Thread: Back in the game...

LOL, I dread getting requests like that, as I'd have no way of getting them done, and would be kicking myself that I didn't have a better setup. My concern about sub-contracting is always that it's your reputation on the line, not the subbies.

Well done.

Russell.

Shane

If you want to improve your photography there was a recent post about light box's. Pretty cheap and they really do help the pics. Mine came with a perspex stand so you don't need to use you pen case for the stand.

Yo can make your own pretty easy as well. Dearest thing is probably the light stands. But I am sure there are some cheap bedside lamps around that will take big CFL's.

BJ

300! And you passed it up! I'm lucky to get an order for one!

Oh and nice timber on those sedonas. But you'll want to work on the fit

Good score and nice timber, but, as Funky said you need to pay more attention to the fit.

Yeah... turning down to the bushings has been a problem for me... the timber often doesn't turn down exactly cylindrically if you know what I mean - one side of the end is right but the other side sticks out a bit - hoping that the new lathe runs true and I can work this problem out, as you say.

Anyway, the timbers are:
Mallee Burl, Myrtle, Concinna and Colabah...

I've never heard of Concinna until I picked up a few blanks at the woodworking show.

Shane, sounds like you have an alignment problem with your centres. If you can fix this it should stop the out of roundness.

Another thing you could consider is turning between centres and using a micrometre to get an exact fitting with your kit,

Ok - that's good advice.
But as I'm kind of new too all this, how can your align your lathe centres? Is it a straight-forward procedure?

I'm pretty much self-taught at this so I tend to follow my nose a bit!

Anyway, it's all good fun, isn't it?

Shane

Originally Posted by smagrath

Yeah... turning down to the bushings has been a problem for me... the timber often doesn't turn down exactly cylindrically if you know what I mean - one side of the end is right but the other side sticks out a bit - hoping that the new lathe runs true and I can work this problem out, as you say.

To check the centre alignment, put the spur in the headstock and the live centre in the tailstock and bring them up close to each other and the should both meet point to point.

Other things that can cause out of round turning are also a bent mandrel from over tightening the tailstock or doing the nut on the mandrel up too tight, or even taking too heavy a cut which flexes the mandrel.

Just remembered something else too, the live centre might also be the culprit as it is not seating in the end of the mandrel correctly. The Live centre should have a 60° point on it to seat properly. There is a good chance that you have a 20° or 30° point on yours as most wood lathes come with these.

One trick I have learned is when I think I am done turning, I stop the lathe, loosen the nut, and turn each blank 180 degrees about the bushings. Then take another skim cut just to be sure. I also usually stop turning just proud of the bushings and sand down to them. It works for me (usually ). Who knows, it may work for you!

Good point Cisco. I too finish proud of the bushings But the turn 180 is a neat trick.

I also found one of my live centres (a cheap one) had the point ground off-centre to the bearing. Only off by a few thou' but very noticable on a pen! You can see this by spinning the live centre with a steel rule standing vertical from the lathe bed. The point should not move relative to the rule scale.