Hi Everyone.
My 1st post here.
I'm based in UK and have a small workshop at the end of my garden where I like to spend as much of my free time as possible.
All my tools and machines are DIY rated at best. I'd love bigger better gear but that's never going to happen.
Over the years I've got bored with woodworking and moved more into metalworking.
About 12 yrs ago I managed to get a very old (100yrs) small lathe... a RandA, which appears to be based on a Portass.
It was just a siezed up pile of rust and although I stripped, cleaned and rebuilt it I never knew enough to know how worn out some of the parts were.
Over the years I've tried to 'improve' it but it's gradually dawned on me that it's me that needs improving as much as the lathe.
Some of the 'improvements' I've made have actually been the complete opposite. So It's now getting a full overhaul, or more accurately a budget overhaul.
It was previously mounted on just a piece of kitchen worktop that I now realise offered the rigidity of a wet blanket. That's being addressed.
The 4" 3 jaw Burnerd I have discovered has 1 hard jaw and 2 soft jaws... and they are all very bell mouthed. New 3 and 4 jaw chucks (and backplates) are planned.
The head stock bearings are not original. They've been remade (badly... even by my standards). New oil filled phosphor bronze bearings have just been fitted to the best standard I can achieve.
The leadscrew nut was so worn that the backlash was around 270'. I made a new one from brass years ago but that has failed completely now and the original one is back in. That's terrible and needs replacing.
I've got a small 3 phase motor and a single to 3 phase inverter for the drive but I have no idea what speed range / RPM to aim for with the pulley drive system.
So, I guess the 1st question I'd like to ask is.... what's the RPM range I'm looking for considering this is purely a hobby set up turning ally / mild / stainless up to a max of 4" (4" will be for the backplates initially) but generally smaller diameters. I've got the back gears to get down low for screw cutting if / when needed.
Thanks for any advise and I look forward to asking more questions (if I may) as my lathe adventure finally really begins.
My 1st post here.
I'm based in UK and have a small workshop at the end of my garden where I like to spend as much of my free time as possible.
All my tools and machines are DIY rated at best. I'd love bigger better gear but that's never going to happen.
Over the years I've got bored with woodworking and moved more into metalworking.
About 12 yrs ago I managed to get a very old (100yrs) small lathe... a RandA, which appears to be based on a Portass.
It was just a siezed up pile of rust and although I stripped, cleaned and rebuilt it I never knew enough to know how worn out some of the parts were.
Over the years I've tried to 'improve' it but it's gradually dawned on me that it's me that needs improving as much as the lathe.
Some of the 'improvements' I've made have actually been the complete opposite. So It's now getting a full overhaul, or more accurately a budget overhaul.
It was previously mounted on just a piece of kitchen worktop that I now realise offered the rigidity of a wet blanket. That's being addressed.
The 4" 3 jaw Burnerd I have discovered has 1 hard jaw and 2 soft jaws... and they are all very bell mouthed. New 3 and 4 jaw chucks (and backplates) are planned.
The head stock bearings are not original. They've been remade (badly... even by my standards). New oil filled phosphor bronze bearings have just been fitted to the best standard I can achieve.
The leadscrew nut was so worn that the backlash was around 270'. I made a new one from brass years ago but that has failed completely now and the original one is back in. That's terrible and needs replacing.
I've got a small 3 phase motor and a single to 3 phase inverter for the drive but I have no idea what speed range / RPM to aim for with the pulley drive system.
So, I guess the 1st question I'd like to ask is.... what's the RPM range I'm looking for considering this is purely a hobby set up turning ally / mild / stainless up to a max of 4" (4" will be for the backplates initially) but generally smaller diameters. I've got the back gears to get down low for screw cutting if / when needed.
Thanks for any advise and I look forward to asking more questions (if I may) as my lathe adventure finally really begins.