DIY Wood Lathe

Wood Lathe

The lathe was built using a washing machine motor, pine wood and plywood. It can turn pieces up to 1 meter in length and 20cm in diameter.

Motor

The motor is powered through mains power of 240V. It drives a belt which turns a pulley. An Arduino is used with a relay to control the speed of the motor by rapidly switching the power.

Headstock

The headstock consists of a 12mm threaded rod mounted onto 2 ball bearings, which acts a the spindle. A plywood faceplate is mounted on the spindle, through which screws are driven through.

Tailstock

The tailstock holds the other end of the piece of wood. The threaded rod has been filed to a point, and acts as a dead center. The tailstock can be moved along the bed and clamped using wing nuts. A ball bearing is also present to hold the threaded rod.