Lathe accessories

[William C Rogers]

I have a new Laguna 18-36 on order. I thinking I will order the 20" bed extension. I don't plan to order the mobile base or the Laguna lights. I never had a "real" task light on my other lathe, but I want one for the new lathe. What is a good reasonably priced LED light? Should you have two?

Tool rest, I had 5 Robust for my other lathe (can't use because of post diameter); inside, outside bowl, J rest, 12" straight, 4" straight. This time I am thinking of getting the 15" straight instead of the 12" and not getting the J rest. I know Laguna 12" rest looks similar to the Robust, but it is not a Robust and don't plan on using it. I have heard the rod is not as hard as the Robust. Is the 15" too awkward and the 12" better fit for the lathe? Is the J rest a need?

Are there other accessories that are good to have?

[Roger Chandler]

I recently got the KJR Aurora Light, and I really like it a lot. The size of the head is just right, LED bulbs that will last for over 100,000 hours, [30 years at 8 hrs a day!] and the magnetic base is really good, stays in place, and the gooseneck is long enough to really be useful, and stays where you put it! About $125 but worth it in my opinion! Available at Craft supplies or Woodturners Wonders [Ken Rizza]

[Keith Buxton]

Ikea sells a led goose neck desk light for less then $15.00 it does not have a magnetic base but you can make one form magnet form home depot whole thing will cost less than $20.00

[John K Jordan]

Tool rest size: it depends on what you turn. For Robust straight rests, I use the 15", 9", 6", and 4". I do a lot of spindle turning and the 15" is far better for the 13"-14" spindles I often make - saves moving it. But it is too long for small work like boxes, goblets and things. I pick the rest that works best. I used the small Robust "J" rest on the last bowl I turned (maybe 14" diameter?) but it was a little too small so I got the larger rest. It looks like it will be perfect for larger bowls and may be OK for smaller bowls too. Since a straight rest works fine for small bowls, if I started over I'd probably skip the small "J". (BTW, I bought some of the Robust rests from Amazon and some from the other woodturning John Jordan, http://www.johnjordanwoodturning.com/John_Jordan_Woodturning/Home.html I don't know if he as updated his web site yet, but he's now a Robust dealer.

Hey, another possibility is to have new posts welded on to the Robust rests you have. (Or if the diameter is small is it practical to add a sleeve?) Modifying the rest would be easy for anyone with a welder or perhaps Brent at Robust would be willing to modify them for you or take them in trade. They are an incredibly helpful company. Can you cut off the rod on the Laguna and fasten a hardened rod?

For lights at the lathe, I really like multiple lights I can reposition as needed. Light from "point sources" are FAR better than broad, diffuse lights for judging compound curved surfaces and for seeing scratches and tool marks. I wonder if some of the defects I see in club show&tell pieces are due to lighting issues.

I use some cheap swing arm lights, some cheap fixtures with clamps, and a magnetic light with a gooseneck. I put LED and CFL bulbs from Home Depot in these fixtures. I bought several types of light from Ken Rizza (Woodturners Wonders) and my favorite is the Super Nova. The light is very bright and easily positioned. I use one on both wood lathes, the bandsaw, metal lathe, sharpening station, and a couple of other places. They aren't cheap but you might catch a sale to make a deal if getting several. The magnet on the base is the strongest I've seen on a light. For use where I don't have something good to fasten it to, like the sharpening station, I fasten a steel plate to the wall.

I planned for multiple lights at the lathe when I built the shop so one switch powers several outlets to turn on all the lamps at once. This photo shows some of the lights, the Super Nova on the left, and a couple of swing-arm fixture, etc. Note that this shows the older version of the Super Nova lamp with the smaller magnetic base. While this works fine, those Ken is selling now have a magnet at least twice as long and more powerful.

360367

BTW, this type of layout for the turning space isn't for everyone - people who turn a lot of big bows and hollow forms are often better off with access to the end and even the back of the lathe.
Since I mostly turn smaller things I really like the lathe near the wall with the things I use the most within reach. The long shallow shelf is perfect for mounting the swing-arm lights. (The plywood strip on the front hides the outlets and wires and gives me lots of space to mount magnets for pencils and things.) I also have tool boxes, shelves, and small cabinets within a few steps to the right and a workbench with shallow tool drawers and shelves behind me. I keep a huge plastic tub from Walmart under the lathe to catch most of the shavings. I've tried some different layouts and this is perfect for me.

As for other accessories "that are good to have", what kinds of things do you like to or plan to turn? And what is the budget? :)

JKJ



I have a new Laguna 18-36 on order. I thinking I will order the 20" bed extension. I don't plan to order the mobile base or the Laguna lights. I never had a "real" task light on my other lathe, but I want one for the new lathe. What is a good reasonably priced LED light? Should you have two?

