, it is necessary to avoid sharp and strong impacts on the body of the unit in order to prevent displacement of the centers.

Making a do-it-yourself tool holder for a lathe

The tool holder is intended for fixing a metalworking tool on the support of a lathe and moves both in the longitudinal and in the parallel direction relative to the workpiece. There are two types of tool holders: two- and four-position. In the first case, two cutters can be installed simultaneously with screws, and in the second, four, which allows you to quickly change the cutters if necessary without stopping the lathe. For quick change of incisors, a special handle is provided.

Making and installing a lathe for metal with your own hands

Making a mini lathe for metal with your own hands is not so difficult as it might seem at first glance. You just need to draw up a detailed action plan, drawing, prepare necessary materials and tools, and, of course, some skills, and a great desire.

Design and drawings of a metal lathe for a garage

This stage is the most important, since the correct execution of all further operations and the correct operation of the equipment depend on it. First of all, you need to determine the dimensions of the machine. The average dimensions of equipment used in everyday life is 900×350×300 mm. You should not deviate much from these values, as this will lead to the fact that it will be inconvenient to work, and performance will decrease significantly.

Having decided on the drawing and dimensions of a small lathe, we proceed to the preparation of the necessary materials.

Illustration	Action Description
	The cast iron frame can be replaced by a frame made of steel angles and profile pipes. Do not use wood, because in this case you should not rely on the durability of the machine and the accuracy of the work performed.
	As a power unit, it is preferable to take a low-power asynchronous electric motor, since even with sharp decline speed will not break the drive. Engine power must be selected in accordance with the expected diameters of the workpieces.
	Choose from different diameter drive belts.
	As fasteners we use a set of bolts and nuts of various diameters and lengths.
	Steel bar slides are made from steel bars, which are recommended to be hardened. You can also use ready-made elements from a suitable used factory-made machine (this also applies to other equipment components).
	The spindle and "tailstock" are considered the most difficult components for self-manufacturing, so you can contact a specialized workshop or the manufacturer. If it is decided, nevertheless, to make these details on your own, then the headstock can be made of metal of the appropriate thickness and. A simple spindle is made from a pointed bolt, nuts, and a handwheel.
	The feed longitudinal and transverse screws can be machined on a machine in a specialized workshop or made independently from rods with threads already cut.
	To create rotating assemblies, rolling bearings mounted on the housing are suitable.
	The caliper can be made from a steel plate with a thickness of 8 mm.
	The tool holder is made of a thick steel plate, ordered in a specialized workshop or taken from another machine.

After the drawing has been selected and all the necessary materials and components have been prepared, you can begin to assemble the unit.

Choosing an electric motor for a homemade lathe

The electric motor is the most important element of a metal lathe, whether industrial or homemade. It is he who is responsible for the operation of the equipment. The functionality of the lathe largely depends on the power of the electric motor. If the machine is designed to work with workpieces small size, then an engine with a power of up to 1 kW will be enough (you can, for example, take it from an old sewing machine or). For large parts, you will need a power unit with a power in the range of 1.5–2 kW.

The procedure for assembling a lathe for metal

In order for the lathe to work properly, it is important to assemble it correctly, and for this you just need to follow the following algorithm:

Frame formation. Since creating a cast-iron bed at home is almost impossible, you will have to use steel pipes that are cut to size and welded together. Be sure to make sure that all corners are even, and focus on the drawing.
Creation of side racks.
We connect the racks with guides, and we mount special bushings on the side supports.
Bushings are installed on the guides, on which the tailstock will be mounted, and they will also be used to securely fasten the tool holder.
Creation of platforms from a steel sheet of the required thickness for the installation of a caliper and quill.
Lead screw installation.
A nonius and a steering wheel are attached to the lead screw.
Fastening of the platform for the installation of the headstock.
Collection of the headstock and tailstock, after which they are installed on the machine.
Creation of a caliper and tool holder.
Assembling the subframe for the electric motor. To do this, use steel pipes or a corner. The subframe will allow you to raise and lower the electric motor.
Installation of the power unit with its subsequent connection to the mains.
Trial run of the lathe.
If everything is functioning normally, then you can paint the machine (if desired) and start working on it.

