Cheap lathe attachment

[david allen]

Harbor Freight has their cheap lathe on sale for $65. a few around have replaced their motor with a stepper from ShopBot and used it as an accessory axis for machining columns. I wouldn't recommend it as a 'real' lathe, but I ordered a couple for the SB. the only kicker is that they're backorder until April. at that price, though, I'll wait.

da

[ron_cleaver]

Dave,

I checked the Harbor Freight web site for the lathe you mention. I couldn't find it. So I asked about it, and the rep didn't know anything about it.

Can you post the item number here?

[david allen]

catalog #36066-7rjb.

da

[ron_cleaver]

David,

That catalog number is priced at about $130. Howe did you get it for $65?

Why would you not recommend it as a "real" lathe?

[davidallen]

the sales catalog has it priced at $65, also if you place the order online the price comes up as $65 ($64.95 actually).

the headstock is a bit small for slinging a hunk of wood at 2000 rpm against a chisel. for slowly rotating it under a router, though it may be fine.

da

[ron_cleaver]

David,

If on the shopping basket page I use the button labeled "Order From Printed Catalog" the price is $64.99. If I try to order the normal way, the price is $129.99

Thanks.

[k_music@borg.com]

Dave,
It appears from your previous posts that you mounted a lathe into the bed on the Shopbot for turning spindles. I was talking with Fred Smith today from IMC. He said that he previously spoke with someone on the forum about this. I'm wondering if it was you. The reason I'm asking is because, I also am interested in mounting a Harbor Freight 12" diameter lathe that I currently own into my PRT96 for cutting tapered and fluted spindles. Fred said that the person he spoke with was successfully able to cut tapered spindles by keeping the Z axis stationary and moving only the X & Y axis. Indexing (if done manually) for fluting and coves I assume could be accomplished by means of a home-made gear-like jig that would allow for incremental adjustments while keeping the spindle stationary. My question is - if movement is only being made on the X and Y axis, is the router cutter head approaching the wood spindle from a vertical position or from a horizontal position. If from a horizontal position, what method did you use to hold and position the router on the Shopbot. If from a vertical position, how was the router able to effectively cut the spindle and still provide accurate detail if only the side of the drill bit is hitting the work. Hope, my question makes sense. Any help that you or anyone else that has successfully mounted a lathe into their table for fairly straighforward spindlewook can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[Curt Bartel]

Chris,
If you go into Techniques for cutting, drilling and machining: Avoid chipping out with a lathe, you will find some guidelines for cutting on the shopbot with a lathe.
Curt B.

[davidallen]

Chris,
I did put a lathe on the SB, but I haven't talked to Fred. router bits preferentially cut from the side and generally have a larger side-cutting area than as a plunge cut. cutting from the side will allow only x, y moves but limits the diameter of workpiece.

I mounted my lathe at the end of the table, along the y axis so that, when using a plunge cutter, x moves control the depth of cut whle y moves control the distance from from the headstock.
I'm also using an accessory axis mounted so that it points away from the center of the carriage and mounted a router at a right angle to the direction of travel. this puts the bit pointing along the x axis. this allows both side cutting and plunge cutting of the workpiece.

I use a 1.5" bowl cutting bit to 'flatten' the stock and make shallow curves and tapers. different plunge profiles (V, round, or flat) give different effects. you will be wanting to establish a consistent zero along all axis. so that you can change bits. you might want to reference a metal part on the lathe as an intermediate zero then set the value of the axis to some pre-determined value.