"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
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"Bill McKee" wrote in message
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"Jesse" wrote in message
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On Dec 29, 8:04 pm, "Bill McKee" wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message

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On Dec 28, 11:07 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am 66 now, can
not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a cannon, boring
out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and making a
breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a firecracker, or
gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder what happened
to
them.

The first thing I tried turning on a lathe got confiscated by my high
school shop teacher. He didn't buy my explaination that I was just
trying to see what all a lathe could do. All I had left was a little
bit more turning and the addition of a screen. ;-) I sure am glad I
survived the 70's.

My dad owned a major machine shop. And he liked guns also.

Where do you put the screen in a gun?

Oh!

In my high school people kept trying to make those in art class during the
section on ceramics. LOL.

In the mid 1950's when my brother was in high school, a kid made all of a
revolver except the cylinder. Teacher asked about it, and said you can not
do that here. Called in the kids dad and gave him all the parts and
instructions on how to finish it.