Adam Savage's New Mini Watchmakers Lathe!

Adam's been slowly building up to getting his new 8mm watchmakers lathe (courtesy of Tested patron Lee Marsh!), and he finally tackles the setup with the lathe motor he recently restored. It doesn't go exactly as planned, but he gets it hooked up to a countershaft and brushless motor and couldn't be more excited about what this lathe will bring to his build process. Expect more upgrades to the lathe in the coming weeks!
Adam's restoration of the lathe motor: • Adam Savage Repairs a ...
The lathe motor was a gift from Tested viewer Paul Dorton--thanks Paul!
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Shot by Adam Savage and edited by Josh Self
Music by Jinglepunks
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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#adamsavage #onedaybuilds

[@tested]

Check out Chronova Engineering: www.youtube.com/@chronovaengineering Adam's restoration of the lathe motor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/joLHe2CrfMSBpdE The lathe motor was a gift from Tested viewer Paul Dorton--thanks Paul!

[@kaboom-zf2bl]

on the back end of the mounting board add some small hand wheels and some VERY fine threaded rods to tension each assembly for the belts more accurately .... and dont forget to leave space for a tool rest assembly to work from ...

[@codprawn]

WOW what a gift. If you are interested in delicate work Clickspring on KZbin is a must. He has been building a very accurate copy of the famous Antikythera mechanism amongst others. It's funny I always hated small lathes but now I have several monsters I have become fascinated with tiny work!

[@dqwernet]

Diagram of how to replace a hall sensor with a variable resistor. drive.google.com/file/d/1bSE9vftQQLGGos4UH7KkB0bjkC0M2V7v/view?usp=sharing

[@chronovaengineering]

Thank you for your kind words and the shout-out! Best of luck with your lovely new machine, we're sure it will bring you lots of joy!

[@leemarsh3569]

Just subscribed to your channel 😊

[@TheScramble8]

New sub.

[@Froobyone]

I love it when my subbed channels crossover. It's a good day.

[@Eis_Bear]

15:44 I'm a watchmaker, and the way we learned to join a belt way back in college was by clamping a thin bit of metal (brass or steel) in a vice and heating it up till it's hot enough to melt the belt. Then put both ends of the belt on oposite sides of the heated plate and slide them off so they join. Trim the excess with a sharp knife. This way the joint won't get burned or sooty and will be stronger.

[@quademasters249]

I use the same technique but I use the heated blade on a paracord cutter. Ends on heated blade, then slide up and together

[@Goodsnout]

Bingo. That's the way I learned too, except in watch school where a buddy would take the place of the vise.

[@randomakerfilm]

pro tip: mcmaster has quick connect round belting very suitable for watchmaker's lathes. Has a barb that connects the two ends very robustly. for example, mcmaster part number 6567K56.

[@sonofdamocles]

I came to the comments specifically to ask about this type of belt technology. I have a few devices that need belts that I've had trouble finding. I can just make my own?

[@jeffsalmon2020]

The belts are called roundthane and it is available in different diameters. Buy it by the foot. Make sure to get the connectors to fit. Great stuff. McMaster Carr sells it. I have never had good luck getting the heat weld belt to stay together. I even heated a thin piece of steel, pressed the belt to both sides of the hot metal,then quickly joined the pieces. Never could keep it together. Rounthane is so much easier.

[@brians5781]

I have used this round thine belting it has its benefits but nothing is stronger then a solid core belt fuse together, I have seen the yellow round thine connector let go and fail many times. For this application. What’s the torque needed and resistance given soiled round is best

[@jacobmartinez3762]

Hey Adam. I'm just now discovering your content. I'll say I absolutely love how real and raw your one day build videos are. The inclusion of mistakes, sudden realizations of better executions of the task at hand, best of all the joy you show when you succeed!!! Keep it up buddy, hope to learn some more from you along the way.

