my new to me, cobbed together lathe AKA (thanks Burlkraft)

Part_Timer · April 14, 2007, 10:25:50 PM

Well as most of you know I took a new position at my job first of the year. Well it has been 12+ hours a day average ever since. We are getting ready for a large upgrade toward the end of the year and things are getting a bit crazy. To say I've been a bit stressed out is an understatement.

Well Burlkraft wrote earlier this week reminding me not to forget to have some fun every once in a while. SOOOOOOO I took his advice, and today I finished up my lathe project.

I bought the lathe parts at an auction last summer for $12. I had the DC motor and drive left over from another project that went toes up. I had a contractor I deal with drill out one of the coupling halves and tap it for me. I needed 1x8 left handed threads and I sure don't have a tap for left handed threads.

After several hours of drilling the holes in the wrong place >:( >:(

and getting things lined up I was ready to turn.

Well things went well for a first attempt. I need to get it bolted down to the bench, and I have to do a bit more work on the drive. It's surging just a bit at lower speeds but I'll have to get on line and find a book. I seem to have misplaced mine. :

:

I also need to find a way to make my tail stock a live center mine isn't and it's about useless.

Steve thanks a bunch, I needed today worse than I thought.

WDH · April 14, 2007, 11:34:41 PM

Just wait till you get that baby tuned up sweet! What kind of wood is that?

Part_Timer · April 14, 2007, 11:41:02 PM

That's a piece of cherry I pulled from the firewood pile.

The neighbors just cut a very small (8")walnut down in the fencerow, I'm going to go find a small piece and try it.

WDH · April 14, 2007, 11:46:24 PM

I have a piece of thick pecan, but it is probably too dry to turn or I would send you a piece. Turning is definitely not one of my skill areas :(.

Burlkraft · April 15, 2007, 12:49:59 AM

Shoot me a pic of that tailstock...I may have a live center for ya.... ;D ;D

Nice bowl....fer firewood...some of the best stuff comes off the firewood pile... ;) ;) ;)

Daren · April 15, 2007, 08:24:45 AM

Quote from: Burlkraft on April 15, 2007, 12:49:59 AM

Nice bowl....fer firewood...some of the best stuff comes off the firewood pile... ;) ;) ;)

And he ain't just saying that. Turners, myself included, will always eyeball a firewood pile...just to see if there is a little gem hiding in there.

I think you found a good stress reliever P_T. I guy can chuck up a few scraps and spend some time getting his mind right. Playing (that is all I am capable of, just playing) with a lathe is almost hypnotic, watching the tools work the spinning piece. And when you are done, you have a nice little something to show for it. In your case a cherry bowl.

Part_Timer · April 15, 2007, 10:40:59 AM

Thanks guys, I'm going to turn this afternoon also.

WDH I'll send my address to ya. I'm not afraid of turning dry wood. You just have to sharpen more. Send 2 and I'll have Katie turn something for you. She is much better at it than I am.

Burlkraft. I'll get a pic on line later tonight. The problem is that the center for the tail stock is threaded on the inside with a spline on the outside. It's not a MT of anykind. I was thinking of taking it into work and turning the face off of it and taking one off of a MT and screwing it onto mine. Bet that was clear as mud. :D

Daren, I'm going to glue up some cutoffs and see what happens. Should be interesting.

This lathe will turn about an 8" bowl. I might have a shopsmith coming this summer. I'll have to do some mods but I think I might be able to turn a small table top with it. We'll see how things go. June is a long way off.

Burlkraft · April 15, 2007, 10:46:37 AM

Quote from: Part_Timer on April 15, 2007, 10:40:59 AM
Burlkraft. I'll get a pic on line later tonight. The problem is that the center for the tail stock is threaded on the inside with a spline on the outside. It's not a MT of anykind. I was thinking of taking it into work and turning the face off of it and taking one off of a MT and screwing it onto mine. Bet that was clear as mud. :D

Yer right...Let me know how that works out.....

I do have a threaded live center....I think it's left hand 1" 8tpi...but don't quote me on that.... ;) ;)

Daren · April 15, 2007, 11:07:52 AM

Quote from: Part_Timer on April 15, 2007, 10:40:59 AM

Daren, I'm going to glue up some cutoffs and see what happens. Should be interesting.

