Little Adept lathe for my 5 year old

[JCSteam]

Hello all,

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on starting them young?

My little boy will be 5 in a month or so. I was given this little adept lathe by my partners dad, been a bit small for me, I thought that it would be nice to get sorted out for Josh who's a natural builder fix it kinda lad.


As you can see in the pic he is very pleased to have his own small sized lathe to learn basics of turning. I've started stripping the lathe down, to clean up and repaint it. Currently it has a sewing machine motor driving it, which will probably be sufficient power for what he is going to use it for.

I'm going to make a new face plate, or at least true up the existing one, as it is a very wobbly setup. I also want to make a little layshaft for it to help gear it down and provide a little more torque. This will probably be a cantilever type with the motor hanging off the back to aid belt tension.

As it is it's stripped down to its components and the paint stripper was applied last night. So tonight I'll get the first coat of paint on it.

 

[IanN]

Hello all,

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on starting them young?

My little boy will be 5 in a month or so. I was given this little adept lathe by my partners dad, been a bit small for me, I thought that it would be nice to get sorted out for Josh who's a natural builder fix it kinda lad.
View attachment 119016

As you can see in the pic he is very pleased to have his own small sized lathe to learn basics of turning. I've started stripping the lathe down, to clean up and repaint it. Currently it has a sewing machine motor driving it, which will probably be sufficient power for what he is going to use it for.

I'm going to make a new face plate, or at least true up the existing one, as it is a very wobbly setup. I also want to make a little layshaft for it to help gear it down and provide a little more torque. This will probably be a cantilever type with the motor hanging off the back to aid belt tension.

As it is it's stripped down to its components and the paint stripper was applied last night. So tonight I'll get the first coat of paint on it.
View attachment 119017
View attachment 119018
View attachment 119019

Hi,

My five year old grandson uses my Drummond 3 1/2 inch B type flat-bed (that is 3 1/2 inch UK nomenclature - it would be defined as 7 inch in “the colonies”)

He stands on a box (due to height compatibility issues) between me and the lathe, with me looking over his shoulder and in a position to intervene quickly if things go wrong.

He has made a screwdriver (which involved a knurled handle, some taper turning and single point cutting a 12mm external thread) and an oscillating steam engine with boiler (he used the torch for the soft soldering, but I did the brazing)

My six year old grand daughter shows no interest in the workshop at all...

If I were you, I would get him involved in the restoration.

Ian

 

[JCSteam]

Hi

I couldn't reply earlier as I was working and only quickly read your reply.

I will get him involved in reassembly hopefully then he'll know how it goes together. Where oil is put ect.
For the paint stripping part and painting it, not so much, as painting is not his fortay and the whole thing including the bed and slides will be covered.

See how far we get tonight.

Regards
Jon

 

[Apprentice707]

Good to see the youngsters being encouraged to use their hands and minds to produce things.
My Father gave me a Super Adept when I was about 10 years old and I still have it ( I am 74 years young).
During this time it has traveled with me to the USA and Holland and other postings I had during my service with the Royal Air Force.
It sustained some transit damage once and I had to replace the mandrel with a new one, in this process, I also beefed up the item, but retained the nose thread.
These days it has semi-retired, but does get outings to my model engineering clubs' open days and is always met with comments like "I remember those" and "That's like my first lathe"
It is powered by my mothers' old sewing machine motor and if used "gently" can achieve some nice work.

Good luck with the restoration.

Here is the item in original colour:-

 

[JCSteam]

Nice, what is the little 3 jaw from? Also could I trouble you for faceplate dimensions/drawing for the OD and slots, The one I have is just made (badly) from some plate steel. Id like to make it as original with the slots and make some clamps to keep with it. Most likely using something like coach bolts shortened, and a small angle plate for the faceplate also.

I note that your tailstock is different to mine. Yours having a bolt to the top, mine has a lever to the rear.

Regards
Jon

 

[Richard Hed]

Hi,

My five year old grandson uses my Drummond 3 1/2 inch B type flat-bed (that is 3 1/2 inch UK nomenclature - it would be defined as 7 inch in “the colonies”)

He stands on a box (due to height compatibility issues) between me and the lathe, with me looking over his shoulder and in a position to intervene quickly if things go wrong.

He has made a screwdriver (which involved a knurled handle, some taper turning and single point cutting a 12mm external thread) and an oscillating steam engine with boiler (he used the torch for the soft soldering, but I did the brazing)

My six year old grand daughter shows no interest in the workshop at all...

If I were you, I would get him involved in the restoration.

