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Woodturning with a drill press
by tholopotami on January 16, 2011
Table of Contents
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Intro: Woodturning with a drill press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 1: The set up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 2: Methods to hold a piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
step 3: Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
step 4: SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
step 5: First demonstration: A simple bottle stopper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
step 6: Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
step 7: Second demonstration : A tool handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
step 8: Mounting the tool and finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
step 9: Third demonstration: A cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
step 10: Building a support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
step 11: Turning the cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
step 12: More bottle stoppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
step 13: More tool handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
step 14: Wooden wedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
step 15: A wooden mallet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
step 16: Pencil holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
step 17: Spinning tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
step 18: A final word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)
Intro: Woodturning with a drill press
Using very few materials and common hand tools you can turn your drill press into a small lathe for wood and plastic.
Three examples of increasing difficulty are described here in some detail, a bottle stopper, a tool handle and a cylindrical piece. These examples serve to
illustrate different methods of work ,useful to anybody willing to try this modification.. .
I also show several other things I made in the past that may give you ideas for your own projects.
Image Notes
1. First Demonstration
2. Second Demonstration
3. Third Demonstration
step 1:The set up
The idea of turning a drill press into a small lathe is not new. The setups that you may find in the internet include
The work of the instructables contributor Tool Using Animal (http://www.instructables.com/id/Drill-Press-Lathe/)
A few youtube videos.
A commercial product under the name of Vertilathe
These setups are similar in principle. Specifically the commercial product gave me the idea to go ahead and make a simple setup out of wood as a first try, more than 5
years ago. It turned out that it works well and I did not have to modify it for the simple projects I am doing. This is what I am presenting here. It consists of a unique block
that contains the two basic components of the lathe, the tool rest and the live centre.
The tool rest
This is a vertical block of wood 12 cm x 5cm x 1.5cm firmly screwed and glued on the basis. It serves to slide the tool up and down along the edge of the working piece.
Furthermore it protects your hand from getting to close to the turning piece. The length depends upon the available space you have in the drill press. In retrospect I
should have made thisa few centimeters longer.
The live centre
This allows the working piece to rotate around a stable axis. It consists of a short axis with a conical shape usually mounted on a ball-bearing. I made mine in the simplest
possible way and it proved enough. It is made out of a screw free to rotate in its hole, supported by double bolts and washers.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. The live centre
2. The tool rest
Image Notes
1. I filed a 6mm screw for the point
2. Double bolts and washers ensure free rotation.
Image Notes
1. The setup mounted on the table of the drill press.
2. Before tightening the working piece the system is aligned by knocking gently the
table with this mallet.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
step 2:Methods to hold a piece
There are several ways to hold the piece on the drill. In the examples to follow I'll describe the use of three of them.
A home made spur centre. This is the more stable of all. The central screw keeps the work in line and the three pins keep the piece from turning loose. It is used
by drilling a hole for the central axis and hammering the pins in the wood.
A screw shaped as a double edge. This works best with medium and hard woods. It is preferable when you need to work with pieces of small diameter.
A common screw with a bolt. This serves when you do not want to use the live centre.
Some people use a Forster bit (the last in the photo) but I was not successful with it.
Image Notes
1. Three common wood screws are shaped like pins. The position of the threaded
axis can be regulated by two bolts , on on the surface and one hidden between the
two wooden pieces
step 3:Tools
Since we are dealing here with small pieces, a set of wood curving tools is more than enough. From a set ofsix I only use the basic knife and the larger gouge. I
also made another tool from an old knife for marking and fine details. The handle was made with this lathe.
I think that two more tools would also be useful, a flat chisel and a chisel with a round edge for the concave parts..
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. I made this tool for marking lines and defining details. One edge is straight and the other is round.
step 4:SAFETY
A drill press can be dangerous as it is for someone without experience. It may become even more dangerous when you are using a chisel with it!
Always wear gloves and safety glasses.
Keep your hands behind the tool rest.
Do not press the tool too much on the piece.
