Router Lathe

[jgrounds]

Just completed building a router lathe for my small mini lathe and would now like to adapt it for use on a Shopsmith 510. The router lathe is based on a description in book by Bill Hylton and works quit nice on the mini lathe

http://www.firechat.com/twistit.jpg

http://www.firechat.com/twistit1.jpg

http://www.firechat.com/twistit2.jpg

http://www.firechat.com/twistit3.jpg
Suggestions welcome

Thanks
John

[nekhoma]

You might be interested in looking at the legacy ornamental mill

http://www.legacywoodworking.com/

[rickwb7btr]

Very nice, thought about building one a number of years ago but the sears router lath showed up at a garage sale for almost nothing. It uses cables to drive the router. Looks like the chain set up might be more acurate. By the way, where or what bits are you using and where do you get them, (don't want to make them myself.

Rick

[turff49]

John,
That's pretty impressive. I might have to look into building one for my Mini also. I just got a vacuum unit in so I can build my vacuum chuck so that will be first but I like your setup and will have to try it afterwards.
Brian

[jgrounds]

You might be interested in looking at the legacy ornamental mill

http://www.legacywoodworking.com/

Yes, I am very interested in the legacy ornamental mill and have looked at them in some detail. For me, they are a little larger investment than I can make just for hobby use at this time.

By the way, where or what bits are you using and where do you get them, (don't want to make them myself.

Rick

The router bit used in http://www.firechat.com/twistit2.jpg was a 1/2 inch core box bit. I just used a couple different pitches to make the different designs. In photo http://www.firechat.com/twistit3.jpg I used a rope bit from http://magnate.net/index.cfm?event=showCategory&theID=106 for the walnut rope shape and just a straitght bit for the long twist.

Appreciate the kind comments!

John

[jgrounds]

Bottle Stopper from Router Lahte:

http://www.firechat.com/stop1.jpg

John

[redpepr]

John, I think your router/lathe is great and I am thinking of building one myself. Where did you get your crank/drive mechanism? or did you build it yourself? what type of bits do you typically use? square and round nose, anything else? How did you do the tapered bottle stopper?

RP

[jgrounds]

Where did you get your crank/drive mechanism? or did you build it yourself?
RP

The main part of the mechanism is basically a gear box from a cheap angle grinder. The crank and sprocket adapters are build it your self.

what type of bits do you typically use? square and round nose, anything else?
RP

The router bit used in http://www.firechat.com/twistit2.jpg was a 1/2 inch core box bit. I just used a couple different pitches to make the different designs. In photo http://www.firechat.com/twistit3.jpg I used a rope bit from http://magnate.net/index.cfm?event=s...gory&theID=106 for the walnut rope shape and just a straitght bit for the long twist. I used a core box bit when making the stopper.


How did you do the tapered bottle stopper?
RP

For the bottle stopper I cut out a template of the shape desired on the Shopsmith band saw. I removed the main head chain and ran the lathe and the router at the same time along the template to make the basic outline of the stopper. The main head chain was reinstalled and the template was used to controlled the Z axis path as the router was pulled along the X axis while making the spiral design. Six passes were needed to complete the spiral. The blank was first rounded by hand turning. Hand turning was also used to adjust the final shape at the base of the stopper.

John