Thread: The saga continues.

Continuing on from this post of setting up the lathe,

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/stuff-happens-146206/ The logs arrived.

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The logs were unloaded and put out the back while I contemplated the job ahead and got the ancillary stuff done. Grumpy assisted in the contemplation and then shook his head muttering encouragement like "You must be stupid etc.".

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The job was to create 2 Corinthian columns from these Japanese Cedar trees.

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As Natasha hasn't got an indexing head fitted I had to make one.

So delving into the archives of my brain to dredge out my geometry lessons from many moons ago, did some calculations and arrived at this.

Corinthian columns have 20 flutes so we needed 360 degrees divided by 20=18 degrees, so 20 divisions at 18 degrees apart.

Out with the trusty protractor, pencil and a rule, we lay it out on a sheet of MDF.

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Next we turned up a locating boss (on the metal lathe) to carry the indexed plate that was glued and screwed to a plywood backing plate.

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The whole thing showing locking assembly.Attachment 214639

That was the first problem solved. We have indexing.

Next problem was that early on Natasha would be spinning too damn quick for something that was going to be totally unbalanced for the duration. We had to leave the base on to be carved later.

A "chicken gear" was called for. Natasha is chain driven from the motor to the input shaft of a Mack (very old) gearbox and then pulleys and belts to the output shaft or spindle. An easy matter of fitting (after machining) a smaller gear fixes the speed problem.

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Onto the next problem. Holding the big sucker in so it can't come out and destroy the workshop.

I have found that a hole drilled in the end and a pin attached to a drive plate to be the best solution so we make one of those.

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Headstock end taken care of, now t'other end.

The timber was green (bearing fruit 2 days prior to delivery) and soft, like butter so any tail stock centre I had was going to bury itself in and be no use.

Contemplate the problem for a day or so and then abuse myself for not thinking of the obvious.

If the timber is too soft, fit something that isn't and will give more support. We screwed a 150mm x 8mm steel disc that had been drilled to take the centre on to the end.

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With all that done, we put the log in.

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We fit tool rests and check everything at least 10 times, start it up and take the first cuts.

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Grumpy John came round later to find out if we had survived and shot this for us.

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To be continued: