I Printed A Better Lathe

[@Borgedesigns]

(safety disclaimer) the large disc turning is not really the intended use of the lathe and was really just a torture test, the tool caught a lot and just stalled the motor but with a larger motor this could be quiet dangerous. This lathe is really meant for less than 10mm parts. On the topic of "hand tools should not be used for metal parts", this is not a new concept and small parts have been turned this way for centuries and still are by some. Sherline sells tool rests for this type of tooling for their lathes. I understand the safety concerns but the motor here is tiny, 1000rpm and taken from a printer. Even on the large off center workpiece with giant saw notches to catch the tool, I never felt any force of note because the motor is just too small. When the tool did catch the motor would just stall. This one has been a while in the making There are just 2 days left of the Prusa awards for 2024! I am a finalist and there is a cash prize that would fund dozens of tools like this. If you like my work and would like to see more of it it has never been easier to support me, just go vote! www.printables.com/awards Im also trying a slightly less detailed style for the build. Not many people watch that section so condensing it a bit makes sense for me. Thankyou all for watching :)

[@AnotherOtherMan-alive]

a standard tool-post/compound-slide should be included in the design of the next lathe (assuming you're going to also experiment with increasing the general size of the lathe) Also a better waze than the aluminium extrusion should be planned around to enable the slow upgrading of the lathe by the end user.

[@kevd7212]

This is a cool design. I think a good idea for a future upgrade would be a better tool post potentially with a leadscrew driven Z and X axis and a compound slide

[@harelH1]

‏can you please add links for the parts use in the build. All of the bearings and nuts used in the build.

[@francistaylor1822]

Whilst I apprieciate the craftmanship, diy lathes....I just cant see how its worth even trying for a safety point of view

[@nemorianderson]

You may make some shorts about a minute long to satisfy the curiosity of ADHD fish memory viewers. 10 minutes is already quite a short video, and there's really nothing stretched and excessive here, all the information is on point. Great concept by the way, I'm interested to try something similar

[@likethat9341]

For your sake, my dear friend, I decided to use a translator, in our time it is not so easy to devote time to another in helping, but I will do it. since I could not look at that nuance having the following knowledge: when you sharpened a cutting tool, then for too long without lifting it off, held it on a whetstone, note that the metal at this moment turned red and then white, in Russia this effect is called: tempering colors. this is when the metal acquired a blue color. the metal became annealed and its strength dropped many times, it will be a bad cutting tool. please cool the cutting tool when sharpening, do not bring it even to a light dark color. I hope I explained it clearly. With respect from Russia

[@Inkotasti]

"Hmmm. I dont have much money but I need this tool. Ahh. I'll just print myself one." I don't comment on many videos, but this just blew my mind. You showed perfectly how powerful a 3D printer with a genius mind can be. Endless possibilites. This is the stuff I love about 3D printing. You can just go "nuts" with it. Hats off for you! Respect that you share with others this kind of stuff!

[@thoriumbr]

Before this video I saw the 3D printer I have as a tool to create toys, now I can imagine it as a tool to create more tools.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

The fact that saving up for ONE tool can actually get you access to many has so much open potential

[@youtubehandlesux]

You can't in fact go nuts with it :( 3d printers and plastics can only do so much, I tried to build a mechanical computer but it's just not consistent enough.

[@ben_jammin242]

Hear, hear.

[@AckzaTV]

his idea of making the 3d printed frame heavier than wood or metal, by just pouring concrete into the 3d printed frame, is such a cool idea that solves a big problem for my 3d printed large objects feeling too light and thus cheaper. heavy feels expensive.

[@hippie-io7225]

There was Mr. Gingery who promoted building "Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap" series. Your work is highly complementary to his vision, plus adding a vision of your own.

[@henrymiller1820]

Anyone interest in this should get the Gingery books. Even if you use this process, he does some things better. Cutting the head stock on the lathe gets much better alignment than this process that puts it in place than pours. Gingery does many things that are not right either, but he did some things right that this gets wrong.

[@discodingo8839]

@@henrymiller1820 Could you please elaborate or link to resources about what Mr Gingery had wrong ?

[@hippie-io7225]

@@henrymiller1820 Gives us a great starting point!

[@Borgedesigns]

his work is an inspiration for sure. Similar ideas, but new technology.

[@first_namelast_name4923]

@@Borgedesigns watch the build of Gingery lathe on Makercise KZbin channel. One of main things that he does is boring out the headstock on unfinished lathe so he gets it perfectly aligned. But gingery lathe has a proper support that moves along the bed as it is cutting so it is much more important then on your "watchmaker type" lathe. Please note that he cast his lathe from aluminium. For that a 3D printed models could be very useful.

