George,

The reason I am going with 48 in. is because my cousin wants to work on a 4
ft. x 2 in. staff (martial arts). I have no intention on doing anything as
far as
furniture with this lathe. The 2 x 2 in. metal frame bars I have are 7 ft.
long.
I figure that if I am going to have this tool in my workshop, it might as
well be ready to accept something up to 48 in.
BTW-although the frame is 7 ft. long it will only accept a 48 in long
working piece due to bearings, motor, etc.

"George" George@least wrote in message
...

"Richard Holub" wrote in message
...
Thanks George, I now have an idea on what to read about when searching
for
these tools. I usually get catalogues from ROCKLER or WOODCRAFT but I
get
overwhelmed with the large selection of tools. I guess I should pick up
one
of those books that John suggested but I just don't want to buy a "wood
turning bible" that will take me forever to read. THIS IS JUST A
CURIOSITY
PROJECT. If I like it I might spend some money to expand.

BDY...the lathe I am building should be able to turn a piece of wood from
4
in. to 48 in. by max.4 in. thick.


Forty-eight is asking a lot. You'll seldom see more than around 40"
capacity without a second purchase. For longer you tenon things together,
normally.

Out of print, but the best book on turning - not just how to turn a
blurfl - is Frank Pain _The Practical Woodturner_ . Runs through the
principles, the tools, and how to apply them.