First Adventure!

[Jesse Merino]

Well, I tried!

My first attempt, was a dismal failure, or more likely, just a learning experiencehttp://boards.diynetwork.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif<!--graemlin::)-->

First, I put a slightly curved piece of wood on the cheap truck sale lathe, (you really do, get what you pay for...sheesh)..And it traveled more than I ever did on land or sea! Couldnt get near it, on 2000 rpms, cause it broke out of the lathe quite a few times, and it terrified me, even put it on low speed, 1250 rpms, and it didnt do a thing, had to help it and thought there was something wrong with the lathe, so, on to the next piece...

So, I took that off, and the other piece, I had to make a squared off end, so I fired up my DeWalt Compound Mitre Saw, and NOTHING! Checked all fuses and everything, then, got my electric sensor, (lighted wand), and checked, no power to the saw only ...had to get new plug at electric store that just happens to be right next to mehttp://boards.diynetwork.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif<!--graemlin::)--> I kept wondering why it kept blowing fuses on me for at least ten years, I even installed a new bigger breaker, still popped after about ten turn ons...

Then put it in the lathe, and had to put it on low speed, because the high speed vibrated it out twice out of the lathe! Oh well... low speed, was a drag, could hardly even get the bark off... I had to help it, by spinning it by hand...LOL...
(Actually, I finally got fustrated and took the bark off with my "draw knife"...What a pain!! But that draw knife was a quickie if I ever saw it, what a blessing!)..

Found out that the wood was so "wet", that I could tear strips of it off, after I got the bark off, so I will wait a few weeks or a month and let it dry out now...(its a piece of Cherry)...

At least I didnt get hurt this timehttp://boards.diynetwork.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif<!--graemlin::)--> Big plus...

They should sell this lathe at Big Lots, just about the same quality.. oh well, my meandering... Thanks for all the helpful hints...Jesse

[Robert Mickley]

I can't imagine that truck sale lathe is any worse than the HF model and lots of those are around.

Is the tailstock staying tight? Don't worry I bet we have all lost a few pieces out of the lathe so your not alone. Heck I even tried to turn a wooden crank shaft once early on. That was a disaster :eek:

[Carole Valentine]

Your "low" speed is 1250 RPMS and you had to "help" it with your hand???? Something is definitely wrong. In the first place 1250 is way to high for a rough out of balance log to be spinning. In the the second place, at 1250 rpm, there is no way you are going to be "helping" it with your hand!!! Me thinks you are pulling our chains with this tale of lathe/power woes. :D:D:D
Oh and BTW...I would much rather turn wet (green) wood! I have turned stuff that I needed to wear a raincoat!

[John Hart]

...
Oh and BTW...I would much rather turn wet (green) wood! I have turned stuff that I needed to wear a raincoat!

Sounds like me with a piece of Buckeye on Saturday. My face shield was dripping and plastered with wet shavings every few seconds. Wet n Wild.

Jesse...Do you have any pictures of your lathe and setup?

[Bob Noles]

Jesse.... Only 5 posts and you're already getting as crazy as Andy..... See where hanging with a bunch of wood turners gets ya? :D :eek:

What you need is a bigger chunk of wood.... that keeps the lathe steady to the floor :p

[Glenn Hodges]

1250 RPM, my goodness, I don't even turn a perfectly round bowl that fast. If I put an out of round bowl blank on a lathe and turned it on that fast I would hit the switch and run like I had lit a short fuse to a stick of dynamite.

[Ernie Nyvall]

1250 with bark on it?:eek: :eek: :eek:

Jesse, can you take a picture of it and give a little more info on your setup. Like Carole wrote, you are either pulling our legs or there is something very wrong.

Ernie

[Jim Becker]

If that lathe truly only goes as "low" as 1250 rpm, it's a spindle turning machine only...and even then I'd be concerned with safety for some things. I'm with Glen...I very rarely get up to even that high for small to medium sized bowls and vessels.

[Gordon Achterhof]

Jesse, glad to see that I have company. If it can be done wrong guess who is going to try it that way.

Good luck and stay safe......

Cheers
Gordon

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Jessy..................How many different pulleys are on each spindle (The one at the motor and the one that holds the wood)?

Carole and John.....................Sounds like you both need a window squeege for your face shields.

Bruce

[Jesse Merino]

Ok, let me try this AGAIN!!

