Used my lathe (a $60 garage-sale purchase) for the first time a couple
days ago. I was pleased with my first attempt. It was rough (hitting it
randomly with a rasp would have resulted in a smoother finish) and had
gouges taken out of it here and there, but for a first attempt, I
thought it was okay. I thought the overall roughness was attributable to
the fact that the blank was a dust-dry piece of cedar.
I've since seen other turned pieces of cedar that looked just fine. And
today I tried turning a king chess piece out of cherry. It was rough and
had big gouges taken out of it here and there. It looks as though
someone had hacked out its shape using a small hatchet. It was such a
disappointment to take it off the centers--it looked fine while it was
spinning around. When I came in from the shop SWMBO asked, "What have
you been up to?" to which I replied, "Wasting my time."
I'd like to blame this at least in part on the tool rest. I can't find
the sliding part (it's around here somewhere) that the rest itself slips
into, so I cobbled one together of plywood. To say that it's not steady
would be an understatement. But the adage "It's a poor workman blames
his tools" echoes in my brain.
if the rest moves or vibrates then it will be of little use.
I routinely turn dry pine, oak and maple without major problem on my
delta midi. the other question is what tool are you using?
BRuce
Wolf Lahti wrote:
> Used my lathe (a $60 garage-sale purchase) for the first time a couple
> days ago. I was pleased with my first attempt. It was rough (hitting it
> randomly with a rasp would have resulted in a smoother finish) and had
> gouges taken out of it here and there, but for a first attempt, I
> thought it was okay. I thought the overall roughness was attributable to
> the fact that the blank was a dust-dry piece of cedar.
>
> I've since seen other turned pieces of cedar that looked just fine. And
> today I tried turning a king chess piece out of cherry. It was rough and
> had big gouges taken out of it here and there. It looks as though
> someone had hacked out its shape using a small hatchet. It was such a
> disappointment to take it off the centers--it looked fine while it was
> spinning around. When I came in from the shop SWMBO asked, "What have
> you been up to?" to which I replied, "Wasting my time."
>
> I'd like to blame this at least in part on the tool rest. I can't find
> the sliding part (it's around here somewhere) that the rest itself slips
> into, so I cobbled one together of plywood. To say that it's not steady
> would be an understatement. But the adage "It's a poor workman blames
> his tools" echoes in my brain.
--
---
BRuce
You need a solid tool rest and sharp tools.
If the tool rest is moving (and a plywood one certainly is), you're
turning firewood.
What lathe is it? It should be easy enough to get a replacement banjo
(the sliding part) if you really can't find the one that came with it.
Also, take a bit of time and learn to do basic sharpening on your lathe
tools. Hit your library for a book, or do a Google search.
Also, rec.crafts.woodturning is a great newsgroup for turners... Lots
of very friendly and helpful people there.
djb
--
Is it time to change my sig line yet?
In a different prospective I can agree with all of that. However here we
have a newbie, not an experienced turner who already understands that extra
care has to be taken with cedar. I thought the heads up was appropriate.
While there is no shame in not being able to do good work with grossly
unsuitable tools it does seem to be a bit of a folly to seemingly complain
about the inability
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike G wrote:
>
> > I don't do a lot of turning but I do do some and have worked with cedar
> > quite a bit and don't think it is exactly the best wood to practice
> > turning on. It just plain splinters too easily.
>
> "Cedar" could be any of several different woods too.
>
> I, OTOH, *love* cedar (/Juniperus virginiana/, an aromatic "redcedar" with
> reddish heartwood) because it's the first wood I've found where I can
> produce a smooth finish straight off the tools. (Not to mention it's
> beautiful and smells good too...) It does splinter easily, but it also
> cuts like butter. The only piece in my entire collection of mediocre
> newbie turnings that never saw sandpaper is the one I made from my lone
> chunk of that stuff. (Well, OK, there were two chunks of that stuff, and
> one of them blew up. So you have a point about splintering. :)
>
> > I'm sure there is a corollary to the poor workman saying that covers one
> > that tries to do the job with improper tooling and possibly dull tools
but
> > I can't think of it right now. I'm sure it would include crusin' for a
> > brusin' though
>
> Definitely. A plywood banjo sounds like a ghastly idea to me as well.
