I should have started smaller.......

[Mike Svoma]

I just started to do an inside out lamp base for my niece's graduation. As this is my first turning of this kind, I wish that I had done a smaller one first. The main body is black walnut with the shape of a cross turned into it. I am drilling through the body and gluing in a spindle of bird's eye maple (from Steve Schlumpf) for the cord to go through. The portion where the cross is will remain in an octagon shape while the rest of the lamp will be round. Please note that I have finally gotten a chance to use my "Wooden Nicol Steady Rest" from Jeff Nicol, on this project.

here are a few pictures of the project so far.

Comments welcome

Mike

[curtis rosche]

no need to start smaller, its just a really big pen

[Paul Gallian]

Now this looks like a fun project -- Please keep informed as to progress...

Looks good so far!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Looking pretty good so far Mike! Will be interesting to see the finished lamp!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks great Mike. Can't wait to see it finished.

[Richard Madison]

Cool design Mike. Also hope to see it when finished.

[Jim Kountz]

Nice so far Mike, looking forward to the finished lamp!!

[Mike Svoma]

Thanks guys. The whole inside out turning process is relly interesting and fun to do. I'll keep postiing on this as I go along.

Mike

[John W Dixon]

Mike this looks like a great project and I for one am looking forward to watching the progress on it. Neat concept and can't wait to see more.

John

[Jeff Nicol]

Mike, You look like you are having fun with the lamp! I like that big blue thing too!! Good luck and I will go look for the extention you are looking for.

Jeff

[Christopher Fletcher]

Good start to a fun project. Did you fabricate that steady rest?

[Mike Svoma]

Christopher, thanks. I bought my steady rest from Jeff Nicol. He has them on his website.

[David Hostetler]

Mike,

I'm fascinated by this project. I am working on a lamp project of my own, and not entirely certain of what I am doing... Maybe you can give me a pointer or two?

Particularly stumping is how is the process of boring the hole in the center on the lathe? How do you do that? I see you have a jacobs chuck and forstner bit in the tail stock, I am assuming you have the lathe spinning at a speed appropriate for the bit, and simply feed the bit into the work piece via handwheel... Is that right?

Also, what lathe is that? At first I thought it was a HF #34706, but it looks like the power switch is on the leg. Is that the older Grizzly version of this lathe? (I missed a GREAT Craigs List deal on one of those just prior to getting my HF...).

I love that rest thingamabob...

[Mike Svoma]

Mike,

I'm fascinated by this project. I am working on a lamp project of my own, and not entirely certain of what I am doing... Maybe you can give me a pointer or two?

Particularly stumping is how is the process of boring the hole in the center on the lathe? How do you do that? I see you have a jacobs chuck and forstner bit in the tail stock, I am assuming you have the lathe spinning at a speed appropriate for the bit, and simply feed the bit into the work piece via handwheel... Is that right?

Also, what lathe is that? At first I thought it was a HF #34706, but it looks like the power switch is on the leg. Is that the older Grizzly version of this lathe? (I missed a GREAT Craigs List deal on one of those just prior to getting my HF...).

I love that rest thingamabob...

Thanks, David. This is my first inside out turning project and I am having a blast with it.

I have the lamp chucked up in my PSI chuck and held with the steady rest. You are correct, I do have a bit in the Jacobs chuck in the tailstock. I run the lathe at slow speed and slowly feed the drill in using the tailstock quill, repositioning the tailstock to gain more depth when I need to. I then flipped the lamp end for end and drilled another hole from the other end. I didn't have a bit extention to go from the first end. I will then glue another piece of wood into the top end to hide that hole. I was also thinking of inluding a ring of contrasting wood toward the top and one toward the bottom. I don't know yet.

Yes it is a grizzly 1067z that I bought from my old neighbor. It will do fine until I can afford to get either the Jet 1642 vs or the Mustard Monster. Some day. :D :D :D

Mike

[Mike Svoma]

I got some more time to work on the lamp tonight. I glued to top end piece in last night and turned it tonight. The pictures suck. but I like the shape so far. I have begun to sand as well. I am throught the grits to 240 grit with a wet sand at 320 and 400 to go this weekend. I also did a glue-up for the base disk. Right now I have some 8/4 stock that I am going to use. I would like to put a disk of birdseye maple on top of it before I glue it to the body. Now I just have to find somewhere to buy a piece of birdseye maple that is about 8x8x1.5 thick. Oh well the power of the internet will help.

Comments welcome.

Mike

[Jeff Nicol]

Mike, Looks like you are getting there! All I got to turn today was some really awesome claro walnut that mysteriously showed up at my door the other day!! It was awesome!! Very pretty in person and lots harder than our local walnut.

I am sure your neice will love her lamp! keep at it as you have hundreds of more blanks of walnut to play with yet!

Jeff