On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:06:39 -0400, "MikeMac"
wrote:
[top posted for your convenience]
At the risk of being ostracized from the community, I'll take
exception with some of the responses given. Turning is not like flying
an airplane--you are not almost certainly doomed if you take one off
without any instruction. Yes, there are some risks, just as there are
with any machinery. But, in my opinion, the lathe is nowhere near as
risky as a table saw, for example, or any of a number of tools that
many people have taken up safely with little or no instruction.
I think sometimes, we who have been "tooling around" for a while and
have seen most of the bad scrapes one can get into tend to think worst
case scenario for every newcomer the first time on a tool. But of all
the tools in my shop, I'd probably be most comfortable starting a
newcomer out on a lathe than the rest.
I, for one, have never had a lick of instruction on a single power
tool. I have, however, read a LOT of books, watched a lot of DIY TV,
and have seen Norm Abram's show perhaps more than anyone. And I have a
gift for self teaching. So, I may not be a good example of the
"if-I-can-do-it, anyone-can" school of thought.
Actually, I have to mention I did go to a woodworking class at a local
high school once. I was having trouble with the skew chisel on my
(homemade) lathe, so I thought I would get some larnin' from a real
teacher. I had to suffer through two weeks (one night a week) of
safety instructions and guidance to less experienced wooddorkers
planning on building Philadelphia highboys and such, before the
instructor got around to me.
I told him I was interested in learning about the lathe. So he took me
over to the big Powermatic, chucked up a piece of wood, and started to
scrape. I thought, "what a load of crap--I already know how to
scrape." I realized I knew more than he did and never went back.
Get a book to learn some fundamentals. Even I can't do stuff without
fundamentals. But if you have any ability to self teach at all, you
can certainly learn to do good work on the lathe.
By the way, with regard to all the dire warnings you've been given,
remember, good decisions come from experience, and a lot of experience
comes from bad decisions. There's not one of those guys that hasn't
had a piece of wood thrown at them--exactly what they're trying to
help you avoid. You can't, completely, so go ahead with your
adventure.
Nomex suit on.
I found a decent deal at the local RONA today, picked up the Delta Midi
lathe for CDN $245.. the only tool I really didn't have, but thought it was
a good deal.. and the idea of making pens intrigues me.. went to Lee Valley
and bought the kits, the reams, CA glue, all that fun stuff.
So I got home, and I set it up today, (after cleaning alot of grease off
of it) and it seems to run fine. Put a piece of walnut in it, and gave er a
try.
After the chips settled, I found I ran into a few questions.
When I mount the wood in the lathe, how much 'pressure' do you put on the
tailstock.. how hard do I screw it in?
After getting it rounded off, I noticed that:
1: the tailstock head spins slowly with the piece, but not at the same
speed.. is that normal?
2: the piece oscillates ever so little.. If I back off the tailstock head a
bit, the tailstock pin stops turning, & the oscillating stops. Is that
normal?
3: If I line up the point of the headstock, and the point on the tailstock,
the don't line up perfectly.. (less than 1 mm diff). Does this really
matter?
thanks for any and all advice.
--
LRod
Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite
Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999
http://www.woodbutcher.net
Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997
email addy de-spam-ified due to 1,000 spams per month.
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