My lathe may have a hitch in its get-along, but I’m not sure. It really seems like there’s a tiny rhythmic movement of stock (between centers) longitudinally (east-west-east as you face the lathe). When I first noticed this, it was through feel. But then as I working the cylinder of practice-basswood, I could see very tiny ridges on the surface.
The lathe is a Jet 1236 (old blue version). I ran the tailstock up to the headstock the other day and adjusted the headstock so that the spur tips meet almost exactly. There’s just the tiniest offset (head spur barely lower than tail point — a millimeter? 2? I could measure tomorrow).
Could a bad bearing cause this oscillation? How hard to take out and replace?
Tuning question: If I were to shim the headstock to eliminate the minute offset, how do I check to make sure the axis of the spur is in line with the axis of the tail mechanism (i.e., neither is tilted)?
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
Hi FG
With a stationery lathe, loaded with a blank, can you handrolicly move the blank longitudinally, could be the thrust bearing in the headstock is loose, alternatively there could be slop in the handwheel mechanism.
May be a longshot but belts can cause funny problems. I don't know your particular breed of lathe so these are just guesses.
Re alignment, if you have a chuck, maybe you can mount one of those little pen-laser pointer thingys, believe they are almost give away so should be able to source one cheap. LOL
Bruce
I'll double-check on whether the stock moves.
"...alternatively there could be slop in the handwheel mechanism." There's a lock for the shaft, I'll make sure I engage it. Good thought about the belt, as the lathe has sat for over a year since I bought it.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Sounds like some play in the headstock. You might talk to the Jet folks about that.
Or, just turn the lathe so it's oriented North-South. ;-)
....play in the headstock: I'll make sure it's locked down good today. There's a detent pin missing ("index plunger" -- makes it possible to click into 90-degree or 180-degree orientation), doesn't seem like that should matter.
I'm going to slice up a green alder log today, turn some wet wood. Between that, and re-orienting the lathe on the compass, things should go well, no? LOL! forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Or, you could try mounting it on the wall, headstock down. ;-)
FG,
No disrespect intended, just trying to get to the bottom of this: I am assuming that the ridges you are feeling are machine-derived and not the product of a too-tight/too-loose tailstock, or operator error from chatter from the stock flexing under load or a tool not being really, really sharp.
If not, then:
First, make sure the lathe feet are well planted and the lathe is level both ways. Really make sure. Then, tweak your point-to-point by raising/lowering individual feet as necessary. I would save the headstock shimming until last. As an aside: How are you "adjusting the headstock"? Do you mean tweaking the lock on the pivot?
"can you handrolicly move the blank longitudinally" That is absolutely a perfect word!!
If you can feel ANY play at all in the headstock bearing, then that may be an issue. Here's some real-world info on that: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=74952
I would be surprised if leveling the lathe and "tweaking the points" doesn't cure your ills. It sure can't hurt, in any case. Bearings can be a pain, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Rich in VA
Richard, I really appreciate your help and would like to take your post point-by-point, as I have little education to go on:
I am assuming that the ridges you are feeling are machine-derived and not the product of a too-tight/too-loose tailstock
, or operator error from chatter from the stock flexing under load
or a tool not being really, really sharp. I'm proud to say, these puppies are sharp! I've checked under magnifying glass for a minute chip or divot in the edge, nothing on the skew. Spindle gouge wasn't perfect, but nothing teeny, just not perfectly arched. Hmmmm, not sure what to say about that.
May be pertinent that the ridges are not spiral, but rather in the same plane as the round stock (like a pencil mark would be when you're laying out where your beads/coves are to be)
I'll check level and tweak the points (measured to be ~1/2 mm off) In the meantime, got to get a band saw sled thrown together to saw up this alder. Thanks, Richard, I really appreciate any advice, guidance or chastisement that helps!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Does your headstock spindle and the spur center itself spin true? Even if the outside diameter of the spindle runs true, it could be that the walls of the morse taper bore do not. The only way I know to check that is with a special dial indicator.
You might try removing the spur center and making sure that it and the bore are both smooth and clean. Then experiment with removing and re-inserting the center in various positions. See if that makes a difference in your work.
Regards, JW
Hi JW, thanks for the suggestions. I was thinking this afternoon it might be time to pull out the dial indicator. I have to wait until tomorrow to take the spur out, because my makeshift knock-out bar is out of commission. I'll take your advice and clean everything well, experiment a bit.
