[cannonfodder]

Got my lathe home and on the bench today. I cleaned it up, hooked it up and went to playing. A half hour later I came inside with a 3 inch dowel. Look Hun, as I proudly showed the wife a nice symmetrical 3 inch by 4 inch dowel. Uuu, ya, its round? To which I reply thanks, use to be a lopsided square. I just spent some time turning coves, lines, wedges, tapers, then take the big gouge and straighten it out and practice more. Take the big gouge and straighten it again, did that about 3 times until I ended up with something resembling a candle stick with rolling curves, coves, ledges etc. So much for cutting the grass.

[mikeyr]

Better get some ice boots! It's a long, slippery slope yer startin' down.
------got the t-shirts..............Mike

[Milton Man]

Well, I can see some nice brush handles or shaving bowls in your future - any pics of the lathe? What kind? How's you chose that one over any other? Do tell!

Mark

[icedog]

What kind of lathe? Wood or machinist? What brand?

I love turning and have won many awards with my Nova DVR:

NOVA DVR XP Lathe - Woodcraft.com

Whatever you got, have fun and good luck with it.

[Milton Man]

Wow, Icedog! You're SERIOUS into turning! I don't know that I've ever seen a wood lathe at that price point before!

Mark

[cannonfodder]

Nothing as heavy as the Nova. The right tool for the right job, I plan on turning handles for brushes, protafilters for espresso machines, maybe a small bowl or two in it. I was looking at miniature lathes but they are just too small and limited but I did not need a large full size lathe. Dad use to work for ShopSmith so he has a 3 car garage turned wood shop with everything I could ever have use of, but I did not want to go over there and use his big Mark 5, it will turn 16 inch over swing so you can do some big wood on it, although the variable speed adjustment is very nice. No need to change belt positions, just turn up the dial.

I ended up picking up a mid sized Delta LA200 bench top. It gives me 10 inch swing over bed so it will handle what I will be turning on a regular basis with no issue. The lathe is short so it fits in a small work space nicely and will take 14 inch between centers. I do have the bed extension so if I need I can go out 37 inches. It will turn from 500 to 3700 with belt adjustments. I also got the 4 jaw mandrel, a full set of tools (10), a set of mini tools for pens and a pen mandrel along with some other odds and ends. I picked it all up for $400 from a guy that used is for about a year. He was hard up for cash. Down side, he had no clue how to sharpen tools. It looks like he was using a bench grinder on the tools. Dad has a sharpening rig for his strip sander to do the turning tools, as well as drawer full of tools, so we will be grinding out the damage and putting a proper edge on them. It is just right for what I will be doing. If I find myself needing to turn a 3 foot diameter bowl, I will go over to dads and use his. He is in the western Ohio wood workers association and has a wall full of ribbons from shows.

I have been doing wood work for several years off and on but this is my first foray into the turning world. It really is not that difficult, you just have to learn the technique but I have a good teacher. No photos but I will take one when I get home.

[icedog]

I agree with you about the mini-lathes. They are too limiting. The Delta is a good machine. Good luck with it and the addiction to turning that will likely suck you in.

[Quick Orange]

Oh, I'm so jealous! I used to have an old (like 50's) machining lathe. The thing seriously weighed waaay too much and was a pita, but it was great to have around. As long as I had some Bo-Lube around, it would eat through damn near anything.

[cannonfodder]

Worked on some scales and then chocked a hunk of scrap wood to get a little practice. This was a laminate, looks like a couple hunks of maple with a hunk of cherry in the middle. Decided to turn something resembling a handle just to play around. I did not have the shop vac running so I could listen to the radio, that was a mistake. Sawdust everywhere. Dad brought over a set of his tools so had something sharp to work with until we get my set sharpened. So this is my little lathe work area.

Having fun, got a big bag full of cherry/poplar/pine to play on.

[icedog]

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Dad brought over a set of his tools so had something sharp to work with until we get my set sharpened. .

Being able to sharpen your own tools is a key to successful turning. The gouges and chisels used in turning don't have to be shave ready. They have only to be sharp as opposed to dull. Some woods have a high mineral content (puprleheart has visible streaks of calcium, teak is loaded with silica) which will take the edge off a tool as quickly as sandpaper. Typically I will re-sharpen the tools I am using several times while turning any given project. As most turning tools are high speed steel (HSS), they are not hardened and therefore cannot lose their temper while being sharpened on a low speed grinding wheel (just keep them from getting too hot by quenching in water frquently). I use this setup (except I keep my grinder on a bench):

Woodturner's Sharpening Kit - Woodcraft.com

[mikeyr]

Looks like a slick little set-up. Big enough for most work, doesn't eat a lotta room. Didja turn the little carving mallet lying by the spindle sander?

