Lathe Banjo Lock

Build a wood lathe banjo lock.

Step 1: Design

Scribble some ideas.

Step 2: Hardware

1 bolt, 2 nuts and a washer.

Step 3: Wood

Cut a 2x4 to size and drill a hole in the center.

Step 4: Fasten Bolt

Fasten the bolt to the wood so it protrudes from one side and tighten.

Step 5: Fasten Banjo

Fasten the lock to the banjo. Use a wrench to tighten. If you want a more durable lock with greater movement another design follows.

Step 6: Hardware

Bolt, nut, round washer, square washer.

Step 7: Measure

Mark the washers for resizing.

Step 8: Cut

Saw or grind the washers to size.

Step 9: File

Fine tune the shape of the washers to perfectly fit the lathe bed.

Step 10: Weld

Weld the two washers together. I cold welded with JB.

Step 11: Nut

Weld the nut to the bottom of the square washer.

Step 12: Felt

This step is optional. I found the unit slid on the bed better with a fabric layer. Epoxy thin felt to the washer surface and trim.

Step 13: Finger Lever

Cut some metal to size and use as a finger lever. This avoids the necessity of using a wrench to adjust the banjo.

Step 14: Round

Round the edges.

Step 15: Weld

Weld the pieces to the top of the bolt head.

Step 16: Test

Put the lock to use and work out any bugs.