Wood lathe made from a washing machine motor

Thinking about recycling your broken washing machine? Don't rush to throw it away; most washing machine parts can be given a new life. For example, you can make many interesting devices from the electric motor of a broken "home helper." We'll discuss how to build a wood lathe from a washing machine motor, what you'll need, and how to complete the project.

What is needed to make a machine?

It is not difficult to assemble the structure with your own hands. You can make the simplest model of a machine, consisting of a motor, a tool rest and a tailstock (frame). To make a wood lathe you need to prepare:

• a working motor from an old washing machine;
• a board that will serve as a base for the device (alternatively, the machine can be attached directly to the work table);
• a metal corner measuring 20*20 and 195 mm long, and a square pipe (will be used when preparing the tool rest);
• corner 62*62, 165 mm long (the tailstock will be made from it);
• a bolt at least 70 mm long, useful for attaching the hand rest to the base;
• a piece of metal tube slightly larger than the diameter of the engine shaft;
• bolt with a sharp tip (will be used as a rotating part of the headstock).

Don't forget to prepare the power wiring for the motor.

Tools and fasteners that will be needed during the work:

• drill;
• drills of various sizes;
• grinder and removable discs for it;
• nuts and bolts for fastening the main structural elements.

Once all the necessary tools and components are prepared, you can begin the main work. Let's figure out how to build a homemade machine from an old washing machine motor.

How is it done?

If you decide to build your own lathe, you'll need patience and time. The assembly process won't be quick. First, you need to prepare a foundation for all the components. Here's the procedure.

1. Clean the countertop.
2. Secure the washing machine's electric motor to the prepared base; you can use appropriately sized corners for this purpose.
3. Assemble a hand rest from metal corners and square tube.
4. Using a drill and a drill bit of the appropriate size, drill a hole in the tabletop to attach the tool rest and secure the piece with a bolt.
   
5. Assemble the frame using a 62mm angle and a serrated bolt.
   
6. Fasten the tool rest and the tailstock together.
7. Make a nozzle for the electric motor shaft; you can make it from a piece of water pipe. The teeth of the attachment are cut with a grinder.
8. Weld the attachment to the electric motor shaft.
9. Connect the power wire to the motor.
   

By following these steps, you'll build a small wood lathe that can be useful around the home. The piece of wood to be worked is mounted on the sharp end of the drive shaft and the rotating tailstock assembly. Once the machine is running, you can begin turning.

Machine application areas

What is the scope of application of such an unusual homemade product? A small lathe for a home workshop, assembled with your own hands from a washing machine motor, can be used to create practical or decorative items from wood. Using a homemade device you can do:

• elements of interior or exterior decoration of a house;
• furniture parts;
• carved railings for stairs;
• tool handles;
• stools and much more.

In addition, a mini wood lathe can be used:

• for grinding the treated surface;
• when applying a thread with a certain pitch to the working surface;
• for drilling connections in parts;
• for the purpose of turning wooden elements.

As you can see, the machine's applications are quite extensive. Therefore, if the motor from an unwanted washing machine is still in working order, you can give it a second life and turn it into a useful household appliance.

   

Readers' comments