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Things to Make

 

Hello.
Wondered if there were any books or Web pages with suggestions/plans
for things to make on the metal working lathe. I know you can make
model engines and tools etc, but was thinking more in terms of
household items or items you could give as presents.
Paul
 

Hi Paul,

I am relativly new to the metal lathe myself! I did not buy mine for
building engines as well but imho there are so many techniques that can
be learned from the small engines that it is worth looking how the
folks who build them do the various aspects. If you have never used a
lathe before as was the case for me I just started looking at everyday
things and say to myself, how can I do this on my lathe. So far I have
made a couple microscope to camera adaptors, started to grind my own
lathe tools. Just took some scrap metal and practiced turning, boaring
threading and knulring. As you play, ideas will come to you as you
learn the capabilities of the lathe! I was a a store and found on
clearence a brass punch that was about 3/4" in diam and 18" long. I
bought it because I had ground a turning tool for brass and did not
have any brass at home to try the thing. I wound up making a brass
hammer by cutting off 3" from the stock and testing my tool for facing
and cleaning the length. The handle was turned from a pice of 1/2"
steel rod that I had laying around. I turned about 1" down to 1/4" and
threaded it then turned about 3" of the handle down to 5/16" and the
rest of the handle to 3/8". I knurled half the length of the 3/8"
part. It really came out nice as will be very functional. I just
bought the mini-mill because there are some things that cannot be done
on a lathe. You may want to look at a compact bender for making things
for the house instead, then you will probably want to get a small
welder to put the things together. The becomes a disese, LOL
Good luck in you new adventures and read, practice, read,
practice....

--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "wireless_paul" <paul@...> wrote:

Hello.
Wondered if there were any books or Web pages with suggestions/plans
for things to make on the metal working lathe. I know you can make
model engines and tools etc, but was thinking more in terms of
household items or items you could give as presents.
Paul
 

This is a great opportunity to express an opinion that has been
building up ... (subject to other's differing opinion, of course).

Working on the mini-lathe (even metal working) is not a hobby! How's
that? What I find is that the people that seem most satisified with
the mini-lathe (mill too for that matter) are people that have a hobby
already and see the mini-lathe as a tool to fulfill that hobby.
People that buy the lathe and than say, "What can I do with it?", will
be unfilled until they get another hobby.

I got the mini-lathe and micro-mill to make woodworking tools and
woodworking accessories (knobs & pulls, for example). Woodworking is
my hobby. But brass with the wood sure adds to the woodworking
project.

I bet just about everyone of you out there have another hobby that the
mini-lathe is used to enhance. Let's hear what they are!

Here's what worked for me. I used the lathe first to make accessories
for the lathe. That way I learned how it worked. I started learning
how to use a file. I spent a lot of time learning how to use a tap
and die (not with the lathe). Than I started reviewing a lot of
pictures of antique hand tools and picking out what I could make with
emphasis on tools that I could use first and nice second.

I'd say if you want to make gifts, start looking at gifts, in
catalogues, stores, kitchen stores, etc. and see what you can make.

Another idea, get some metal. Nothing like some brass bar stock
(expensive), some drill rod in a variety of sizes, and some brass
round stock in a variety of diameters to give you some ideas. Those
ideas disappear quickly when you don't have materials.

Also, consider, if you like woodworking, to add some brass to small
pieces of expensive wood to make a project.

Good luck!

--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "wireless_paul" <paul@...> wrote:

Hello.
Wondered if there were any books or Web pages with suggestions/plans
for things to make on the metal working lathe. I know you can make
model engines and tools etc, but was thinking more in terms of
household items or items you could give as presents.
Paul
[email protected]
 

I always thought a machined chess set could be nice. And something
that non machining and non techno people would also enjoy looking at.
It could even be viewed as an heirloom.

I don't know if any plans exist for machining one, but Shopsmith has
plans for a wood set. Of course, it's much easier to do the more free
form work in wood, but given enough time, I think some very nice
pieces could be made out of a couple of nice looking polished metals
like perhaps aluminum and brass (or maybe bronze).

Here is the Shopsmith page with the plan offer. Click on the places
in the "index" box to see some simple drawings of the pieces.



Of course, if you have CNC you have some advantages.

I notice this place that talks about such a project out of different
transparent color plastic...



Here is a concept with fairly simple designs¡­



Better yet, someone could design their own that lend themselves to mostly conventional machining activities, but perhaps still look
interesting if the design is clever enough.

A friend of mine who taught high school industrial arts had a nifty
aluminum lighthouse project the class members would make. It had a
base and a tapered body and some sort of interesting treatment at the
top (maybe a little castle-like). The project involved scoring and
serrating the body in a fashion so it looked like individual stones.
Again, it's something that looks nice just sitting around as something
decorative. I called him and he will see if he still has the plans
for this or anything else.

Chuck K.

Quoting Bill Johnston <johnston@...>:

This is a great opportunity to express an opinion that has been
building up ... (subject to other's differing opinion, of course).

