DIY 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. You can give the required 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 programmer and has a complex structure. For a do-it-yourself lathe, you do not need so many functions. It is enough to make a universal mechanical installation that will be conveniently placed on the table in the garage.

The main work performed on homemade milling equipment:

internal surface treatment, reaming of the workpiece;
turning a cone, groove;
threading;
shaped turning;
trimming ledges and sharp edges;
turning of cylinders.

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 full-fledged equipment with a power unit, it has a lot of weight and creates vibration. Before making such a device, you must carefully consider the design of all the details.

The mini machine for home use has 4 main elements:

Frame.
Caliper and tool holder.
Headstock and tailstock.

Frame

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

Support

Such an element supports the cutting device and is able to move in a predetermined direction and plane for efficient processing of workpieces. If you need to create complex and non-standard surfaces, you should pay special attention to the fastening of this node. For smooth movement in the horizontal direction, a screw mechanism is used in the apron. The caliper remains movable, but can be fixed if necessary. The cutters in the tool holder must be tightly clamped, backlash increases the risk of injury during operation.

Headstock and tailstock

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

The headstock at the back of the mechanism ensures that the workpiece or tool is firmly held in the desired direction. Such a unit has the function of cutting threads on a metal lathe.

DIY 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 device, 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 available tools:

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

Where to get a lathe project

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

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

Manufacturing process

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

Formation of the frame according to the drawing data. The pipes are cut and welded together, it is important that the corners are even.
Creation of side racks (for this it is better to use another milling machine).
Collecting the support installation, connecting the racks with the guides, installing the spacer sleeves on the sides.
Fixing bushings for tailstock. If you use these parts in different sizes, you can get more travel.
Creation of a platform for the caliper.
Installation of the lead screw, fastening the steering wheel and vernier to it.
Installation of the headstock platform.
Fastening to the headstock machine.
Creation of a support and a tool holder.
Formation of the engine subframe.
Installing the power unit and connecting it to the mains.
Test run at idle speed.

A DIY metal lathe is quite easy to make. It is important to maintain the design parameters, ensure a rigid connection and select the appropriate motor.

Video: How to make a metal lathe 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 out a broken part, cut a thread, make some kind of trinket and much more. However, since industrial units are far from affordable for everyone, 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 is it used

Household mini-lathes, like similar industrial equipment, are designed to process metal blanks and give them a cylindrical, conical and spherical shape. Now, in almost all industries, they are used, which makes it possible to reduce human participation to almost zero, but a simple machine is suitable for household needs. Despite the fact that the compact turning equipment inherited most of the functions from its larger counterparts, nevertheless, with its help only small workpieces and parts can be processed. Also, on mini-machines, you can perform face cutting and, perform external and internal threading, boring and much more. Compact turning equipment is perfect for home, installation on or small.

What a lathe consists of: main units

For the most part, industrial and domestic 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;
support;
headstock (placement of the gearbox to adjust the rotational speed 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.

Stanina

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

Lathe caliper

The lathe support is intended for movement along, across and at an angle to the spindle axis of the cutters fixed in the tool holder. The device has a cross design, consisting of three main elements: a carriage, cross and incisal sleds.

Making your own headstock of a lathe

The headstock is one of the most difficult parts of a lathe, especially for DIY production. It houses a gearbox with a spindle and a control unit. Under the headstock cover there is an electric motor, which is connected by a belt drive to the gearbox pulley.

In this unit there is a block consisting of replaceable gears designed to transmit and change the spindle speed and torque from the feed box shaft. You can buy a lathe headstock or make one yourself.

Lathe tailstock

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 unit is a quill, on which a fixed or rotating center is installed, abutting the tip against the workpiece. The workpiece is installed in a chuck on a spindle and propped up by a tailstock. Thus, a reliable fastening of the part is ensured for its high-quality processing.

Drills, taps, reamer countersinks, etc. can be installed in the tailstock. When installing and moving on the runners of the bed, it is necessary to avoid sharp and strong impacts on the body of the unit in order to prevent center displacement.