If desired, conventional turning equipment can be re-equipped with your own hands in milling machine for metal.

We make a lathe from a drill with our own hands

You can also make a lathe from an electric drill, but basically this design is suitable for woodworking. Of course, it can be used to work with metal, but the power unit used must be as powerful as possible, and the parts must be very small. For example, such a machine is suitable for a homegrown amateur jeweler. This design consists of a minimum of parts. So, let's move on to step-by-step instructions for making a lathe from a drill with a photo and description.

Illustration	Action Description
	On

In metalworking, for the manufacture of cylindrical (conical) parts, a lathe is used. There are many models of this production device, and all of them have almost the same layout of similar components and parts. One of these is the caliper of the machine.

For a better understanding of the functions that the lathe caliper performs, you can consider its operation using the example of the common 16k20 model. After reviewing this information, perhaps some home craftsmen will have the idea to create a home-made lathe for metal work with their own hands.

1 What is a machine support?

This is a rather complex knot, despite its apparent simplicity. From how correctly it is made, installed, adjusted - depends on the quality of the future part, and the amount of time it took to make it.

1.1 Working principle

The caliper placed on the machine 16k20 can move in the following directions:

transverse - perpendicular to the axis of the rotating workpiece for deepening into it;
longitudinal - the cutting tool moves along the surface of the workpiece to remove an excess layer of material or turn a thread;
inclined - to expand access to the surface of the workpiece at the desired angle.

1.2 Caliper device

The caliper for the 16k20 machine is located on the lower slide, which moves along the guides fixed on the frame, and thus longitudinal movement occurs. The motion is given by the rotation of the screw, which converts the rotational force into translational motion.

On the lower slide, the caliper also moves transversely, but along separate guides (cross slide) located perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the part.

To the cross slide, with a special nut, a rotary plate is attached, on which there are guides for moving the upper slide. You can set the movement of the upper slide with a turn screw.

The rotation of the upper slide in the horizontal plane occurs simultaneously with the plate. Thus, the cutting tool is installed at a given angle to the rotating part.

The machine is equipped with a cutting head (tool holder), which is fixed on the upper slide with special bolts and a separate handle. The movement of the caliper occurs along the lead screw, which is located under the running shaft. This feed is done manually.

1.3 Caliper adjustments

In the process of working on the 16k20 machine, natural wear, loosening, loosening of the caliper fasteners occur. This is a natural process and its consequences must be constantly monitored through regular adjustments and adjustments.

On the support of the machine 16k20, the following adjustments are made:

gaps;
play;
glands.

1.4 Clearance adjustment

During the transverse and longitudinal movement of the caliper of the 16k20 machine along the sled, wear of the screw and their working surface occurs due to constant friction.

The existence of such free space leads to uneven movement of the caliper, jamming, oscillation when lateral loads occur. Excessive clearance is removed with the help of wedges, with which the carriage is pressed against the guides.

1.5 Backlash adjustment

Backlash appears in the screw drive. You can get rid of it without disassembly with the fixing screw located on this caliper moving device.

1.6 Adjustment of glands

During long-term work on metal on a 16k20 machine, wear and clogging of seals occurs, which are located at the ends of the carriage ledge. Visually, this is determined by the appearance of dirty stripes during the longitudinal movement of the caliper.

In order to eliminate this phenomenon without disassembling the unit, it is necessary to wash the felt packing and soak it with machine oil. If the worn seals are completely unsuitable, they should be replaced with new ones.

1.7 Caliper repair

This lathe device wears out over time under constant significant loads in metal work.

The presence of significant wear is easily determined by the state of the surface of the guide slide. Small depressions may appear on them, which will prevent the free movement of the caliper in a given direction.