[@PetervanGinneken]

I'm the son of a watchmaker and my dad also had one of those. Only there was no motor attached, he always used it with a handcrank that looked a lot like the largest wheel on that countershaft. The objects he would be making were always mounted between two centers and spun using a little "arm" and the tool was almost always a hand held chisel. (Sorry if my jargon is off but I'm Dutch and not a machinist)

[@sithus1966]

Where I work we use round stock belts to transport small round parts. Our head maintenance man made a jig to join said belts. It has two jointed blocks to hold each end of the belt pieces and then in the center a slot that a flat soldering iron fits into. You push each end of the stock against the soldering iron and once hot you pull it out and push the ends together giving you a perfect alignment of the ends.

[@wobblysauce]

Same as making gaskets…

[@kevinengland8209]

I like that block you used to help with tapping !! Good Times!!!

[@scottlidstone1902]

If they ever remake Back to the Future Adam NEEDS to be Doc Brown. Stay awesome Doc Savage

[@johnhelt5475]

15:56 When I join round belts like this, I use an exacto blade in a soldering iron. I mark the belt ends then lay them side by side and cut diagonally with the hot blade. Then, I press both cut ends against the blade again to soften the plastic, and press them together. I end up with a very smooth and strong connection, with more surface area adhering it.

[@user-pd5ot4zd4b]

Fabulous! Love small, sensitive, high precision tools. Look forward to it's appearance in projects.

[@Akumanomi0000]

Personally, I recommend putting some kind of shield between everything electronic, including the motor, and the lathe because small metal particles do not get along well with electronic parts.

[@kevinsellsit5584]

Metallic dust has killed many a (modern switching electronic) welder! P.S. The best (only) way to remove metallic particles from a motors' permanent magnets is shop air followed by duct tape that has been left in the sun until it becomes a gooey mess. Ask me how I know.

[@dieSpinnt]

@@kevinsellsit5584 Who would you ask about safety in electronic devices and electro-installation? Someone who actually learned it as a trade or a welder? With all respect, the answers to those questions lie in f.e. safety regulation standards like VDE, CEE, FCC and not in some more or less stoopid horror stories of some pirates, sorry ... I meant welders/machinists = USERS with (usually) no expertise on the matter. Those regulations are based on BLOOD and DEATH, accumulated and adjusted over a century and are no joke. You as a welder have appropriate workplace safety regulations for your circumstances and we electronic engineers have to follow similar regulatory frameworks when designing circuits and machines that do NOT kill you in any case or accident. If someone today in 2023 gets electrocuted (or worse) by the problematic you described, the responsible person for the workshop or for workplace safety will with no doubt go to jail for his unbelievable negligence and ignorance regarding to provide modern safety standards to his workers. That is no joke, too. With modern (I am speaking of 1970 !!! onward ...) residual current protection systems there is no excuse for such accidents and deaths you described in you comment. Oh and btw: THERE ARE NO PERMANENT MAGNETS in an asynchronous squirrel-cage rotor three-phase motor like in the video or most machine shop tool machines. That gave me a good laugh, my friend. Thanks for that. Also "removing metal particles" and "duct tape" was a good joke, worth of a circus number:) WE DO NOT LET SUCH CONTAMINATION HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! If that happens to your machines ... admit that you got scammed, move on and buy something that isn't build to kill you in the first place. Why TF is this so complicated? And yes, I've heard such absolutely irrational BS from other grown men at the workplace. Most of them still alive:) Unbelievable!

[@dieSpinnt]

... AND EARTHING ALL METAL PARTS!!! It is embarrassing that we have to mention this here. As the mishap with the cable "bite" wasn't hint enough, that he is building a machine:) Unbelievable ... Hey, I wanna see more content from him, so we have to protect him from hurting himself!:) Edit: Wiring up mains-earth is not the last thing what you do in a prototype, but the very first! Guess when the most accidents happen?;)

[@jimruddy6083]

Love the sliding motor mount design, big fan of threaded inserts, that engine is very popular upgrade for the mini lathe (7x18) - IIRC a potentiometer (10K OHM) can replace the lever mechanism - a 10-Turn Multi Turn one gives you fin adjustment.