I don't think the original owner of the lathe used it super-hard, but I'm worried he may have hammered the stock onto the spur in situ, which I've been told is really hard on the bearings if you do it very often.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi jamieHey, the belts on those 1236 lathes are notoriously rough and prone to wear. An old belt could easily cause major vibration. Since your 1236 is blue, the belt must be 10 years old, at least?
I got a huge improvement with my old blue by replacing the original belt with a 1/4" Fenner link belt. The other nice thing about a link belt is that you can custom adjust the size to help control the speed on the Reeves drive (variable speed) on your lathe. Here's another idea: Are you still using the original live center on the tail stock? Mine had a ton of slop in it, even after I replaced the bearing. Let us know how you do!David B
Hi, David. I was going to email you, thanks for stopping in here! Geez, I wish I'd kept the link-belt from my old contractor saw. That's $40 I could spend on chisels, LOL. Oh, well.
Does the 1236 take just the regular link belts we see in the woodworking stores? I looked at the belt this morning, moved everything by hand. It definitely has a set to it. I wonder if there's somewhere to get only 2' of link belt?
I think the tail stock may be OK -- I notice the vibration more as I move toward the headstock when turning. Is the slop easy to detect -- "grab and try to wiggle"???
One more question: Do the points of the HS/TS need to meet preeeecisely? I've gotten them to a small fraction of a millimeter (tail micro-mini amount above head point).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi JamieYes, it is a standard link belt, although you want to make sure it's 1/4" wide. The common width is 3/8"--too wide for the 1236.The slop in the live center is pretty easy to detect. Grab and wiggle is right. Mine had lots of wiggle.I wouldn't worry about the head and tailstock alignment. A fraction of a mm is plenty close. Another endearing trait of the 1236 is for the whole headstock to lift a bit as wood is tightened between head and tail. Who knows, you may end up with perfect alignment with a turning all snugged up.Oh, before i forget--if you haven't already done so, there is a shelf on the lathe's stand which is already set up to mount a piece of plywood onto. Then you can pile a bunch of sandbags on the shelf and get some mass working for you. That helps with vibration also.Cheers!David B
I guess I need info on how to size these link belts. The lathe belt is 3/8 wide. From what you're saying, the link belt needs to be a smidge narrower than the wide part of the original V-belts??
"...there is a shelf on the lathe's stand which is already set up to mount a piece of plywood onto. Then you can pile a bunch of sandbags on the shelf...." Done did that when I built the not-so-mobile base, but I put heavy tools on the shelf rather than sandbags. I really want to build a cabinet-type stand to use the space for "real" storage. Perhaps leave room somewhere in there for sandbags should that kind of weight be needed.
In terms of physics, where are the sandbags most effective? At the bottom, or part-way up the stand??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi jamieI measured a left-over chunk of belt and sure enough it's 3/8". Sorry about that. Did you say you need a few pieces?About the shelf, I don't think the height of the mass is vital. The main thing is to keep the stand from jumping around when turning out of balance stuff.David B
OK, glad to get the 3/8" confirmed. I can order it by the foot from Inline Industries, but if you have 22" available, I'd be happy to either buy it from you, or "borrow" it this week and replace with new links when my order arrives.
I just finished watching the middle part of Raffan's DVD, and I can see that some of what I'm feeling is plain chatter. He talks about how to avoid it. But I think a new belt will make things better in general.
Wow, that man is really good with a skew chisel!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi JamieI unfortunately have only a few inches left over. I can't even think where you could find it locally. Maybe DSC? Raffan is amazing. I must have watched that DVD a dozen times. For some reason, my work doesn't turn out as smooth as his. He must have ####better skew chisel.David B
I was watching him (Raffan) late last night making that small box with the near-microscopic finial at the top. He kept refining the finial (his word) with that biggish skew he uses, I was just sure the tiny point was going to fly across the room any second.
