I'm new, from Spokane Wa

[jim price]

Just joined up after seeing this site and seeing that there is a pretty active bunch of turners here.
I've been turning now for oh just under a year and am seriously hooked but seriously ignant as well.
I have a General Maxi Latne VS that i really like, and just a few attachments including a 4jaw chuck and a few turning tools, of which i like my elsworth grind gouge best.
I love to do bowls, but most of my stuff involves small spindles.
I've had numbers of requests for knitting needles.
A question:
is there a small version of a duplicator that would let a guy turn accurate cylinders (oh maybe 6 - 9 inches in length) and down to just a couple millimeters in diameter?
The problem you see is getting the needles the same diameters.
Any hints or sources for a duplicator that'll fit the smaller lathe?


Oh and i saw a thread earler about sharpening. I found the best sharpening tool ever (in my experience) is the Jool Tool (maybe spelled JoolTool). It beats the beegebers in my view out of Tormek (great but slow) and low speed grinders (just don't like them).

[TYLER WOOD]

Welcome Jim.

Congrats on the General, I have the 25-650, and I love it!!! Great lathes.

As for the small duplicator, I don't know if they will get that accurate for a budget. Buy a set of digital calipers, and measure often. Probably not what you were looking for, but maybe someone else knows more.

[jim price]

Thanks Tyler.. i have a digital vernier caliper and that's been workign well but slow. Just thought there might be a better, quicker way.

[Dennis Peacock]

Welcome Jim to SMC.!!!! The vortex runs deep here and aids in stretching ones pockets for many other turning items as time progresses. ;)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome Jim. Sounds like you have a pretty nice setup. I agree with Tyler that I don't think a small duplicator would be very accurate for what you want.

[Paul Engle]

Welcome aboard Jim, I'm just a hoot from you in Sandpoint, I understand Vega makes a professional duplicator , Packard spring catalog pg 77 has a nice one ( nice $$$ too) 600 to 1200$ plus attachments up to another 600$. check it out but you gonna have to make a lot knitting needles :D I not affiliated with packard or vega and have looked at the cheaper ones and thats what they are cheap....There is a club that meets in the Spokane Valley store of Woodcrafters on E Sprague I think it , meets on a thursday not sure which thursday tho.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome to the Creek Jim! I'm not too far away and I get to the Spokane WoodCraft store now and then.

[jim price]

Thanks for the welcome guys!
And Ken... i spent a year working at woodcraft in Spokane. I spect we ran into one another now and then. Great place with some really terrific folks to work with and for.
I still do a little sharpening for them from time to time, and a couple carving classes.
That's where i had the bad Wolverine experience. Scared the beegeebers outa me. Just that one time convinced me that Tormek and Jool Tool at least for me, are the primo sharpening tools. (course i know lots of folks who swear by the Wolverine and am anxious to hear where i went wrong, cause they are the least expensive option).