With timely regular care, such repairs may not be necessary, but in the event of such a defect should be repaired and in case of severe wear - a replacement.

The 16K20 caliper quite often requires carriage repair, which consists in restoring the lower guides that interact with the bed guides. Care must be taken to maintain a stable perpendicular position of the carriage.

When repairing the caliper, it is necessary to check both planes using the building level.

2

The turning device with which metal work is performed can be very simple. You can assemble a home-made machine with your own hands practically from improvised means, which are taken from mechanisms that have become unusable.

You should start with a metal frame welded from a channel, which will be the bed. From the left edge, the front fixed headstock is fixed on it, and the support is installed on the right. Homemade machine, made by hand, provides for the presence of a ready-made spindle with a chuck or faceplate.

The spindle receives torque from the electric motor through a V-belt transmission.

When working with a machine for metal, it is impossible to hold the cutter with your own hands (unlike working with wood), so you will need a caliper that will move longitudinally. A tool holder is installed on it with the possibility of alternating it transversely to the direction of movement of the caliper itself.

Sets the movement of the caliper and tool holder by a given value with handwheel screw which has a ring with metric divisions. The flywheel is driven manually.

2.2 Materials and assembly

In order to assemble a turning device with your own hands, you will need:

hydraulic cylinder;
shock absorber shaft;
corner, channel, metal beam;
electric motor;
two pulleys;
Belting.

A do-it-yourself homemade lathe is assembled in this way:

Of two channels and two metal beams frame structure is assembled. When working on parts longer than 50mm in the future, materials should be used at least 3mm thick for the angle and 30mm thick for the rods.
The longitudinal shafts are fixed on two channels with guides with petals, each of which is bolted or welded.
For the manufacture of the headstock, a hydraulic cylinder is used, the wall thickness of which must be at least 6 mm. Two bearings 203 are pressed into it.
Through bearings, the inner diameter of which is 17 mm, a shaft is laid.
Hydraulic the cylinder is filled with lubricating fluid.
A nut with a large diameter is installed under the pulley to prevent the bearings from being squeezed out.
The finished pulley is taken from the serviced washing machine.
The caliper is made of a plate with cylindrical guides welded to it.
The cartridge can be made from a piece of pipe of a suitable diameter, with nuts welded on it and holes made for 4 bolts.
The drive can be an electric motor of the same washing machine (power 180 W), connected to the headstock by a belt drive.

In order to make a lathe with your own hands, a home craftsman will need to understand the mechanism of its action, prepare some materials and have the patience necessary for assembly. homemade design, which will allow you to process a variety of metal products.

1 Why do I need a homemade lathe?

No man will refuse to have a small lathe in his house or apartment. Indeed, with its help, you can perform many operations related to the processing of metal parts, ranging from knurling a corrugated surface and boring holes, and ending with threading and giving the outer surfaces of parts of given shapes.

Of course, you can try to purchase a factory turning unit. But not everyone can afford such a purchase, and it is almost impossible to place a production machine in an ordinary home due to the fact that metal turning equipment takes up a lot of space. An excellent alternative to acquiring a bulky and inconvenient factory machine is to make a simple and yet functional lathe with your own hands.

A home-made metal lathe, assembled in accordance with all the rules, will have simple controls, take up a minimum of space, and be easy to operate. At the same time, you can easily process various metal and steel products of small geometric dimensions on it, becoming a real home craftsman.

2 The device and mechanism of action of a homemade machine

Before you start creating a turning unit for domestic use, it would be useful to learn about its main components and the mechanism of operation of such equipment. The elementary machine consists of the following parts:

two grandmas;
frame;
two centers: one of them is the slave, the other is the leader;
stop for working cutting tool;
electric drive.

The mechanisms of the machine are installed on the frame (in a home-made unit, its role is played by the frame). The tailstock moves along this base of the unit. The headstock is necessary to accommodate the basic rotation unit of the equipment; it is fixed. A transmission device is also mounted in the frame, connecting the leading center with the electric motor. Through this center the required rotation is transferred to the workpiece.