[@paulhiggins8774]

I’m so jealous, I’ve always wanted a watch makers lathe but could never afford one. Nice job and love your channel Adam

[@meisenhut31]

Listening/watching Adam work on a tiny lathe while i work on my small lathe wishing i had a big lathe. Its all about perspective.

[@fundaez1250]

I don’t know, some people would say that watchmakers lathe has great personality.

[@mysticmarble94]

Timeless character 🤌

[@plainnpretty]

I agree

[@nulliusinverba5742]

I just noticed Adam has a Tattoo of a ruler on his left arm, What a brilliant idea, the amount of times ive had to beg or borrow one when on site. Definitly the mark of a true engineer. Thanks for the great Videos.

[@pauljustice8231]

my uncle just passed away,he was a clock maker and jeweler....He left me 4 or 5 of these lathes, a drill press and all the hardware i could ever need...i am an engineer but this stuff is tiny...i love it...i been having a good time playing with the lathes

[@akhtaralimalik989]

Hi, I am interested, if you want to sell any these small lathes? Please let me know. Thanks David M

[@ronitsingh85]

jewelers/watchmakers lathes and accessories are just beautiful machines, that alone is justification to have one as a display piece. They are very well built and look beautiful.

[@Drickett1]

Adam it is easier to join belts by putting a butter knife in a vise and heating up the knife blade and putting the two ends on each side of hot blade when melted it is easy to join the two together. Thanks and enjoying everything

[@fundaez1250]

4:50 appreciate Adam’s singing button

[@dy9955]

I wish the original set up had worked. I loved that look with all the pulling and belts.

[@marks8437]

Shout out to Lee Marsh! What an awesome gift! (Especially for Adam) Adam, please make an episode with this lathe making a model out of brass, like an X-wing fighter with movable wings. That would be awe inspiring.

[@stevenebullock]

Time to build a lighted case for it on casters, and include a felt lined drawer for collet and bit storage!!! Then weather the case!! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@dMb1869]

I love it when the editor gets talkative. It’s always hilarious. 😂

[@Shadoweclipse1386]

I enjoy almost all of your builds Adam, but this is one of the coolest in a while!!

[@Studiolindholm]

I got the tip of instead of using the torch directly on the belt to heating up a piece of steel, and then use the steel to melt the ends of the belt. It makes for pretty clean joint. :) I used a piece of sheet metal and a tea light below it, then you have both hands to make the joint.

[@mercuriall2810]

This approach works very well. A single edge razor blade works very well for both cutting the belt to size and then heated as you describe to weld the belt ends together. Hold the blade’s edge in a vise, heat with torch, press ends of belt into blade until melting and then slide them up the blade towards the edge until the ends come in contact with eachother.

[@mitch3384]

I love those sewing machine servo motors! We use them in the sharpening community to add variable speed and bi-direction to Harbor Freight-style 1x30 belt grinders, as well as powering more specialized 1x30 belt machines. Aside from some cutout issues I have caused by the extension cable I made (probably a wire too small), they perform great - good torque, ridiculous speed, and most of the control boxes have really useful customization options.

[@Morgoroth37]

Where do you find them?

[@curt149k]

@@Morgoroth37EBay

[@ghostshadow1]

Love it! I've been trying to get my hands on a Unimat lathe for quite a while. A few years ago they were selling pretty cheap and I didn't jump on it and now they seem to have doubled in price. The way these tiny watchmaker's lathes just pack away into their own cases and whatnot are just super appealing to me. The detail and engineering that goes into them is just amazing! Especially when you consider how old some of them are and thinking about manufacturing challenges back then!

