Embedded Files
Section view of the spindle with bearing placement shown
Milling flats for releasing the chuck
All the pieces ready for final assembly
Completed spindle shaft
Bottom mounting dovetail on housing
Setup for making precision nuts
2.5" 4130 ready for roughing
Re-indication for finishing
Spindle shaft with step pulley mounted
Clever technique for ensuring concentricity between spindle nose and bearing journals
Fixture for dust cover
Fixture for dust cover
Assembled Spindle
Turning a bowl on the lathe
Learning
Learning
Deep dive into spindle design and bearing selection
Lots of intricate manual machining to tight tolerances
Tribology and its relation to ball bearing design and construction
Working on a team on a more complicated mechanical assembly
Description
Description
For the final project of my Mechanical Design course, my team and I designed and built a small wood lathe. I ended up working primarily on the headstock and spindle design and manufacturing. From creating a list of design criteria, to bearing selection, to the actual machining, this project presented substantial technical challenges, but was very rewarding to see the final result and have it function as designed. I don't know if I'll ever make a more complicated manually machined part than the spindle shaft, but I am glad to have had the time to spend on the very nice engine lathes in the Olin Shop. The requirements I set and the machining process is more thoroughly documented on the project website.
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