The slide for the rest consists of a 1-in. square steel bar, about 10 in. long, having a hole drilled in one end and threads cut with a 1/2-in. tap. The rest used in this hole is made of a 1/2-in. rod, threaded on one end and bent at right angles on the other. The clamping device for the slide is made of two bars, 1 in. by 3/16 in., fastened to the square bar and extending down between the ways with sufficient ends beneath to attach a wooden clamp block and cam with a handle. This construction is clearly shown in the drawing. If only a lathe is required, the machine would be complete as now described, but the other attachments illustrated will greatly add to its usefulness and the owner will be well repaid by making them.
Attachments
One table is used for the circular saw, planer head, sander, and jig saw, and it is attached on top of the headstock and tailstock standards with bolts, run through the back edge of the board and the ends of two brackets which are screwed to the back edge of the inner standards. Thumb nuts are used on the bolts to aid in making the change quickly. More than one hole is provided in the back edge of the board, so that the tailstock bracket can occupy the right position for the sander or planer head, as the case may be. The holes in the bracket ends should be somewhat larger than the bolt, to allow tilting of the table. An adjusting screw is substituted for the rest, so that the table can be raised or lowered to suit the work in hand.
The circular saw is 5 in. in diameter and should have fine teeth. It is placed on the spindle threads against the nut, and held there with another nut and washer on the end of the spindle. The table is attached over the saw, and the spindle is driven at a high speed.
The planer head is made of a wood block, 9 in. long and 2-3/4 in. square. A 3/8-in. hole is bored through one way near each end, as shown in the drawing, and two steel knives, with 1/2-in. holes coinciding with the 3/8-in. holes in the wood, are made and attached with their edges opposite or projecting diagonally from the corners. The holes in the knives being larger than the bolts, makes the knives adjustable for setting the cutting edges. These knives may be made from an old saw blade, ground to size and one edge beveled and sharpened. A brass plate, with holes to fit the spur center, is fastened in the center of the block, on one end, and the other is centered for the cup of the tailstock screw. The adjusting screw for the table is used to regulate the cut.
The sander is constructed of a wood piece, 9 in. long and 3-3/8 in. in diameter. A groove is cut in one side of the rounding surface to admit the ends of the abrasive which may be fastened there with tacks.
An emery wheel can be used on the spindle in the same manner as the circular saw. Procure a wheel, 5 in. in diameter with a 1/2-in. face and having a lead center. The hole should be bored out and tapped to fit the threads on the lathe spindle, and to have the grinding surface run true, this work should be done in a lathe by a machinist.
The drawings show the construction of the jig-saw attachment. The standard on which the arms are pivoted is made of a 1/2-in. bolt, threaded for its entire length and with a groove cut in the head and nut to receive the arm pivots. A locknut is used beneath the notched nut to hold the adjustment. Two nuts and washers are used near the center of the bolt for clamping the attachment to the table. The pivots are made of sheet metal, bent and drilled as shown. The small projection at each end of the edge is raised slightly by hammering the corner of the metal. These projections prevent the arms from sliding sideways. The clamps for holding the ends of the saw blades are easily made of thin sheet steel, or brass, with a 3/16-in. bolt and washer at the end for the clamp. The tension of the blade is secured by a piece of wire, an eyebolt and a thumb nut, connecting the rear ends of the arms as shown. The frame is driven by the spur center. The pins are removed from the center and a 1/4-in. pin is inserted in one of the holes so that it will project 5/8 in. The pin runs in a slot cut in a brass plate that is attached to the lower arm.
Very serviceable tools can be made of discarded files by grinding them to shape on the emery wheel. Always use a fine whetstone to finish the edge on a woodworking tool.