Lathe building questions . . .
 

Ok so I have this strange idea swimming around in my head, that haunts half
my waking hours and will probably steal some of my resting hours too,
building a Gingery lathe. But I don't have the book so I'm going off
pictures mostly. So I've got a lot of design (drawing) work ahead, and
probably plenty of trial and error...but it allows me to make wide
changes... for instance, I was thinking, I could save on cross-slide length
(and flex as well) by offsetting the spindle to the rear side... why haven't
I seen this before?

Tim

--
"I have misplaced my pants." - Homer Simpson | Electronics,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --+ Metalcasting
and Games: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Lathe building questions . . .
 

I suggest you lie down for awhile until this idea passes, Tim. Then think
about spending several hundred hours making something that will be *marginally*
useful at best. You'd be better off panhandling for several hundred hours and
buying a real lathe with the money.

Grant

Tim Williams wrote:
Ok so I have this strange idea swimming around in my head, that haunts half
my waking hours and will probably steal some of my resting hours too,
building a Gingery lathe. But I don't have the book so I'm going off
pictures mostly. So I've got a lot of design (drawing) work ahead, and
probably plenty of trial and error...but it allows me to make wide
changes... for instance, I was thinking, I could save on cross-slide length
(and flex as well) by offsetting the spindle to the rear side... why haven't
I seen this before?

Lathe building questions . . .
 

But I don't have the book so I'm going off

Lindsay has them. Dpesnt cost and arm and a leg either........
Paul in AJ AZ

Lathe building questions . . .
 

"Tim Williams" wrote in
:

Ok so I have this strange idea swimming around in my head, that haunts
half my waking hours and will probably steal some of my resting hours
too, building a Gingery lathe. But I don't have the book so I'm going
off pictures mostly. So I've got a lot of design (drawing) work
ahead, and probably plenty of trial and error...but it allows me to
make wide changes... for instance, I was thinking, I could save on
cross-slide length (and flex as well) by offsetting the spindle to the
rear side... why haven't I seen this before?

Look more closely at the various photos, it's already offset.
In fact,

http://www.gizmology.net/gingerylathe.htm

shows this quite clearly. The biggest single modification I
have heard people mention is switching the bed casting from
that used in the lathe plans to one much more similar to the
mill plans, where instead of just 4 bolts holding the CRS
bedways onto a relatively thin 1/4" casting, like

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/lathe1.html

you use a 3/8 to 1/2" thick casting around the priphery
with a few cross braces and fasten the ways down with
two rows of screws, about 10 or more. For the mill bed see

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/guest_bruce.html

in the 2nd to last photo it is the L-shaped piece, about
halfway up the right side, though you wouldn't make it
L-shaped for the lathe, just straight.

Have you looked in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gingery_machines
at a bunch of the other ideas people have tried (and
often discarded)?

--Glenn Lyford

Lathe building questions . . .
 

"Glenn Lyford" wrote in message
7...
Look more closely at the various photos, it's already offset.
In fact,

http://www.gizmology.net/gingerylathe.htm

shows this quite clearly.

Huh, never noticed it before actually!

you use a 3/8 to 1/2" thick casting around the priphery
with a few cross braces and fasten the ways down with
two rows of screws, about 10 or more.

Yup. I'm already thinking about how to stiffen it...if you put a flat
bottom on it, or at least diagonal (or triangular truss style) bracing, that
would help a lot.
I wonder if I made the pattern (or used one in stock if they already have
one) and brought it to a commercial iron foundry...

Have you looked in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gingery_machines
at a bunch of the other ideas people have tried (and
often discarded)?

No... tried registering with Yahoo once but it took too long and I forgot
what it was...

Tim

--
"I have misplaced my pants." - Homer Simpson | Electronics,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --+ Metalcasting
and Games: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Lathe building questions . . .
 

Oh, and check the latest updates to my web page. :)

Tim

--
"I have misplaced my pants." - Homer Simpson | Electronics,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --+ Metalcasting
and Games: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

"Tim Williams" wrote in message
...

Lathe building questions . . .
 

"Tim Williams" wrote in message ...

Ok, I can see that a little reading might do you a lot of good.
HOwever, and remembering the sand fiasco, (Tuan has it), do you think
by some strange happening you might be able to find the Beloit airport
at about maybe 2 in the afternoon, saturday? I _might_ be able to
find my way out there with the aforementioned books so you _might_ get
an idea of the magnitude of the project you're considering. IF you go
for it, more power to you, if you don't, at least you'll have an idea
of what's involved.

Lathe building questions . . .
 

"Lennie the Lurker" wrote in message
om...
do you think
by some strange happening you might be able to find the Beloit airport
at about maybe 2 in the afternoon, saturday?

I don't see a problem.. not too far a ride!

Tim

--
"I have misplaced my pants." - Homer Simpson | Electronics,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --+ Metalcasting
and Games: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Lathe building questions . . .
 

"Tim Williams" wrote in message ...
"Lennie the Lurker" wrote in message
om...
do you think
by some strange happening you might be able to find the Beloit airport
at about maybe 2 in the afternoon, saturday?

I don't see a problem.. not too far a ride!

Ok, game plan. I'll be on my way from here at about one, which should
put me there just before two. The books are yours, should you decide
to do anything with them, or to pass on to someone else, but only
after you've read them. Gingery books are wonderful for showing how
complex operations can be done with simple machinery. His techniques
are basic, and his methods sometimes seem primative, but they work as
they should. The value in his machines is not the machine itself, but
what would be learned in making them. OR, in other words, if you're
not going to do it, find another sucker to infect with the disease.
;^))

See you at two. I'm driving an older S-10 with no paint on the roof.

Lathe building questions . . .
 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:57:19 -0800, Grant Erwin
wrote:

I suggest you lie down for awhile until this idea passes, Tim. Then think
about spending several hundred hours making something that will be *marginally*
useful at best. You'd be better off panhandling for several hundred hours and
buying a real lathe with the money.

Grant is right. Do your best to save up and keep an eye out for lathes at
sales and auctions. keep the foundry for making stock and projects. Got any
birthdays coming up??

Note that my opinion is worth almost as much as you paid for it!


Mark Rand
RTFM