Working on the mini-lathe (even metal working) is not a hobby! How's
that? What I find is that the people that seem most satisified with
the mini-lathe (mill too for that matter) are people that have a hobby
already and see the mini-lathe as a tool to fulfill that hobby.
People that buy the lathe and than say, "What can I do with it?", will
be unfilled until they get another hobby.

I got the mini-lathe and micro-mill to make woodworking tools and
woodworking accessories (knobs & pulls, for example). Woodworking is
my hobby. But brass with the wood sure adds to the woodworking
project.

I bet just about everyone of you out there have another hobby that the
mini-lathe is used to enhance. Let's hear what they are!

Here's what worked for me. I used the lathe first to make accessories
for the lathe. That way I learned how it worked. I started learning
how to use a file. I spent a lot of time learning how to use a tap
and die (not with the lathe). Than I started reviewing a lot of
pictures of antique hand tools and picking out what I could make with
emphasis on tools that I could use first and nice second.

I'd say if you want to make gifts, start looking at gifts, in
catalogues, stores, kitchen stores, etc. and see what you can make.

Another idea, get some metal. Nothing like some brass bar stock
(expensive), some drill rod in a variety of sizes, and some brass
round stock in a variety of diameters to give you some ideas. Those
ideas disappear quickly when you don't have materials.

Also, consider, if you like woodworking, to add some brass to small
pieces of expensive wood to make a project.

Good luck!
 

On 3/9/07, ckinzer@... <ckinzer@...> wrote:
I always thought a machined chess set could be nice. And something
that non machining and non techno people would also enjoy looking at.
It could even be viewed as an heirloom.
My family has a spending limit on Christmas gifts, so last time I made
some ballpoint pens out of stainless and brass.

The fun part is designing the click-click mechanism. I did it a
little differently on each one.

Regards,
Mark
markrages@gmail
--
You think that it is a secret, but it never has been one.
- fortune cookie
 

G'day Paul.
Things to make? I notice you include "wireless" in your handle. What
push me over the edge to get a lathe was visiting a guy who makes
reproduction antique radios. He had been turning knobs on his drill
press and was complaining about the price of terminals he had
purchased! I thought what an opportunity to make these up. I was
into "radio/electronics" myself until I got sick of not seeing where
the smoke was coming from.
I still haven't made any terminals but I have made attachments for
the lathe, bushes for my grandson's trike and 1 & 3/4 steamengines.
I have rekindled old skills and am meeting new collegues through this
and kindered groups. I keep talking about joining a local society of
Model Engineers but I spend so much time in the workshop that I
haven't time

As Bill says, "a lathe is just a tool". I get a little frustrated by
those who seem to spend so much effort working it up to get to a
state of perceived perfection (the zero backlash fraternity) which in
many cases would outstrip their machining skills. More inaccuracies
creep into a project through the setting out than from the machine.
Mind you any thing you do improves your skill level.

If you can't find a need for a lathe, DON'T BUY ONE, give the money
to a charity that could give some poor seamstress in a 3rd world
country a ssewing machine or a pedal rickshaw to a breadwinner in
India.

Have fun, but make a difference.

One good turn deserves another.
Regards
Ian

--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "Bill Johnston" <johnston@...>
wrote:

This is a great opportunity to express an opinion that has been
building up ... (subject to other's differing opinion, of course).

Working on the mini-lathe (even metal working) is not a hobby!
How's
that? What I find is that the people that seem most satisified
with
the mini-lathe (mill too for that matter) are people that have a
hobby
already and see the mini-lathe as a tool to fulfill that hobby.
People that buy the lathe and than say, "What can I do with it?",
will
be unfilled until they get another hobby.

I got the mini-lathe and micro-mill to make woodworking tools and
woodworking accessories (knobs & pulls, for example). Woodworking
is
my hobby. But brass with the wood sure adds to the woodworking
project.

I bet just about everyone of you out there have another hobby that
the
mini-lathe is used to enhance. Let's hear what they are!

Here's what worked for me. I used the lathe first to make
accessories
for the lathe. That way I learned how it worked. I started
learning
how to use a file. I spent a lot of time learning how to use a tap
and die (not with the lathe). Than I started reviewing a lot of
pictures of antique hand tools and picking out what I could make
with
emphasis on tools that I could use first and nice second.

I'd say if you want to make gifts, start looking at gifts, in
catalogues, stores, kitchen stores, etc. and see what you can
make.

Another idea, get some metal. Nothing like some brass bar stock
(expensive), some drill rod in a variety of sizes, and some brass
round stock in a variety of diameters to give you some ideas.
Those
ideas disappear quickly when you don't have materials.

Also, consider, if you like woodworking, to add some brass to small
pieces of expensive wood to make a project.

Good luck!




--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "wireless_paul" <paul@> wrote:

Hello.
Wondered if there were any books or Web pages with
suggestions/plans
for things to make on the metal working lathe. I know you can
make
model engines and tools etc, but was thinking more in terms of
household items or items you could give as presents.
Paul

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