Its been a while since I've posted on here...but I'm back now
I have acquired an additional hobby that will require some light turning of soft metals. Has the shopsmith been adapted in the past to successfully do this? I'll be turning brass, aluminum, plastics, and occasionally a piece of stainless...
Max size would be 1.25 round and about 6 inches long. The thing I like about the metal lathe is how the tool cutter is fixed in a carriage that moves side to side and in and out by way of a hand wheel...
Would it be possible? Has anyone taken this task on before? What would I need?
Or would it just be better to buy a mini lathe from a cheapo source...or search for a used one?
Geo, here is a picture of my 1973 Rockwell Delta lathe configured to do metal work. I have it geared to go slow and use it to turn plastics, brass, and soft metals. It doesn't have a thread cutting feed screw, so I hand cut all my threads.
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I purchased from Delta the compound slide rest, which in my opinion is essential in doing metal work. I have a Delta three jaw and four jaw check and numerous metal cutting bits in HSS and Carbide to include hollow cutting bits. Grizzly is a good source for accessories.
In my opinion a SS would be difficult to use for a couple of reasons. You need a compound slide rest, as well as speeds slower than the SS goes, at least down to 50 rpm. Also, I don't like the height of the SS for lathe work, preferring the machine to be a little higher than my waste, and I'm 6 feet tall. I don't like to bend over turning work. Maybe that is just my thing.
If I were you I would look for a mental lathe. Check out Grizzly, but I wouldn't go cheaper than them. IMO, Grizzly stands behind what they sell. In mental lathes, perhaps all machinery, you get what you pay for.
Final note. I am self-taught on metal turning. I got to know a machinist in the Air Guard who is about to retire. He is willing to give me some lessons. Never too old to learn! You might want to take a community class if you can find one before you purchase equipment. PS, I find being able to turn plastic, brass and other metals has really saved the day when I need to fix a part.
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Delta Lathe (Mobile).jpg (62.86 KiB) Viewed 20187 times
"... and it was after long searching that I found the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a ship loading of gold." Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719
I have no experience turning metal on the SS but have MANY hours on a metal lathe. The reason the tool goes back and forth is that it is securely held by that moving tool holder. Without that holding feature, your tool would grab the turning metal and be violently pulled from your hand.
You are MUCH MUCH better off buying a metal lathe designed for turning metal.
Forrest
Forrest
Huntington Beach, CA
1985 500->510->520, bandsaw, jointer, planer, PowerPro, double-tilt, 3" casters,(now obsolete) speed increaser
I had used the top half of a small metal lathe carriage (X & Y) on a metal frame bolted to the way tubes. I have a 3" 3 jaw metal chuck that I modified to fit the 5/8" quill shaft. I quickly found the 1.75" way tubes or something seem to flex too much for anything harder than aluminum and plastic. Also vibration and chatter was a problem. BackHertz has this setup now. I finally switched to a cheap used HF 7X10 metal lathe to do most of my metal lathe work.
I have been able to make a milling machine from a Shopsmith. I used the 10ER tubes, a 3 bearing quill, a steel Total Shop Table supported by 2X4s under the table and a router chuck (double set screws) for the milling bits. The table does not move, it is fixed in position. I move the headstock with a bottle jack. I have a precision X/Y vise with a rotary table on top bolted to the steel table on which to mount the work. I have to go super slow and have milled less dense steels but mostly do aluminum and plastic. I never tried milling stainless or harder steels.
Bill Mayo bill.mayo@verizon.net
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
This gentleman wrote a whole series of articles on converting a shopsmith to a machine shop tool. I didn't read the whole series of articles so I can't comment on how difficult or expensive it would be. Looks like you can order reprints of the articles.
Eagle, I'm going to (almost) disagree with Forrest here.
Don't EVEN THINK about holding a tool by hand.
PERIOD!
In my opinion, from pictures I've seen of the MkV headstock and carriage, you'd be better off going with an ER. And, get an earlier model, the one with the 1/4 (almost) wall thickness way tubes. (In my opinion, if the MkV was better than the ER, Shopsmith would be using MkVs to make more MkVs. They use ERs.)
Don't plan on doing any face turning. Don't try any long spindle turning. DO NOT try to do hard metal (Stainless is OUT.)
You need a cross-feed tool holder, and a way to attach it to the carriage. A 3 jaw universal chuck will work just fine, if you can mount it on the spindle. A live center is a must.