When I can pare down a cylinder of 4" beads to 2" smooth with a skew the way he does, large shavings flying through the air with abandon, I'll know I'm over any phobia about skew chisels!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi there F-G A couple of observations.If you are roughing the cylinder with either a spindle gouge or a planing cut with a skew.it is very easy to get chatter with the bevel rubbing (which is essential ) especially with small diameter turnings.Try to develop a light touch, but with a firm grip, not hanging on to the the tool for dear life.To get extra support I support the work with my left hand.sounds dangerous but in fact the lathe is about the safest tool in a shop.The pinch area is between the handrest and the work so your left hand is safe.I have taught several women and two kids, the youngest being 8 to turn simple bowls in walnut as it is a buttery wood to turn.I stress the grip and touch now as when you get a dig with the skew(and you surely will) you will need to remember this as one tends to overreact and clench tightly, exacerbating the problem.Secondley the skew is one of the few turning tools where a tool rest is important in sharpening to get a continuos flat bevel. Lastly try to accept that turning is like throwing clay on a wheel and does not need the precision measuring , tuning of tools and machines ,honing to 10000000 grit that turns the crank of some cabinet makers.Turning is most therapeutic after a day of intense cabinet work,thats why its addictive .Have fun turning, jako
Hi, Jako. I'm still roughing with a roughing gouge, and going to the spindle gouge and skew once the wood is smooth and round. I do, however, think it'll be easier with a shallower gouge. A woodworker friend on the island loaned me his turning chisels, so I have some other options beyond the handful I just bought.
"it is very easy to get chatter with the bevel rubbing (which is essential ) especially with small diameter turnings." Thanks for pointing that out. It was the smallest one that showed the most chatter.
Thanks for the tips about supporting the work and not using a death grip. The death grip became apparent the first time I picked up a chisel in class, and I knew I needed to get away from it. Sharpening the skew: I'll make a couple tool rests tonight or tomorrow to make sharpening more predictable.
Watching that DVD last night (Raffan's intro DVD), and seeing how he peels the wood with the skew -- both when reducing a series of big beads to a smaller cylinder and when doing nice "finish" peel lengthways with the long point down -- I could see where my technique could be developed, not to mention improved! There's nothing like watching somebody turn to get an understanding of all this stuff.
Oh, have no fear about my getting obsessed with honing and perfect this and that. Bonnie set the stage well for us having a practical approach to sharpening and shaping. I got a little sidetracked with this chatter stuff, but I understand now that most of it's easily explained, and some is even normal.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 11/10/2009 9:47 pm by forestgirl
Forest.. Sorry for butting in here. I have been watching this post for some reason. I am not a 'turner' as such but I do turn sometimes but just on a L-CheepO mini.
I am, however, a very good mechanic. Somebody posted about the wood flexing. I can believe that. I have seen #mostly by a strobe light and LASER# that on steel rollers in printing presses that were several inches in diameter. Some solid and some hollow cylinders with solid, welded journals. Yes! They move/flex!
I for one would sure like to see a picture of your problem.
I'm just curious and probably of no help for a wood lathe issue.
A Dial-Indicator can be you best friend but you really need a smooth surface to measure onto or at least be very observent of what is 'really' going on.
I wish you and your lathe well!
And as Richard? posted about leveling. No matter how strong your base is.. LEVEL, is very important. If the base is off, the rest follows.....
Thanks, Will. Today, with little shop time available, I have to focus on cutting some angle and making tools rests for the grinder. I'll double-check level on the lathe. When I pull out the dial indicator, I'll polish clean the metal parts I'm checking.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I can't offer much more here that hasn't already been mentioned, except to check the tool rest for stiffness or the lack thereof. Perhaps a hands-on will help. Give me a call. Since it's raining and I'm not wacking blackberries for the time being, I'd rather see your lathe.Jeff
Hi JamieI destroyed everything I worked on with a skew until I finally figured it out. Now I only occasionally destroy what I'm working on. I can't imagine how Raffan can do those intricate pieces with a big 'ol skew. Must take years of practice. It really is something to strive for. I hear that many of the old professional turners at custom furniture shops worked mostly with a skew. In the meantime, I recommend the cull bin at Home Depot as a good source of practice material. Lots of good fun!David B
Wanting to turn like Raffan is like wanting to carve like Karpilow. It's a worthy goal but one must bring one's aspirations back down to earth. That, or figure out how to live a couple more lifetimes.Pure unadulterated talent seems to be being given the short shrift in this thread.
