Which older Shopsmith as a lathe?

[RFGuy]

Replication can be a one off. Duplication can be a one off.

CAN be, not necessarily sufficient.

JPG,

Thanks. Good point in that they can be just a single copy, as I did manually of my salt & pepper mills. However, isn't it still really slow? It sure looks that way in several videos I have watched. Just curious.

[JPG]

Faster for us neophytes. Eliminates(sorta) repetitive cut/measure cycles.

Fer sure a skilled operator is far faster.

Fer sure a skilled operator does not need this.

[RFGuy]

JPG,

Thanks. Yeah, it just seems slow, even for those just starting out in woodturning like myself. The replication (focus and intent) I get, but I expected the process to look and be faster. Thanks for responding. Would certainly take quite a while for someone like myself to replicate many spindles. A set of table legs, no problem, but spindles for a staircase, e.g. I wouldn't have the patience to sit through that kind of repetitive task over and over and over and over again.

[edflorence]

You might also want to consider making your own duplicator. Lots of ideas on You Tube, but one of the best is an article in Issue 132 of Shop Notes magazine, which describes the complete build of a nice looking duplicator. It looks like it would work fine for your project. Just another possible option.

Ed,

Honestly, it looks rather slow in the videos I have seen for the Shopsmith duplicator and other brands. Am I wrong here? Isn't the whole point replication, but that tends to be slow? I have watched experienced woodturners turn out spindles in easily one tenth the time, by eye alone, than it takes a novice or even mid-skill woodturner using a duplicator.

I agree that an experienced hand can turn out duplicated pieces quickly and accurately, but I doubt there are many folks these days who can devote the length of time needed to develop that level of experience. I have seen photos of the old time English "bodgers" who could, in just a few weeks, turn hundreds and hundreds of identical spindles for the chairmaking business. Impressive work done on springpole lathes by men who spent decades learning the craft. The industrial revolution put an end to them, though, and now people who need to turn out large quantities of identical turnings in a hurry use mechanical "copy lathes" such as this one:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/v ... ction=view

I think for the hobby woodworker the need to be able to reproduce parts accurately does not come up that often. With calipers, sharp tools and patience, the average turner can turn out a set of table legs that are matched "close enough." If there is a situation where accuracy matters for the hobby woodworker, like when matching architectural features, then time is probably not as critical. If a person is willing to trade off time for accuracy, a duplicator, even if slow, should get the job done.

[RFGuy]

Ed,

Thanks. I appreciate it. Yeah, I find those woodworking copy machines fascinating. Off-topic, but I saw one for making wooden propellers a while back. Video is below for anyone interested. I believe it is a family run business that manufactures them here in the United States. Something mesmerizing about watching these kinds of machines at work IMHO...

[roy_okc]

I just ran across this SS duplicator for sale on FB Marketplace. I don't know if it is complete, but appears to be much more so than the earlier ebay post.

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listi ... attachment

[RexLumber]

Thanks to all who have provided useful information to this topic, specifically concerning SS and aftermarket duplicators.

Russ, I am particularly grateful to you for sharing your knowledge of SS machine history.

Figuring out if a vintage piece of machinery is complete is often a challenge, especially to those new to the tool. This is what worries me most about getting into the shopsmith and its duplicator. One of the things I have heard claimed is Shopsmith stuff is still available for the vintage machines, but it does seem like there are exceptions. I was not aware that the cutters were not available. Are there suitable blanks available which can be ground down?

In some other thread, I saw the recommendation for a live center. It does seem like a good idea, though as you note any burn mark should not be visible (or I could just run the stock long and lop off the ends after turning. One end is going to get a v-notch to match the toe rail). If I go through with the shopsmith idea, a live center would probably be the first purchase if the machine does not come with one.

Regarding duplicating turned balusters: I have had two professional wood turners tell me that they use duplicators when doing quantities of balusters, i.e. over 10. They have professional grade equipment, of the type that I could never afford unless I did the work professionally. One of these guys in particular is very skilled, a true artisan, but he realizes time savings from using a duplicator when turning in quantity.

The shopsmith duplicator does look slow, but I think I could make it work for me.

Rhode Island here. About twice a year I see lathe duplicators on sale on Craig's List. Shopsmith listings have been down for the last year, but spring is approaching and I think listings pick up in March and April.

What cheer, netop? Thanks for the local info!

[edma194]

In some other thread, I saw the recommendation for a live center. It does seem like a good idea, though as you note any burn mark should not be visible (or I could just run the stock long and lop off the ends after turning. One end is going to get a v-notch to match the toe rail). If I go through with the shopsmith idea, a live center would probably be the first purchase if the machine does not come with one.

Definitely get a live center. I don't have much turning experience but when I used the simple point on the tailstock the spinning wood would make a horrible screeching sound at times.

Rhode Island here. About twice a year I see lathe duplicators on sale on Craig's List. Shopsmith listings have been down for the last year, but spring is approaching and I think listings pick up in March and April.

What cheer, netop? Thanks for the local info!

Doin' fine. How's life in the great western frontier of New England? Lots of nutmeg there I hear from adventurers who traveled that far.

[chapmanruss]

RexLumber,

I believe the cutters used for the Shopsmith Lathe Duplicator can still be found just that Shopsmith no longer sells most of them. They are probably the same cutters used by one of the changeable cutter head Lathe Chisel manufacturers. It is the followers that the Lathe Duplicator uses that you will need have that the Chisels don't use. As I said it is something I need to do a bit of research on.

[JPG]

Re the live center use with the duplicator. The duplicator needs an extender for the live center. The dead center cannot be extended.