DIY tool holder for a lathe

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

DIY metal lathe manufacturing and device

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 plan of action, a drawing, prepare the 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 it determines the correctness of all further operations and the correct operation of the equipment. First of all, you need to decide on the dimensions of the machine. The average size of the 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 preparing the necessary materials.

Illustration	Action Description
	The cast iron bed can be replaced by a frame made of steel corners and shaped tubes. You should not use wood, because in this case you should not rely on the durability of the machine and the accuracy of the work performed.
	It is preferable to take a low-power asynchronous electric motor as a power unit, since even with a sharp decrease in speed, the drive will not break. The motor power must be selected in accordance with the expected workpiece diameters.
	We select drive belts of various diameters.
	We use a set of bolts and nuts of various diameters and lengths as fasteners.
	We make steel bar skids from a steel bar, which is recommended to be hardened. You can also use ready-made elements from a factory-made used machine of a suitable size (this also applies to other equipment units).
	The spindle and "tailstock" are considered the most difficult units for self-production, so you can contact a specialized workshop or the manufacturer. If it is decided, nevertheless, to make these parts on your own, then the headstock can be made of metal of the appropriate thickness and. A simple spindle is made from a sharp-edged bolt, nuts and a handwheel.
	The feed longitudinal and transverse screws can be turned on a machine in a specialized workshop or made independently from rods with already threaded threads.
	Rolling bearings mounted on a housing are suitable for creating rotating assemblies.
	The caliper can be made from a steel plate with a thickness of 8 mm.
	The tool holder is made prefabricated from a thick steel plate, ordered from a specialized workshop or taken from another machine.

After the drawing is selected and all the necessary materials and assemblies are prepared, you can proceed to the assembly of the unit.

Choosing an electric motor for a homemade lathe

The electric motor is the most important element of a metal lathe, be it 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 intended to work with small-sized workpieces, then an engine with a power of up to 1 kW will be sufficient (you can, for example, take from an old sewing room or). For large parts, you will need a power unit with a capacity of 1.5-2 kW.

The procedure for assembling a lathe for metal

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

Frame formation. Since the creation of 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 attach the tool holder.
Creation of pads from steel sheet of the required thickness for the installation of the caliper and quill.
Installation of the lead screw.
A vernier and a steering wheel are attached to the lead screw.
Fastening the platform for installing the headstock.
Collection of headstock and tailstock, after which they are installed on the machine.
Creation of a support and a tool holder.
Collecting the subframe for the electric motor. To do this, use steel pipes or a corner. The subframe will allow lifting and lowering of 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 into a metal milling machine.

Do-it-yourself lathe from a drill

You can also make a lathe from an electric drill, but basically this design is suitable for processing wood. Of course, it can be used to work with metal, but the power unit used should be as powerful as possible and the parts very small. For example, this machine is perfect for the homebrew hobbyist. This design consists of a minimum of parts. So, we turn to the step-by-step instructions for making a lathe from a drill with a photo and description.

Illustration	Action Description
	On

In metal work, for the manufacture of cylindrical (conical) parts, a lathe is used. There are many models of this production device, and they all share almost the same layout of similar assemblies and parts. One of these is the machine support.

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

1 What is a machine support?

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

1.1 How it works

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

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

1.2 Caliper device

The support for the 16k20 machine is located on the lower slide, which move along the guides fixed on the bed, and thus longitudinal movement occurs. The movement is set by the rotation of the screw, which converts the rotational force into translational movement.

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

A rotary plate is attached to the cross slide, with a special nut, on which there are guides for the movement of the upper slide. The movement of the upper slide can be set with a swivel screw.

The rotation of the upper slide in the horizontal plane occurs simultaneously with the plate. Thus, the installation of the cutting tool occurs 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 takes place along the lead screw, which is located under the travel shaft. This feed is done manually.

1.3 Caliper Adjustments

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

The following adjustments are made on the support of the 16k20 machine:

gaps;
backlash;
oil seals.

