Frankenlathe or E pluribus unem Wood Lathe

[Excelion]

Thanks Toolmaker51, the pillow block does sound like it might yield some good possibilities for, say conversion to a metal lathe at need. The Craftsman headstock pictured does have a threaded shaft, and has a #1 morse taper for a spur center or any other friction mounted doodad I should need. There will definately be a need for some shimmetry in my design, but I may be able to get a bit closer with some of the huge cast iron brackets that were on the base (which, in picture #2 is upside down btw, the wider end goes toward the pull of gravity).

In the vein of conversion btw, do you or maybe this community at large know anything about how wide to make it on the outside, so it can be fitted fairly simply with a cross slide?

[Frank S]

In the vein of conversion btw, do you or maybe this community at large know anything about how wide to make it on the outside, so it can be fitted fairly simply with a cross slide?

In your case the width of the lathe ways is pretty much up to the builder. However components on hand such as the head and tail stock will determine a minimum.
You did however mention the possibility of using it for turning metal. Wood lathes inherently make poor metal lathes but there are work arounds for this problem.
#1 since it appears you will be using "C" channel for the frame or ways as they would be known on a metal lathe you did not mention the size you are planning to use nor the length you want to make the lathe or if you did I missed reading it.
I will throw out a couple of very rough ideas as if I were the builder. first off I would calculate my desired center to center from face plate to live center, personally I would want to go with longer than I thought I would ever need or at least 4 ft at a minimum At that length though I would want at least 4" heavy "C" channel preferably 6" I would place them between 2 1/2 to 4" apart also I would mount my tail-stock a little unconventionally by clamping to the flanges from both sides and not use a center through bolt for this reason. This would allow me to place center bars made of 2" sq tubing between the channels in 2 or 3 places to insure they remained parallel and gain rigidity in case I ever wanted to turn it into a metal lathe.
Similarly I would make a sliding carriage plate 1 1/2 times in width as the outside width of my flanges for much the same reasons,
Now to turn the channel bed or frame into true ways I might use a ground and polished round on top of the flange nearest the work side of the lathe with a square bar on the opposite flange and 2 square bare on the underside My reason for this would be I could cut a "V" grove in my slide plate and I could shim clamp the underside plus the off side making it become a carriage. A gear rack could be added for traverse movement plus a lead screw could also be added which now entails making an apron to hang off the carriage plate but I am getting ahead of myself here
As a wood lathe the carriage plate would only need a way of clamping in in place with a hole drilled in the center of it to mount the slotted tool post mount.
Hope this gives you some ideas
By the way you mentioned having 3 1/2 hp motors if they are all of the same size IE frame size RPM running amps and so forth you can parallel 2 or more together to give you more turning power as long as you use the same size pulleys on them to tie them together for instance if you mount 1 motor with a 4 grove pulley on it and find you need more power add a 2nd motor with exactly the same size pulley as one of the groves on the main motor make sure it is wired to run in the same direction and you will gain that amount of power based on the efficiency rating IE 85%

[Excelion]

So I've got the 3" channel, and the tailstock needs a 2 1/2" gap. I've turned the C-s like these brackets ][ back to back. I'll be having the tops of them ground flat at a local tool & die shop, and where the flanges are the widest, I'll have them machined down to a designated width (v-edged or rounded or what have you to work with a hopefully existing carriage plate eventually if needed)

Oh! And the Gadsden, I ran across it somewhere and, thought it was funny twist on a more serious sentiment. The head there is similar to a character from "The Emperor's New Groove." He's supposed to be an very young narcissistic Inca emperor that's been turned into a talking llama who, among other things doesn't like to be touched. I generally agree with the originator's sentiment as well, that I'm happy to peacefully coexist with most people, but stepping on me will not end well.

[Excelion]

Thanks for the insight on the motors, I was hoping to be able to do something to boost the power for bigger jobs. Do you think they'd work in place of reduction pulleys on a jack shaft? I know metal is turned at much slower speeds, and that's one of the ways I'd thought to do it.

The C-channel size was already determined (and free btw), it's 3 x 1 3/8 x 3/16, and I plan on a 48" length (before tailstock, and planned to leave a gap between the ways and headstock body) Thanks, that does provide some food for thought, but I've never turned metal, so many aspects of the differences are new and mysterious to me. My question regarding the width of the ways really tends to what sizes would work with an existing carriage plate, and that I've no idea about.

[Toolmaker51]

Excelion's observation:

"... and I feel like I may have found the right bunch to talk to about it. (and) In the vein of conversion btw, do you or maybe this community at large know anything about how wide to make it on the outside, so it can be fitted fairly simply with a cross slide?

re Outside width. I'd be tempted to start off simply sketching proportionately or full size, with the current headstock center height. That determines largest swing [part diameter]. Allow carriage size [across C-channels] sufficient travel so tool point traverses somewhat more than half that diameter.

For actually turning metals, the challenge will be resolving the surface of the C-channel into decent sliding 'ways'. Further and IMHO, soundly designed metal lathes depend on three critical features. 1) Distance between inner and outer headstock bearings. 2) Positioning both planar axes of ways to centerline. 3) Width of carriage along the ways. Avatar displays my American Pacemaker, that IMNSHO [Not So Humble] exhibits those design factors taken to extremes.


With utmost confidence and while not appointed to do so, vouch for this immeasurably broad community, and infinite depth as a creative resource. A few pictures, and/or some desired features ALWAYS get the ball rolling.
We certainly appreciate how an individual progresses through a project, even when it stalls. The name is homemadetools [we abbreviate as HMT] isn't wrong or misleading; but the resources vary tremendously.
Not one to quote Shakespeare often, but his line (inMeasure for Measure) states "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." typify our aficionados perfectly. Many operate in spare 6' x 10' areas, in compact but well equipped basements, others in full-fledged shops. All of those are advantageous compatriots; walls restrict project sizes not creativity or solutions. I'll be first to say, those smaller examples are nothing to sneeze at, doing brilliant work.

And finally, your Gadsden serpent sports a defiant expression, toupee, neck beard, and hilarious warning. Is there a story behind it? Inquiring minds and all...