(safety disclaimer) the large disc turning is not really the intended use of the lathe and was really just a torture test, the tool caught a lot and just stalled the motor but with a larger motor this could be quiet dangerous. This lathe is really meant for less than 10mm parts. On the topic of "hand tools should not be used for metal parts", this is not a new concept and small parts have been turned this way for centuries and still are by some. Sherline sells tool rests for this type of tooling for their lathes. I understand the safety concerns but the motor here is tiny, 1000rpm and taken from a printer. Even on the large off center workpiece with giant saw notches to catch the tool, I never felt any force of note because the motor is just too small. When the tool did catch the motor would just stall. This one has been a while in the making There are just 2 days left of the Prusa awards for 2024! I am a finalist and there is a cash prize that would fund dozens of tools like this. If you like my work and would like to see more of it it has never been easier to support me, just go vote! www.printables.com/awards Im also trying a slightly less detailed style for the build. Not many people watch that section so condensing it a bit makes sense for me. Thankyou all for watching :)
a standard tool-post/compound-slide should be included in the design of the next lathe (assuming you're going to also experiment with increasing the general size of the lathe) Also a better waze than the aluminium extrusion should be planned around to enable the slow upgrading of the lathe by the end user.
This is a cool design. I think a good idea for a future upgrade would be a better tool post potentially with a leadscrew driven Z and X axis and a compound slide
You may make some shorts about a minute long to satisfy the curiosity of ADHD fish memory viewers. 10 minutes is already quite a short video, and there's really nothing stretched and excessive here, all the information is on point. Great concept by the way, I'm interested to try something similar
"Hmmm. I dont have much money but I need this tool. Ahh. I'll just print myself one." I don't comment on many videos, but this just blew my mind. You showed perfectly how powerful a 3D printer with a genius mind can be. Endless possibilites. This is the stuff I love about 3D printing. You can just go "nuts" with it. Hats off for you! Respect that you share with others this kind of stuff!
You can't in fact go nuts with it :( 3d printers and plastics can only do so much, I tried to build a mechanical computer but it's just not consistent enough.
his idea of making the 3d printed frame heavier than wood or metal, by just pouring concrete into the 3d printed frame, is such a cool idea that solves a big problem for my 3d printed large objects feeling too light and thus cheaper. heavy feels expensive.
There was Mr. Gingery who promoted building "Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap" series. Your work is highly complementary to his vision, plus adding a vision of your own.
Anyone interest in this should get the Gingery books. Even if you use this process, he does some things better. Cutting the head stock on the lathe gets much better alignment than this process that puts it in place than pours. Gingery does many things that are not right either, but he did some things right that this gets wrong.
@@Borgedesigns watch the build of Gingery lathe on Makercise TH-cam channel. One of main things that he does is boring out the headstock on unfinished lathe so he gets it perfectly aligned. But gingery lathe has a proper support that moves along the bed as it is cutting so it is much more important then on your "watchmaker type" lathe. Please note that he cast his lathe from aluminium. For that a 3D printed models could be very useful.
This looks genuinely useful. Some ideas for V3: Little fingers all over the inner surfaces to hold onto the concrete. Over time the concrete will come loose from the plastic, and the whole thing will feel less solid. Caps for the exposed concrete. You don't want sand and grid over your projects, and it will look better. Better concrete. Concrete engineering is a vast subject, and I'm sure you can do much better along any metric you think would improve things. (e.g. concrete that sticks to plastic or is slightly less brittle) Complete, live links to everything you have to buy in a github project. This is guaranteed to chang over time. You'll make updates for a while, but later you'll prefer that later builders of your lathe project do their own homework, and if you've made a way for people to send pull requests with updates, you'll have made something that lives on without your input. There will also be better inventory lists for the US, EU, China or wherever. An order request link to PCBWay or something similar to have them just print and machine your parts list. A benchy test makers of your project can use to test the quality of their build. Parts of your lathe that can be made on your lathe. Adjust your build so that these parts are upgradable. Sooner or later a real machinist is going to get hold of your project and laugh at it and say "if you do this, it will be ten times better" and you can take their suggestion. and make your lathe 10x better. I wonder if resin impregnated sand would work better
Good suggestions for sure, github and documentation in general is something I need to get better at. PCB way is also a good shout, there are parts like the bearing alignment pieces that are designed to be CNCd for those who can so making that as easy as possible is a good idea. I have considered epoxy granite type things many times but ultimately get put off by the cost, however I do mean to experiment wit it. thanks for the feedback.
It seems what is being called concrete in the video is really just a mortar mix of sand and cement, gravel wasn't noticeable anyway. GP epoxy resin mixed well with raw cement as a filler would work really well in this application.
Wouldn't the concrete at the bottom of the lathe still be a little wet or soft? Does it not take longer for the water to evaporate from the small openings?
@@ZergRadio Thankfully, concrete doesn't dry, it cures. The water becomes an integral part of the concrete and doesn't need to evaporate for the concrete to harden. The concrete chemically bonds with the water. In large concrete pours, the curing can generate enough heat to cause the water to evaporate--so, in some cases, they'll spray the concrete to keep the top surface a little wet so it's not starved of enough water to cure properly. (this is highly dependent on the concrete, the pour, the formulation, the temps, etc etc)
This is how you adapt 3D printing to existing manufacturing and construction techniques. Not just "Giant nozzle pouring concrete" or "I made this part entirely out of plastic and it doesn't have the mechanical properties I need it to anymore." This is a wonderful blend of understanding the assignment, the parameters, and using 3D printing to create a professional looking mold, that positively contributes to the function of the project. Using concrete for filler is a great idea for a smaller machine like this. Captive nuts, bolts, and rails allow for modularity in the design. All extraordinarily well done!
i was a critic of mk 1 lathe, but this one seems good. ultimate baller move would be to use this to bootstrap an even beefier lathe that can handle steel.
@@manitoba-op4jx mediocre could mean dangerous when you give it to overly optimistic people. I am with borge that it was cool to show but not to give. this one looks a lot more sturdy and safer. A LOT less like of something going horrible wrong.
Make sure to add a set of lock nuts to your spindel end to be able to apply the appropriate pretension on your tapered roller bearings. This will add spindle rigidity and improve surface finish and overall precision.
Instant subscribe from me, I know in WWII they poured concrete lathes for cheap machining on artillery shells. Sika polymer fortifier for regular mortar/concrete does wonders for sticking to plastic if you're not using it, costs ~$15 for a gallon.
Looks awesome. I would recommend a TPU wiper seal for the work facing bearing. Without some way to keep chips out of it it's probably going to get destroyed pretty quickly.
That's what I was going to say, definitely needs something to keep the chips out of the bearings. Also some way of preloading the bearings would be great.
Are you sure they aren't? Looked like some rings of plastic and little slots and things. Seems like the engineering in the rest of this would imply the guy knows what he's doing and preloading a roller bearing is pretty basic. Also those are some pretty nasty loads from the interrupted cut on that face plate and it doesn't vibrate too much, I'd think it must have been loaded up at least 'by eye', i.e. loaded up a bit in some way, even if not shimmed to the micron which would seem incongruous with the general ethos of this build.
For your sake, my dear friend, I decided to use a translator, in our time it is not so easy to devote time to another in helping, but I will do it. since I could not look at that nuance having the following knowledge: when you sharpened a cutting tool, then for too long without lifting it off, held it on a whetstone, note that the metal at this moment turned red and then white, in Russia this effect is called: tempering colors. this is when the metal acquired a blue color. the metal became annealed and its strength dropped many times, it will be a bad cutting tool. please cool the cutting tool when sharpening, do not bring it even to a light dark color. I hope I explained it clearly. With respect from Russia
It translated almost right. For us "temper colors" refers to thin film interference colors after the metal is cool. The effect is the same. The moment it reaches those temperatures the temper is ruined. It can theoretically be restored by repeating the heat treatment and tempering process, but you'd have to know how the tool was made.
I always criticized bench tools being made with 3d printers, I mean they are great, but nothing about plastic screams stability and precision, but this, filling your 3d printed parts with concrete is absolutely the way to go, I'm convinced. And I like how you don't go overboard with your 3d printer, you accept that some parts, just cannot be made of plastic. Respect
Agree. People go completely overboard with 3D Printing, the best example being the continuing effort to build houses. The truth is: 3D printed houses suck.
