Wear matching

[metalcook]

Engineering people have talked about wear matching of parts for just about as long as there have been engineers. I purchased my Shopsmith almost 27 years ago, and have had very few problems, just general maintenance, a poly V belt and a few sets of quill bearings. Lately, it has started to vibrate and occasionally wouldn't turn off or on. I replaced the motor drive belt and the toggle switch, cleaned and lubricated it, and it was back almost like new. Last week, I moved it, and a castor wheel broke. Then another, etc. until all four broke, one at a time, within three days. Whoever made those wheels must have taken wear matching seriously.

How many owners do lathe work? Anybody have photos for posting?

[Greenvilleguy]

Yes, you will find many of us on the forum use the lathe. You asked for pictures so I went and gathered up some samples that were close at hand and took a quick picture. My woodworking is better than my photography.

I turned the legs on the table on the SS as well as the drawer knobs. On the top of the table are a bowl turned from a neighbor's felled Bradford pear. Inside the bowl is a CD Top taken from a post on this web site (thanks Bob). The other bowl is a cherry bowl where the wood was found in a firewood pile. I've also included some pens and another maple top with Bob's handle.

Turning is a great stress reliever and the wood for the small projects is free.

[metalcook]

Hi Greenville Guy, Thanks for the photos, nice work. I try to avoid making duplicates (like four legs), as I have difficulty duplicating things with free hand turning. I can get close, but never exact.

[deanthom]

Hey Metalcook,

Welcome to the forums and the wonderfilled world of turning on the Shopsmith!

Yeah, there are a LOT of us out here. Many evolve from starting turning on the SS and move to either a significantly bigger, significantly taller, or significantly smaller lathe. Lots of guys go to a mini for traveling about, some of us taller guys want something that gets the spindle a LOT closer to the elbow and helps save the back, and knees (ME!!!)

Just finished a set of table boosting feet for a friend. Don't know what else to call 'em. The table was 1-1/2" too short and he wanted something fancy to boost it up enough so that chairs would fit under it.

These are done from lacewood, are about 3-1/2" wide and about 1-3/4" thick. I've shown them at four different angles to show the great grain play. Love that lacewood. Top has a 1/4" deep, 2" wide recess for the table legs to sit in and not fall off. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably opt for a much heavier wood, just because. They're gorgeous, all exactly the same color, and will raise each leg exactly 1-1/2" off the floor.

That's where it changes, though. The curves on the top and bottom are pretty much the same, but different to anyone with a discerning eye. The thicknesses vary, but not the distance off the floor for the legs. Wooden projects have a tendency to require some flexibility. Voids, pits, pocks, tear-out, scraper malfunctions...we all know the drill. It's part of the "charm" of such pieces. For commissioned pieces like this, I let 'em know that they'll be close, and they'll function correctly, but that there will be minor variations in the theme. Have not had anyone whine yet!

[ericolson]

Hi Greenville Guy, Thanks for the photos, nice work. I try to avoid making duplicates (like four legs), as I have difficulty duplicating things with free hand turning. I can get close, but never exact.

Metalcook, it's interesting that you should say that. I never expect four matching turnings (like table legs) to come out exact. If you tour a furniture exhibit at a museum or go to a quality antiques dealer and look at the tables or chairs, you'll find that not one of the legs is an exact match. Darn close, but not exact. I've seen a couple of Federal pieces where the back legs were so mis-matched you'd almost think it was done deliberately. If the furniture makers of the past could create masterpieces now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars without a lathe duplicator, decent lighting, heated shops, or electric powered lathes; then I figure I can at least make four close-is-good-enough table legs as well.

[deanthom]

Thanks, Eric. You said what I was trying to say. It was too late for me to be articulate, though.

I remember one artisan saying that he made all the legs of the table to the same story stick, but that each leg was its own project, its own "piece of art", in addition to the completed table being a work made up of separate but equally interesting works.

That was really my impetus at sharing the little booster feet. Functional "art", in a sense.

[fjimp]

Dean,
I loved the pictures of your table boosting feet. In October my daughter asked if something could be built to raise my granddaughters bed 1 and 1/4" thus creating the ability to improve storage space for them.

The pieces I built looked almost exactly to the ones you crafted. I turned one block and used the band saw to cut the four feet then drilled them out. The ladies in my life were thrilled and they looked great under the bed. Clearly yours were finer than my creations, good work. Jim P.

[woodntreasure]

How many owners do lathe work? Anybody have photos for posting?[/quote]
I am turning on my SS since retirement. I have some pics, but I don't know how to put them on the forum. My web page is
www.woodntreasure.com if you would like to see what can be turned on a 500.

[Greenvilleguy]

OK, Remember you asked. Here are some photos I have. I took the last one this morning of random objects around the house. Like most turners, most items I turned ended up in other peoples homes before I took pictures.

To be honest, some of these were turned on my Jet mini lathe and not the SS, but all could easily have been turned on the SS.

Here is a desk and a bureau I built for my wife. You'll noticed the turned legs. Next is a holly box, some pens and some minitures. Since I can only post 5 pictures at time, I'll submit a second reply.
[ATTACH]1060[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1061[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1062[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1063[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1064[/ATTACH]

[Greenvilleguy]

Here are a couple of pens and a table full of "stuff"!
[ATTACH]1065[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1066[/ATTACH]