# First thing I made on my Mini Lathe



## paul_cpu

I have a Hobby rock tumbler.  It ran well for a few months then I came outside to an odd sound.  I saw the tumbler stopped "tumbling".  I pulled it apart and saw 2 plastic gears worm and slipping and that bush on the drive shaft of the electric motor worn badly and allowing a lot of play.  The photo shows the size.  I had a look on ebay for a replacement motor ( I mean the tumbler was $30 second hand ) a motor was a few dollars.  After some consideration I was wondering if I could get my dad to make that bush.  He does have a lathe but he is a bit older and with this COVID stuff I can't get over there easily.  I decided to start checking our some Lathes and pulled the trigger on a Mini lathe.


----------



## brino

Hi Paul,

I'm hoping for an update of your lathe, and your fix!

-brino


----------



## BGHansen

paul_cpu said:


> I have a Hobby rock tumbler.  It ran well for a few months then I came outside to an odd sound.  I saw the tumbler stopped "tumbling".  I pulled it apart and saw 2 plastic gears worm and slipping and that bush on the drive shaft of the electric motor worn badly and allowing a lot of play.  The photo shows the size.  I had a look on ebay for a replacement motor ( I mean the tumbler was $30 second hand ) a motor was a few dollars.  After some consideration I was wondering if I could get my dad to make that bush.  He does have a lathe but he is a bit older and with this COVID stuff I can't get over there easily.  I decided to start checking our some Lathes and pulled the trigger on a Mini lathe.


And so it starts . . .  Congrats!

Bruce


----------



## paul_cpu

Old and new.  

When I bought the lathe I also bought a cut off blade.  I didn't know I had to also buy a holder for that so I cut it off wiht a hacksaw and filed it down to the right width.


----------



## paul_cpu




----------



## paul_cpu

This is after I pressed the new one back in.  I impressed myself.


----------



## ericc

Nice use for the mini lathe.  Right inside the work envelope.


----------



## paul_cpu

One of the Drive geas was totally worn.  The exact outgear seems to be hard to get ( I did order a bunch of random gears though they have not yet arrived ).  I needed to fix this.  The inner gear is pretty standard.


----------



## paul_cpu

I had this little one and figured I could carefully file off the stuffed inner gear off the old one file the teeth on the new smaller one, perfectly align them and glue it on.  I roughed up both faces and used some B600 glue.


----------



## paul_cpu

It's drying now.  Ill ensure there is no debri in the hole ( incase some glue leaked in ) and see how this goes.  I test fitted and there is sufficient clearance even with the new gear glued on the old one.


----------



## paul_cpu

For reference here is the reduction drive setup.


----------



## paul_cpu

And it's alive, you can view the live stream here:

https://www.tumblecounter.site




The glue held up well.


----------



## blaser.306

This is only my observation , but It would appear that the lathe was the proverbial "thin edge of the wedge" as it sounds you may now be in the market for a milling machine and dividing head , you know to save having to spend $15.00 for a new gear when you can "invest" several thousand for the long term eventuality that something else will be in need of repair. Just ask any of the enablers on the site I dare you...


----------



## paul_cpu

I have also observed my lack of Milling Machine.


----------



## paul_cpu

....and it leaked again and wore away the bush.  So I'll make a new one this weekend and try fix the leak.


----------



## paul_cpu

Well BTW I spent all weekend cleaning up and fitting the new Quick Change and then trying to work out where the leak is on the barrel.  By the looks of it it's close to end of life as the plastic has worn so thin I can see right through it so it's near end of days.  I'll give it one more crack though as why not.


----------

