Beginner Lathe Questions

[crushgroovin]

Started doing some turning today!!! Very excited about learning the new skill but ran into a bit of difficulty.

Following the advice of a Learn to Turn video I attached a medium size piece of firewood to my Shopsmith. I used the Shopsmith 3 3/4" faceplate to attach it to the machine. Then turned the Mark V on the lowest speed setting. The entire machine started chattering and walking across the garage. I had the casters all the way up so the wheel weren't touching the ground. I didn't have it secured to the tail center as it is NOT a live center and isn't very useful.

The log is about 6 inches in diameter and 12 inches in length. It is Poplar that fell in a windstorm last spring and has been sitting in my back yard ever since. I would say it is probably 1/2 dry but do not have a moisture meter to get an exact reading.

I would appreciate any helpful suggestions for preventing the Mark V from moving while I am using it in Lathe mode?

Please remember that this is a polite request for assistance. If you suffer from the need to insult strangers please refrain from responding to this post. That means YOU JPG. I have had over a dozen board members PM me in support of my dislike for those who have nothing better to do than cruise this forum looking for opportunities to lash out others that post on this board. Keep your crap attitude off of this thread.

Again thanks to those who offer helpful insight and respectful comments.

Thanks,

Chris

[JPG]

Started doing some turning today!!! Very excited about learning the new skill but ran into a bit of difficulty.

Following the advice of a Learn to Turn video I attached a medium size piece of firewood to my Shopsmith. I used the Shopsmith 3 3/4" faceplate to attach it to the machine. Then turned the Mark V on the lowest speed setting. The entire machine started chattering and walking across the garage. I had the casters all the way up so the wheel weren't touching the ground. I didn't have it secured to the tail center as it is NOT a live center and isn't very useful.

The log is about 6 inches in diameter and 12 inches in length. It is Poplar that fell in a windstorm last spring and has been sitting in my back yard ever since. I would say it is probably 1/2 dry but do not have a moisture meter to get an exact reading.

I would appreciate any helpful suggestions for preventing the Mark V from moving while I am using it in Lathe mode?

Please remember that this is a polite request for assistance. If you suffer from the need to insult strangers please refrain from responding to this post. That means YOU JPG. I have had over a dozen board members PM me in support of my dislike for those who have nothing better to do than cruise this forum looking for opportunities to lash out others that post on this board. Keep your crap attitude off of this thread.

Again thanks to those who offer helpful insight and respectful comments.

Thanks,

Chris

Regardless of the crap attitude demonstrated above, you do need assistance.

A 12" long 6" diameter poplar workpiece will likely be quite 'unbalanced' when mounted rough. It will cause the SS to act as you described until it has been turned down to get it in balance. Trimming it to a regular shape will help get it balanced.

Now my purpose is not to cruise for 'opportunities to lash out at anything or anyone.

I do however endeavor to reply in an honest attempt to convey correct information. Now if that conflicts with any hard held misconceptions(mine or any one else's) then it behooves anyone 'knowing' better to state the facts so that all members can benefit.

If you consider that a 'crap' attitude, then I respectfully disagree!

Obviously that includes stating one's disagreement to the one whom they disagree with. Discussing that disagreement with anyone else is pointless.

Good Luck with turning that tree. I hope you do get it balanced.

[SDSSmith]

Started doing some turning today!!! Very excited about learning the new skill but ran into a bit of difficulty.

Following the advice of a Learn to Turn video I attached a medium size piece of firewood to my Shopsmith. I used the Shopsmith 3 3/4" faceplate to attach it to the machine. Then turned the Mark V on the lowest speed setting. The entire machine started chattering and walking across the garage. I had the casters all the way up so the wheel weren't touching the ground. I didn't have it secured to the tail center as it is NOT a live center and isn't very useful.

The log is about 6 inches in diameter and 12 inches in length. It is Poplar that fell in a windstorm last spring and has been sitting in my back yard ever since. I would say it is probably 1/2 dry but do not have a moisture meter to get an exact reading.

I would appreciate any helpful suggestions for preventing the Mark V from moving while I am using it in Lathe mode? ....

Sounds like you a have a serious imbalance in your work piece. This can cause some heavy loading on the quill. You could try to remount your piece such that the axis of rotation passes through or closer to the center of mass. If you know where the heavy side is you could try to remove some with a bandsaw or other cutting device.Or, you might want to shorten your piece by about half.I try to stay between centers (reduces load on the quill) until I have the workpiece roughed into a circular shape.

