Lathes and Turning 20 Years Ago...

[Steve Mawson]

Yeah John a mag article might be a fun thing to do. I'm no journalist but I've been published a few times in magazines including American Woodturner

No time like the present, I have read some of your articles, very interesting. I believe lots of folks would like some of your insite, I know I would.

[Bob Bergstrom]

After numerous glue blocks on a face plate, I got a machinist 3 jaw chuck. Wasn't hard to launch a bowl from one of those.

[Roy Turbett]

My first woodturning experience was in 1963 in 8th grade wood shop on a Powermatic 90. My first project was a file handle followed by a walnut lamp and a cherry bowl. My mother still uses the lamp. Ten years ago I saw a Powermatic 90 on Ebay and bought it on whim. I restored that one and three more and still use a 1981 Powermatic 90 that I modified with 3" riser blocks and a VFD.

[John K Jordan]

a mag article might be a fun thing to do.

A huge number of people would be interested in reading that! And think of all the fun you could have researching, calling up the people who made the history, fact checking, hearing their stories! I'll bet people would send you some great pictures too.

JKJ

[Peter Hay in Aus]

Just to kill a little time between football games today I thumbed through and old turning book I have. "Turning Wood" by R. Raffan, published in 1985. If your club library has it check it out. For you turners who have been turning for only a short time you may be surprised. Raffan's Union Graduate lathe, made in the UK was ahead of it's time in some ways such as a 19" swing. It still used a belt change for 4 speeds. No Reverse and a lot more. The standard way to secure a piece to the lathe was with a faceplate. Raffan used a bowl gouge but with a square ground nose. There's a lot more that's interesting.

Any of you old timers remember other "old" methods and tools of those days? I sure do. We've come a long way in 30 years.

Can go a step further Richard lives here is a very involved member of my ACT Woodcraft Guild has more energy than most follow his latest publications he moved with the times.

Peter.

[Thomas Bennett]

I bought this chuck from Woodcraft in 1979: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...huck-from-1979

[Doug Herzberg]

My first was a Craftsman-style tube lathe in 1984, although not the Craftsman brand. Mostly spindles and messing around, but I did turn a black walnut tulip style goblet. I never hollowed it, but I bored in a shallow recess at the top. I just saw it the other day - my wife put a tea light in the top and was using it as a candle stick. There is enough meat on the bottom to put it in a chuck and hollow it out after all these years.