instructables
3D Printed Lathe
by iccycold3000
Before I begin at the moment I am waiting for final
parts to take all my pictures for the sake of this
instructable. I am going to post this before I finish so
people can have an earlier access. I believe all my
instructions are clear enough to be understood even
without images so I hope you enjoy and please wait
and check back in a few days to see the final design.
First off, I am a sophomore high school student who
actively participates in FTC Robotics representing
Shark Beta Team #10088 and FatherBoards Team
#10087. The goal of our robotics team is to learn as
much as possible before graduating and going off to
college. One crucial skill everybody on our teams had
the desire to learn was how to manually lathe parts
our self instead of sending the files for somebody else
to machine them for us. This was where the idea of
building my own lathe came in. As our school did not
want to purchase a full-size lathe or for that matter
allow students to operate a full-size lathe; the only
other option was to build a miniature one myself. The
major challenge of this project was that because all of
our funds go straight into our robotics program and
purchasing parts, the lathe had to be constructed out
of existing parts in our lab, or the parts needed to be
3D Printed Lathe: Page 1
made personally (this is where the idea of 3D printing
the lathe itself came into play. Another major
challenge of this project was that the lathe needed to
be relatively precise and accurate so that the final
parts could actually be used on our robots. Those
were the main challences I was faced with and I
believe I did a relatively good job at solving these. If
you do decide to build this you will find how percise
and accurite it is despite it being 3D printed. So lets
get to building!
I hope you enjoy my instructable and please give
it a vote because winning this competition would
greatly help our robotics program and further our
knowledge in making and engineering. Also, my
Engineering teacher promised me a 100 on our
final if I win this competition!
Quick Disclaimer: Please read through entire
Instructable before beginning to avoid missing
steps! Also this will not be a guide on how to do
some of the basic skills needed to complete this
instructable such as soldering and 3D printing.
Also this is NOT a guide on how to use a lathe!
Step 1: Tools

You may not need tools but it sure makes it easier to have them!

Mallet
Vice
Hacksaw (needs to be able to cut metal)
Sandpaper (80-120 grit is fine)
Grinding wheel (can be substituted for a metal file)
Drill
Various Drill Bits
Hex Key Set
Soldering Station
Wire Strippers/ Cutters
Heat Gun
Heat Shrink
Box Cutter
Super Glue
Straight Edge
Marker
lubricant

(Optional)

Dremel With metal cutting saw

Caliper

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 1

1. This is my drill bit set, Im not going to take a

picture with it open because it is extremely
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 picture with it open because it is extremely
disorganized and missing some broken bits :)

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Step 2: Purchase Parts (BOM)

This is the complete Bill of Materials to construct this mini lathe. I have attached hyperlinks to the parts I already
have and some as which I needed to purchase, I will try to keep these links active as long as I can. Many if not all
of these parts can be substituted for alternatives or what you have on hand in your shop with minimal or no
modification to my 3D files.

1. 12V DC Motor (X2)

2. Wire (one spool should be plenty with much to spare for other projects)
3. PWM Motor Controller (X1)
4. Lead Screw (X1 Length- 36")(can be substituted for hardware store threaded rod)
5. Lead Screw Nut (X4) (can be substituted for matching nuts)
6. Lead Screw Bearing (X8)
7. 8mm Shafting (X3 Length- 610mm) (can be substituted for hardware store shafting)
8. 8mm Linear Bearing (X6 Length- 24mm)
9. 6mm Shaft (X3 Length- 300mm) (can be substituted for hardware store shafting)
10. 6mm Bearing (X10)
11. Shaft Hub (X4 Bore- 6mm) (X2 Bore- .125")
12. 6-32 Screws (X1 bag Length- 1.5") (you can always cut a screw to fit but you can't add length to
one)
13. 8020 Aluminum Extrusion (X1 Length- 24")
14. Aluminum Extrusion Mount (X5 bag)
15. Screw Plate (X5 bag)
16. Gears (X2 Tooth count- 72T ) (X2 Tool count- 84T )
17. Lathe Tools (X1)

The total cost for this excluding 3D prints and assuming you have NO parts in your lab, or workspace is about
$200. (Don't let this deter you because many of these parts can be sourced for much cheaper)

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3D Printed Lathe: Page 7
 2

1. This is a Fuse and is very useful in preventing you from overworking

the motors
2. WARNING This can get very hot during operation
3. This is the knob to control the speed

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Step 3: 3D Print Away!

First you need to download the Lathe Parts and Files.zip at the bottom of the step and decompress it. All of the
files are neatly labeled within. Assuming you do not need to modify the files printing is as simple as any other STL.
I have included both the Fusion360 and STL files for anybody who builds my lathe. On top of that, every 3D piece
comes labeled with its proper name and a picture of the orientation in which to print (Sorry for the low quality
screenshots but the pieces were very small on my screen). The objective of this was so that not only will it be
easier for me to point out which parts you will be using, but also is a fast way to teach lathe learners the names of
the various parts on the machine!

The settings to print every piece are as follows:

I recommend ABS as that is the only filament I tried and I know it works (please feel free to
experiment and let me know what worked well for you)
I printed everything on a Lulzbot TAZ and Lulzbot Mini with a heated bed
Print at the highest resolution your printer allows
Set infill to 35% (I know this is much higher than normally required but the parts need to be
relatively strong)
Print with 2.0 mm wall thickness
Print with a brim (if you do not have the option a raft will print just fine but will require more post-print
cleanup)
Supports should not be needed for most of the parts (Use supports on the Pulley 1, 2, and 3)
(make sure your printer does vertical cylinders well before printing at super high infill and if not then
use supports)
If your prints do warp a little bit around the corners it is ok as long as all of the holes are still mostly
round and the bottom is mostly flat. (Many of my parts are a little warped).

This is the list of each part that needs to be printed and the quantity you need

Carriage (X1)
Chuck Grip (X4)
Face Plate (X1)
Gear Box (X1)
Motor Clamp (X4)

Guide Way Ends (X2)

Handwheel (X2)
Handwheel Pin (X2)
Head Stock (X1)
Tail Stock (X1)
Tool Holder (X1)

If you do not own a 3D printer 3D Hubs is an amazing website that offers you to buy your 3D prints.

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 Download (https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FGM/8BOS/J1WW8GUA/FGM8BOSJ1WW8GUA.zip)
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FGM/8BOS/J1WW8GUA/FGM8BOSJ1WW8GUA.zip
…

(https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FGM/8BOS/J1WW8GUA/FGM8BOSJ1WW8GUA.zip)

Step 4: Clean Up the Prints

1. Once the prints are removed from the print bed they will have a brim which needs to be cut off using
a box cutter.
2. The best way to do this is to line up the box cutter with the edge of the print and cut it off.
3. Once the majority of the brim is removed you will need to do a combination of the following:

Try to scrape the excess off with the box cutter and/or take some sand paper and quickly remove
the smaller rough edges.
The objective of this last step is so that there are no rough edges for things to grind on or sharp
edges for people to hurt themselves with.

Preparing For Bearings and Rods

1. The next thing you want to do is drill out the various holes just so that they are smooth and bearings
and rods can be pressure fitted.
2. In the picture above I have drawn what the proper drill bit size should be used for each hole.
3. If you do not have extremely large drill bits like me a little bit of sanding will ensure a perfect fit.
4. The objective of this is so that when you move to the next step all of the bearings and rods can be
pressure fitted in without cracking the prints and without being too loose that they need to be glued
into place.

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Step 5: Metal Cutting

This will be a detailed list on the lengths you need to cut out of every part. For many if not all of these pieces it is
best to use a vice to firmly hold it but this can be substituted for strong clamps. (For time I will be using a drexel to
cut the screws but this can easily be done with a hacksaw).

Rods+ Lead Screw

8mm Rods

1. (X2) 180mm length

2. (X2) 610mm length (This does not need to be cut if you use the rods I have listed)

6mm Rod

1. (X2) 120mm length

2. (X1) 170mm length
3. (X1) 60mm length

8mm Lead Screw

1. (X1) --mm length

2. (X1) --mm length

Screws
6-32 Hex Socket Screws

(To eliminate confusion I will be measuring only the THREADS this means that these measurements will not
include the head of the screw)

1. --mm

8020 Rail
8020 rail

1. (X1) 760mm or 30 in length

After you cut any of the parts I recommend taking a grinding wheel and/ or files to remove the burs and
soften the edges

Step 6: Head Stock + Gear Box

For the first step, we are going to assemble the driving force of the lathe, the Gear Box and Head Stock. I am
going to break it down into sections starting with the bearings, then the rods, then hardware, and finally the
electronics. This is the only section done in this format because of the number of times you need to jump between
parts. So here we go!

Bearings
If at any time you feel like the bearings are too large and may crack the print you have two options
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 and you can do them in whichever order you feel more comfortable with.
You can attempt to sand the holes a little larger or take a heat gun and heat the bearing and try to
press it in melting the plastic just a little bit (Be careful not to damage or melt the bearing and also
try to prevent warping of the print).
When attempting to press bearings in you can either use a rubber or plastic mallet (probably the
best tool for the job as it is the most forgiving), a hammer (Use a thin piece of cloth on the head of
the hammer to prevent damage), or finally a vice and really try to force the bearings into place (once
again you may want to use a cloth and be very careful as prints crack easily this way).
If you are ever confused about the wording and the order to do things please reference the pictures
as may of them are labeled with the order to press things in.

Gear Box

For this step, you are going to need 2, 12mm OD 6mm ID bearing

1. At the top of the gear box where the largest hole is you need to press a 12mm OD 6mm ID bearing
into the front and back of the piece.
2. Leave the two holes below the top one empty for now we will come back to them later.

Head Stock

For this step, you are going to need 2, 12mm OD 6mm iID bearing

1. Just like the Gear Box you need to press a 12mm OD 6mm ID bearing into the front and back of the
piece.
2. Leave the two holes below the top one empty for now we will come back to them later.

Rods
Just as before if at any point you feel as though the rods are too large and may crack the print don't
be afraid to drill out the hole or heat the print or rod to melt the plastic a little bit.
The same rules apply as the last step of bearing pushing.
If you are ever confused about the wording and the order to do things in please reference the
pictures as may of them are labeled with the order to push the rods and parts into place.

Gear Box

For this step you are going to need 2, 6mm 120mm length rods

1. The two holes below the hole with the bearing is where the first rod is going to be pushed in.
2. Take one of the 6mm ---mm length rods and mallet it all the way through the Gear Box as to where it
is flush with the opposite side.
3. Repeat this for the second hole.

Head Stock

For this step, you are going to need the previously assembled Gear Box

1. This is where we bind the gear box to the Head Stock piece. you need to take the Gear Box with the
two rods sticking out and line the rods up with the empty holes that should line up with the Head
Stock.
2. With the holes lined up carefully mallet the top of the GEAR BOX into the Head Stock. The final
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 result should have the Gear Box and Head Stock lined up perfectly so the rod that will be used for
the chuck can slide all the way through and rotate smoothly (This means please test the alignment
with another 6mm shaft).

Hardware
This step is relatively easy but you need to be careful about the length of the screws (You will be
cutting your screws so remember cut once measure twice).
There should be very few clearance issues if any at all and if there are just keep screwing through to
tighten the screw and ignore the issue everything should still work fine.
As there are multiple components being made here I will break each part into sub-assemblies.

Gear Box

Motor Mount

For this step you are going to need 8, --mm screws

1. The motor mounts should form a complete circle with each side to make a clamp to hold the motors.
you are going to take 2 screws per clamp and cut them to -------mm.
2. With your screws now cut shove them through the two holes on the end of the clamps with the
excess threads sticking out.
3. Now you are going to take the mount and line it up with the gear box body
4. Take the ---- Hex Key and screw it part way into the Gear Box with enough space to slide the motor
through.
5. Repeat this 3 more times for the rest of the clamps.

8020 Mounting

For this step, you are going to need 4, --mm screws and 4 8020 mounts

1. There are two holes on each side of the Gear Box that run all the way through to the center square
this is where you are going to take the screws and cut them to -----mm.
2. You are then going to drop the screws through and loosely screw on the 8020 mounts. Please make
sure the side with the ridges are facing towards the outside (If you are unfamiliar with 8020
mounting systems please reference the pictures very closely).

Head Stock

8020 Mounting

For this step, you are going to need 2, --mm screws and 2 8020 mounts

1. There is one hole on each side of the Gear Box that run all the way through to the center square this
is where you are going to take the screws and cut them to -----mm.
2. You are then going to drop the screws through and loosely screw on the 8020 mounts.
3. Please make sure the side with the ridges are facing towards the outside (Once again if you are
unfamiliar with 8020 mounting systems please reference the pictures very closely).

Electronics
The electronics are relatively simple for this step, we will get into powering up the electronics and
completing the wiring later.

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 Gear Box

For this step, you are going to need your spool of wire, 2 motors and shrink wrap

1. You are going to need your solder station ready for this step. You are going to take both of your
motors and identify which lead is the positive lead (there should be a red dot distinguishing which
lead is which, please reference pictures).
2. Then cut about 30cm of red and black wire for each motor.
3. The red wire is going to be soldered to the positive lead and the black to the negative lead.
4. Once you finished soldering the wires place some heat string over the leads to protect them from
metal shavings.
5. Once you have both of the motors soldered you are going to take them and feed them wires first
through the motor mounting clasps so the shaft is sticking out the completely open end and the
wires are in between the Gear Box and Head Stock piece.

Congratulations you have completed the Gear Box! We will come back to this at the end when we mount the face
plate.

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 1

1. This is the Positive lead because it has the Red Indicator

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Step 7: Tool Holder

This complete assembly can be very difficult if not followed in order. I have refined the steps to do this in the
simplest order as possible to avoid struggling to fit things, so please follow the directions and pictures very closely
and everything will fit together smoothly. The Tool Holder has 2 steps that need to be completed relatively
accurately so that the tool will run straight and true it is divided into the two sections for the parts that will be used.

Bearings
You are going to need 2, 15 mm OD 8 mm ID linear bearings

1. Take the tool holder and 2, 15 mm OD 8 mm ID linear bearings and push them into the outer 2
holes of the print.
2. Once again the same rules apply to pushing items into the 3D print; force items in very carefully and
don't be afraid to sand or heat the inside of the hole to make it fit easier.
3. I recommend doing this either with a vice or placing the tool holder vertically with the holes and
overhang facing straight up and carefully mallet the linear bearings in.

Lead Screw Alignment

You are going to need 2, 8mm lead screw nuts and the --mm lead screw

1. The next step is to ram the nuts of the linear screws in. This needs to be done very carefully to
ensure proper alignment.
2. The first step to doing any of the linear screw parts is going to be aligning the 2 nuts.
3. You are going to need to take out 2 of the lead screw nuts and screw them onto the lead screw.
4. Then you need to screw the nuts so that the outside is flush with what would be the ends of the tool
holder.
5. You are then going to take a marker with a straight edge and make a mark a line on both nuts
(Please reference the pictures for exactly how to do this or it will not run properly).
6. Take the nuts off of the rod making sure not to accidentally remove the maker.
7. Now take one of the nuts and mallet it into the middle hole with the marker facing upwards.
8. Next, take the second nut and do the same on the opposite side being very careful to ensure proper
alignment of the marks.
9. This will ensure that that the tool holder runs smoothly with very little wobble.

Step 8: Carriage Assembly

Completing the carriage can be very complicated if not completed in the proper order filling the directions to a T.
Please reference the pictures often because messing up requires a lot of reworking and difficulties. This will once
again be broken down into steps for the parts that will be required.

Bearings
For these steps you are going to need 2, 22mm OD 8 mm ID Bearing

1. For this step you are going to need to identify the side of the 3D print that will be closer to your work
piece.This is easy to identify because it is the end that is closer to the side with the rectangle
missing.
2. You are going to need to take the bearing and ram it into the middle hole.
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 3. This is the best time to use a vice if you have one to prevent breaking the print and if you don't own
one now you have an excuse to buy one. Or you can keep reading to do it with a hammer. (For this
just open the vice just enough for the bearing and 3D print to slide between the jaws then force
close the jaws pressing the bearing into place) If you are not fortunate enough to have a vice this
can be done with a mallet very carefully as follows, (The best way to do this is stand the carriage up
so it looks like a C place the bearing on top of the empty hole and mallet between the top overhang
and the bottom overhang to prevent breaking them).
4. Once again there is a picture of me doing this step if you are unsure)

Rods
For these steps you are going to need 2, 8mm Rods cut to 180mm

1. Take two of the 8mm rods cut to 180mm length and you are going to need to ram them into the
holes next to the bearings.
2. The best way to do this is to sand the holes so you can manually force the rods through (it should
still be difficult to do)
3. Force the rods through half of the carriage (there are pictures, please look at them because messing
up is difficult to fix).

Assembling
For this you only need the Tool Holder and Carriage assembly.

1. Now is the fun part where you get to see some of your work really come together.
2. Take the Tool Holder and find the side with the overhang.
3. Next align the linear bearings with the 8mm rods and push it on so the overhang is facing toward the
other inserted bearing (again there are pictures, please look at them because messing up is difficult
to fix).

For this you are going to be modifying the 8mm Rods in the carriage

1. Now you are going to finish ramming the Rod all the way through the Carriage.
2. To do this you need to manually force the rod all the way to the other side of the carriage while
keeping the tool holder on the rods.
3. Once the Rods are all the way to the next set of holes you need to mallet them into the next set of
holes and keeping them flush on both sides (keeping them flush should be easy because they were
cut to the exact length).

Lead Screw
For these steps you are going to need the ---mm lead screw, 2, 8 mm lead screw nut, and --mm screw

1. In order to assemble the lead screw you are going to need to take the ----mm lead screw and sand
about 1 inch at the end of the lead screw in order for it to fit into the bearing.
2. What you need to do is to feed the rod through the middle hole without the bearing and screw it
through the Tool Holder
3. Then force it through the bearing at the other end while ensuring you don't push it to far because
you want to keep it flush with the end.
4. Now take the excess lead screw on the side without the bearing and sand it lightly so you can force
the bearing onto the lead screw and into the carriage with a mallet.
5. Now you are going to take the Handwheel and the side with the rounded edge is going to be

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 SCREWED on to the lead screw. Make sure you screw the hand wheel do NOT push it on!
6. Finally, take the Handwheel Pin and --mm screw and feed it through the Pin and into the
Handwheel.

Congrats You have now finished the hardest part of the build!

Step 9: Guide Ways Assembly

This is where we are going to finish the difficult parts of the construction. After this step is just tying things together
so power through and finish the last step. So here we go! Once again the build process is going to be broken down
into subsections in order to keep is as easy as possible to assemble. For these next steps, you are going to need
the Guide Way ends.

Bearings
For this step, you are going to need 2, 22mm OD 8mm ID and 4, 15mm OD 8mm ID linear bearings

1. You are going to take one of the Guide Way ends and press one of the bearings into the middle
hole on one side trying to keep it flush with the end.
2. Next, you are going to flip the piece over and do the same for the other side.
3. You then need to repeat this for the other Guide Way
4. Now you are going to set the Guide Ways to the side and grab your carriage assembly
5. With the Carriage assembly, you need to press the linear bearings into place in a specific order
6. First, pick any of the outer circles and press the bearing in
7. Then press the bearing for the opposite side of that bearing
8. Repeat that for the next two bearings on the other side

For these steps, you are going to need 2 8mm lead screw nut

1. Then you need to take the same steps for aligning the nut of the linear bearing
2. First, you need to screw on the two nuts and align the ends so they are flush with the carriage
3. Next, take your marker and straight edge to make lines on the nuts
4. Then just as before you need to ram the nut in ensuring the line is facing upward
5. Finally, ram the second nut into the opposite face ensuring the line is facing directly upward
6. being very careful here ensures proper alignment and smooth running of the tool
7. Once again all of the same rules apply where if you feel that it might crack the print please sand the
print or heat the bearing up to fit it in properly.

Rods
For this step, you are going to need 2 8mm rods at 610mm length, --mm lead screw, the previous Carriage
assembly, and --mm screw

1. First, you need to take one of your Guide Ways and make sure you have the proper orientation of
the Guide Way end with the bearing in it.
2. To do this you will need to take the side with the rectangle cut out and make that end face away
from you (just like in the picture).
3. Then turn it on its side so that the labeling is facing upwards.

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 4. once you have done that you need to mallet the 8mm rods into the piece very carefully to avoid
bending the rods or once again cracking the prints (These holes are much more forgiving and can
take much more force).
5. Now that the rods are set into place, take your carriage assembly and slide it onto the rod making
sure that the rectangle of the carriage lines up with the
Square on the Guide Way.
6. Next, you need to take the ---mm length lead screw and sand the 2 inches at the end to ensure it
slides into the bearings.
7. then feed the lead screw through the nuts of the cartridge and then into the bearings trying to keep it
flush with the end of the Guide Way.
8. finally, sand roughly 4 inches of the lead screw on the opposite end so the bearings will slide onto
the opposite end.
9. Next, you are going to take the second Guide Way end (ensure it is in the same direction as the
opposite side) and mallet it on top of the other rods after feeding the bearings through the lead
screw.
10. You will need to mallet this very carefully as not to bend the rods so every time you hit the print you
need to alternate which rod you are hitting above.
11. Then just as you did for carriage you will SCREW on the Handwheel with the rounded edge toward
the Guide Way.
12. Finally, you are going to the Handwheel pin and --mm screw feed it through the hole and into the
Handwheel screw hole.

