# Lathe help please



## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Ok I found an old Duro tools model B3052 lathe for $40 at a sales event. Now on the live stock side it only has one of the pointy ends for sticking in the center of the wood. That can be removed but beneath it is a plain old 1/2" shaft which is connected to the pulleys which turn it. Now this seems to be all you can do with this lathe. In the original handbook it shows a flange which would slide on the 1/2" shaft for bowls and whatnot. Of course this is no longer made.
Now I was thinking I could get an adapter to go from 1/2" shaft to 1"x 8TPI threads ( or whatever thread size would be best )and mount a small 3-4" 3 jaw chuck on it. Got a few problems with that though. Number 1 is that feasible and 2 does anyone know where I could find such and adapter or maybe know what its called since Im unable to find one with the search terms ive used? Maybe I should just try to find a 5/8" shaft to flange hub all though those arent exactly popping up on the net either. Any help and ADVICE would be greatly appreciated.

P.S> I know the lathe I have isnt much but I want to try my hand a bit before I sink alot of money in more machinery


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

The headstock shaft doesn't have a tapered socket in it? If so, knowing what Morse taper that is will help with accessories.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Jim Frye said:


> The headstock shaft doesn't have a tapered socket in it? If so, knowing what Morse taper that is will help with accessories.


The headstock shaft isnt desigmed to come out. Theres no taper, its just a 1/2" shaft. One end has a grinding wheel then a 4 step pulley, then it goes thru the mount, which has brass bushings, and the other end is where the wood point mount is at. This thing was designed way back in the 30s and it has none of the common amenities which became common later on in small lathes. Thats why Im hunting some sort of coupler to change the shaft to threads.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Does the spur (pointy thing) have a set screw in the side of it any where? Powrkraft and Shop smith lathes use a plain end shaft that takes a spur that fits over the plain end of the shaft and then tightens with a set screw. I believe the shaft end is a plain 5/8 inch shaft on the Powrkraft and Shop Smith lathes.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

holtzdreher said:


> Does the spur (pointy thing) have a set screw in the side of it any where? Powrkraft and Shop smith lathes use a plain end shaft that takes a spur that fits over the plain end of the shaft and then tightens with a set screw. I believe the shaft end is a plain 5/8 inch shaft on the Powrkraft and Shop Smith lathes.


Thanks for the name of the "pointy thing" lol. I hate sounding like an idiot.
Anyways yes the spur does have a set screw which has to be loosened for removal of the spur. Not long after I posted this thread I ran across the Shopsmith piece your describing. It is exactly what I am hunting, I just cant find it in a 1/2" shaft size. I think i will just go by Tractor Supply and buy a 1/2" x 5/8" bushing and go the shopsmith adapter route


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I know what you have, the first lathe I had was homemade in metal shop in high school. At the time the only place I could get a spur center was a mail order one which is like your lathe. I don't believe the shaft you have is strong enough for a faceplate. I think the stress on the shaft would cause the set screws to tear it up. The lathes which you use a faceplate on have a 1" or larger threaded shaft to screw the faceplate on. If you are handy you might be able to purchase a lathe headstock off ebay and fit it to your lathe. I have an old fay and egan lathe which was missing the headstock. I bought I think was a Rockwell delta lathe headstock off ebay and mounted it on my lathe and it works very good. I just had to contact the seller and ask them what the distance was between the bottom and the center. It was close enough I could raise it up enough to match the tail stock.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Steve Neul said:


> I know what you have, the first lathe I had was homemade in metal shop in high school. At the time the only place I could get a spur center was a mail order one which is like your lathe. I don't believe the shaft you have is strong enough for a faceplate. I think the stress on the shaft would cause the set screws to tear it up. The lathes which you use a faceplate on have a 1" or larger threaded shaft to screw the faceplate on. If you are handy you might be able to purchase a lathe headstock off ebay and fit it to your lathe. I have an old fay and egan lathe which was missing the headstock. I bought I think was a Rockwell delta lathe headstock off ebay and mounted it on my lathe and it works very good. I just had to contact the seller and ask them what the distance was between the bottom and the center. It was close enough I could raise it up enough to match the tail stock.



To be honest I was afraid that 1/2" shaft wouldnt handle a chuck. All though the company did use to make a flange accessory for this lathe it was pretty small. From the pics it was a light weight piece maybe 2 1/2" across. From the spur center to the bottom is only about 6" so it was never designed for anything heavy any ways.
Ill fiddle around with it as it is and see how I like turning which is why I wanted it any ways.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Mikhail2400 said:


> To be honest I was afraid that 1/2" shaft wouldnt handle a chuck. All though the company did use to make a flange accessory for this lathe it was pretty small. From the pics it was a light weight piece maybe 2 1/2" across. From the spur center to the bottom is only about 6" so it was never designed for anything heavy any ways.
> Ill fiddle around with it as it is and see how I like turning which is why I wanted it any ways.


