Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: m25x2 accessories for diy lathe?

  1. #1

    m25x2 accessories for diy lathe?

    Hello, I'm thinking to build a wood turning lathe. I live in Hong Kong and I have an access to many cheap Chinese "things". I have found this spindle with m25x2 thread and I'm wondering if there are any lathe accessories for metric thread system or would I have to use some kind of adapter. I have found this one but 25usd makes is twice as expensive as the spindle itself. Maybe in States it would be easiest to ask a friend machinist to make a new threaded bar for this but here I'm not sure if that would be a cheap option as labor in HK is very expensive. Cheers!
    spin.jpg

  2. #2
    Filip,

    You can get much better rates just across the border in Guangdong province. Even Guangzhou is only a 1-2 hr train ride (yes, I've taken that train).

    Rich

  3. #3
    Oneway Manufacturing in Canada will make custom inserts for their chucks for about $25.

    It looks like you might need to shorten the length of the threaded end. Ideally, lathe spindles are hollow and have have a Morse taper socket to accept various types of drives such as a spur drive, step drives, or specialty drive adapters for things such as pen turning. Small mini lathes sometimes have number 1 Morse taper sockets in the spindle and also in the tailstock quill. However, most lathes use number 2 Morse taper sockets on both the spindle and tailstock. The bed of your lathe needs to be very sturdy so that it doesn't flex and it also needs to keep the boresight axes of the headstock spindle and tailstock quill in precise alignment. Many people have custom built their lathes, but they often wind up spending more money than it would cost to buy a lathe.
    Bill

  4. #4
    @Rich Hi, I'm ordering things on Taobao - chinese ebay so prices are good. But going to China to find a machinist to redo the spindle seems like to much trouble

  5. #5
    @Bill: Hi, good point with hollow spindle. I've missed that. I was thinking to make a lathe for turning discs and bowls so it might be good for start but later I might think of something more. Thank you. About spending money its more about fun than saving money. I'm sure you understand. Also I believe that something I would build from scratch might be cheaper in maintenance and lasting longer than lathe from China

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Boehme View Post
    ... they often wind up spending more money than it would cost to buy a lathe.
    Bill is right.

    Cost was a big factor when I started, so I began with a used lathe my grandfather got at a yard sale, then upgraded to a new bench top lathe (Delta midi lathe) when I could afford it.

    Years later, I was looking to move up to a big boy lathe and looked into building my own also, but I quickly found the cost was not that much lower, AND the need for a mechanical engineering degree was too strong. So, I bought a Powermatic 3520B.

    It makes sense to build your own if you're going to fringe work, like the really big vessels that John Tisdale and the Moulthrop boys do. But these are still loads of work.

    I am building my own Rose Engine Ornamental Lathe. That's because these are way more expensive when new ($5,000 to $100,000) and I want to tailor it to an art form I want to pursue. But even here I'm using my old Delta midi lathe as the the base.

    Good luck, and please let us know how it's going.

    Rich

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •