Has anyone made their own (major) power tool? [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

Mike Cutler

01-06-2008, 8:39 AM

Hello,
I was looking around the web and came across several home made bandsaws and lathes. In another thread, a poster had made his own plunge base for a router (apologies for not remembering who it was - hopefully credit will be given where credit is due).

It got me wondering if anyone here had "rolled their own" tool and what it was.

Bruce Page made the Router base you're referring to. Here is the link.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=29281

Kyle Kraft

01-06-2008, 8:58 AM

That's cool as heck!! Remember the cone shaped log splitting device that was sold years ago that bolted on the rear axle hub of a car?? My friends dad had one of those rascals. I think they pulled them from the market after a car ran away from the woodpile :D

Craig Earls

01-06-2008, 9:02 AM

Larry Fox

01-06-2008, 9:48 AM

Coolest roll-your-own project I have ever read about is Tom Plamann's lathe. Link below. If the link gets deleted, you can DAGS for Plamann MOAL.

http://www.plamann.com/architecturalwoodcolumns.html

harry strasil

01-06-2008, 9:48 AM

table saw and 10 inch disc sander. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=72844

M Toupin

01-06-2008, 10:59 AM

Anything posted by Nissim Avrahami! Unbelievable imagination and ability to make due with the tools he has on hand.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/search.php?searchid=1757940

Me, the largest is a 30" drum sander which works better than my wildest expectations and gets used on almost every project!
78742

Mike

bob hertle

01-06-2008, 11:35 AM

78747

78748

78749

78752 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=78747&stc=1&d=1199636640)

These are just a few of my homemade tools. The bandsaw is a wood/metal machine that I originally built as metal only in 1980. It weighs approx 700#.
The tool and cutter grinder is shown set up for altering a bandsaw blade in the photo. And, yes I believe in tension gages. Got lot's more pics, but let's see if these work first! BTW, beautiful job on the router base Bruce!

Bob

Dixon Peer

01-06-2008, 11:46 AM

I haven't made any major power tools, but I know a professional millworker here in Summit that has. He had a big job some years back to supply all the custom millwork in a hotel that was being built in a neighboring town, and to speed the job along he built a shaper with multiple spindles, ten horse three phase power and exciters to change the frequency of the current to control spindle speed. Needless to say, he's a pretty handy guy.

The spindles aren't adjustable as to height, so he uses spacers the same as he does with his molder. The machine doesn't see much use since that hotel job though.

scott spencer

01-06-2008, 12:25 PM

I've always wanted to make a sander, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Bruce Page

01-06-2008, 12:39 PM

Bob Hertle, WOW! You know your way around a fab/machine shop! Amazing stuff!

Doug Shepard

01-06-2008, 3:31 PM

I think this one is extremely cool
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=432715

Bruce Page

01-06-2008, 3:53 PM

Bob H.
I tried to send you a reply PM but the software says you have your PM & email options turned off.

Bruce Page

01-06-2008, 4:30 PM

I think this one is extremely cool
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=432715

Doug, that is waaaaaaay cool.
I have no idea how I missed it in 2006. :confused: I sent a message to Mark via his website congratulating him.
He hasn't been around SMC in a while.

Doug Shepard

01-06-2008, 4:50 PM

Doug, that is waaaaaaay cool.
I have no idea how I missed it in 2006. :confused: ...

That explains why I haven't seen you post pics of yours' yet. Time to git bizzy:D

Bruce Page

01-06-2008, 5:02 PM

That explains why I haven't seen you post pics of yours' yet. Time to git bizzy:D

I'll wait to hear from him first. :cool:

Darl Bundren

01-06-2008, 5:16 PM

When I went down to visit Ed Morgano's Clearvue Cyclones shop when I was looking for DC, he showed me a CNC router set up that he built, a sheet metal roller/crimper, a lathe, and a heater he made for preparing the cyclone materials for assembly. I was impressed.

Doug Shepard

01-06-2008, 5:36 PM

I'll wait to hear from him first. :cool:

I didnt stop to consider that in the 2 years since posting, he might be making or licensing these now. Let us know if you hear from him and if you can buy one of these now.

Dennis Ford

01-06-2008, 8:16 PM

I have made a band saw, cnc router & wood lathe. The wood lathe is the only one that looks good enough for a picture but all three work OK.
;)

Keith Starosta

01-06-2008, 8:41 PM

I didnt stop to consider that in the 2 years since posting, he might be making or licensing these now. Let us know if you hear from him and if you can buy one of these now.