[@kungfumachinist]

OMG, I have one of these! It's been in my father-in-law's basement for many years. I wasn't sure it was a lathe as I expected to see a tail stock. Not sure I have the skills to restore it, was thinking of making a desk lamp or something out of the parts. Seeing your excitement over such a tool has inspired me to give it a go. Thanks!

[@donevans1884]

Brilliant video Adam , i look at all the advice you get and wonder at the knowledge people have , all i can add is that i love the video's , your a star .

[@robertpearson8798]

A generous gift indeed. I had someone ask me lately what I could do with my new 12x36 metal lathe. The best I could do was say that it makes things round😆

[@MagnusZetterberg]

Hey! Former watchmaker here! We used exactly those lathes everyday during the 3year of training when creating axels all dimensions for anything from large wall clocks to small handwatches. If I remember it correctly, we hand maked axels for the balance which where less the 0.11-0.09mm in diameter. We needed to stop using the lathe tool(the one which you hold in your hands when removing material from the steel/brass), and then we simply polished it down the last part, like going from 0.12mm to 0.09mmmili to push all the un-eveness to get a polished surface when assembling it later with the balance... (Anything that lowers the friction is super important) We then used a special tool for called (in Swedish) "rullbänk", which was pain in the ass to use, but essentiall to master. Anyway, love the content, and I have been waiting and waiting for watchmaker tools popping upp on your channel. Keep up the good work!!

[@NigelTolley]

> We then used a special tool for called (in Swedish) "rullbänk" And what did that do?

[@CorbyQ]

I think, for me anyway the most satisfying part of the build was the speed adjuster screw he nade. Wonderful build Adam and wonderful editing editing guy.

[@stephenoffiler8024]

I was thinking he needs a coarser thread. Looks like a lot of turning to get much speed change.

[@zimmy1958]

Lol from a guy who used these kind of belts for 40 years I had to smile how you spliced them.

[@alexgrandino8777]

Hi Adam. I hope I am not too late but you will have to change the 2 pulleys for 2 double ones. The belts don’t like any slepage because they over heat and break in few minutes. This is the reason that I put a double pulley on the motor also one on the lathe shaft. The motor side may need to be smaller in order to have à very low speed and some extra torque . I am using a hi torque motor with RPM control and Torque control And a precise over load control. Sorry about my English. I am French.

[@soranuareane]

Standalone cameras need a feature where you can select your focus box or focus point, like cell phone cameras already have. Select a point on the screen and say "keep this point in focus".

[@drewdoesart9277]

I love watching you tinker. 😀

[@RichardCalder67]

High precision tools make me happy

[@mikenco]

I'm one step ahead of you. I too bought an expensive jeweller lathe motor which didn't have enough grunt. I took apart a pillar drill that had 5 belt steps on it. That works a treat!

[@first_namelast_name4923]

I have added very similar sewing machine motor to my desktop lathe - 150mm (6") swing diameter and it works wonderfully. I have used very similar way of setting the speed - screw to the arm that is supposed to be connected to the pedal. There are modifications published on the net for connecting a potentiometer, but I did not want to void warranty. Those brushless motors are wonderful for all sorts of stuff in DIY setting.

[@StiffmanOz]

I've put one of these servo motors on my old lathe. It works great. I ended up leaving the controller as is. It means I can set the speed where I want quickly. If I recall correctly, the speed control mechanism (i think it's a hall effect sensor? maybe) is possibly at mains potential, and i decided to leave it as is. on mine, you also have to have the control at 0 when you turn on the unit, otherwise it won't go until its put to 0. I thought that might have been what Adam was experiencing before he found the damaged wires. The motors run so well, I've contemplated putting them on some of the other equipment I have, like my small benchtop drillpress, and my belt grinder. The instant speed setting is such a handy feature.

[@akhtaralimalik989]

Does anyone knows that where in UK I can buy this motor and this fantastic controller? Thanks David M

[@asc7147]

Drumming, singing, voices, swearing . . . We got it ALL in this episode!!!😂 Well done, Adam!