> Maybe some really experienced turners could do beautiful stuff with an
> apple corer and a banjo and toolrest cobbled together out of papier maché
> and duct tape, but I don't see any shame in being unable to do good work
> with grossly unsuitable tools. The trick is knowing where to draw the
> blame line.
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
>
Jim Wilson asked
>
> the other question is what tool are you using?
>
The lathe I have is branded Foremost, but it's that mid/low-level
generic with the steel tube rather than a flat bed, five speeds selected
by belt placement, a 12-inch swing with 37 to 40 inches between centers.
You've probably seen it under some other name--seems to be selling for
about $240. (Sears' version is $300.)
It seems to be a decent-quality tool, and I have it bolted solidly to a
hefty bench. The only thing "wrong" with it, as I mentioned, is I can't
find the banjo (Never heard that term before) and devised a wholly
inadequate slider made from plywood scrap.
So, I'm going to now assume that my poor results are not so much a
matter of horrible technique as a matter of the tool rest bouncing back
and forth like a hypercaffeinated yo-yo, find someplace to order a new
banjo--and then try to think of another excuse for why my trunings look
lik the dog had been chewing on them.
Wait--there's my excuse right there!
BTW - the cedar was Western Red.
I don't do a lot of turning but I do do some and have worked with cedar
quite a bit and don't think it is exactly the best wood to practice turning
on. It just plain splinters too easily.
I'm sure there is a corollary to the poor workman saying that covers one
that tries to do the job with improper tooling and possibly dull tools but I
can't think of it right now. I'm sure it would include crusin' for a brusin'
though
--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Wolf Lahti" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Used my lathe (a $60 garage-sale purchase) for the first time a couple
> days ago. I was pleased with my first attempt. It was rough (hitting it
> randomly with a rasp would have resulted in a smoother finish) and had
> gouges taken out of it here and there, but for a first attempt, I
> thought it was okay. I thought the overall roughness was attributable to
> the fact that the blank was a dust-dry piece of cedar.
>
> I've since seen other turned pieces of cedar that looked just fine. And
> today I tried turning a king chess piece out of cherry. It was rough and
> had big gouges taken out of it here and there. It looks as though
> someone had hacked out its shape using a small hatchet. It was such a
> disappointment to take it off the centers--it looked fine while it was
> spinning around. When I came in from the shop SWMBO asked, "What have
> you been up to?" to which I replied, "Wasting my time."
>
> I'd like to blame this at least in part on the tool rest. I can't find
> the sliding part (it's around here somewhere) that the rest itself slips
> into, so I cobbled one together of plywood. To say that it's not steady
> would be an understatement. But the adage "It's a poor workman blames
> his tools" echoes in my brain.
Mike G wrote:
> I don't do a lot of turning but I do do some and have worked with cedar
> quite a bit and don't think it is exactly the best wood to practice
> turning on. It just plain splinters too easily.
"Cedar" could be any of several different woods too.
I, OTOH, *love* cedar (/Juniperus virginiana/, an aromatic "redcedar" with
reddish heartwood) because it's the first wood I've found where I can
produce a smooth finish straight off the tools. (Not to mention it's
beautiful and smells good too...) It does splinter easily, but it also
cuts like butter. The only piece in my entire collection of mediocre
newbie turnings that never saw sandpaper is the one I made from my lone
chunk of that stuff. (Well, OK, there were two chunks of that stuff, and
one of them blew up. So you have a point about splintering. :)
> I'm sure there is a corollary to the poor workman saying that covers one
> that tries to do the job with improper tooling and possibly dull tools but
> I can't think of it right now. I'm sure it would include crusin' for a
> brusin' though
Definitely. A plywood banjo sounds like a ghastly idea to me as well.
Maybe some really experienced turners could do beautiful stuff with an
apple corer and a banjo and toolrest cobbled together out of papier maché
and duct tape, but I don't see any shame in being unable to do good work
with grossly unsuitable tools. The trick is knowing where to draw the
blame line.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/