Thread: Jumping Into This Turning 'Thing' Everyone Talks About!

True, but there's Google, and plenty of time.

Originally Posted by

Woodturning-A foundation course. Best learners book written in my opinion.

I agree its what I started out on and it explains in non-woodieturner speak

Jack

on the spec plate there should be a model # if you do a google on that number you should be able to find something { thats how I ended up here on the forum }
, your lathe looks like the old dynalink one {number on that was 99-something } I used to use I,m pretty sure it had a 3/4 " x 8 thread on it

Good luck with the turning , I've all but given away all other woody stuff but turning now and even that is mainly pens at the moment still a few bowls and boxes when I find a special piece of wood , I invested in a chuck even when I was unsure of how to use it or apart from the vague idea of doing bowls and boxes , I'm glad I did because it made me realise that I liked turning boxes without having to go out and invest in a new Lathe until I knew what I needed the lathe to do , I upgraded to a WL38 and never looked back

Glenn

Originally Posted by madcraft

on the spec plate there should be a model # if you do a google on that number you should be able to find something

Yeah that was the first thing I did when I got it home - came up with nothing; took that as a sign that the lathe was such an awesome piece of gear that no one wanted to stop turning on it to write about it on the net

Cheers,

WILL

Had a bit of time tonight to get into the lathe and clean it up a bit. A spanner didn't come with the lathe to fit the spindle, and couldn't find a spanner to fit on the spur centre which screws onto the spindle. That spur drive would not budge for the life of me. Closest thing I could find to fit was a collet spanner that came with one of my routers. Managed to finally get the spur drive off after about 30mins. Doing a quick measure I think my spindle is 3/4", but have no idea how to work out the other bit.....like 10 tpi or 8 tpi or whatever else I've read.

Still haven't got a new sharpening wheel for the grinder, but couldn't wait to try out the lathe! So I grabbed the closest piece of scrap timber (turned out to be a bit of the pallet from Weisyboy's Pallet Comp), slapped it on and fired er up. Twas 8pm at night, but I thought the hell with it, just give it a quick chisel to try it out. Man those cheap-o chisels are blunt! It was like trying to turn with the toolrest they were so blunt! Timber was just chipping out all over the place instead of cutting. But still, very cool haha, can't wait to get that wheel to sharpen up these tools and give it a good go. Having a look over those chisels though, man they are cheap as, maybe a $2 bargin from Overflow back in the day - so might have to get a mid-range HSS starter set sooner rather then later - any recommendations?

It's also a dog changing speeds on this lathe. I can't for the life of me loosen the motor and change the belt while the metal cover is open, I need to take the cover right off to do it. Any tips out there from you pros who have used older lathes?

Cheers,

WILL

Onya Will for not letting minor matters get in the way ;-}

Re figuring out the spindle specs, there was a thread on this just a while ago so scroll through the headings.

There have also been posts about 'economical' sets of turning tools and about which you need for basic kit. The search function is your friend.

Originally Posted by jackliveshere

It's also a dog changing speeds on this lathe. I can't for the life of me loosen the motor and change the belt while the metal cover is open, I need to take the cover right off to do it. Any tips out there from you pros who have used older lathes?

Cheers,

WILL

To change speeds just push the belt across with your left hand while turning the shaft with your right hand one pulley at a time, and one V groove at a time if that makes sense. With the power disconnected of course.Its a fairly tight squeeze for a finger or two to fit between the belt and pulley. Oh, and the first thing I did was get rid of that bloody cover

Cheers
Shorty

Just thought I'd give an update on my discovery of turning Don't know if anyone is interested, but hey, maybe anything I work out with this particular lathe and turning can be used by other beginners.

A couple of pictures <?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype class=inlineimg id=_x0000_t75 title=Tongue stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" alt="" src="images/smilies/tongue.gif" smilieid="653" border="0" v:shapetype o<>

Picture 1: I decided to lash out and get a starter tool set instead of using that junkie set that came with the lathe. I read on the forums of a half decent tool set that you can get around the place like Carbatec etc. Found basically the same set but in a half nice wooden box at A Man's Toyshop up here in town. Seems to have everything basic to get me going.

