My home made lathe
 

Not sure if I ever showed this before. This is what I've been working with since I started a month ago!

my hole under the house
 

Where ALL the magic happens:laughs: Sad huh?

closer
 

It's cobbled from a fan motor and other "parts". The spur center is also homemade and the live center is ball bearing. Next to the on/off is the variable speed dial........hi tech all the way.:gf:

Hey if it works....

Sometimes going out and buying something is a cop out.

necessity is the mother of all invention

Pretty impressive! Obviously works quite well too. Is that a pikie on your lathe, or are you just :happy: to see us :D

Jigman

Damn, you're Mcguyver! Great job !

Excellent, not what I pictured at all:claps:

...Now show us more pics of your Van Penn mod reel...:D

Talked me into it
 

You like Chummy...aye?

I'll be honest.....
 

It works but is limited. I will save and buy a real lathe soon and use this on the side. Can't have too many. It takes me about 20 min. to hog down a 2x2 cedar in to pikie shape! My Brother in Arizona hooked me up with "Real" carving tools for Christmas. I was working with pencil sized tools up until then. The lathe was originally built by my Grandfather 15 or so years ago for turning out spindles for furniture. I made some minor changes to suit my needs.

nice reel How bout I send u a cup to a 706.

Whoa! That Van Penn is the nutz! How'd ya do it?

Van Penn
 

I started out just drillin holes to let the sand wash out. One thing led to another. I have considered doing a few in 704 and 706 sizes and selling them. Only cost about $20 new. I could do them and have them powder coated (any color..."think gold"!) and resell for under $40.
All done by hand (a steady one!) with a drill and cut off wheel.
What ya don't see in the pics are the extras. There is a grease fitting under the pinion gear and a screw just behind the reel stem that you remove before pumping in the light grease (releases the pressure so ya don't blow it out the plastic sideplate..CRACK!). The side plate is lightly sealed as is the rotor nut. It's no VS but it works for a redneck plugger like me!

surfster, you smell like a fabricator/metalworker

:happy: ....Chummy like! Chummy like it alot! :happy:

I was a machinist before the industry left the island and there was no money in it. Right now I'm just a fleet mechanic who likes to think and "do things" with me hands. I love to think , too bad it hurts sometimes!:exp: