snip
snip
I can't make any sense of the above statements. Lathe work requires just as much thinking and planning as any other form of woodwork, often more. If your finishes are drying in the shop then I doubt firing up the lathe would be a great idea.
There have been several threads on philosphies of woodworking, design, aesthetics and the like. Following a link from the woodturning news group I cam acrossed this one - about woodturning but just as applicable to other woodworking. May be worth checking out,
The JET VS midi-lathe and some turning tools for under $400 is within most people's range. Can be yet another slippery slope for those of us who are tool junkies - but hey, Try It, You'll Like It!
charlie b wrote in news:42E52FC0.36B9 @accesscom.com:
Glue drying, maybe. Finish curing, no way! Chips fly EVERYWHERE when I've got the Jet 1442 running. Particularly if I'm using dry wood, there's a dusty cloud settling towards the north, as the breeze carries through the garage/shop/studio in that general direction.
The DC has little influence, until I get to sanding...
It's a lot of fun, though.
Patriarch, maker of unusual bowls and interesting firewood...
Battleax replied:
Hadn't intended to belittle any form of woodworking. My intent was to get others to try some turning - specifically some spindle turning since it's a) not real pricey to get into b) doesn't require a lot of tools to get started, c) doesn't need a lot of room and d) can provide almost instant gratification, relatively speaking.
OK - caveats
There's no grain matching to deal with
There's only one part - so parts marking and parts orientation aren't necessary. There is no piece of furniture that has just one part. (Pointy Sticks on the other hand . . .)
Dealing with wood expansion and contraction isn't an issue
There's little stock prep necessary no joining a face and an edge no planing to thickness no ripping to width
OK - so there's the cutting to length that's common to both spindle turning and furniture making
And there is some layout - IF you decided to do a scaled drawing, but nothing like laying out mortise and tenons - often by the dozen, dovetails, . . .
There's no glue squeeze out to miss and then discover while applying the first coat of finish.
No joinery to decide on, make and assemble
No glue up / clamping fun and games / challenges
No finishing worries about getting tones to match
etc., etc., etc.
As for turning and a finish drying - I'm blessed with two spaces - one for spinning carbide and the like, and The Quiet Space with no tailed tools.
Now I know it's tricky to plan for and execture segmented bowls and I've seen some pool cues that are pretty complicated but would like to see some links to turnings that take 300-400 hours to complete.
charlie b
When I haul out the chainsaw, pull a log off the pile, cut a blank, put it on the lathe and start turning a bowl, there's virtually no planning involved.
Turning, for me, is a journey of discovery rather than a manufacutring process.
I don't even have to measure anything, or draw a picture.
Maybe not 300 hours but not your usual segmented bowl or pool que either
larry
or go here and wait for the thing to load... pick one of the videos and watch
see some very nice turnings @
I wonder how many hours went into some of those! Thanks for posting the links! Tom
If you make that "can require", I'm with you 100%.
Sometimes touching a spinning blank with a tool can be just like certain bike rides. I pick a direction at each fork, and see where I end up.
Ever tried segemented turning? Crazy stuff- you need to be able to think in ways flatwork doesn't ever require; lots of planning there- and at least as good a use for scrap as a chessboard!
But beware the hidden dangers... even if you figure you can get by with a modest set of tools for the ol' woodspinner, there's a pretty high cost in aching muscles and bisters if you go out and harvest your wood. (Does it count as a gloat that I got 12' of yellow birch with a
15" dia. for free (storm blew it down and the owner let me take it)- even though I'm all banged up and hobbling around like an old, old man from lugging it home?) Not to mention looking at every bit of metal in the house with an eye to it's possible utility at as a hollowing tool...But in all seriousness, I agree- while turning can cost a lot in tooling if you let it, it's done a world of good for my budget. I still like to do flat projects as well, but 40 or 50 bf of nice timber and a sheet or two of furniture-grade ply just isn't always an option when the bills are due. A couple of hours in the woods with a bow saw and an axe is generally in my price range, though! Nice to be able to work on a project at any time, and not just when I've saved enough pennies up- good way to study forms and proportions, too.
Thanks to all for the great links to turnings other than spindle turning. Hollow vessel turning, while amazing when done with skill and sensitivity, scares the bejesus out of me. Kickback is one thing, but an exploding big heavy, asymetric spinning thing being poked with a sharp tool is just way beyond my comfort level. Experiencing a "catch" while turning a spindle form is scary enough for me thank you very much. But I can appreciate the skill of hollow vessel turners. Segmented turners ability to think and "see" in
3-D is also pretty amazing.Just read an article about hollow vessel turning by David Marks in Woodworker West
Anyway, if you haven't tried turning, be it spindle or hollow form, give it a try.
charlie b
Them's fightin' words...
Check this guy out- I doubt he was making these in a weekend...
All good links. Here's another:
--
******** Bill Pounds
And this one, too- several hours of browsing from here...
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.