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Thread: Triumphant Entrance Into the Ranks of Hardcore Woodturners

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Triumphant Entrance Into the Ranks of Hardcore Woodturners

    I have really bad news for the world of woodworking. As of today, I am a woodturner.

    I have a huge metal lathe, and I made some parts that would allow me to use it for wood, but I moved 300 miles, and my metal lathe has not caught up yet. In frustration, I went to Harbor Freight yesterday and picked up their 65345 wood lathe. I had very low expectations, but I was very impressed when I unboxed it. It looked great, and it was 100% ready to go, but for a handle which needed to be screwed into the tailstock dial. I have bought some really crappy Chinese tools, such as my Northern Tool horizontal band saw (looks like I made it myself), but I have zero complaints about this new lathe.

    I was surprised to see that the lathe didn't need a spur or live center. You can literally buy this thing and a few chisels and start turning.

    I had a bunch of NOS Craftsman HSS chisels I had found on Ebay, so I grabbed what probably used to be a broom handle, cut a piece off, and went to town. I had never turned anything by hand before, so I was nervous. My training consisted of watching Youtube videos.

    Man, this is easy. I see why people like it. In a few minutes, I had created a completely acceptable file handle shape. Unfortunately, the wood was very brittle and easy to split, so it blew apart when it caught one of my chisels.

    I have questions.

    1. What do people do to keep from being drowned in sawdust? There must be some kind of garment they put on over their clothes, unless woodturners change every time they work. I'm not worried about getting the dust out of my shop, because I turn next to a huge garage door, and I have a leaf blower.

    2. I am planning to start out by creating a bunch of file handles. What's the best wood to use? Should I go to Home Depot and buy a few $4 hardwood roller-handle extensions? I know they turn well, because I've used my metal lathe to make bench dogs out of them. Should I cut branches off my trees and turn them green? I have a sugar maple which got hit by lightning, and a lot of branches are going to have to come off. If I turn a file handle from green wood, should I do anything to keep it from distorting and cracking as it dries?

    I have acres and acres of live oaks, which I despise. I know this wood is not great for woodworking, but I was thinking it might be okay for small things. It's as hard as my law school girlfriend's tiny heart. I also have some maples and hickories, but I would like to spare them and kill live oaks.

    3. What's the best way to put holes in file handles? My drill press is far away, standing next to my metal lathe. I am considering Craigslisting another one. I found a great deal on an old Rockwell. Buying it would allow me to have one drill press in my wood shop and one in my metal shop.

    It would be nice to drill holes using the lathe, but I assume the work would come flying off the lathe if it were not supported on the right. I have a miniature metal lathe, and the drill chuck has the same Morse taper as the wood lathe.

    4. Is there anything I should do to upgrade the lathe? I know a million people use these things, so there are probably issues and fixes that are well known.

    10 07 18 Harbor Freight Lathe first spindle turning effort obliterated small.jpg10 07 18 Harbor Freight Lathe small.jpg10 07 18 Harbor Freight Lathe first spindle turning effort small.jpg
    Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of bench.

    I was socially distant before it was cool.

    A little authority corrupts a lot.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Uhhhh….Steve......don't you mean you couldn't resist and caved into to the force?


    Welcome to the Vortex! Hang on to your billfold!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  3. #3
    tis a slippery slope it is...And nary a one can save his soul from the depths of shavins' and dust.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    FL
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    1,026
    I'll probably get yelled at for saying this, but it's great to take part in a form of woodworking that requires so little thought and training. When I do joinery, I screw up measurements, and I have to plan things and draw diagrams. Woodturning is so much less complicated. Throw the wood on there, fire up the lathe, and see what happens.

    As for hanging onto my billfold, this has to be the only form of woodworking where you can get a legitimate start for under $300. And it seems like you can turn just about anything! Junk no one else wants.
    Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of bench.

    I was socially distant before it was cool.

