if you had a lathe what would you do?

[ThomasPowers]

I have though of a pattern welded bunper for my truck before and having seen pictures of pattern welded billets weighing over a ton it's not that far out.

I owe my wife a pattern welded pizza cutter for Christmas this year as she like the one I traded away last year so much.

I'm also working slowly on a pattern welded spangen help---on hold the last couple of years waiting for me to get my triphammer running again.

Thomas

[draper84]

If i had a lathe,
wood: of course baseball bat=>then some awesome salad bowls
Metal: probably some kind of awesome blower system or a cannon

[teejay]

bushings ,shafts to rebuild blowers,pulleys and rollers for shop built belt sanders,screw for a fly press,screw and box nut for post vices the choices are endless.

[lbender]

Examples of lathe made items:

What have you made with your lathe? - Practical Machinist

[trying-it]

To reiterate: "What would you make if you had a lathe?"

Best answer I think should be ----

More room in shop so you could then put a milling machine in there too. LOL

Machine shop equipment is worse than blacksmithing tools in regards to the more you have, the more you want.... first you want a machine then it is on to bigger sizes for bigger machining capacity and other machine types for more versatility. Let's not forget that the machines then need tool holders, tooling, and workpiece holding devises. But then if you have the right machines, tooling, etc. even those can be made.

Have fun! BE safe!

[hdwarner]

i have lathes and milling machines and i perpetually make more tools
i like to think of it as a self feeding frenzy
i love it though
always need a tool to do something

[Erikgem]

I like to use the lathe to make various tapered stakes. Yes, I can and have forged them, but cleanup and overall uniformity is better when turned on the lathe.
Dave

[rstegman]

The tooling is everything. My brother has a Smithy and My Craftsman and his big problem is either finding the money to buy the tools he needs, or finding the time to make them. As he gets the tooling, he is able to do more.

I prefer working with wood and am just now learning to make my own tools to make my work easier and give me more options on things I can do..

[coltpax]

I believe i would make a black powder .22 cane gun. After building a new shop to put the lathe in because I'm all out of room in my garage.

[Golden_eagle]

A .50/60 cal. muzzle loader, and a blackpowder breech loading shotgun(12 gauge)