Pics of Newbie Projects

[Randy Klein]

I've recently bought my first lathe. Based on the recommendations here (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=71846), I got the Jet 1220 and the HF tools (pics to prove and satisfy the police below). I also bought Alan Lacer's Skew videos, Bill Grumbine's bowl video, and Richard Raffan's Box video.

With the knowledge gained from these videos, I have released the inner toothpick hiding inside many larger pieces of wood. But only have a few ideas (from the videos) on what else to do.

This thread is to allow everyone to post their pictures of what they consider a good project for a newbie-style spindle work. I only have the lathe, those 8 tools, but no chuck, so please try to keep it with in those guidelines.

With your help, maybe I'll be able to produce something better than what my kids are calling, "The Magic Wand".

[Brian Weick]

Welcome to the vortex~ you poor thing- you're never going to be able to leave the power of the vortex!
Way to go! , nice lathe Randy! :)
Brian

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice lathe Randy! As far as projects - without a chuck - you are pretty much limited to spindle work. Easiest items to turn are candle holders. Look in any catalog or magazine that deals with home deco and you will find tons of items to inspire you. Have fun with it and make sure you post pictures of whatever it is you turn!

[Richard Madison]

Randy,
You could do some small bowls by glueing the bowl blank to a waste block that is mounted on your faceplate.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on the lathe Randy. Steve and Richard hit on my idea's. A chuck will open a lot of doors such as a G3 or a Grizzly for $99. I have 2 of them and they are good quality.

[Ron Hipp]

Randy, some projects that may work for you. These are some projects I have done without the aid of a chuck. Hope these help... pic's of all of these are on the web. if you can't find a pic of an item I can PM it to you..

Tea light candle holders, Drill the hole for the tea light before turning.

Sewing pin cushion same as tea light but after turning, insert the pin cushion material.

Spurtles, spatulas, honey dipper, Rolling pen.

Craft mallets.

Light pulls.

Dibble, a garden planting depth gauge.

Hair picks.

Paper towel roll holder use the face plate to turn the base..

Judges Gavel

Ron

[Ken Fitzgerald]

A bonker of course!.....Had to get that in before my partner does!

[Sue Wise]

I made this lamp on my Jet mini-lathe. It is just spindle work, however, I did use a lamp auger to drill the hold down the middle.

78180

[Bill Stevener]

Ron noted hair picks.
In the photo are crochet hooks I turned. If you elect not to carve and form the hooks, they are hair picks.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/MVC-013F.jpg

[Bill Stevener]

Some other things Ron noted, + 1.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/eb_1_b.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/OliveGavel01.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/trnpnts400x191.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/2c_1_b.jpg

[Bill Stevener]

OK, hear is another one.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/12_1_b.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/15_1_b.jpg

[Bill Stevener]

Ya could do a top.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m109/nicebill/00_1_b.jpg

[Curt Fuller]

Hey Randy, chucks are a relatively new gizmo for turning. You can still turn bowls, hollowform, etc without a chuck by using the face plate that came with your lathe. Screw a waste block onto the faceplate using some good hex head sheet metal screws, true it up on the lathe so the surface is nice and flat, and then glue a bowl blank to the waste block. Try to center it as close as possible. Use a good strong glue like titebond or gorilla glue and you'll be in business. Start out with something not so big, 6" round by 3" thick and you'll get the feel of it. When you get the shape you like you can part if off and sand the bottom flat. Once you get the hang of that, you'll want to learn to make a jam chuck, using your faceplate again, so you can make the bottom fancier. But that will come later. Good Luck!

[David Fried]

Wow! Great list of projects. I don't think I have anything to add, he says putting his tea down on the wooden desk. I need a coaster. Coasters!! That's another one!:D

[Randy Klein]

Those look like some good examples, thanks so far for the pics.

And so to answer the vortex's call, I've been doing some reading on chucks.

The Oneway Talon is a fan favorite that no one complains about (except maybe price). Who has the best prices on these? And what is the preference for straight vs dovetail jaws?

[Dean Thomas]

I love my Talon and have for about 5 years. I bought mine through eBay and got an extra set of jaws as a freebie and paid well under what some others were asking at the time.

This is a particularly good time to be looking as if Santa brought some folks a Mustard to replace their shabby old Mayo or green tomatos, they may be needing to upgrade to the Stronghold for their big lathe. Watch eBay and check out club newsletters around the country. Talon does really well on 10-16" swing lathes since that is exactly the range for which it was designed and built.

You can also do boxes with the faceplate. In fact, when I first started turning on my Shopsmith, I used faceplate and wasteblocks for almost everything. That and some CA glue and you can do boxes, spinning tops, spheres and lots of other projects. Instead of chucking, you'll use more wood to serve as wasteblocks and jam-chucks, but if you don't want to feed the vortex just yet, and see what you can do without the chuck, there is still a wide world of turning out there for using your faceplate(s).

The rest of my story with faceplates is that I bought several faceplates on eBay for cheap and made multiple jigs to make things that were supposed to only be made with chuck-based jigs. Some double stick tape and good screws and the faceplate jig will last a good long time made from good wood. Especially on a reliable lathe like the little Mayo-ette you show in your dutifully provided pix. Good job on that BTW. Craft Supply has new faceplates for every conceivable lathe or thread combo you can imagine. They also have a nifty thing where you can buy several faceplates that screw onto a base. If you turn on different lathes, you can get different bases so you could do things interchangeably on many lathes. Pretty cool system if you don't want to go the chuck route for a while. Fairly inexpensive as steel faceplates go, too.

Just some more thoughts from deeper in the vortex. :eek:

[robert hainstock]

I turned stuff for fifty years before I ever saw a chuck. I have always used catalogs and magaInes, etc. for inspiration. I've made alot of nice "stuff", and a lot of fire starter. Start by looking in the kitchen for gadgets that aren't there. one of my early projects was three candle holders that my wife still has setting on the dish cabinet. Bob78212

[Dan Forman]

The Harbor freight tool kit doesn't contain a bowl gouge, so for bowls, you will need one.

Dan

[Dean Thomas]

The Harbor freight tool kit doesn't contain a bowl gouge, so for bowls, you will need one.
Not totally true, actually. Not to contradict or otherwise confront Dan, but you can do bowls without a bowl gouge, just not as conveniently. And shallow, saucerly bowls are fairly easy to do with any gouge (except a spindle roughing gouge). Bowls with steeper sides are definitely better with a bowl gouge, though. When you get there, do consider Doug Thompson's bowl gouges. Great steel, great craftsmanship, great price. I have two of his tools coming, one bowl and one spindle gouge and I'm salivating in anticipation.