[@grahams5871]

This looks genuinely useful. Some ideas for V3: Little fingers all over the inner surfaces to hold onto the concrete. Over time the concrete will come loose from the plastic, and the whole thing will feel less solid. Caps for the exposed concrete. You don't want sand and grid over your projects, and it will look better. Better concrete. Concrete engineering is a vast subject, and I'm sure you can do much better along any metric you think would improve things. (e.g. concrete that sticks to plastic or is slightly less brittle) Complete, live links to everything you have to buy in a github project. This is guaranteed to chang over time. You'll make updates for a while, but later you'll prefer that later builders of your lathe project do their own homework, and if you've made a way for people to send pull requests with updates, you'll have made something that lives on without your input. There will also be better inventory lists for the US, EU, China or wherever. An order request link to PCBWay or something similar to have them just print and machine your parts list. A benchy test makers of your project can use to test the quality of their build. Parts of your lathe that can be made on your lathe. Adjust your build so that these parts are upgradable. Sooner or later a real machinist is going to get hold of your project and laugh at it and say "if you do this, it will be ten times better" and you can take their suggestion. and make your lathe 10x better. I wonder if resin impregnated sand would work better

[@joshsmithward8848]

Epoxy granite

[@Borgedesigns]

Good suggestions for sure, github and documentation in general is something I need to get better at. PCB way is also a good shout, there are parts like the bearing alignment pieces that are designed to be CNCd for those who can so making that as easy as possible is a good idea. I have considered epoxy granite type things many times but ultimately get put off by the cost, however I do mean to experiment wit it. thanks for the feedback.

[@fleaniswerkhardt4647]

It seems what is being called concrete in the video is really just a mortar mix of sand and cement, gravel wasn't noticeable anyway. GP epoxy resin mixed well with raw cement as a filler would work really well in this application.

[@ZergRadio]

Wouldn't the concrete at the bottom of the lathe still be a little wet or soft? Does it not take longer for the water to evaporate from the small openings?

[@Pyrichia]

@@ZergRadio Thankfully, concrete doesn't dry, it cures. The water becomes an integral part of the concrete and doesn't need to evaporate for the concrete to harden. The concrete chemically bonds with the water. In large concrete pours, the curing can generate enough heat to cause the water to evaporate--so, in some cases, they'll spray the concrete to keep the top surface a little wet so it's not starved of enough water to cure properly. (this is highly dependent on the concrete, the pour, the formulation, the temps, etc etc)

[@crimiusXIII]

This is how you adapt 3D printing to existing manufacturing and construction techniques. Not just "Giant nozzle pouring concrete" or "I made this part entirely out of plastic and it doesn't have the mechanical properties I need it to anymore." This is a wonderful blend of understanding the assignment, the parameters, and using 3D printing to create a professional looking mold, that positively contributes to the function of the project. Using concrete for filler is a great idea for a smaller machine like this. Captive nuts, bolts, and rails allow for modularity in the design. All extraordinarily well done!

[@userid5826]

the idea to pore concrete into 3d printed molds a genius. Really putting the 3d printer in a new light... loving it!

[@StudioMBB]

Make sure to add a set of lock nuts to your spindel end to be able to apply the appropriate pretension on your tapered roller bearings. This will add spindle rigidity and improve surface finish and overall precision.

[@Borgedesigns]

Very good idea thanks

[@sleakstick]

I always criticized bench tools being made with 3d printers, I mean they are great, but nothing about plastic screams stability and precision, but this, filling your 3d printed parts with concrete is absolutely the way to go, I'm convinced. And I like how you don't go overboard with your 3d printer, you accept that some parts, just cannot be made of plastic. Respect

[@TruthDoesNotExist]

PLA is an incredibly strong plastic, you just have to know how to tune your print setting for what you want

[@someotherdude]

Agree. People go completely overboard with 3D Printing, the best example being the continuing effort to build houses. The truth is: 3D printed houses suck.

[@ameraldas3641]

@@TruthDoesNotExist with a yield strength of approximately 50MPa and an elastic modulus of 3GPa PLA is simply an inferior material choice expecially when compared to a fairly weak A36 structural steel, with an elastic modulus of 200GPa and a yield strength of 250 Mpa. you would need a shape with approximately 70 times more stiffness to make something out of PLA in order to come close to what steel can do. The weakest part about this is that he is using 3d printed molds which is the contact surface for his bearings. he would have much better outcomes if he used steel or aluminum molds. or just used cast iron instead of concrete. and then machined the cast parts. um-support-files.ultimaker.com/materials/2.85mm/tds/PLA/Ultimaker-PLA-TDS-v5.00.pdf

[@stephenj2014]

I've made a bunch of 3d printed clamps and small bench vices and I'm floored at how strong they are, they've endured a summer of proper work and still work just as good as when I printed them. Trick is lots of walls

[@stephenj2014]

@@TruthDoesNotExist I'm a PETG convert, PLA is great but it's prone to degredation

[@thesquatchdoctor3356]

Instant subscribe from me, I know in WWII they poured concrete lathes for cheap machining on artillery shells. Sika polymer fortifier for regular mortar/concrete does wonders for sticking to plastic if you're not using it, costs ~$15 for a gallon.