Picture 2: after a week of stuffing around town I could not for the life of me get a grinding wheel to sharpen up the tools. So I had it hit up old mate Jim @ CWS and got one sent up. Unfortunately just more waiting. Ah well, it's here now and on the grinder Also knocked up a quick sharpening jig in about 5 mins using scrap particleboard lying around. Man it's easy to sharpen those gouges with it. Just gotta build a tool rest now so I can sharpen my skew

Picture 3 & 4: finally after nearly two weeks of getting set up and waiting for things to come I had some sharp tools and thought it was about time to try out a simple project. Had a lump of timber that I got from somewhere, don't know what it is though. Turned out a little mallet - timber was pretty dry and it was quite prone to chipout, so I found it challenging to try and get a smooth surface - did ok considering it was only the 3rd piece of timber I slapped on the lathe. What do you think? Came up ok? There are some tool marks from a few newbie mistakes, but they are on the other side of mallet Didn't put a finish on it as I just didn't have time tonight and wanted to finish up.

Picture 5: on the weekend I thought I better make a run to the dump with some rubbish - had a sissy little load though as I didn't have much garden rubbish around! But of course the ulterior motive was to go seeking out some 'free' logs from the dump green waste! Scored a couple as per the photo - i think that two are Mango, but I don't know what the other is, some red hardwood by the looks of it. Only had a bit of blue spray paint lying, so slapped that on to slow the cracking. Now I just have to work out where to get some more rubbish from to take another load to the dump and do some timber hunting

Thanks for listening!

Cheers,

WILL
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Good one Will

I've still got the first Candle holder I made , Your Mallet came up alright , Wheres the Mans toyshop in T'ville { Be up there in a month visiting Mum and might have a look } especially if Mr Rudd comes through with his July Package , How did you get on with the chuck and the spindle size { the way to work out the other bit is count the # of threads {turns} in and inch of the thread and thats the thread size eg if there are 8 threads in an inch of the spindle you have a spindle size of spindle diameter { say 3/4 x 8 tpi } I would say thats what it is as that was pretty much the spindle size when they put out those style of Lathes

And the fun begins!


Yep, your well and truly hooked by the turning bug...you'll never look at a pile of firewood the same anymore!!

Originally Posted by madcraft

Wheres the Mans toyshop in T'ville { Be up there in a month visiting Mum and might have a look } especially if Mr Rudd comes through with his July Package

How did you get on with the chuck and the spindle size

Hey madcraft, A Man's Toyshop is in Langton Street, Garbutt. Got a reasonable selection of gear - not a great deal of woodworking stuff, but I'll take whatever I can get in Townsville!

Yes I did work out the spindle size thanks mate. It is 3/4" Whitworth (10tpi) - hopefully that'll help anyone else who picks up a similar lathe and is wondering! Can get inserts for most chucks from what I can see, but ain't got the cash at the moment to buy a chuck. My uncle has a 3/4" tap that I'll get off him on the weekend, then I'll make some of my own timber faceplates and various jigs. Still ain't got a steel faceplate either, so I'm limiting to the spur centre till I can fashion something out of timber.

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

And the fun begins!


Yep, your well and truly hooked by the turning bug...you'll never look at a pile of firewood the same anymore!!

Firewood? What's that?! haha. Been in Townsville for 22 years now and the only firewood I've ever seen up here was at a blokes BBQ and on this forum! haha. I'd love to live somewhere with a proper winter where we could have a fire going

Cheers,

WILL

Nice work, Will! Good to see I'm not the only one who's suddenly started finding excuses to go scrounging wood. The curse of the turning blanks...

Haven't had a lot of time to play with mine recently, but did find some lovely pieces of ghost gum left over from a council pruning...

They are good chisels I have the very same set

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

And the fun begins!


Yep, your well and truly hooked by the turning bug...you'll never look at a pile of firewood the same anymore!!

or trees for that matter

jackliveshere

welcome to the wonderful world of making big bits of timber smaller and roundish bits. once you get into it, your excuse to go to the dump will be to dispose of your waste dust and curlies

oh and grab a carbitec cattledog so you can drool over lathes, chisels, chucks, jaws and other bits and pieces which are, no doubt, vital to every turners shed