Newbie! Advice please! Toy wheels

[SSBL]

Hi,

I have recently picked up an Axminster Perform CCSL lathe from a friend who has not been using it much. It comes pretty much standard, and has a faceplate on the headstock.

The only reason I took it off his hands is because I want to make toy wheels with more detail than can be done with the hole saw/drill press/forstner bit combinations.

This unit seems more than capable of doing this, but I am a complete newbie at wood turning.

Essentially I was going to just get some gouges (Mate had already sold these to someone else... grrr.. any recommendations?).. and practice with some small bits of pine... (And buy a load of safety gear, full face protection probably for eyes and lungs)

What I am wondering is actually how to attach pieces to the lathe itself? Here are my existing thoughts...

For the smaller sizes of what I am doing, I am wondering if I require a chuck of some kind to hold the wood, and then I would take a piece of square wood, attach it at both ends using the faceplate and tailstock, round it using a roughing gouge, and make some sort of tenon at the tailstock end. Then remove the faceplate, attach the chuck and attach wood to chuck by inserting tenon?

Then at this point I get the tailstock out of the way and then could work on one wheel at a time on the "wheel face". Then use a parting tool/fine saw to remove the wheel and move on to the next one (Using the same spindle of wood to ensure all wheels are the same size)...

Things I am not sure of.. how long a piece of wood can I get away with without using tailstock? What chuck would you recommend if needed?

I am on a mega budget so any help would really be appreciated...

Thanks

 

[Spindle]

Hi

You will need to support the stock using the tailstock even when you fit it to a chuck unless the stock is very short.
The following method does not require the use of a scroll chuck:
Cut a series of wheels between centres using roughing and spindle gouges and a parting tool. Leave them attached to each other along the spindle by a central core whilst you do this. Separate them with a parting tool or by sawing and then finish them in a purpose made jam chuck, (which you can manufacture on your face plate). Drill the axle holes if required whilst in the jam chuck using a jacobs chuck in the tailstock.

Regards Mick

 

[Jonzjob]

I have an Axminster Clubman K10 chuck with a set of O'Donnel jaws. The way I do my wheels is to get a piece of wood slightly wider than the diameter of the wheels I want and slightly longer than 4 wheels so that there is rom for the loss for a dovetail at one end and the lost wood from parting. Turn it between centers slightly oversize and cut the dovetail.

I mount my chuck, normally with the small O'Donnel jaws in and mount the piece loosly in the jaws. Bring the tailstock up with the conical live end in it and hold the tail end in place. Then tighten the chuck jaws. This makes sure that the piece is centered correctly.

Jacobs chuck in the tailstock with the drill for the axles I will use and drill a hole right through. Remount the cone tail and hold the tail nice and snug. Now you can turn the cylinder down to the correct size and if there is any slight off center you can turn it out.

Mark off the width of the wheel and part it off an 1/8", just a groove. Do that for all 4 wheels. It doesn't matter about the last one as long as there is enough wood at the live end. I then turn a dovetail to fit the chuck onto the tail end without touching the outer rim, just inset it. and I form what will be the inside of the wheel. Once you have the inside finished the inside and sanded it to your requirement part it off.

Move the tailstock up and repeat the above. When you have done the first 2 you will probably be able to remove the tailstock out of the way. It makes it a bit easier. Just work the insides until you have all 4.

Next, shove the tailstock out of the way and mount the individual wheels on the dovetail you cut on the inside and turn the outsides. Voila, you have 4 wheels the same diameter.

This was taken after I had done 2 wheels and it shows the dovetail. It also makes a good hub. Have a look at the tractors on my web site and you will see what I mean.

The bit of masking tape on the tool rest is used when I am doing several of the sam things. I just mark high/low points on it and as long as you line it up for each piece it saves mucking about measuring..