What's new
What's new

Fun lathe projects for kids and girl friends.

chevy43

Stainless
Joined
Aug 28, 2004
Location
Central CAL.
I'm thinking of some fun projects for the lathe. So far I have a couple of ideas:
A heavy gyroscope or top with a wrap on pull cord that will spin for a loooong time.
Fancy corn holders with a tapered sharp thread that screws into the corn cob.
Salt and peper shakers.
Does any one have any designs out there already for fun lathe stuff? Web sites?
I haven't sold my 19" X 54" WP davis lathe so I was thinking about loading it up on the trailer and going to Gas Engine shows and belting up to a friends engine and just make some fun stuff as a live machining demonstration. I'm feeling some responsobility to keep alive the almost lost arts of machining and metal working in this country.

Any ideas apreciated.
Treven
 
candlesticks, fireplace utensils, napkin rings, salt/pepper shakers, mortar & pestle.

Brushed aluminum coated with shellac looks a lot like pewter.
 
Try making some Darts..Back when "pogs" were popular, I used to make fancy slammers...Chess sets are always fun as well as checkers..

Oh yeah, if you make some fancy garden tools your kids will just love to weed your flower beds



brent
 
Still on one of the pages of my (three volume) list of things to do is the
steam-powered model bar set. A small boiler and steam engine powering an
overhead line shaft to which is attached:

A miniature cement mixer to mix drinks

A steam hammer for cracking nuts/ice

A 'drill press' for pitting olives

etc. ad infinitum.

On a more realistic note, a nut cracker with a threaded preset (so the nutmeat
isn't crushed) would make a nice metalworking project. How about a corkscrew?
Can anyone describe how to cut a corkscrew spiral on a non-CNC lathe?

Regards, Marv

Home Shop Freeware - Tools for People Who Build Things
http://www.geocities.com/mklotz.geo
 
For a corkscrew spiral why not turn a tapered piece like a scribe. Heat it up and wrap it around a mandrel. Then stick it in whatever handle you machined. I know it isn't a machinests solution. But it seems the most practical.
 








 
Back
Top