Ian

Just to chime in: my degree is psychology--You ARE CORRECT more than you can ever know! One should always interact with little kidz as much as you can stand (might needs someone else to take over at some [point, might wear out an adult!)--gets their brain cell connections going and creates brilliant kidz. However, one of the harder parts in this is that you yourself will need to branch out into other subjects to interact, ones you may not have experience with yourself. Called an enriched environment. You might also show the kidz how to draw by hand the things they build and connect numbers to the dwgs. Many many other things too.

I could write a book on this, don't get me started, I have too many other things to do.

 

[JCSteam]

Richard,

I have to get him to count properly first, that's without going into the decimables, and fractures of numbers. He gets all the right numbers but in the wrong order.

I have shown him some plans before, and although he couldn't understand them, he could work out what shape the part should be which is a good start, and took a real interest in them. My partner is a much better teacher of academic things, she is a TA in a school after all. Me I was around average at best.

I do think getting him to draw something to make will at least give him some idea of what he wants to make, and engage a lot with him, the way to make it is down to me to show him.

Jon

 

[cadsculptor]

Hi JC, I agree - as early as possible, given that they understand how to operate the equipment safely. My son started with a small cordless drill at about 5 - he had a blast drilling random holes in any scrap I could find.
Forget about the counting thing - show him how to not hurt himself, give him some easy-to-machine stock and let him go!
Don't let the refinishing project take too long - you want to get him going while his interest is high - a week max for a 5 year old.
I would definitely put a guard over that belt drive...
Good Luck and enjoy watching what he does on his own - I learned more than a couple creative solutions from my kids.
Paul

 

[JCSteam]

Well a second coat of red in-between the bed, and on the pulley, then paint the rest of the bits Green, its taken me longer to mask off the slides than it will to paint. Also a quick visit to the oven while the missus is in bed and fabreeze afterwards to hide any smell and the paint should last a long time.

Jon

 

[goldstar31]

I am a bit chary as it seriously hints at Ignatius Loyala. One of my studies at 14 after an Education Commtee tried to turn me into a Young Communist. I lived a stone's throw from a place in County Durham dubbed as "Little Moscow'
I was very lucky eventually and got a classical education. Not enough but I had finally a superb headmaster. I sort of owe it to him for my maths and - oddly, aftr all those years, becoming a Freemason.
As for my two children, they were educated 'in the arts and sciences' and were free to make up their own minds. Both had IQ's beyond my relatively average of 135 and one became a fluent Francophile whilst the other became a consultant orthodontist but both had all sorts of hobbies, swimming, sub aqua, skiing, sailing, music-- and finance and such with extra properties.
Both have more than manual dexterity as daughter plays piano, clarinet, saxophone recorder and flute whilst son is happy to take a Lotus to bits- and borrow my tools

 

[JCSteam]

Funnily enough my missus echo'd the same, but while he shows an interest in any mechanical bits, I will continue to encourage. But rest assured Norm he will be having an education, this is I guess play. Ive always found that the kids learn better (certainly I did) if there is something that is of interest to them, So for example he will have to learn his numbers right to know how many turns of the handles he needs to get to the right dimension, I'll also show him basics of measuring, even if he isn't actually doing the sums, Hopefully he will see how its done, ill talk through how its done, and he'll learn. I can but hope, if all else fails I have a little lathe to do decorative pieces on. He is incredibly bright lad, a problem solver, so should suit engineering well. But ultimately what he does in later life is up to him, and his choice.

Jon

 

[Richard Hed]

Richard,

I have to get him to count properly first, that's without going into the decimables, and fractures of numbers. He gets all the right numbers but in the wrong order.

I have shown him some plans before, and although he couldn't understand them, he could work out what shape the part should be which is a good start, and took a real interest in them. My partner is a much better teacher of academic things, she is a TA in a school after all. Me I was around average at best.

I do think getting him to draw something to make will at least give him some idea of what he wants to make, and engage a lot with him, the way to make it is down to me to show him.

Jon

Even if kidz don't understand, they still should be exposed to it earlier than one might thimk. It is well known that they LITERALLY (and I am using this word PROPERLY) CANNOT do certain things till their neurons have formed to a certain degree--HOWEVER, being exposed to it before the neurons are formed properly, they STILL record the information and when their brain is ready, they are 10 steps ahead of kidz without the enriched environment. So, the theory (again proper use of the term) is that the kidz should be exposed to more than they are capable at any one time of absorbing. Not too much tho' and no lectures about it. KISS, keep it stupid, simple.

 

[Richard Hed]

Funnily enough my missus echo'd the same, but while he shows an interest in any mechanical bits, I will continue to encourage. But rest assured Norm he will be having an education, this is I guess play. Ive always found that the kids learn better (certainly I did) if there is something that is of interest to them, So for example he will have to learn his numbers right to know how many turns of the handles he needs to get to the right dimension, I'll also show him basics of measuring, even if he isn't actually doing the sums, Hopefully he will see how its done, ill talk through how its done, and he'll learn. I can but hope, if all else fails I have a little lathe to do decorative pieces on. He is incredibly bright lad, a problem solver, so should suit engineering well. But ultimately what he does in later life is up to him, and his choice.

