Universal Cutting Frame for Ornamental Turning

I started making a Rose Engine (this is not mine) 3 or 4 years ago with help from the fellows at Ornamental  Turners, well it is still sitting on my shelf in limbo 1/2 done. Space is my problem and to many other projects I seem to keep taking on or picking up.

After using and seeing various Universal Cutting frames made to do OT work, I bit the bullet and decided one more project would not get in the way, cause to much hassle, oh was I wrong. Progress has been made regardless with the equipment I have at home an borrowed.

The Universal cutting frame I am basing my build on is that of Ray Levy's he did an article in Woodturning Issue No19.

I am using 6010 series aluminium for the swivel blocks and motor support blocks as I am making two of each. One with 1" for each support shaft and  spindle. The other will be 1" and 20mm. I will go into why as time goes by and I progress with the build. I started with cutting the blocks 2"x2"x3". The shafts where bought as is and just cut to length on my 4x6 metal bandsaw as were the initial cut for the aluminium, I cut the smaller block off on a hand mitre saw.
I used a 1" holesaw to drill the 1"x1" holes as I wanted to retain the removed piece for another project. The 2nd 1" and 20mm I drilled normally stepping up but hand reaming to finished size.This is where the frustration came in after buying a new set of reduced shank drill bits sizes14mm to 25mm and finding not one was correct in diameter all undersized even worse was the was no 18 but two well close to 19mm's in the box. Rang Tool King who miked all the boxes they had to find all were the same, I will be returning them at Mudgee Field days. I had already borrowed the reamers from a friend thank goodness.

To true up the swivel blocks etc I used my bench drill as a mill with a sanding disc attached, a finer finish is yet to be done.

Both Swivel blocks

1"x20mm swivel block

20mmx1"dia bore swivel block

 

Motor Support blocks plus a few extra