100% Homemade Lathe While this is an intriguing project, it does cause some interesting thoughts. 1) Reversing the L-brackets might allow grasping and turning larger pieces. 2) Since the backing plate is wood, it might also be possible to make the whole chuck from wood. Replace the L-brackets with wood blocks and thread the clamping bolts through these blocks. 3) A metal or wood shield around the outside might make this a bit safer by minimizing chances of human contact with spinning bolt