    A little authority corrupts a lot.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    San Diego, Ca
    Posts
    1,647
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve H Graham View Post
    I have really bad news for the world of woodworking. As of today, I am a woodturner.

    I have a huge metal lathe, and I made some parts that would allow me to use it for wood, but I moved 300 miles, and my metal lathe has not caught up yet. In frustration, I went to Harbor Freight yesterday and picked up their 65345 wood lathe. I had very low expectations, but I was very impressed when I unboxed it. It looked great, and it was 100% ready to go, but for a handle which needed to be screwed into the tailstock dial. I have bought some really crappy Chinese tools, such as my Northern Tool horizontal band saw (looks like I made it myself), but I have zero complaints about this new lathe.

    I was surprised to see that the lathe didn't need a spur or live center. You can literally buy this thing and a few chisels and start turning.

    I had a bunch of NOS Craftsman HSS chisels I had found on Ebay, so I grabbed what probably used to be a broom handle, cut a piece off, and went to town. I had never turned anything by hand before, so I was nervous. My training consisted of watching Youtube videos.

    Man, this is easy. I see why people like it. In a few minutes, I had created a completely acceptable file handle shape. Unfortunately, the wood was very brittle and easy to split, so it blew apart when it caught one of my chisels.

    I have questions.

    1. What do people do to keep from being drowned in sawdust? There must be some kind of garment they put on over their clothes, unless woodturners change every time they work. I'm not worried about getting the dust out of my shop, because I turn next to a huge garage door, and I have a leaf blower.

    2. I am planning to start out by creating a bunch of file handles. What's the best wood to use? Should I go to Home Depot and buy a few $4 hardwood roller-handle extensions? I know they turn well, because I've used my metal lathe to make bench dogs out of them. Should I cut branches off my trees and turn them green? I have a sugar maple which got hit by lightning, and a lot of branches are going to have to come off. If I turn a file handle from green wood, should I do anything to keep it from distorting and cracking as it dries?

    I have acres and acres of live oaks, which I despise. I know this wood is not great for woodworking, but I was thinking it might be okay for small things. It's as hard as my law school girlfriend's tiny heart. I also have some maples and hickories, but I would like to spare them and kill live oaks.

    3. What's the best way to put holes in file handles? My drill press is far away, standing next to my metal lathe. I am considering Craigslisting another one. I found a great deal on an old Rockwell. Buying it would allow me to have one drill press in my wood shop and one in my metal shop.

    It would be nice to drill holes using the lathe, but I assume the work would come flying off the lathe if it were not supported on the right. I have a miniature metal lathe, and the drill chuck has the same Morse taper as the wood lathe.

    4. Is there anything I should do to upgrade the lathe? I know a million people use these things, so there are probably issues and fixes that are well known.

    10 07 18 Harbor Freight Lathe first spindle turning effort obliterated small.jpg10 07 18 Harbor Freight Lathe small.jpg10 07 18 Harbor Freight Lathe first spindle turning effort small.jpg
    1. Sawdust: I typically wear a smock. Sew or tape the pockets shut. I usually take off my socks because it is easier to air hose off my feet than get all of the chips out of the socks.
    2. Handles. I turn them dry. But backing up a bit, when I am "processing" green wood I usually end up with some pieces that may be 2 x 2 x (6 to 12"). So I usually leave these square, let them dry out and when I need to do a handle I'll pick up one of them. Live Oak. We have California live oak and I have found it to be a very dense, heavy and stable wood. BTW, when I turn a handle I like to do it out of wood that does not include ANY pith. So I would not consider taking a 2" branch and turn it in to a handle. For a handle I start with a SHARP roughing gouge and finish with a SHARP skew. Yes, it's hard but with sharp tools it turns pretty nicely.
    3. To drill a hole in a handle, I do it on the lathe. I anchor the left side in either a chuck, screwed onto a faceplate, etc. Then I take my #2 MT drill chuck (Harbor Freight $12-15) and put it in the tailstock. Drill at lower RPMS. Maybe 300 to 600. If the left side is held, the drill will actually "hold" the right side. It won't go anywhere when under pressure.
    4..For your lathe, I'd suggest getting a four jaw scroll chuck. Grizzly sells some low end models for $60. Otherwise better models would be perhaps $100 and up. I'd also suggest having a way to sharpen your tools. I sharp tool can go dull in a few minutes with dry wood.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    TX, NM or on the road
    Posts
    845
    For the file handles
    I start by drilling the hole in the center of the blank, it can be done on the lathe if you have the chucks or the drill press.

