Gigantic lathe used to turn boat masts

brucekissinger · Post by **brucekissinger** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:58 pm

There is an interesting discussion about the world's longest lathe at Grays Harbor Historical Seaport in Washington, USA.

http://ptsail.org/2011/01/15/lathe-turn ... diac-mast/

According to the web site, it can spin and shape a log 40 inches in diameter and 122 feet long. It uses railroad rails for the cutting head to move on and it looks like the head and tail stock is also mounted on rails. Another article on the web site says that the lathe spins between 12 to 20 revolutions per minute

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:02 pm

Man! That's really interesting! Thanks, Bruce!:)

That's one tall tree! (122 ft log with a large top diameter) And from second growth fir!

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:04 pm

But can you use it to make toothpicks?

.

mbcabinetmaker · Post by **mbcabinetmaker** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:52 am

robinson46176 wrote:But can you use it to make toothpicks?

.

Or to make the worlds largest Pen!

roy_okc · Post by **roy_okc** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:48 pm

Drats, I need to turn something 123 feet long, this one ain't long enough at only 122 feet.

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 10:47 pm

Is it available in Shopsmith gray?

shipwright · Post by **shipwright** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 10:53 pm

Looks quite a lot easier than the power plane and sander method I always used. I know Zodiac well. It will be nice to see her with a new stick.

Paul M

jbergen · Post by **jbergen** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 3:07 pm

I used my Shopsmith to sand the masts for my home made sailboat project.
http://navigatorjoel.blogspot.com/2010/ ... spars.html
And lots of other tasks as well.
http://navigatorjoel.blogspot.com/2010/ ... smith.html

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:54 pm

Hi Joel!:D Thank you for showing us your beautiful boat and also for the various uses you put your Shopsmith through. You are a terrific craftsman and youe work shows it.

I marvel at your "redneck lathe" What a blast!!!!! Nick had once told us there was no limit to the length of stock you could turn/sand on the Shopsmith. Now you have made us all believers!

I was also wowed by the other uses of your Mark V. Your outfeed table looks terrific! Plus more........

THANKS!

jbergen · Post by **jbergen** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 10:34 am

Thanks, Charlese, you're very kind.

Boatbuilding presents some unique challenges that one would likely not encounter with other projects and that is where the versatility of the Shopsmith really shines. I've been able to do things with my Shopsmith that I'm sure the designers never dreamed of. For example I had to cut 6:1 scarf joints in the ends of 8' 1x6's. To do that I used the Shopsmith in drill press mode with a table saw blade mounted. I set up a long table using all the table extensions sloped at an angle, then crosscut the piece. I had to bore a hole in the end of the 10' long boom. Horizontal boring, no problem! I had to make countless long curving cuts in up to 16' long planks with the bandsaw. A snap on the 'Smith with the table extensions set up as a long outfeed table for the bandsaw. I could go on and on. I love the machine!

The outfeed table for the table saw was a inexpensive DIY kit that a fellow was selling on eBay a couple years ago. It consisted of instructions, two brackets, a hinge, a short piece of pvc pipe and some fasteners. Apparently he no longer sells the kit on eBay so if anyone is interested in this outfeed table I could post some more detailed photos of mine. It's very simple to make and would be easy to replicate.

Cheers.

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Gigantic lathe used to turn boat masts

Gigantic lathe used to turn boat masts

Turning masts on a shopsmith lathe