# Router Lathe WIP



## Walney Col (10 Nov 2016)

I've just started putting a small diy router lathe together from a set of plans I drew up in sketcup if anyone's interested in seeing few photos of the build.



























http://www.seafax.co.uk/index.php?id=router-lathe - my forthcoming web page about it

[youtube]kfSScCSpbpA[/youtube]

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model. ... 13e1ab484e - the sketchup plans for it

Col.


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## Claymore (10 Nov 2016)

...........


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## Walney Col (10 Nov 2016)

With a bit of luck I should be able to show you how in a couple of weeks Brian.


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## Blockplane (11 Nov 2016)

How are you planning on cutting the gears ?


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## Walney Col (11 Nov 2016)

I cut the gears on my bandsaw. A couple of them are 48mm thick (4 layers of 12mm ply) but most of them are only 24mm thick.


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## Wildman (11 Nov 2016)

this shows up a problem with sketchup, I have a 32 bit machine and all of the later drawings are for 64 bit, they will not load. Nothing lost in this instance just a quirk of sketchup that is a PITA.


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## Terry - Somerset (11 Nov 2016)

Possibly a bit of a cheat but I have always wondered whether bicycle sprocket sets and chain would provide a quicker more precise solution - wood gears would need cutting with quite high precision.

Would need an idler wheel to take up any chain slack depending on ratio selected and forward/reverse. Also need to do some sums to see whether one could get the range of ratios required.

Terry


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## Walney Col (11 Nov 2016)

Wildman":3c1k6gfz said:


> this shows up a problem with sketchup, I have a 32 bit machine and all of the later drawings are for 64 bit, they will not load. Nothing lost in this instance just a quirk of sketchup that is a PITA.



I wasn't aware of that or I might well have stuk with 32 bit. As you say that's a right pain. Sorry!


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## Walney Col (11 Nov 2016)

Terry - Somerset":slalp5mt said:


> Possibly a bit of a cheat but I have always wondered whether bicycle sprocket sets and chain would provide a quicker more precise solution - wood gears would need cutting with quite high precision.
> 
> Would need an idler wheel to take up any chain slack depending on ratio selected and forward/reverse. Also need to do some sums to see whether one could get the range of ratios required.
> 
> Terry



I enjoy working with wodden gears anyway but I looked at cycle sprockets when I started and couldn't find anything inexpensive that would have given me the required 20mm to 400mm range change.


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## Wildman (11 Nov 2016)

Walney Col":tbzr7hwt said:


> Wildman":tbzr7hwt said:
> 
> 
> > this shows up a problem with sketchup, I have a 32 bit machine and all of the later drawings are for 64 bit, they will not load. Nothing lost in this instance just a quirk of sketchup that is a PITA.
> ...


It did eventually load so no worries maybe just a glitch on my system.


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## Wildman (11 Nov 2016)

Terry - Somerset":2wyubwe4 said:


> Possibly a bit of a cheat but I have always wondered whether bicycle sprocket sets and chain would provide a quicker more precise solution - wood gears would need cutting with quite high precision.
> 
> Would need an idler wheel to take up any chain slack depending on ratio selected and forward/reverse. Also need to do some sums to see whether one could get the range of ratios required.
> 
> Terry


The job they are employed for in this instance wooden gears are plenty accurate enough. Cutting them is quite theraputic and quick compared to cutting metal gears which I do regularly. a sketchup print out glued to the wood makes it a simple task. It is one of the great things about sketchup. I should really get into it one of these days. The trouble is I seldom draw anything and work direct from my head, hee hee.


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## Doingupthehouse (12 Nov 2016)

Will be following this build with interest – I downloaded the Shopnotes router lathe plans, but this looks better! Will download your Sketchup file later.
A router lathe is definitely on my to-do list (not really sure I need one, but I find them fascinating)

Simon


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## Walney Col (12 Nov 2016)

I started working on my own plans after having bought the shopnotes ones. For me not being able to choose what direction the spiral goes in made it a non-starter but while messing about with that I also added a wider gear range plus profiling/copying capability and I have quite high hopes of it. Funny you should mention not being sure you have a use for one because my only real interest in tables (or any other furniture for that matter) is in making the machine itself. :-/

Col.


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## Doingupthehouse (12 Nov 2016)

Hi Col,

Just wondering where you sourced or are going to source the lead screw?

Cheers
Simon


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## Walney Col (13 Nov 2016)

I got the 20mm acme leadscrew (plus a nut for it) from the seller UKBOLT on ebay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231976108896? ... EBIDX%3AIT

Col.