I have done glued up turnings before....now I back to digging in the firewood pile for wood to turn, it is much more relaxing :D Things like this are more for testing your patience, not mellowing out. Just keep your tools real sharp. On glue ups the different grains all in one piece need sharp tools. Keep turning and posting pictures, it'll do you good. 8)

low_48 · April 15, 2007, 01:56:26 PM

I think nearly all the manufacturers use a belt step setup to keep the DC motor speed up and reduce that surge. By changing belts you can get the speed you want and keep the motor in it's best torque range. I think only the Nova lathe uses a direct drive and they have some kind of "super motor" that is actually the head stock as well.

Part_Timer · April 15, 2007, 10:59:26 PM

I don't have the room on my benches to use a belt setup, that's why the direct drive. I'll get it ironed out, it'll just take a bit of time. I can live with the surge for now. It's sure better than no lathe at all.

turningfool · April 16, 2007, 05:16:16 AM

nice looking lathe...great stress reliever

low_48 · April 16, 2007, 05:55:29 PM

If space is a problem for the belts, why not go up? Can you get a step pulley on the outboard side shaft? They build up some bridging and mount the motor above the shaft pulley. It wouldn't have to be that tall. You will find the torque will be needed if you start turning any larger diameter stuff. It will be out of balance when you start and lower RPMs will be needed for safety. Nice start on the bowl turning.
Here's a link to a really nice sanding system for the inside of the bowls;
http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3740
The wave edge helps prevent any dig from the edge of the disc when you go up the side. I use this to 320 grit and it really makes the sanding an easy task.

getoverit · April 17, 2007, 08:22:31 PM

Awesome bowl there dude !

Be sure to save some room in the trailer for some southern exotic wood for turning when you get down this way. I'll be lookin for ya!

Part_Timer · April 20, 2007, 09:22:57 AM

GOI

Save room on the deck for that Osage, I'll just deliver it instead of shipping it. We'll see you second week in June.

Engineer · April 20, 2007, 04:07:24 PM

If I managed to put my lathe back together, that would spell the end of anything else productive, like finishing my house. I am being very careful to let the lathe sit in pieces while the house gets done, so that when we move in I can finally set it up and go back to turning. I have a big chunk of boxelder and some curly black locust sitting in my basement waiting patiently (along with about 500 other pieces of random wood destined for roundness).

Part_Timer · April 21, 2007, 10:03:48 AM

Yep I know what you mean. Things have slowed down a bit here but I have a lot of school for work in the next week or two. SO my excuse is that there is no point in starting something I'll just have to quit on in a couple of days.

it's working for now but it's gona wear thin REAL soon I think.

How far do you have to go on the house yet?

Engineer · April 21, 2007, 09:45:52 PM

Welll, don't wanna hijack the thread, so I'll just say a couple months. We are finishing tile work tomorrow and then trim work and cabinets and we are done.

Part_Timer · April 23, 2007, 09:21:03 PM

I didn't feel like doing anything ambitious the other day so this was the product of a wasted evening ;) Black ash, walnut, and hard maple.

This is the largest piece I've tried to turn and them little tools I have just about didn't get it done. I'm going to make some new scrapers for the inside and see how it works out.

Turning the dry stuff sure is a lot bigger pain than the green wood but I do like the not having to dry it part. I have one to try and make out of cherry and maple but I'm not going to try till I get the new tools. The little scraper rattles my teeth.

WDH · April 23, 2007, 09:25:15 PM

Very impressive, Part_Timer.

Burlkraft · April 23, 2007, 10:08:54 PM

Nice job Tom.....

I've seen the tools yer workin' with and I sure can appreciate what you've done there.... ;D ;D

Keep up the good work.... ;D ;D

Patty · April 24, 2007, 07:36:38 AM

8) That is very nice!

Part_Timer · April 24, 2007, 11:01:43 AM

Thanks every one.

Burlkraft, can you suggest a good scraper or what ever for the inside smoothing a piece like that. My 1/2" chisel just aint gona get it. ;) I have one of the Termites but it didn't like the changing grain. Matter of fact I broke the large ring.

low_48 · April 24, 2007, 12:08:29 PM

I might add a couple of suggestions before Burlkraft jumps in. First the termite mostly excels in end grain and it really likes slow speed. You can't get better quality than a bowl gouge on the inside, especially on the more vertical surfaces. Take a scraper too far up the sides and it will get "grabbie" and tear a little on the side grain. I use a partial radius scraper on the inside bottom of the bowl. It lets me judge a fair curve better than a full radius scraper, or the bowl scrapers that come with a left or right grind. Those left/right scrapers have way too much grind on the side and they really want to get grabbie.