The bed of the "home" machine is usually made of wooden beam, you can also use corners or profiles made of steel (metal). It doesn't matter what kind of frame material you choose, as long as it firmly fixes the installation centers.

It is allowed to install almost any electric motor on a home-made turning unit, even a very small one in power, but it should be understood that it specifications may not be enough for high-quality processing of parts, especially when it comes to a metalworking machine. The low power of the electric motor will not allow working with metal, but even a motor with a power of about two hundred watts can handle wooden blanks.

Rotation in homemade machines can be communicated by means of a chain, friction or belt drive. The last of these is used most often, since it is characterized by maximum reliability. In addition, there are also such designs of units made independently, in which the transmission device is not provided at all. In them, the leading center or chuck for attaching a working tool is placed directly on the motor shaft. A video of the operation of such a unit can be easily found on the Internet.

3 Some design features of "home" lathes

To prevent vibration of the workpieces, the driving and driven center should be mounted on the same axis. If you plan to manufacture a machine with only one center (with a leading one), the design of such equipment will need to provide for the possibility of fastening the product with a cam chuck or faceplate.

Experts do not advise installing collector-type electric motors on home-made turning units. Their revolutions in the absence of working loads can increase without the operator's command, which leads to the departure of the part from the fastening elements. It is clear that such a "flying" blank can do a lot of trouble in a limited space - in an apartment or in a private garage.

If you still plan to install a collector motor, take care to equip it with a special gearbox. This mechanism eliminates the risk of uncontrolled acceleration of parts processed on the machine.

The optimal type of drive for a homemade unit is a conventional asynchronous motor. It is characterized by high stability under loads (constant speed) and provides high-quality processing of parts up to 70 wide and up to 10 centimeters in cross section. In general, the type and power of the electric motor must be selected so that the product subjected to turning receives sufficient rotational force.

The driven center, which, as noted, is located on the tailstock, can be stationary or rotating. It is made from a standard bolt - you just need to sharpen the end of its threaded section under the cone. The bolt is treated with machine oil and inserted into the thread (internal) cut in the tailstock. Its course should be approximately 2.5–3 centimeters. The rotation of the bolt makes it possible to press the workpiece between the two centers of the unit.

4 The process of self-manufacturing a unit for turning

Next, we will talk about how to make a homemade bow-type lathe, and also provide a video of this simple process. With the help of such an installation, you can grind metal products and other materials, sharpen knives and other cutting devices. The unit, among other things, will become you the best assistant in cases where you yourself are engaged in the repair of your car.

To begin with, we need to cut out two strong wood racks and attach bolts to them with nuts. The bed of a home-made machine will be attached to them, which can also be made of wood (if possible, it is better to use some sort of high-quality metal for the frame - a steel corner or a channel).

Be sure to make a special handpiece, which increases the level of stability of the cutter for turning metal parts. A similar handguard is a construction of two boards glued at right angles (or connected with small screws). Moreover, a strip of thin metal is attached to the bottom board, which is necessary to protect the working tool from changing its shape during rotation. A slot is cut out in a plank standing horizontally, which makes it possible to control the movements of the handpiece.

You shouldn’t have any problems with the manufacture of the tailstock and headstock - the essence is clear, and if there are any difficulties, you can watch a video on the Internet, where this process is shown and described in great detail. Headstock cartridges, as a rule, are made from finished cylinders, suitable in cross section to the general design of the machine, or by welding sheet iron.

It is advisable to install the frame of a home-made installation on a duralumin base, securely fasten the frame to it, mount all the machine components (there are not so many of them). After that, we take up the power unit of our equipment. First of all, we choose a suitable electric motor. For processing metal products, it must be powerful enough:

if you plan to work with small details- from 500 to 1000 watts;
to work with more "large-scale" blanks - from 1500 to 2000 watts.

