Dave Black
Member
- Messages
- 638
- Location
- Central PA
I'm thinking of building myself a serious lathe. I have an old jet lathe that's been good but it's just not big enough for large work. My original idea was to use some I beams for the bed then I got thinking why not make a oneway style lathe. So I started looking around and saw the Robust lathe company and their design also looks good to me and using a square bed tube would make it easier to index the "way bridges "on the bed tube for welding. So either way I go I have some design elements to decide on. I would like to have a large outboard turning capability so that means left of headstock turning like the oneway or sliding headstock like the robust. I really don't see a downside to either style other than the stationary headstock would probably be more solid or at least easier to build it solid than a sliding headstock. Thoughts on this? The other thing is spindle size and thread. My jet has a 1" 8tpi but that would be to small for something this big. My southbend 9 has a 1.5" 8tpi which is what I think I will go with unless there is good reason to go with something else like 1.25" 8tpi. I suppose the morse taper to go with is #2. Is the a reason to go with a #3. I'm looking at a 25-26" swing. Any thoughts on this possibility crazy project.
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