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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    53

    Wood threading question (newbie)

    I'm new to lathes but have a need to do work on about 5/8 inch dia wood rods. I will need to be able to cut threads at the end of the rod. Never having done this before, should I be looking at a small hobby type of lathe to do this manually or opt for a machine that can auto-feed and cut the threads? Not having done this before, I'm thinking doing this by hand isn't the consistent way to be doing this? But maybe I'm wrong...maybe it can be done well manually?

    My budget is around 500.00 USD.

    Thanks for any advice...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538

    Re: Wood threading question (newbie)

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728

    Re: Wood threading question (newbie)

    A regular wood lathe would also be unsuitable; there's no way you could ensure the threads were accurate. A 7x10 mini lathe would probably work to some extent; I think the through hole is about 5/8" (although it could be a little smaller, depending on the chuck) - or, as Ger suggests, something like that Beall jig, which accommodates several sizes of round stock.
    Andrew Werby
    Website

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    53

    Re: Wood threading question (newbie)

    I'd like to be able to cut the threads on my own lathe vs having to buy another specialized thread cutting kit. The video did answer my question: hand feeding and turn the rod looks like a hit or miss situation. Maybe you just need practice some to be good at that. It looks like a lathe with an auto-feeder would work the best but I'm sure that adds to the cost of the lathe.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    53

    Re: Wood threading question (newbie)

    Quote Originally Posted by awerby View Post
    A regular wood lathe would also be unsuitable; there's no way you could ensure the threads were accurate. A 7x10 mini lathe would probably work to some extent; I think the through hole is about 5/8" (although it could be a little smaller, depending on the chuck) - or, as Ger suggests, something like that Beall jig, which accommodates several sizes of round stock.
    I am looking at a 7x10 mini lathe. I was unsure of how you actually cut the threads, but the Beall video made it clear it's a manual job unless your lathe has an auto-feed feature. Probably the mini-lathe's do not have that feature.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728

    Re: Wood threading question (newbie)

    The mini-lathes can cut threads, but for most pitches you'd need to invest in a set of change gears. Little Machine Shop has a handy calculator to figure out which gears you need in which positions to make a particular thread, depending on the pitch of your leadscrew: https://littlemachineshop.com/refere...ange_gears.php
    Andrew Werby
    Website

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    53

    Re: Wood threading question (newbie)

    Quote Originally Posted by awerby View Post
    The mini-lathes can cut threads, but for most pitches you'd need to invest in a set of change gears. Little Machine Shop has a handy calculator to figure out which gears you need in which positions to make a particular thread, depending on the pitch of your leadscrew: https://littlemachineshop.com/refere...ange_gears.php
    Thanks for those links. I did verify that the Harbor Freight 7x10 lathe does have an auto-feed to do threads. I'll probably end up getting one. Thanks.

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