[@cho4d]

i was a critic of mk 1 lathe, but this one seems good. ultimate baller move would be to use this to bootstrap an even beefier lathe that can handle steel.

[@melissa6470]

then use that lathe to make a milling machine, haha

[@Borgedesigns]

yeah theres a reason I never released the v1 lathe ahaha, it was very mediocre at best.

[@manitoba-op4jx]

@@Borgedesignsmediocre is infinitely better than nothing

[@Jukahetube]

​@@Borgedesigns The point of prototyping isn't to make a good product on the first try.

[@giuseppebonatici7169]

@@manitoba-op4jx mediocre could mean dangerous when you give it to overly optimistic people. I am with borge that it was cool to show but not to give. this one looks a lot more sturdy and safer. A LOT less like of something going horrible wrong.

[@fsxnico]

4:51 "I haven't found a neat way to do this" Try a plastic piping bag, you can cut a hole the size that you need and it allows you to build up some pressure as well. I use this method with similar DIY projects.

[@DustinEwan]

Or maybe just a funnel

[@fsxnico]

@ with a funnel you have less control and you cannot create pressure, but yes it could have its applications

[@DustinEwan]

@@fsxnico sorry, what I mean is that since he's 3d printing anyway, print a funnel / guide / spout that fits the exact hole that he'll be pouring into.

[@fsxnico]

@@DustinEwan yeah for sure there's a lot of possibilities with 3d printing. That could work too :)

[@Buckley128]

design and print a funnel assembly that fits into the mouths and allows a direct pour without dripping onto the exterior surfaces.

[@BlondieHappyGuy]

This is a brilliant design and build. You have talent! As a picky person, I do notice something with the 3D printed parts. Or at least some. Especially those "rails", like at 5:39 where you put some stuff on it to get a smooth surface. I noticed that on that piece, when you first placed it where it belongs, that there were a lot of filament strands on top. Strands that didn't melt together well. Been there, done that! I hate when that happens. But I found a solution, that at least, works for me. Actually, 2 solutions, but one you may or may not like. The 1st one, is to enable "Ironing", perhaps printing those parts separately and tweaking the settings for ironing so assure it works on that entire surface. Ironing does 2 things, as I suspect you know. For one, it makes a really smooth and solid finish. It also creates more strength, especially if you increase flow for the ironing portion. The 2nd thing I use is "Fuzzy." With my old printer, which was trash, I used "fuzzy" in order to hide not-so-good layer lines. It worked well. I now have 2 new machines, Creality Ender 3 V3 Plus printers. When I print something where I need to have a really smooth look to it, for one, I print at a layer height of 0.08. I'll often use ironing for top surfaces that are seen and depending on the project, I may use Fuzzy as well. The print plate/bed is reversible. One side smooth, the other textured. I always use the textured side and when I use Fuzzy, I have it tweaked to where it looks almost identical to what the textured plate produces. This way, a consistent look on all parts. I don't know the slicer you use, but there's a newer feature on Creality Print (and I think it's in Orca too), called "Scarf". When set right, not only does it totally hide any seams, but with the right settings, can create a very smooth and if one likes, shiny sides to the prints. The end results with all the above are parts that almost look molded. Just a thought.

[@DoRC]

Looks awesome. I would recommend a TPU wiper seal for the work facing bearing. Without some way to keep chips out of it it's probably going to get destroyed pretty quickly.

[@Murgoh]

That's what I was going to say, definitely needs something to keep the chips out of the bearings. Also some way of preloading the bearings would be great.

[@mefcalols4446]

I remember in my feandfathers garage, he had a myriad of lathes and old tools. He had the basic understanding of being a machinist and wood worker because his generation was used to making the tools they needed. We have lost that over the last couple generations. I see videos like this and i see the reimergence of human ingenuity and it makes me hopeful and happy. Well done man. This is one step in bringing us back to independence and self agency.