I will try to answer everyones question:)

There are 4 pulleys, (I was wrong about the 1250*sigh*)
speeds are as follows--> 1100 - 1600 - 2300 - 3400 rpms

Yep, I will try anything, and everything in my quest for knowledge and adventure, (this has been one of those occasions LOL)... (well, maybe not sky diving, or bungee cord jumping either)...
But, I am used to working with shoddy equipment, (comes from working with the City of Steubenville, never wanting to buy the "right tool" for the job,and having to make do)
So, when your used to working with junk, it sort of grows on ya :)

Ok, I took a picture and it will be at the end of this message... Oh, I had a chuck of cherry on it, with bark, (that is now stripped off with a draw knife), and is sitting pretty as you please on centers..4" approximately by the ruler, though out of round a bit here and there on the edges, (gonna use the draw knife to see if I can get that better in round before going on though)...

And yes, I do put a chuck of wood on it, and stand to the side, and wait til it gets up to speed for awhile and see if its going to "spin off" before I even get in front of it...

Oh, I dont know if the motor is powerful enough, but, when it first starts out, I have to spin it to get it started going good, then I put the tool to it, and it either slows down a lot, or even stops if I put it too hard against it.
No, I am not pulling your leg.. :) (Probably your stockings are??)

It is slow starting, but the belt is tight enough, I am concerned about that hight of speed, because I put the first log on, and it wasnt very quick, (slow start), so I upped the speed, but, I didnt read the instructions first..OOPS! And now, that I did, what was I thinking LOL!! I learn:) As I stated first time, I believe, the stock was a bit curved...WOW, when it flew off, it was a bit unsettling...

Ok, here is the picture, I think of the lathe and wood set up... hope this thing comes at the end and not the top...never posted here with a picture before:)...Jesse

[Carole Valentine]

Jesse,
1100 rpm is still WAY to fast to start anything other than an in-round spindle. In addition the lathe is obviously underpowered for turning the wood you are trying to turn. Looking at the pic of the log you have mounted on that lathe, I fear for your safety. Please just turn pens or small things on it. One trip to the ER could possibly cost you as much as a Nova DVR or even a high end Oneway lathe!

[Jeremiah Jordan]

One trip to the ER could possibly cost you as much as a Nova DVR or even a high end Oneway lathe!

So thats how I get my parents to get me a oneway!!!!! Thanks Carol...LOL

Jeremiah

[Rich Stewart]

This is the exact same lathe I got when I started. Mine worked pretty good. Check the set screws that hold the pullys on. My set crews got loose and it started acting something like you are describing. I used it at first for spindle turning 2" stock. later I turned some bowls from already round bowl blanks. I never once changed the speed from the pully it came set on. I turned spindles from square to round, sanded, everything on that one speed. I think you should start with something smaller. A 4 inch log is a bit much for that lathe. I used that lathe for about 8 months and learned quite a bit on it. Get some maple 2 X 2 X12. Use a band saw to cut an X in the ends, then drill a small hole in the center of one end for the spur center point to go into so the spurs get a good bite. Check the set screws. Hope this helps some.

[Roger Myers]

I kept wondering why it kept blowing fuses on me for at least ten years, I even installed a new bigger breaker, still popped after about ten turn ons...

Jesse

Jesse,
Others have given you good advice regarding speed of the lathe and roughing out work....
I may have misread your post, but I'm concerned about the comment that you installed a "new bigger breaker" ... If your wiring and breaker are not correctly sized for each other, you may have other more serious problems looming.... Perhaps you meant a higher quality breaker or something like that, but if you simply replaced a 15 amp breaker with a 20 amp breaker (or similar change of breakers) to keep the breaker from tripping, please rethink this.....
Enjoy the shop and work safely...
Roger

[Gary DeWitt]

Agree with previous, start smaller! You could, if you have a bandsaw and proper fixture, rip that piece of cherry in quarters for starters.
Green wood is excellent to learn on. Dry wood is tougher to turn.
If you still have access to the tree that piece of wood came from, you might look for a small branch...
Good luck.

[Mike Ramsey]

Hi Jesse, I've seen your lathe listed on eby and the specs listed are
4 speed v-belt system
810-3400 RPM
350 watt, 110V, 1400 RPM motor
I don't think it is gonna turn anything bigger than small
spindle stuff and Pens. The spindle speeds are way to high
and the motor under powered for most other things such as
what you have mounted in the picture and bowls.

