Repurposing old treadmill motor for DIY lathe worth it?

[blownbyhand163]

I've been working on fixing up an old shed to turn it into a cozy little workshop. While rummaging through a junk pile, I stumbled across a working treadmill motor, and it sparked an idea, what if I could build a simple lathe using it? Right now, buying a commercial lathe is way beyond my budget, and honestly, I'm not looking for perfection, just something that gets the job done

Has anyone out there ever built a lathe from scrap or repurposed parts like this? I'd love to hear your experiences, what worked well and what didn't

 

[donnalyn.b]

If you're just turning wood or doing light stuff, that treadmill motor can definitely get the job done. Maybe you can try to rig up an HQ speed controller and make sure the frame is sturdy enough to keep things from walking.

 

[Crosser]

Hmmm if DIY tools built from scrap can outperform cheap commercial ones, are most entry-level machines just overpriced junk riding on branding hype?