New (First) Lathe

[Brent Smith]

Hi Everyone.....I just bought a Delta 46-765. My first lathe, been WWing for decades and finally gave into my fascination with working in the round.
It's being delivered Monday morning. My first question for you guys is... What should I be looking for. Are there any quirks or possibly hidden problems I should be aware of when I unpack and set it up? Anything relative to lathes in general or this model specifically. Just about every machine I've ever set up has had something that needs attention. This lathe, being a first, is unknown territory to me. Any help or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

Brent

[Jeff Moffett]

I’m very much a novice turner, but here are a couple of things I like to do:<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

1) Check the alignment – Put the spur center in the headstock and the live center in the tailstock. Then move the tail all the way up to the head. The points should match exactly. If they don’t line up from front to back, you might try jiggling the headstock and then locking it back down.<O:p</O:p

2) Check for vibration – Make sure all four feet are firmly on the ground and there’s no wobble. To check for vibration, balance a nickel on its side on the bed of the lathe. Then turn the lathe on and hopefully watch in amazement as the nickel doesn’t fall over.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

Good luck with your new lathe!

[Corey Hallagan]

Congrats on the new lathe!!

Corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on the new lathe Brent and welcome to the turning vortex. Jeff hit the big ones. Next thing once it is set in place you need to build a shelf in the legs and add sand bags for weight. I did on my lathe and it made it so much more stable and if something you are turning it out of balance it will keep it steady.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brent.......Congrats on the new lathe! As mentioned above...........open up your billfold.....see what that cash money looks like?..........Take a photo of it.........now that you're in the vortex.....you will stay broke:D ....but hey............It's sure a lot of fun! Welcome to the vortex!:) :)

[Don Baer]

Chuck up a blank. Sharpen up the tools and try to make some lace...:D

[Barry Stratton]

Congrats on the new lathe, prepare yourself for some serious fun!

[Ernie Nyvall]

Congrats Brent. I guess Jeff just about covered the setup. Now lets see some chips fly.:D

Ernie

[Tom Sherman]

Congratulations on your new lathe. Hope you have tons of fun with it.

[Brent Smith]

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the info. I downloaded the manual for it and they suggest filling the legs with cement. Bernie suggested putting sandbags on a shelf. Will the sandbags do the job or should I go out and buy a few bags of cement?

Next question (and there are going to be a lot more comming).....I plan on starting with spindle and segmented column turning to enhance my current work. What tools would make up a good comprehensive kit?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brent.........I just started turning in February. I did a lot of research and I wasn't able to find a "good comprehensive kit" that will fit all the needs of a turner. If I may....a little advice based on my limited experience.

1. Get your self a good sharpening center. Based on advice from other turners here, I bought a Woodcraft slowspeed grinder and a complete Wolverine grinding jig setup. There is absolutely no comparison between turning a piece of wood with dull tools and sharp tools. Sharp tools allow you to have more control and the results show in the enjoyment of turning and the turning itself. There are other sharpening devices...grinders and jigs available. Get yourself a sharpening setup!

2. Proper sharpening is an acquired skill within itself. You will grind some steel until you get it right. A lot of people here recommend obtaining the $35 tool set from Harbor Freight initially. If you have to learn to grind ...why grind expensive tools? I was given a cheap set and did that for a while and then went on to the more expensive tools.

3. Spindle work usually is done with shallow fluted gouges and the skew.

4. Bowls are usually done with deep fluted gouges and scrapers.

5. Roughing gouges are used to rough square stock into cylinders but it is highly recommended not to use them for faceplate work...bowls in other words.

6. Scrapers are used typically for hollowing......inside boxes and bowls. The thicker the scraper .....the more mass and less chatter you'll get and less chance of breaking the scraper if you have a catch.

7. At least get a good face shield and wear safety glasses under it!

8. Get yourself some type of appropriate dust mask and use it when turning and at least, while sanding! Lungs don't like foreign matter and don't require increased amount of fiber matter!

9. Take some lessons if you live in an area and they are readily accessible. Buy some of the books and videos that are available. The nearest place for me to take lesson is 110 miles away so I relied on videos (SMCer Bill Grumbines bowl making video and Richard Raffan's videos) and books. Each type of turning uses different skills and different methods of accomplishing the project. Some projects have several different methods that can be used. Read, study...learn by whatever methods you have available. Above all....don't be afraid to ask question here at this website. SMCer's....pushed me into the Vortex....and then have been very helpful in answering all of my questions. It's often said..."there are no dumb quesitons" and the turners here are quick to reply to any question asked.

