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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Canberra, Australia
    Age
    34
    Posts
    36

    Default And so it begins: Turn, turn, turn!

    Hi All,

    I was on here a while back, asking about which lathes to buy, and received some good advice. Having just moved house, and finally started setting up my workshop/shed/mancave, I got talking to a family friend and fellow woodworker... Who said;

    "I have a lathe that's in a bit of a sad state- It's been underwater... take it, have a play with it, see if you can get it running a bit better."

    It's one of those generic lathes that Gasweld/Supercheap/whoever else sell; i.e; Not exactly the last word in quality.

    It's also old. And has been for a swim.

    Even so, it spun up just fine, if sounding a bit rattly (bearings methinks).

    Problem 1; The tool rest spindle has cracked sometime in the past, and a previous owner has put a HSS pin(Possibly a drill bit shank) through it, but it still rotates a bit under pressure.

    I grabbed a bit of firewood from the pile, cut the ends square, tapped it onto the headstock drive spurs, wound in the tailstock, and hit the go button... All the youtube tutorials I'd watched didn't stop me getting a mega catch in seconds. The corners of my roughing gouge dug into the work... Higher tool rest next time!

    Fortunately, being the gutless wonder it is, that immediately stalled the motor. I was able to resume turning for a few minutes until...

    Problem 2: The bottom plate on the tailstock clamp cracked just next to an old weld.

    So now the bottom clamp plate and the tool rest are with my neighbour who is a model train engineer(The steam/diesel ride on ones), and his mate who apparently is a whiz with cast iron.

    Hopefully, I'll be back at it this afternoon, and I'll throw up some pictures of my little adventure into turning!

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Oberon, NSW
    Age
    63
    Posts
    13,354

    Default

    ...and so the saga begins!
    I may be weird, but I'm saving up to become eccentric.

    - Andy Mc

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Albury Well Just Outside
    Posts
    13,315

    Default

    This is one way to start by fixing up an old lathe. Then you can decide if it is right for you.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Dundowran Beach
    Age
    76
    Posts
    19,922

    Exclamation

    G'day McPete. I had one of those beasts (borrowed ) in Brasil. It proved to be a complete PITA.

    Perhaps I was spoiled by having used MUCH better lathes but I would run a mile from ever
    using one again. Still, it will be a good experience for you..

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Canberra, Australia
    Age
    34
    Posts
    36

    Default

    Unfortunately, my neighbor has deemed them too far gone. Fortunately, the machinists here at work are helpful souls too, and have taken pity on me.

    We're going to mill up a pair of new bottom-half clamps from solid MS tomorrow, and drill out a 19mm hollow in the bottom of the tool rest, put in either a brass or MS 19mm rod in, then pin it through the front of the rest... then, hopefully, I can get back to making a huge mess er, learning how to turn.

    A better lathe is on the cards for later in the year, I hope. I'm leaning toward a Record Power.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Canberra, Australia
    Age
    34
    Posts
    36

    Default

    Well, the tool rest is fixed, as described. Just hoping that the machinists have a bit more spare time this afternoon to mill up the bottom clamps... SWMBO is at a staff meeting tonight (6 to 8:30!) so I might have a bit of a window to get cracking.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Canberra, Australia
    Age
    34
    Posts
    36

    Default

    So... I got a bit distracted the other day. I have a functional lathe!

    Still learning what all the tools do, how to do roundovers and coves and the usual stuff, but ti's good fun and very messy. Love it!

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Mareeba Far Nth Qld
    Age
    83
    Posts
    3,069

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by McPete View Post
    So... I got a bit distracted the other day. I have a functional lathe!

    Still learning what all the tools do, how to do roundovers and coves and the usual stuff, but ti's good fun and very messy. Love it!
    Be warned, there is no cure.
    Jim
    Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important...

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