Myself I've never really gotten into faceplate turning. Most of what I do is furniture parts so turning between centers is all I do. 

I don't think you will be able to put a bushing around the shaft to mount a faceplate unless it's made out of steel and you weld it in place. There is just an awful amount of stress when turning wood. The lathe I made I drilled a couple of dimples in the shaft so the set screws would set in from the spur center. After a while the set screws wore a groove all the way around the shaft from the pressure. In your case the bushing would have to get a good hold on the shaft and then the faceplate would have to get a good hold on the bushing. This is why most larger lathes are threaded. They are self tightening where the more stress put on the shaft the tighter the faceplate gets. You would have better luck finding someone that had a metal lathe which could make a new shaft for you that had a 5/8" end on it. Then the spur center could be bored out to 5/8". I would purchase a second spur center first in case you wanted to put the lathe back like it was. If they are not available I still have the spur center from my lathe. I believe it was made for a shopsmith.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

That 1/2" shaft is not strong enough to turn anything large, Craftsman had both wood and metal lathes with a threaded 1/2" spindle, one catch and the spindle would bend.

Realistically it may not be worth spending a lot of money or effort on a machine that you will likely be wanting to upgrade from once you get into serious turning.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

A bushing may work, if you drill a hole in it and use a longer set screw. The old Powrkraft lathe I have has a 5/8 plain end shaft, but a hole was drilled into it so the set screw woulr enter it and prevent the thing from spinning around the plain end. of the head stock. No matter what, it is not a heavy duty arrangement. it should be fine for small spindle turning. and perhaps some small face plate work. Too much torque could rip the end off the shaft. You did not do horrible. You got a serviceable lathe, but not with many of the bells and whistles many immediately desire. If you learn to use it within it's limitations, you can learn turning while planning for an upgrade in the future. I have seen many incredible items made on far more primitive lathes. In a way, you may be better off, for learning the spindle basics rather than jumping head long over your head as some do.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*It's a spindle lathe .....*

Just use it to turn small spindles, starting out with square stock, with rounded off corners no larger than 2 to 2 1/2". That's about all it is capable of doing. You will get a feel for the forces involved, how much you can remove at a time, how to angle the skew, how to sharpen the tools and just be satisfied with that for now.


Never mind face plates/flanges as you call them or chucks. Save those operations for a larger lathe that comes with those parts. :smile2:


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## Onefreetexan (May 3, 2018)

My question is...’why’,,,why do you want to fool with this,,,,??? You can get a good quality starter lathe for about $175,,, which will be much more usable, especially for a learning tool......That thing you are trying to work with will probably leave you unhappy with turning,,,it will be out of balance,,, poor speed,,,, not stable....Just forget fooling with it and save your money and buy a good starter lathe that will make it easy for you and much more enjoyable.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Onefreetexan said:


> My question is...’why’,,,why do you want to fool with this,,,,??? You can get a good quality starter lathe for about $175,,, which will be much more usable, especially for a learning tool......That thing you are trying to work with will probably leave you unhappy with turning,,,it will be out of balance,,, poor speed,,,, not stable....Just forget fooling with it and save your money and buy a good starter lathe that will make it easy for you and much more enjoyable.


It is easy to say when you have some knowledge and experience with turning. I see old "tube" lathes and off brand hobby lathes on Craig's list around here asking $250 and up for lathes that were not worth the $40 new price 50 years ago. Some people can't afford much to get into a hobby. And they gotta start somewhere. I learned on a lathe not much different than the one the OP acquired. Permanent dead center in the tail stock that you lubed the wood to reduce friction. Abysmal by many turner's standards, but serviceable. I still use that old lathe sometimes for roughing out simple spindle shapes, like a dibble. If I get someone interested in learning, I let them round off and taper a few pieces on it. When they seem to be getting that, we move to a larger lathe with more accessories. They make a dibble as a first project. Simple spindle and elementary turning that is easy and teaches basic skills. One of the next things is a rolling pin, or a tool handle. Snowmen ornaments, twig pots etc. All easy enough to do on the OP's lathe.


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## Onefreetexan (May 3, 2018)

Holtz, you say it all in your first sentence................It is easy to say when you have some knowledge and experience with turning.