Stop when you hear unusual sounds when the piece turns. Something may be loose and become dangerous. And finally:
Your hands and eyes are worth much more than a bottle stopper!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
step 5:First demonstration: A simple bottle stopper
This is a simple project which will forgive a lot of mistakes.
Cut a wood piece of your preference about 6-8 cm. The cuts should be as parallel as possible.
Drill a central hole for the spur centre on one side and another one on the live centre on the other side..
Hammer in the spur centre.
Mount everything on the drill and align by small displacements of the table.
Turn for a short time to check if it is aligned.
If it isright tighten the screws of the base on the table.
Start wood turning. First make a cylinder and mark the size of the object.
Continue with the conical surface.
Work slowly and stop frequently to check how it goes.
Image Notes
1. This mark defines the upper surface of the stopper
step 6:Finishing
This stopper is meant to work with a rubber o-ring. So, make two marks for different diameters.
While the piece is still on the drill , sand it. I use at least three numbers of sand papers, 80,100,120.
Remove the piece from the drill and mount it on a vice. Use a saw to cut off the upper and lower parts of the piece.
Mount the o-ring and test it on a bottle.
Image Notes
1. Two positions for the rubber o-ring for different bottles.
2. For this part a dowel was mounted directly on the chuck of the drill and turned.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
step 7:Second demonstration : A tool handle
The working piece is a part of an olive branch dry seasoned for more than a year. We are going to make a tool handle out of it, but this time we need good
alignment with the axis of the tool.
The piece will be supported from a shaped rod ending in two pins (the second piece holder in step 2).
First you support the branch from a vice and drill a 6mm hole on the one side deep a few centimetres and a more shallow hole to the other side for the live centre.
Then you hammer in the supporting rod to the upper side and mount it on the drill.
The turning steps are shown in the photos.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
step 8:Mounting the tool and finishing
I used the hole on the piece as a guide to form the hole for the tool to put in.
This was made by mounting the handle again on the vice (protected by two pieces of plywood) and drilling a deep 3mm hole and a more shallow 4.5 mm.
The tool was forced in by hammering with a wooden mallet.
Thin varnish was applied to the handle.
step 9:Third demonstration: A cylinder
We are going to make a rather large diameter cylinder. The main problem here is the alignment of the internal to the external surface.
Making a cylinder first and then trying to drill a hole is a process more apt to failure. In this example we are going to work inside-> out by first drilling the hole
and then trying to align the external diameter to it by mounting it on a suitable support.
The hole was done with a 35mm Forster bit and the hight was 55mm. The wood was very soft and this caused some problems.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. The selection of a soft wood was not wise. Combined with the fact that I did not stabilize it on the drill table for drilling resulted in problems that showed later.
step 10:Building a support
The support is needed to align the hole to the drill axis. I used an 8mm threaded rod. I also made two 35mm wooden disks to fit the inside and two larger 40mm
disks for the outside.
Since a tight contact to the hole was needed, I used pieces of tape on the inner disks.
step 11:Turning the cylinder
Then the piece is mounted on the chuck and turned. The support was strong enough and turning was easy.
However I am not satisfied with the final result. There was a misalignment of 0.5mm between the internal and external surfaces that I think I can improve the next
time by doing the following:
The piece should be completely immobilized on the drill table for making the hole. I did not do this and the result is a shift in the drilling since the wood was too 1.
soft.
A harder wood should be used. 2.
I should also use double bolts to hold the supporting disks on the axis. 3.
A good idea is to add a piece of wood to connect the axis to the live centre. This would improve alignment. 4.
Overall the method works, however it needs more careful praparation.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. Something went wrong here with the alignment. I must be more careful the next
time!
step 12:More bottle stoppers
This is the first applicaton i worked a lot with. I made a couple of douzens and gave them as small gifts.
I tend to prefer the o-ring version. The cork needs replacement after extended use.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
step 13:More tool handles
I have made several handles for small tools, the most of them for blades.
The first three shown in the photo have a place in a small portable toolbox in the house. They are a 1.5mm drill, a saw and an awl. The have saved a lot of
situations where delicate work is needed..