    I use a homemade wood drive mandrel. Turn a 1x1x3 piece of round, on the tailstock end turn 1" of that to the diameter of the hole you drilled in the handle. The small drilled hole size end will be your drive mandrel that keeps the block centered on the lathe. The other end is supported by the tailstock. This is jam/pressure procedure, so you have to keep the tailstock tight so the blank doesn't spent. The little mandrel you made will have marks from the spur drive to keep it square you have to put it back in the same place each time.

    If the blank slips too much, you can put an O Ring on the mandrel
    against the left side, the big part, but it will leave a black mark.

    For ferrules I use rigid copper pipe, just cut off a small piece and true it up with sandpaper. Or make an expanding mandrel out of wood like this.
    This threads on the spindle, you will need a tap for that process. If you use this method, I suggest you do the same for your drive mandrel.

  7. #7
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    Jan 2006
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    Chicagoland
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    2,800
    I'm not a seasoned vet but looks like all you are producing is saw dust - you should have some nice curlies coming off (maybe unless it's stone hard). Are you using a spindle roughening gouge?

    Mike

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Goetzke View Post
    I'm not a seasoned vet but looks like all you are producing is saw dust - you should have some nice curlies coming off (maybe unless it's stone hard). Are you using a spindle roughening gouge?

    Mike


    That's totally untrue. I also produced a useless and deformed tool handle.

    I can post a photo of the tool I was using. The wood is extremely dry and crumbly. I don't know what it is. It's very light. I don't plan on using it in the future. It was handy last night, so I grabbed it.
    Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of bench.

    I was socially distant before it was cool.

    A little authority corrupts a lot.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Peoria, IL
    Posts
    4,448
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve H Graham View Post
    I'll probably get yelled at for saying this, but it's great to take part in a form of woodworking that requires so little thought and training.
    Little training and thought will get you a file handle all right. But you may want to reevaluate that for the rest of our craft. It takes decades to perfect any skill if you have the desire to do it really well. Not just what you tell yourself is good, but what someone with an eye for design tells you is good. There's an old saying, "no artist is a good judge of their own work." I've been at it since 1985, still learning.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Prosper, Texas
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    1,474
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve H Graham View Post

    As for hanging onto my billfold, this has to be the only form of woodworking where you can get a legitimate start for under $300.
    Yeah. Well, I hope you never get into ornamental turning.
    Regards,

    Glen

    Woodworking: It's a joinery.

  11. Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    Little training and thought will get you a file handle all right. But you may want to reevaluate that for the rest of our craft. It takes decades to perfect any skill if you have the desire to do it really well. Not just what you tell yourself is good, but what someone with an eye for design tells you is good. There's an old saying, "no artist is a good judge of their own work." I've been at it since 1985, still learning.
    Excellent observation Richard! Our new turner does not know what he does not know! Many years of applying acquired knowledge will take one on to being a good turner, but as we both know, the learning curve is fairly steep in the turning world! My first bowl was turned with a spindle gouge, as that was all I had at the time. Geez, now I have probably a dozen bowl gouges with differing grinds for different cuts! The vortex will reveal much as he goes along!
    Good to see you post here!
    Remember, in a moments time, everything can change!

    Vision - not just seeing what is, but seeing what can be!




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