Uploaded September 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This is the second part of the making of a #DIY, home made mini metal #lathe. In this episode I have finished the bed and built the ways. The ways of a lathe need to be as straighter and flatter as possible. To accomplish this I have tryed the Whitworth 3 plates method, which involves to match 3 surfaces together by scraping. I thought to put here a link to a page that describes the method, but I've lost the link and I am no longer able to find it out, so I will make a video describing the full method. Please let me know if you would like to see that.
This is a link to the previous part 1 where I have started making the bed of the lathe: youtu.be/KSE7DORiYfs
Link to the next part: youtu.be/ZE3VG-ezTzw
In this part 2 video:
- after having welded the bed (and made A LOT of corrections on my poor welding :/ ) it has been processed in a oven to release the stress caused by welding, and milled to get the top surface reasonably flat.
- the bed is filled with epoxy and quartz sand, and painted with a primer.
- a series of bores have been drilled and tapped to host the ways and the headstock's plate.
- locating the ways is a precision work so I have also put a series of grounded precision pins inserted into the holes that have been finished with a reamer for high precision.
- the ways have been made taking three 60x12 mm mild steel flat bars and processed to make their edge surface flat using the Whitworth method with dye, a scraper and a stone and sometimes sandpaper.
- two of the bars have been drilled to host the fastening screws and locating pins. The third bar comes as a bonus straight and flat surface that will be used as a control plate to check the other surfaces of the ways once they will be installed.
In the next step I will make the headstock, so I'll look forward to see you soon.
Remember to subscribe AND click the bell icon as I do not post regularly.
This is the second part of the making of a #DIY, home made mini metal #lathe. In this episode I have finished the bed and built the ways. The ways of a lathe need to be as straighter and flatter as possible. To accomplish this I have tryed the Whitworth 3 plates method, which involves to match 3 surfaces together by scraping. I thought to put here a link to a page that describes the method, but I've lost the link and I am no longer able to find it out, so I will make a video describing the full method. Please let me know if you would like to see that.
This is a link to the previous part 1 where I have started making the bed of the lathe: youtu.be/KSE7DORiYfs
Link to the next part: youtu.be/ZE3VG-ezTzw
In this part 2 video:
- after having welded the bed (and made A LOT of corrections on my poor welding :/ ) it has been processed in a oven to release the stress caused by welding, and milled to get the top surface reasonably flat.
- the bed is filled with epoxy and quartz sand, and painted with a primer.
- a series of bores have been drilled and tapped to host the ways and the headstock's plate.
- locating the ways is a precision work so I have also put a series of grounded precision pins inserted into the holes that have been finished with a reamer for high precision.
- the ways have been made taking three 60x12 mm mild steel flat bars and processed to make their edge surface flat using the Whitworth method with dye, a scraper and a stone and sometimes sandpaper.
- two of the bars have been drilled to host the fastening screws and locating pins. The third bar comes as a bonus straight and flat surface that will be used as a control plate to check the other surfaces of the ways once they will be installed.
In the next step I will make the headstock, so I'll look forward to see you soon.
Remember to subscribe AND click the bell icon as I do not post regularly.