@@TruthDoesNotExist with a yield strength of approximately 50MPa and an elastic modulus of 3GPa PLA is simply an inferior material choice expecially when compared to a fairly weak A36 structural steel, with an elastic modulus of 200GPa and a yield strength of 250 Mpa. you would need a shape with approximately 70 times more stiffness to make something out of PLA in order to come close to what steel can do. The weakest part about this is that he is using 3d printed molds which is the contact surface for his bearings. he would have much better outcomes if he used steel or aluminum molds. or just used cast iron instead of concrete. and then machined the cast parts. um-support-files.ultimaker.com/materials/2.85mm/tds/PLA/Ultimaker-PLA-TDS-v5.00.pdf
I've made a bunch of 3d printed clamps and small bench vices and I'm floored at how strong they are, they've endured a summer of proper work and still work just as good as when I printed them. Trick is lots of walls
If you put the concrete into a gallon ziploc bag you can cut off the corner to have a makeshift piping bag. That will give you excellent control when inserting it into the mold
Very cool project! Just for future reference on making gravers, you were correct that you do not want to get the pre-hardened steel red hot or it will lose it's heat treatment. However you have to go much further than that and not allow it to heat above the desired temper temperature. For instance if it was previously tempered to a straw (yellowish brown) color but then while grinding it the steel turns blue, that means you have reduced the temper to a lower hardness. So you need to keep the steel cool and never let the temperature go beyond the desired temper temperature. You can think of it this way, hardening the steel makes it as hard as it can get (but too brittle to be good for much), then tempering reduces the hardness but makes it stronger, and this effect continues the hotter you temper it.
4:51 "I haven't found a neat way to do this" Try a plastic piping bag, you can cut a hole the size that you need and it allows you to build up some pressure as well. I use this method with similar DIY projects.
@@fsxnico sorry, what I mean is that since he's 3d printing anyway, print a funnel / guide / spout that fits the exact hole that he'll be pouring into.
A few summers back, I spent a while planning out something very similar to this. Then I got a job that ate all of my free time and ended up buying a Unimat 3 on ebay instead, so I never really got around to seeing if it would work. I'm really glad someone has actually done it. One thing I would really, really recommend looking into would be making this adaptable into the Unimat 3/4 (or even the older SL/DB) system. There's a pretty large ecosphere of interchangeable parts for each (M14x1.0 threaded chucks, live centers, etc), as well as a pretty big range of aftermarket parts available from the usual online chinese sellers.
I remember in my feandfathers garage, he had a myriad of lathes and old tools. He had the basic understanding of being a machinist and wood worker because his generation was used to making the tools they needed. We have lost that over the last couple generations. I see videos like this and i see the reimergence of human ingenuity and it makes me hopeful and happy. Well done man. This is one step in bringing us back to independence and self agency.
my great grandpa used to say that the lathe was the greatest tool in a shop because its the only tool that can replicate itself. he would often use the lathe to bootstrap it and make improvements for it. he ended up making a massive bed for it so he could turn super long bar stock. i wish he was still around today to see 3d printing! i wonder what he would say about it or the things he would make. my great uncle was also a machinist and was obsessed with vacuum forming, which was kind of the 3d printing of its time, but he was stuck making object with a flat side and draft angles
For a neat way to fill the voids with concrete, have you ever watched a baker using a piping bag to decorate a cake? Basically it’s a plastic or parchment cone with a hole at the bottom. The baker fills the cone up with icing and then squeezes out a thin line of icing on to the cake. I am thinking you could use a bigger, tougher bag, possible suspend from a bungee hung from the ceiling, and squeeze the concrete out in a similar way.
Tapered bearing pairs should have some preload built into the design, usually in the form of a nut to compress the bearing stack together. I’m not sure how you would achieve this without a thread cutting tool, but maybe it can be implemented in the next iteration?
I have seen preload springs that you slide onto a shaft and compress with a locking collar, but I'm not sure if they have enough force to be useful here?
@@joeofloath that reminds me, a stack of belleville washer with a collar that is fixed when the stack is compressed could work, but will induce vibration if not careful. Still better than no preload tho
I love this. I haven't thought or seen this type of tool and machine manufacturing. It's so practical and easy. Thanks for publishing this on TH-cam and making it opensource. Also excellent video quality I love the use of minecraft music!
I agree 3D printed metal lathes is the pathway to a very steep learning curve for beginning lathe hobbyist.... Lessons learned here at this stage of the game can be relatively cheap and applied to much grander projects... I am very impressed with your lathe and look forward to watching your progress...
As a person trying to become a machinist, I really enjoy your videos and am likely going to use these concepts when build my own CNC machines for my home shop. If you plan to make any further improvements think it'd be really neat to see you add a gear box and lead screw for feed and rpm control on an actual carriage with a mounting tool holder instead of hand turning, maybe even a way to cut threads with a single point tool as well. In my opinion the use of concrete in molds is actually a really good idea for machine tools like mills and lathes, much like cast iron its rigid and dampens vibrations fairly well, although I've seen other examples of DIY machines using a mix of epoxy resin and gravel which might work better. For the stuff I'm planning to do, more hard steel would probably be needed for ways to adjust the spindle and the actual machine ways
2:57 - When assembling parts like this, you can print them with interlocking features to air in alignment and assembly. Think dovetail or even puzzle pieces.
Very good tip, just remember to have a bit of tolerance for such pieces, depending on your printer, filament and settings it could range from 0.025mm to 0.25mm. Print smaller parts and find out how much tolerance you need!
This Idea is incredible..... I feel like it just opened up a whole new world of ideas for me.... I might even try printing a garage full of tools. time to do some research.
I've also been using my S1 to make all sorts of useful gadgets, TBH, I've often experienced tools that break down after a while, whether it's PLA or any other material. you are definitely the right choice to fill the 3D printed parts with concrete, really creative!
There's no need to leave the concrete pour areas exposed. Print covers that can be snapped and glued in. Countersink the concrete a couple of millimeters for adequate clearance. Also, print some filling funnels that fit the openings.
This is pretty great! Your open source shop vision is what I hoped would come from 3d printing! Great work! An interesting idea to build could be a power hacksaw (I know these were fairly popular to build in the 80’s, before horizontal bandsaws became more popular).. not to say some of the woodworking community haven’t dabbled around with printing parts for homemade upright bandsaws as well! Eventually making a machine shop from scratch with the help of 3d printing seems amazing- eventually the tools will help build more tools: really tapping into the rep-rap idea. Keep going your channel is awesome!
This is a brilliant design and build. You have talent! As a picky person, I do notice something with the 3D printed parts. Or at least some. Especially those "rails", like at 5:39 where you put some stuff on it to get a smooth surface. I noticed that on that piece, when you first placed it where it belongs, that there were a lot of filament strands on top. Strands that didn't melt together well. Been there, done that! I hate when that happens. But I found a solution, that at least, works for me. Actually, 2 solutions, but one you may or may not like. The 1st one, is to enable "Ironing", perhaps printing those parts separately and tweaking the settings for ironing so assure it works on that entire surface. Ironing does 2 things, as I suspect you know. For one, it makes a really smooth and solid finish. It also creates more strength, especially if you increase flow for the ironing portion. The 2nd thing I use is "Fuzzy." With my old printer, which was trash, I used "fuzzy" in order to hide not-so-good layer lines. It worked well. I now have 2 new machines, Creality Ender 3 V3 Plus printers. When I print something where I need to have a really smooth look to it, for one, I print at a layer height of 0.08. I'll often use ironing for top surfaces that are seen and depending on the project, I may use Fuzzy as well. The print plate/bed is reversible. One side smooth, the other textured. I always use the textured side and when I use Fuzzy, I have it tweaked to where it looks almost identical to what the textured plate produces. This way, a consistent look on all parts. I don't know the slicer you use, but there's a newer feature on Creality Print (and I think it's in Orca too), called "Scarf". When set right, not only does it totally hide any seams, but with the right settings, can create a very smooth and if one likes, shiny sides to the prints. The end results with all the above are parts that almost look molded. Just a thought.
Brilliant! Wish I'd thought of this. Now my questions: Concrete has a MUCH greater strength in COMPRESSION than in TENSION. The lathe bed is a beam. Beams involve bending moments, therefore both compression and tension. Will the concrete crack? When cracks form, will the frame lose stability and allow the cutting tool to shift around? How's it working out? Will it be necessary to "preload" the concrete beam by having a metal tension member running the length of the concrete beam down the neutral axis of the beam section? Compress the buh-Jesus out of the concrete. This is how bridges are designed to eliminate tension by making all stresses compressive, and none tensile.
As a machinist, you really really should have covered those bearings before pouring the concrete. I heard that crunch when you tried spinning it, and because of that, those bearing will not last that long.
Any chance you can take the time to model up a remix for that bit, as I'd like to make this lathe for myself but Im not sure Im competent enough to model up a solution myself?