1.4 Clearance adjustment

During the lateral and longitudinal movement of the support of the 16k20 machine on the slide, the screw and their working surface wear out due to constant friction.

The presence of such free space leads to uneven movement of the caliper, jamming, oscillation during lateral loads that arise. Excessive clearance is removed using wedges, with which the carriage is pressed against the guides.

1.5 Adjusting the backlash

Backlash appears in the helical gear. You can get rid of it without disassembly. using the fixing screw that is located on this caliper movement device.

1.6 Adjusting the oil seals

With prolonged work on metal on the 16k20 machine, wear and clogging of the oil seals occur, which are located at the ends of the carriage protrusion. Visually, this is determined when dirty stripes appear during the longitudinal movement of the caliper.

In order to eliminate this phenomenon without disassembling the unit, it is necessary to rinse the felt padding and soak it with machine oil. If the worn out oil seals are completely unusable, 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.

Significant wear is easily identified by the surface condition 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 maintenance, such repairs may not be necessary, but in the event of a defect of this kind repair should be done, and in case of severe wear - replacement.

Caliper 16K20 quite often requires carriage repair, which consists in restoring the lower guides that interact with the bed guides. Special attention is required to maintain a stable perpendicular position of the carriage.

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

2

The turning device with which metal work is done can be very simple. You can assemble a home-made machine with your own hands almost 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, a fixed front headstock is fixed on it, and a support is installed on the right. A self-made machine, made by hand, provides for a ready-made spindle with a chuck or faceplate.

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

When the machine is working for metal, it is impossible to hold the cutter with your own hands (in contrast to working with wood), therefore, you need a support 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 support itself.

The movement of the slide and the tool holder is set by the specified amount with the flywheel screw, which has a ring with metric divisions. The handwheel is manually driven.

2.2 Materials and assembly

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

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

A homemade lathe with your own hands is assembled in this way:

A frame structure is assembled from two channels and two metal beams. When working in the future with parts longer than 50 mm, materials with a thickness of at least 3 mm for the corner and 30 mm for the rods should be used.
The longitudinal shafts are fixed on two channels with guide rails with lugs, 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.
A shaft is routed through bearings with an inner diameter of 17 mm.
Hydraulic the cylinder is filled with lubricant.
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 a used 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 electric motor of the same washing machine (power 180 W), connected to the headstock by a belt drive, can serve as a drive.

In order to make a lathe with his own hands, a home craftsman will need to figure out the mechanism of its action, prepare some materials and have the patience necessary to assemble a homemade structure that will allow you to process a variety of metal products.

1 Why do you need a homemade lathe?

Not a single 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, from rolling a corrugated surface and boring holes, and ending with threading and giving the outer surfaces of parts of specified shapes.

Of course, you can try to get 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 equipment for metal turning takes up a lot of space. An excellent alternative to purchasing a bulky and inconvenient factory machine is to make a simple and functional lathe with your own hands.

A homemade lathe for metal, assembled according to all the rules, will have simple controls, take up a minimum of space, and be distinguished by ease of operation. At the same time, on it you can easily process various metal and steel products of small geometric dimensions, becoming a real home craftsman.

2 The device and mechanism of action of a homemade machine

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

two grandmas;
frame;
two centers: one of them is the driven, the other is the leading;
an emphasis for a working cutting tool;
electric drive.

The machine mechanisms are installed on the bed (in a self-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 unit of rotation of the equipment; it is fixed. A transmission device is also mounted in the bed, which connects the driving center to the electric motor. Through this center, the required rotation of the workpiece is transmitted.

The bed of a "home" machine is usually made of a wooden bar, you can also use corners or profiles made of steel (metal). It doesn't matter which material you choose for the frame, the main thing is that it rigidly fixes the installation centers.

It is allowed to install almost any electric motor on a homemade lathe, even a very small one in power, but at the same time it should be understood that its technical characteristics may not be enough for high-quality processing of parts, especially when it comes to a metal-working machine. The low power of the electric motor will not allow working with metal, but even a motor with a capacity of about two hundred watts can handle wooden blanks.

