C3 Mini-Lathe Metalworking Beginners

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7x12 mini lathe in fetching blue!

Mini-lathe hints and tips and operation

Owning a mini-lathe is a voyage of discovery, and a very steep learning curve. Luckily there is a lot of advise on the internet regarding metalworking home workshops and mini-lathes.

I've tried to collect together a list of all my articles that relate to hints and tips about using the mini-lathe and the home metalworking workshop in general.

Introduction to the mini-lathe Some remarks about the basic operation of the mini-lathe.

The biggest part you can turn on a mini-lathe You can turn parts up to 7 inches in diameter on the mini-lathe using various mounting methods.

lathe boring operations Boring is one of the basic mini-lathe operations - it makes a round hole parallel to the lathe.

a mini-lathe carriage lock design A simple carriage lock makes facing operations much more accurate

A mini-lathe compound slide lock design. Locking off the moving parts of the lathe makes for less chatter in lathe operations

Drilling operations Fundamental operation on the mini-lathe- using the tailstock to drill holes in parts.

DRO Digital read outs on the mini-lathe My opnion on DRO systems for mini-lathes and why not to use them

Lathe facing operations Making the end of a part flat - a basic lathe operation

Slip fit an Oilite bushing Fitting Oilite bushings into parts.

Making press fit parts Making one part which press fits into another part.

Making interference fit bushings Making a part which makes an interference fit.

Lapping the ways and gibs on the mini-lathe Improving your mini-lathe by lapping.

Some general remarks on using the mini-lathe Some hints and tips on getting the most out of your mini-lathe

metalworking workshop discipline Getting stuff done in the home workshop relies on a lot of carful planning and discipline.

Using a chuck on the lathe The chuck is the main workholding tool on the mini-lathe

Materials to make things from, and to avoid There are a lot of materials you can use on the mini-lathe - some are easier to work with than others!

Principles of use The basic points to bear in mind when making things on your mini-lathe.

Turning parts off axis Making holes in strange places and off axis turning.

Pictures of my mini-lathe Some photos!

Electric power drill cross slide Make the effort out of facing and use a power drill to operate your mini-lathe cross slide.

Setting up your mini-lathe When the mini-lathe comes out of the box there is a lot of setting up to do.

Machining titanium on the mini-lathe Titanium is a hard material but it can be machined on your mini-lathe with care.

Replace gears to increase mini-lathe torque Mini-lathe owners always want more torque, and here is a way of adding in a few more percent at the expense of top speed.

Tramming the Sieg X1 Mill Getting the X1 mill to cut flat!

Making the 3 jaw chuck run true Grinding out the jaws of your chuck to reduce runout.

Direct spindle mounting of large parts Do not use the chuck: Mount large parts directly on the spindle.

metalworking workshop pictures More photos

Basic worm gear making On older article on making work gears.

Home Anodising

Why anodising is important Why you need to anodise your parts made on the mini-lathe.

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