[@eliotbrown4506]

Josh Self! Another person to be thankful for on this day, Thanksgiving 2023!

[@MrAtaripitbull]

Your show's have helped me tackle a restoration project of mine on my old theater film splicer. Keep the shows coming Adam to keep inspiring people like me..

[@jamesmihalcik1310]

I have the same lathe. We use hand gravers to do pivot shafts and other very fine machining. We also use a foot pedal for frequent start/stop tool adjustments, much easier and faster when using both hands for very small fine works. Its a very different thought process compared to larger lathes. Using a tool holder will just crush off very fine pivot ends, better results using hand gravers. Nice work getting everything going again, its becoming a lost art.

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing. I inherited an unimax 3000. I restored it and have enjoyed it for years. I have turned a set of starter bronze bushings.

[@franksmodels29]

Great vid I used it on my Craftsman lathe mounted both the box and speed controller under the table works perfectly now I have a variable speed controller on my lathe with out spending crazy money.. thanks Adam 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@joannehart9624]

I can only imagine how useful this will be when you are creating small, detail parts for your various builds. A table-top mill would be the perfect companion.

[@olsonspeed]

Great idea going to a servo motor on the watch makers lathe. I replaced the huge clutch motor motor on my WWII Singer walking foot industrial sewing machine with a kit from Amazon. I was completely amazed how it transformed my vintage machine into a quiet, powerful workhorse.

[@makingtolearn]

Awesome build. Definitely going to do this motor mod for my old Peerless watchmaker's lathe. I still miss my old Bergeon lathe...

[@lastwordindicator]

Its now April 2024 and I see that this video was posted 5 months ago. I know I'm a little late to the party but, I would (at this time) like to welcome you Adam and all of the staff at Tested to the watch makers tooling world. The Watchmakers, Jewelers and Model Makers have been using the lathes and Milling Machines of this scale for centuries. Try making some Salesman Samples of miniature mechanical devises like from the 1800's. I'd (personally) be interested in seeing what you could come up with in your shop.

[@grendel1960a]

I have a watchmakers lathe, I powered mine using a 24V 150W scooter motor, with a 24V power supply and a 0-40V PWM speed controller, this is plenty powerful enough for such a tiny lathe. these lathes are great for working on very small parts. I have 3 small lathes (and a 13" south bend) the watchmakers, a small flexispeed (the whole lathe is just 12" long), and a unimat 3, all are great for small stuff. (up to about 3/4" dia)

[@1pcfred]

By the looks of it Adam opted for a 550 W BLDC motor.

[@controllerfreak3596]

I learned about the center punch that you're using here from one of your previous machining videos and got a pretty similar one. I actually use it for a ton of things and on a ton of materials to diferent purposes. It can straight up just punch through thin leather. It also works really well on starting nails or screws in soft wood when you don't wanna break out the drill but want a tiny bit of accuracy.

[@idontwantcorporateretaliat6301]

dang it Adam, I was hoping these motors would stay under the radar a little longer. Now I'm going to have to get one before they blow up in price.

[@ArjanGroe]

Oh that moment when you are nearly there and it all goes to sh*t… soooo recognizable and frustrating. 😂

[@slipperysam1337]

adding to Adam's tool collection, what a shock!

[@mikes5918]

I have been in that frustrated place many times and as tough as it is to get through when you come out the other side it is very satisfying...but I sure wish I had gotten it right the first time! :) great video, Adam and thank you for posting your projects for us!

[@Charles-lane277]

I love watching this because I always learn something new.

