A lathe from a drill - instructions for creating a simple machine with your own hands. How to make a homemade lathe from a drill for home How to make a metal lathe from a drill

Wooden products always look interesting, especially when turned, when a beautiful and unique structure of the wood emerges. Even if the elements, when turned, turn out to be identical in shape and size, you will not find two identical ones.

It is known that one of Peter I’s hobbies was working on a lathe, perhaps something like this.

Therefore, no one would call this a “royal” task, but many can make a wood lathe with their own hands, and there are a lot of options for simple solutions here. We will offer you several successful, in our opinion, implemented projects.

What can a wood lathe be made from?

Making such a machine is not that difficult. First, let's look at its circuit diagram.

The headstock is rigidly attached to the frame. It can contain either an electric motor or a device with pulleys to which torque is transmitted from an external motor. This may be a self-centering chuck, a crown washer, or a faceplate with a tapered threaded rod. The tailstock can move along the bed and has a device for centering and pressing the workpiece. The stop is also movable relative to the frame in 3 planes.

The bed of a homemade wood lathe can be made either from metal or from wood itself or thick-layer plywood. Either the entire headstock or at least the main elements of the headstock and tailstock must be made exclusively from metal.

Most often, corners are used to make a metal frame - they are the easiest to tighten and fasten the moving elements of the machine and they have a high degree of dimensional stability. But you can use a channel or profile pipe.

Sometimes a groove is milled in the channel for moving elements.

The design solutions of the headstock and tailstock may be different, but the main condition - the ideal alignment of their centers - must be strictly observed. If the role of the headstock is performed by the electric motor itself, then the height of the tailstock is adjusted to it.

This is the simplest way to drive a lathe, but the motor parameters should be close to universal:

rotation speed 1500 rpm;
power – from 120 watts.

The output shaft of such an engine can be machined under a Morse taper to mount a three-jaw chuck from an electric drill, in which either a threaded rod or a bit is clamped. Less commonly, a large self-clamping chuck is installed on the engine shaft through a faceplate, which must be machined separately.

Craftsmen make full-size wooden lathes not for practical reasons, but out of love for the material itself and to demonstrate its design capabilities, although these can be fully functional devices that are in no way inferior in practical terms to their steel counterparts.

True, it will take 2 times more time to produce such a beauty than to produce a metal one, but this is compensated by the difference in the cost of materials.

DIY metal lathe for wood: drawing

For those who don’t want to reinvent the wheel, we offer a drawing of a wood lathe that is universal, in terms of the dimensions of the parts being processed, created on the basis of 50x50 steel angles.

The drawing does not indicate the diameter of the hole for the central shaft of the headstock, because it will depend on the selected type of drive, and only the distance to its center is indicated. Also, if a shaft with pulleys is installed in the headstock, then this particular part will need to be made in two copies and the second one will need to be installed at the rear of the headstock. Of course, you can also install a tube with bearings on which the central shaft with pulleys located outside the headstock rotates.

On such a machine it will be possible to make table legs and even balusters. If you need longer turned products, the bed will need to be lengthened. Make all other parts of the specified sizes, except perhaps also slightly increase the length of the stop.

You can buy a cutting tool for a wood lathe or make it yourself.

The main cutters are: reyer - a passing or roughing cutter (in the photo 2 and 3 on the right) and meisel - a finishing cutter (in the photo - 2 middle cutters). The rest are used to produce sharp recesses of various shapes (left) and rounded recesses (right).

A small metal lathe can be made as shown in the video, which also shows the dimensions of all parts:

But for turning a large number, especially long, parts of the same type, it is worth thinking about making a machine with a copier.

Do-it-yourself wood lathe with a copier: video

Actually, the machine itself can be the same as proposed above, only its design will need to be modified, and one of the universal woodworking power tools will need to be used as a cutting tool - most often it will be a grinder.

The template for a product of regular cylindrical shape, machined using a copier, is an even strip. If you need to get a complex multi-stage shape, then its profile is cut out on a flat template. It can be metal, plywood, wood, plastic, etc. and installed in different places, depending on the design features of the machines.

