Turning logs - what a pain!

[Paul Atkins]

Just turned 15 pine logs from 8" down to 6". Seven of them at 8' long. Thought it might be a bit faster than it was, which is pretty normal around here. Just an optimist at heart. Getting them balanced so they wouldn't fly off the lathe was interesting and pine knots are lots harder than most any wood. I finally got into the groove and on #14 hit a knot about as big as the 1 1/4 gouge - wham! actually cracked the banjo. Well that woke me up. That post took almost an hour where the fastest of the other ones was 20 minutes. 5 wheelbarrows full of chips to the pile too. Tonight I will sleep well, I think, after hoisting those around for a couple of days.

[alex carey]

What are they for?

[Norm Zax]

have you been cutting down electricity poles again in your sleep? Just kiddin. Looks like you maintained a steady diameter. Well done!

[Chris Stolicky]

Big baseball bats?

I have heard bad things about those pine knots! Thanks for sharing.

[Jeff Nicol]

Paul, I like the big lathe and would love to have a bigger shop to have something like that set up to to architectural work like columns and pillars. I agree on the pine knots, when they get dry they are hard and brittle. Like already asked, what are you going to use them for? Big log bar in the basment perhaps? No matter they look good and I am tired for you doing turning on that scale!

Thanks and keep the fun stuff coming!

Jeff :D

[Steve Schlumpf]

That looks challenging! Are you going to be able to repair the cracked banjo? Looking forward to finding out the purpose of the pillars!

[Mary Thompson]

Turned lodgepole pine posts are easy to come by in north Idaho, about 6.00 to 10.00 in that size range. Seems like a lot of effort for the results.

[curtis rosche]

you have the carriage for that lathe, why did you turn by hand instead of using it?

[Paul Atkins]

Well, I slept OK and now have to clean up. I'm not exactly sure what the poles are for except the customer said for recreation dept. I usually don't see the finished products for about 80% of the jobs I do. Yeah, these are available, but these were part of a rush job and delivery of just a few posts would take too long, I guess, and he had the bigger ones lying around. I have a carriage for the lathe, but I had to get the bumps down so I could get it under the log. Also the carriage is only 6' long so I had to flip the long ones. I've made porch posts 9' long out of douglas fir that seemed like less work. Here is the crack in the banjo. I bought another casting on the bay just in case, so I'll have to change the parts out. I didn't like the top handle getting in the way all the time , so I put a set screw in the hole and counterset a 3/8" piece of brass in the end so it wouldn't gouge the tool rest. Works well. Next big turning is a 7' needle for my wife's sewing shop sign. That will be fun. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.