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## Doingupthehouse (13 Nov 2016)

Walney Col":irgaknbk said:


> I got the 20mm acme leadscrew (plus a nut for it) from the seller UKBOLT on ebay.
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231976108896? ... EBIDX%3AIT
> 
> Col.



Cheers for that. A lot cheaper than the imperial ones I was looking at for the Shopsmith plan.

Cheers
Simon


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## Walney Col (23 Nov 2016)

I've finished enough parts to start assembling it now so I've made a 10 minute video just to let folks know that progress IS actually being made! 

[youtube]b3psajRT8QY[/youtube]

Col.


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## Doingupthehouse (23 Nov 2016)

Excellent stuff Colin - watching this with interest!

Simon


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## Walney Col (5 Dec 2016)

Part 2 of the router lathe build is now ready to watch and deals with determining the locations for the gear mounting holes on the gear carrier.

[youtube]LYALo7OAss4[/youtube]

Col.


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## Walney Col (24 Dec 2016)

A short demo of the feed motor on my router lathe.
[youtube]Y1PlkP_NnKI[/youtube]

Col.


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## davem62 (24 Dec 2016)

Nice to watch Colin your a clever man, I presume the next part wil be when the router arrives that you've been waiting for
Regards David


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## Walney Col (24 Dec 2016)

I've already made a trimmer router mount Daving so I'll be trying that first, but yes, the new router was bought in anticipation of a trimmer router not being quite beefy enough. 

Col.


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## Walney Col (10 Jan 2017)

The latest video in the router lathe build is now on youtube and documents installing the carriage assembly. A couple of minor jobs still remain to be done but basically it's now ready for use and I hope to upload a video showing it's fist cuts within a few days.









[youtube]eunwHvSPiDg[/youtube]
Col.


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## Walney Col (27 Jan 2017)

I did the very first planing cuts on my router lathe this aft.

Lots of lessons to be learned from it, not least of which is if you're going to make something round out of rectangular stock for heaven's sake save yourself a whole load of time and knock the corners off on the bansaw before you start. Another lesson I learned as I began to turn the feed rate up a bit is I really (REALLY) need to make some sort of guard in an attempt to keep at least _some_ of the chips off me. ;-)




Having said that it went pretty well. It was only 4 degrees above freezing in the shed today so I didn't fancy staying out for long but in a little over 20 minutes I'd set the machine up for planing and made 4 progressively faster 3mm deep cuts with a 1" flat bottomed cutter with the photo showing it approaching the end of the last one. Tomorrow (all things being equal) I hope to finish rounding it and make a start on some sort of spiral cuts. I only have a limited number of cove cutters (1/2 inch and 1 inch) and the 1" cutter only has a 1/4" shank so I'm not sure how it'll cope but I plan on giving it a go.

A short video of one of the cuts...
[youtube]Ezz7pvrlI3k[/youtube]

Col.


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## timber (28 Jan 2017)

Walney Col":3e1djszc said:


> I did the very first planing cuts on my router lathe this aft.
> 
> Lots of lessons to be learned from it, not least of which is if you're going to make something round out of rectangular stock for heaven's sake save yourself a whole load of time and knock the corners off on the bansaw before you start. Another lesson I learned as I began to turn the feed rate up a bit is I really (REALLY) need to make some sort of guard in an attempt to keep at least _some_ of the chips off me. ;-)
> 
> ...



Very well done indeed 
Sawdust and chip with and on everything, also, with my Legacy router lathe. I keep trying to make guards guards The latest is using the bristles out of a large paint/emulsion brush
Regards
Timber


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## sploo (28 Jan 2017)

Looking good. A perspex cabinet to enclose the whole thing would be the dust control solution for visibility, or a CNC machine type dust foot around the router (plus extraction) would help too - at the expense of losing visibility. I made one by removing the clumps of bristles from a large broom (long bristles are a must).


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## Walney Col (28 Jan 2017)

Thanks lads.  I already have some perspex for a chip guard and the plans also show a dust shoe but in the interest of having an unhindered view of the action till I get used to how it behaves I haven't got round to making either yet.


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## Walney Col (28 Jan 2017)

First spiral cuts...




It all went off quite well. No big surprises and the machine worked exactly as expected withe the minor exception of having a bit more play in the vertical carriage than I'd have liked. It has a carriage lock which prevents it's crew from turning (so that vibration can't gradually increase it's depth of cut) but with hindsight I should have come up with a lock for the slide rather than the screw because the small amout of play that exists in the slide gets amplified the longer the router bit you use and as you can see in the photo it's leaving telltale chatter markes in the spirals. Not a big deal to fix, thankfully, and the video should be uploaded by tomorrow morning.