Let's look at the structure of one of these machines.

The workpiece in this machine is clamped between the crown of the headstock and the stationary cone of the rear. The tailstock cone is secured with a lock nut.

The copier is mounted on a rotary shaft on 2 bearings and a tension roller from an automobile timing drive, allowing it to move freely along the shaft.

The shaft, in turn, is mounted on the base also on bearings, allowing it to easily rotate around its axis.

A grinder is rigidly mounted on the copier, with paired discs installed on it with a slight offset, allowing for higher quality and cleaner turning.

Saws should be taken with pobeditovy tips and large teeth, which promote better removal of chips.

The template can be attached in a convenient place that does not interfere with turning. The profile pattern is transferred from the template to the copier using a leash, but its shape and length must be consistent with this location. The thinner the tip of the leash, the more accurately it will transfer the shape from the template to the workpiece, but at the same time it must be quite hard and rigid.

An interesting option is when the role of a template is played by a reference part. The system proposed by the author of the following video provides just such an opportunity, and adjustments to its fastening allow you to make some adjustments to the thickness of the replicated turned parts.

Using a hand-held circular saw instead of a grinder, with the template placed in front, is also a rather progressive type of wood lathe with a copier. It allows you to make it more compact, but combining the control handle with the leash does not allow you to make it thin enough, so a very accurate transfer of shape will not happen with this arrangement.

And there should also be two disks on the saw.

DIY wood lathe from a drill

Of course, the easiest way would be to make a wood lathe using a standard power tool, primarily a drill, although there are also factory-made devices.

It is desirable that the drill has sufficient power, a locking button in the on position and speed control.

Let's look at several schemes and start with the simplest one, when the use of a tailstock is not required. This is possible when producing small-diameter and not very long products.

In this case, a rather convenient way to secure the drill itself is to install a piece of threaded rod or the threaded part of a powerful self-tapping screw in the drill chuck, and drill a hole of the appropriate diameter in the workpiece for them. Any block of appropriate height will do as a stop.

And here is the relevant video:

If you can’t do without a tailstock, then a mechanic’s vice can partially perform its function; you just need to position the drill relative to it when fastening it.

And yet, the most common are homemade lathes based on drills, which have a wooden frame and, at a minimum, primitive tailstocks.

By the way, the role of a crown fixed in a self-clamping drill chuck can be successfully performed by a wood drill bit. To prevent it from starting to remove chips from the end of the workpiece when bringing the tool in, at this end you need to make a slot for the wings of the drill and drill the center.

The lathe shown in the video, made from a powerful drill, is not much inferior to stationary machines designed for processing parts of the same dimensions, and its ability to obtain higher speeds than theirs allows for higher-quality finishing of products.

To create a home lathe, you can use not only a drill, but also an angle grinder.

True, it is desirable that it have speed control, because 10 thousand or more rpm is too much for such machines.

For home craftsmen who know how and prefer to work with metal, we offer this design of a lathe made from an electric drill.

But a self-clamping chuck as a tailstock can be used in any other design.

And finally, a short video. It may seem that this is a toy machine, but with its help you can actually make a fairly large list of useful things: from door handles and handles for hand tools to chess pieces.

Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

The carved figures created by the hands of a master on a lathe are amazing, and I want to make something similar. A lathe from a drill mounted on the bed of a foot-operated sewing machine will allow you to get a souvenir from an inconspicuous block. Wood is easy to process. For metal processing, a homemade machine must be more thorough. A do-it-yourself lathe made from a drill will not be left without work.

Lathe device

Even before the advent of high-speed electric machines, there were already wood lathes. Rotation could be transmitted to the spindle from a pulley using belts. The large wheel was even rotated by hand. A lathe made from a drill, driven by an electric motor, has become high-speed, but the operating principle, invented several centuries ago, has remained the same. On a massive welded frame with a well-thought-out reliable fastening, the unit can process even soft metals - copper, aluminum and similar alloys.