For "artisanal" turning equipment, motors from old sewing and washing machines, as well as engines from other equipment. Here decide for yourself which drive you can mount on homemade unit. A hollow steel shaft (spindle head) is connected to the electric motor using a belt or other transmission. This shaft is connected to a pulley, which is mounted on a key. A pulley is needed to attach a working tool.

You can connect power mechanisms yourself, but it is better to involve a specialist electrician in this operation. In this case, you will be sure that your lathe will provide complete electrical safety for turning operations. After assembly, the machine is ready for use. If you later need to expand its operational capabilities, it is easy to do.

So, for example, abrasives can be mounted on the protruding end of the motor shaft, or, and with their help, it can be polished, as well as high-quality sharpening of household tools. If desired, it is not difficult to make or purchase a special type of adapter equipped with a chuck for drilling metals. It can be attached to the above shaft and perform slot milling in various parts and drilling holes.

Enjoy working on your own homemade mini turning center!

A lathe is needed for the manufacture and processing of metal parts. Professional equipment is quite expensive, so in order to save money, you can make a home-made metal lathe with your own hands. This can be done in several ways, and drawings of such a product are easily found on the Internet. You can use improvised materials for manufacturing, but the size of the machine can be any.

Any homemade lathe consists of the following elements:

drive - the main part of the mechanism, which is responsible for its power. Choosing a drive with the required power is one of the most difficult tasks. In small lathes for metal with your own hands, you can use a drive from a conventional washing machine or drill. Usually, the power of this element starts from 200 W, and the number of revolutions per minute - from 1500;
bed - the supporting frame of the structure, which can be made of wooden bars or a steel corner. The bed must be characterized by high strength, otherwise the whole structure may fall apart from vibrations during operation;

tailstock - made of a steel plate and a steel corner welded to it. The plate rests against the guide beds, and the main purpose of the tailstock of the lathe with your own hands is to fix the metal part during processing;
headstock - a part similar to the tailstock, but mounted on a movable frame;
leading and slave centers;
caliper - a thrust mechanism for the working part.

Torque from the engine to the working part of the machine can be transmitted in several ways. Someone prefers to directly install the working part on the motor shaft - this saves space and allows you to save on spare parts. If this option is not possible, the torque can be transmitted using a friction, belt or chain drive. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A belt drive for an electric motor is the cheapest and is characterized by a fairly high level of reliability. For its manufacture, you can use a belt for an electric motor, removed from any other mechanism. The disadvantage of a belt drive is that over time the belt can wear out and will have to be changed more often the more intensively you work with the machine.

A chain drive is more expensive and takes up more space, but will also last much longer than a belt drive. Friction transmission has intermediate characteristics between belt and chain.

Helpful advice! When assembling a lathe, choose the type of gear that best suits the tasks. For example, for DIY mini lathe better fit installation of the working part directly on the shaft.

Do-it-yourself lathe caliper: drawings, how to make from improvised materials

The caliper is one of the most important parts of a homemade lathe - the quality of the future part depends on it, as well as the amount of time and effort that you spend on its manufacture. This part is located on a special sled that moves along the guides located on the frame. The caliper can move in three directions:

longitudinal - the working part of the machine moves along the workpiece. Longitudinal motion is used to turn a thread into a part or to remove a layer of material from the surface of a metal workpiece;

transverse - movement perpendicular to the axis of the workpiece. Used for turning recesses and holes;
oblique - movement at different angles for turning recesses on the surface of the workpiece.

When making a lathe caliper with your own hands, it is worth considering the fact that this part is subject to wear as a result of vibrations that occur during operation. Because of them, the fasteners are loosened, there is a backlash, all this affects the quality of the manufactured part. In order to avoid such problems, the caliper must be regularly adjusted and adjusted.

Do-it-yourself adjustment of a home-made caliper for a lathe is carried out according to gaps, backlash and oil seals. Clearance adjustment is needed when the screw responsible for moving the part in the longitudinal and transverse planes has worn out. As a result of friction, the caliper begins to loosen under loads, which significantly reduces the accuracy of manufacturing the part. You can eliminate the gaps by inserting wedges between the guides and the carriage. The backlash of the part is eliminated with a fixing screw.