[@nathanbanyasz7315]

As a person trying to become a machinist, I really enjoy your videos and am likely going to use these concepts when build my own CNC machines for my home shop. If you plan to make any further improvements think it'd be really neat to see you add a gear box and lead screw for feed and rpm control on an actual carriage with a mounting tool holder instead of hand turning, maybe even a way to cut threads with a single point tool as well. In my opinion the use of concrete in molds is actually a really good idea for machine tools like mills and lathes, much like cast iron its rigid and dampens vibrations fairly well, although I've seen other examples of DIY machines using a mix of epoxy resin and gravel which might work better. For the stuff I'm planning to do, more hard steel would probably be needed for ways to adjust the spindle and the actual machine ways

[@cherniav]

your design language / aesthetics of your 3D printed tools is awesome. the future should look like the future!

[@andreicheptea8020]

The C418 Aria Math really is a nice touch! NICE WORK ON THE FRIKING DESIGN BRO!!!! THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!

[@pacman10182]

The bearings need some preload

[@ulbuilder]

...and seals to keep the grease in and metal bits out.

[@laharl2k]

This x1000, preload those bearings!

[@lachlanlander6002]

preload?

[@danoneill8751]

Are you sure they aren't? Looked like some rings of plastic and little slots and things. Seems like the engineering in the rest of this would imply the guy knows what he's doing and preloading a roller bearing is pretty basic. Also those are some pretty nasty loads from the interrupted cut on that face plate and it doesn't vibrate too much, I'd think it must have been loaded up at least 'by eye', i.e. loaded up a bit in some way, even if not shimmed to the micron which would seem incongruous with the general ethos of this build.

[@Evilslayer73]

@@lachlanlander6002 yes like a truck differential pinions it eliminate the blacklash when the bearing is heating up

[@bobbradley291]

This is terrific. I did some early research into what I called secondary injection techniques for printed parts back when I worked at Honda in R&D in 2008 / 2009. It never occurred to me to look into concrete. Amazing results for such little expense (other than intelligence, blood, sweat and tears). Well done mate.

[@reza_babakhani]

I like your vision, and you really showcased the potential of 3D printing. Also, merging 3D printed parts with concrete is incredibly inspiring.

[@SirRawThunderMan]

A few summers back, I spent a while planning out something very similar to this. Then I got a job that ate all of my free time and ended up buying a Unimat 3 on ebay instead, so I never really got around to seeing if it would work. I'm really glad someone has actually done it. One thing I would really, really recommend looking into would be making this adaptable into the Unimat 3/4 (or even the older SL/DB) system. There's a pretty large ecosphere of interchangeable parts for each (M14x1.0 threaded chucks, live centers, etc), as well as a pretty big range of aftermarket parts available from the usual online chinese sellers.

[@yoyofargo]

I've been pondering doing this for a 3d printer frame for about three years now. The added mass will help with vibration reduction.

[@Mr.Bearded.Mechanic]

Nice project✌🏻. Here are some of my notes (please take it as an improvement for your project 👍🏻) : - use oil instead of grease for spindle bearings as lathes use oil (less resistance, less power loss). - use some dust cover for bearings or else those will be gone in no time - use a shaft lock nut or locking ring for bearings for proper bearing clearance/preload - use a plate to hold the 4 bolts on the top of the spindle housing, which will give more rigidity - use some concrete sealing at least, as concrete is porous and will "drink" any fluid, and moisture

[@bosanaz2010]

Oil in lathes yes...but only in lathes with a oil filled head.Most smaller ones are only greased,as the oil bad is for the gearbox more then for the bearing. A proper grease will work as good as oil .

[@Mr.Bearded.Mechanic]

@@bosanaz2010 it depends on the spindle speed too, but any lube is definitely better than no lube!✌🏻

[@bosanaz2010]

@@Mr.Bearded.Mechanic yeah sure.in High Speed you need oil But there are greases Up to 12k RPM IT would Help If He uses a chines Spindel. You get housing,Spindel with Plate for Chuck ,bearings And you can preload IT. His bearings are inside Plastic and also the part flexes so much that you csnt add preload . So the bearings are dead proberbly very soon. There is plenty of improvments and Just 2 more Stock parts to buy. I mean this lathe is for Sure around 100€ in parts rigth now At least 100€

[@philxcskier]

This is pretty great! Your open source shop vision is what I hoped would come from 3d printing! Great work! An interesting idea to build could be a power hacksaw (I know these were fairly popular to build in the 80’s, before horizontal bandsaws became more popular).. not to say some of the woodworking community haven’t dabbled around with printing parts for homemade upright bandsaws as well! Eventually making a machine shop from scratch with the help of 3d printing seems amazing- eventually the tools will help build more tools: really tapping into the rep-rap idea. Keep going your channel is awesome!

[@steven12426]

I love this. I haven't thought or seen this type of tool and machine manufacturing. It's so practical and easy. Thanks for publishing this on KZbin and making it opensource. Also excellent video quality I love the use of minecraft music!