Hardware
For these steps you are going to need 4 screws cut to --mm, 4 more screws cut to ---mm and 8 8020 mounts

1. There are 2 holes on the side and top of the Guide Ways that run all the way through to the center
square.
2. You are then going to drop the --mm screws through the side holes and loosely screw on the 8020
mounts.
3. You are then going to drop the --mm screws through the top holes and loosely screw on the 8020
mounts.
4. Please make sure the side with the ridges are facing towards the outside (Once again if you are
unfamiliar with 8020 mounting systems please reference the pictures very closely).

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Step 10: Tail Stock

For these steps, you are going to be pressing in bearings and then mounting the 8020 hardware.

Bearings
For these steps, you are going to need 2, 12 mm OD 6mm ID bearings

1. Just as any other bearing you are going to be pressing one into the front face and one into the back
face
2. once again avoiding damaging the print

Hardware
For these steps, you are going to need 2 screws cut to --mm and 2 8020 mounts

1. There is one hole on either side and of the Tail Stock that run all the way through to the center
square.
2. You are then going to drop the --mm screws through the side hole and loosely screw on the 8020
mount.
3. Please make sure the side with the ridges are facing towards the outside (Once again if you are
unfamiliar with 8020 mounting systems please reference the pictures very closely).

Step 11: 8020 Mounting

This step is relatively simple it just requires you to check your work and ensure the 8020 mounts are facing the
correct directions and then placing the parts on in the correct order (If every confused there are pictures of the
order in which this step needs to be completed).

This step is going to require the 760 mm 8020 rail and a hex key to tighten everything

1. First, ensure all of your 8020 mounts are facing the right direction (there is a picture if you are
unsure if you did this correctly)
2. Slide the Gear Box and Head Stock on the right end of the 8020 having the motor mount sit flush to
the end of the 8020.
3. Tighten all of the screws to secure the assemblies to the 8020 mount
4. Take the right side of the Guide Ways and slide only the first Guide Way one onto the 8020 mount.
5. Slide on the Tail Stock following the first Guide Way
6. Then slide on the second Guide Way following the tail stock and ensure the Guide Way all the way
to the right is touching the Head Stock.
7. Finally, tighten all of the screws of the Guide Ways while leaving the Tail Stock loose because it is
designed to be adjustable.

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Step 12: Face Plate Assembly

This is a super simple step of just screwing things together.

You will need a 6mm bore shaft hub, 6mm 170mm long shaft, and 4 screws cut to --mm

1. First, you need to take the very end of the shaft and slide the 6mm shaft hub as to where the extra
piece of metal is facing inward toward the rest of the shaft.
2. Tighten this extremely tight so it will not come loose
3. Take the faceplate and make sure the side with the lip is toward the shaft and screw in the 4 screws
into the hub

Congrats You have finished the face Plate!

Step 13: Gear System Construction

This is also relatively simple of just screwing things together. You will be mounting the faceplate assembly to the
Head Stock and then fasting all of the parts to attach the pulleys to the motors.

Face Plate Installation

For this, you are going to need the face Plate assembly and another 6mm Shaft Hub

1. First, slide the Face Plate into the Head Stock from the left to the right while going through all of
your previously installed bearings.
2. slide another 6mm shaft hub all the way until it is loosely touching the bearing of the motor mount
and then tighten the set screw to firmly attach it.

Pulley Installation
You will need the 1/8 inch shaft hub and 4 screws cut to --mm and 8 screws cut to -mm

1. First, you will need to slide the 1/8 inch shaft hub onto the motor shaft as far as there is still a slice
in the shaft so the set screw will fasten properly (have the extra piece of metal facing away from the
motor so the flush side is facing inward)
2. Then, you are going to take the larger gear and attach it to either motor securing it with the 4 --mm
screws
3. Next, take the second larger gear and attach it to the remaining motor securing it with 4 --mm
screws
4. Finally, take the smaller diameter gear and attach it to the 6mm shaft hub with the 4 --mm screws
5. This will cause all of the gears to touch and be the perfect fit to run properly

!!!CAUTION DO NOT PLACE ANYTHING NEAR THE GEARS WHILE RUNING IT CAN BREAK FINGERS AND HAIR CAN GET
CAUGHT!!!