I could be wrong, but if you look carefully at the headstock build up, it seems like the bearings are encased in their own little tunnel of sorts and perhaps protected from the aggregate? Thats what it looked like to me. I also heard that crunchy sound and figured the same thing though. If it was a tiny bit of concrete up against one of the faces it'll wear away and wont be touching it, if there's a risk that some silicates got into the rollers, as you say, they'd be ruined very quickly. Just seems likely that the sound is misleading though, as the care thats gone into the build in general make it seem unlikely that he'd have let sand into the bearings.
you did not pay much attention to the video it seems. and I HIGHLY doubt you are a actual machinist, or have any time working lathes because that "crunching" you were talking about was CLEARLY the threading die cutting the threads onto that brass rod. the mere fact that you did not know that sound is proof that you have either zero, or very little experience in a machine shop..... also, the bearings were covered and protected before he poured, its plain to see in the video.
@orion7741 watch 5:58 hes not making any threads at that point.... also, I'm more than happy to upload a video on my channel of me turning on my bench lathe. I'd love to make you look like a dolt. Just say the word and I will.
Well done, brother. Another project I'll have to put in my queue. A decent lathe in that kind of budget is no small feat. Using 3D prints as an investment cast for concrete is innovative.
Genuine danger to be aware of: large magnifying lenses should never be left exposed and unattended anywhere where sunlight can reach them. They can and have started fires on bright sunny days. This is the reason why most large desk mounted lenses have flip covers for when not in use. Oh, and awesome project!
I had a friend who left her stitchery Persian rug for a doll house too close to the window and the magnifying glass. Months of work gone in an instant.
Build a hopper to attach to the filling ports. It pressurizes the crete if filled, making it seep into crevices better and set harder, also easier to fill. Use phone glue for temporary seams/seals. Use superplasticizer in the crete, makes it thinner or stronger depending on your need. Use fibre reinforcement to prevent local chipping of the crete, loose particles are a long term issue around moving parts.
It might be a good idea to reinforce the concrete with some steel wire or mesh. Also, put rocks and gravel in the mold before pouring the concrete if there are large spaces that needs filling. If you can get your hands on crushed iron ore that makes great ballast as it is heavier than regular sand.
Great idea level up! I think the best improvements on this design would be: 1. thread the spindle and put nuts up against the thrust bearing to add a preload. This will sturdy it up alot and give you the chance to tweak the precision if it starts going astray later. 2. Add an piece sticking up on your tool rest to put your tool against, that way you can use that as a way to get more accurate straight on cuts, like parting off. 3. double up your drive belts, that way if one snaps you'll have a backup to finish the job. Other than that, it's turning out great!! There's always all kinds of other things you can do, but these would be the easiest little improvements :)
Nice project✌🏻. Here are some of my notes (please take it as an improvement for your project 👍🏻) : - use oil instead of grease for spindle bearings as lathes use oil (less resistance, less power loss). - use some dust cover for bearings or else those will be gone in no time - use a shaft lock nut or locking ring for bearings for proper bearing clearance/preload - use a plate to hold the 4 bolts on the top of the spindle housing, which will give more rigidity - use some concrete sealing at least, as concrete is porous and will "drink" any fluid, and moisture
Oil in lathes yes...but only in lathes with a oil filled head.Most smaller ones are only greased,as the oil bad is for the gearbox more then for the bearing. A proper grease will work as good as oil .
@@Mr.Bearded.Mechanic yeah sure.in High Speed you need oil But there are greases Up to 12k RPM IT would Help If He uses a chines Spindel. You get housing,Spindel with Plate for Chuck ,bearings And you can preload IT. His bearings are inside Plastic and also the part flexes so much that you csnt add preload . So the bearings are dead proberbly very soon. There is plenty of improvments and Just 2 more Stock parts to buy. I mean this lathe is for Sure around 100€ in parts rigth now At least 100€
@Chris Borge, have you seen the "Machine shop from scrap" books by Dave Gingery? They are made from Aluminum castings, but might have some ideas you could copy. This is an awesome tool. 10/10!
This is terrific. I did some early research into what I called secondary injection techniques for printed parts back when I worked at Honda in R&D in 2008 / 2009. It never occurred to me to look into concrete. Amazing results for such little expense (other than intelligence, blood, sweat and tears). Well done mate.
Good attempt!! You're going to have to do something about that toolpost and crossslide design if you're ever wanting to cut things accutately or consistently over a length tho! Looking forward to seeing what changes you make in the future!
These lathe attempts are getting better. Still, no walls under 6 extrusion widths please. The spindle is the most complex part of making a lathe. ER chuck is a good compromise to get an off the shelf part. Consider threading the stem for a thread on collar and placing a tube over it so you can tighten into the bearings for zero clearance. Consider running the 8020 bed fully under the headstock and using pillow blocks to firmly clamp the roller bearings in the headstock down tight to the extrusions. Should eliminate some flex between tool post and headstock.
The notion of tools-to-make-tools is fascinating... it's essentially the tech tree concept from a video game. Thanks. This gives me some ideas on how I can use my 3D printer to make larger more substantial tools.
You made me laugh man not exactly only your comment but the timing that TH-cam showed me the comment as it filtered through its little box read it exactly when he said it. perfectly timed humor 😂
since it's on a timing belt you could use a stepper as a virtual divider and add a second axis for gear cutting relatively easily. (you could even use an inexpensive ramps or grbl board to control it)
The “I lost some footage” and then having a half built machine gives of the same vibe as Minecraft TH-camrs “I did some mining off camera” and having 100 diamonds
Overall a great little thing. The only thing missing is some sort of preload for those bearings and a proper spacer from a metaltube on the inside between bearings. They will last a lot longer if they have preload and will deal with the radial forces a lot better. :)
This is so great! I just designed coffee grinder using the 3D printed concrete mold idea. It basically is a two part 3D printed concrete mold that is designed to mount to a Timemore CS3 Pro. I used a cheap Aliexpress DC motor and controller board to power it.
what an awesome design. Almost finished printing. Parts fit very well. However couple of parts missing- top tie plate (flat bar with three holes) and the nut holders.... although easy to CAD up.... thanks...
If you eventually want to consider going the cnc route, or just higher precision, some suggestions: Build the mold upside down. Place your hard/reference points, aluminum extrusions, metal mounting points, etc. on a flat hard surface. Then pour the concrete from what will eventually be the bottom. You can just have a big open bottom, with threaded points to screw in feet. No mess to scrape. Get a wider/longer aluminum extrusion and use this as your reference surface, Misumi sells precision ground extrusion, or you could have it faced on a bridgeport after pouring concrete to make it super flat. Mic6 flat stock aluminum is another good option. Make the headstock a separate piece with hard mounting surfaces, bolt that to the extrusion, then shim it to get it perfectly in-line with the bed.You might be able to get away with cheap MGN9, MGN12H linear rails for a compound, then bolt those to your extrusion. If you go this route, you might also consider making the bed angled so that swarf falls off. I'm sure everyone has already mentioned epoxy granite, one idea to borrow from that is tinting, you can probably tint the concrete as well to make it look more finished. I would try to get some portion of all my important surfaces, bearings, tailstock, eventual rails, in contact with either a metal surface, or the concrete. This would eliminate the flex from having your bearings resting on plastic for example.
I really REALLY like that one. If the next version feature a post holder for a study holding of the tool (you will probably need a redesign and a lead screw) i will definitely print one (and throw some money on patreon, because your video are awesome)
This is easily one of my favorite channels. Largely inspired by your projects I had a dream (a literal dream) in which i started a company of bolts and fittings, and partnered with every public university of my country to build and maintain a 3D printing/light machining lab in each one, alongside a shop where the fittings and tools could be bought at production cost. In my dream we built a comunity that developed technical manuals for printing and building this kind of machine. I teared up a little when I woke up. Hope you keep the channel up and running - each video is just as dear and expected to me as those from Primitive Technology.
Must protect the bearing faces, the exposed rollers will result in completely destroyed bearings in no time (on a real lathe, even just some dust in the air is not good). Also, you need to preload tapered roller bearings like this, meaning something needs to push the bearings into their tapers with considerable force (usually done with a thread and a lock collar). I realize this is not the way you'd want to do it because of not wanting to need machining, but I'm sure you could devise otherwise or a clamp of some sort. Just beware of plastic's creep if going to clamp. Very impressive CAD modeling to make all this!
5:00 Have you considered using the dry concrete method? This involves placing the powdered concrete in position and then exposing it to water. The dry powder is easier to work with, and once the water soaks in, it hardens. (less water is needed than for making runny enough to pore, so it would set and dry faster). If this seems like an unusual approach to working with concrete, you can find many TH-cam channels demonstrating its use for various projects, from plant pots to driveways and even retaining walls. Concrete doesn't need to be mixed with water beforehand to be strong and stable; it can be just as effective when water is added later.
concrete made this way has a LOT of downsides. the strength in concrete is *highly* depending on adding the right amount of water. You may get lucky, but typically there is always areas that have incomplete hydration, especially in a complex form like this where water will have a tough time getting down into all the nooks and crannies.
@@itsasinine3337 like any process results will very be depending on many factors, I have seen 'professional' pored cement that has also crumbled in my hands. However, in a situation like this strength is not really the need, solid and heavy are the requirements. No need to drive a truck over this. Like you, I have seen many videos mostly in positive. The negative ones are usually by professionals that a) have something to lose if this were to catch on, or b) are comparing to standards far beyond the needs of the average DIYer.
@@halconnen not sure if it would have a harder time than oozing muddy concrete through slits and small openings. A little experimenting in a discarded print would go a long ways in getting the right amounts, and you could deliver the water in a tube to get it to the tight spaces.
If a person is trying to make this just to see if it can be done, its a cool project and then so be it. However if you have the money for the 3D printer, all of the pla or other plastics, fasteners, misc tools and supplies needed to make this lathe, then you might as well go buy a lathe from commi china although will be shabby quality, it will be WAY better to do versus the time, money, and work to make your own lathe
All the DIY lathe videos have this pitfall but they're often targeted to those who already have a printer and want to get their feet wet on lathes or those who'd get a printer anyway. Before printers people used wood, glue and nails so if the printer is the problem you can bookstrap a similar lathe by learning some woodworking. Making the tools that make the tools is the allure. If you just need a lathe to work buy a Chinese one and upgrade it over time to fit your needs.
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD And it's more than tree time the cost. This isn't a serious lathe, it doesn't matter, it a fun project to play with and use your printer.
For the bed. Look at low end linear rails (MGN 12 or 15mm) and supported shaft (SBR12 or 16mm) These can be bolted onto T Slot or replace the T Slot. The bed centres for the 2060 hold down bolts look to be 40mm apart. This is also the spacing for MGN15 linear rail. MGN15 uses M3 bolts. A mod would include more space between the rails so that a 2020 t slot will stop/brake the tailstock.
There is a reason that there is not a "cheap open source lathe". Lathes are inherently very dangerous even a small one like this has the potential to maim or kill the operator. Respect for taking on such a project and all the time and energy that went into this. Anyone that tries to make something like this with no machine tool experience will most likely result in great bodily injury.
This is brilliant! If you haven't figured out a way already how to make pours cleaner: maybe make some funnels that fit every opening you need to pour in? Some simple snap-in things that you remove after the concrete is somewhat hardened, and you can clean up the overfill. Then you can print some caps for the openings, and completely hide the openings.
build a form for your sander, possibly with the no skid cupboard liners, then use the sander oscillation to settle the concrete in place. @5:00 you can turn a jug into a funnel /scoop, which might make getting the Crete in easier.
This machine and all the other concrete tools you've built definitely carry forward the spirit of the "open source machine tool project". That concrete latched design kinda set a tone for what DIY machine tools could be. And you are definitely taking it a step further with these super accessible desktop versions. Super cool.
For a better pooring, how about a funnel or plastic bag that you fill wtih concrete, twist the opening tight and cut a corner to turn it into a piping bag? I have seen people make paintings on bonsai pots with these. If you fill the bag in a water bath, I think you might be able to reduce the total amount of air in the mix.
One thing that would probably help beyond just the taper roller bearings is adding some sort of thread to the pulley side of the spindle so that you can put on a locking nut. Taper roller bearings need to be tightened properly to work well. The pulley's set screw is also likely to become loose, and the pulley might move, which will cause the taper roller bearings to work themselves apart.
This was a very ambitious project. I am inspired by your example. Your lathe was more capable than I thought it would be in the beginning. I have always wanted small benchtop versions of tools like this, but found them to be very expensive and usually not very well made. It is clear that you set out on a mission to create a tool that was low cost with out being low quality. Good Job!
I would love to see a lever operated tool like on actual large metal working lathes. That would make a build like this much more versatile for all sorts of builds. Very cool build! I would never have thought you could make a good tool like this with 3d printing!
I’m impressed In the diy CNC world I’ve seen people make ‘epoxy granite’ frames Basically decomposed granite mixed with epoxy as an alternative to the concrete It’s stronger than regular concrete and great for reducing vibration Maybe worth trying
This is amazing work. I like the idea of using 8020 for t-slotted surfaces. It's probably good enough for this and you can even get pulleys with pressed bearings that slide along them well. I'd really like to see a tool post though. You can get trapezoidal lead screws for pretty cheap and Igus even sells 3D printer filament that will last reasonably long as a lead-screw nut.
Please check the outer race of the bearings, front one seems to be spinning in the mount meaning the preload may have gone which is possible for a plastic preload sleeve in the headstock. These bearings must be loaded in compression (opposing pair configuration). Well done land awesome build!
Yo this looks sick! I think I'd personally recommend a flywheel of sorts on the backside of the spindle so it can power through some of the more difficult cuts that would cause the spindle to stop.
impressive build for what it is, and that price point. Interested to see how you'd tackle coupling a carriage and cross slide to the rotation for a full set of basic functionality. but what blows me away is the idea of filling prints with concrete, that's brilliant. i'm gonna use that for sure.
Thank you for tackling this. This has been a difficult problem for years with many attempts and many failures. It'll be interesting to see the community improve on this original working design.
I can't tell you how much I love this. It might actually be one of the best concepts I've ever seen. The video as a whole actually - honestly fantastic!
This was a nice little "leapfrog" over a few intermediate steps in the progression of lathes. I have used a medieval "bow lathe" for turning wood, then used those better parts to create the next iteration to create even better parts and then castings... each one builds upon and improves upon the previous and each level makes extensive use of "hand tools" to create the next... including new tools. We have learned a great deal over the centuries, and continue to learn and improve upon our tools with every iteration. When all one has are "hand tools" and there are no options for precision equipment available, you either learn how and create what you need.... or you do without.
(safety disclaimer) the large disc turning is not really the intended use of the lathe and was really just a torture test, the tool caught a lot and just stalled the motor but with a larger motor this could be quiet dangerous. This lathe is really meant for less than 10mm parts.
On the topic of "hand tools should not be used for metal parts", this is not a new concept and small parts have been turned this way for centuries and still are by some. Sherline sells tool rests for this type of tooling for their lathes. I understand the safety concerns but the motor here is tiny, 1000rpm and taken from a printer. Even on the large off center workpiece with giant saw notches to catch the tool, I never felt any force of note because the motor is just too small. When the tool did catch the motor would just stall.
This one has been a while in the making
There are just 2 days left of the Prusa awards for 2024! I am a finalist and there is a cash prize that would fund dozens of tools like this. If you like my work and would like to see more of it it has never been easier to support me, just go vote!
www.printables.com/awards
Im also trying a slightly less detailed style for the build. Not many people watch that section so condensing it a bit makes sense for me.
Thankyou all for watching :)
a standard tool-post/compound-slide should be included in the design of the next lathe (assuming you're going to also experiment with increasing the general size of the lathe)
Also a better waze than the aluminium extrusion should be planned around to enable the slow upgrading of the lathe by the end user.
This is a cool design. I think a good idea for a future upgrade would be a better tool post potentially with a leadscrew driven Z and X axis and a compound slide
can you please add links for the parts use in the build. All of the bearings and nuts used in the build.
Whilst I apprieciate the craftmanship, diy lathes....I just cant see how its worth even trying for a safety point of view
You may make some shorts about a minute long to satisfy the curiosity of ADHD fish memory viewers. 10 minutes is already quite a short video, and there's really nothing stretched and excessive here, all the information is on point.
Great concept by the way, I'm interested to try something similar
"Hmmm. I dont have much money but I need this tool. Ahh. I'll just print myself one."
I don't comment on many videos, but this just blew my mind. You showed perfectly how powerful a 3D printer with a genius mind can be. Endless possibilites. This is the stuff I love about 3D printing. You can just go "nuts" with it.
Hats off for you! Respect that you share with others this kind of stuff!
Before this video I saw the 3D printer I have as a tool to create toys, now I can imagine it as a tool to create more tools.
The fact that saving up for ONE tool can actually get you access to many has so much open potential
You can't in fact go nuts with it :( 3d printers and plastics can only do so much, I tried to build a mechanical computer but it's just not consistent enough.
Hear, hear.
his idea of making the 3d printed frame heavier than wood or metal, by just pouring concrete into the 3d printed frame, is such a cool idea that solves a big problem for my 3d printed large objects feeling too light and thus cheaper. heavy feels expensive.
There was Mr. Gingery who promoted building "Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap" series. Your work is highly complementary to his vision, plus adding a vision of your own.
Anyone interest in this should get the Gingery books. Even if you use this process, he does some things better. Cutting the head stock on the lathe gets much better alignment than this process that puts it in place than pours. Gingery does many things that are not right either, but he did some things right that this gets wrong.