Tool rest, I had 5 Robust for my other lathe (can't use because of post diameter); inside, outside bowl, J rest, 12" straight, 4" straight. This time I am thinking of getting the 15" straight instead of the 12" and not getting the J rest. I know Laguna 12" rest looks similar to the Robust, but it is not a Robust and don't plan on using it. I have heard the rod is not as hard as the Robust. Is the 15" too awkward and the 12" better fit for the lathe? Is the J rest a need?

Are there other accessories that are good to have?

[Jason Edwards]

Drill out the Laguna's 25mm hole in the banjo to 1" and then maybe your Robust and other after market rests will fit just fine. Other than that, Robust does make up specials with 25 or 30mm, albeit at a slight upcharge.

[William C Rogers]

Drill out the Laguna's 25mm hole in the banjo to 1" and then maybe your Robust and other after market rests will fit just fine. Other than that, Robust does make up specials with 25 or 30mm, albeit at a slight upcharge.
The lathe is on order, I don't have it yet.
The PM 90's post are 1 1/8". From my understanding the Laguna post are 1", not 25mm. I've only seen one post where someone had trouble with 1' rest. Everyone else says 1" fits fine.

JKJ. I think 16" and smaller platters, bowls, hollow forms and some spindles. I think every turner wants to turn the "big" one, but i don't think that is mostly what I want. Im not a production turner and don't sell. I'm now thinking the 12", 9", 4", straight rest and both bowl rest. I do like using the bowl rest over the J rest. At this point I don't want to try rework options with my existing tool rest. I will either sell them with the lathe or sell outright. And I don't want to mess with the Laguna tool rest. I intend call Brent and order through Robust. His site doesn't list tool rest for 18" lathes, but, I know he will make them to fit perfectly.

I am am leaning toward the one Roger uses, the Aurora. That one is 500 lumens and the Super is 870 lumens. I'm afraid the Super may be too bright. The IKEA is inexpensive, but not magnetic base. It is a 3w so speculating around 300 lumens. I may get this later.

Budget, well if unlimited I would have bought the AB, but that is not the case. What I don't want is for this to look "cheaply pieced" together. I've been making work around for years and don't want to continue to do that. I just want to turn without having to make adjustments for things like lights. I do like to make special tools. I don't have a hollowing system. Mixed thoughts as I want to master the art rather than have a system do the work. I will look at those type of tools at the symposium. I'm going to buy a new Super Nova2, a couple of beading tools from Dway and a spindle gouge from Dway. I don't have a spindle gouge (decent) and wanted to try his tools.

Right now my lathe is against the wall, but I want to try it 90 degrees from the wall. I can turn it and would have my bathroom wall behind me. most chips go to the front and they would be directed toward the bathroom wall instead of the shop area.

[Fred Belknap]

I would recommend a Moffat light with the base kit. It doesn't come with a LED bulb but they can be purchased just about any brick store, Lowes or whatever. The Aurora light comes with a dedicated LED and my guess that down the road it will be hard to find a replacement bulb. It comes with a good magnetic base and a base for a flat wood area and one for the wall. We had one on a lathe at the club and I got one to put on my sharpening station but liked it so much I put it on the lathe.

[ron david]

Drill out the Laguna's 25mm hole in the banjo to 1" and then maybe your Robust and other after market rests will fit just fine. Other than that, Robust does make up specials with 25 or 30mm, albeit at a slight upcharge.
there is only 0.016" difference between 1" and 25.4mm. if the tolerances are that tight it shouldn't much to clean it up to fit
ron

[Dick Strauss]

What Keith said...An Ikea Jansjo led light ($10 in store and $15 online the last time I checked). It comes with a cast iron base. However, you can turn a wooden disc to replace the CI piece, drill 3-4 small holes for neo magnets, glue in the magnets, and have one heck of a great light for under $20. The light head is small enough to fit in HF openings larger than about 1.5".

[William C Rogers]

there is only 0.016" difference between 1" and 25.4mm. if the tolerances are that tight it shouldn't much to clean it up to fit
ron
However my post (PM 90) are 1-1/8" diameter. From my understand the Laguna is 1", not 25mm.

I will go ahead and order an IKEA as a second light. I could wait until Kansas City guessing they will have lights there before ordering other lights.

[ron david]

you could bore it to that size or buy a stand to fit that size post. I just made one when I needed another. it has nothing to get in the way at the post. I just use a set screw as I use on all my other. those locking handles always seem to be in the way. I just use a 3/4" wrench for locking to the bed. it also gives me more clearance underneath than a store bought. I do have those also though
if you bore the new one out you should be able to find a piece of metal tubing with a 1" id and a 1 1/8"od that you can use for a sleeve so that you can use the smaller posts. just cut an opening in the side of it so the loching piece can go thru.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/922/6tvmJL.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/924/5B4LrK.jpg

ron