The wooden workpiece inserted into the lathe for processing must have a round shape. The ribs must first be folded so that the cutter runs smoothly on the surface.

For processing wood and plastic, you can make a simple design that is easier to hide in a secluded corner even in an apartment.

The diagram shows a homemade wood lathe made from. The equipment is installed on a stable platform with an axial through slot made in any convenient way. A slab mounted on a suitable structure is called a frame. This is the basis of the future machine. The size of the bed depends on the length of the workpieces and the space for placing the working units:

headstock or leading center;
tailstock;
support or support.

If the motor that ensures the rotation of the driving part is used in the form of a drill, then the tool must be rigidly secured with special clamps. A holder in the form of a faceplate is inserted into the chuck, with the help of which the end of the workpiece is secured. The headstock can have one freedom of movement - along the axis. On metal drill lathes, the headstock is tightly welded to the bed.

The center of the tailstock and the front headstock are at the same height above the bed and along the axis. The accuracy of installation is important and is controlled in relation to the slot on the table plane. The tailstock necessarily has one degree of freedom. The inserted workpiece is clamped between the centers, and after that the rear assembly is fixed.

It is important to install the workpiece in the center so that it does not hit when rotating.

The tool rest is the middle insert that is secured under the workpiece. Sawdust flies into it, but the main purpose of the unit is a stand to support the cutter on the working side. The master brings the cutter to the rotating rod, leaning on the edge of the handbrake, which is located almost close to the line of rotation. The stop must have freedom of movement perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; it is removed when the workpiece is installed.

The tool rest is also adjustable vertically; it must be as close as possible to the surface being processed so that the turning tool rests against the edge. With a large lever, it is difficult to hold the tool and it can be pulled out with serious consequences. When turning conical surfaces, the tool rest is placed at an angle parallel to the cone.

When working on a lathe, you need to remember your own safety. Safety glasses must be used. Clothes should fit tightly. But your hands must be open to feel the instrument.

A lathe made from a drill with a commutator motor is not a very successful design. Without a constant load, the motor picks up speed and “peddles.” Therefore, an electronic unit is provided to maintain a constant rotation speed. If there is no such device, a gearbox is installed for safety reasons. Sometimes designs with high-speed mechanisms are connected via a belt drive. At the base, factory-made lathes cost about 5,000 rubles.

Let's create a machine with our own hands

A turning attachment for a drill, representing the headstock, is attached to a strong, stable base such as a workbench. It should create conditions for installing the spindle so that the holes with the rear part are coaxial. As an example of creating a base, you can use the drawings of the proposed nodes.

An electric drill, which simultaneously serves as a headstock and an electric rotation drive, is secured to such a surface using a clamp and a clamp fixed to the neck of the tool. However, you can mount the drill on a hill above the bed, and then the second attachment point rises to the same height. There are many options on how to make a lathe from a drill. The main thing is that the principle of axial alignment and reliable fastening of the workpiece is observed. It is to stabilize each unit that it is important to consider the fastening of clamps and drills.

During work, you need to remember about the possible heating of the tool and stop the motor to rest.

Each job requires a certain amount of equipment power. Therefore, to create chess pieces you need a miniature machine, and to create a figured lining of a sideboard, the dimensions of the bed and the energy drive will have different parameters.

Is it possible to create a metal lathe from a drill?

In practice, more monumental equipment is used for metal processing. It is important to have a welded stable frame, since the forces exerted on a rotating metal rod are much greater. The emphasis on the machine is on a reliable, screw-moving support. It is this that serves as the fulcrum for the cutter. Thorough fastening of the drill with clamps creates a reliable attachment point for the workpiece in the chuck.

The entire structure is welded, including the tailstock. Only such a monolith can reliably accept loads during metal processing. On a do-it-yourself drill lathe, you can work with small workpieces made of soft metals. The material is processed using gentle methods - a file, a needle file, sandpaper. If it is necessary to work on deep processing, to create a profile with cutters, an adjustable caliper is required.

This video will help you better understand how to make an iron lathe with your own hands:

What can you do with a lathe?

