Before I begin, I would like to ask you to vote for this instructable. It was made as an entry for the Tools Contest here on Instructables, and I would very much appreciate your vote. Winning contests helps me build, upgrade and stay interested in this hobby, and continue creating more content for you readers. Thank You





A little over two months ago, I found plans for this mini lathe in an issue of Shopnotes, and decided that I would try to build it in time to be entered in the Tools Contest. I had never built a wooden machine before, but seeing lots of them over on woodgears.ca, I was very excited to try one on my own. I am only 15 years old now, so my experience in woodworking is quite limited, but I still managed to complete it without too many problems along the way. Along with the lack of experience, I also do not have a large lumber supply. I built the entire lathe out of scrap plywood found in the garbage. My dad occasionally finds cut-off pieces of 3/4 inch plywood on job sites, and having a few around was enough to complete the project. (The only parts I had to purchase was a longer v-belt, and some large nuts and bolts.)

I wouldn't recommend trying this as your first project, but don't be intimidated by its moving parts. The roots of the project are still cutting and gluing wood together. Good Luck!