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Thread: Redneck Lathe

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Default Redneck Lathe

    I mentioned in another thread (parts washer solvent) that I had to sort out an urgent job - a mulching/flail mower whose bearings hadn't been greased for many years. The main rotor bearings were pretty straightforward, just requiring the replacement of the wide inner ring bearings and their housing. The trickier part was the rear roller. This is a 1.7m long tube with 25mm shafts at each end. The un-greased bearings had long ago seized, meaning the shaft at each end had eventually broken free and slopped around in the bearing for many years. The 25mm shaft looked like this:
    IMG_3599.jpg

    Which I think doesn't quite qualify as a "press fit". The worn shaft had a taper to it, meaning I couldn't use a bush. My lathe's spindle bore is 40mm, which isn't quite enough for this tube, and between centres only goes up to 1m, so not an option.

    So raiding my (s)crap pile, I came up with this work of art:
    IMG_3600.jpg

    You might recognise the "bed" as some gal fence posts.

    Added some weld while slowly spinning the part using my Ozito precision rotator.
    IMG_3601.jpg


    And she's all filled up. Turns out that using a dead centre (made from sharpened 12mm threaded rod) is not the best option, as once the heat from the welding has burned off whatever oil was put in there for lubrication, it makes all manner of unhappy noises.
    IMG_3602.jpg

    Then it's time for my precision toolpost grinder.
    IMG_3604.jpg

    And a file and emery paper that got it to ~24.95mm
    IMG_3603.jpg

    Turned out better than I expected, but then again, my expectations were pretty damn low.

  2. #2
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    Nov 2007
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    Default

    Good work. Those Ozito precision rotators are great.
    Chris

  3. #3
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    Geelong, Australia
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    Default

    Brilliant. A great example of what can be done with basic tools and a bit of ingenuity.

    Steve

  4. #4
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    Apr 2012
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    Healesville
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RustyArc View Post
    Turns out that using a dead centre (made from sharpened 12mm threaded rod) is not the best option, as once the heat from the welding has burned off whatever oil was put in there for lubrication, it makes all manner of unhappy noises.
    Nice work Rusty, graphite powder in the centre hole will work a bit better with the heat.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by jack620 View Post
    Those Ozito precision rotators are great.
    Yeah, when you step up to precision work, you've got to be prepared to spend the big bucks for top-shelf gear.

  6. #6
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    Default

    Nice work. I like the can-do attitude!

    It actually looks pretty good.

    Edit: special mentions goes to the cylindrical grinding setup!!

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    Nice work. I like the can-do attitude!
    I purposely tried to force myself not to to do anything but the bare minimum on any part of this - the rear roller is a slow-turning tube as the tractor is doing maybe 10km/h tops when mowing, nothing about it requires any kind of critical alignment or dimensional precision, the only requirement is that the shaft engages the inner ring of the bearing in a reasonably positive fashion, so that provided the bearing actually gets greased, the bearing is allowed to do its job.

    The only bit that could have done with a bit more effort was the grinder setup. It was a challenge to get it sitting properly so as to maintain a parallel grind without flexing or rocking as it made a pass.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by RustyArc View Post

    The only bit that could have done with a bit more effort was the grinder setup. It was a challenge to get it sitting properly so as to maintain a parallel grind without flexing or rocking as it made a pass.
    Thats why they invented loctite! Redneck Lathe


    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  9. #9
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    Mar 2014
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    South of Adelaide
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    Default

    We repair a few of those rollers a year at work. having a lathe with 10" spindle bore makes it pretty easy

  10. #10
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    Nov 2007
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by snapatap View Post
    10" spindle bore
    Chris

  11. #11
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    Apr 2018
    Location
    Drouin Vic
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    633

    Default

    I think you have a damn cheek calling that thing a lathe. What you have there is a cylindrical grinder.

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