Motor for model makers lathe

[bazjude2998]

Hoping someone can help on this forum
I have acquired a small model makers lathe without a motor,( approx 750 mm length )
Any recommendations on motor size speed etc
Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year
Regards Baz

[GliderRider]

The length of a lathe is pretty immaterial, as the tool will only be cutting in one place generally. The maximum swing is what matters. That is the distance from the centreline of the spindle to the bed, or bottom of the gap if it is a gap-bed lathe.

If you can give us the make and model of the lathe it would help. Lathes.co.uk is a good website for identifying lathes past and present. Better still, upload photo of it and one of us might recognise it.

The cutting speed with a normal tool steel cutting tool is 25 metres/minute for mild steel and 80 metres/minute for aluminium, so you can work the required RPM out from the maximum diameter of the piece to be turned.

Edited by GliderRider on Tuesday 18th December 17:08