Motorized Lathe Tool?

I've seen a chain saw fixture for this purpose, but I rather suspect that a router at 20Krpm might not be the best choice - you might consider an aluminum cutting roughing endmill (drive down to Cal Aero, or see the obvious person at your club's next meeting (you know who I mean) for advice

Bill

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Never seen an extension for a router shaft of that length. Doesn't sound like an easy, or even very safe job. What is it you need that extension for that one of the little trimmer routers won't do? Swing the whole thing in, supported on a rest and turn your piece very slowly if you want to use it to bottom inside. It would certainly be better to get a 1/2 shank 15 amp if you're planning on removing much wood.

Any router arrangement won't - or at least shouldn't be - as rapid at removal as one of the rotary chain types like the arbortech, just more precise. Wouldn't let the router speed trouble me, it's the feed rate and depth of cut that count. My preferred bit would be a mortising type with the carbide on the bottom almost like a Forstner if you're going for smooth. I've surfaced slabs with good success using them. For plain old stock removal, a spiral bit which clears the shaving load would be good.

I use a router to cut bowls. See my cutterhead at

I use 1/2" ball end router bits, 1/2" shank, with a 4" long shank. For most work this is sufficient. I don't have an extension yet, but it is a likely eventuality. I would use tubular steel (not pipe) for the housing and place high-speed bearings at each end with a shaft running between them. No need to deal with the thrust forces, the router bearings can handle that load. Like you say, it will need a flange to attach the extension to the router base. Use the router collet to grab the extension shaft. Tighten the shaft into the collet first, then bolt the flange to the base. That way the shafts will be aligned perfectly.

I have a 30,000 rpm electric die grinder that has an integral 6" extension and it works much like this except that the connection is made using a shaft coupler, which permits slight shaft misalignments.

Dan

A few years ago, Norm did a bit on turning bowls. He went to a shop where the guy had fitted a router on a swing arm on his lathe to do all the cutting, saying that hand tools were old school.

Hi Mark

Maybe you should go and see Lissi Oland

She does not think it's impossible to hog out the inside of a LARGE/HUGE bowl with a chain saw.

Never to old to learn !!!! Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Yes, the man was on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.

Derek

Somehow the thought of something with any mass at all turning at 20K-30K and even a LITTLE bit off center scares the bejeesus out of me. And should the bit catch for any reason it'd be Twist and Shout Time, to say nothing of Run and HIde, Duck and Pray or, worse yet Bleed and Die.

If you think a turning catch is disconcerting, try a catch in a climb cut - on a router table even. I was routing a dado in the underside of a beech

2x2 and needed to widen it just a skosh. Accidentally created a climb cut. The part came out from under the rubber bottomed hold down push pads in a nano second, left the table at Mach I, flew through a doorway 10 feet away and was stopped by a leg of my assembly bench eight feet on the other side of that doorway.

Look into Arbortec or Proxxon - with variable speed. Or check out Legacy mills.

OH - DO NOT put a wisk in a router to whip whipping cream faster. When you get back from the emergency room you'll still have a kitchen to clean up - ceiling included. (google Walt Akers AND tales)

charlie b