When Mark originally designed this jig, he started going through the process of trying to get a patent in order to market them. If I remember correctly, he ran into problem after problem until he decided it wasn't going to happen. Since then, Mark "retired" from woodworking, selling of the majority of his machinery (including a beautiful 12" Oliver jointer!! :eek:). He decided to pursue his other hobby (photography) on a more full-time basis.

I'm pretty sure this is what happened to him, as I recall from his threads at WoodNet.

- Keith

Bruce Wrenn

01-06-2008, 9:23 PM

I built my first air compressor. It was based on a design by Popular Mechanics, that used the air conditioning compressor from a car. I also built my FIL one. After thirty years they are still running. You could back seat the service valves and use it as a vacumn pump to service AC system, when R-12 was a buck a can. Later I built a vacumn pump using similar set up. I built a leaf blower, using a Briggs and Stratton horizontal shaft motor and a the fan out of an old furnace. I built my neighbor a rotary converter to run his lathe and Bridgeport. Currently I have in the works a router lift (American Woodworker), a 12" disk sander, along with a vacumn pump with a twenty gallon reservoir. I build my own Biese clone fences, along with mobile bases for machines. I built my slow speed grinder, along with my cyclone (Wood Magazine). Oh yeah, I built my house and shop.

Doug Hobkirk

01-06-2008, 9:44 PM

I admit to some lunacy. Why buy a well-engineered ready-to-use tool when you can spend a hundred hours and save $100 (and have a tool that might not be as good). I already have collected two discarded treadmills for a belt sander, a commercial leaf blow impeller for a possible cyclone DC, etc., etc.

But here's an interesting link that anyone looking at this thread will probably enjoy -

DIY kits (http://www.nicks.ca/Toolkits.html#mort) for a mortising setup, a 30" wide drum sander, etc.
Handheld bandsaw! (http://www.vintageprojects.com/power-tools/belt-sander-hand.html) Holy Batman! I was looking for the another site that had drum sanding parts and inadvertently found this link.
YouTube has some cool videos on home built sawmills! (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sawmill+homemade&search=Search)I gotta go. I need to work on my plans for a deep ocean nuclear-powered submarine...

Leo Graywacz

01-06-2008, 9:56 PM

I made a router duplicator to make hand carved rosettes a breeze. They use to take me about 6-8 hours to carve by hand, Now I can do them in 45 minutes and 15 minutes with the chisels.

http://fototime.com/FC54E53E979A4D2/orig.jpg

I also made a flappy sander, not quite a major machine, but takes care of sanding moldings. I have since added a power fedder to it to make it more automatic.

http://fototime.com/1166EE93545BDB2/orig.jpg

Yoni Deaton

01-28-2008, 10:07 PM

Hey guys. I'm new to this forum and excited to find it. I've owned several lathes and made a couple of smaller lathes in the past. Right now I'm manufacturing what I hope will be my "masterpiece". I've taken a spindle shaft along with the multi-step pulley from a South Bend 13" metal lathe (1 7/8" dia.), combined it with a T-18 transmission from a Ford pickup along with a 3 h.p. motor and heavy guage railroad iron for the bed, and 4 x 4 heavy wall tubing (1/2" thick walls) for the legs. I'm making leg levelers out of 3/4" plate for each leg. The T-18 transmission has a wider range of gears than almost any standard vehicle transmission, so it, along with the 3 multi-step pulleys should give it a speed range from around 30 rpm's to close to 3,000. I have already made the 4' bed out of two railroad irons to be used with the altered tail stock I picked up from a "Heavy 10" South Bend metal lathe. But, I also am manufacturing an additional short bed (only about 12") that would allow it to be a purist's bowl lathe. With the 4' bed on it should have a swing of about 22". With the shorter bowl bed it could turn a piece of 88" diameter. I've got most of the legs manufactured (with the exception of 3 braces welded into place), the long bed completed, gear ratios mostly figured out, etc. I'm really anxious to complete it, but right now winter is holding me up. We live in North Dakota and, tonight for example, we're having -40 to -50 degree wind chills. Tomorrow the high is supposed to be -10 degrees actual temperature. My shop is not heated, so I'm having a winter weather delay! I've been thinking of taking pictures during the rest of the manufacturing and trying to publish the article. Somebody might find it interesting.
Thanks, Yoni

Bruce Page

01-28-2008, 10:57 PM

Yoni, welcome to SMC. Your lathe sounds very interesting.
Oh yeah, we like pics! :D

Yoni Deaton

01-29-2008, 8:14 PM

Bruce,

I'll send some pictures soon. Gotta let it warm up a bit! I also have made a large treadle lathe with a 200 lb. flywheel. I'll send in some of those pictures also.
Yoni

Rich Engelhardt

01-30-2008, 5:50 AM

Hello,

I also have made a large treadle lathe with a 200 lb. flywheelI was hoping someone had made one and would chime in.