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Step 14: Electronics

Because this is a portable lathe and whenever I travel with my workstation a permanent staple is my mini benchtop
power supply so I will not be going over how to power this from a wall outlet but rather from a pre-existing 12v DC
system.

Final Wiring
1. First, strip about 1 cm of wire from every pre-soldered lead from the motors
2. Twist, the two reds, and two blacks together.
3. finally, wire the two leads to each of the motor terminals on the PWM motor controller.

All you have to do is hook up the positive and negative to your power supply and rotate the knob to control the
speed. I did not create a designated place to mount the motor controller because I thought many people would opt
not to include one or use various types so I figured you could figure how you would like to mount it.

Step 15: Finishing Up and Basic Use

These final steps will be tieing everything together and basic setting up to use the lathe.

Tool Mount
For this step, you will need a --mm screw, the tool of choice, and 2 mounting plates.

1. First, take one of your mounting plates and de-tap the center hole by using a 1/4 inch drill bit.
2. feed the --mm screw and feed it through the de-taped plate through the hole in the tool holder and
into another plate (this one should have a taped hole) (Reference pictures if you are unsure).
3. Finally, place one tool facing forward and another facing backward and tighten the screw extremely
tight to prevent the tool from coming loose.

Face Plate Mount

For this step, you will need 3 Face Pate mounts, and 3 mounting plates, 3, --mm screws

1. To use the face plate with 3 Face Plate Mounts you will feed each of 3 screws through the mount,
then through the face plate, then into a mounting plate on the rear of the Face Plate.
2. You will need to be extremely careful to ensure your material is centered with this method.
3. If you want to upgrade to a self-centering chuck there are some you can purchase or build on your
own.

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Step 16: Oil Your Machine Before Use

This is a very basic guise on how to oil your lathe before using it. I use Silicon Lubricant but any other lubricant will
work just fine (I do not recommend using WD40, you are probably better off just leaving the oil the bearings come
with then using that.)

1. Lubricate the Guide Way first. This involves lubricating the 2 large rods and then the lead screw (do
not forget the lead screw bearings)
2. Next lubricate the carriage and tool holder rods and lead screw just as the Guide Way
3. Finally lubricate the entire Gear Box Head Stock and Face Plate assembly (This includes the gears
and bearings)
4. The lathe should now run extremely smoothly if not check the alignment of your rods then check
again.

Step 17: The First Thing You Need to Machine

The first thing you need to machine is a point in one of your 6mm rods to complete the End Stop. Here I will outline
the basic steps of machining and then installing the part (DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A GUIDE ON HOW TO
USE A LATHE there are videos online if you need step by step instructions).

Machining
You will need a 6mm by 60mm length rod

1. Mount Rod into face plate

2. turn on lathe and confirm your piece is centered
3. Make very shallow passes and do not let the piece stop spinning.
4. If the piece is not spinning you are going to fast.
5. Lathe the end down to a moderately sharp point

Installing
1. Slide the pointed part into the end stop with it facing the face plate.
2. Use a 6mm bore shaft hub and install it on the inner side of the machine to prevent it from sliding
out.
3. From now on whenever machining you should adjust the end stop so it is touching the workpiece
firmly to prevent wobble.
4. Finally, tighten the 8020 mounts so it will stay in place.

3D Printed Lathe: Page 27

Step 18: CONGRATS!!!

You now have a completely working desktop portable
lathe. The best of all of it is that you made a tool that
can now make many other tools. Congratulate
yourself and now master the use of the lathe :)
Please remember to always tie hair back, remove
jewelry, and ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES
while operating.
Please Remember If you enjoyed this instructable to Vote
for the In Motion Contest. It would help me and my
teammates very much and help us improve our robotics and
making skills. Also as I said before my teacher
promised a 100% on my final if I won so please vote
and thank you for reading! P.S. If you notice any
issues with the instructable please comment so I may
fix them ASAP as I will be reading every comment.
Also if you would like to share the files elsewhere
please give me credit for the designs because I
worked very hard on making this perfect and would
be really upset if I were not receiving the credit I
deserve. Thank You!

This is amazing I can't wait to see the finished product!!!

3D Printed Lathe: Page 28