Experience and knowledge is what the OP is after, and while I am certain you have performed miracles with your method, and brought many students to turning...I find that starting out on a lathe, that is at least tuned right,, and runs smooth,, makes the experience so much better,.
No need to start a fire with a string and tinder, when you can at least strike a match,


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Onefreetexan said:


> Holtz, you say it all in your first sentence................It is easy to say when you have some knowledge and experience with turning.
> 
> Experience and knowledge is what the OP is after, and while I am certain you have performed miracles with your method, and brought many students to turning...I find that starting out on a lathe, that is at least tuned right,, and runs smooth,, makes the experience so much better,.
> No need to start a fire with a string and tinder, when you can at least strike a match,


Neither of us know the OP's financial condition. I see folks ask about a beginning lathe and some smart alec suggests a Robust, or powermatic. 

There is a certain depth of knowledge and accomplishment however that comes from starting a fire with that twig and string. Any fool can light a match. The wood still turns, Sharp tools still cut and the ability to use them is the same regardless I view it like learning to play an instrument. You can jump right into to trying to play a melody and torture relatives with sharps and flats, or practice scales and learn the proper way to play. You can tell a person he bought a POS and discourage him from the git go, or encourage him to make the best use of what he has.


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## Onefreetexan (May 3, 2018)

Holtz,............whatever................you win!..................I’m outta here.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*This is only my opinion, and I don't turn wood ....*



woodnthings said:


> Just use it to turn small spindles, starting out with square stock, with rounded off corners no larger than 2 to 2 1/2". That's about all it is capable of doing. You will get a feel for the forces involved, how much you can remove at a time, how to angle the skew, how to sharpen the tools and just be satisfied with that for now.
> 
> 
> Never mind face plates/flanges as you call them or chucks. Save those operations for a larger lathe that comes with those parts. :smile2:



As they say, "When the nail is staring at you, you use the hammer you got in your hand" The lathe is what it is, a primitive, basic spindle turner, not much more. Learn the basics on this one which was the OP's intent, except he thought it could do much more.... not really. :|


My only turning experience is with 9" and 13" South Bend metal lathes where the work is held in 3 or 4 jaw chucks and long work is supported with the tail stock. When I did attempt to turn wood using hand held gouges it wasn't pretty, even scared me a bit. 



:vs_cool:


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

LOL, this is what I wanted! Alot of good advice and suggestions. Ive pretty much decided not to try and modify this little tool into some thing its not but I am going to finish setting it up. Heck I have the motor all ready, just had to buy a new capacitor for it, and I have a few old pillow bearing style shafts. The shafts are likely from the same era since they to have the old style oil feed lube setup and may also have the brass bushings in them. Any way thanks for all the advice.
As for why fool with it. I like to mess with stuff like this which allows me to be creative in the setup. Besides I have the time.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Well I finished setting up my yard sale lathe. Surprisingly the lathe works just fine and after I put a new $9 motor start capacitor the motor ran like a champ. Well I like turning wood now that ive had a chance to do a little bit. I dont have a face plate so I was pretty much stuck doing spindles. Heres a pic of my "almost" lathe and some of the spindles Ive been playing with. Im going to buy a real lathe very soon.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I have a similar machine, actually it was a Sears Companion metal lathe that I converted to make little handles for model steam engine whistles from 1/4" diameter dowel.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

FrankC said:


> I have a similar machine, actually it was a Sears Companion metal lathe that I converted to make little handles for model steam engine whistles from 1/4" diameter dowel.


Do you build the whole train? If so do you have any pics of them? I would love to see the train that whistle goes on


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

That whistle is for a stationary engine, this is my site where you can identify the different models of Weeden steam engines, I also sell parts for them.

http://weedensteam.com

This is a Case steam engine I build by modifying a British toy steam tractor
http://steammods.com/mamodtocase.html


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

FrankC said:


> That whistle is for a stationary engine, this is my site where you can identify the different models of Weeden steam engines, I also sell parts for them.
> 
> http://weedensteam.com
> 
> ...


Very cool! I guess most of us forget just how wide spread steam power was used in the past. I really liked the Case tractor build you did. I bet you were all most sad to finish that building that one. It looks like one of those projects where the build is all most more enjoyable than the finished project


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Mikhail2400 said:


> Very cool! I guess most of us forget just how wide spread steam power was used in the past. I really liked the Case tractor build you did. I bet you were all most sad to finish that building that one. It looks like one of those projects where the build is all most more enjoyable than the finished project


So true, it now sits on a shelf until its turn to take a spin around the patio. It took several months working off and on to finish it, with other smaller projects in between. I am now working on a G Gauge Shay style locomotive in my "spare" time.


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