another newcomer

[Ron Tucker]

I have sort of stumbled on to this craft of wood turning. I build cabinets, furniture, etc. During my last project, a jewelry armoire made with maple and purpleheart, I could not find knobs I liked, so I decided to create my own on a lathe. I had previously inherited an old Delta Rockwell lathe, but knew nothing about how to turn. I managed to turn some knobs that looked good, as well as a small change bowl out of purpleheart to set on top of the armoire. They werent bad, for my first time, I guess. Here's the problem, though..... It's a lot of fun, and now I'm hooked. The last thing I needed was another hobby to add to fishing, golfing, etc. as a means to spend money!!!
I have so little knowledge about this subject, though, and I wanted to see if I could get some answers from this forum on a couple of things.
First, I want to get a chuck for my lathe, but it's so old I dont know which ones will fit, and they are not exactly cheap. Second, how do I tell if my lathe has a #1 or #2 MT? Third, when I am turning wide stock, as for a bowl, the lathe has a tendency to bog down, and the motor will stop. Am I applying too much pressure, or is this a sign that the motor is too old or undersized?
Finally, anyone know of a woodturning club in the Kansas City area?

this is probably enough for now, thanks in advance for the info.
Ron

[Ben Gastfriend]

Hi!

Turning club? Definitley go the AAW website http://www.woodturner.org/ and you can search for a local chapter there.

As for telling what kind of threads there are on your lathe, I'd find a model number. You'll probably get more responces from people that may have or have had that lathe.

As for MT size, you can measure the little hole in the spindle to tell what size the MT is:

78651

Use the picture below to figure out what the A, B, C, D, and E measures are. You can probably get a definite answer with just the A measure.

78648

The motor being bogged down could be caused by a worn drive belt. You can find replacements for these, and this would probably be the most likely, and less expensive problem.

Good luck, and welcome to SMC's Turner's Forum, also known as The Vortex !!!:):D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome to the Creek and the Vortex Ron! Take a photo of your money, frame it and post it by your lathe so you can remember what it USED to look like!:eek::rolleyes::D

[Kevin McPeek]

Welcome to the Creek and the abyss. Look at the bright side, you could turn golf tees and fishing lures and reel seats, not that you'll be needing them anymore, but you could sell them to your golfing and fishing buddies to support the new habit.

I'm sure someone on here will know what taper and threads your lathe has, or just measure like Ben said. The motor bogging could be a number of things, here's where I'd start; dull tools- making you apply too much pressure to turning, belt too tight-depending on drive type or too loose and motor is turning but spindle isn't, turning at wrong rpm, bearings not free spinning, too low of current, motor old and worn out.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ron - Welcome to the Creek! Turning gets addicting real fast - just so you were warned! Have fun with it - looking forward to seeing some of your work!

[robert hainstock]

Happy to have you on board. te answer to your time delima is PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE> You know what your priorities are when you accouint for where do I spend my money, and where do I spend my time. Good luck sorting it all out. :eek:
Bob

[Ron Tucker]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I've found that the lathe is a Delta/
rockwell model 46-460 (also called a 1460 on other sites). It seems to have a #2 MT. Thread size is 8TPI, so any chuck that will fit that thread size will fit my lathe, provided there is clearance? Anyone have any recommendations as far as brand/model for chucks?
As for the motor, I am using some tools I just had professionally sharpened(gotta learn how to do that soon!), but the rpms actually drop on the motor itself, and I have to let up and let it get back up to speed. I think maybe the motor is too old.
I've been reading some of the other threads, and see that you all are an extremely visual bunch, and like your pictures. In that spirit, I'll post some of my lathe (as soon as I get my girlfriend to stop laughing at me and calling all of our friends,and hand me the camera) and a picture of the last project, for the fun of it.
Ron

[Dennis Peacock]

Howdy Ron..!!!! Welcome to the Creek!!! and the Vortex of the turning world. :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hey Ron welcome to SMC and the black hole of turning.

[Tom Sherman]

Welcome Ron to SMC turning world.