[@malvoliosf]

For a neat way to fill the voids with concrete, have you ever watched a baker using a piping bag to decorate a cake? Basically it’s a plastic or parchment cone with a hole at the bottom. The baker fills the cone up with icing and then squeezes out a thin line of icing on to the cake. I am thinking you could use a bigger, tougher bag, possible suspend from a bungee hung from the ceiling, and squeeze the concrete out in a similar way.

[@ivovass195]

Great improvement from v1, tapered bearings is the way to go to support th3 spindle, maybe a wider belt for the motor link. Thanks for sharing

[@jamiexu6718]

Tapered bearing pairs should have some preload built into the design, usually in the form of a nut to compress the bearing stack together. I’m not sure how you would achieve this without a thread cutting tool, but maybe it can be implemented in the next iteration?

[@joeofloath]

I have seen preload springs that you slide onto a shaft and compress with a locking collar, but I'm not sure if they have enough force to be useful here?

[@jamiexu6718]

@@joeofloath that reminds me, a stack of belleville washer with a collar that is fixed when the stack is compressed could work, but will induce vibration if not careful. Still better than no preload tho

[@lowrads3653]

The cheap way is just two nuts that can be spread apart and fixed, to engage the thread grooves on either side.

[@orphax1925]

2:10 the inserts are made for injected parts, there might be some long ones better suited for 3d prints (it works but the resistance is a bit worse)

[@DecDude84]

An idea for a future build (a repeat idea admittedly) a vibratory table to put your builds on as you pour your concrete.

[@Borgedesigns]

It has been on the todo list for quiet a while now

[@jamiemacdonald436]

Or to use as a seat for those lonely days in the shop.

[@whitecanegamer]

@@jamiemacdonald436 😂

[@evanbarnes9984]

​@@jamiemacdonald436I believe you're looking for a Sybian

[@jamiemacdonald436]

@@evanbarnes9984 Almost forgot about those. The Sybian episodes on Howard Stern were hilarious. 🤣

[@barnett25]

Very cool project! Just for future reference on making gravers, you were correct that you do not want to get the pre-hardened steel red hot or it will lose it's heat treatment. However you have to go much further than that and not allow it to heat above the desired temper temperature. For instance if it was previously tempered to a straw (yellowish brown) color but then while grinding it the steel turns blue, that means you have reduced the temper to a lower hardness. So you need to keep the steel cool and never let the temperature go beyond the desired temper temperature. You can think of it this way, hardening the steel makes it as hard as it can get (but too brittle to be good for much), then tempering reduces the hardness but makes it stronger, and this effect continues the hotter you temper it.

[@tristanmcardle3066]

Solid advice.

[@stevenrobinson9610]

I agree 3D printed metal lathes is the pathway to a very steep learning curve for beginning lathe hobbyist.... Lessons learned here at this stage of the game can be relatively cheap and applied to much grander projects... I am very impressed with your lathe and look forward to watching your progress...

[@spanky1684]

Great build! A 3D printed funnel would really help with that concrete.

[@ttraband]

Or using a big plastic bag with a corner snipped off to "pipe" it in like filling a pastry.

[@beautifulsmall]

Great build. Those ER collet extensions are a great way to make rigs with lathe properties. ER25, nice size.

[@michaelkelly3158]

I can't tell you how much I love this. It might actually be one of the best concepts I've ever seen. The video as a whole actually - honestly fantastic!

[@lonkwuzhere4433]

This is really cool! Honestly it gives me some inspiration for a video game art style / themeing where everything is 3D printed, its like almost post-apocalyptic but in the best way possible. Either way, it's increable to see people making their own tools, and showing that its possible to make just about everything you'd need to make things all by yourself.

[@FirstTry379]

This was a very ambitious project. I am inspired by your example. Your lathe was more capable than I thought it would be in the beginning. I have always wanted small benchtop versions of tools like this, but found them to be very expensive and usually not very well made. It is clear that you set out on a mission to create a tool that was low cost with out being low quality. Good Job!

[@pugnate666]

Amazing! Thanks for putting this out there. I have had the need for a low power lathe many times, but not enough to justify the costs and thought there was no way to 3D print one. This is very encouraging. I get the feeling that there is some untapped potential in this. E.g. on a traditional lathe accuracy seems to be effected quite a bit, depending on how tight the bearings in the head stock are squeezed together.

[@danielwdunn]

Thank you for tackling this. This has been a difficult problem for years with many attempts and many failures. It'll be interesting to see the community improve on this original working design.