Image Notes
1. I mount 0.5mm-1.5mm drills here
2. This was made from a 2.5mm broken drill bit.
step 14:Wooden wedges
Wooden wedges can be made by mounting a cylindrical dowel directly on the drill chuck. The live centre will be needed only if the piece is too long.
These are usefull for repairs. Two years ago I restored a badly damaged classical guitar. I used a wooden wedge across and special glue for instruments to
repair the broken key part. The complete restoration lasted 2-3 months and it is a story of its own. Some information is in the photos below.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. Direct mounting on the chuck
Image Notes
1. The wooden nail extends about 60mm in the guitar neck. A special glue for
wooden instruments (Titebond) was applied before inserting the nail.
Image Notes
1. The keys cover the repair completely. This is the final result after applying
varnish and polishing many times with layers of linseed oil alternated with
shellac diluted in alcohol.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. The bridge is homemade out of african beech . It was made a little larger than
the previous one in order to cover the damaged area and glued in place with
Titebond. The bone piece protects the bridge from the tension of the chords.
2. The whole body was cleared from varnish , sanded , varnished again and
covered several times with linseed oil and shellac.
3. The upper bridge was remade out of bone.
step 15:A wooden mallet
The same spur centre was used for a simple wood mallet. i also have made a few of these for gifts.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
Image Notes
1. A double folded tube ring is used to secure the stripe in place
2. The body of the mallet was turned with this drill press. The three pin piece holder was used.
3. The handle is a bamboo rod covered with bike inner tube.
step 16:Pencil holders
I like using these pencil holders for small pencil bits.
A similar project is to make wooden pens using commercial pen sets. I think that this is doable with this drill press setup.
step 17:Spinning tops
Spinning tops is another project worth trying. I have made several as small gifts.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
step 18:A final word
Of course you cannot turn salad bowls or furniture pieces with this small tool.

One thing to remember is that the drill press is designed to operate vertically and by using the chisel on the work piece you apply horizontal forces on the axis
that will tend to destabilize the system. So do not overdo it or you may see the chuck flying around the room (it happened to me).

Currently, after exploring its possibilities, I use this modification only as a side tool to make parts for other projects (like wooden wedges or cylinders) or to fit sizes
in wooden or PVC pieces.
Image Notes
1. A vertical lathe several thousand years ago operated by two Egyptians. Rotation is obtained by turning a rope around the working piece back and forth. This rope
method was also used in Medieval Europe.
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Comments
18 comments Add Comment
tholopotami says: Feb 20, 2011. 12:07 AM REPLY
I share your concern about inexperienced people trying this modification. Actually I intend to collect these comments and publish a supplement of
this instructable after some time with an improved setup and additional safety information.
A movable tool rest is my first consideration, its really easy to make..
I see this modification as an additional possibility for a drill press for small works, not as a routine lathe tool. It is more like pushing a tool to its
limit and not substituting a lathe.
I do have access to real lathes wood and metal, in the labs of friends and also at my work. I am not interested in doing lathe work, I just need to
have a tool by my side for a fast modification of a diameter for other projects. I was just carried way with the bottle stoppers and the tool handles!
Once again thank you for your comments, I take such kind of remarks seriously.
axiesdad says: Feb 20, 2011. 9:15 AM REPLY
Nice job. Like most of us, I can't afford to run out and buy a new tool to fit every little job I want to do, so I have often used tools in ways that they were not
designed to be used. I've even used a drill press to turn small metal parts.
Your emphasis on extra attention to safety is absolutely correct. (I have done myself a small hurt "misusing" tools many times). I must, however, take
exception to your advice to "always wear gloves and safety glasses". Safety glasses yes, but gloves are a big NO NO around turning spindles. Getting a
glove or a shirtsleeve or even long hair caught on a rotating shaft can really ruin your day.
tholopotami says: Feb 20, 2011. 10:34 AM REPLY
Dear axiesdad, Thanks for your comments.
