lathe?

I'd think by the time you set up the tool holder and cross slide you'd have spent almost enough

to buy one of Harbor Freight's small metal lathes. I have the 8
by12 model and love it.
 
Michael is right.
I did it once and learned my lesson.

I converted an old Sears Atlas wood lathe to metal and it drove me nuts. Also didn't work as well as the metal lathe I ultimately bought.

First you have to gear it way down. Very small pulley on the motor and a very large one on the lathe. That's easy to say but you can't fit a large enough pulley on the lathe so you have to build a torque box and run the lathe directly from that.

Then you have to but a headstock. That's not cheap. Even a cheap one will run 150.00 or so.

After you fit that, you need to buy a cross slide....a cheap one will cost 65.00 or so. You need the cutter holder, make mods to the tail stock, reinforce the rails so it cuts down on the chatter......etc, etc.

Take my advice. Buy a used lathe at the very least,
 
Thank you Gentlemen so a HF metal lathe can I work wood on it as well?
I'm going to get a HF portable bandsaw so I need to make a trip there :D
Peace
Bob
 
I turn wood on mine from time to time.
You can turn it finer than on a wood lathe actually.
Get a set of collets for the lathe too. So much more accurate than a chuck and handier for turning the small things you'll be using in knife making.
 
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