@@henrymiller1820 Could you please elaborate or link to resources about what Mr Gingery had wrong ?
@@henrymiller1820 Gives us a great starting point!
his work is an inspiration for sure. Similar ideas, but new technology.
@@Borgedesigns watch the build of Gingery lathe on Makercise TH-cam channel. One of main things that he does is boring out the headstock on unfinished lathe so he gets it perfectly aligned. But gingery lathe has a proper support that moves along the bed as it is cutting so it is much more important then on your "watchmaker type" lathe. Please note that he cast his lathe from aluminium. For that a 3D printed models could be very useful.
This looks genuinely useful. Some ideas for V3:
Little fingers all over the inner surfaces to hold onto the concrete. Over time the concrete will come loose from the plastic, and the whole thing will feel less solid.
Caps for the exposed concrete. You don't want sand and grid over your projects, and it will look better.
Better concrete. Concrete engineering is a vast subject, and I'm sure you can do much better along any metric you think would improve things. (e.g. concrete that sticks to plastic or is slightly less brittle)
Complete, live links to everything you have to buy in a github project. This is guaranteed to chang over time. You'll make updates for a while, but later you'll prefer that later
builders of your lathe project do their own homework, and if you've made a way for people to send pull requests with updates, you'll have made something that
lives on without your input. There will also be better inventory lists for the US, EU, China or wherever.
An order request link to PCBWay or something similar to have them just print and machine your parts list.
A benchy test makers of your project can use to test the quality of their build.
Parts of your lathe that can be made on your lathe. Adjust your build so that these parts are upgradable. Sooner or later a real machinist is going to get hold of your project and laugh at it and
say "if you do this, it will be ten times better" and you can take their suggestion. and make your lathe 10x better.
I wonder if resin impregnated sand would work better
Epoxy granite
Good suggestions for sure, github and documentation in general is something I need to get better at. PCB way is also a good shout, there are parts like the bearing alignment pieces that are designed to be CNCd for those who can so making that as easy as possible is a good idea. I have considered epoxy granite type things many times but ultimately get put off by the cost, however I do mean to experiment wit it. thanks for the feedback.
It seems what is being called concrete in the video is really just a mortar mix of sand and cement, gravel wasn't noticeable anyway. GP epoxy resin mixed well with raw cement as a filler would work really well in this application.
Wouldn't the concrete at the bottom of the lathe still be a little wet or soft? Does it not take longer for the water to evaporate from the small openings?
@@ZergRadio Thankfully, concrete doesn't dry, it cures. The water becomes an integral part of the concrete and doesn't need to evaporate for the concrete to harden. The concrete chemically bonds with the water.
In large concrete pours, the curing can generate enough heat to cause the water to evaporate--so, in some cases, they'll spray the concrete to keep the top surface a little wet so it's not starved of enough water to cure properly.
(this is highly dependent on the concrete, the pour, the formulation, the temps, etc etc)
This is how you adapt 3D printing to existing manufacturing and construction techniques. Not just "Giant nozzle pouring concrete" or "I made this part entirely out of plastic and it doesn't have the mechanical properties I need it to anymore." This is a wonderful blend of understanding the assignment, the parameters, and using 3D printing to create a professional looking mold, that positively contributes to the function of the project. Using concrete for filler is a great idea for a smaller machine like this. Captive nuts, bolts, and rails allow for modularity in the design. All extraordinarily well done!
i was a critic of mk 1 lathe, but this one seems good. ultimate baller move would be to use this to bootstrap an even beefier lathe that can handle steel.
then use that lathe to make a milling machine, haha
yeah theres a reason I never released the v1 lathe ahaha, it was very mediocre at best.
@@Borgedesignsmediocre is infinitely better than nothing
@@Borgedesigns The point of prototyping isn't to make a good product on the first try.
@@manitoba-op4jx mediocre could mean dangerous when you give it to overly optimistic people. I am with borge that it was cool to show but not to give. this one looks a lot more sturdy and safer. A LOT less like of something going horrible wrong.
Make sure to add a set of lock nuts to your spindel end to be able to apply the appropriate pretension on your tapered roller bearings. This will add spindle rigidity and improve surface finish and overall precision.
Very good idea thanks
Instant subscribe from me, I know in WWII they poured concrete lathes for cheap machining on artillery shells. Sika polymer fortifier for regular mortar/concrete does wonders for sticking to plastic if you're not using it, costs ~$15 for a gallon.
Looks awesome. I would recommend a TPU wiper seal for the work facing bearing. Without some way to keep chips out of it it's probably going to get destroyed pretty quickly.
That's what I was going to say, definitely needs something to keep the chips out of the bearings. Also some way of preloading the bearings would be great.
The bearings need some preload
...and seals to keep the grease in and metal bits out.
This x1000, preload those bearings!
preload?
Are you sure they aren't? Looked like some rings of plastic and little slots and things. Seems like the engineering in the rest of this would imply the guy knows what he's doing and preloading a roller bearing is pretty basic. Also those are some pretty nasty loads from the interrupted cut on that face plate and it doesn't vibrate too much, I'd think it must have been loaded up at least 'by eye', i.e. loaded up a bit in some way, even if not shimmed to the micron which would seem incongruous with the general ethos of this build.
@@lachlanlander6002 yes like a truck differential pinions it eliminate the blacklash when the bearing is heating up
For your sake, my dear friend, I decided to use a translator, in our time it is not so easy to devote time to another in helping, but I will do it. since I could not look at that nuance having the following knowledge: when you sharpened a cutting tool, then for too long without lifting it off, held it on a whetstone, note that the metal at this moment turned red and then white, in Russia this effect is called: tempering colors. this is when the metal acquired a blue color. the metal became annealed and its strength dropped many times, it will be a bad cutting tool. please cool the cutting tool when sharpening, do not bring it even to a light dark color. I hope I explained it clearly. With respect from Russia
Thx for sharing russian man
It translated almost right. For us "temper colors" refers to thin film interference colors after the metal is cool. The effect is the same. The moment it reaches those temperatures the temper is ruined. It can theoretically be restored by repeating the heat treatment and tempering process, but you'd have to know how the tool was made.
10:14 you can see your screws holding the base together getting shaken apart as you grind the aluminum
I always criticized bench tools being made with 3d printers, I mean they are great, but nothing about plastic screams stability and precision, but this, filling your 3d printed parts with concrete is absolutely the way to go, I'm convinced. And I like how you don't go overboard with your 3d printer, you accept that some parts, just cannot be made of plastic. Respect
PLA is an incredibly strong plastic, you just have to know how to tune your print setting for what you want
Agree. People go completely overboard with 3D Printing, the best example being the continuing effort to build houses. The truth is: 3D printed houses suck.
@@TruthDoesNotExist with a yield strength of approximately 50MPa and an elastic modulus of 3GPa PLA is simply an inferior material choice expecially when compared to a fairly weak A36 structural steel, with an elastic modulus of 200GPa and a yield strength of 250 Mpa.
you would need a shape with approximately 70 times more stiffness to make something out of PLA in order to come close to what steel can do. The weakest part about this is that he is using 3d printed molds which is the contact surface for his bearings. he would have much better outcomes if he used steel or aluminum molds. or just used cast iron instead of concrete. and then machined the cast parts.
um-support-files.ultimaker.com/materials/2.85mm/tds/PLA/Ultimaker-PLA-TDS-v5.00.pdf
I've made a bunch of 3d printed clamps and small bench vices and I'm floored at how strong they are, they've endured a summer of proper work and still work just as good as when I printed them. Trick is lots of walls
@@TruthDoesNotExist I'm a PETG convert, PLA is great but it's prone to degredation
If you put the concrete into a gallon ziploc bag you can cut off the corner to have a makeshift piping bag. That will give you excellent control when inserting it into the mold
The C418 Aria Math really is a nice touch! NICE WORK ON THE FRIKING DESIGN BRO!!!! THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!
Very cool project! Just for future reference on making gravers, you were correct that you do not want to get the pre-hardened steel red hot or it will lose it's heat treatment. However you have to go much further than that and not allow it to heat above the desired temper temperature. For instance if it was previously tempered to a straw (yellowish brown) color but then while grinding it the steel turns blue, that means you have reduced the temper to a lower hardness. So you need to keep the steel cool and never let the temperature go beyond the desired temper temperature. You can think of it this way, hardening the steel makes it as hard as it can get (but too brittle to be good for much), then tempering reduces the hardness but makes it stronger, and this effect continues the hotter you temper it.
Solid advice.
An idea for a future build (a repeat idea admittedly) a vibratory table to put your builds on as you pour your concrete.
It has been on the todo list for quiet a while now
Or to use as a seat for those lonely days in the shop.