Even at the design stage of the machine, you can provide turning attachments for the drill. One of them could be a copier. It is used to repeat exactly according to the model all the figured cuts on a wooden cylinder. Rewinding motors can be a problem, and the drill attachment can cope with this task. You can use a drill mounted on the bed for grinding; place a polishing pad on it.

Use rotation of the workpiece to apply paint. When the decorative layer centrifugally spreads over the surface, an unpredictable color mosaic is created. The first machine will awaken interest in creativity and your imagination.

Using inexpensive materials at hand, you can create an assistant with whom you can sculpt exclusive things for your home. At all times, artistic crafts made with one's own hands have been valued.

Universal homemade machine from a drill - video

A lathe opens up great opportunities for the master, and, first of all, it is the creation of various workpieces of rounded shapes, created by rotating the workpiece itself around a certain axis of rotation. In this article we will describe one of the options for a lathe, made on the basis of a conventional drill.

Introduction

Using a wood lathe, you can make various blanks and finished products - these include various sticks, cylinders, plates, barrels, etc., which can be used in construction, repairs, in the manufacture of various decorative products, modeling, etc. Buying a large lathe - a troublesome and expensive matter. Below is an option for making such a machine yourself from scrap materials. The entire creation process is divided into operations and for each of them there are photo comments, and at the end there is a full video of the entire process. Making a homemade lathe using a video will greatly simplify the understanding of the idea and technological solutions. At the end of the article there are drawings of a do-it-yourself lathe.

Original idea

The originality of the idea lies in the fact that our homemade lathe will be made on the basis of what was previously described (see article “”), and also on the basis of the same drilling machine, you can create two other machines, which are described in the articles:

They also describe in detail all the technological operations of creation, there are photos and videos. Thus, it turns out that all four machines have one common base - this is quite convenient, universal and unified.

If necessary, having all the components at hand, you can assemble or disassemble the machine you need at the moment as needed.

Preparing for work

You need to prepare for the work so that it doesn’t turn out that when you get to half of all the work, it turns out that something has been forgotten, missed or missing. Therefore, we recommend that you first read the material in this article and check the availability of all the necessary materials, tools and technological equipment. For this purpose, when describing the manufacturing process, everything is described in detail and broken down into operations.

Tool

To make a wood lathe from a drill, you will need the following tool:

or .
Jigsaw.
Grinder (if correct, then an angle grinder (angle grinder).
or drill.
Grinding machine.
Hand tools: clamps, screwdriver, hammer, square, marking pencil, etc.

Material and components

To make a woodworking machine with your own hands, you will need the following materials and components:

Plywood 15 mm.
Pine massif;
Wing nut;
Fastening: M6 bolt, self-tapping screws of various lengths.

Main structural elements

The design of a homemade lathe based on a drill consists of the following parts:

Base:
- Frame;
- Spindle box;
Headstock and tailstock;
Tool rest with carriage;
Drill.

Making a lathe

To describe the entire process of creating a wood lathe with your own hands, we will highlight several stages and group the work by structural elements. This description will contain photos and video materials.

Base (frame and spindle box)

As mentioned above, part of the design was used from what was previously described. Therefore, in this material we will not do this again, and simply suggest opening the article “” - everything is described in detail there.

Thus, we believe that the frame and spindle box are ready and look like this.

Headstock and tailstock

Both headstocks are power elements, so they will require greater strength. To ensure this, it is necessary to glue not even two, but three layers for one workpiece. The overall dimensions of both headstocks are 120 x 160 mm.

Next, you need to give the required shape to the blanks to get full-fledged parts. Drawings of all parts are collected in the section “Conclusion / Drawings of blanks”. This can be done either on or on any other. The end result is details like these.

Now you need to assemble guides measuring 100 x 40 x 30 mm to them, namely, glue and reinforce the connection with self-tapping screws. It is best to do the marking and alignment “in place”, that is, we take two bars of the indicated sizes, install them in the middle part of the frame, apply glue and install the headstocks on them, align them and fix them with clamps.