[cannonfodder]

Originally Posted by icedog

Being able to sharpen your own tools is a key to successful turning. The gouges and chisels used in turning don't have to be shave ready. They have only to be sharp as opposed to dull. Some woods have a high mineral content (puprleheart has visible streaks of calcium, teak is loaded with silica) which will take the edge off a tool as quickly as sandpaper. Typically I will re-sharpen the tools I am using several times while turning any given project. As most turning tools are high speed steel (HSS), they are not hardened and therefore cannot lose their temper while being sharpened on a low speed grinding wheel (just keep them from getting too hot by quenching in water frquently). I use this setup (except I keep my grinder on a bench):

Woodturner's Sharpening Kit - Woodcraft.com

Dad has a similar setup but for a 1 inch strip sander. The tools I got are so bad I will have to start with something like 220 grit to reshape the tips he mangled on a bench grinder, then put in a 400 to put the edge on them. A sharp tool is so much easier to use, the tool does the work you just guide it. Still need a lot of practice but I will get there.

I have a couple other work tables with the rest of my gear, loaders, strip sander, press, router, mostly small gear for finishing work. I go over to dads for the heavy work then finish it at my place.

[cannonfodder]

Originally Posted by mikeyr

Looks like a slick little set-up. Big enough for most work, doesn't eat a lotta room. Didja turn the little carving mallet lying by the spindle sander?

They guy I got the lathe from turned that. It is not a bad little lathe. Nice and quiet, plenty of power for medium sized work. I have the bed extension off but with it on, I can turn stock nearly as long as that table.

[icedog]

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

A sharp tool is so much easier to use, the tool does the work you just guide it.

I agree with this statement completely. I was saying that there's sharp and there's sharp. Some folks try to sharpen their turning tools like they sharpen carving tools. I say this is excessive for turning. You should learn to sharpen bowl and spindle gouges and scrapers with a low speed grinder and for skew chisels a belt sander. They don't need to be honed on a stone and stropped.

If you ever find yourself in Connecticut, I am always happy to teach sharpening. I am told I'm a pretty good teacher.

[cannonfodder]

I played with that handle I started yesterday. I smoothed out a couple of spots, did a little sanding and put a Dutch oil finish on it. I will cut it off that block in another day then put a little deft wax on it. Nothing special, but I will center drill the brush cup and put a large synthetic brush knot in it and give it to mother to use as a hair cut brush.

The guy I got the lath from had the pen mandrel and box of pen blanks and pen guts. He had one blank glued up and on the mandrel so I figured what the heck. Lets see if I can control the tools and turn an even and thin barrel. So I turned my first pen. I turned in a hand swell and then sanded it down to 1500 grit, buffed it off and put Dutch oil on it as well. Once it dries I will put a coat of deft wax on it and put the hardware on. I think it turned out pretty good considering it is only the second thing I have ever turned on a lathe.

[icedog]

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

I think it turned out pretty good considering it is only the second thing I have ever turned on a lathe.

The words of a man with a monkey on his back. The pen thing is a very tough habit to kick.

[cannonfodder]

Finished turning a portafilter handle and matching controls for my espresso machine yesterday, the hard part was tapping the wood for the threads. Bacote is dense enough to work without a metal threaded liner. They work pretty good, I am happy with them.

[Chris L]

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Finished turning a portafilter handle and matching controls for my espresso machine yesterday, the hard part was tapping the wood for the threads. Bacote is dense enough to work without a metal threaded liner. They work pretty good, I am happy with them.

The Coffeegeeks are going to go wild over being able to buy custom handles for their Brewtuses and the like! You've got a new way to fund your razor hobby my friend. Very nice work.

I on the other hand sold my PID'd Silvia and my Macap MC4 long ago to fund my razor hobby!

Chris L

[cannonfodder]

The hard part is divvying up time between doing razor work, lathe work, coffee work, sporting clays and home. Guess that is why I am in the garage at 1am quite often.

I need to pick up more Bacote, then I will turn myself a tamper handle to match, some day.

[icedog]

Nice handles for a nice machine