I had a few hours of wood lathe (and other shop) classes in Jr. high, token shop class for the academic track, but nothing in the <mumble> years since. Got a little HF VS mini wood lathe a few years ago (actually pretty nice for small stuff), tried some pen turning, started going to the adult open shop to learn something about turning, then somehow ended up with a 16x42 Grizzly rebuild project off Craigslis
t. My youngest decided she liked turning bottle stoppers while at home, so she's getting the HF and I replaced it with the PSI, both lathes are now 1-8 thread and MT2. Had to move fast before Mrs. Moose figured out what's going on
Went to Utah for a turning class where they spent a lot of time on sharpenin
g. Picked up a CBN wheel that somebody had returned off the discount table (along with an expensive pile of HSS...); it's on the right side below. The stand (finally, last coat of finish today, no more bare wood!) has the grinder almost at eye level (wheel center at shoulder height) - thought that was a pretty strange suggestio
n from the teacher, but it works really well. They get seriously discounte
d hardwood from a big local mill, so it's made of black ash (Greg's suggestio
n for dimension
al stability). Strange, but nice, when nice kiln dried hardwood is cheaper than lumber yard pine. The sharpenin
g system is a wolverine copy from PSI - works just as well as the real thing at the HS, but not as nicely finished. Seriously sharp tools!
As you can see in the backgroun
d the shop (former wood boiler room, went to an outdoor boiler) is both a work in progress and short on organizat
ion. I think I've strayed way OT.
Kirk
