Topic: Christmas Toys 2016

[Ken (OP)]

Got one of my Christmas Toys today! 

Joel and Mindi and their kids went in together on a Christmas fund for me to get some wood turning toys... and, here's the newest toy!

The first pic shows the new extension for my lathe bed... it adds an additional 25-1/2-inch of length and that gives the lathe a total of 42 inches in length for turnings. (like a table leg)
The second pic shows the extension piece sitting next to the lathe and then the third pic shows the two mated together. Still some more details to take care of, but it should be ready for use very soon.
... more pic in the Hobbies Albums

[Ken (OP)]

FaceBook Topic Here.

[Skhilled]

Nice! Any plans on what to make first?

[Ken (OP)]

Nothing long just yet... more small items like cereal bowls, toothpick holders, pencil pots and weed pots and the like. Plus a few pens

[Skhilled]

Weed pots?!?! You naughty boy!

[Ken (OP)]

Weed pots?!?! You naughty boy!

Yesss... 

Actually, in the context of wood turning a 'weed pot' (also known as a 'bud vase') is designed to hold dried flowers or various colorful weeds and stems... thus the weed pot name.
The video shows a really good description of how a weed pot is turned/made.  8)

[Skhilled]

Yeah, I know...couldn't resist. LOL

[Ken (OP)]

 

[Ken (OP)]

Making a new mounting board/table for the lathe and extension to sit on:
In the image above you can see it setting on a 2x10 pine board and I could use that, but the board has some twist and even if it is run through my planer to make both top and bottom flat and parallel, it would over time likely warp again. So, in the following photos you'll see the new table starting to take shape.

I'll be using three strips of 1/2 inch plywood glued and screwed together to make the new table, giving me a table that is 1 1/2 inches thick and will be less prone to warping than the pine boards are.

Here the three 1/2 inch plys are glued and screwed together, with the aid of some clamps. The new table board will need to sit overnight so that the glue can cure and then tomorrow the edges and ends can be trimmed down to the final form.


In this image you can see the existing table:


And in this last image you can see the lathe when it was still sitting on the board and it shows that it would be way to short for the lathe and the new extension to land on. 

[Skhilled]

Cool! I would think pine would also be too soft and easily damaged more than a hard wood.

[Ken (OP)]

True, but in this application it's not much of an issue.

EDIT: The main thing is for it to be straight and flat. (because of the length of the lathe+bed extension)

[Skhilled]

Yes, and because of its softness would it not compress a bit under the lathe's stands over time?

[Ken (OP)]

Maybe a little... although the lathe and extension together only weight around 125 lbs you would also have the additional tools and other bits and pieces plus whatever wood you have mounted when you are doing your wood turning, so you could easily end up with something like 200 lbs of weight on the table. But, I think the biggest factor is easily the vibration that comes with the wood, wood that may start off way out of balance and spinning at a few 100's RPM, or more. 

[Skhilled]

Yes, good point. Working in a factory that makes kitchen cabinets I work with wood too.

[Maxx]

great Stuff Ken, hope you are enjoying, It and I would if I could, I had give up all my stuff for a song, after getting so sick. can't do anything any longer

Maxx

[Ken (OP)]

That's too bad Maxx and I can feel your pain because of the two years (2014 & 2015) that I pretty much lost. It's only in the past few months that I'm starting to be more active. Of course the fact that my mental prowess is slipping away makes for a fun ride sometimes! 

[Ken (OP)]

Getting ready to start turning! 

This update is to show the progress so far.
The first photo shows the new table being trimmed for size and shape, the second photo is showing the table installed to the lathe stand and then in the third you can see the lathe with the new bed extension mounted to the lathe stand and moved into place by the dust extraction fan.






In this last shot, if you look at the lathe head stock you can see a nice piece of walnut that has already been turned into a cylinder and is ready to be made into a pencil pot. 

[Skhilled]

Where do you get the wood from?

[Ken (OP)]

Where do you get the wood from?

The walnut wood mounted in the lathe?
It is 'found' wood... back in 2012 I posted about 'Lotsa Walnut!' and this peice came from that stash, I still have some left from that haul.

[Skhilled]

Oh..."found" like finding money laying around in a bank...

[Ken (OP)]

Yepp! 

If you look on your local Craigs List you can almost always find free wood from broken and downed trees, old buildings... est. Of course there is wood that you can buy, but some of that carries a rather hefty price tag, one piece that I purchased a few months back cost $22 for a 3"x3"x12".

[Skhilled]

There's a lot of farms near my job and they always have stuff sitting out with "free" signs or something for cheap they are trying to get rid of. I don't have a truck, nowhere to store it and no need for it so I never bother to stop to look at it.

[Ken (OP)]

You should stop sometimes... never know what kind of treasure you might find. 

[Maxx]

I love the looks and smell of real wood.. Ken is starting and factory... looks like Busy Hands are happy hands!

regards,
Maxx

[Skhilled]

Ken, the problem is I usually only travel that way to and from work. I haven't really been anywhere lately except around town or to work.