Well, I recently found this site by watching some notable wood turners on Youtube, so I thought I might as well see what I can learn.
I started turning in about 1965 or so on an old Craftsman wood lathe that my maternal grandpa passed down to me. My lathe tools were mostly old files that Grandpa ground into some semblance of a lathe tool. Actually, I don't remember ever using a store-bought tool now that I think about it. All I did was spindle turning. I made a bunch of toothpick holders, some ash trays and a couple really ugly candle sticks, which I believe I used to feed the old wood stove in Grandpa's shop. The bearings, bushings actually, finally got so worn out on the old lathe, I kind of lost interest. That and I turned my interest to girls instead, I suppose. Anyway, I took a rather long hiatus from wood turning.
Then a few years ago, I saw an ad for a Shopsmith on Craigslist. The price didn't seem too bad, so one of my grandsons and I took a road trip to Wisconsin and brought it home. It was missing the spur drive and had no live center, only the cup center was there. The guy who had it used the disc sander some but mainly used it for horizontal boring. There were some old, cheap lathe tools with it that he threw in. For a while I mainly used the table saw and sander, but I finally got the itch to turn again. I bought a spur drive, a live center, then a scroll chuck with an adapter for the Shopsmith. I also added a Wen, slow speed grinder, and a precision sharpening system from Peachtree Woodworking, along with a Benjamin's Best 1/2" bowl gouge from the same place. I made a couple bowls, a small box or two, and a bunch of tops for the grandkids (7 of them). Much like the old Craftsman, though, the Shopsmith with it's single bearing quill, was a challenge to turn on, unless of course, you enjoy sanding. Me...not so much.
So today, I picked up my new Rikon 70-220 midi lathe. I build an extension on the side of my mobile work bench, and when I pick up the casters, I have a darn solid setup that I can tuck into the corner of the garage and still be able to turn wood! I know there are better, more expensive lathes out there, but compared to what I've had before, this thing is the bee's knees! It is smooth, quiet, and just a joy to use.
That's my turning experience so far. I'm a retired English teacher, and former law enforcement officer...surprisingly similar professions, lol! My wife has tolerated me for over 48 years, so she undoubtedly qualifies for sainthood! We have two sons and one daughter, three granddaughters, and four grandsons. My eldest son is a social studies teacher. My daughter, the middle child, is a counselor at a group home and is working on her master's in social work. My youngest son is a manufacturing engineer for Indian Motorcycles.
Other than woodturning, my hobbies include hunting, particularly bow hunting, fishing, and just about anything DIY.
I started turning in about 1965 or so on an old Craftsman wood lathe that my maternal grandpa passed down to me. My lathe tools were mostly old files that Grandpa ground into some semblance of a lathe tool. Actually, I don't remember ever using a store-bought tool now that I think about it. All I did was spindle turning. I made a bunch of toothpick holders, some ash trays and a couple really ugly candle sticks, which I believe I used to feed the old wood stove in Grandpa's shop. The bearings, bushings actually, finally got so worn out on the old lathe, I kind of lost interest. That and I turned my interest to girls instead, I suppose. Anyway, I took a rather long hiatus from wood turning.
Then a few years ago, I saw an ad for a Shopsmith on Craigslist. The price didn't seem too bad, so one of my grandsons and I took a road trip to Wisconsin and brought it home. It was missing the spur drive and had no live center, only the cup center was there. The guy who had it used the disc sander some but mainly used it for horizontal boring. There were some old, cheap lathe tools with it that he threw in. For a while I mainly used the table saw and sander, but I finally got the itch to turn again. I bought a spur drive, a live center, then a scroll chuck with an adapter for the Shopsmith. I also added a Wen, slow speed grinder, and a precision sharpening system from Peachtree Woodworking, along with a Benjamin's Best 1/2" bowl gouge from the same place. I made a couple bowls, a small box or two, and a bunch of tops for the grandkids (7 of them). Much like the old Craftsman, though, the Shopsmith with it's single bearing quill, was a challenge to turn on, unless of course, you enjoy sanding. Me...not so much.
So today, I picked up my new Rikon 70-220 midi lathe. I build an extension on the side of my mobile work bench, and when I pick up the casters, I have a darn solid setup that I can tuck into the corner of the garage and still be able to turn wood! I know there are better, more expensive lathes out there, but compared to what I've had before, this thing is the bee's knees! It is smooth, quiet, and just a joy to use.
That's my turning experience so far. I'm a retired English teacher, and former law enforcement officer...surprisingly similar professions, lol! My wife has tolerated me for over 48 years, so she undoubtedly qualifies for sainthood! We have two sons and one daughter, three granddaughters, and four grandsons. My eldest son is a social studies teacher. My daughter, the middle child, is a counselor at a group home and is working on her master's in social work. My youngest son is a manufacturing engineer for Indian Motorcycles.
Other than woodturning, my hobbies include hunting, particularly bow hunting, fishing, and just about anything DIY.