[@f84kjsg7]

This is easily one of my favorite channels. Largely inspired by your projects I had a dream (a literal dream) in which i started a company of bolts and fittings, and partnered with every public university of my country to build and maintain a 3D printing/light machining lab in each one, alongside a shop where the fittings and tools could be bought at production cost. In my dream we built a comunity that developed technical manuals for printing and building this kind of machine. I teared up a little when I woke up. Hope you keep the channel up and running - each video is just as dear and expected to me as those from Primitive Technology.

[@hamzabingol4160]

Thanks...It's great that you offer such a labor-intensive job for free.

[@tagsoftware]

Greetings from the Netherlands. Amazing work, my compliments. I hope you continue developing with this philosophy.

[@frm272]

Concrete filled 3d prints is a very clever construction technique! Thanks for sharing!

[@turtle_bumblebee6010]

Hello Printables Awards 2025!! I am calling it 1 year in advance

[@pettere8429]

It might be a good idea to reinforce the concrete with some steel wire or mesh. Also, put rocks and gravel in the mold before pouring the concrete if there are large spaces that needs filling. If you can get your hands on crushed iron ore that makes great ballast as it is heavier than regular sand.

[@ttraband]

An alternative to a mesh is to mix reinforcing fibers into the concrete.

[@noviceartisan]

Good attempt!! You're going to have to do something about that toolpost and crossslide design if you're ever wanting to cut things accutately or consistently over a length tho! Looking forward to seeing what changes you make in the future!

[@RealJohnnyAngel]

impressive build for what it is, and that price point. Interested to see how you'd tackle coupling a carriage and cross slide to the rotation for a full set of basic functionality. but what blows me away is the idea of filling prints with concrete, that's brilliant. i'm gonna use that for sure.

[@Archivort]

It's like a more modern concrete lathe, very creative and well thought out!

[@davidrahn9903]

This machine and all the other concrete tools you've built definitely carry forward the spirit of the "open source machine tool project". That concrete latched design kinda set a tone for what DIY machine tools could be. And you are definitely taking it a step further with these super accessible desktop versions. Super cool.

[@Gunbudder]

my great grandpa used to say that the lathe was the greatest tool in a shop because its the only tool that can replicate itself. he would often use the lathe to bootstrap it and make improvements for it. he ended up making a massive bed for it so he could turn super long bar stock. i wish he was still around today to see 3d printing! i wonder what he would say about it or the things he would make. my great uncle was also a machinist and was obsessed with vacuum forming, which was kind of the 3d printing of its time, but he was stuck making object with a flat side and draft angles

[@purpleidea]

I love the idea of using 3D printing and concrete! (I'm a mod over at /r/concrete and I'm a tech person) Keep in mind that concrete has most of it's strength in compression, and the reinforced kind (adding steel) has force in extension. I'd be curious to see a larger CNC version of this perhaps with some additives for even high strength. You may get pretty close to the stiffness of a cast iron machine but much cheaper! Keep it up.

[@MyGrowthRings]

Chris, this is absolutely beautiful! I'm glad you've continued to revise this design. Scott

[@ElizabethGreene]

@Chris Borge, have you seen the "Machine shop from scrap" books by Dave Gingery? They are made from Aluminum castings, but might have some ideas you could copy. This is an awesome tool. 10/10!

[@Borgedesigns]

Yes I have! but I need to finish reading them.

[@aaamott]

Wow when I said I wanted an update to this beautiful lathe, I didn't expect a post so soon! Love it!

[@timothymccloskey6795]

This is super cool. First 3D printer project I’ve seen in a while that really has me excited.

[@DJ-jx1yt]

This is the first time seeing your channel, I can't wait to see the other 3d printed concrete projects. I have used epoxy with vase mode in a few projects and considered concrete for larger 3d printing projects as a mold but had not thought of combining the ideas and now I am excited to get designing.

[@DJ-jx1yt]

Ps You earned a new sub with this one

[@nicholasherbert3467]

Great video, I appreciate the inspiration and sentiment! I will be working through this process shortly to make my own.

[@LeAbstracted]

Only saw the intro and it was cause for a subscription. Genuine genius sir.

[@christianjohnson4196]

This is really interesting. I would love to see people continue to explore this avenue of tool creation. I think they actually look really cool to be honest, and a bit more focus on looks would actually go a long way to making these things more popular. I know that The practical usefulness of a tool is far more relevant than how they look, but Aesthetic draw people in. And honestly these things look pretty neat.

[@JFirn86Q]

Must protect the bearing faces, the exposed rollers will result in completely destroyed bearings in no time (on a real lathe, even just some dust in the air is not good). Also, you need to preload tapered roller bearings like this, meaning something needs to push the bearings into their tapers with considerable force (usually done with a thread and a lock collar). I realize this is not the way you'd want to do it because of not wanting to need machining, but I'm sure you could devise otherwise or a clamp of some sort. Just beware of plastic's creep if going to clamp. Very impressive CAD modeling to make all this!

