Got my first lathe...Curtis Seebeck is the man!

[Tim Solley]

So on Saturday Curtis seemed to be dead set on sucking me into the vortex. He sold me his old lathe to get me started. He was also gracious enough to throw in some nice mesquite, spalted pecan, and spalted hackberry bowl blanks. Threw in a pen mandrel, 15 nice pen blanks, 15 slimline pen kits, a live center kit, a few bottles of CA glue, and the most valuable of all, eight hours or so of one on one instruction on his Nova DVR. I don't know where I would be without that extra nudge in the right direction.

We started out by making a slimline pen. Followed that up with a couple of spinning tops, and moved on to a natural edge mesquite bowl. I'll take a picture of the bowl and post when I get a chance.

So a huge thanks goes to Curtis for a whole day spent teaching a total newbie. I am totally hooked now. I now fear for the fate of all my other tools. On Sunday I went straight to Woodcraft and picked up a nice Sorby bowl gouge, a micro-mesh set, and a few other odds and ends. They of course had inventory issues, so I couldn't get everything I needed. This morning I ordered a new grinding wheel for my grinder, a pen mill set, and a Wolverine Vari-grind for sharpening my bowl gouge.

I'm definitely falling headfirst into the abyss. Last night when I came in from the shop after turning my first bowl all by myself, I was so covered with shavings that my wife made me leave my clothes there before entering. A small price to pay for time on the lathe.

Tim

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Tim..........You are definitely hooked as Tyler says...on spin crack! Enjoy!

You lucky rascal! I'd love to have worked with somebody like Curtis!

Enjoy!

[Keith Burns]

Congrats on the new bank account drainer toys ! But, as you well know, No pics it didn't happen :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome to the dark side Tim. Congrats on all the new tools. Let me tell you something. This abyss sucks you wallet dry faster than a pick pocket. :eek: Have fun and enjoy.

[Mark Cothren]

Congrats Tim! Look forward to seeing some of your work!

[Dick Parr]

Congrats Tim, you are going to enjoy yourself all the way to the poor house.:eek: :D :D Tell him Ken....:rolleyes:

Have fun Tim

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Tim, Tim, Tim...another one
BITES THE TEXAS DUST!!:eek: Congrats!

[Corey Hallagan]

Congrats on the new lathe. Can't wait to see your turnings!

Corey

[Ernie Nyvall]

Congrats Tim on all the loot. Curtis sounds like a fine fellow.

Ernie

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

You guys better watch out, he is a natural! Tim will be posting items that we will all admire really soon!

We had a great day and it was really a lot of fun teaching someone our wonderful art/craft. I highly suggest it to everyone. You don't have to be a pro to share your talents. Heck, I have only been turning since the middle of October and I think Tim got a lot out of our day of turning.

Good luck Tim and be sure to post lots of pictures! BTW, the bowl you made on your own, was it from one of the blanks I gave you? If so, which one and how did you like it?

[Barry Stratton]

Congrats Tim and you lucky dog getting private lessons from Curtis!

Looking forward to some more Texas turnings.

[Doug Thompson]

I think Curtis set you up! LOL Eight hours is just enough to fall into this bottom less hole.

We need pictures...

[John Hart]

Down he goes! Kicking and screaming with joy.:D Cool Creeker visit!:)

[John Miliunas]

Tim, you ever see those "magicians" on TV, where they have some object in their hand and, all of a sudden, it just goes "POOF" and in a cloud of smoke, the item disappears? Now that you're truly into the spinny thing, check your wallet. Much of the same "trick" will be happening! :D Enjoy it, as in return for the little expenses, much fun is to be had! :) :cool:

[Jim VanBramer]

"... my wife made me leave my clothes there ..."

"... But, as you well know, No pics it didn't happen ..."


You say that as if it's a BAD thing???!!!!! :eek: :D

[Andy Hoyt]

Not sure which part of this I like more.

That we have a new spinner amongst us; or that Curtis has just made all sorts of room in his shop for more stuff!

[Tim Solley]

BTW, the bowl you made on your own, was it from one of the blanks I gave you? If so, which one and how did you like it?

Thanks for all the "another one bites the dust" comments guys :D. Though I haven't had much time on the lathe just yet, I'm really enjoying it. Curtis is a great teacher. Oh, and the comments about the empty wallet are too true, even after just a few days of lathe ownership I see this to be true.

As for the bowl I turned, I'm happy with the way I turned it, but it will still be junk. Here's why:

1. I made it from some 8/4 soft maple I had in the scrap bin. I don't think it's the best wood for turning since it's so soft and tends to tear rather than cut (maybe I should have turned it faster)...which leads to point 2
2. I couldn't really get my tools sharp. My sharpening tools will arrive tomorrow. I couldn't get a nice sharp round profile on my bowl gouge.
3. I tried glueing a scrap tenon on the blank instead of screwing the faceplate into the blank and losing a lot of wood. The first mistake was just choosing a scrap circle from the bin that was larger around than the blank. Too hard to turn the bottom of the bowl. The second mistake was using plywood. I started to turn the tenon off the bowl, but it took so long I just said forget it, it's a junk bowl anyway.

I got real spoiled on Curtis' Nova lathe. When I got back home and started turning on my own lathe, I could definitely see the difference in power. I'm sure that will be helped when I use harder wood and sharp tools. Since I'm getting the tools tomorrow, I expect I'll start bowing to the picture police in the next couple of days.

Happy turning!

Tim

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

Tim,

We really should have been working on YOUR lathe rather than mine. That way you would not have been spoiled. I hope you are not disapointed in the lathe you got from me. Just take lighter cuts with sharp tools and you will do just fine. I did for 4 months!