Publisher Description

The versatile and affordable mini-lathe has become the best-selling piece of machinery and is often purchased as a first step for beginners. Mini-Lathe for Home Machinists explains the different parts of the mini-lathe and shows how they can be used to complete different projects. Author David Fenner covers all the basics, from safety and materials, setting up, and tuning the machine to using accessories and performing a full range of essential tasks. It includes detailed instructions for making useful components like shafts, bushings, spindles, part-off tools, DRO handwheels, and a radius turning attachment. Chapters are broken down into easy-to-understand sections, and include hundreds of clear illustrations that will help guide readers as they set up a machine and start to use it. A complete course on using and improving the new generation of budget lathes, this book is a perfect choice for beginners as well as for those who are experienced with the lathe, but have never tried the mini-lathe.

Author Biography

David Fenner is the recently-retired editor of Model Engineers' Workshop magazine who has based this practical book on his many hours "road testing" mini-lathes in his own home workshop. He lives in Perth, Scotland.
After a career of over forty years spent mainly in manufacturing engineering, David Fenner occupied the editorial chair at Model Engineer's Workshop magazine for about five years, relinquishing the role in 2007 to devote more time to hobby activities and to write about home workshop topics. His first serious involvement in model making was with control line model aircraft in the late 1950s and early 1960s, taking up model engineering in the late 1970s. His other interests include classic cars and motorcycles.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: SafetyChapter 2: Preparing the LatheChapter 3: Tooling, Materials and GeometryChapter 4: Getting Started, Tooling UpChapter 5: Gear Cover and Headstock Dividing AttachmentChapter 6: Modifications for MillingChapter 7: Improving Rigidity and Making a Part Off ToolChapter 8: Guided Centre Punch, Filing Rest; Use of Steadies and Chuck Depth StopChapter 9: Toolpost Powered Spindle, Saw Table and Grinding RestChapter 10: DRO Handwheels and a Radius Turning Attachement, Fitting Taper Roller Bearings

Long Description

The versatile and inexpensive mini-lathe has become the best-selling item of machinery in the hobby engineering market, and is often purchased as a first step by beginners. These miniature versions of industrial metalworking lathes are a good choice for model engineers or anyone else who is interested in metalworking and has a need to fabricate small precision parts.Mini-Lathe for Home Machinists presents a complete course on using and improving the new generation of budget lathes. It's a perfect choice for beginners as well as for those who are experienced with the lathe, but have never tried the mini-lathe. The skills and information that the reader will pick up from this book can be applied again and again to future projects on the machine.Based on the author's experience using a mini-lathe in his own workshop, this book covers all of the basics, from safety and materials to setting up and tuning the machine for best performance. It includes detailed instructions for making useful components like shafts, bushings, spindles, part-off tools, DRO handwheels and a radius turning attachment. Readers will learn how to use accessories and perform a full range of essential tasks, as well as how to adjust the mini-lathe for use as a milling machine.The book provides an in-depth explanation of the different parts of the mini-lathe, and addresses how they can be used to complete different projects. Chapters are broken down into easy-to-understand sections, and include hundreds of clear illustrations that will help guide readers as they set up a machine and start to use it.

Promotional "Headline"

Mini-Lathe for Home Machinists explains the different parts of the mini-lathe and shows how they can be used to complete different projects. Author David Fenner covers all the basics, from safety and materials, setting up, and tuning the machine to using accessories and performing a full range of essential tasks. Also included are detailed instructions and hundreds of illustrations for making useful components like shafts, bushings, spindles, part-off tools, DRO handwheels, and a radius turning attachment. A complete course on using and improving the new generation of budget lathes, this book is a perfect choice for beginners as well as for those who are experienced with the lathe, but have never tried the mini-lathe.

Details