Woodturning Lathe Build Process

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I got on with the spindle today. Here it is after getting the critical outside turning done (i.e. the bearing surfaces and the chuck register):

The rear threads then got turned as before:

Drilling from the rear was done in two stages, a 10 mm drill and then a 13 mm drill:

Once it was in the soft jaws and I'd drilled through and then bored and reamed the Morse taper, it was with quite a sense of relief when I got the hole size about right:

I probably could have gone a bit bigger than that (and hence allowed the centre to go a bit further in) and according to the proper Morse taper dimensions I should have. However, I wanted to err on the side of caution and I'm sure there's plenty of taper engagement for a good grip.

The last thing to do on the spindle was to cross drill for the tommy bar and (in a change from previous spindles), mill a flat for the grub screw in the dividing wheel to bear on:

The finished spindle:

I am a hobbyist metalworker and woodworker. I work as an electronic design engineer and spend most of my working days in front of a computer so I enjoy having the opportunity to use my hands and make things in my spare time. I particularly enjoy making tools as I can then use them on other projects. This website showcases some of the things I've made.

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