I guess the thread title just about covers it - my next-door neighbor showed up yesterday asking if I had room to store part or all of his 48" metal lathe for a year (long story). Said I could use it if I could get some good from it.

So, given this opportunity, I'm trying to make the most of it. So far, the only automotive-related stuff I can think of is bezel-type stuff, like around gauges, etc., but I know there's gotta be more that I can do.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

 

I'm not sure what the 48" refers to, depth of travel perhaps? But what's the maximum diameter you can throw in it?

A guy I worked with before, threw his wheels onto a lathe at work, to remove some curb rash.

I got a guy to make me a nifty shifter **** - piston like.

uhh, not much else coming to mind right now though. I'd rather have a mill, much more use for that.

 

Stainless or aluminum shifter sticks, shifter *****, the list would be endless

 

Sorry, I realized later that I should've been more specific. The 48" refers to the length of the piece that can go in the lathe, it's got a maximum working diameter of 10".

Shoot, so much for making custom rims...

 

steering wheel?
turning brake discs
Making some slick custom center caps for your wheels
yea, not much really..?

 

So, it's 48 between centers, and a 5" swing? Sounds more like a precision lathe than an engine lathe. Collets or chuck? Hardinge, by any chance? LeBlond?

 

you can make all sorts of things, i have made sleeves, bushings, turned down the counterweights on crankshafts, spacers, etc.

 

Wheel spacers or adaptors out of aluminum. Turn brake rotors depending on your tooling and autofeed options. Bore a throttle body, single with a 3 or 4 jaw chuck, complex throttle bodies can be bored with a 4 jaw chuck.
As crazy as this sounds, you can make your own racing muffler by making the end pieces. I did this for a race car but I wouldn't expect it to be done on a road car. Just giving you ideas.

 

YEa the list is endless, shifter ***** and a new shifter handle would be a good start for a beginner. Also aluminum would be the easiest to work with.
it sounds like a precision lathe with the 10" max. Too bad it wasnt a bigger one so you could polish the lip of your rims and stuff. That gets scary when you have a 18inch rim on a lathe spinning 500rpm...

 

Exhaust tips?

 

i know this sounds lame, but 90% of what i would use it for is custom bushings and spacers.
for example, i needed a spacer thats 1/16" longer then what i had for my tubular front LCAs.... that was a total PITA to have someone else do.
with a lathe, i could have done it in a evening.