Turning 11 foot columns on a shopsmith

mhebb1 · Post by **mhebb1** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:48 pm

I just finished a project that might interest the wood turners here. Our very old meeting house needed 2 new 11.5 foot columns to hold up the balcony. The pine logs I used are some 350 lbs and over 12" thick. Clips here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbzEz0-7X0

This was certainly a challenging project for me and the shopsmith. I run a wood turning workshop here in Vermont so have some familiarity with the tools.

Some inprocess shots follow
Full sequence is here:
http://timetofiddle.yolasite.com/turnin ... olumns.php

I routinely turn work longer than the shopsmith bed. All you do is remove the tail stock, punch a hole in a wall stud at the exact level of you shopsmith spindle and a diameter that is a snug fit for your cup or live center and go to it. Ideal for cant hook handles or chucking up rusty shopsmith tubes for sanding. IF your tool rest doesn't reach, flip the work end for end or as I did- use another shopsmith bed with it's tool rest.

Mike
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a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:50 pm

Impressive!

brad_nalor · Post by **brad_nalor** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:56 pm

Mike- Now thats using a Shopsmith and beautifully done!

Wow - only 3 days, anchoring the machine down, strapping counter weights to the turn, faceplate screws coming off... and how many more of these to turn?

Thanks for sharing and the video- a Shopsmith fave!

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:12 am

Welcome to the SS forum mhebb1. What a WORKOUT ya did with that powerpro SS.

dlbristol · Post by **dlbristol** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:16 am

Are you kidding me!!! Wow, what a project, I cannot imagine doing something like that. I admire your skills.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:51 am

Ears been burning???

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthr ... ht=balcony

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:38 am

Super cool project, way out of the box! The finished product is beautiful sir.
You posted it yeaterday, but I saw it a couple weeks ago. Its like one of those new phone commercials.

SDSSmith · Post by **SDSSmith** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:35 am

Thanks Mike for sharing the pictures and the video. I have always said that the Shopsmith is a thinking man's (or woman's) machine. Your project is a demonstration of that credo. You definitely did some heavy thinking and improvisation to make this happen. Great Job!

addie · Post by **addie** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:32 am

keep it up posting------

SkullsquadronX · Post by **SkullsquadronX** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:53 pm

Wow this is impressive. I really like how you did this.

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Turning 11 foot columns on a shopsmith

Turning 11 foot columns on a shopsmith

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