The reason for suggesting gloves is to avoid moments when for one who is just trying this for the first time the tool "bites" on the wood and moves
violently in his hand. . Anyway the hands in this are behind the toolrest which acts like a shield anyway. As I said in another answer, I am seriously
thinking of adding a supplement to this instructable with a new setup and more safety instructions.
Brad I. says: Feb 20, 2011. 8:30 AM REPLY
Think this would work for a router? I have one mounted in a table. I don't use very much. And I don't care if it wears out the router. I just want some lathe
goodness without the space needed to house one!
axiesdad says: Feb 20, 2011. 9:45 AM REPLY
Hi Brad,
Chances are your router turns way too fast to use for this. Drill presses are geared down, routers are not. The router will probably throw the workpiece
before you ever touch a tool to it.
fthies says: Feb 20, 2011. 8:57 AM REPLY
Hey Brad,
I would not use your router. It will turn many times too fast for turning. Most lathes run in the 300-1200 rpm range. Most routers turn in the 10,000 -
20,000 rpm range assuming it is variable speed.
Tex
marcintosh says: Feb 20, 2011. 9:28 AM REPLY
Thanks! I've been agonizing over buying a lathe to do a very few projects. This makes it possible for me to complete one or two and see if there's a real need
to make a purchase.
I'll be reading all of the warnings and paying attention so I'm good with that.
thanks to tholopotami (author) and all that have made comments.
*heading out the door to studio*
"preciate the help!
rjnerd says: Feb 18, 2011. 8:46 PM REPLY
WARNING:
Do not do this if your drill press uses a taper mounted chuck. Never put a side load without a comparable end load, on any taper mount that doesn't have a
draw bar. Side forces are about the best way you can get the taper to walk itself out. The chuck and your work will go sailing across the room, where they will
seek out the most fragile/expensive item.
The best way to find out how your machine is constructed is to read the manual/spec sheet. Danger words are things like "#2 morse" and "66JT". Since you
got the thing off Craigslist, third hand, the manual is long gone, here is how to tell by staring.
There are two places that drill presses have tapers. The first one may be where the chuck mounts to the spindle. On better machines, this will be a fairly
steep taper, but on the cheaper/smaller sort, you might find a threaded shaft (LH thread) with some sort of locking mechanism. To discover what you have
stare up the business end of the chuck, if you see the head of some sort of fastener in the bottom of the hole, that mount is staying put. (hand held drills use
threaded chucks, because side loads happen. Drill presses used to always use tapers, as they are a more accurate way to hold things, but since they make
so many more hand drills, their chucks are cheaper, and low end drill presses use them to keep the price down)
The other place you will find a taper, is between an arbor sticking out of the back of the chuck, and the spindle (the part that spins). These are usually one of
the Morse family (a long, moderate taper). In the days before reliable chucks, drill bits came formed with a Morse taper on the back, which would mount
directly into the spindle (you can still get large diameter bits made this way).
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
The newer/smaller/cheaper drill presses skip this, directly mounting the chuck to the spindle, but larger and/or older machines usually have them. Look at the
side of the spindle or quill, a couple of inches above the chuck. (the quill is the bit that moves up and down, but doesn't turn). What you don't want to see is
an oval slot, usually about 2" long with some sort of tang showing inside the slot. That would be the back of a tapered arbor, just waiting for you to insert a
wedge (that came with the machine and was promptly lost), to pop the chuck arbor out. If you see the slot, beware. You might get away by removing the
chuck and arbor, then using a "real" drive spur from a wood lathe, which will have an integral Morse taper to mount it. Leaving the chuck in place is asking
for a half pound of metal to take flight.
END WARNING.