Rotation in home-made 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 driving center or chuck for fastening the working tool is placed directly on the shaft of the electric motor. 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 workpieces, mount the driving and driven center on the same axis. If you plan to make a machine with only one center (with a leading one), the design of such equipment will need to provide for the possibility of fixing the product with a cam chuck or faceplate.

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

If you still plan to install a collector motor, take care of equipping it with a special gearbox. This mechanism eliminates the risk of uncontrolled acceleration of the parts being machined.

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 cm wide and up to 10 centimeters cross-section. In general, the type and power of the electric motor must be selected so that the product undergoing turning receives a sufficient rotational force.

The driven center, which, as noted, is located on the tailstock, can be fixed 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 stroke 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-production of a unit for turning work

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

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

It is imperative to make a special tool that increases the level of stability of the cutter for turning metal parts. Such a handcuff is a construction of two planks glued at right angles (or connected by small screws). Moreover, a strip of thin metal is attached to the lower board, which is necessary to protect the working tool from changing its shape during rotation. A slot is cut out in a horizontal plank, which makes it possible to control the movements of the assistant.

You should not have any problems with the manufacture of the tailstock and headstock - the essence is clear, and if any difficulties arise, you can watch a video on the Internet, where this process is shown and described in great detail. Headstock chucks, as a rule, are made from finished cylinders, suitable in cross-section to the general structure 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 units (there are not so many of them). After that, we take up the power unit of our equipment. First of all, we select a suitable electric motor. For processing metal products, it must be powerful enough:

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

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

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

So, for example, on the protruding end of the motor shaft, abrasive or, and with their help, it can be polished, as well as high-quality sharpening of household tools. If desired, it is easy to make or purchase a special type adapter equipped with a chuck for drilling metals. It can be attached to the shaft shown above and can be used for slot milling and hole drilling.

Enjoy working in your very own DIY mini lathe 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 homemade 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, 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 an ordinary washing machine or drill. Usually, the power of this element starts from 200 W, and the number of revolutions per minute - from 1500;
frame - the supporting frame of the structure, which can be made of wooden blocks or steel angle. 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 angle welded to it. The plate rests against the guides of the bed, 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;
master and slave centers;
support - thrust mechanism for the working part.

The 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 saves 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 advantages and disadvantages.

The belt drive for the 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 the more often the more intensively you work with the machine.

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

Useful advice! When assembling a lathe, select the gear type that best suits your application. For example, for a do-it-yourself mini-lathe, it is better to install the working part directly on the shaft.

DIY lathe support: drawings, how to make from scrap 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 will spend on its manufacture. This part is located on a special slide that moves along the guides located on the bed. The caliper can move in three directions:

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

transverse - movement perpendicular to the workpiece axis. Used to grind grooves and holes;
inclined - movement at different angles to grind grooves on the surface of the workpiece.

When making a do-it-yourself lathe caliper, it is worth considering the moment that this part is subject to wear as a result of vibrations arising during operation. Because of them, the fasteners loosen, there is a backlash, all this affects the quality of the part being manufactured. 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 is worn out, which is responsible for moving the part in the longitudinal and transverse planes. As a result of friction, the caliper begins to loosen under loads, which significantly reduces the accuracy of the part. You can eliminate gaps by inserting wedges between the rails and the carriage. The backlash of the part is eliminated with the fixing screw.

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

Homemade metal lathe with your own hands: assembly procedure

The assembly of the mechanism is performed in the following order:

The frame of the machine 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 workpieces over 50 mm long, the thickness of materials for the frame should start from 3 mm for corners and from 30 mm for rods.
Longitudinal shafts with guides are installed on channels. The shafts can be welded or bolted.
The headstock is being manufactured. To make the headstock of a lathe with your own hands, a hydraulic cylinder with a wall thickness of 6 mm is used. Two bearings must be pressed into the cylinder.
The shaft is being laid. For this, bearings with a large bore are used.
The hydraulic cylinder is filled with lubricating fluid.
A pulley and a caliper with guides are installed.
The electric drive is being mounted.