If the oil seals are worn out in your machine, they should be thoroughly washed and soaked with fresh machine oil. In case of critical wear, it is better to completely replace the seals with new ones.

Do-it-yourself homemade lathe for metal with your own hands: assembly procedure

The mechanism is assembled in the following order:

The machine frame is assembled from metal beams and channels. If you are going to work with large parts, then the materials for assembling the frame must be used with the expectation of a large load. For example, if you plan to work with metal blanks over 50 mm long, the thickness of the materials for the frame should start from 3 mm for corners and from 30 mm for rods.
Longitudinal shafts with guides are installed on the channels. Shafts can be welded or bolted.
The headstock is being made. To make the headstock of a lathe with your own hands, a hydraulic cylinder with a wall thickness of 6 mm or more is used. Two bearings must be pressed into the cylinder.
The shaft is laid. For this, bearings with a large inner diameter are used.
Lubricant is poured into the hydraulic cylinder.
A pulley and a caliper with guides are installed.
The electric drive is mounted.

In addition, according to the do-it-yourself drawings of a metal lathe, it can be seen that a handpiece is made to increase the stability of the cutting mechanism, and a thin strip of metal is fixed on the lower part of the structure. The latter serves to protect the working part of the machine from deformation during operation.

Helpful advice! A do-it-yourself metal lathe can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also for grinding and polishing metal parts. To do this, a grinding wheel is attached to the electric shaft.

Choosing an electric motor for a machine

The most important part of a homemade metal lathe, the video of which can be easily found on the Internet, is the electric motor. It is with its help that the movement of the working part of the machine is carried out. Accordingly, the power of the entire structure depends on the power of this mechanism. It is selected depending on the size of the metal blanks with which you plan to work.

If you plan to work on a machine with small parts, a motor with a power of up to 1 kW is quite suitable for this. It can be removed from the old sewing machine or any other similar electrical appliance. To work with large parts, you will need an engine with a power of 1.5-2 kW.

When assembling a homemade metal lathe according to ready-made drawings, keep in mind that all electrical parts of the structure must be securely insulated. If you do not have the necessary experience with electrical equipment, it is better to seek help from a specialist in connection. So you will be sure of the safety of work and the reliability of the design.

Making a lathe from a drill with your own hands

If you want to save on spare parts and greatly simplify the task of assembling a homemade lathe, you can use a conventional electric drill as a drive. This design solution has a number of advantages:

The ability to quickly assemble and disassemble the structure - the drill is easily detached from the bed and can be used for its intended purpose.
The ease of carrying and transporting the machine is a good option if you have to work with metal blanks in the garage and on the street.
Savings - the drill acts not only as an electric motor, but also eliminates the need to use a gear, and also allows you to use interchangeable nozzles as a working tool.

Of course, there are also negative sides to a lathe from a drill. How to make processing large parts possible with this tool? This is practically impossible, since the drill has a relatively small torque and a large number of revolutions. Of course, you can increase these parameters if you still install a belt drive and use it to transmit torque from the drill to the spindle, but this will greatly complicate the design, the main advantage of which is simplicity and compactness.

Making a homemade desktop metal lathe based on a drill makes sense in cases where you do not need to carry out large-scale work, and only small details need to be turned.

To make a metal lathe based on an electric drill, you will need the same parts as for a conventional design, with the exception of an electric motor and a headstock. The role of the latter is also performed by a drill. Given the compactness of the design, an ordinary table or workbench can be used as a bed, on which all components of the machine will be fixed. The drill itself is fixed in the structure with a clamp and a clamp.

Helpful advice! The functionality of a lathe based on an electric drill can be significantly expanded by adding various nozzles and additional devices to its design.

