FINALLY I get to gloat! My first lathe!! :)

[Rick Cicciarelli]

So last weekend I took advantage of the Woodcraft sale and picked up the Delta 46-460 as my first lathe. Got the bed extension and the Wolverine grinding jig while I was there. I just need to stop down to Lowes and pick up that Porter Cable 8" variable speed grinder. I spent three days this week building the bench. I was originally going to have a shelf on the bottom that would hold some bags of sand if needed, but the bench turned out to be near 200# when finished anyway. It is all 2x lumber and the legs are 4x4s. The top is two layers of 3/4" MDF with 2x4 supports underneath. It is a heavy/sturdy thing. Finally got the lathe mounted to it this evening and grabbed some scrap 2x for my 1st turning. At this point I really want to work on my spindle skills as I am ultimately interested in Windsor chairs. I was just trying to get a feel for the tools...I started with the suggested set from Penn State Industries...the Benjamin Best set. So I played with the roughing gouge, 3/8" spindle gouge and a little with the skew chisel. I know most of you will look at this and laugh, but I didn't think it was too bad for a first attempt. One has to start somewhere. I figure I'll work on trying to get some nice coves and beads and try to get used to the different tools for now. I am totally excited :D
http://rickcicciarelli.com/lathe1.jpghttp://rickcicciarelli.com/lathe2.jpg

[Jon McElwain]

No laughing here - looks too much like my first bonker for that! :D

Congrats on the lathe - it will serve you well for a long time. The bench that mine sits on is not as heavy as yours, but I do not have any vibration problems. Although I do larger, off balanced stuff on a different lathe. Your setup with that sweet looking bench will be more than enough for your chairs. Looking forward to seeing one of those around here!

[Keith E Byrd]

Congrats on the new lathe! I am a new turner too and am learning that practice is the key - keep at it!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congrats on the new lathe!

Nice first bonker.

Remember to "ride that bevel!"

[Fred Belknap]

Nice lathe. I'm not a fan of Delta, but I think their lathe is a good machine. They like a lot of company's have winners and a few losers. You got a keeper.:D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on the lathe and a good looking bonker. Ride the bevel and have fun.

[Dick Wilson]

Rick, welcome to an all consuming hobby. Looks like you have jumped right in the middle of the quicksand:D If you can, do yourself a big favor, take a couple of classes out of the Woodcraft store. A lot of us didn't have that opportunity first starting out and wish they had. After a year or two I did and advanced ten fold.

[Richard Madden]

Nope...no laughing from me either. You are off to a good start, just keep on turning and most of all, be safe. And congrats on the lathe.

[Rick Cicciarelli]

I might consider a woodcraft class but they are not very conveniently located to me. About a two hour drive from me.
"bonker"??? That is a new one to me.....

[Don Nicholas]

Looks like you are off to a good start. A fine looking stand as well. Go have some fun turning and be safe

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rick,

A bonker is a "mallet-like" device....generally a turner's first spindle turning. It all started when the turners here gifted me with a lathe, tools etc some years ago. One of my first turnings was an "Idaho Salmon Bonker".....Check this thread to see the bonker contest we decided to have.. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?32748-Bonkers-About-Bonkers-Contest-Entries-Here...post #73 IIRC is my official Idaho Salmon Bonker. It resides in the personal collection of our recently departed friend Andy Hoyt..................

[Dan Forman]

Congrats of the lathe, and that looks like a real nice bench that you built for it. Your first spindle appears free of catches or tears, so good job on that too.

Dan

[Steve Schlumpf]

Rick - Congrats on your new lathe! You are going to love turning! Looking forward to seeing some of your work real soon! Have fun!

[Jeff Fagen]

I got the same deal last week,I set up the new vari grind 2 today at the end of the lathe for now.
I did over load it and found there is a breaker behind the switch!