[@PTbyNIGHTEvents]

Dude you are killing it with really cool builds. Thanks for sharing.

[@fmaleknia]

I'm speechless, that is awesome, looking forward when bom become available. Thank you very much, this is so inspiring.

[@Deus_Ex_Machina.]

Brilliant! Wish I'd thought of this. Now my questions: Concrete has a MUCH greater strength in COMPRESSION than in TENSION. The lathe bed is a beam. Beams involve bending moments, therefore both compression and tension. Will the concrete crack? When cracks form, will the frame lose stability and allow the cutting tool to shift around? How's it working out? Will it be necessary to "preload" the concrete beam by having a metal tension member running the length of the concrete beam down the neutral axis of the beam section? Compress the buh-Jesus out of the concrete. This is how bridges are designed to eliminate tension by making all stresses compressive, and none tensile.

[@aeywyn5230]

Overall a great little thing. The only thing missing is some sort of preload for those bearings and a proper spacer from a metaltube on the inside between bearings. They will last a lot longer if they have preload and will deal with the radial forces a lot better. :)

[@devluz]

4:48 that might be a silly idea but have you tried piping bags or just a strong plastic bag with the corner cut out?

[@m0les]

About to say exactly this. Thanks, Chris for the always fab build videos.

[@jndesign]

This is amazing. Thanks for showing what is possible with some thought and ingenuity.

[@bilz0r]

Amazing job. It's one thing making these projects so they work, it's another making them good enough to show other people.

[@Paulortrick]

Ingenious to combine the concrete in the print. I've seen other people talk about using printed forms, but this one is truly a cool application! Nice work. I'd be curious to see how the concrete holds up to long term use and vibration. There are also epoxy concrete blends that might be suitable to give the weight and strength of concrete, but a more refined finish.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

The man who can make his own machines can make anything. Very, very cool.

[@dilian245]

I love this idea of filling up 3D prints with concrete. I will apply it to 3D printed molds for making composite parts.

[@WillCodeForFood.1905]

This is just out of the box thinking and awesome execution. Well done!

[@SaitoGray]

I really REALLY like that one. If the next version feature a post holder for a study holding of the tool (you will probably need a redesign and a lead screw) i will definitely print one (and throw some money on patreon, because your video are awesome)

[@Its_Awesome]

Chris uploads, i watch simple

[@vmachacek]

same same

[@MrMartinSchou]

2:57 - When assembling parts like this, you can print them with interlocking features to air in alignment and assembly. Think dovetail or even puzzle pieces.

[@divide6049]

Very good tip, just remember to have a bit of tolerance for such pieces, depending on your printer, filament and settings it could range from 0.025mm to 0.25mm. Print smaller parts and find out how much tolerance you need!

[@briankemp8101]

First, as others have mentioned, well done. second, try to incorporate a seal in front of the headstock bearing at the chuck end, less or no swarf from the cuttings will get into the bearing. third, when grinding your tool steel, try not to get any color on the tool being ground not just keeping it below red hot, use plenty of water to cool the tip as necessary.

[@drhender6943]

This is a really cool project. I’ve wanted a metal lathe for a while, but both cost and space prevent me from being able to do that. This lathe, while being restrictive by its small size, might be a first tool to cover some of the smaller things I’d like to try. Couple of suggestions… Instead of concrete, use sanded resin to fill the cavities. Either fill from the bottom such that there is no topside resin/concrete exposures, or print covers, just to pretty things up.

[@cesararaujo93]

Great job! This tool has the potential to assist with a wide range of needs for makers.

[@rotoforge2024]

this is a lovely piece of work and a lovely piece of kit! thanks for sticking it out and sharing your process of building something good that seems to be highly accessible. I have real admiration for your effort here. This is good work!

[@TomKraftOwnsThePlace]

Please check the outer race of the bearings, front one seems to be spinning in the mount meaning the preload may have gone which is possible for a plastic preload sleeve in the headstock. These bearings must be loaded in compression (opposing pair configuration). Well done land awesome build!

[@Scheepsbouwer]

I just bought a 3D printer to make my own tools. Then I find your channel. I like the tools you create and share.

[@CraftedChannel]

These lathe attempts are getting better. Still, no walls under 6 extrusion widths please. The spindle is the most complex part of making a lathe. ER chuck is a good compromise to get an off the shelf part. Consider threading the stem for a thread on collar and placing a tube over it so you can tighten into the bearings for zero clearance. Consider running the 8020 bed fully under the headstock and using pillow blocks to firmly clamp the roller bearings in the headstock down tight to the extrusions. Should eliminate some flex between tool post and headstock.