[@officialbritishtaxpayer5609]

Hello Adam, Absolutely loved your very entertaining video! You are going through the trials and tribulations that I did with my watchmaker's lathe - a 6mm Lorch from about 1890. It is reassuring to me that, as I am a total chump without any understanding of electronics, even a clever chap like you can also experience what I did. In the end after what seemed like 295,654 hours of experimentation I dispensed with the countershaft and just used a sewing machine motor similar to yours with a rheostat to vary the speed. To help with speed variation, I put a 3 -step pulley on the motor, the other the way round to the one on the lathe's headstock. It' was only a temporary arrangement but has worked for me for 20 years. I also use those polyurethane drive belts and had just as much trouble joining them as you did!. Bit by bit I've bought more and more accessories for it and when I need to do tiny work, it's been brilliant. These lathes are incredibly precise and if looked after, will last several lifetimes - yours has obviously wound up in exactly the right home.

[@pg9112471]

I used that same motor for a 5c cnc lathe I built several years ago. The motor speed control uses an optical type variable resistance control that you can swap out for a potentiometer you can mount anywhere to control the speed. Takes a few seconds to swap out the optical for the potentiometer. I think it's a 10k ohm pot.

[@erikcramer]

Hi Adam, I used the same motor just this week but ended up soldering a pot meter on the inside and making it come out where the green sticker is, to make life a bit more easy. 😊

[@rostringstudios4095]

Beautiful machine and final assembly, the only thing that lets it down is the contrast between the lovely old lathe and the modern sewing machine parts. As a prop builder, it would be easy to make a cover for the motor and driver with the same aesthetic as the Lathe. It's also a good idea to protect the DC motor from Steel particles. A bit of stain and some brass highlights and it would look fitting.

[@badbob1982]

Hearing Adam use the term “sh*te” to express frustration, pleases my Scottish mind.

[@TheWadetube]

Wonderful finish job, I would suggest putting up a barrier between the work and the motor and electronics to protect them from filings.

[@Taylorisafarmeryo]

Super cool. Inspired me to make my own mini-lathe for small woodworking items. Got the servo ordered. It would be super cool to see some kind of wheel or other system to speed up changing settings so you don’t have to screw that bolt with your fingers.

[@Nilani]

I honestly assumed it was going to be a lever with slots set at certain speeds, almost like an engine order telegraph.

[@oscartattoo3910]

I have the exact same motor in my little proxxon lathe. If you power it off and then back on again, you're gonna have to screw that speed adjustment knob aaaaaall the way to 0 before you can get it running again. Cute little safety feature I found after doing basically the same mod... I finally just removed the spring, replaced the axle on the lever with a nut and bolt that I adjust for how much resistance I want in the original lever. I've seen others replacing the whole thing with a multiturn resistor (5kohm if I recall correctly) Mine still has the lever "temporary" solution because it works just fine. Very happy with the motor though, especially the torque.

[@keithviolette5870]

I'm planning to mount one of these on my Sherline lathe - would you happen to have the rough measurements for the motor?

[@oscartattoo3910]

@@keithviolette5870 don't have it anywhere near me at the moment but if you google around for "industrial sewing machine brushless servo motor" or any combination of those terms you should find an near infinite amount of info. I have both the 600w and 750W version and they are 100% identical to each other and Adams motor in the video. Hope that helps

[@larrybridgers1823]

Oly moly that motor is fast as light

[@markclark7273]

Hi Adam, I nearly bought a slightly bigger version of your watchmakers lathe some years back but passed as it was too small for my needs. What I wanted to mention is that I recently bought a Chinese sewing machine motor for my current lathe and found the lever switch was a bit on and off with not much variable range, you can fix this by removing the circuit board in the switch and spacing it out from its mounts with plastic wshers by about 1 to 2mm. As these are a hall sensor and work with a magnet, a bit more distance between the magnet in the and and the sensor gives a much smoother progression of speed, its worth doing as it improves the control a lot. Keep up the good work, Mark, UK.

