Giant Lathe...The Beginning

[Roger Chandler]

John..........not to do too much psychoanalysis here, but I wonder what it could be here that your are trying to over compensate for?

No........seriously.........I really look forward to seeing this lathe completed and what you are able to do with it.............never say never! You might decide on a near 10 ft column or some special project that cannot be done on a smaller unit............

I refer you to Matt Huchinson's s cherry vase from a log!

Good luck with it John!!! We are pullin' for ya'!

[Dan Forman]

Well, it's big all right! What do you plan to do with the beast?

Dan

[David E Keller]

Move over Tim Taylor!(Insert manly grunts and such here)

I've never done something like this, so I'm not sure how it's all gonna go together... Needless to say, I'm excited to watch the process... Will it be finished by tomorrow?

My only rational thought... Should you use something other than wood for the headstock riser? I guess I'm concerned about the dimensional stability of the wood and what that might do to the aligment between headstock and tailstock. Concrete maybe?

[Tim Rinehart]

Hey John...I say, why the heck not!! Go for it man...who knows where this journey will take you, but it ought to be a fun ride and great learning experience. At the very least, you'll learn stuff most of us never get the opportunity to.
Like others...can't wait to see what comes out of this beast, whether it be a giant root ball, huge platter...whatever...it's gonna be fun seeing what you do. I personally am looking forward to it!

[Pete Jordan]

I am impressed John!!!

You said you are using a diesel engine. Will that be inside?

[Steve Vaughan]

This right here is gonna be a great story! Love what you're doing, wish I had room for some fun like that. Let's see...1 ton of lathe powered by 21 horses of diesel power...gosh dog, that is one serious lathe right there!

[Baxter Smith]

No more lacquer for me. Next thing you know I might be tempted to jack up the rear end of my old tractor and lag bolt a stump to one of the rear wheels.

You do need something to practice your finials on!

[John Hart]

Make friends with Jonathon Spool .....

I thought that too, Lee!! I just have to figure out how to stop Jonathan from cuttin' that monster into little pieces.

Since this will run off diesel will you just use this for larger items, and use your other lathe for normal things?

I think so, Tim. I can run the diesel on 10 gallons of gas for about 24 hours (depending on the load) I figure the large pieces I'll attempt will be done a little at a time...and I'll just keep using my other lathe for everything else.

never say never! You might decide on a near 10 ft column or some special project that cannot be done on a smaller unit............

My wife mentioned columns (8 footers). And I agree...Heck, some of these amish builders around here might even want something like that. Might even pay for my addiction.

Well, it's big all right! What do you plan to do with the beast?

Dan, I think this will take me all summer to complete. And during that time, I'll be on the lookout for all the stumps and big pieces that I see constantly around here at the little family sawmills. I think the first piece will be a large vase...maybe 24 inches in diameter and 3 or 4 feet long. I want to stick with the style I do on the smaller lathe....Just bigger!!

My only rational thought... Should you use something other than wood for the headstock riser? I guess I'm concerned about the dimensional stability of the wood and what that might do to the aligment between headstock and tailstock. Concrete maybe?

Yeah...me too. In my heart, I think that the Oak risers are probably good enough. I tried moving this thing with all my might, and it doesn't budge. But you're right, something says, "wood just ain't gonna have the longevity". I'm uncomfortable with concrete, because if it starts to crack, the vibration might pulverize it. So I'm leaning toward replacing the oak with a stack of steel plates bolted together. That oughta do it.

At the very least, you'll learn stuff most of us never get the opportunity to.

Major point, Tim. And....every creeker visit results in a test ride

You said you are using a diesel engine. Will that be inside?

Yep...The diesel has its own room. Throttle, starting, and clutch control are on the wall outside the room. Exhaust system goes outside, plus I have an exhaust fan in the room itself. I don't have a fume problem. With the door closed....it's a low roar.
Diesel.JPGDieselRoom.JPG

Let's see...1 ton of lathe powered by 21 horses of diesel power...gosh dog, that is one serious lathe right there!

I'm thinking it's overkill. I kinda like overkill.

No more lacquer for me. Next thing you know I might be tempted to jack up the rear end of my old tractor and lag bolt a stump to one of the rear wheels.

Sheesh..Baxter, with all the burls you found, I'm surprised you haven't already!!! You need more lacquer to shove you over the edge!!

[alex carey]

loving it John, keep them pictures coming!!!

[bob svoboda]

Certifiable, but cool. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

[Scott Hackler]

Good Luck with this project. It is always interesting to see someone building thier own lathe. This thread brings back memories of Norm's concrete lathe!

[David DeCristoforo]

Keep your eye on this one Greg Ketell! I had a friend years ago who built his own lathe. It too was a monster but the most bizarre thing was the speed changing system he came up with. I can't describe exactly how it worked but it incorporated a four speed auto transmission complete with shift lever that sat right above the headstock housing. Very "eye catching" to say the least!

[Rob Cunningham]

Cool project John. Keep us posted on the progress.

[Jim Adkins]

Well I can see all kinds of monies being needed for "big" turning tools......like a 4" roughing gouge, 1 1/2" fingernail gouge, 1/2" parting tool, ect., ect......the list goes on. OH, and some 4' long pieces of baseball bat blanks for turning Harpoon-styled handles for above mentioned tools. Ya gotta admire a guy that "scratches that itch" Good luck John with your project.

[John Hart]

thanks for all your support!! This'll be quite a ride.

Keep your eye on this one Greg Ketell! I had a friend years ago who built his own lathe. It too was a monster but the most bizarre thing was the speed changing system he came up with. I can't describe exactly how it worked but it incorporated a four speed auto transmission complete with shift lever that sat right above the headstock housing. Very "eye catching" to say the least!

I gotta get that worked out too. I was thinking that the projects that this thing will be doing, I can make the speed changing a fairly slow and manual process. It's like with the tool rest....It needs to be extremely strong, so I'll forego the typical quick-release-slide idea for something that takes more time.

Well I can see all kinds of monies being needed for "big" turning tools......like a 4" roughing gouge, 1 1/2" fingernail gouge, 1/2" parting tool, ect., ect......the list goes on....

I've been collecting lot's of stuff that can become turning tools (I'm trying to be miserly about this)....you know, like lawnmower blades, leafsprings, motor shafts. I have an anvil and a woodburner in there.....If I can get the coals hot enough, I might try to learn a little blacksmithing along the way.