New tool gloat and question

[Don Farr]

You guys with all the beautiful turnings that you post pics of made me do it. I purchased a Ridgid lathe over the week end. I am still in the process of putting it together. I want to be sure it is done right. The bed of the lathe is MDF and I was wondering if I should protect it with something before assembling the whole thing. Any suggestions?

I realize it is probably not the best in the world, but hopefully it will be a good starter lathe for me. :D

[Mike Schwing]

Oh man, you're in deep now Don!

I told myself I wouldn't buy a lathe until I wear out my first WWII table saw blade. Too many things still to learn to pick up a whole new sport right now!

Go get'm!

[Jim Becker]

...to the addiction. Worse than drugs. Worse than drink. Worse than...well, let's not go there! :D

[Ted Shrader]

Don -

We'll never hear from you again. :D Have fun with your new toy!

Ted

[Tom Sweeney]

I realize it is probably not the best in the world, but hopefully it will be a good starter lathe for me. :D

Don't do it man - Nothing good can come of this ;)

Seriously - I finished turning my first bowl earlier tonight & I think I'm hooked. Have fun! :D

Don't know about the MDF - I think I'd try to protect it somehow.

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Don

Congratulations on the lathe! I am sure you are going to have some fun. For the MDF, I would definitely protect it with at least several coats of something like polyurethane. Once you get into the joys of turning wet wood, you will have trouble if it is unsealed.

Bill

[John Miliunas]

You guys with all the beautiful turnings that you post pics of made me do it. I purchased a Ridgid lathe over the week end. I am still in the process of putting it together. I want to be sure it is done right. The bed of the lathe is MDF and I was wondering if I should protect it with something before assembling the whole thing. Any suggestions?

I realize it is probably not the best in the world, but hopefully it will be a good starter lathe for me. :D

Ha, ha, ha...You're done for, now! For, at least, the next couple of months, every time you open a WW catalog, you'll be going to the lathes and lathe tool section first. If you have a bandsaw, you will find yourself wanting to plant it right next to the lathe, so you don't have to carry your blanks too far. Oh yeah..Better make room to the left of your lathe for your grinder, too!

As for the mdf, yes, I would definitely give it some added protection. If you end up turning "green", you'd be surprised at the amount of moisture emitted from it. Same goes if you start doing pens or similar out of Corian or something like that, because you may end up using "Micro-Mesh" or such, and do it wet. If the ends of the MDF aren't laminated, you absolutely want something to protect them, 'cuz any excess humidity will find its way into it (DAMHIKT!). Congrats and have fun with your new toy! :D :D :cool:

[Don Farr]

I went on the DIY site and found a project by David Marks where he built an assembly table with MDF. He applied several coats of tung oil and then waxed it. That's what I started doing last night.
Of all the Ridgid tools that I have, this thing is a bugger to put together.