Thread: Work too long for lathe

it's all in the design this a post I turned for a staircase post 3.5 metres and lathe is only 3.0 metres so with the design chosen I put the join in the bigger diameter low point, turned a 35 mm dowel as part of the post and the other part I drilled, remember to undercut the faces to be joined and that's how I did it!

As Chuck1 said is how I would go about it find the best place on the section to hide the join and turn dowel and drill other end to suit. If you only do this every now and then it still my be worth wile to make an extension it can be quite simple a couple of lengths of hard wood on edge to suit you're bed and some spacer pieces to suit the gap and bolt it all down and you're away. My first lathe was purchased on the principle that I could turn my own leg's for my furniture I got sick of the delay and difference in copy lathe turned leg's so bought a small lathe that could fit 800mm between centre's to suit most table height work and the first job after that was for 1800mm long 150 x150 rosewood bed posts a bit of 150x 50 hardwood on edge with the appropriate gap spaced between all bolted together clamped the tailstock in place and away we went purred like a kitten and the finished product was fantastic. A lathe used to be two length's of hard wood for a bed and head and tail stock bolted where you needed them and the big belt dropped on to the pulley of the main shaft running the length of the shop that ran everything.
Regards Rod.

Thanks guys but this piece is one cylindrical piece so nowhere to hide the join, just need to make it as inconspicuous as possible.

you will end up with a line but being a cylinder I would still dowel it but cut it square on the joining faces! when it comes to the cylinder leave it over size at the join say 5 to 10 mm glue it together once dry hand plane the high bits down and hand sand with the grain