Stephen Pereira

01-30-2008, 7:13 AM

Yoni,

We are having your weather too.. always said that Minnesota wouldn't be too bad a place if North Dakota kept it's weather to itself. Windchill yesterday at 2.00 Pm was minus 81F. I would love to see pictures of your masterpiece as well, although I can't imagine destroying a SB 13" lathe for it's spindle and tailstock. Will the spindle take 3000 rpms ?

I don't have a wood lathe and I;ve been contemplating rolling my own but right now I'm busy trying to learn to make hand planes and their irons.. not enough time in a day.

Bob Hertle's work is amazing.. really nice job!!!

Yoni Deaton

02-05-2008, 2:04 PM

Stephen Pereira

02-06-2008, 7:28 AM

Stephen, what part of Minnesota do you live in? We used to live up at Ely. Minnesota gets colder....it's the darn wind over here in North Dakota that'll cut you up.
Actually I could've never had the heart to tear a spindle from a "13", I just bought one somebody was selling on e-bay! And yes, the spindle will take the rpm's. I'm really anxious for the spring to come so I can finish the ol' girl up! We're in the process of moving from one farm to another place we just picked up, so I'll be sending in the pics once we're beyond this move!
The part I'm anxious to try out is the wide gear range of the T-18 four speed tranny, plus the reverse will come in handy too!
Keep warm!
Yoni

I live in Bemidji, used to have a small farm near Lake Itasca. We've been having our share of wind too.. must be all the trees we are cutting down.

I didn't think anyone would ruin a SB 13" for the spindle. My first attempt at making a wood lathe was.. let us say.. less than spectacular. Maybe I'll try again someday. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures when you are done, especialy the marriage of lathe to transmission.

Steve

Yoni Deaton

02-06-2008, 9:36 AM

Stephen, I've been through Bemidji many times. Still have friends around the area.
I'm also anxious to show off the treadle lathe once we get through the move and I get it re-assembled. I had inherited a shopsmith that my dad had for years. Well, seeing as how I have a nice table saw, bandsaw, and other tools that some would use the Shopsmith for, and seeing as how I wanted to try making a large treadle lathe......I decided to make one with the frame and bed out of wood. I did cheat and use heavy angle iron bolted to the bed boards to stiffen 'er up a bit. But, the thing that makes my treadle lathe kind of unique is I made the flywheel large and heavy so the momentum it carries would be significant. Then, I used a 3/4" spindle so that I could utilize Shopsmith face plates and other Shopsmith accessories on it, such as the scroll saw, or even the table saw and band saw. I've never tried using the Shopsmith jointer on it......I've kind of assumed that'd be a bit much. But it is a unique animal. The large wheel is driven with a 3" wide belt and, like I said, the wheel weighs around 200 pounds. It sits on a 2" shaft with heavy bearings. If a guy was in a bind he could actually attach a pulley to the spindle shaft and do all kinds of other things with it, such as run a water pump or even a small generator!
I've thought about going back and putting a clutch on it so that it would "free wheel" like a 10 speed where the treadle would not be constantly moving. As it is now, that is one of the hazards of such a lathe. It could really mash a foot or skin a shin! Ha!
Like I said, once we're through moving I'll try to put some pictures up. Our closest friends still live around Chisholm, Minnesota. So we're always in contact with them.
Keep warm,
Yoni

Stephen Pereira

02-07-2008, 6:43 AM

" If a guy was in a bind he could actually attach a pulley to the spindle shaft and do all kinds of other things with it, such as run a water pump or even a small generator!
I've thought about going back and putting a clutch on it so that it would "free wheel" like a 10 speed where the treadle would not be constantly moving. As it is now, that is one of the hazards of such a lathe. It could really mash a foot or skin a shin! Ha!

Yoni,

A treadle lathe as in human powered lathe? Now that would be interesting!!I would think it would take a lot of muscle to get that beast rolling. I've got a small treadle base off an old sewing machine that I have often contemplated using for one thing or another.. now you've got me thinking.

