Delta Double Duty Lathe

Greg Hooper

Member
Messages
6
I inherited a Delta Double Duty lathe from my step father. Although I'm proficient with a number of bench tools, I must have been behind the door when my grandfather and father, both gun smiths, and my step father, a wood turner, used various lathes. Anyway, I believe I have all of the parts and then some more and just want to do some simple turning to begin. I build and make split bamboo fly rods. I turn all of my cork grips on a mandrel, using a makeshift power drill set up. However, I want to turn my own hardwood reel seats and be able to turn down the rod piece ends to receive the nickel-silver ferrules.
As I said, I've never used a real lathe. Can anybody recommend a "Lathed 101" book and is anyone aware of where I might be able to get an owners manual for this vintage tool?

Thanks very much. I'm brand new to this forum.
 
welcome greg and try search on google for manual, they are sure to be out there somewhere, and try the OVMF forum,, might have the name wrong its a old vintage machine forum
 
I have:

Woodturning A foundation course - Keith Rowly
The Fundamentals of Woodturning - Mike Darlow
Complete Illustrated guide to Turning - Richard Raffan
Learn to Turn - Barry Gross

I haven't read them cover to cover but all of them have very useful information.
 
Bart,

I checked your link and it looks like the beds are the only major difference between steel and cast iron models. I have a steel bed DDL 930 to be restored (after having a hard life) and the PDF manual will help the OP and me as well. Thanks. Aloha, Tony
 
Hey Tony

Does your lathe look like this one. This is my lathe. Thanks for the info about the prefix letters of DDL then 930 I wasn't aware of the DDL prefix. I knew it was a double duty lathe. I cleaned the bearings & packed them with high temperature wheel bearing grease & have had no problems. No more oil to worry about.
 

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Tony, I took a course at Lee Valley. The books and videos around seem to be scant on little details like how you position yourself and your lathe tool to begin a cut, what chisel to use, and other very basic stuff without which it's hard to get started. Next best idea (maybe better) is to find a woodturner who has a little time to spare. You can learn the basics in about eight hours, and then go to town reducing wood to shavings as you try stuff out and learn. You can probably find a woodturner at a local woodturning club, if there is one near you. :D
 
Tony,

Welcome to this wonderful bunch of helpful, knowledgeable, sometimes nutty people. You will love it here.

My first book choice:

Woodturning A Foundation Course. It is by Keith Rowley.
It is truly "A Foundation Course." It takes you from zero to being a decent turner.
It is by "Guild of Master Craftsman Publications." It is also nice in that it is not expensive. I have the paper back book. The book is well made so that you can keep going through it without wearing it out.
It explains the turning type of turning tools and sharpening the tools. He discusses the wood itself in relation to turning. His six "Laws of Woodturning" will keep you out of trouble (just the part about how the metal meets the wood is worth the price of the book) because it will keep you out of serious trouble. The foregoing is only the beginning of the book. I highly recommend purchasing it!!!

When you are ready for a second book; Richard Raffin's "Complete Guide to Turning" is a good book. He does not start with the really foundation stuff, that is why I said the second book.

Actually, my second book would NOT be a book; it would be a DVD by Raffin. "Wood Turning" is its name. On this DVD he has an entire "Chapter" on how to hold the turning tools and how to stand. He shows this with a fair amount of detail. It is excellent. However, I would do the Foundation book first. You will get a lot more bang for your buck. Some of the DVD Chapters are: Centerwork Stance and Movement, Centerwork Gouge Exercises, Centerwork Skew Exercises, Facework Stance and Movement, Facework Exercises, etc.

Watching how he holds a tool and how he moves shows up tremendously better on a DVD than pics in a book.

There are 14 "Chapters."

In my opinion:
Popular Mechanics "Lathe Fundamentals---The Complete Guide" is "so-so." I could have easily lived without it.
"Ellsworth on Turning" is definitely not what you want now. It is a good book, but not 'till you have some skill. It is another book I could have lived without---even though it is a good book.
Richard Raffin's book, "Turning Wood" is a good companion to the DVD of the same name. It goes well with the DVD. However, if I was only going to purchase one, I would get the DVD.

Change of Subject:


The Harbor Freight Turning Tool Set ($85 when I purchased it) has High Speed Steel. The tools stay sharp for quite a while. They give you inexpensive tools to learn your sharpening on. They work quite well. I have modified a couple of them to be a different tool (again, inexpensive learning). Yes, I have some $100 and $150 (each) lathe tools and I love them. However, in the beginning I would not have done any better with them than the HF. AND I would not have had the nerve to try different sharpening methods nor would I have felt free to turn one kind of a tool into another with a grinder because of the price. The HF set will probably be better than you will be for a year or two; depending on how much turning you will do.

I still use a HF tool sometimes; especially the modified tools. I would not feel tremendously handicapped if all of my tools were HF.

I have a Jet Slow Speed Wet Sharpening system. I have spoken with close to a dozen people who prefer it to the much more expensive Tormek System. I have the Jet and I am glad that I have it. However, if I knew then, what I know now, I would not purchase a Jet or a Tormek. I made a very simple Wolverine system. With that and a 1725 RPM grinder with some good stones (wheels) you can do a heck of a good woodturning tool sharpening.

You know, I have blabbered here for so long that the Tea I was making is like the Tea that my sister made after she came back from England---It is so strong that it removes tooth enamel. Also the tea is cold so I better shut up and go reheat it.

Any questions PM me.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
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Thanks. It's OWWMF -Old Wood Working Machines Forum. The have a Old Metal Working Machines Forum also, within the site. I joined, but have not posed the question there yet.
 
Thanks very much Bart. I have a steel bed lathe. I downloaded the pdf and sent VM a $10.00 donation. Interesting way the motor and belt system is set up. Does one need to configure as such in the diagram?
 
Bart, my lathe looks so much like the one in the thumbnail that I had to run down to the shop to ensure mine was still there.
 
Thanks very much Bart. I have a steel bed lathe. I downloaded the pdf and sent VM a $10.00 donation. Interesting way the motor and belt system is set up. Does one need to configure as such in the diagram?

Only if you want to have a slow speed to turn bowls & such. I have a 2 HP 3 phase motor with VFD on mine.
 

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I inherited a Delta Double Duty lathe from my step father. Although I'm proficient with a number of bench tools, I must have been behind the door when my grandfather and father, both gun smiths, and my step father, a wood turner, used various lathes. Anyway, I believe I have all of the parts and then some more and just want to do some simple turning to begin. I build and make split bamboo fly rods. I turn all of my cork grips on a mandrel, using a makeshift power drill set up. However, I want to turn my own hardwood reel seats and be able to turn down the rod piece ends to receive the nickel-silver ferrules.
As I said, I've never used a real lathe. Can anybody recommend a "Lathed 101" book and is anyone aware of where I might be able to get an owners manual for this vintage tool?

Thanks very much. I'm brand new to this forum.

Try http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15460 for a start.

Also http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=1119

Mike
 
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Ok. Thanks everybody. I have two phenomenal books and downloaded some old documents. I have some add'l questions:
1. Why is it called a "Double-Duty" lathe?
2. Am I able to insert and clamp various sections of bamboo fly rods all the way through the headstock such that I could build, turn and shape a cork grip onto the butt end of the rod and then also turn down, ever so slightly, the opposite ends of the sections to snugly fit the inside diameter of my nickel-silver ferrules?
3. How do I know what distance to position the motor from the pulleys and how do I determine belt size?

Thanks very much.
 
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