Now you need to install the headstocks and secure them. To do this, you need to drill holes for the screw in the guides, install them in the design position, insert the screw from below, install the clamping bar and tighten the screw from above with a nut. The nut can be winged with a small handle.

Next, we drill holes in both parts, but in one headstock we drill a hole for the center (a simple through hole), and in the other headstock, in addition to a simple through hole, we make (you can use) seats (not through ones!!!) for two bearings with both sides of the workpiece.

Now you need to make the center and spindle. To make both parts we will use an M8 or M10 threaded rod. To make both the center and the spindle, the pin needs to be sharpened.

Then we assemble the spindle - we screw on the lock nut, then the extension nut, to which we gave a special crown shape and lock them so that the edges of the teeth of the extension nut are flush with the tip of the sharpened pin (spindle shaft). Then we install the pin into the bearings and one end into the drill chuck.

To prevent the stud from accidentally coming out of the seat, you need to install two locked nuts in the area from the cartridge to the first bearing. Moreover, these nuts must be close to the bearing.

Now let's start making the center for the tailstock. As mentioned above, we sharpened its end. To feed it (rotate), you can make a small circle from, for example, using a (crown) and press in the wing nut.

We screw the pin into it and lock it with a nut.

Podruchnik

The rest is used to support the cutting tool (incisors). Its strength is important, as well as simplicity and flexibility in changing position for greater ease of use.

The tool rest consists of four main parts:

Bed;
Carriage;
Beam with slot;
Clamping plate with bolt.

Manufacturing of parts

To make a stock, you need to take a blank measuring 160 x 100 mm and cut out the required shape on a machine.

The slotted beam is made from a block measuring 230 x 40 x 30 mm. The slot must be made on a machine with a length of 105 mm.

The clamping bar with a bolt is used from - it fixed the drill table there, so we will not describe it.

Assembly

Thus, we get the assembled tool rest.

After installing it, our homemade lathe is ready.

... and you can start working on the machine.

Conclusion

Bottom line

We made it with our own hands and attached photos of all technological operations! If you follow all the instructions described above, you will get an indispensable tool that will rightfully take its rightful place in your workshop.

Overall dimensions of the machine

Here is a table with the overall dimensions of a homemade lathe made from an electric drill:

Blank drawings

Here is a drawing of the details of the homemade one described above.

Video

Video on which this material was made:

The home workshop, regardless of whether it is located in the garage or on the loggia, is gradually filled with a variety of tools.

Of course, a home craftsman wants to have a full set of equipment that allows him to make any part. However, you have to constantly look for compromises between your “wants” and the real family budget.

Therefore, if you have time and skill, you can make quite complex tools yourself, having basic units. An ordinary electric drill (screwdriver) usually becomes such a universal donor.

Here are some examples of what can be done using it:

full-fledged drilling machine;
sharpener (including with abrasive discs);
stationary grinder;
bench router;
lathe.

Let's take a closer look at the last point.

Regardless of the size, this unit consists of a mandatory set of components:

An electric motor with a gearbox or speed controller: the whole complex is called a headstock.
Spindle, plan washer, or chuck for the workpiece being processed.
A holder for cutters, or a support platform if the cutting tool is held by hand.
Support axis for the workpiece (the so-called tailstock). With its help, the free end of the workpiece is attached, if it is long enough.

All these elements are located on the bed or attached directly to the workbench tabletop.

Each of these units can either be purchased inexpensively or made independently. The exception is the power plant. It should not just be an electric motor with a power supply. It must provide reliable fixation of the workpiece (the ability to attach a spindle), and must have a speed controller.

You need to buy it, or significantly upgrade the existing engine from an old household device (vacuum cleaner, washing machine, etc.). However, if we are talking about a simple unit that mainly processes wooden blanks, you can get by with a ready-made power tool.

In fact, a drill or a fast-moving screwdriver is always at hand. Almost 100% of the tools are equipped with a speed controller and also have reverse (which can be useful when processing workpieces). All that remains is to solve a simple task: securely secure the tool to the frame or workbench.