Good luck .....enjoy the journey.....there is no end to the journey....just an endless learning process.....with a lot of fun along the way!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brent....if I was you....I'd use sandbags and the shelf method. A lot of people use it successfully. The cement method....once those legs are poured full....it will make for tough moving in the future should you decide to move it for any reason.....upgrades.....etc.

[Corey Hallagan]

Brent if you will be doing large spindles a 1 to 2 inch roughing gouge will be needed. I also like a 1/2 and 3/8 spindle gouges for a good amount of my spindle stuff. You will need a skew. I sugges getting a decent skew right off in a 3/4 to 1 inch size and get a Alan Lacer skew video as well and you will know right off what the skew is capable. I also would recommend a slow speed grinder and the wolverine jig. For primarily spindle stuff you can get buy with the basic jig. You shouldn't need the Vari grind if you don't want to put side grinds on. I don't use the skew attachment at all I find it easier to just use the basic jig for that as well.

Corey

[Mark Cothren]

Good goin', Brent! Can't wait to see some pics and see some round you make on that new lathe!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Brent....if I was you....I'd use sandbags and the shelf method. A lot of people use it successfully. The cement method....once those legs are poured full....it will make for tough moving in the future should you decide to move it for any reason.....upgrades.....etc.
Congrats on the new lathe Brent, and welcome to the vortex. To add to Ken's comments, the sand acts as a dampener to help deaden any harmonic frequencies and the vibrations they can cause. The concrete, while it would add mass, could potentially also have a harmonic frequency, since it's a rigid material.

It there a way to pour sand in the legs?

- Vaughn

[Brent Smith]

Thanks again everyone for the info.

Vaughn....no problem pouring sand in the legs, just have to seal the cracks at the bottom first. After reading everyone's advice, I'm going to go with sand. I'll seal the cracks with some ray-crete I have left over from another workshop project and fill them with sand. If I want to move the lathe, I can always pour it out. I'll also put in a shelf and load it with sandbags. The thing should stay put after all that.

Ken and Corey....Thanks for the advise on tools, I'll be calling Alan Lacer tomorrow to order a few things. I've had a Tormek for years now, so sharpening is covered. Unless, of course, your advice still holds for a dry grinder?

Just as an aside.....It's a good thing I don't have any kids, after looking at what's out there (and what it costs) in turning accessories, there's not a snowballs chance they'd be going to college LOL. I figured I'd made all the expensive purchases for WWing until this turning bug hit me.

[Corey Hallagan]

Brent.. I dont have a tormek but I know many do but still prefer the grinder and wolverine jig for turning tools due to the time factor from what I have read here. Seems it takes a little longer to do sharpen gouges etc on the Tormek. You get some Alan Lacer items you will be in good shape!
Corey

[Brent Smith]

Corey....I thought that might be the case. Because of the time involved, I use it only when I want to grind a new angle on a chisel or plane blade (or for household items...knives, scissors ect.). Most of my sharpening is done by hand. So, I guess a new grinder and the wolverine jig are in order this week.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brent......send Dennis Peacock a PM. Dennis is an accomplished turner and I believe he has both. He should be able to give you a good opinion on whether or not you need both systems. It seems to me he likes the Tormek and thinks it gives a better edge but thinks it takes a little longer to get the edge.

[Jeff Moffett]

Brent, I am completely satisfied with my Tormek’s ability to sharpen my turning tools in a timely fashion. The only process that is time consuming is changing the profile of a tool which won’t be very often. Since, in my opinion, you already own the best grinding system on the market, rather than spending money on a completely new system, I would recommend buying the Tormek turning jigs first. After a little practice, I think you’ll find that you can quickly restore a precision edge.

[Frank Fusco]

Congrats on the new lathe. I can't add much that hasn't been said. But will strongly ditto the make sure head/tail points meet each other. When I set up my Grizzly four years ago, I hadn't even SEEN a lathe in more than 50 years and just got lucky, mine lined up (and still do). I have success with the sandbag thing. One big tip I haven't seen above, look for a woodturners club in your area. SC is great, but in-person demos and help is better. And, with my club, we do a lot of wood trading, great source.

[Keith Burns]

Brent, congrats on the new lathe. I just got the same lathe about a month ago. The assembly is very easy, About 12 bolts and your up and running. I have not filled my legs yet but have it on my to do list. I havent seen the need for a shelf with sand bags yet as the lathe seems very steady so far. I put a wire closet shelf on mine for storage of stuff. By the way, welcome to the never ending money drian:D :D