"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:27:52 GMT, "Maxprop" wrote:


"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...
Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I
took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato
masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to
spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff.
There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety
and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be
without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the
oregano,
variety is the spice of life.

I don't turn a lot of spindlework, but I have done a number of maple
baseball bats recently. And I turned half a dozen belaying pins (an
archaic
boating item) a while back. I do enjoy spindle turning, but enjoy
facework
more. One of the quandaries I now face is my next lathe--should I buy a
long bed which will allow me to turn the occasional spindle, or buy a
short
bed, or something like the Vega, which will make facework easier. The
jury
is still out on that.

Max


My next lathe will be set up for outboard turning... best of both worlds,
IMHO..

For that reason, the Powermatic 3520b ranks high on my current list of
prospects. The headstock will traverse the entire length of the ways until
outboard turning is a given. It is possible to use the tailstock for
stability when roughing a bowl, then remove it and move the headstock to the
right until there's just enough room for the banjo. Very kewl. Oneway's
larger machines also have outboard turning features, but at more than double
the price tag.

Any opinions from others??

Max