Thread: Cliff has 4 lathes

All this talk about hordes of timber has got me thinking.

For all those "choked" up with supplies, I am happy to store some for you now that my shed has been extended. (It's now 25m by 9m and filling fast. Believe me, it's some shed).

What say I charge an annual rental for storage of say 10% by volume. Increase that to 20% if the timber is ordinary. Must be good turning timber too! I've already got 2 cubes of redgum, mostly boards up to 200 x 45mm, but am short on material for the odd platter or bowl.

And yes, I will travel to collect! To Vic/ACT and NSW, so you're safe Cliff.

It also appears certain that I am unable to compete with some of the lathe / accessory collections out there. Silly me for starting the thread!

OK, maybe I'd finish in 88th position. But I will persist in matching some of those ahead of me. For a while anyway, as the wife is starting to ask questions.

Some of the better-heeled turners should publish a list of "must-haves", non-essentials etc so learning turners know what they are up for. It sure would have been handy for me - I might just have stuck with building tables and cabinets.

Over to you.

Jeff

Originally Posted by jefferson

What say I charge an annual rental for storage of say 10% by volume. Increase that to 20% if the timber is ordinary.

Jeff

So does that mean after 10 years its yours? (Five if its ordinary?)

Originally Posted by jefferson

Some of the better-heeled turners should publish a list of "must-haves", non-essentials etc so learning turners know what they are up for. It sure would have been handy for me - I might just have stuck with building tables and cabinets.

Over to you.

Jeff

The problem is that everyone wants to do something different.

I knew a Tasmanian turner once that for 35 years only used a home built lathe with a washing machine motor. His tools were a 1/2" skew and a 3/8" spindle gouge. He produced knife and spoon handles. He put 2 kids through to uni and paid for his house doing nothing else.

In the early days of my turning career I did legs for a lot of the furniture makers and used nothing but a 1" skew, 1/8th parting tool and a 3/8" spindle gouge. All these were done in a 3metre by 2 metre garden shed on a Technatool 1000 after using a home built wooden bed lathe for years.
As time progressed other jobs necessitated getter more and bigger machines, tools, lathes, chucks and a bigger shed. But I only bought when I needed them.

I am going to get flamed for this probably but if most people learnt to use the basic tools correctly you do not need that many for most jobs.

Well all I've got is one lathe and 3 chucks.

Hence the poor attempt to move the p*ssing ground to hollowing tools.

Which as Cliff suggested is an ambiguous term. (And how do you measure 'p*ssing'? ... nah, let's not go there).

My def: a tool for deep hollowing, and/or for end grain (for goblets, lidded boxes, pencil jars). So gouges and wide scrapers are out.

Let the stream begin!

4 x Oland
1 x 3/8" square 87 degree scraper for pencil jars
1 x Munro
1 x baby Munro
2 x Proforme shafts/heads
3 x John Jordan

Yes, 's point is a good one.

For nearly all of my faceplate work I can get away with a 3/8" superflute bowl gouge, a flat scraper, a dovetail scraper and a parting tool.

That said, I like the elegance of a good turning tool and like playing around with them.

At the same time, a new turning tool brings an overhead of learning which in time x dollar per hour terms exceeds the cost of the tool by a long margin and that reminds me of the RSPCA warning that a pet is for life, not just for Xmas, so buy wisely.

Originally Posted by rsser

Well all I've got is one lathe and 3 chucks.

Hence the poor attempt to move the p*ssing ground to hollowing tools.

Which as Cliff suggested is an ambiguous term. (And how do you measure 'p*ssing'? ... nah, let's not go there).

My def: a tool for deep hollowing, and/or for end grain (for goblets, lidded boxes, pencil jars). So gouges and wide scrapers are out.

Let the stream begin!

4 x Oland
1 x 3/8" square 87 degree scraper for pencil jars
1 x Munro
1 x baby Munro
2 x Proforme shafts/heads
3 x John Jordan

Well. Ern, you might have explained what a Munro and a John Jordan is!!

Or do I see some more purchases on the horizon?
Jeff

Originally Posted by jefferson

Well. Ern, you might have explained what a Munro and a John Jordan is!!

Or do I see some more purchases on the horizon?
Jeff

No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! Go back 3, to 's post. If you don't know what it is, and have servived so far you don't need it. Think of them Munros and Jordans as steam irons. No on really needs one.

Originally Posted by

I am going to get flamed for this probably but if most people learnt to use the basic tools correctly you do not need that many for most jobs.

Excellent point , but those Ci1 roughers are good aren't they .

[I am going to get flamed for this probably but if most people learnt to use the basic tools correctly you do not need that many for most jobs.

[/QUOTE]

Nah! your right we tend to look for the easy way out. Thats why they invented apprenticships to make sure the knowledge was passed and commercially vaiable

Originally Posted by dhurrang

.... Is the Tully shed watertight? Wettest town in Australia I believe. Are you trying to introduce spalting? Does having diverse storage locations provide any benefits?....

The roof doesn't leak on the shed in Tully, the one in Cairns has started leaking.

The only time I attempted introducing spalting I had a couple of spare logs of Kauri Pine that I put 3 cuts about 3" deep along the full length at roughly 120° to each other & then left them in our tropical plant shade house during the wet season.
It did spalt but not as good as the stuff you see in the magazines.
The main reason it is stored in so many places is that the sheds were free/empty & I have too much to fit in just one.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

The roof doesn't leak on the shed in Tully, the one in Cairns has started leaking.

The only time I attempted introducing spalting I had a couple of spare logs of Kauri Pine that I put 3 cuts about 3" deep along the full length at roughly 120° to each other & then left them in our tropical plant shade house during the wet season.
It did spalt but not as good as the stuff you see in the magazines.
The main reason it is stored in so many places is that the sheds were free/empty & I have too much to fit in just one.

Probably could have used more hot air in the shed!

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

Probably could have used more hot air in the shed!

I said " .... then left them in our tropical plant shade house during the wet season"

It isn't a shed, it is a large frame covered in shade cloth with gravel on the floor & it is full of tropical plants.

During the wet season it is about 33°C (91.4°F) & 99.999% RH.... even galvanized steel goes mouldy.

That prob explains all the chucks too.

Originally Posted by Calm

Any chance i might get the wooden spoon prize?

Cheers