[@SocksAndPuppets]

I love seeing adam say "I bought this cheap, it's perfect." followed immediately by "I just need to dismantle it and replace 90% of the parts"

[@jtreg]

Yep I got the same motor that runs my R and A 1923 lathe, no countershaft either. Very strong and runs via a Vee belt onto the R and A's brass pulleys...

[@joeberrantes8277]

I noticed others have given advice on joining those belts. Many ways to solve an issue, however the best tool for joining belts having tried some of those other procedure with mixed success is a Fenner Drives Butt Welding Kit. It is a quick no fuss and accurate way to fuse belts, with an extremely low possibility of burning yourself. The belts I have made with the kit have been accurate well fused and have not failed.

[@sheariley1910]

I have that exact center punch and I love it.

[@jakemeyer8188]

How fortuitous! I've been looking into small lathes and other miniaturized tools like small table saws and drill presses as well; mainly because I work with small projects more than anything. The cost is much more inclined with what I can afford while I save up for the larger, more universally useful versions. I think there's something to be said about the smaller tools that are easily available and affordable.

[@Sandy.J.Lloyd.Sr.]

@jakemeyer8188, I recommended this channel to Adam but after reading your comment you might find it interesting and helpful as well. The channel name is clickspring and I hope you find it useful too, I know I did.

[@mercuriall2810]

Be aware that the lathe bed, motor and headstock are the least expensive part of this stuff. It’s cross slides, collets and other accessories that really add up. Be very wary of buying an incomplete set, it can cost a small fortune to acquire whatever other accessories you need. It is usually a lot cheaper in the long run to save up for a set that comes complete with everything you expect to need.

[@jakemeyer8188]

@@mercuriall2810 that's a good point, and now that I think about the cost of such parts I've sourced in the past for different projects, it occurs to me that you're definitely right!

[@korn38ktm]

what is this fortuitous word you say?

[@lennym1636]

@@korn38ktm for·tune /ˈfôrCHən/ noun noun: fortune; plural noun: fortunes a large amount of money or assets. "he eventually inherited a substantial fortune"

[@OmnieStar]

Woooow! Grats on the lathe! That thing is freaken amazing!!

[@NESMASTER14]

That custom threaded actuator is slick! Great video.

[@tigershirew7409]

I am really liking the sound track you put on this video!

[@hendrikrozijnenblad8666]

I don't know what it is about lathes that makes me all giddy, as i've never worked with one. But by the gods old and new, they do. This video made me happy when i really needed some positivity. Thank you, James Gunn's Special Effects Double, this made my day.

[@ephronx]

Love my Emco Unimat (made in Austria) which I bought from the son of the man that bought it originally in the 70's. It includes a mini mill, tiny table saw and jig saw all in one well engineered package. They are renowned for their accuracy. Not quite a watchmakers lathe and does have a fiddly thread cutting jig (which I did not get) plus many other attachments.

[@stephenoffiler8024]

Those Unimats are quite popular! I had one that was very complete and original as far as the lathe goes, plus the wooden box, all original documentation, and the column for mill/drill, but I was lacking the milling vise, table saw, jig saw etc. However, I never ever used it, and decided to sell on Facebook Marketplace. Response was unbelievable. I had several hundred hits and a half-dozen full price offers in a matter of hours. Got $500 for it. Even after I made the deal and started turning people away, I was getting people offering up to $575 to try to win it back.

[@leemarsh3569]

That was my first lathe bought from a friend. Great little machines 😊

[@leewaddell8561]

Wow just love the sound of it...

[@lokedog916]

Love your work Adam, been a huge fan since I first watched mythbusters, I love your precision on your builds

[@Warshipmodelsunderway]

Adam, you need to journey down San Marcos (just North of San Diego) and visit the Sherline factory (and their museum of craftsmanship nearby). It would make a great tested video (or more than one) , and you could see them create hobby scale milling machines and lathes. For anyone contemplating a similar project to this, Sherline sells quality motors, complete with speed controls, that could easily be adapted to traditional watchmakers lathes.