@@jamiemacdonald436 😂
@@jamiemacdonald436I believe you're looking for a Sybian
@@evanbarnes9984 Almost forgot about those. The Sybian episodes on Howard Stern were hilarious. 🤣
4:51 "I haven't found a neat way to do this"
Try a plastic piping bag, you can cut a hole the size that you need and it allows you to build up some pressure as well. I use this method with similar DIY projects.
Or maybe just a funnel
@ with a funnel you have less control and you cannot create pressure, but yes it could have its applications
@@fsxnico sorry, what I mean is that since he's 3d printing anyway, print a funnel / guide / spout that fits the exact hole that he'll be pouring into.
@@DustinEwan yeah for sure there's a lot of possibilities with 3d printing. That could work too :)
design and print a funnel assembly that fits into the mouths and allows a direct pour without dripping onto the exterior surfaces.
the idea to pore concrete into 3d printed molds a genius. Really putting the 3d printer in a new light... loving it!
A few summers back, I spent a while planning out something very similar to this. Then I got a job that ate all of my free time and ended up buying a Unimat 3 on ebay instead, so I never really got around to seeing if it would work. I'm really glad someone has actually done it.
One thing I would really, really recommend looking into would be making this adaptable into the Unimat 3/4 (or even the older SL/DB) system. There's a pretty large ecosphere of interchangeable parts for each (M14x1.0 threaded chucks, live centers, etc), as well as a pretty big range of aftermarket parts available from the usual online chinese sellers.
I remember in my feandfathers garage, he had a myriad of lathes and old tools. He had the basic understanding of being a machinist and wood worker because his generation was used to making the tools they needed. We have lost that over the last couple generations. I see videos like this and i see the reimergence of human ingenuity and it makes me hopeful and happy. Well done man. This is one step in bringing us back to independence and self agency.
I like your vision, and you really showcased the potential of 3D printing. Also, merging 3D printed parts with concrete is incredibly inspiring.
my great grandpa used to say that the lathe was the greatest tool in a shop because its the only tool that can replicate itself. he would often use the lathe to bootstrap it and make improvements for it. he ended up making a massive bed for it so he could turn super long bar stock. i wish he was still around today to see 3d printing! i wonder what he would say about it or the things he would make. my great uncle was also a machinist and was obsessed with vacuum forming, which was kind of the 3d printing of its time, but he was stuck making object with a flat side and draft angles
Great build! A 3D printed funnel would really help with that concrete.
Or using a big plastic bag with a corner snipped off to "pipe" it in like filling a pastry.
For a neat way to fill the voids with concrete, have you ever watched a baker using a piping bag to decorate a cake? Basically it’s a plastic or parchment cone with a hole at the bottom. The baker fills the cone up with icing and then squeezes out a thin line of icing on to the cake.
I am thinking you could use a bigger, tougher bag, possible suspend from a bungee hung from the ceiling, and squeeze the concrete out in a similar way.
It's like a more modern concrete lathe, very creative and well thought out!
Tapered bearing pairs should have some preload built into the design, usually in the form of a nut to compress the bearing stack together. I’m not sure how you would achieve this without a thread cutting tool, but maybe it can be implemented in the next iteration?
I have seen preload springs that you slide onto a shaft and compress with a locking collar, but I'm not sure if they have enough force to be useful here?
@@joeofloath that reminds me, a stack of belleville washer with a collar that is fixed when the stack is compressed could work, but will induce vibration if not careful. Still better than no preload tho
The cheap way is just two nuts that can be spread apart and fixed, to engage the thread grooves on either side.
I love this. I haven't thought or seen this type of tool and machine manufacturing. It's so practical and easy. Thanks for publishing this on TH-cam and making it opensource. Also excellent video quality I love the use of minecraft music!
I agree 3D printed metal lathes is the pathway to a very steep learning curve for beginning lathe hobbyist.... Lessons learned here at this stage of the game can be relatively cheap and applied to much grander projects... I am very impressed with your lathe and look forward to watching your progress...
your design language / aesthetics of your 3D printed tools is awesome. the future should look like the future!
As a person trying to become a machinist, I really enjoy your videos and am likely going to use these concepts when build my own CNC machines for my home shop. If you plan to make any further improvements think it'd be really neat to see you add a gear box and lead screw for feed and rpm control on an actual carriage with a mounting tool holder instead of hand turning, maybe even a way to cut threads with a single point tool as well. In my opinion the use of concrete in molds is actually a really good idea for machine tools like mills and lathes, much like cast iron its rigid and dampens vibrations fairly well, although I've seen other examples of DIY machines using a mix of epoxy resin and gravel which might work better. For the stuff I'm planning to do, more hard steel would probably be needed for ways to adjust the spindle and the actual machine ways
The man who can make his own machines can make anything. Very, very cool.
I've been pondering doing this for a 3d printer frame for about three years now. The added mass will help with vibration reduction.
2:57 - When assembling parts like this, you can print them with interlocking features to air in alignment and assembly. Think dovetail or even puzzle pieces.
Very good tip, just remember to have a bit of tolerance for such pieces, depending on your printer, filament and settings it could range from 0.025mm to 0.25mm. Print smaller parts and find out how much tolerance you need!
This Idea is incredible..... I feel like it just opened up a whole new world of ideas for me.... I might even try printing a garage full of tools. time to do some research.
When you pour the concrete. The following day, take a wet sponge and use it to smooth the surfaces. It will give you an extremely smooth finish.
I've also been using my S1 to make all sorts of useful gadgets, TBH, I've often experienced tools that break down after a while, whether it's PLA or any other material. you are definitely the right choice to fill the 3D printed parts with concrete, really creative!
Great improvement from v1, tapered bearings is the way to go to support th3 spindle, maybe a wider belt for the motor link. Thanks for sharing
There's no need to leave the concrete pour areas exposed. Print covers that can be snapped and glued in. Countersink the concrete a couple of millimeters for adequate clearance.
Also, print some filling funnels that fit the openings.
This is pretty great! Your open source shop vision is what I hoped would come from 3d printing! Great work!
An interesting idea to build could be a power hacksaw (I know these were fairly popular to build in the 80’s, before horizontal bandsaws became more popular).. not to say some of the woodworking community haven’t dabbled around with printing parts for homemade upright bandsaws as well!
Eventually making a machine shop from scratch with the help of 3d printing seems amazing- eventually the tools will help build more tools: really tapping into the rep-rap idea. Keep going your channel is awesome!
This build is amazing! I'm thrilled and honored that you've shared this build with me.
Great build. Those ER collet extensions are a great way to make rigs with lathe properties. ER25, nice size.
This is a brilliant design and build. You have talent!
As a picky person, I do notice something with the 3D printed parts. Or at least some.
Especially those "rails", like at 5:39 where you put some stuff on it to get a smooth surface.
I noticed that on that piece, when you first placed it where it belongs, that there were a lot of filament strands on top. Strands that didn't melt together well.
Been there, done that! I hate when that happens. But I found a solution, that at least, works for me.
Actually, 2 solutions, but one you may or may not like.
The 1st one, is to enable "Ironing", perhaps printing those parts separately and tweaking the settings for ironing so assure it works on that entire surface. Ironing does 2 things, as I suspect you know. For one, it makes a really smooth and solid finish. It also creates more strength, especially if you increase flow for the ironing portion.
The 2nd thing I use is "Fuzzy."
With my old printer, which was trash, I used "fuzzy" in order to hide not-so-good layer lines. It worked well.
I now have 2 new machines, Creality Ender 3 V3 Plus printers.
When I print something where I need to have a really smooth look to it, for one, I print at a layer height of 0.08.
I'll often use ironing for top surfaces that are seen and depending on the project, I may use Fuzzy as well.
The print plate/bed is reversible. One side smooth, the other textured.
I always use the textured side and when I use Fuzzy, I have it tweaked to where it looks almost identical to what the textured plate produces.
This way, a consistent look on all parts.
I don't know the slicer you use, but there's a newer feature on Creality Print (and I think it's in Orca too), called "Scarf". When set right, not only does it totally hide any seams, but with the right settings, can create a very smooth and if one likes, shiny sides to the prints.
The end results with all the above are parts that almost look molded.
Just a thought.
2:10 the inserts are made for injected parts, there might be some long ones better suited for 3d prints (it works but the resistance is a bit worse)
Brilliant! Wish I'd thought of this. Now my questions:
Concrete has a MUCH greater strength in COMPRESSION than in TENSION. The lathe bed is a beam. Beams involve bending moments, therefore both compression and tension. Will the concrete crack? When cracks form, will the frame lose stability and allow the cutting tool to shift around? How's it working out? Will it be necessary to "preload" the concrete beam by having a metal tension member running the length of the concrete beam down the neutral axis of the beam section? Compress the buh-Jesus out of the concrete. This is how bridges are designed to eliminate tension by making all stresses compressive, and none tensile.