Speaking of scavaging one tool to make another.. I scavanged the motor and control from a Craftsman scroll saw to make a slow variable speed grinder to sharpen chisels and plane irons. I have to find or make a flat disc, mount it to the motor and devise a rest. I'll post a picture when done.

I'm anxiously awaiting pictures of your projects.

Steve

Cliff Rohrabacher

02-07-2008, 9:24 AM

I made a slot mortiser.
I have plans to make a double drum sander. Plans, ahh mice and men ~ ~ ~ ~.

Long ago I made a vertical reciprocating saw from oak and some angle iron. It had a stroke of about 10" and used strips of band saw stock. It was slow but, worked great~!!

Yoni Deaton

02-07-2008, 6:00 PM

I actually did a little experimenting before starting in building the lathe. A good heavy flywheel mounted on a shaft run through some good bearings makes all the difference. Once you get the big wheel moving it's weight gives it momentum and it's not hard to keep it going. If I were to put a clutch on it then it would get even easier and safer!
I have seriously considered keeping a couple of extra pulleys and a couple of long belts in case an emergency were to arise and I needed to use the lathe to drive the pump in the well.....or to drive a modest generator.
I did a lot of research before designing and building the lathe. I have a large assortment of pictures of old treadle lathes from museums, auctions, and from all around the world via the web. No need to re-invent the "wheel" any more than you have to! Ha!
Yoni

Dewayne Garrett

02-07-2008, 8:46 PM

Rich Engelhardt

02-09-2008, 3:06 AM

Hello Dewayne,
Got to the search tab at the top --> select Advanced Search --> copy and paste Nissim Avrahami into the user name area.

Nissim is a creative genius when it comes to making shop built items we here in the US take for granted.

Dewayne Garrett

02-10-2008, 9:51 AM

Thanks! :) I'll try that.

Gene O. Carpenter

02-10-2008, 12:03 PM

I built a planer about 30 years ago strictly from materials found in a junkyard with the exception of the electrical box which I added about 10 years ago.
:confused:
I tried to attach a couple photo's but it say's that my "#%$ file is larger than is allowed"! :confused:Would someone please tell me how to make the photo's smaller so I can post them?:confused: Thank you..
Gene:)

harry strasil

02-10-2008, 12:08 PM

go into your camera program menu and reset you pictures to 640 by 480 size and retake pics.

Jack Vines

02-10-2008, 1:52 PM

Look at what this woodbutcher suggests you try next:

http://cgi.ebay.com/band-saw-briggs-saw-mill-tools-blade-plans-welder-wood_W0QQitemZ290204882576QQihZ019QQcategoryZ11704 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Back in the bad old days, I built a 30" bandsaw from scratch, with the only bought-out pieces being the wheels similar to these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/BANDWHEELS-BANDSAW-WHEELS-27-PAIR_W0QQitemZ230219198445QQihZ013QQcategoryZ61790 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I built from an old design I saw in a museum in New England where an existing 8"x8" vertical support post in the shop is the main frame to hang the arms for the wheels. The guides and the tracking adjustment were the most challenging part to fab. One trick I used was building the saw "up-side-down, with the motor mounted on the beam and driving the top wheel. This freed up the floor space under the saw and made moving around it much easier. Never had any sort of blade guard or belt guard on it. Made some people nervous to be near it even when it wasn't running :>)

Gene O. Carpenter

02-10-2008, 7:59 PM

Harry I would do that but the planer is buried and I would need help getting it out.....BUT Bruce from Tx was kind enough to ask me to send them to him to re size and he would then send them back for me to post here. That's what I did because SMC is the only forum that I haven't been able to post photo's on and if I change my pc settings it might mess me up otherwise. So thanks anyway..

Anyway this built using all junk yard parts! The wheels are from an old push reel lawn mower, the gear box reversal as well as the rubber rollers are from an old wringer washing machine. The 4 lead screws were from some old piece of equipment that had an adjustable table height. Don't remember what the worm drive speed reducer was from..The blades were cut from 3 lengths of HSS 3/16"1-1/4"X20" and I cut them to length with a 4" 90* hand grinder, formed the 9 elongated slots with a Craftsman Rotary took and a couple dozen abrasive burrs. Then I made a jig mounted to my bench grinder and sharpened them..Finished honing them on an oil stone so you could shave with either one of the 3..The motor was just a 3 hp 220Volt that was laying on the junk pile the day I stopped in looking for link chain to operate the table elevation system..That find saved me a trip!
It was built basically from memory from plans that I had seen in one of the old mechanical DIY mags back in the late 50-early60's. It turned out to be too low to the ground when my back went out so I welded some extensions on and added a 24 volt transformer and cont actor to get away from the arcing when power switch was turned on or off. I changed the power cord at that time also..
It and my Craftsman RAS has re-sawed and milled a couple hundred 4X4X6, 4X6X8 etc Bastard Oak dunnage from RR freight yard, and various Yellow Pine shipping boxes into three sets of kitchen cabinets, interior of a 53 Ford school bus into a motor home.
It's too large and bulky for the cellar shop anymore so it's relegated to the backside of the shed and I bought a 1 year old Delta Mod 22-580 to take over it's job..I don't "make wood chips n dust" the way I used to but I suspect that old JY planer will be around long after me and the Delta are gone on to the "chip factory" in the sky or the "charcoal plant" down below..
Now lets see if these photos show up o cue...