Jon

Be very careful what you say, education is a very sensitive subject with me--what we get in the schools now is not education--it is training for factory work (and not very good at that). Read John Taylor Gatto's books, (one is enough) but be sure to find out WHO JTG is and what he's done. Then if you wish to find out WHO we are all working for (really now, you should insert the word 'slaving for') read "Kill Zone". You'll read something that should outrage you. What YOU, Jon, are doing with your son is education. Be sure to give the SAME education to your girls, that is, teach them men's things, and your boys, teach them women's things as well as men's things. These are all fake classifications anyhow.

 

[Apprentice707]

Good to see the youngsters being encouraged to use their hands and minds to produce things.
My Father gave me a Super Adept when I was about 10 years old and I still have it ( I am 74 years young).
During this time it has traveled with me to the USA and Holland and other postings I had during my service with the Royal Air Force.
It sustained some transit damage once and I had to replace the mandrel with a new one, in this process, I also beefed up the item, but retained the nose thread.
These days it has semi-retired, but does get outings to my model engineering clubs' open days and is always met with comments like "I remember those" and "That's like my first lathe"
It is powered by my mothers' old sewing machine motor and if used "gently" can achieve some nice work.

Good luck with the restoration.

Here is the item in original colour:-


View attachment 119038

Hello,

I can do better than a drawing of the faceplate, I had a look in my bits and pieces and came across a spare faceplate (a pic is attached) you are welcome to it please contact me on ???????????? and we can arrange to pick up or delivery depending on how far we live apart. I also attach photos of a hand rest and angle plate I have, I don't wish to dispose of these but you are welcome to the dimensions.

The 3 jaw lever scroll chuck came from Harbor Freight in the States, cost $12,50 + tax. Don't think that is repeatable. It works well and is quite accurate.

 

[JCSteam]

Superb, many thanks, email on the way may be an idea to edit your post and remove your email before scammers or phishing types find it, I have it copied.

Regards
Jon

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Jon, Norman, Guys,

Nice to meet you and the family the other day. I've just got back from visiting granddaughter in Birmingham.
I've yet to have a look at the box of bits from Norman but will get around to that Tomorrow all being well.

 

[JCSteam]

Hi Jon, Norman, Guys,

Nice to meet you and the family the other day. I've just got back from visiting granddaughter in Birmingham.
I've yet to have a look at the box of bits from Norman but will get around to that Tomorrow all being well.

The pleasure was mine, hope they are a lot of use to you.
Regards
Jon

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick update ! I've been looking at a Parvalux motor that Norman (Goldstar) kindly gave me. Having tested it and got it running Ok, I've removed the rightangle double ended gearbox that was bolted to one end along with the worm that was pinned to the motor shaft. I had to make a 2 mm diameter punch with a 1 mm diameter spigot on the end so that the punch located in the through hole of the Sellok pin holding the worm onto the shaft.. The motor runs at 2880 rpm and the gearbox reduced that to 540 rpm. Just a little bit slow for a grinding spindle !

Pictures of the motor, now minus its gearbox !

 

[JCSteam]

An update from me too.

Lathe is now painted up to match daddies myford. I forgot the tool clamp though so will have to paint that separately. Masking take and blue tack to bung the holes up.

Jon

 

[goldstar31]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick update ! I've been looking at a Parvalux motor that Norman (Goldstar) kindly gave me. Having tested it and got it running Ok, I've removed the rightangle double ended gearbox that was bolted to one end along with the worm that was pinned to the motor shaft. I had to make a 2 mm diameter punch with a 1 mm diameter spigot on the end so that the punch located in the through hole of the Sellok pin holding the worm onto the shaft.. The motor runs at 2880 rpm and the gearbox reduced that to 540 rpm. Just a little bit slow for a grinding spindle !

View attachment 119109View attachment 119111

Pictures of the motor, now minus its gearbox !

So you should be aiming for 7000 rpm's.

I ordered a set of grinding wheels from Hemingway's mine were a bit( read helluva a lot) old.
Not cheap but the Quorn does most things. Then I got a wheel to fit the Worden i the kit. Tried it on my Kennet at about 70000 rpm and was impressed with the finish although it only 60 grit----- and said, to Hell with the Children's Inheritance-- and bought another one for the kennel itself.
I maybe doing something right or wrong but I got the hss lathe tool from it to cut vastly better than the CCMT 6020 carbide insert.

As no body has - or seems to have made a comparison, I'm for the home brewed 'Norman' efforts.
Surprised


Norman