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Jack Tar,

As Corbs indicated, the ACT Woodcraft Guild ( www.woodcraftguild.org.au/ ) is a good place to start. They have a number of special interest groups around lathe work who meet at various...

I have decided to make a cot and change table/drawer unit for my first grandchild due 1st quarter next year.

I have found a plan that we all like and am now seeking to source the materials.

To...

Turn between centers, perhaps?

Seems to be all the rage for pen turning in some circles and no mandrel necessary!

Cheers,
Alan

Corbs,

Obviously not applicable here, but in many cases the organiser will provide the PLI as part of your stall holders fee.

Always worth checking, as they get much better rates so the net...

Mine arrived today and look great.

Many thanks, much appreciated.

Cheers,
Alan (in Canberra)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I was quite comfortable with the likelihood that I'd lose the blank, I just wanted to save the drill bit!

Also, the suggestion that putting acrylic in the...

Troy,

I was clearing relatively frequently - probably every centimetre or so. As for speed, I think about 700rpm - on my lathe I'm mid way between the 950 and 730 rpm speeds based on the diagram...

I suspect that this is the case - its stuck big time :C

But it was really pretty! :p

Hello all!

I'm back here after more than a year in the wilderness (metaphorically speaking). Haven't been that well and too many other things demanding my scarce time.

I am still very much in...

For the member who made the oversize pen for his relative - he should look at a cartridge pen - maybe a .50 cal or a .416 Rigby. Now there are two serious cartridges for real men!

Would provide...

Despite it's name, the SMLE (Short Magazine Lee Enfield) .303 is actually .312. Most 7.62mm ammo will fit well enough for your purposes - that's .308 for the metrically disadvantaged.

Cheers,...

My wife is asking me to build her a sewing box along the lines of the ones you seee in the shops that have cantilevered sections (just like metal tool boxes often have).

Does anyone have/can...

For someone who lives in Sydney, this could be a good buy (unfortunately, its pickup only):

http://www.graysonline.com.au/lot.asp?LOT_ID=3489292

And there's still a couple of days to go.
...

Dave,

Ivory is a prohibited import into Australia (as is black coral) under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It may only be imported with the approval of the...

Pity you are in Brisbane. I have one that I've never used - attached it but never got around to actually doing something with it!

Jeff,

Is the silver lining on the walls that foil covered bubble wrap stuff?

I've had that suggested for my panel lift door that faces NNW.

Is it effective? Obviously the guy I spoke to...

There is:

Step 1: Forward all burl stocks to Bigfish.

Steps 2-12: Refer to Step 1. :D:D

Drop the lid onto the pan and you have an instant workbench. :D

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

There is nothing within the bounds of the known universe that causes as much grief to the male of the species as a Quilting Addicted Spouse (QAS).

It starts out...

About to head off to Bright (Vic) for a weeks' R&R next Friday (24th).

Are there any sites of interest in that area?

SWMBO is a fanatical quilter so need some sanity retaining activity while...

You may be experiencing a sort of memory effect - when you drain a battery (especiallyt at high discharge rates) it can often recover slightly after resting. Try it with a mobile phone - let it go...

Firstly,

Thanks for the encouragement, it is much appreciated.

The gouges on the bottom were a bit devastating - they resulted from an attempt to change the shape of the dovetail. Sometimes...

As an adjunct to my post above, you will note that there are a couple of places where the rim has chipped away. This actually happened when I was putting the shellawax on and the paper towel grabbed...

Well, after my session at the Woodcraft Guild last night, I decided to carry on with my first ever "major" turning exercise (I've otherwise made 2 pens so far).

A couple of slips when attempting...

Sure is.

I now understand how a gouge works (and it is not how I thought it did!) and I also have some concept of controlling the tool - although I have a long way to go.

I need lots of...

Well, tonight I went to the ACT Woodcraft Guild turning SIG as advised by one of the members here. The focus of the meeting was on turning bowls and it was quite educational and interesting.

But,...

Hello all.

Tonight I went along to the ACT Woodcraft Guild (of which I am a relatively new member) to their Monday night Woodturning SIG.

Luckily for me, it was raining cats and dogs and only...

Hi Corbs,

In your picture, far right, bottom row (closest to camera) the kit is a different price to the others as near as I can make out - $13.20 vs $12.95 for the others in that row. Is there a...

Ed, maybe you need to move to Australia - we don't pay for treatment in an ER (of course you may have to wait 4 hrs to get treatment) - ah, the joys of Universal Health Care!

Many years ago, my...

Thanks to everyone for their advice so far.

I will attend the Guild turning SIG next Monday and I do intend to do lots of practice.

I am aware though that it is easier to learn good habits...

Maybe, but anything would be better than small moon shaped chips.

Or have I got it completely wrong?

Hello all.

I purchased a Woodfast lathe from Jim Carroll at the Canberra Wood Show but haven't had a lot of time to "play" with it yet. I've never done ANY woodturning before.

First discovery...

Bunnings in Belconnen (ACT) has both the satin and the gloss. In the paint section, top shelf (probably a bit of a stretch for the vertically challenged).

Most importantly, it was under a THICK...

Can anyone suggest how long it takes for Acetone to break the bond between CA and steel?

I have managed to glue the brass tube to my brand new (first use) pen mill, and it ain't goin' nowhere :((...

Les,
Very nice! They have a simple look of elegance about them.

Cheers,
Alan

OK, guys.

I reckon I've got the biggest collection of tools STILL IN THEIR BOXES!

One of these days I'll get round to them, but for now I'm having too much fun with my new lathe - M305...

Customs couldn't care less .... AQIS might be unhappy though!

Les,

The pen would be fine, the cartridges in their original form would not. If they are capable of being reused, then they're out. In pen form they have been rendered unusable by destroying the...

Les,

Beautiful look pens and a real keepsake for the hunters.

Unfortunately, frought with danger for us Aussie pen makers, as it is illegal to possess firearms and related equipment without...

Thanks.

I now see the conundrum. I had overlooked the fact that the drill press has only 50mm throw. Pays to read the message more carefully!

I might try this an then cut the blank along the...

So what difference does a full length blank make? I would expect that the error is likely to increase with the length of the blank, hence the shorter the blank the truer the hole.

So, as long as...

If you can still breathe in your shed then there is air in it.

If there's room for air, there's always room for one more tool!:D

Warning: New Kid On The Block talking out of turn

Am I missing something here?

It would seem to me that any blank can be cut to roughly half the overall length and each end drilled separately...

Well, finally got the lathe fired up and set off on my first ever turning exercise. Chose a Brazilian Maple blank that was as dodgy as hell - quite wavy and drilled way off centre... maybe that's why...

Hmmm... not sure about the thread title anymore...:doh:
Frivolity aside, I thank you all for the sage advice and especially all of those links. I am still learning my way around this site, so...

Thanks for the response so far.

Another question... How many of you work seated at the lathe?

Does that mean you are a blind ol' B like me?

Hi,

I have just purchased a midi lathe from CWS at the Canberra WWW show last weekend.

This weekend's project is to build a table to suit.

I am seeking guidance on dimensions - especially...

Given that appoximately 1300 of those pieces would fit into a cubic metre, that would give a weight greater than 1200kg @ $100 per kg = $120,000.

Believe me, you can't afford it... unless of...