wood turning

avispex · Post by **avispex** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:11 am

my local woodcraft has classes on wood turning. Do you have a store near you?

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:35 am

"Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone", otherwise known as PTWFE, is the "bible" on using a Shopsmith. There is a long chapter on using the Shopsmith as a lathe, with mucho valuable information.

The latest edition (4th) is available from Shopsmith or many other on-line book seller sources. The 4th edition covers the 510 model, while earlier editions basically cover the older 500 Shopsmith. Whatever your choice, you need to obtain this book.

tryinhard · Post by **tryinhard** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:06 am

8iowa wrote:"Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone", otherwise known as PTWFE, is the "bible" on using a Shopsmith. There is a long chapter on using the Shopsmith as a lathe, with mucho valuable information.

Here is the link for the Lathe turning chapter until you can get a copy of the book for reference. The link from Mike G for http://www.woodworkinglathe.com/page4.htm is taken from the PTWFE chapter.

fiatben · Post by **fiatben** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:51 pm

for what it's worth, I'd do some practice on scrap wood before I tackled even a simple project like a roller. Grab some scrap out of the bin we all have, clean up the ends, knock off the corners and practice. I've even grabbed a piece of firewood, squared up the ends and practiced on those. I'm not sure I'd want to start my turning adventure with pressure treated wood. Chemical issues aside, the stuff is so wet and soft from the treatment that it will throw water (with who-knows-what in it) and will tend to grab the chisel too easily for my money. Depending on where you are, find local wood that can be had easily. I've got a big stack of cedar cutoffs that I can play with. Just my 2 cents worth. I've got a LOT of learning to do on the lathe.

avispex · Post by **avispex** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 4:16 pm

The two posters above made a good point about the instructional value of "Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone."

Shopsmith put the whole book online at the academy site, along with many other valuable instructional examples, tips, videos, etc.

http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/latheturning/index.htm

vanmeter2r · Post by **vanmeter2r** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:10 am

Wow, I never expected so much great advice within such a short time, THANK YOU all for your help. I honestly could not have gone this far without each and everyone of your help. When I posted yesterday, I stopped when my project was looking like the drawing member REIBLE posted. After getting his advise to cut the corners and reading the shop smith PDF of the lathe, I accomplished the rest of the cylinder project within a couple hours. For my first time doing any Lathe work, I am happy with my cylinder. I will cut another with some OAK some other hardwood before I try to build a project. As far a everyone worrying about the fumes from the pressure treated lumber, I accomplished this work outside ( my workshop is not accomplished yet). Unfortunately, here in the Ft. Walton Beach, Florida area I only know of Lowe's and Home Depot Cashn'carry in Niceville for wood. Not much crafting wood in this area that I know of, but I will do some research. I do have a safety question; when I cut the corners off the 4x4 I felt it was very unsafe the way I did it, but I do not know of a safer way. I put the blade on the headstock (tightened it down), then moved the main table over the blade I lowered it down at a 45* angle. When I lowered it low enough, the table was hitting the headstock, and I had to take out the table insert off the main table to get enough room for the blade (Dado table insert wouldn't work either). Anyway, I made the first cut just fine (using my push stick and hold down), but after I made adjustment to the fence for the loss of wood I did the opposite side and the wood partially got wedged into the gap on the other side of the blade. The only way I could correct this from happening a second time was to put heavy pressure on the back of the wood kind of like leaning it up (hard to explain, but very unsafe practice), What did I do wrong? I went over all the safety rules in my head and I can't think of another way I could set the wood to cut off the corners.

reible · Post by **reible** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 7:28 am

Hi again,

One of the best rules I have in my shop is that if feels unsafe it probably is. At the point this happens you need to stop and rethink things... do not just go of it. If I understand correctly what you did is without a doubt an unsafe operation. Please we like to keep our members so next time talk to someone who know how this stuff should be done or post questions here... you get pretty fast response.

My guess is that you attempted to tilt the table without centering the blade in the slot.

The shopsmiths setup, with a tilting table, blade positioning controlled by the quill feed and position of the carriage gives you a lot of adjustments. In this case with the headstock locked in position, the carriage lock in position and blade mounted you may find as the table is tilted the blade no longer remains in the centered position of the opening in the table insert. To correct this you need to unlock the quill and feed the blade out until it is aligned again and lock the quill again.... sometimes you are both lower the table and feeding the quill at the same time which maybe a little tricky to start with but soon will be second nature.

You should never operate the table saw without a table insert.

Hope this helps,

Ed

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:58 am

vanmeter:

I spend the Winter in Gainesville, a 2-3 hr drive from Ft. Walton Beach. You're welcome to come over some time for some hands on answers to questions.

Reible hit it square on! If you're not comfortable with an operation it probably is unsafe. Never proceed under these conditions.

vanmeter2r · Post by **vanmeter2r** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:42 pm

REIBLE; It is definitely a learning curve compared to a standard table saw. You hit the nail on the head, I did not adjust the headstock lock position. I am now sure, if I would have accomplished that one detail, I could have had a safer cutting session. 8iowa, Thank you for the invite, and yes, I definitely did not feel safe doing the cutting at 45*, but it is now a lesson learned.

kalynzoo · Post by **kalynzoo** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 11:18 pm

Similar experience. You can gain quite a bit from YouTube but it is not the same as watching and talking with an experience lathe operator. I really made a mess of my first few pieces of wood. I then took a 4 hour demo class at a not real close Woodcraft store, about an hours drive away. It was well worth the trip, it made me comfortable on the tool. Many lathe clubs, colleges, and woodworking stores also offer different classes and demos. Once your comfortable letting the chisel glide down to the sweet spot on the cutting edge you will start to have some real fun. Enjoy and don't get discouraged.