Introduction: 3D Printed Mini Lathe for Wood + Plastic + Aluminum

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A cheap and affordable yet robust lathe, for small works.

There are many DIY mini-lathes 3D printed or not. Non-3D printed ones are difficult to build. 3D printed ones are weak and prone to twisting due to lack of robustness, often using linear shafts, which are not suitable for cutting aluminium. Also, they can't turn wood and other parts on the same lathe.

The goal of this project is to build a lathe using affordable, readily available components, including parts salvaged from discarded printers. By repurposing these materials, we reduce waste and contribute to a cleaner environment.

Please note that English is not my main language and this project was made as a hobby and also to learn how to work with Fusion 360 that is a really powerful software and free for personal use. The provided file is not professionally done, as it was created while I was learning and following Fusion 360 tutorials, but maybe you want it to make some changes.

Don't forget to use the necessary protection as you will be working with electricity and objects with high rotation

Supplies

Image 1: I chose the 1570 profile because it's accessible and has side guides that make the structure very strong by holding the 3D printed plastic structure and main carriage at the ends.

Image 2: The main parts. I've got several parts from salvaged printers/scanners (Ex: 8mm linear rods, 608Z bearing, pulleys, motor). Depending on your setup, you will need different screws/washers/nuts.

Image 3: I've got my pulley set from a printer but it was very difficult to adapt and its not 100% so, probably you will need to buy a pulley set like the image 3.


In my case, I've used:

HAND CRANKS:

2 - M4x50mm bolts

6 - M4 washers

4 - M4 nuts

2 - M4 breake nuts

TOPS:

4 - M5x20 bolts

4 - T5 Nuts

LOCK THE TOOLS:

4 - M4x20 nuts

STOP RIVETS/BEARINGS:

9 - M3x10 for plastic

Step 1: 3D PRINTING

ATTENTION: I modified some parts after printing mine, to fix some small problems.

The stability of the lathe depends on the robustness of the parts. I printed it in PLA because it's cheap, biodegradable, easy to print, and quite rigid.

I've used this settings:

  • Resolution 0.3 (max of my printer)
  • Vertical Shells: 4
  • Horizontal Shells: 4
  • Infill 30% Gyroid
  • Supports - Depends of your printer and the part (Snug is a really nice support together with painting option)

VERY IMPORTANT: The part "Component_Y.stl " has nuts inside. You need to insert a pause in the slicer to be able to insert them. In my case, with a resolution of 0.30, the pause is at layer 52.70, as you can see in the image.

The " Motor_Support.stl " is just for testing purpose. After testing, I found that it was better to use a solid block off wood, because the plastic supports cause to much vibration.

Attachments

Step 2: ASSEMBLY

Assembly is very straightforward but, here are a few tips and photos:

  • Use a strong base, like wood, aluminium or plastic.
  • You might need to sand or drill some parts, depending on your printer and material.
  • The "Base_x" fits tightly into the aluminium profile and might be rough at first.
  • Apply a bit of glue to the ends of the shafts to keep them from coming off when vibrating.
  • Depending on where you mount the motor, you will have more or less space near the of the lathe chuck.

Step 3: TOOLS

  1. A piece of 8mm rod from a printer with a ER16 Chuck. (you could use a drill chuck)
  2. Another piece of 8mm rod from a printer with a adjustable bit stopper
  3. S08K-STFCR11 bought on Aliexpress.

This tools allow to work on wood, plastic and aluminium.

In the first tool, you need to wear two little pieces, in the screw positions, to prevent the shaft from rotating.

You can make many other tools using old and damaged bits like in this video:

https://youtu.be/k2a9ywCEK_A?si=eGV4vRRn2z_e34p3

Step 4: TESTS NOT OK

In my first test, the lathe's base was just a 1.5mm thick metal sheet salvaged from a scanner, and it wasn't secured to the table.

The vibration was so strong that the piece jumped. I had to attach the metal sheet to a solid wooden base and clamp the vise to a solid table.

In the videos, you can also see issues like the crank rotating by itself due to vibration and motor rotation opposite to the cutting tool, big mistake... Anyway, I was surprised it cut something :)

Step 5: TESTS OK

I was happy with the results. The cut surfaces are quite smooth, the aluminium chips are good and, despite the engine having low speed, the wood is also quite good too. My cheap Lathe Chuck is not very precise as you can see on videos (maybe a factory default). I believe that if it were good, the result would be much better. Additionally, in the end, if you use sandpaper or a file while it turns on the lathe, it becomes perfect.

Because I don't have a professional camera stand, the camera is placed on the same table as the lathe so, there are vibration on video caused by the lathe :(

Step 6: CONCLUSION

Lessons learned:

  • Get a strong base
  • Attach it to a solid table with clamps
  • Make sure the motor is rotating for correct direction
  • Make sure the cranks don't move with vibration
  • Go slowly
  • Buy a good Lathe Chuck because mine is not precise
  • The lathe has a very interesting performance


This mini lathe lets me make small parts, especially for repairs when those parts are no longer made.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the results. I don't know how long it will last without issues, but for now, I'm having fun.

If you find any errors, please let me know. Hope you like it!

If you like it, please vote it. Thank you.