On a different note, there are some users that have weighted their Shopsmiths down to keep them from "dancing" while they are turning pieces.

Good luck and have fun. There is nothing like standing in a pile of fresh shavings.

[mgdesigns]

I am really a total novice in the turning realm also, so my answer is just a guess. But if you are trying to turn this 12" long log with the center of the length of the log being the center of rotation, by all means find a way to use a tailstock center. I'd think even a dead center burning into the end will help keep a log from going airborne. Or invest in a $15 live center from Woodcraft. I did and I love the options.

But, if you're trying to turn it as a 12" long propellor type spin, you're just plain nuts. Trim that log down to 6" long and try again. The eccentric is what's walking the Shopsmith across the floor. Heck, I just started turning walnut pens and if they're off center just a tad it scares me.

[tom_k/mo]

My oh my... when will people learn that throwing a turd in the punch bowl is no way start a party, ESPECIALLY when you're asking for assistance.

Your work piece is severely out of balance, as has been noted before. For an initial attempt at turning, I would NOT suggest a piece of a log, but something more along the lines of a 2x2 or 4x4".

[shipwright]

1) The dimensions to which you refer should be turned between centers at least until balanced. 12" is pretty long for a faceplate to handle.
2) There's nothing wrong with a "dead" center except that over time it will burn the end that you're eventually going to cut off and throw away. They work fine, especially if you use a little shot of oil.
3) Any time you attach to a faceplate you must be sure that the surface that is against the face is flat and square to the axis of the piece.
4) When you first mount any piece in a lathe, the first thing you should do is cycle the motor on and off to check for balance. This is quite serious. you could have been injured.

Hope your next experience is more pleasant.

Paul M

[kalynzoo]

So many instructional videos create a discouraged student because they make difficult tasks seem overly simple. I started spindle turning a 2x2. Wasted the wood, but at least I became comfortable with the tools. Then I glued up some 2x4 scrap and made more sawdust. Investing in a live center is well worth the few dollars, and will make your turning much more fun.

[horologist]

All of the above is excellent advice. As Paul pointed out you could have been injured. I think you might want to investigate a turning class at the Woodcraft in Seattle. A single weekend class would give you the basics on preparing the billet, sharpening, and safety. Many Woodcrafts also have turning clubs that meet at the store, something else to consider.

Troy

[crushgroovin]

I appreciate the kind responses and sharing of knowledge. I am going to get a much smaller piece of wood and a live center. That combination should get me started in the right direction. I figured it was off center but wanted some other opinions.

As far as my pre-emptive(sp?) comments they had the desired effect. I would feel bad about them but I have had too many people contact me to say they agreed with my sentiment regarding specific individuals on this board.

Flaming is a strange phenomenon of many Internet Boards. Mostly among those who are somewhat knew to using them (less than 5 years). Many very nice people turn into total A**Holes because of the perceived anonymity of the internet. It is often those who are rather small & meek in real life creating a "Bully" type persona online. I have a feeling that those who have, in the past, responded my questions with attacks would never ever dream of doing so in person. Or perhaps they are just as big of A**Holes in real life.

I am sure there is at least one person who will be incapable of not responding to this post. Some people just have to have the last word. So have at it.

Thanks,

Chris

GO DAWGS!!!!

[charlese]

First of all -let me say a few words about a dead tail center. They do work, and perform nicely. A couple of little things you half to do to get them to perform. 1) Drill a short 1/8" hole in the center of the end of the workpiece. 2) coat the center point and circle with beeswax. You can also rub some of the wax on the end of the wood. From here the dead center will perform just as well as a live one.

About balance - there is really no perfect way to find the weighted center of a log. There are so many ways a round log will exhibit excess weight on one side of the physical center. If you can slab the log to remove many of the outside irregularities, this will help in more equally distributing the weight around the physical center.

If the end cut, where you fastened the face plate was not perfectly square to the longitudinal center of the log, you would sure have a big wobble. A log as long as you tried must be centered between the headstock and the tail and supported by both. Also, for a log that long, you should start turning with a drive center and a tail center. After rounding and crosscutting for a square end you can mount a faceplate, taking care to center it. (The drive center also needs a 1/8" hole in the center and grooves or saw kerfs to hold the center's spurs.)

If you want to continue with the faceplate, shorten your log to at least 5" and make sure your end cut is square.