A simple drill holder is not always suitable. Firstly, it does not hold the unit securely enough. Secondly, this device is usually attached to the edge of the table, which is not very convenient for a lathe.

In addition, all structural elements must be centered and adjusted in height relative to each other. Therefore, it is better to make each unit, including the drill mount, yourself.

Practical examples of a homemade lathe, taking into account the recommendations outlined above

Let's start with the simplest option, which can be made in one weekend with virtually no financial costs (you already have a drill, its cost is not taken into account).

A set of blanks in the illustration: the tool itself, several wooden blanks, fasteners.

The most crucial moment is the alignment of the drill shaft with the support tip of the improvised tailstock. Therefore, we take measurements with an accuracy of up to a millimeter.

Since the machine will not be very large, we place it on a bed made of thick plywood. The holder for the drill neck is also cut out of plywood, and the clamping clamp is not necessary. A fixing screw will be sufficient. We place the nodes on the bed:

A spindle is not required: thin workpieces can be clamped in a standard drill chuck, and for larger parts an improvised washer can be made.

On such a machine you can easily process wooden blanks, as well as blanks made of composite materials: textolite, etc.

Using similar materials (only thick textolite is better than durable multi-layer plywood), you can make a machine that is more complex in terms of settings.

The drill itself is fixed not only in the neck area, but is also supported by an additional bracket. This will avoid vibrations, especially with high loads or unsymmetrical workpieces.

Advice: Considering the low rigidity of the homemade structure, it is necessary to prepare the blank as much as possible in terms of axial symmetry.

Taking into account the possibility of precise adjustment of components to a specific drill, it is possible to perform the fastening as gentle as possible for the tool itself. For example, ventilation openings should not be covered.

The support for the incisors (even if they are held in the hands) is movable. And both horizontally and vertically. During processing, the blank becomes thinner, and the supporting surface can be moved closer to the part.

The tailstock is not vertically adjustable, this is logical. And horizontally, rough adjustments are made (the support is moved), and fine adjustments are made using a screw.

The main principle of any such design is that you do not permanently lose the power tool itself. That is, the drill can be dismantled at any time and used for its intended purpose.

Bottom line

The complexity of the design is adjusted according to the tasks to be performed. It can be made so strong and precise that it will allow even soft metals to be processed. In any case, we are guided by the principle of expediency.

If the limit of complexity of the workpieces is cylindrical door handles, you can simplify the machine to an ordinary clamp that presses the drill body to the table.

A block as a support platform, and a chisel instead of a cutter.

Lathe device

The wooden workpiece inserted into the lathe for processing must have a round shape. The ribs must first be folded so that the cutter runs smoothly on the surface.

For processing wood and plastic, you can make a simple design that is easier to hide in a secluded corner even in an apartment.

The diagram shows a homemade wood lathe from a drill. The equipment is installed on a stable platform with an axial through slot made in any convenient way. A slab mounted on a suitable structure is called a frame. This is the basis of the future machine. The size of the bed depends on the length of the workpieces and the space for placing the working units:

headstock or leading center,
tailstock,
support or support.

It is important to install the workpiece in the center so that it does not hit when rotating.

When working on a lathe, you need to remember your own safety. Safety glasses must be used. Clothes should fit tightly. But your hands must be open to feel the instrument.

A lathe made from a drill with a commutator motor is not a very successful design. Without a constant load, the motor picks up speed and “peddles.” Therefore, an electronic unit is provided to maintain a constant rotation speed. If there is no such device, a gearbox is installed for safety reasons. Sometimes designs with high-speed mechanisms are connected via a belt drive. Factory-made lathes based on drills cost about 5,000 rubles.

Let's create a machine with our own hands

During work, you need to remember about the possible heating of the tool and stop the motor to rest.

Is it possible to create a metal lathe from a drill?

This video will help you better understand how to make an iron lathe with your own hands:

What can you do with a lathe?

Using inexpensive materials at hand, you can create an assistant with whom you can sculpt exclusive things for your home. At all times, artistic crafts made with one's own hands have been valued.