The Metal Lathe by David Gingery (1982)

An excellent book. David Gingery takes you by the hand and shows you the methods needed to creat your own metal lathe. But, he expects that you have built a furnace and are prepared to melt cast aluminum. See "The Charcoal Foundry" by David Gingery if you need help.

Imagine taking melted aluminum and pouring it into sand mix molds to create customized parts. Then hand tool these parts into precision fitting pieces that compromise a metal lathe.

While "The Charcoal Foundry" is the foundation of Gingery's Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap series, "The Metal Lathe" is the foundation behind the remaining machines you can build in Gingery's series of books.

Not only do you have a precision lathe to turn your own projects, but you have a machine that will help create a Shaper and Milling Machine, if you choose to pursue the entire series of books.

Save yourself the $500 price tag of a China import 7 x 12 metal lathe, and build your own for next to nothing. (Look on the internet for great improvisations on creating even more parts than Gingery calls for, and saving even more money.)

Not only do you ultimately own a precision metal lathe, but you also own the knowledge and skill to create your own parts for future projects. The lessons learned in pattern making, molding, pouring, and hand finishing are worth more than the mere price of this book.