Lathes – South Puget Sound Woodturners https://spswoodturners.org Learning about Turning Mon, 17 Feb 2020 01:02:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://spswoodturners.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SPSW_Logo-73x75.jpg Lathes – South Puget Sound Woodturners https://spswoodturners.org 32 32 February Membership Meeting https://spswoodturners.org/february-membership-meeting-3 Mon, 17 Feb 2020 01:02:22 +0000 https://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=11022
Jon Magill Rose Engine Lathe
Over the years, SPSW member Bob Seivers has amazed us during the “Show and Tell” part of our meetings with his art, creativity, ingenuity, and skill in turning with the rose engine. Because the equipment is not easily portable, he has not been able to be a presenter of his techniques at any of our meetings, he’s only been able to show us his phenomenal pieces.

During this presentation, all of that will change, and we will get to see Bob demonstrating for us via a video taken by John Jacobs over the course of a couple of days several months ago. Bob will be in attendance to answer our questions and to provide more information about working with the rose engine.

]]> Tool Swap and Bowl Blank Sale https://spswoodturners.org/tool-swap-and-bowl-blank-sale Sun, 19 May 2019 03:28:41 +0000 https://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=9462 Russell Neyman of The Woodturning Experience in Port Orchard and Steve Bartocci of The Board Hoarder in Kirkland are holding a two-day tool swap and bowl blank sale at Russell’s Port Orchard studio. The event is scheduled for June 1st and 2nd and is open to anyone that is interested. We have been told that there will be at least two lathes for sale. See the flyers for more information.

Tool Swap Meet 2019

Bowl Blank & Burl Sale 2019

]]> A Great Read https://spswoodturners.org/a-great-read Fri, 30 Jun 2017 03:10:57 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=7711 As a woodturner I like to learn skills and techniques from others, whether it be in-person demonstrations, videos, books or articles. Always looking for a good woodturning magazine I found Woodturning from GMC Publications in the UK. Woodturning has well written articles on techniques, tool tests, safety, education opportunities and more. This month’s issue includes articles on steady rests, using pedestals on work, evaporative finishes, fundamentals of hollow turning and more.

Another standard feature is called Community Links, where the editors look for interesting woodturning content on the internet. As it turns out this months Community Links includes Eric Lofstrom’s site. The description says “His website is a rich visual feast as well as having lots of resource material that he has generated for turners to download, covering subjects such as translucent bowls, square-rimmed work, sharpening and much more.” If you are looking for a great resource I recommend Woodturning magazine.

p.s. Neither I nor the South Puget Sound Woodturners receives any compensation as a result of this post. Figured someone would ask.

]]> SPSW Members in the News https://spswoodturners.org/spsw-members-in-the-news Thu, 23 Feb 2017 03:01:22 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=7434 Former SPSW President Dan Stromstad and member Dennis Johnson are featured in an article in the Tacoma News Tribune. Great story of friendship, giving, courage and overcoming disabilities.

A friendship strengthened through adversity, crafted with a lathe

]]> Concentricity, Runout and Woodturning Accuracy https://spswoodturners.org/concentricity-runout-and-woodturning-accuracy Sat, 31 Jan 2015 17:59:07 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=5189 So here’s a video from Eric Goertz from Wildwood Designs, also know as The Bangle Guy. In this video Eric covers some technical topics to help you make sure that your lathe is running properly.

]]> Self-cleaning Lathe Tool Storage https://spswoodturners.org/self-cleaning-lathe-tool-storage Mon, 22 Dec 2014 14:00:39 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=5080

Note – Saw this on Facebook and thought I would share it here

Post by WOOD Magazine.

]]> Build a Treadle Lathe https://spswoodturners.org/build-a-treadle-lathe Sat, 11 Jan 2014 19:34:06 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=4047 There have been many manual powered lathe designs in history, such as the well known pole lathe. There are also treadle lathes such as the one built by Chris. Check out this video:

]]> July Poll Results https://spswoodturners.org/july-poll-results Thu, 02 Aug 2012 02:42:41 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=2948 Our July poll is over and the most common lathe sized owned by our voters is the midi-lathe, followed by the full size lathe. Thanks for voting and vote in our August poll, “What is Your Least Favorite Tool?” The poll can be found on our home page.

]]> Going in Reverse https://spswoodturners.org/going-in-reverse Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:00:24 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=2875 If you have had the opportunity to turn on a lathe that has reverse capability you may have discovered how the sanding process can be improved in reverse. Some of you can get a beautiful finish with just your skew (Eric!) but most of us still have to sand. There are a few folks who also do part of their turning in reverse. There is a discussion on the Sawmill Creek forum about this.

I had the opportunity to use a lathe with reverse during a woodturning class I took from SPSW member Ed Quesnell at Ted Bartholomew’s shop. I have a Jet 1014VSI mini-lathe which does not have reverse. However, there are some instructions on the web for installing a reverse switch on this lathe. The Front Range Woodturners has a file written by Brandon Mackie based on instructions written by Bruce Perry. The Gulf Coast Woodturners has one written by Mack DeBose. There may be others, but these are the most common.

One thing I noticed on these instructions is that they appear to bypass the breaker switch. I’m not sure if this would potentially cause damage, but I know from experience that that breaker does go off when there is strain on the motor. So I decided to look for an alternative.

As it happens, the American Woodturner issue in December 2011 had an article titled “Add Reverse to a Mini Lathe”. The directions here do not get into the controller box to add the switch, but cuts into the line from the controller box to the motor and adds a switch. This appeared to be more straight forward to me and I could always rebuild, or replace, the motor cable.

So off I went in pursuit of the materials and will say that I have experienced success. My mini lathe now rotates in both directions!

Now for the disclaimers, or more accurately, the AAW disclaimers. In the February 2012 issue of American Woodturner there was a follow on article: “Warning On: ‘Add Reverse to a Mini Lathe’”. These include

  1. A warning NOT to change the reversing switch while the lathe is running. Use the main power switch to turn off the motor before changing the direction.
  2. Use precautions to secure the chuck or faceplate to the spindle before using the lathe in reverse.
  3. Make sure that the handwheel grub screw is tight or the handwheel could come loose and potentially cause damage to the bearings.

If you are wanting to try reversing your mini lathe and are somewhat adventurous, check out these resources and you too can go backwards.

]]> Virgil Leih https://spswoodturners.org/virgil-leih Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:42:15 +0000 http://www.spswoodturners.org/?p=2152 Thanks to Turners Cabin for sharing this video on their Facebook page about Virgil Leih and his love of wood and large scale turning.

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