New Toy -- and I mean toy

I picked up a "real power tool" set from a toy store for about $20 today. One motor runs a lathe, sander (or lathe tool sharpener ;-)), scroll saw and drill press. For what it is, it's not bad. I've enjoyed the hours I spent playing with it, so I probably got my "entertainment value" out of it already.

My time spent with it has been primarily on the lathe, making chess pieces. I showed the first one I made to my sister, and then got an idea... Several strokes of a pen later, I've got a man. A couple hours later, I've got two new pieces, a woman and a man who's lost his leg, has a hole in his head (from the tailstock--my mistake), orange face (from the oil on the tailstock), and isn't even standing on a base in one piece.

I wonder if making this chess set is going to turn in to a representation of the real world. I'll attempt to make the piece perfectly, and something very much imperfect but still valuable will result.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper
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WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

Put down your turning tool, raise your hands and step backwards

-slowly - away from the lathe. Now leave the area immediately an find ye an exorcist for thou shalt surely need one. It's not too late - save yourself.

Turning is ADDICTIVE and can get EXPENSIVE. If you think a router and all it spawns (router table, fence system, router bits in unimaginable shapes - and quantities, router lifts, speed controls etc.) has put a hole in your bank account - you ain't seen nothing yet.

And if you have trouble with accumulating small pieces of wood scraps you can't part with - even though they get in the way all the time - the 18" long and at least 4" wide rule becomes useless once you start playing on a lathe.

And because turning is the closest thing to instant gratification in the woodworking world it's the woodworker's equivalent of CRACK. And there's all this free wood you can turn - tree trimmings, fire wood, sticks and twigs - an unlimited supply of stuff you can turn.

If you think the price of a good cabinet saw is expensive, check out the prices on OneWay and Stubby lathes. If you think a Lie Nielsen socket chisel is expensive check out the price of an Ellsworth Signature Series bowl gouge.

It you think sharpening stuff for plane irons and chisels are fun - you're gonna love the stuff for sharpening roughing gouges, spindle gouges, bowl gouges and skew "chisels".

If you've spent a small fortune on Bessy clamps to hold things together while the glue dries - scroll chucks and jaw sets, steb centers and eccentric chucks will make that "investment" seem like pocket change.

Put down your turning tool, raise your hands and step backwards

-slowly - away from the lathe. It's not too late - save yourself!

charlie b

ps - but if you're looking for some ideas for turning . . .

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Reply to
charlieb

turning. Eight hours went by and it feels like an hour.

Reply to
SWDeveloper

You can still save yourself. Most turners use calendars, not clocks. And there are only 12 pages in a day.

But, even though you CAN still save yourself ... why bother? You'd only waste the time doing other things.

Bill

Reply to
Bill in Detroit

charlieb wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@accesscom.com:

I think this was a 2-year-old "uh-oh" situation. It's already too late. Even my little sister (who's idea of fun is to sit in the car at Menards and read a book) thinks turning looks fun.

*snip*

Ah, c'mon. All those tools and accessories just to make beads and coves? (I believe it--you need one size tool for this, and the exact same tool only larger for that.)

If I wasn't so swapped with things that must take priority, I'd be looking at what Menards has lathe wise tomorrow.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

helpless addict, and I am largely to blame. I gave him a simple assignment, he had to turn a gavel and handle, he did it, and did it well. But then it happened. He came in early one morning and dropped his books off in the classroom and caught me turning a small bowl. The hook was set. He wanted his try at turning a bowl. He now comes in to class almost every day an hour early (6:30 AM). He comes in during his lunch hour. When the new semester started he asked if he could become a TA, in addition to his regular class (since when I have no work for my TAs they get to work on their own projects.) He even borrows my old wood mags trying to find deals so he can buy his own lathe. I've created a monster.

My beginning students watch him (he TAs for a 1a beginning class), and a few of them are getting the bug, too. What have I done? Oh, the humanity!

Glen

Reply to
Glen

Glen wrote in news:GsKRh.19172$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net:

*snip*

Help keep kids off drugs... Get them addicted to wood turning first!

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

Wow! Did you end up with a burst bladder or a rusty zipper and one yellow sock?

Reply to
FoggyTown

Good point. Even a hormonal teen can see that a skew chisel and 'some mellow bud, pop a couple of those yellow ones and we're good to go' isn't going to work. Might also cut down on teen pregnancies if the boys can find something else interesting to do. ;-)

Bill

Reply to
Bill in Detroit

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