Start advice If your drill press has a safely mounted chuck, you can use this to see how you like lathe work. If you decide you like it, start saving your pennies
for a real lathe. First, its a lot easier to manipulate the chisel with a horizontal workpiece. Next a lathe will have a faceplate, which lets you turn bowls, and flat
stuff. But the big reason is that the spindle bearings on your drill press aren't sized to take a side load, and will wear out quickly if you make a habit of turning
on your drill. They are a pain to change at best, and all but impossible on the current crop of low end imports.
tholopotami says: Feb 19, 2011. 1:21 AM REPLY
Dear rjnerd and Dr Qui,
I really appreciate and share your concerns. In fact this instructable stresses out some of these points (see step 18). I do not want to pass out the
information that you can turn a drill press into a lathe. I just did some personal exploration with this method. and my conclusion is that it should be used
wisely and with good planning for small jobs , not very often. Really I would not recommend this to a newcomer. Let me comment on some of the points
you mention:
1. The distance of the tool rest from the work is too large. Right. That is why I hold the tool with both hands at the correct angle and apply small pressure
on the piece. I usually prepare the piece to be as cylindrical as possible specially with hard woods. The rotation is medium speed.
2. A taper mounted chuck may jump out. I agree , it did happen to me at the beginning. However if the piece is limited in a correct way between the
chuck and the live centre this cannot happen.
3. The drill press can be scraped this way. Not mine. I check regularly all the parts, belts , axis chuck and there is no sign of a problem the last 5 years I
am doing this.
Thanks again , I share most of your points.
Dr Qui says: Feb 19, 2011. 2:33 PM REPLY
If you know the gap between you tool rest and the work piece is to large why have you not fixed it?
I'm not having a pop at your Ible, I have seen this done and it works well enough for small things. You must remember the people who will try this are
those who don't have a wood lathe or the background knowledge of lathes. Building an adjustable tool rest should not be hard and will not only be
safer but will produce a much cleaner cut.
The tool rest is the fulcrum and the closer it is to the work piece the less the tool protrudes past it and less force is required to make the cut. 3mm is
about right and the tool rest should be adjusted every few cuts
I does not matter how well you hold the tool, the farther the tool protrudes past the tool rest the greater the risk of the tool chattering and even works
jumping. The lower the speed the worse this will get.
The longer the handle you have on the tool the less force is used to make the cut.
All my wood lathe chisels have had their short 10" handles replaced with 18" - 24" handles
Dr Qui says: Feb 18, 2011. 9:17 PM REPLY
I also agree with this warning, it's possible to do this but its not a good idea.
I have a friend how converted his drill press into a lathe and has since scrapped it as it pretty much ruined his drill press.
Your tool rest just makes me cringe at the possibilities for disaster, the tool rest MUST be adjustable and kept about 3mm from the work piece.
Your tool rest is the fulcrum and the bigger the gap you have between it and the work piece the more likely the tool will try and jump especially with short
handle tools.
I recommend you start saving for a proper lathe, put the feelers out around you community as someone my have one lying unused in their garage that
you could get real cheap or even for the taking away.
A lathe is a seriously dangerous piece of kit and will give you no warning at all before taking a chunk out of your fingers of worse.
O-Budd-1 says: Feb 18, 2011. 9:16 PM REPLY
I see a couple warnings posted. . . . .
I have an el-cheapo bench top drill press and I do metal, wood and plastic tirnings on it.
It has tapered roller bearings supporting the quill and a tapered stem chuck.
In 15 years I've never had the chuck "walk" out.
OTOH, I don't apply a lot of side pressure either ... justr enough to cut the material.
Oh, did I mention that most of my turning is done without a deadcenter? makes me keep the cutting pressure down.
Budd
http://www.instructables.com/id/Woodturning-with-a-drill-press/
snowluck2345 says: Feb 18, 2011. 5:18 PM REPLY
Your going to kill your drill press ery quickly, their berings aren't meant to take side loads.
maxman says: Feb 18, 2011. 1:10 PM REPLY
Excellent idea.
jakenzi357 says: Feb 18, 2011. 12:56 PM REPLY
nice!thanks for sharing;))
zazenergy says: Feb 18, 2011. 11:54 AM REPLY
Thank you for this detailed Instructable. Very nice!
rimar2000 says: Feb 18, 2011. 3:46 AM REPLY
Good work!
tholopotami says: Feb 18, 2011. 4:19 AM REPLY
Thanks!

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