Using a homemade lathe, you can not only grind parts, but also apply paint to a rotating workpiece, wind wire on a transformer, make spiral notches on the surface of a part, and perform many other actions. In addition, if you assemble a copier attachment for the machine, then with its help you can quickly and effortlessly produce small identical parts.

Features of the work of lathes for metal with their own hands, video instructions as a way to avoid mistakes

Like any other equipment, homemade lathes have their own characteristics that must be considered during assembly and operation. For example, when working with large parts or when using powerful electric motor strong vibrations occur, which can lead to serious errors in the processing of the part. To get rid of vibrations, the leading and driven centers of the machine must be installed on the same axis. And if you plan to install only the leading center, a cam mechanism should be attached to it.

In do-it-yourself desktop lathes for metal, it is not recommended to install a commutator motor. It is prone to a spontaneous increase in the number of revolutions, which can lead to the departure of the part. This, in turn, can lead to work injury or property damage. If without installation commutator motor there is no way to do it, complete with it, it is necessary to install a gearbox to lower the speed.

The ideal motor option for a homemade lathe is asynchronous. It does not increase the speed during operation, is resistant to heavy loads and allows you to work with metal blanks with a width of up to 100 mm.

The rules for installing and operating any type of electric motor for a lathe can be viewed in numerous video instructions on the Internet. With their help, you will not only avoid common assembly errors, but also save time and effort due to the visibility of the material.

Safety precautions when working with a homemade lathe

When working with the structure, certain safety precautions must be observed. So, after assembling the machine, you need to check its performance. The spindle should rotate easily and without delay, the front and rear centers must be aligned on a common axis. The center of symmetry of a rotating part must coincide with its axis of rotation.

On any video of the lathe with your own hands, you can see that after mounting the electric motor, it is covered with a special casing. The latter serves not only to protect the operator of the machine, but also to protect the motor itself from dust, metal particles and dirt. For a machine made on the basis of an electric drill, such a casing is not needed.

Helpful advice! If you are planning to install a structure based on a powerful electric motor, be sure to make sure that your electrical network has enough power to work with it. At home, it is better to get by with a motor from household appliances, which will definitely work from the voltage in your outlet.

You should also adhere to the following safety rules:

The working tool must be parallel to the surface of the workpiece. Otherwise, it may come off, resulting in damage to the machine.
If you are machining end planes, the part should rest against the tailstock. It is very important to maintain alignment, otherwise you risk getting a defective part.
To protect your eyes from metal chips and particles, you can build a special shield or just use goggles.
After work, the structure must be cleaned, removing metal filings and other production waste. Be careful not to let small parts get into the motor.

Options for upgrading a homemade lathe

If you need a mechanism that can not only perform turning work, but also grind and paint the workpiece, the basic machine can be easily modified. It is best to do this for a design based on an electric drill, since it is easiest to replace the working part in it.

There are several popular modifications of the lathe for metal. How to make a conical hole? To do this, two files must be attached to the base so that they form a trapezoid. After that, a spring mechanism is mounted, which ensures that the files are fed forward and at an angle, which allows drilling cone-shaped holes into the part.

In addition, to work with metal parts of different lengths, you can make a machine with a collapsible base. With the help of several boards or metal corners, you can bring the working tool closer or further away from the fasteners that hold the part, as well as change the size of the gap between the fasteners. It is most convenient to make such a design on the basis of a conventional table or workbench.

If you attach a grinding wheel to the electric motor as a working tool, you can use the machine not only to polish the surface of the part, but also to sharpen knives, scissors and other household tools. Thus, the lathe turns into a convenient multifunctional mechanism.

Assembling a lathe at home is a fairly simple task, which is further simplified by numerous video instructions and drawings from the Internet. At the same time, you can literally assemble the structure from improvised parts, using the old household appliances and waste of assembly and construction production.

Main advantage self assembly is a cost savings. In addition, it is worth noting the ability to independently adjust the dimensions and power of the device in order to adapt it to your needs. A home-made machine can be not only large, but also quite miniature, designed for processing small parts.