[Jesse Merino]

Well, I got the thing done, hmm well its turned as much as I will this time:)

It is a giant candle holder that will be treasured by my family for years to come after I am dead, and if I keep doing that lathe thing, it maybe sooner than expected...

When it got up to speed, it was so easy today, because it was dried out a whole lot, (I love a dry piece of wood, compared to wet), but, it had more moisture in it than I realized, until I felt the mist on my back..(forgot to wear a shirt, and my wife commented on it, when I was covered in sawdust). I told her, that if this thing comes off, then a shirt wont help me anyways, I'm dusted! And busted LOL hmmmmm........

** Mike, it isnt what my manual says, it says its 1100 rpms, and I sure believe it, when that thing is spinning fast! but, once the wood was a bit dryer, it seemed to go better on the lathe, instead of bark...sheesh, what a pain that was!

** Roger, that post was regarding my use of the DeWalt Compound Mitre Saw, I have had over ten years or so, that had a bad plug almost from the git-go, and kept blowing fuses, it finally gave me the hint, when it quit running and I had to replace the plug, I dont expect any more trouble from it anymore:)

** Gary, my buddy got the log from his Son's house, they apparently cut down some trees on his land, and sold them... Stupid me, I would turn a tree trunk on a motor boat engine and not know the difference sheesh!

** Rich, my trouble was keeping the blasted set screw in the tool rest, and keeping the tool rest knob tight, both kept coming loose, and it worried me a bit, when I had to hold the rest, while the tool and keep them both straight so that the rest didnt go into the work... Sure makes it interesting, dont it?? LOL!! No accidents this time, but, I am seriously thinking about getting some tite-bond and securing that screw permanently to the rest... The knob will still be a problem to itself...hmmm
Of course, I did have a lot of vibration while that "log" was turning...

** Carole, I would love to learn how to turn pens, because some of the work I have seen on wood place, those things are beautiful! But, until I get to learning and practising and git some fetchins ups and book lernins, :) (been too long near West Virginina :) LOL) It will take me a while to get to do something "right" on the lathe! As you can see by the picture posted...I just went right to it and gnawed on a piece of log and was fortunate that the LORD was with me and didnt get hurt! Oh, how much would a "pen turning set" cost me? What do I have to buy? how about the insides and all that? And what types of wood to use? I am really curious about this stuff, because it would be great to get into this sort of thing...

Ok, here is the pics of my first turnings...

Though, it seems to me that it was easier turning at high speeds than low speeds (low was when I put the gouge in too hard and it slowed to a crawl), also, that thing sure did dull the tools quick! Didnt take too long either... ok, 'nuff for now... Jesse's Big Adventure is OVER! (For the time being, but, there is always next time!)...

Gonna wait til that thing dries out, so I can sand it properly, because I tied already, and it didnt take to sanding real well.... Thanks everyone for your help...but, I am still taking comments....Jesse


SHEESH, WHAT A GAUDY LOOKIN THING THIS IS... SHEESH!!!

[Rich Stewart]

WOOOOOOHOOOO!!! Way to go Jess. Believe me, it is great for your first time. One other thing that will drive you crazy later on is the screw up tighteners on your tailstock and that thing your rest is attached to. Haha. When you have a shorter piece on you won't be able to spin the handle all the way around to tighten it up because the other handle will be in the way. Pain in the butt. And later the nut head will start to turn in the groove and it wont stay tight. I had to start putting a metal washer standing up next to the nut head to keep it from turning. Also remember, there are good days of turning when everything goes right and you feel so good and there are bad days when NOTHING goes right and you'll feel like throwing the whole thing in the creek. I fell pretty safe in saying that everybody has those days. Just too bad your fist day was one of them bad days. Sounds like your second day was a good day. Hang in there.

[Jesse Merino]

Ok Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to thank you all for your help and advice!

I will post a picture of what I made, as a first attempt... Instead of a candle holder, it turned out to be a table lamp, because who ever heard of a 12" by 4" candle holder...LOL (Just plain gaudy!)...

I have to let it dry for a few weeks, and put some tongs oil on it, then make it a table lamp... Dont feel like taking another chance with life and limb doing something that huge again, with out a lot of practise!

I would be interested in turning pens, as I have seen a lot of beautiful pens on sites that people have done, but what do I have to get for those? Where do you get the "insides for them" Is there a "kit"? Just wondering...

Ok, Here is are the pictures...Thanks again...Jesse

(Hmmm I dont know, uploaded them once, and it didnt show up...hope they do this time...)...