27-08-2012, 06:50 PM
Hi,
I haven't forgotten just how hard it can be Joe to make something from scratch with very little by way of tools or materials but as you are demonstrating there are usually ways around it with common sense and ingenuity.
The more time you spend on the lathe the more you will get to know it; even after 50 years of lathe use I still have much to learn but I've never lost my fascination of lathe-work.
I don't "need" a lathe but I won't be without one either and I've owned many over the years. I too suffer from shortage of space or I would never have parted company with both my big Colchester and Dominion lathes. Once the lathe bug bites it bites deeply; it certainly has in my case. The Colchester was a beauty; it was all power feed and it was an absolute joy to lift the lever to put the cut on; the lathe was all singing etc with gearbox and matrix clutch; adjusting levers controlled both speed and amount of cut; I've never used the lead screw for thread cutting on a lathe since my apprentice days and for tapping I simply pull the chuck around manually. A basic lathe can do a lot of jobs. The Colchester had a taper nosed mandrel so the lathe could be instantly reversed by a small lever reversing the motor; I only every tried doing this once as the Transwave converter objected most audibly although with proper 3 phase the reversing facility could be used at will without fear of being hit by a monster flying chuck becoming detached.
If you do decide to go for a woodturning lathe Joe may I suggest you select a cast iron one. My DML has cast iron head/tailstock and cast iron tool rest; it turns 9" diameter at 24" long and weighs around 50KG. I've owned it for 20 years and will never part with it as it was a present from Bron to me when we had extremely little money to spare; this lathe is delightful to use; very basic but a sweet runner. Next time you visit you are welcome to give it a spin.
What kind of metal items do you intend producing on the lathe Joe as it sounds like you have something in mind?
You'll soon get the hang of it and start turning accurate work; expect to make silly mistakes because I still do and I'm used to a lathe.
Kind regards, Col.
I haven't forgotten just how hard it can be Joe to make something from scratch with very little by way of tools or materials but as you are demonstrating there are usually ways around it with common sense and ingenuity.
The more time you spend on the lathe the more you will get to know it; even after 50 years of lathe use I still have much to learn but I've never lost my fascination of lathe-work.
I don't "need" a lathe but I won't be without one either and I've owned many over the years. I too suffer from shortage of space or I would never have parted company with both my big Colchester and Dominion lathes. Once the lathe bug bites it bites deeply; it certainly has in my case. The Colchester was a beauty; it was all power feed and it was an absolute joy to lift the lever to put the cut on; the lathe was all singing etc with gearbox and matrix clutch; adjusting levers controlled both speed and amount of cut; I've never used the lead screw for thread cutting on a lathe since my apprentice days and for tapping I simply pull the chuck around manually. A basic lathe can do a lot of jobs. The Colchester had a taper nosed mandrel so the lathe could be instantly reversed by a small lever reversing the motor; I only every tried doing this once as the Transwave converter objected most audibly although with proper 3 phase the reversing facility could be used at will without fear of being hit by a monster flying chuck becoming detached.
If you do decide to go for a woodturning lathe Joe may I suggest you select a cast iron one. My DML has cast iron head/tailstock and cast iron tool rest; it turns 9" diameter at 24" long and weighs around 50KG. I've owned it for 20 years and will never part with it as it was a present from Bron to me when we had extremely little money to spare; this lathe is delightful to use; very basic but a sweet runner. Next time you visit you are welcome to give it a spin.
What kind of metal items do you intend producing on the lathe Joe as it sounds like you have something in mind?
You'll soon get the hang of it and start turning accurate work; expect to make silly mistakes because I still do and I'm used to a lathe.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
