Building a Woodturning Lathe
by George F. Farrell, Dollmaker
Page 1
The woodturning lathe described here and pictured above is the 4th homemade lathe that I will have built. The frame should be constructed of hardwood (maple is excellent but expensive). In the southeastern states of the US, southern yellow pine is an excellent substitute. Pressure treated lumber is usually southern yellow pine, but is not recommended unless it is carefully chosen to be clear and knot free, quarter-sawn and with no heartwood. The primary reason for choosing something else is that when purchased it is usually saturated with water, so if you decide to use it, it should be stored in a warm dry place long enough to dry out. It is the cheapest solution, and the drying time can be substantially reduced if you use one inch boards. Birch plywood is an expensive alternative but has the advantage of being very stable and already dry, and certainly much easier to use than solid timber of the required size with respect to the mortise and tenon joints.
The pedestals P1, P2 & P3 in the construction diagram above are all the same physical size. The construction details differ only with the height of the upright and with the brace of P3. The braces, as drawn, are made with two 2X6's (or four 1X6's) notched on the faces as shown in detail "A" to accept the tenon of the feet. The upright for P3 is shorter than the others and has a triangular mortise (detail "C") formed just under the ways to the brace "d". The upright pieces can then be glued together. The edges should be planed to true and square with the sides, notched for the ways at the top ("a" in the diagram showing the construction of the frame). The feet are made of two 2X6's (or four 1X6's). The foot for P3 has a triangular mortise for the brace as shown in detail "B". The triangular mortises of P3 in the upright and its foot are intended to take a brace which will be at an angle of 45 degrees to the upright and to its foot. All of the feet can be glued up and a tenon formed on one end to fit the mortise of the legs. Glue each upright and its foot together making sure the upright and foot are square. Note that the brace of P3 must be inserted during the glue up process (it cannot be left till later). After glue up, bore two 3/8D holes in each joint and drive in a dowel with glue. The brace for the headstock pair P1 & P2 is a 4X4 mounted at a 45 degree angle and below the bottom of the ways just as for P3. It is important that this brace and the one for P3 be aligned even if it becomes necessary to make this brace over long so that the excess can be cut off later. The braces will support a 2X4 running from P1 & P2 to P3 to provide longitudinal support and which will also double as a support for a hinged motor mount. Another longitudinal member (also a 2X4) should be mounted on top of the feet immediately behind the uprights. When the glue has dried, the ways can be cut to length and fitted into the notches at "a". They should be a snug fit. They should be lag bolted into place without glue. The second of the two longitudinal members mentioned above should now be lag-bolted in place (also without glue). The longitudinal member which will be the motor mount should be deferred until later.
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