Thread: Guess What Arrived Today ...

One question... what type of lathe is it?

Great to see you are having fun with your new toy..
I know that feeling! When my lathe came i just chucked some bits of timber on their for that hell of it( i didnt even make anything out of it)...
I even remember having a piece of huon pine and i said"mmm mabye i will turn that just for the nice smell it has...!! haha
Cheers

Originally Posted by jchappo

My new lathe!

Any recommendations for a cheap, readily available stock?

John

Don't you have trees in Colyton??? I bet every day you drive past fellings and loppings. You just need to look at these in a new light. Green wood is a snap (and fun) to turn rough.

Cummon, what sort of lathe did ya get?

G'day John,
Congrats on your new lathe. As for wood to destroy - err turn, what Bodgy said. Also check out new building sites as there's usually a skip filled with offcuts from the framework. Just ask some of the builders on site whilst holding a slab of your favorite amber brew ( or theirs ) under one arm as further inducement to contribute to your cause.
Regards,
Barry.

good onya john, the lathe is just the beginning LOL
what one did u get ???

camphor laurel turns very nicely, don't know if its readily available there as a weed ?

pop down your local firewood merchant, see what they have
talk to your local tree felling/ tree lopping guys

friends and neighbours are a good source, local council pruning trees
salvage yards for jarrah fence posts - jarrah turns ok too
demolition sites, 190x35 or so joists/ beams are good to make plates
i was give some jarrah offcuts, good to play with for small bowls. nothing fancy, just pratice.

small tree limbs to make mushrooms

pens are great, very quick and dont need much wood. bit of set up cost involved for mandrel, bushes, kits and polish (probably around $50 - $70) but great fun and once you have the tools all you need is pen kits and small bits of wood.

try local furniture makers, often have bags of offcuts

I find pine tricky unless you have good technique and sharp tools
Treated pine is a a big no - no, nasty stuff

good luck and dont forget the piccies

tony

If you just want to get the tools under control and are after wood to... eerrrm... "whittle to nothing" (sounds better than waste, dunnit? ) then the best & cheapest timber to start with is plain ol' KDHW offcuts from building sites. 90x45 mounted between centres to practice just the roughing gouge, and ripped in half (2x 45x45's) for finessing the roughing gouge and getting a good start on skews and detail gouges. (ie. turning beads'n'coves.) A good start is practise making handles for the turning tools we all know you're going to want soon...

Being rated for construction, you don't have to worry about resin, cracks, bugs, etc., which you tend to run across in salvaged firewood.

Of course, once you've got the basics under control and are ready to try creating your first masterpiece then move onto the other timbers already mentioned. I've seen some bloody nice figure in KDHW though... and still turn the occasional item from it.

Oh... and radiata pine studs? Great stuff for practising finishing techniques on, 'cos crapiata is just so damned... crapiata! If you can consistently get a good finish on it, then you've got almost every other wood aced.

I was wondering if you got your little baby. I been watching in the pen forum for the arrival of you little leda. You will love her. I love mine. Do a drive to the local tree dump and get some wood. See the council working near trees and tell them you want some bits. your power guys are handy too for wood
bye Toni

Congrats on your new toy, enjoy

Paul

You're in a mess, now. Another chunk of wood or two, and you'll be a lathe junkie like the rest of us.
Have fun!

To the dump, to the dump, to the dump, dump, dump... of course this means you now need a chainsaw.

and then a bandsaw ... and a planer.

Thanks for all the tips guys (and Toni )

Looks like I am going to turn (sorry) into the Colyton Scavenger.

The lathe is a Ledacraft MC1018 - my first lathe - and very cute.

Threw the box of offcuts on the floor last night and managed to find a few more scraps.

Tonight I turned a nice cylinder from some tassie oak. The scraps were offcuts from the legs of a foot tool that was a bit to high for comfort. The legs were built up from three 19mm thicknesses to give a square section.

Pics attached. Square block on top of headstock is what I started with. Closeup shows a bit of tearout, but I'm very proud as its only my second try on a lathe - the first being last night!

John

Good effort for the first go!!
Its fun in'n' it!! your addicted now!
Cheers

looks a good lathe have fun with it
Andrew

Way to go John, keep going at it. YOu are doing good. And yep I agree they are cute.
Toni