Time to try turning

[Gra]

Guys,

Got a late xmas present, a cheap set of turning chisels, Always wanted to give this a try. Have done a small amount of metal turning, but this is way more hands on.

Can borrow my fathers metal turning lathe (100 year old belt driven, has been converted to electricity with an old washing machine motor and a heath robinson belt and gear collection), he doesnt use it much, so someone might as well.

Had a go with some pine, It exploded on me... Probably user error:mad:. Gotta love a face guard:). Then found some old wooden tent posts that were lying around, but parts of them had dry rot, didnt notice until after it was in the lathe and stuck a chisel into it. Made for some interesting first turning attempts :mad:. But still managed to get some shapes out of the remaining good wood (looked a little like tas oak)

So my question, any tips for a comple doofus???

[ozwinner]

So my question, any tips for a comple doofus???

Quit while your ahead!!

Al :p :D

[JackoH]

Get some Lessons.!Go to your local Club,there's several not far from you.

[Rowan]

dont do it :D

I started as a power carver makeing burl bowls and swore that I would never use a lathe (prefered the natural look) , and ridiculed a mate who tried to convert me.


He lent me an old 1/3 hp lathe to try.......................




thousands of dollars later I have a new lathe new tools and lots burls collecting dust waiting to be carved.:rolleyes:

Seriously though, take all the advice u can get. Lessons make a huge difference and dont even think about buying cheap stuff. U dont have to go top end but I have cheap tools and mid range tools and the difference between the 2 is enormous, its worth paying the extra. Other than that, use all the scraps u can waste and go for it!!!!!


and good luck

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Wood-turning's not the same as metal-turning. The tools are used differently and can turn nasty when misused.

You really should find a book, club, or at least some bloke willing to spend an hour with you to show you the basics. But if you're anything like me yer just gonna have to have a play in the meantime. :) So here's a few basic safety tips:

Always make sure the speed of the lathe is compatible to the size, weight and length of the wood to be turned. Bigger=Slower. Keep the tool-rest as close as possible to the section of wood you are working. Use as little tool "overhang" over the tool-rest as practical. The tool should always be touching the toolrest both before and while it makes contact with the wood. Always make sure that the working part of the cutting edge (the bit actually touching the wood) is recieving direct support from the tool-rest. ie. if cutting with the right-hand part of the blade, make sure that the right hand side of the tool is actually contacting the toolrest. As with planes, always cut "downhill" in the direction of the grain. You should always bevel rub, except with scrapers & some specialist tools. Scrapers should be kept flat on the toolrest and are used with the tip lower than the end of the handle. These are the only tools used this way.

You really wanna learn the above. They stop chisels from imbedding and ceilings and fingers intact. They are the lessons second-week apprentices get cuffs over the ear for. :D

In the meantime, the safest tools are the scrapers. These're normally just flat bars with different tip profiles but only sharpened on one side. Look a bit like a carpenter's chisel. They're used as described above, with the bevelled side down and although they won't give the finish other tools will, a bit of the ol sand-paper soons fixes that.

[macca2]

Just to add to the above
Tool rest close to work and slightly below centre.
Always use tailstock for support where possible
Keep tools sharp
Wear face, eye and lung protection

[Gra]

Wood-turning's not the same as metal-turning. The tools are used differently and can turn nasty when misused.

You really should find a book, club, or at least some bloke willing to spend an hour with you to show you the basics. But if you're anything like me yer just gonna have to have a play in the meantime. :) So here's a few basic safety tips:

Always make sure the speed of the lathe is compatible to the size, weight and length of the wood to be turned. Bigger=Slower.
Keep the tool-rest as close as possible to the section of wood you are working.
Use as little tool "overhang" over the tool-rest as practical.
The tool should always be touching the toolrest both before and while it makes contact with the wood.
Always make sure that the working part of the cutting edge (the bit actually touching the wood) is recieving direct support from the tool-rest. ie. if cutting with the right-hand part of the blade, make sure that the right hand side of the tool is actually contacting the toolrest.
As with planes, always cut "downhill" in the direction of the grain.
You should always bevel rub, except with scrapers & some specialist tools.
Scrapers should be kept flat on the toolrest and are used with the tip lower than the end of the handle. These are the only tools used this way.
You really wanna learn the above. They stop chisels from imbedding and ceilings and fingers intact. They are the lessons second-week apprentices get cuffs over the ear for. :D

In the meantime, the safest tools are the scrapers. These're normally just flat bars with different tip profiles but only sharpened on one side. Look a bit like a carpenter's chisel. They're used as described above, with the bevelled side down and although they won't give the finish other tools will, a bit of the ol sand-paper soons fixes that.

Thanks a for that skew, I am greatful for any tips from the experienced members of this board.

I am lucky enough to have been born with that rare ability, common sense and had worked most of these out, though not in the detail you have explained. Though as I said above I did learn the hard way once. Exploding pine is scary:(, though this was probably my fault I think the grain was going the wrong way. As I said have been around this sort of machinery ever since I have been walking. It is amazing how much you learn and learn to respect just being around machinery.

Will have to look into some lessons somewere any recomendations locally?

Will have to have another play on the weekend with some more scraps I have collected over the years.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Will have to look into some lessons somewere any recomendations locally?

Not for lessons... but I'm as local as they get. PM sent. :)

[sbyrne]

I bought a cheap lathe for $100 a couple of months ago, borrowed a couple of books from the library and am enjoying myself learning on old timbers from the scrap yard.

The set of tools that came with the lathe did not have a roughing gouge so I reground the large detail gouge. The timber I have been using doesn't cut too well so I am having to use a scraper a lot of the time. It sands up OK though.

I imagine that the amount of torque on the metal lathe is not too forgiving. My 1/4 Hp will stall if I catch too hard. :)

[TTIT]

I bought a cheap lathe for $100 a couple of months ago, borrowed a couple of books from the library and am enjoying myself learning on old timbers from the scrap yard.

The set of tools that came with the lathe did not have a roughing gouge so I reground the large detail gouge. The timber I have been using doesn't cut too well so I am having to use a scraper a lot of the time. It sands up OK though.

I imagine that the amount of torque on the metal lathe is not too forgiving. My 1/4 Hp will stall if I catch too hard. :)
Thats the end of ya' now! I started out turning straight off the end of a washing machine motor shaft (1/3HP) rigged up on a couple of lengths of flimsy conduit channel. "Just wanted to turn a few knobs and handles for my cabinetry" he said! Now - proper cast-iron lathe, Hamlet chisels, Vicmark chuck, hollowing tools, chainsaws etc etc and just set up my brand new BP-16A bandsaw today. It's not a hobby - it's an obsession!