In addition, according to the drawings of a metal lathe with your own hands, you can see that to increase the stability of the cutting mechanism, a handcuff is made, 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.

Useful advice! A self-assembled metal lathe can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also for grinding and polishing metal parts. For this, a grinding wheel is connected to the electric shaft.

Choosing an electric motor for the machine

The most important part of a homemade metal lathe, the production 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 chosen 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 an 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 according to ready-made drawings of a homemade metal lathe, keep in mind that all electrical parts of the structure must be reliably insulated. If you do not have the necessary experience with electrical equipment, it is best to seek help with connecting to a specialist. So you can be sure of safe operation and 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 regular electric drill as a drive. This constructive solution has several 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.
Easy to carry and transport the machine is a good option if you have to work with metal workpieces in the garage or outdoors.
Savings - the drill acts not only as an electric motor, but also eliminates the need to use a gear, and also allows the use of replaceable nozzles as a working tool.

Of course, there are also downsides to a drill lathe. How to make machining of large parts possible with this tool? This is practically impracticable as the drill has relatively low torque and high RPM. Of course, you can increase these parameters if you still install a belt drive and, with its help, transfer 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 parts 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 the electric motor and headstock. The role of the latter is also performed by a drill. Given the compact design, a regular table or workbench can be used as a bed, on which all the components of the machine will be fixed. The drill itself is fixed in the structure with a clamp and a clamp.

Useful advice! The functionality of an electric drill-based lathe can be significantly expanded by adding various attachments and accessories to its design.

With the help of a homemade lathe, you can not only grind parts, but also apply paint to a rotating workpiece, wind wire onto a transformer, make spiral incisions 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 a powerful electric motor, strong vibrations occur, which can lead to serious errors in the processing of the part. To get rid of vibrations, the driving and driven centers of the machine must be set on the same axis. And if only the driving center is planned to be installed, a cam mechanism must be attached to it.

In do-it-yourself desktop lathes for metal, it is not recommended to install a collector motor. It is prone to spontaneous increase in the number of revolutions, which can lead to overhang of the part. This, in turn, can lead to work-related injuries or property damage. If, however, you cannot do without installing a collector motor, it is imperative to install a gearbox with it to reduce the speed.

The ideal motor option for a homemade lathe is an asynchronous one. It does not increase the speed during operation, is resistant to heavy loads and allows you to work with metal workpieces 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 not only avoid common mistakes during assembly, but also save time and effort thanks to the clarity of the material.

Safety precautions when working with a homemade lathe

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

On any video of a lathe with your own hands, you can see that after installing the electric motor, it is covered with a special casing. The latter serves not only to protect the machine operator, 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 cover is not needed.

Useful advice! If you are planning to install a structure based on a powerful electric motor, then 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 located parallel to the surface of the workpiece being processed. Otherwise, it may fall off and damage the machine.
If you are machining face planes, the part should rest against the tailstock. In this case, it is very important to observe the alignment, otherwise you risk getting a defective part.
To protect your eyes from metal shavings and particles, you can build a special visor or simply use protective glasses.
After work, the structure must be cleaned by removing metal filings and other production waste. Make sure that small parts do not fall 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 a workpiece, the basic machine can be easily modified. It is best to do this for an electric drill-based design, since it is easiest to replace the working part in it.

There are several popular modifications of the metal lathe. How to make a tapered 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 you to drill tapered holes in the part.

In addition, a machine with a collapsible base can be made to work with metal parts of different lengths. With the help of several boards or metal corners, you can bring the working tool closer or further to the fasteners holding the part, and also change the size of the gap between the fasteners. It is most convenient to make such a structure based on an ordinary 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 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, the structure can be assembled literally from scrap parts, using for this old household appliances and waste from assembly and construction production.

The main benefit of self-assembly is 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 homemade machine can be not only large, but also very miniature, designed for processing small parts.