Delta Double Duty Lathe - Post #2

Greg Hooper

Member
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6
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.
 
1. I think they're called "double duty" because they were marketed as both a wood lathe and a light-duty metal lathe. I'm not positive about it, but that's my understanding.

2. If the fly rod is thin enough to fit through the hole in the spindle, then yes, you can stick it through the headstock and hold it in place with a self-centering chuck. (That's the type of chuck we all typically use for woodturning.) I have done something similar with wooden dowels, making tapered pegs for my brother-in-law's Viking tents and furniture. I'll take a 3' or so length of dowel and run it through the headstock so about 6" is sticking out of the chuck, do my tapering cut, saw off the peg about 4" long, then move the dowel forward so 6" is sticking out again. Rinse and repeat until I run out of dowel.

One caveat about running material through the spindle: If the piece is too long or too flexible, the part sticking out of the left side of the headstock can start flexing and whipping around to the point of damaging it. Give it a try, and raise the speed carefully until you determine that it won't flex too much.

3. As I understand it, the distance between the motor and the pulleys on the lathe isn't real critical, although in general, the closer the better, so there will be less belt flex and vibration. However you mount the motor, you'll want to make sure is has a few inches of adjustment. That allows you to ensure the belt tension is tight enough, and lets you loosen things up to replace the belt when necessary. Once you've mounted the motor, you can use a piece of string to measure the distance around the pulleys to determine the belt size. If you look at the photos of Bart's lathe in your original thread, you'll see a red belt on his lathe. That's a link belt that's easy to adjust in size, and has the added benefit of running smoother than a solid belt.
 
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