Metal Lathe: Difference between revisions

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A full size metal lathe can also be used with for shaping, by chucking a sanding disk on an arbor into the headstock. This also works great for buffing wheels. A full size metal lathe comes about as close as you can get to a one tool pipe shop!
A full size metal lathe can also be used with for shaping, by chucking a sanding disk on an arbor into the headstock. This also works great for buffing wheels. A full size metal lathe comes about as close as you can get to a one tool pipe shop!


An excellent resource for information on the Chinese 9"x2" lathes can be found on Yahoo groups. The file sections include entire manuals, as well as through cleaning procedure, and various modifications and improvements:
=== 9x20 Mods and Off Site Links ===
Here are some important mods to consider for the Chinese 9x20 lathes. These will help it run smoothly and accurately, improve the cut, and improve its overall usability.
# '''Four bolt compound clamp'''. This is the very first mod that should be done
places to purchase are. Available at [http://www.alansmachineworks.com alansmachineworks.com] and Sonny Harrisson machinery (''Sonny's website is coming'').
# '''Get a Quick Change Tool Post''' (QCTP). This is a nice time saver. It eliminates the need for shimming individual tool bits, and enables you to use a 6" straight piece of square stock as a rest for the use of wood turning tools. Available where you got your lathe, or many on-line shops. A few of them are: [http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_category.php?category=-419988835 Little Machine Shop], [http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42806 Harbor Freight], [http://www.grizzly.com/products/g5689 Grizzly]
 
# '''The screw kit from Sonny Harrisson''': This kit changes the lead screw in the compound from 5/16" to 7/16", and eliminates a lot of backlash. (''Sonny's website is coming'')
# Convert your tail stock to camlock-operation. This mod eliminates the need for using a wrench and allows adjusting the tail stock position by an easy lever action. See [http://www.alansmachineworks.com alansmachineworks.com], or the instructions for mods listed in the files section of the Yahoo groups if you want to do this mod yourself.
 
'''An excellent resource for information on the Chinese 9"x2" lathes can be found on Yahoo groups'''. The file sections include entire manuals, as well as through cleaning procedure, and various modifications and improvements:
Main discussion site: [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe/] and a second group,  [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe2/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe2/] for file section spill over.
Main discussion site: [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe/] and a second group,  [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe2/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe2/] for file section spill over.
'''Another good Mod site''': [http://www.bedair.org/9x20.html Steve Beddair's 9x20 Lathe Page]
Little Machine shop has a lot of tooling and information on the Mini Lathes:
*[http://www.littlemachineshop.com Little Machine Shop Website]
*[http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Info/minilathe_compare.php MiniLathe Comparison]
'''Custom pipe makers chucks, bits, and other specialized lathe tooling are available from'': *[http://www.lambpipes.com/pipemakingtools.htm Ken Lamb]
*[http://briarpipetooling.com/ Trent Rudat]


== Mini metal lathes ==
== Mini metal lathes ==

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