As a machinist, you really really should have covered those bearings before pouring the concrete. I heard that crunch when you tried spinning it, and because of that, those bearing will not last that long.
Any chance you can take the time to model up a remix for that bit, as I'd like to make this lathe for myself but Im not sure Im competent enough to model up a solution myself?
I could be wrong, but if you look carefully at the headstock build up, it seems like the bearings are encased in their own little tunnel of sorts and perhaps protected from the aggregate? Thats what it looked like to me. I also heard that crunchy sound and figured the same thing though. If it was a tiny bit of concrete up against one of the faces it'll wear away and wont be touching it, if there's a risk that some silicates got into the rollers, as you say, they'd be ruined very quickly. Just seems likely that the sound is misleading though, as the care thats gone into the build in general make it seem unlikely that he'd have let sand into the bearings.
you did not pay much attention to the video it seems. and I HIGHLY doubt you are a actual machinist, or have any time working lathes because that "crunching" you were talking about was CLEARLY the threading die cutting the threads onto that brass rod. the mere fact that you did not know that sound is proof that you have either zero, or very little experience in a machine shop..... also, the bearings were covered and protected before he poured, its plain to see in the video.
@orion7741 watch 5:58 hes not making any threads at that point.... also, I'm more than happy to upload a video on my channel of me turning on my bench lathe. I'd love to make you look like a dolt. Just say the word and I will.
@@Yavorh55I can look into it. I'm not too interested in making one since I own 2 lathe currently but I'll see what I can do for you bud.
Well done, brother. Another project I'll have to put in my queue. A decent lathe in that kind of budget is no small feat. Using 3D prints as an investment cast for concrete is innovative.
Genuine danger to be aware of: large magnifying lenses should never be left exposed and unattended anywhere where sunlight can reach them. They can and have started fires on bright sunny days. This is the reason why most large desk mounted lenses have flip covers for when not in use.
Oh, and awesome project!
Wow, I never realized that. I have one and I figured it was just a dust cover. But it makes sense!
I had a friend who left her stitchery Persian rug for a doll house too close to the window and the magnifying glass. Months of work gone in an instant.
I loved playing with magnifying glasses in the sun….. burning holes in paper, setting fire to matches …😂😂
Even thick glass bottles laying around can do this. And it is possible to light fires with lenses made of ice.
Build a hopper to attach to the filling ports.
It pressurizes the crete if filled, making it seep into crevices better and set harder, also easier to fill.
Use phone glue for temporary seams/seals.
Use superplasticizer in the crete, makes it thinner or stronger depending on your need.
Use fibre reinforcement to prevent local chipping of the crete, loose particles are a long term issue around moving parts.
It might be a good idea to reinforce the concrete with some steel wire or mesh. Also, put rocks and gravel in the mold before pouring the concrete if there are large spaces that needs filling. If you can get your hands on crushed iron ore that makes great ballast as it is heavier than regular sand.
An alternative to a mesh is to mix reinforcing fibers into the concrete.
Great idea level up! I think the best improvements on this design would be:
1. thread the spindle and put nuts up against the thrust bearing to add a preload. This will sturdy it up alot and give you the chance to tweak the precision if it starts going astray later.
2. Add an piece sticking up on your tool rest to put your tool against, that way you can use that as a way to get more accurate straight on cuts, like parting off.
3. double up your drive belts, that way if one snaps you'll have a backup to finish the job.
Other than that, it's turning out great!! There's always all kinds of other things you can do, but these would be the easiest little improvements :)
Nice project✌🏻.
Here are some of my notes (please take it as an improvement for your project 👍🏻) :
- use oil instead of grease for spindle bearings as lathes use oil (less resistance, less power loss).
- use some dust cover for bearings or else those will be gone in no time
- use a shaft lock nut or locking ring for bearings for proper bearing clearance/preload
- use a plate to hold the 4 bolts on the top of the spindle housing, which will give more rigidity
- use some concrete sealing at least, as concrete is porous and will "drink" any fluid, and moisture
Oil in lathes yes...but only in lathes with a oil filled head.Most smaller ones are only greased,as the oil bad is for the gearbox more then for the bearing. A proper grease will work as good as oil .
@@bosanaz2010 it depends on the spindle speed too, but any lube is definitely better than no lube!✌🏻
@@Mr.Bearded.Mechanic yeah sure.in High Speed you need oil
But there are greases Up to 12k RPM
IT would Help If He uses a chines Spindel. You get housing,Spindel with Plate for Chuck ,bearings
And you can preload IT.
His bearings are inside Plastic and also the part flexes so much that you csnt add preload .
So the bearings are dead proberbly very soon.
There is plenty of improvments and Just 2 more Stock parts to buy.
I mean this lathe is for Sure around 100€ in parts rigth now
At least 100€
I was already thinking about buying a 3D printer, after seeing this video am I completely convinced that I need a 3D printer. Amazing work
@Chris Borge, have you seen the "Machine shop from scrap" books by Dave Gingery? They are made from Aluminum castings, but might have some ideas you could copy. This is an awesome tool. 10/10!
Yes I have! but I need to finish reading them.
This is terrific. I did some early research into what I called secondary injection techniques for printed parts back when I worked at Honda in R&D in 2008 / 2009. It never occurred to me to look into concrete. Amazing results for such little expense (other than intelligence, blood, sweat and tears). Well done mate.
Good attempt!! You're going to have to do something about that toolpost and crossslide design if you're ever wanting to cut things accutately or consistently over a length tho! Looking forward to seeing what changes you make in the future!
Concrete forms for solid tooling is incredible, this really inspired me
These lathe attempts are getting better. Still, no walls under 6 extrusion widths please. The spindle is the most complex part of making a lathe. ER chuck is a good compromise to get an off the shelf part. Consider threading the stem for a thread on collar and placing a tube over it so you can tighten into the bearings for zero clearance. Consider running the 8020 bed fully under the headstock and using pillow blocks to firmly clamp the roller bearings in the headstock down tight to the extrusions. Should eliminate some flex between tool post and headstock.
The notion of tools-to-make-tools is fascinating... it's essentially the tech tree concept from a video game. Thanks. This gives me some ideas on how I can use my 3D printer to make larger more substantial tools.
0:33 Missed opportunity for "lathest attempt"
You made me laugh man not exactly only your comment but the timing that TH-cam showed me the comment as it filtered through its little box read it exactly when he said it. perfectly timed humor 😂
since it's on a timing belt you could use a stepper as a virtual divider and add a second axis for gear cutting relatively easily. (you could even use an inexpensive ramps or grbl board to control it)
The “I lost some footage” and then having a half built machine gives of the same vibe as Minecraft TH-camrs “I did some mining off camera” and having 100 diamonds
Overall a great little thing. The only thing missing is some sort of preload for those bearings and a proper spacer from a metaltube on the inside between bearings.
They will last a lot longer if they have preload and will deal with the radial forces a lot better. :)
Chris uploads, i watch
simple
same same
This is so great! I just designed coffee grinder using the 3D printed concrete mold idea. It basically is a two part 3D printed concrete mold that is designed to mount to a Timemore CS3 Pro. I used a cheap Aliexpress DC motor and controller board to power it.
Hello Printables Awards 2025!! I am calling it 1 year in advance
what an awesome design. Almost finished printing. Parts fit very well. However couple of parts missing- top tie plate (flat bar with three holes) and the nut holders.... although easy to CAD up.... thanks...
4:48 that might be a silly idea but have you tried piping bags or just a strong plastic bag with the corner cut out?
About to say exactly this. Thanks, Chris for the always fab build videos.
That's unbelievable good. Im really thinking about building one
If you eventually want to consider going the cnc route, or just higher precision, some suggestions:
Build the mold upside down. Place your hard/reference points, aluminum extrusions, metal mounting points, etc. on a flat hard surface. Then pour the concrete from what will eventually be the bottom. You can just have a big open bottom, with threaded points to screw in feet. No mess to scrape.
Get a wider/longer aluminum extrusion and use this as your reference surface, Misumi sells precision ground extrusion, or you could have it faced on a bridgeport after pouring concrete to make it super flat. Mic6 flat stock aluminum is another good option.
Make the headstock a separate piece with hard mounting surfaces, bolt that to the extrusion, then shim it to get it perfectly in-line with the bed.You might be able to get away with cheap MGN9, MGN12H linear rails for a compound, then bolt those to your extrusion. If you go this route, you might also consider making the bed angled so that swarf falls off.
I'm sure everyone has already mentioned epoxy granite, one idea to borrow from that is tinting, you can probably tint the concrete as well to make it look more finished.
I would try to get some portion of all my important surfaces, bearings, tailstock, eventual rails, in contact with either a metal surface, or the concrete. This would eliminate the flex from having your bearings resting on plastic for example.