Gene O. Carpenter

02-10-2008, 8:05 PM

Well they photos came thru but they're out of order so here are the others

Bruce Page

02-10-2008, 8:17 PM

Who are you callin' a Texan! :(:p:D
Seriously, New Mexico, Texas, it’s all part of this great country.
You have a very interesting machine there Gene.

Gene O. Carpenter

02-10-2008, 8:58 PM

Sorry bout that Bruce! My wife had just walked past me and said something about my sister that lives about 65 miles South of Alpine TEXAS and hearing that caused my brain slipped a cog.. That happens often when you pass that ol 70 year mark!!
But I did get the name right. I could have said thanks to Texas out in Bruce!! I still thank you,Bruce:):):):)
Gene

Bruce Page

02-10-2008, 9:07 PM

I was just kiddin' with ya Gene.:D

Gene O. Carpenter

02-10-2008, 9:41 PM

I knew that ! And I wuz just pullin your leg too!!:)

Rich Engelhardt

02-13-2008, 4:31 AM

Hello Gene,
Fantastic!

James Boster

02-13-2008, 6:58 PM

This has been discussed some time back. There is some pics of my homemade tools in this post

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=29715&highlight=tools

Steve Clardy

02-13-2008, 8:18 PM

A friend and I made our own pocket cutter machines from some adapted plans.

Greg Hines, MD

02-13-2008, 11:05 PM

It isn't really a power tool, per se, but I did make a sled for my Shop Smith table top to convert it into a horizontal mortising machine. If there is any interest, I can dig up some photos, but all it is is a platform with movable stops to limit front-to-back movements, and a pair of fences with toggle clamps to hold the workpiece in relation to the spiral router bit.

Doc

Clarence Miller

03-07-2010, 1:15 PM

I have built 2 cnc routers in my shop. I am still amazed that they actually run. Most of my tinkering has to do with dedicated router tables and jigs. The first one was a small table top machine that sat inert for a month (with my cat sleeping on it while I tried different softwares) when I discovered that the problem was the 25 pin printer cable not having all 25 wired I was not only embarassed to be tripping over such a simple fix but I also scared the heck out of my associate engineer (cat) who was sleeping peacefully on the table when it started to move. The next machine I built is self standing and has a cutting area of 50 x 55. I don't use the little one any more as I had to borrow the pc brain to make the new one. I hope to make some corrections to the little one (faster lead screws for one) and revive her.

I also built a couple of rope making machines, one I used a pontiac flywheel and starter bendix gears and the othe is motorized using bicycle parts. I went through a phase where I was making foundries. First one used charcoal and used an electrolux vacuum cleaner for a blower (til the old vac died), the second one was electric but it burnt up after a couple sessions, the 3rd and largest runs on propane and costs about $50 an afternoon to play with. I am playing with converting it over to use a blower system that drips used engine oil into the air stream into the fire box, but since it is under 2 foot of snow right now I am inclined to leave it until summer.

William Falberg

03-07-2010, 5:34 PM

The 36" hydraulic miter saw was done by one of my customers, Jody Card, for timber framing. I did the hand-operated blade setter years ago, it's one of three versions I still use. Nothing matches the professionalism of Bob Hertle's sharpening set-up, stress tester, or heavy duty metal bandsaw but it restores my faith in American ingenuity to see such innovation taking place in garages everywhere. I wrote a book on how to design and build machines out of aluminum ya'll might find helpful if you aspire to such things and it's just now coming on line. We're still working on the CC links from the website but the PDF and printed version are available now if anyone's interested enough to call. There won't be a wholesale-printed edition until it goes through more comments and feedback from the woodworking community. I'm told it's pretty accurate so far but I'd like to fix any errors before committing to thousands of whacky copies.