Homemade lathe...

Roccus · #1 01-18-2006, 10:25 AM

OK as promised I'll give some photo's of my homemade plug lathe/rod wrapper, she's not pretty but it will get the job done until you get a "real" lathe...

the bed is 3/4" plywood, the fixed rail is 3/4" maple (pine will do) the headstock is 3/4 maple and the removable tail stock is 2" pine witha length of 3/8" threaded rod ground to a point, a pair of wing nuts lock it in the posistion you want...

power comes from an 3/4" variable speed drill....

the three shots show the beggining of the process, once the stock is sized the the largest diameter you will turn a line is drwn down and a template is tacked to the bed, the template is drawn on 1/4" plywood

Roccus · #2 01-18-2006, 10:30 AM

one the template is in place you now use a sled held roto-zip or HD dremel tool with a 1/4 wood cutting bit in the collett, originaly I used a ground down bastaid file but the roto zip is cleaner, and faster and makes up for the drill lack of turning speed

here are a few more that go with it..

Roccus · #3 01-18-2006, 10:35 AM

I screwed up the order the shot with the router on top is to turn the square into a dowel, with the turning's still in the lathe smooth out any rough spots, finish with sand paper... they may not be the prettiest plugs you'll ever see, but they can be made for cheap and they DO catch fish!

jimi4290 · #4 01-21-2006, 12:31 PM

i must say, i am very impressed. you are a very talented man. not everybody has the mechanical understanding to create things such as you have done. i will be feeding off your idea, i am gonna get to work and make my own freakin lathe. i have been dilly dallying long enough over this. thanks for the inspiration.

Sudsy · #5 01-22-2006, 03:07 AM

Well I'll be dipped in dog crap !! How cool is that !

Friggin brilliant.

ReelinRod · #6 01-22-2006, 10:41 AM

Well, my wife is going to be pissed.

I see no excuse not to make one of them and get into this plug making thing myself. As if I needed another sub-sub-sub-hobby having to do with fishing. She tells me I'm busier during the winter than I am actually fishing the rest of the year.

I must echo Sudsy; that thing is brilliant! The use of the template and sledded roto-zip must be the quickest and most precise way of turning the shape . . .

merrillizer · #7 01-23-2006, 12:24 AM

Wow. Roc, ya nevah cease to amaze me. It was said already, but I gotta say it again.....friggin' brilliant. Absolutely genius.

In the famous words of Jigman, "****************in' A".

Roccus · #8 01-23-2006, 09:15 AM

Thanks guy's, not brillant, when I built it it was out of nessesity, I cut the head off of a # 10 or 1/4" lag screw (depending on what I'm turning)and insert it in the center of the work piece to drive the turning, also I forgot to mention I screw a straight piece of 3/8 stock 3/8" below the top as guide foo the router, this keeps the router from jumping around and going out of control, the drill is also plugged into a variable speed foot pedal, mainly as a safety so I cn stop the late from turning by stepping off of the pedal, and did I mention to use a 1/4" collet and straight bit in the roto zip, small bits break to eaisily..

when turning soft wood like ceder remove small amounts of stock at a time,it is tempting to take more but not worth it, or the wood cuts so eaisily it will splinter, after you practice you'll get the technique, one more thing, when turning 2 0r more plugs at once, work back and forth so you create even wood removal on all the turnings, this keeps the wood from breaking or turning unevenly, check the tail stock from time to time, make sure the point is secure in the end, if it becomes a little worn tighten it up a tad....

hopefully these tip hep out...

Rock

jimi4290 · #9 01-25-2006, 05:34 PM

i made my own too, thanks to your inspiration. i used a bench grinder to drive mine. total investment...25 bucks, yahoo.

jimi4290 · #10 01-25-2006, 05:39 PM

WOAH!, i am sorry, i should have done a better job resizing the picture, it is my first pic post, i will do better next time.

stmn0 · #11 01-26-2006, 09:48 PM

yal have inspired me.as soon as we get our f***in garage back and all the s*** out we could do it.

im mad because i want to do a charter, but none of the charters will call back, and i want to fish with a freind and his dad on the charter, but my dad thinks we should go out on our other freinds new 25ft cabin parkin(friggen awesome)butwe havnt caught stripers befro in the ocean and ide rather have a charter and he has 2 sons that we usually fish with, and i really wanna fish with my other freind because he and i fish ponds alot here, but have never gone on the coast

Stripersteve · #12 01-26-2006, 10:50 PM

holy friggin hussballs batman, look at that thing

next thing you know Roc will be puttin up pics of the old ladys sewing machine modified to spool your reels with line :) Roc that thing is awesome

Roccus · #13 01-27-2006, 10:29 AM

Steve,your close, I use the late for that too, I have attachments for the drill to hold the spools, the foot operated speed control allows precise line winding.... did I mention that it also serves as a rod wrapper....

Striperjim · #14 01-28-2006, 11:36 PM

Ed White · #15 02-04-2006, 10:51 AM

Man I love the lengths that people will go to to get a job done when they want to.
Roc, just to echo what everyone else said, "Well Done!"

And I'll bet jimi has solved that low RPM problem using that bench grinder motor, those things rip!

Be careful boys, and keep the pics of the lures coming, I can see another bad habit in my future.

Ed