# Smaller Lathe To Build Bigger Lathe?



## BobbyIronsights (May 14, 2016)

Hi, total newb here, please excuse me if this has been asked here before, but I'm curious , is it possible to use a smaller lathe, (and castings) to make a bigger/better lathe?

 thanks for your time, 
Bob


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## Steve Shannon (May 14, 2016)

It would be no problem using a lathe to build the spindle for a larger lathe. I'm trying to imagine though how to machine the headstock for a larger lathe on a smaller lathe. I'm sure it can be done.
If you google "Gingery lathe" you will see how a lathe is built from simpler tools.


 Steve Shannon


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## Andre (May 14, 2016)

Some reading:

http://www.theclassicarchives.com/w...midget-metal-turning-lathe-vintage-tool-plans

http://www.vintageprojects.com/machine-shop/turret-lathe-plans.html

http://www.vintageprojects.com/machine-shop/hobby-lathe-plans.html

http://www.vintageprojects.com/machine-shop/lathe-modelling.html

http://s651.photobucket.com/user/Sonex522/media/Lathe1.jpg.html






Taig brand mini lathes are supposedly extremely accurate yet simply built. I think you can get them for under $140 for a basic model. (not including motor). However if you choose to build your own lathe, you will learn a lot more than you think you will.

What comes to mind for a homemade lathe is some ball bearing pillow blocks for bearings, cross slide vise for a cross slide (use the vise to hold the tool) and have somebody make a spindle that fits into the bearing blocks where a small chuck can mount to. Then mount that all to a sturdy base plate.


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## BobbyIronsights (May 14, 2016)

Well, I have done a little reading, I have gingery's books, got them before the site shut down, and have been reading, and as far as I remember, in gingery's system, a temporary headstock is made,the tailstock is run along the ways and bored out parallel, and then the permanent headstock bores itself from a tool placed into the tailstock. I could be confused though.

I'm fully intending to build the gingery lathe. (actually I dream of completing the whole series, and filming it) I have a buddy, we're helping each other.

I've also read "A short history of technology from earliest times to ad 1900" I'ts not short but it's a good read. I've been through it twice Am now reading English and American toolbuilders,  JW Roe, it's a little out of date, first published in 1916

I'mat the point where I know a bit, but don't know what to specifically ask. I guess what I'm wondering is if I can use what I intend to learn building gingery's lathe, and use the same system to take it and build a bigger lathe. Albeit probably farming out iron castings to the smallest foundry I can find. Or if necessary try to recruit others to make and run a teeny tiny cupola.

perhaps this all seems grandiose, but I'm a paraplegic with nothing but time on his hands and have gotten quite bored with photography, my hobby for the past 12 years.


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## Andre (May 14, 2016)

If you want to make a Gingery lathe on a larger scale you could consider using concrete (or maybe cement, make sure to use rebar). 

Although if you have access too other machine tools, you can design it as elaborate as you wish.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/multimachine/


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## BobbyIronsights (May 14, 2016)

I liked the multimachine setup, I have seen it before, and watched the how to video online, and thought the use of engine blocks as reference surfaces was particularly clever. I also liked the concrete lathe idea and it does have history behind it, WWII and all.

Personally though, I intend to try to start and stick with Gingery's books exactly as written,. I have been a member of the Gingery Yahoo site for perhaps 6 or 7 years. I'm a lurker. But when I started getting serious about Gingery's MS, I found through google that some builders of the lathe reside here. So I joined./


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