Col.


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## Lons (28 Jan 2017)

Just found this thread Col. Love it but far too clever for me.

How did you manage to get your other half to let you into the house with that never mind help you. I'd be out on my ear!

Bob


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## Walney Col (28 Jan 2017)

Cheers Bob, it's taken a while but it's been a really enjoyable process.

As for the other comment, *looks round nervously* dont tell her I said this but it's taken 43 years of training. ;-)

Col.


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## Lons (28 Jan 2017)

Walney Col":27dvopep said:


> Cheers Bob, it's taken a while but it's been a really enjoyable process.
> 
> As for the other comment, *looks round nervously* dont tell her I said this but it's taken 43 years of training. ;-)
> 
> Col.


Mine's gone to bed so I'm safe but 45 years for us in March and I'm still where I started. #-o


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## Walney Col (29 Jan 2017)

That doesn't sound very promising Bob. If I accidentally did something right with mine I've no idea what it was but Im thankfull all the same.


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## Walney Col (29 Jan 2017)

Yesterday's spiral cutting video is up.
[youtube]y5DOQWiexOQ[/youtube]

Col.


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## andys wood shed (29 Jan 2017)

Looking good you will soon be trying hollow spirals


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## Walney Col (29 Jan 2017)

I don't have a very wide range of router bits to choose from at the mo Andy but hollow flutes and spirals is definitely something I'd like to try.

Col.


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## Walney Col (31 Jan 2017)

I cut 4 opposing spirals in my test piece today. I used mole grips to clamp the vertical carriage and I'm happy to say it got rid of most of the chatter so that's going to be an easy fix.





The missus like it so much she wants me to use it for something and I suggested as the central leg of a small table so there might well be a video of that in the not too distant future.

[youtube]tAm4AygzWpY[/youtube]

Col.


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## n0legs (31 Jan 2017)

Absolutely brilliant Col =D>


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## Walney Col (1 Feb 2017)

Thanks nolegs. It'll do quite a lot more than I've shown so far but the wife's away till the weekend so I'm going to take a bit of a break for a few days then glue another couple 2x4s together to try a bit of profile cutting.

Col..


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## murphy (8 Feb 2017)

Brilliant job Col, I love what you have done so far, I was tempted to make one myself or rather copy yours, but I still have an old Trend routerlathe that I used for Grandfather clocks some years ago, and I have not used it since, it has a limited length of cut but did what I wanted at the time, I don't think I would use it very much but I enjoy making machines


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## Walney Col (8 Feb 2017)

Thanks Murphy, and that's a georgous clock I'd be over the moon if I'd made it. My router lathe can handle anything up to approx 32" long and 6" diameter but there's no way I can afford multiple pieces of good quality hardwood with those sort of dimensions but I'm happy enough just to plod along using spruce or pine glue-ups for the time being and save any posh work for when there's less chance of me cocking it up. 
Col.


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## xy mosian (8 Feb 2017)

Blimey I've missed some great stuff here! That is very well done. 
Strangely I can see big screw threads, left hand as well.
Incredible stuff.
xy


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## timber (9 Feb 2017)

Walney Col":3sxri8ty said:


> Thanks Murphy, and that's a georgous clock I'd be over the moon if I'd made it. My router lathe can handle anything up to approx 32" long and 6" diameter but there's no way I can afford multiple pieces of good quality hardwood with those sort of dimensions but I'm happy enough just to plod along using spruce or pine glue-ups for the time being and save any posh work for when there's less chance of me cocking it up.
> Col.



Col
I totally agree the cost of hardwood does put a damper on things !!!
Am interested in your router and also what type of light do you have underneath, are they led's?
I am sure it is great fun doing spirals etc. I have made a few walking sticks with my Legacy mill. Just wish I could make stuff to sell and it would help with the cost of wood and cutters. For straight cutters I am using milling cutters------ a lot cheaper
Regards and keep posting thing you make
Timber


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## Walney Col (9 Feb 2017)

The lights are built into the router which is the 1300W Draper 53113

[youtube]78rBBE_bJ5g[/youtube]


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## timber (11 Feb 2017)

Walney Col":k5tf2izb said:


> The lights are built into the router which is the 1300W Draper 53113
> 
> [youtube]78rBBE_bJ5g[/youtube]


Many thanks Col,
Timber


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