Subject: hobby lathe plans?

From: [email-masked] (Don Simmons)
Date: 8 Mar 1994 19:59:11 GMT

Would any one  have reference or plans for

    a small lathe powered by a drill to turn out

     small chess pieces or stuff?  

    I saw plans one time but lost them.

    Especially how do you do the end that holds
     the work piece opposite end from the drill?

        Much thanks,
                        don

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 94 20:25:20 -0500

Hi. Be careful because there are MANY different kinds of bronze. I'm
making a beam engine model now using 'gun metal' which is a very hard
bronze and it machines much like steel. If free-cutting brass has a
machineability number of 100 this stuff is 20. However there are
leaded bronzes that are very machineable. With the above rating system
they range from 60 to 20. (There are a zillion brass alloys.) So you
want to be careful that you get a bronze that has the characteristics
you want -- is say malleable (sp?) if that's your main criteria. Whatever
your criteria is, you'll really want to find a bronze that meets it. Or
else you may have a very hard time with it. Please note that hard bronze
may be exactly what you are looking for -- I'm not saying it isn't. All
I'm saying is it's complicated. (like everything else in metalworking!)
 
Good luck,
Charlie