[John Fabre]

Great job on the stand, my first bonker was a 10" base ball bat, almost ended up as a toothpick. Nice touch on the wheels, making it easy to move the lathe around. In fact, I think that's the nicest home built stand I have seen, what is the height?

[Steve LaFara]

Congrat's on the new lathe. I was going to get the same one from Woodcraft during the sale, but decided to hold off for a while. I'm sure I will regret it but they will be on sale again some day. Have fun with it!

[Tim Thiebaut]

Hey congrats on your new lathe!! I dont think you will find anyone here that would laugh at you...we all have to start at the beginning, and we all progress at different levels, and besides these are some of the kindest most respectful people I have seen on the net, no worrys here! Enjoy yourself!

[John Keeton]

Rick, welcome to Delta Force!!! Great lathe, and excellent work on the stand. I think you are being wise starting with spindle skills given your desire to do Windsor chairs. Coves and beads are critical. You should get some DVDs to help you since classes are so inconvenient, and there is some good material on YouTube - some horrible stuff, too, so be selective.

Try starting those beads with a V-cut on either side with the skew, and then round them over.

[Fred Perreault]

Rick, that is a fine looking base. There is never too much stability/safety. You should do well given your initial approach to the ever intensifying cyclonic pull for your time, money and imagination.

[Roger Chandler]

Nice stand! Congrats on the new lathe and wolverine system. I recommend that you get Alan Lacer's video....."The Skew....the dark side, the sweet side" since you are going for spindle work to make windsor chairs. What he teaches on the use of the skew will take you miles in the direction you want to go. That Delta 46-460 is a nice little lathe!

[Rick Cicciarelli]

Thanks for all of the compliments. The stand is 30" tall, putting the center of the headstock of the lathe at elbow level for me. From everything I read, that sounded like a good starting point.
I have spent LOTS of time watching youtube videos. I particularly like PeterGalbert 's videos on turning Windsor chair legs. I'll have to look into the suggested DVD as well. Thanks for the comments and suggestions :)

[David E Keller]

Congrats on the new toy! I'd suggest you hurry up and build that Windsor chair before you become consumed with turning and forget all about your spokeshave.

[Carol Kinney]

Hello Rick!
I have the same lathe (purchased last year in Oct) I love it - if anyone is thinking of getting the Delta 460-455 without the VS and the smaller motor, my advice is to save a little more $$ and get the 46-460. With the VS and the 1HP motor for the money you just can't go wrong - except if you pay full price LOL. I will most likely kept this lathe forever in my studio, I do want to upgrade at the end of this year but the Delta 46-460 is a keeper.

I was lucky enough when I started to take a class locally, I must say it helped me immensely. Now just like you, I watch a lot of videos
and read, read, read! Most people are surprised when I tell them I’ve been turning for just a few months, but I’ve worked very
hard to get this far. I almost quite the first month I started, someone told me that it would take 20 years to get good at turning. I figured if it was going to take me 20 years then by the time 20 years would come around I’d be too old to turn LOL. Well, after seeing a few of
the professionals and looking at their age I knew that could only be true if they had started when they were 5 or not even born. Woodturning is like anything, you get out what you put into it. I had already been in the art field for many years so the design has come easy but the turning . . . I still have 19.5 years to work on that part of turning.

Good luck and congratulations . . . now let’s see some turned pieces :)
Carol

[Rick Markham]

Great looking set-up! Fantastic name, by the way!

Welcome to the vortex! Do you feel "lighter" yet? Your wallet just went on a permanent crash diet!

[Jon Nuckles]

Congratulations on the purchase and good work on your first turning. Be careful what threads you look at on this forum or you may get tempted into turning bowls or hollow forms and forget all about the windsor chairs!

[Joe Scarfo]

I want one too... I gave my GF my delta midi after getting my 3520B thinking it'll be good for pens...

As it turns out... it's not that good at all... I'm looking to get just what you have to use for pens and small bowls...

Congrats again..