[@termiterasin]

You could have printed perfect fit funnels for pouring! 3d printers are very flexible. Also tighten your Z axis coupling looks like that kind of artifacting. Amazing project and very interesting use of technology. Concrete cast mills is a very good advancement in technology.

[@DrunkenSwimmer]

Genuine danger to be aware of: large magnifying lenses should never be left exposed and unattended anywhere where sunlight can reach them. They can and have started fires on bright sunny days. This is the reason why most large desk mounted lenses have flip covers for when not in use. Oh, and awesome project!

[@billf_etc]

Wow, I never realized that. I have one and I figured it was just a dust cover. But it makes sense!

[@rodholland4186]

I had a friend who left her stitchery Persian rug for a doll house too close to the window and the magnifying glass. Months of work gone in an instant.

[@arbjful]

I loved playing with magnifying glasses in the sun….. burning holes in paper, setting fire to matches …😂😂

[@someotherdude]

Even thick glass bottles laying around can do this. And it is possible to light fires with lenses made of ice.

[@martpel24]

Thank you for sharing Chris!

[@noads1035]

This is a nice machine Chris, for sure! You are on the track of creating a viable replacement for (maybe even better than) the Unimat. One critical issue I see right now is that you need some sort of shield or seal for the bearings in the headstock. Keep up the good work. This size lathe is perfect for model work and should be popular.

[@lephtovermeet]

This is amazing work. I like the idea of using 8020 for t-slotted surfaces. It's probably good enough for this and you can even get pulleys with pressed bearings that slide along them well. I'd really like to see a tool post though. You can get trapezoidal lead screws for pretty cheap and Igus even sells 3D printer filament that will last reasonably long as a lead-screw nut.

[@levis1956]

So cool! I'm loving this series of 3d printed tools!

[@careycummings9999]

An excellent project and very well designed and executed. All it really needs is a proper holder for modern carbide inserts, so then you can really get things cut quickly and more accurately. Well done.

[@IvanGOrtolan]

Cool design, bringing functional 3d printing to the next level!

[@AGL_AerialsTampa]

This was fantastic! I like how you film and edit everything together. One thing I'll say, I don't think you needed to put that you lose the footage on the screen. I think the shots you used filled the frame and still got the point across. Again you did a great job man!

[@Falney]

When you pour the concrete. The following day, take a wet sponge and use it to smooth the surfaces. It will give you an extremely smooth finish.

[@JWoods456]

Probably the coolest 3D print project I've ever seen

[@edwardpaulsen1074]

This was a nice little "leapfrog" over a few intermediate steps in the progression of lathes. I have used a medieval "bow lathe" for turning wood, then used those better parts to create the next iteration to create even better parts and then castings... each one builds upon and improves upon the previous and each level makes extensive use of "hand tools" to create the next... including new tools. We have learned a great deal over the centuries, and continue to learn and improve upon our tools with every iteration. When all one has are "hand tools" and there are no options for precision equipment available, you either learn how and create what you need.... or you do without.

[@mikechu01]

These machines are incredible, I can’t wait to get my own shop and make these for myself

[@xantos456]

Just printed all this! Now to figure out the hardware! Lol Super excited! Ive been researching lathes and thinking of designing something like this the last two weeks. Perfect timing on this video for me! Ive made a print profile on MakerWorld and i can make a BOM and Build guide and send it to you when i figure it out lol

[@stkk7186]

0:33 Missed opportunity for "lathest attempt"

[@dustinjung3699]

You made me laugh man not exactly only your comment but the timing that KZbin showed me the comment as it filtered through its little box read it exactly when he said it. perfectly timed humor 😂

[@lsav1085]

Brilliant video, format is good, subject matter is very interesting. Concrete and 3d prints seems like the future to me. Keep it up

[@Rabidazell]

Whilst other people have talked about Gingery (I own the books, they're great) I'm more interested in in how far one can reasonably take the concrete lathe project with 3d printed formwork. Concrete lathes are not 'new' as I'm sure you know, but the last time I read anything about them it was a yahoo group dedicated to compiling the information about them that very likely died over a decade ago. I'm glad this video demonstrating concrete's capacity for providing proper rigidity to these 3d printed machine shop tools 'took off', and I'm ecstatic to see it's a video from a South Australian.

[@Gateseleven]

very nice, i recon as said, the ~~tool head/spindel~ ~in the most important items in a lathe, you CAN buy the old Lathe to rebuild this, same as in Adam savage video, and possible build one around that pro old, jewellery/dentist Lathe, i believe it was one of those, video should be easy to find. I remeber him saying that the toolhead on those are so good made, as old items usually are.