Also, with the ER's exposed belts, putting a 6 or 8 inch pulley on the headstock is doable. (I just looked, it's slightly over 7 inches from the spindle to the way tubes, that would allow a 14 inch upper pulley.) The larger the upper pulley, the slower you'll go.
Shopsmith sells an adapter to mount the drill chuck on the tailstock's #2 Morse taper. (It will adapt anything that mounts on the quill, to the tailstock, too.)
If you wanted to chuck up a cylinder of any metal to polish it, this machine would handle it just fine.
If you want some help, I'm way over in west Mesa. (Fiesta Mall area.)
Here was my idea: http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=6977
Brass, alum and plastic only.
You will need to make the table shown as well as mount a cross slide vice. But, yes it can be done.
Make a tool post style grinder and you can do steel all day just not in the way you think. The grinder part was very impressive and I even made a part for my metal lathe. Fun stuff.
holsgo wrote:Here was my idea: http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=6977
Brass, alum and plastic only.
You will need to make the table shown as well as mount a cross slide vice. But, yes it can be done.
Make a tool post style grinder and you can do steel all day just not in the way you think. The grinder part was very impressive and I even made a part for my metal lathe. Fun stuff.
I had totally forgotten about using a tool post grinder. Mine should still be laying around some where. You will need to be in an area away from your wood working section as I found the residue from the steel grinding gets into everything. This metal residue does stick to any wood laying around. With the thin 4" grinder wheels, you can grind fairly close tolerances.
Bill Mayo bill.mayo@verizon.net
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
Totally agree. I take the whole thing out on the driveway. I run at the slowest shopsmith setting and the grinder on. Make sure you spark out, and always cool the piece to check dimensions. Grinding will cause you to overshoot about .001 if you measure warm.
What model SS to use for metal work? By the time you add it up, might be better to find a Craftsman 109 or small Atlas dedicated metal lathe. (Not a fan of those china made low end lathes and still prefer an old US made. That's another entire topic but for now will stick to the OP.) Yet if one only has the room for a single machine and does more woodworking and only occasional metal turning the SS could be ideal.
If it would have to be a SS I would suggest the old 10er. I wouldn't want to make an oily mess with a Mk7 or bother with a lighter and too fast of rpm Mk5. A 10er for light duty metal turning is fine depending on a few factors and additional parts.
Would try for a low cost 10ER hopefully with a variable speed changer and the heavy walled 3/16" way tubes. In addition to the factory variable speed changer, replace the headstock pulley to a large diameter pulley and appropriate longer upper belt. RPM drops down ideal for soft metal turning. You can vary speed conveniently 'on the fly'. (You need both the speed changer and large headstock pulley.)
Next is to acquire a second 10er table carriage and four solid table rods. The second table carriage is mounted along the other BUT reverse so that the lock handle is on the far side way tube. This keeps the entire carriage from potential small shifting while working and the assembly square for the following.
Drill and tap the ends of the four solid table mount rods. 3/8" and or whatever thread you desire. With a heavy thick steel plate, drill a hole to match the table rods for each corner. This now becomes your universal base to mount any x-y tool rest. You would have to drill the steel base plate to match the base of the x-y slide.
3 jaw chuck's and rotating centers: Many choices - shop fleabay for a small metal lathe chuck, new or used but verify what spindle its threaded for. Plenty of 5/8" plain bore to threaded adapters are available (check PSI, etc.). Rotating centers are for the common Morse Taper 2 fit all SS.
So now you have a quick swap SS woodworking machine to a metal lathe but suppose you want a lead screw to move your carriage along the bed? The old SS 10ER cast spindle rack yoke happens to fit the way tubes! Without getting into details, you could devise a feed and by using a long fine threaded rod, bearing ended to fit the yokes and a simple handwheel or crank on the end.
Other: Wood and metal don't like to mix well in a workshop so you've got to really clean it up converting back for wood functions. Oily residue sticks and chips make for a mess. Modified baking / cookie trays, and some will frown for me saying its dangerous but I use an old large towel to lay over the way tubes as a means to keep the oil drips and chips at bay.
If in a very limited workshop space and one does metal and wood working and since you have the slow RPM range, might as well add a Shopsmith bandsaw with a metal cutting blade on the end! Low speed on a bandsaw is needed for cutting metal.