[@awdturbopowah773]

This is exactly what I was thinking too. I love what Adam did, and it was a cool project, but after he added the motor with digital speed control, I just kept thinking to myself, "I would have just bought a Sherline."

[@Warshipmodelsunderway]

@@awdturbopowah773 That lathe is very cool though, I just would have got the pre-packaged solution of a Sherline motor and speed controller hooked up to it. I'm not sure if they still offer that option, but if they do it was a compact, affordable solution.

[@bradbutcher3984]

I have an antique watchmakers tiny drill press. It uses the multiple pulley and belt drive.

[@doktorb3at]

" ...a poem, lovely as a tree." Here I am, mouth partially open, drool slowly going down the side, mesmerized as usual at your videos.

[@ocelot2703]

Adam, the switch for the digital servo motor is an optical switch, you can make it more subtle by gradiating the interference blade, it will give you a much wider range of low speed before it engages at full speed.. i used a pencil and gradiated the ones i use on my machines.

[@liamhoughton]

I’ve used an iPhone app that uses the flash strobing at different frequencies and using the camera frame rate you can get an approximate rpm, seems to work quite well. I love little bits of engineering like this small lathe

[@alexgrandino8777]

Hi. Adam. To join the belt, the Easiest way I fond is an old stainless blade that I hold in a clamp standing upright put the belt’s ends at the same time on the hot blade and slide them precisely and fuse them directly soon they live the blade. If the temp was good, that weld will be the strongest part of the belt. Of course you must install this belts before soldering. If you don’t want to do that you can use Some marine 5 mm O rings they last a lot longer.

[@steve-175]

Another great one, thank you, Sir. 😊😊😊😊

[@nickademuss42]

Adam, I always heated up a old steel ruler to join that type of belt. You heat the ruler, stick your belt end to oppisite sides close to each other, when it melts you slide the belt ends together and hold. A lot of mailing equipment used that stuff.

[@evancoutts9658]

Hi Adam, thanks for such a great video. I only found you recently and It's taken me a few videos to get my head around your channel. I was expecting higher production values. I was at first confused with the creaks, cam adjustments, slow progress and whatnot. This is the first one where it finally hit me that its just like hanging out in the shop, warts an all and its a revelation! now I'm in the right headspace I love it, thanks for having us along.

[@jasonhull5712]

I have that same 10v small drill and impact set from makita. I can’t remember how long ago I bought it but they still work great and I LOVE THEM BOTH !

[@hi1172]

I built a cnc lathe out of an old moseley watchmakers lathe. They are pretty cool little lathes. I converted mine to a dc motor with a timing belt drive.

[@hendersonhow2andreview17]

So pumped I just found out the mythbusters marathon will be back on this year and in chronological order. Literally feel like that show was a part of my life for over 10 years.

[@hanslain9729]

Love this shop footage. Replacing music with sounds of the actual work would be great.

[@DaveTpletsch]

Awe. the little collets are so cute! they look like droid greeblies for Star wars stuff.

[@hollowthere3850]

Cool project! I was thinking about the switch mechanism control and thought it would be neat to make a notch style shifter knob like a throttle on an old tractor... You could use a spring-lever knob with a bunch of little notches on a bar to control the settings more quickly than a screw type knob.

[@angiefaerie]

As usual, I'm impressed with the editing and musical choices 😊

[@mulch1839]

Haven't laughed at one of your videos quite like that in a while. Great video guys!

[@CaptainKokomoGaming]

25:32 we have a patented Adam Savage moment. Never change sir... never change.

[@R2_D3]

I would definitely make a Plexiglas cover for the motor and VFD, if some of the metal shavings get in there, it's toast... Lee Marsh is a generous patron, that isn't a cheap lathe!

[@Aukov2]

Omg! I would love to see Adam design and create a watch case! Then get the internals like an nh35 , dial,hands, crystal etc and make a savage watch! 🤩