Making 2 wooden disks without a lathe.

[greenphotos]

Hi,

Can someone advise how I can make 2 wooden disks without a lathe?

I have a saw, sandpaper etc etc but no lathe to turn it.

The idea is they will spin on an axle and have numbers on the outside. (one for Latitude lines and one for Longitude lines.

click for sketchup example

It would be make out of softboard or pine.

Thanks!

 

[Racers]

Hi,

The best way is to post something on here and some one will make them for you :wink:

Pete

 

[MikeG.]

Greenphotos,

this is easy!

Fistly, mark out your cirlcle using a compass...........and that is important because it gives you a centre-point.

Then, rough it out with a saw...........ideally a jig-saw, but not critical. You should leave only 1 or 2 mm of waste.

Finally, drill through your centre-point mark, and pin or screw your piece to a router table such that the edge just touches a straight cutter. Turn the router on and turn the disc by hand................anti-clockwise!!! If you need to do a second cut, relocate the centre pin on the router table a bit closer to the cutter.

For those that are nervous of a screwhole in their router table, use a scrap board intead, clamped to the table.

The same principal could work with a disc sander, or even a belt sander mounted on its side.

Get a good grip, because the wheel will want to spin the opposite way from that which you want it to spin.

Mike

 

[Paul Chapman]

Do you have a router? If so, it would be easy to do it with that. Let's know and we'll tell you how to do it.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[mailee]

You could always make it with a router compass if you have one. Double sided tape the wood to a sacrificial piece of board set the diameter and off you go! :wink:

 

[greenphotos]

Sadly no router or router table. I could buy one but the idea is not to spend money on this.

Is there anyone here in or around Hampshire (Basingstoke/Farnborough) Area that could do it?

 

[OllyK]

Sadly no router or router table. I could buy one but the idea is not to spend money on this.

Is there anyone here in or around Hampshire (Basingstoke/Farnborough) Area that could do it?

Bandsaw?

 

[motownmartin]

You could use a Drill as you lathe, rough cut your disc drill a hole centrally, put a bolt through the hole clamped with a nut, place the bolt in the drill chuck and rotate against some abrasive.

 

[greenphotos]

Ooo now that is a good idea. I'll have a look and see if I can do that. Will be wanting to fit some ballbaring races into the drilled hole so it'll spin on the axle well enough.

 

[Grinding One]

A bandsaw is the way to do this,clamp a board to the top of bandsaw,measure out half the distance you want from the bandsaw blade ,drive a small brad up from the bottom of board.Place board to be cut into a circle on brad tip and turn board while bandsaw is running....simple to do.You are only limited to the size of your board you mount on the top of Bandsaw table.

 

[BradNaylor]

Just a thought...

Dan

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi,

Can someone advise how I can make 2 wooden disks without a lathe?

I have a saw, sandpaper etc etc but no lathe to turn it.

The idea is they will spin on an axle and have numbers on the outside. (one for Latitude lines and one for Longitude lines.

click for sketchup example

It would be make out of softboard or pine.

Thanks!

What exactly do you want to use them for?

For instance, if these are 'spinning-dies' for some type of board game, wouldn't a faceted shape be better than a circle?

If they are for setting-circles, just draw the scales with compasses and dividers, on a square piece of timber or plastic. Cut the corners off neatly. They will still read off your Right Ascension and Declination.
:wink:

 

[Inspector]

greenphotos

You said at the start that you have a saw. I assume you meant a table saw so I did a search for "cutting circles on a table saw" because I remembered seeing something on it a while back and know it can be done. The video shows how to do it, but don't do it if you are not fully versed and comfortable around table saws. Make sure the blade guard is in place, or build one into the sled. Don't try it with small circles or you could round off a few fingers. The second link is for a dedicated sled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxbzrf4z_cg

http://metalcast.boorman.us/circles.html

 

[Derek Willis.]

I'll bet you've got a jigsaw, fit a rod, sub base or bar to your router, pin the end into your timber and rotate the jigsaw around that, quite simlple really!!
Derek.

 

[ByronBlack]

I'm with Dan, surely a hole-saw would be the best way to go, or perhaps a hole-cutter, one of the beams with an adjustable cutter that you fit to your drill - not very expensive at all.

Or, if you have the patience, just use a coping saw, and sand to finish.

 

[joiner_sim]

Or, if you have the patience, just use a coping saw, and sand to finish.

I think the cheapest option is that. Get your hand tools out!

 

[greenphotos]

Hi all - what excellent ideas.

This is what I'm planning to make:
it's a Christmas present for my Dad, means he can spin the wheels and look up the lat long on a map just to see whats there. No real point but I've run out of ideas... :lol:

Mark

 

[Derek Willis.]

It would have been a help if we had known the diameter of the discs.
Derek.

 

[BradNaylor]

it's a Christmas present for my Dad

the idea is not to spend money on this

:-k :-k :-k

 

[greenphotos]

Dan, I see your point, but the money isn't quite the point, of course if things cost money thats fine, but Christmas for us is about giving, not buying lots of expensive things 8)

Especially with the credit crunch!

The Size of the disks would be about the same as a CD. Can't believe I didn't mention it - :lol: - sorry - I'm a bit new to this!


Mark