Forget about buying an expensive lathe; This project will help you create your own project

Lathes are essential tools for metalworking, woodworking, jewelry making, and more. A lathe can be used to shape and machine materials such as metal, wood and plastic. The lathe rotates the workpiece around a fixed axis while you use various cutting tools to cut or grind the material to suit the desired look or purpose.

In addition, lathes are relatively expensive and various parts have to be replaced regularly. The 3D printing community has many solutions to such problems, and the lathe is no exception. Although DIY enthusiast Chris Borge discovered a wealth of 3D printed lathe projects, he wasn't satisfied with the designs and their limitations and set out to build his own.

Building an open source DIY lathe

Borge has been working on 3D printed tools for years. His latest project is an open source design for a 3D printable lathe. He printed the outer shell in two parts, added some structural components, and filled it with concrete for added strength and stability.

Depending on which engine you choose, Borge estimates this project can be built for less than $100 including basic tools. Despite the size of the lathe, it required less than a 1kg spool of PLA to print all of the 3D printable parts.

The printed base is held together by two long metal rods into which screws are screwed from below and attached to T-slot nuts at the top. A 2020 extruded aluminum profile serves as the motor mount. The headstock, which holds the rotating workpiece, is secured with four threaded rods in union nuts embedded in the base.

Separately assembled from a 3D printed housing, long rods and screws, this headstock assembly is removable as it is more prone to failure than other lathe parts.

After Borge assembled everything, he poured liquid concrete to fill the structure. Next, he allowed the concrete to harden before smoothing the top surfaces. He installed a belt-driven motor and control electronics and prepared it for tool making.

Testing the functionality and performance of the DIY lathe

His first tool setup included a T-shaped tool rest for a graver and a hand tool for turning wood or light metals. He designed an adjustable tool tray with steel parts and another 2020 profile to make things more versatile.

For his first tests, Borge built a motor from a printer. It was just a tiny 1000 RPM motor that often stalled when a tool got caught on the workpiece. The overall design of the project is intended to encourage the use of salvaged motors – part of the “common good” of finding ways to reuse old electronics and other devices.

Borge noted that the 1000 rpm engine stalled several times during an aluminum disk torture test he conducted. For this reason, he recommends using a motor in the 2000 to 3000 rpm range.

During the torture test, Borge attached a roughly cut aluminum disk to a threaded holder and smoothed and polished the surface of the disk using the lathe. It worked, but the engine pulley melted from the heat.

Of course the project continues. So far, Borge has provided instructions and a suggested materials list that includes exact recommendations for most components needed. You can find the 3D printing files, assembly instructions, and parts sourcing document on Borge's Printouts page for the project.