It would be interesting to see if you can build one with a carriage with all the fixings
I hope to try a cross slide next.
I really REALLY like that one.
If the next version feature a post holder for a study holding of the tool (you will probably need a redesign and a lead screw) i will definitely print one (and throw some money on patreon, because your video are awesome)
Better make some seals for those bearings.
Sound like a job for printed TPU!
@@joeofloathRecently started to use it for seals and can totally recommend!
This is easily one of my favorite channels. Largely inspired by your projects I had a dream (a literal dream) in which i started a company of bolts and fittings, and partnered with every public university of my country to build and maintain a 3D printing/light machining lab in each one, alongside a shop where the fittings and tools could be bought at production cost. In my dream we built a comunity that developed technical manuals for printing and building this kind of machine. I teared up a little when I woke up. Hope you keep the channel up and running - each video is just as dear and expected to me as those from Primitive Technology.
If you make the negative out of concrete, you can cast the whole damn thing with iron using thermite.
Must protect the bearing faces, the exposed rollers will result in completely destroyed bearings in no time (on a real lathe, even just some dust in the air is not good).
Also, you need to preload tapered roller bearings like this, meaning something needs to push the bearings into their tapers with considerable force (usually done with a thread and a lock collar). I realize this is not the way you'd want to do it because of not wanting to need machining, but I'm sure you could devise otherwise or a clamp of some sort. Just beware of plastic's creep if going to clamp.
Very impressive CAD modeling to make all this!
5:00 Have you considered using the dry concrete method? This involves placing the powdered concrete in position and then exposing it to water. The dry powder is easier to work with, and once the water soaks in, it hardens. (less water is needed than for making runny enough to pore, so it would set and dry faster). If this seems like an unusual approach to working with concrete, you can find many TH-cam channels demonstrating its use for various projects, from plant pots to driveways and even retaining walls. Concrete doesn't need to be mixed with water beforehand to be strong and stable; it can be just as effective when water is added later.
I was just thinking the same thing. I have seen that on other videos.
concrete made this way has a LOT of downsides. the strength in concrete is *highly* depending on adding the right amount of water. You may get lucky, but typically there is always areas that have incomplete hydration, especially in a complex form like this where water will have a tough time getting down into all the nooks and crannies.
@Im_Just_saying Ive also seen MANY youtube videos disproving this. To an extent to where pieces can break apart in your hands.
@@itsasinine3337 like any process results will very be depending on many factors, I have seen 'professional' pored cement that has also crumbled in my hands. However, in a situation like this strength is not really the need, solid and heavy are the requirements. No need to drive a truck over this.
Like you, I have seen many videos mostly in positive. The negative ones are usually by professionals that a) have something to lose if this were to catch on, or b) are comparing to standards far beyond the needs of the average DIYer.
@@halconnen not sure if it would have a harder time than oozing muddy concrete through slits and small openings. A little experimenting in a discarded print would go a long ways in getting the right amounts, and you could deliver the water in a tube to get it to the tight spaces.
Concrete filled 3d prints is a very clever construction technique! Thanks for sharing!
If a person is trying to make this just to see if it can be done, its a cool project and then so be it. However if you have the money for the 3D printer, all of the pla or other plastics, fasteners, misc tools and supplies needed to make this lathe, then you might as well go buy a lathe from commi china although will be shabby quality, it will be WAY better to do versus the time, money, and work to make your own lathe
yeah but who is having more fun?
All the DIY lathe videos have this pitfall but they're often targeted to those who already have a printer and want to get their feet wet on lathes or those who'd get a printer anyway. Before printers people used wood, glue and nails so if the printer is the problem you can bookstrap a similar lathe by learning some woodworking. Making the tools that make the tools is the allure. If you just need a lathe to work buy a Chinese one and upgrade it over time to fit your needs.
A Chinese lathe is at least 600€
His is less than 200 and the satisfaction to design and build something good.
@@SaitoGray a Chinese lathe also has a chuck, carriage, cross slide, tool post, etc. while those need to be made separately for these.
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD And it's more than tree time the cost.
This isn't a serious lathe, it doesn't matter, it a fun project to play with and use your printer.
For the bed.
Look at low end linear rails (MGN 12 or 15mm) and supported shaft (SBR12 or 16mm)
These can be bolted onto T Slot or replace the T Slot.
The bed centres for the 2060 hold down bolts look to be 40mm apart. This is also the spacing for MGN15 linear rail. MGN15 uses M3 bolts.
A mod would include more space between the rails so that a 2020 t slot will stop/brake the tailstock.
There is a reason that there is not a "cheap open source lathe". Lathes are inherently very dangerous even a small one like this has the potential to maim or kill the operator. Respect for taking on such a project and all the time and energy that went into this. Anyone that tries to make something like this with no machine tool experience will most likely result in great bodily injury.
I did it and didnt get injured lol. Mine is cnc though to be fair
Only if they're complete morons. Living is inherently dangerous.
This is brilliant! If you haven't figured out a way already how to make pours cleaner: maybe make some funnels that fit every opening you need to pour in? Some simple snap-in things that you remove after the concrete is somewhat hardened, and you can clean up the overfill. Then you can print some caps for the openings, and completely hide the openings.
build a form for your sander, possibly with the no skid cupboard liners, then use the sander oscillation to settle the concrete in place. @5:00 you can turn a jug into a funnel /scoop, which might make getting the Crete in easier.
This machine and all the other concrete tools you've built definitely carry forward the spirit of the "open source machine tool project". That concrete latched design kinda set a tone for what DIY machine tools could be. And you are definitely taking it a step further with these super accessible desktop versions. Super cool.
For a better pooring, how about a funnel or plastic bag that you fill wtih concrete, twist the opening tight and cut a corner to turn it into a piping bag? I have seen people make paintings on bonsai pots with these. If you fill the bag in a water bath, I think you might be able to reduce the total amount of air in the mix.
One thing that would probably help beyond just the taper roller bearings is adding some sort of thread to the pulley side of the spindle so that you can put on a locking nut. Taper roller bearings need to be tightened properly to work well. The pulley's set screw is also likely to become loose, and the pulley might move, which will cause the taper roller bearings to work themselves apart.
This was a very ambitious project. I am inspired by your example. Your lathe was more capable than I thought it would be in the beginning. I have always wanted small benchtop versions of tools like this, but found them to be very expensive and usually not very well made. It is clear that you set out on a mission to create a tool that was low cost with out being low quality. Good Job!
I would love to see a lever operated tool like on actual large metal working lathes. That would make a build like this much more versatile for all sorts of builds. Very cool build! I would never have thought you could make a good tool like this with 3d printing!
4:52 Cake piping set or bag?
I’m impressed
In the diy CNC world I’ve seen people make ‘epoxy granite’ frames
Basically decomposed granite mixed with epoxy as an alternative to the concrete
It’s stronger than regular concrete and great for reducing vibration
Maybe worth trying
This is amazing work. I like the idea of using 8020 for t-slotted surfaces. It's probably good enough for this and you can even get pulleys with pressed bearings that slide along them well. I'd really like to see a tool post though. You can get trapezoidal lead screws for pretty cheap and Igus even sells 3D printer filament that will last reasonably long as a lead-screw nut.
Neat! I love the idea of concrete filling prints.
Please check the outer race of the bearings, front one seems to be spinning in the mount meaning the preload may have gone which is possible for a plastic preload sleeve in the headstock. These bearings must be loaded in compression (opposing pair configuration).
Well done land awesome build!
Yo this looks sick!
I think I'd personally recommend a flywheel of sorts on the backside of the spindle so it can power through some of the more difficult cuts that would cause the spindle to stop.
impressive build for what it is, and that price point. Interested to see how you'd tackle coupling a carriage and cross slide to the rotation for a full set of basic functionality. but what blows me away is the idea of filling prints with concrete, that's brilliant. i'm gonna use that for sure.
Thank you for tackling this. This has been a difficult problem for years with many attempts and many failures. It'll be interesting to see the community improve on this original working design.
This is fantastic. I want one and think this could be my next big Project...
Thanks you!
I can't tell you how much I love this. It might actually be one of the best concepts I've ever seen. The video as a whole actually - honestly fantastic!
Greetings from the Netherlands. Amazing work, my compliments. I hope you continue developing with this philosophy.
This was a nice little "leapfrog" over a few intermediate steps in the progression of lathes. I have used a medieval "bow lathe" for turning wood, then used those better parts to create the next iteration to create even better parts and then castings... each one builds upon and improves upon the previous and each level makes extensive use of "hand tools" to create the next... including new tools. We have learned a great deal over the centuries, and continue to learn and improve upon our tools with every iteration. When all one has are "hand tools" and there are no options for precision equipment available, you either learn how and create what you need.... or you do without.