Proxxon DB-250 lathe extension bed

[glbarlow]

Anyone know where I can get an extension bed for my Proxxon DB250 lathe...besides Australia...?

[DelF]

Just wondering why you need the extension? You can handle long spars through the hole in the headstock. For convenience, I've fitted the 3-jaw chuck to replace the collets the lathe comes with which makes it easy to hold the part of the spar you want to work on close to the chuck (with thick paper or card wrapped round the spar to protect it from the jaws). If you're concerned about the tailstock, I rarely bother with mine, preferring to hold the spar with my fingers holding the sandpaper. I would never suggest that on a full-size or metal working lathe, but it is perfectly safe on the DB 250 so long as you keep fingers well away from the chuck. No different to using a power drill to shape spars, as many people do.

 

If you've not got it, the chuck is Proxxon part 27 026:

[tkay11]

I bought the extension for mine. Quite low cost from the suppliers at about £20. I agree with Derek, but still find the extension handy when sanding by hand the full length of a mast to a constant angle.

 

The big advantage of keeping the bed short is avoiding the wobble at the centre of long masts if you prefer to cut the mast with the chisels. You could build a steady at the middle, but I found when I tried to do that with card it still marked the mast.

 

Tony

[glbarlow]

I have the 3 jaw Chuck, it works fine. I just made the fairly long bowsprit for Cheerful, really no different than had I used the drill I’ve always used before and it came out fine. It has an offset in the final 5mm which I cut ok but it was wobbly, a tail stock would come in handy.  All sandpaper and files, no cutting tools.

How do you handle long spars pushing through the chuck without marring them when the chuck is tightened, I guess the old tape wrap trick.  I can work with it ok, just looking for a steadier hold.

 

Doesn’t seem to matter, I can’t find the extension bed anyway

Edited March 6, 2021 by glbarlow

[DelF]

7 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

How do you handle long spars pushing through the chuck without marring them when the chuck is tightened

I use a thin strip of fine grit sandpaper wrapped around the spar a couple times. I find the chuck then grips without damaging the wood. If I wrap it good and tight the spar usually spins reasonably true, and as I'm not using cutting tools it doesn't need to be 100% perfect.

[glbarlow]

8 minutes ago, DelF said:

fine grit sandpaper

Thanks, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I’d always used blue painters tape as the adhesive doesn’t leave any residue on the wood. 
 

I must say the lathe is absolutely the best dust generating tool I own 😊

 

[GuntherMT]

24 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

Thanks, I wouldn’t have thought of that. I’d always used blue painters tape as the adhesive doesn’t leave any residue on the wood. 
 

I must say the lathe is absolutely the best dust generating tool I own 😊

 

 

Clearly a man who doesn't own a thickness sander!

 

My personal preference for shaping masts/spars in the lathe is to use a support that follows the tool head while turning square stock that is firmly affixed at both ends, but I don't think that really works with the Proxxon lathe as I don't believe it even has a tool head type thing, but rather a tool 'rest' I believe?

[glbarlow]

Yes, the point is the lathe is shorter than most mast and spars so the tail stock can't be used - unless you run it through the chuck as Derek described.  

[bartley]

On 3/6/2021 at 8:10 PM, tkay11 said:

 

The big advantage of keeping the bed short is avoiding the wobble at the centre of long masts if you prefer to cut the mast with the chisels. You could build a steady at the middle, but I found when I tried to do that with card it still marked the mast.

 

Tony

I am not in a position to purchase a Proxxon lathe so I made my own using a hand drill

 

 

The boards are drilled to accept a roller blade bearing.  The far board is clamped according to the length of the mast.  The central board is movable and acts as the "steady" to which you refer.  If the mast is not the same diameter as the bearing I have a series of wooden "washers" which I insert into the bearing.  In fact now I have several bearings with different sized inserts.

Edited March 14, 2021 by bartley

[Jasseji]

On 3/6/2021 at 4:41 PM, DelF said:

I use a thin strip of fine grit sandpaper wrapped around the spar a couple times. I find the chuck then grips without damaging the wood. If I wrap it good and tight the spar usually spins reasonably true, and as I'm not using cutting tools it doesn't need to be 100% perfect.

Sorry if this is opening up an old thread but how do you run the dowels through the Chuck ?

Can you poist a picture perhaps, maybe my understanding of English is lacking here 

[DelF]

2 hours ago, Jasseji said:

how do you run the dowels through the Chuck ?

Can you poist a picture perhaps

No problem. The lathe has a hollow headstock. That means dowels up to about 11mm in diameter can pass right through the machine, allowing you to hold the dowel close to the part you are working on. Here's a picture:

 

Hope this helps

 

Derek

[Jasseji]

8 minutes ago, DelF said:

No problem. The lathe has a hollow headstock. That means dowels up to about 11mm in diameter can pass right through the machine, allowing you to hold the dowel close to the part you are working on. Here's a picture:

 

Hope this helps

 

Derek

aaaah cool, but you need this 3-jaw attachment for it to work, or does it work with the standard attachment which comes with the lathe ?

[DelF]

It works with both

[glbarlow]

And it works quite well I might add.  If you get the lathe I’d highly recommend the three jaw chuck accessory, it’s really all I use.  This is a relatively inexpensive tool that more than pays for itself. I described my use of it in my Cheerful log, Derek taught me well.

 

i never found the bed extension, turns out I didn’t need it. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by glbarlow

[Jasseji]

58 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

And it works quite well I might add.  If you get the lathe I’d highly recommend the three jaw chuck accessory, it’s really all I use.  This is a relatively inexpensive tool that more than pays for itself. I described my use of it in my Cheerful log, Derek taught me well.

 

i never found the bed extension, turns out I didn’t need it. 

cheers, ye, i am thinking about this Lathe for turning masts, although i might get a Disk sander first (for tapering planks) and get the Lathe when i am ready to do the Masting  Admiral wouldnt be happy with 2 Power tool purchases i assume