Edited 11/11/2009 11:41 am ET by Marsupial
" I hear that many of the old professional turners at custom furniture shops worked mostly with a skew." I can believe it. I was surprised how much RR uses his, but it certainly saves time not having to switch tools. I don't aspire to skew-dominant technique, but it was an eye opener to see what can be done with one.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I have had the same problem with a lathe and found it was a bad drive spur. They are really cheap and the ones that come with the lathe should be thrown out. I have had good luck with these:
http://woodturning.pennstateind.com/search/index?query=drive+spur
the one that came with my powermatic 3520B was unusable and caused much the same problem.
Look at your live center on the tailstock. if the bearings are out on it or the cone is damaged then it will wobble as it turns. It can cause the same thing and is also cheap:
http://woodturning.pennstateind.com/search/index?query=live+center
This is the first place I would look.
Scott
Thanks, Scott. Looks like no shop time for me today, so the lathe gets the day off. I have a new spur from Penn State, different model from yours. I might pick up a new live center just for good measure, but it'll be a couple weeks. First thing is to get my chisels cutting right (read: sharpened well). I'm less concerned than I was at the beginning of this thread, but I will do a few things to minimize any vibration that might be there.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
The 4L link belts are 1/2" wide and the most used size. You need a 3L belt that is 3/8" wide. I could have a short section left over from my jointer replacement job, if I have 2' or more I will let you know. You can buy it by the foot from various places.
Edit: I found only 14" of left over belt in the workshop.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Edited 11/10/2009 9:34 am ET by JerryPacMan
Forest girl, don't worry about the spindles being dead center, the tailstock spindle could be off by an inch and it wouldn't make a difference as far as the smoothness of cut. Where a deviation in the headtock and tailstock spindle comes into play is when drilling with the tailstock chuck.
Don't forget the oldtime bodgers working in the woods on a pole lathe and iron spikes for centers.The poppets ( head and tailstocks) were as close as there tools and methods would allow. No where near the accuracy of even our cheapest lathes. The work they turned was excellent even so.
I believe your problem is not lathe related or operator use. You gave me a hint when you mentioned how sharp your turning gouges were,even if they were not perfectly rounded. In a previous post I mentioned how to grind a single facet on a gouge. I believe your problem stems from multifacets on the bevel.
Try the method I mentioned , then apply it to the same piece you are turning now.
mike
Edited 11/9/2009 7:38 pm ET by mike4244
Hi, Mike, I was planning to thank you for that post about turning the grinding wheel off and grinding as it slows down. That was the tip that helped me get a decent grind on the skew chisel. Not perfect -- it doesn't guarantee a single facet for a klux like me, but I did eventually get much closer to the ideal, and will get there soon methinks.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 11/10/2009 12:48 am by forestgirl
hey mike,could one substitute the words "double beveled" for double faceted?
eef
Sure, even triple or quadruple beveled or faceted.I had to stop at four because I don't know the word for five bevels.Kidding aside, a smooth grind with a single bevel makes all the difference in a good grind.
mike
"Sure, even triple or quadruple beveled or faceted.I had to stop at four because I don't know the word for five bevels."
Quintuple. :-)
Regards, JW
Eff, if I read him right (Mike4244) he's referring to having a clean bevel that's just one smooth, continuous surface -- as opposed to a bevel that has a few (or more) little flats on it. It seems that you can get away with deficiencies more on some tools than on others. My understanding at this point is that it's very important that the bevels on a skew be as unfaceted as possible.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forest g and mike,
when i was first learning to carve, chisels came with a factory edge so one had to sharpen. using only stones, each chisel took upwards of one hour, sometimes more, to hone. at the time i owned twenty, or so. after all this i went looking for a teacher and stumbled upon nora hall. on day one of taking lessons from her, she asked to see my tools and after a cursory inspection she commented, "oh, i see that all of your chisels are double-beveled."
suffice to say that a great many more hours were spent at the whet stone and i fear and avoid the double bevel above all else.
eef
To: EEF, Mike &FG,
I second/third that opinion. In my continuing efforts to hone my turning skills,the sharpness of the tools is imperative.particularly the SKEW. My professional mentors have stressed that a FLAT- NO FACETED BEVEL ON A SKEW IS ESSENTIAL. When FFw had the "ASK an Expert" option, this was confirmed by a recognized turner.
It is almost impossible to maintain a flat bevel by hand sharpening . I have the Vetras MarkII power sharpening system and that yields a truly flat bevel.Although you must take the time to set up the right way. Also, I recently purchased the wolverine sharpening system. They have a skew sharpening jig as an option. At first inspection it looks like it work well and take the tediousness out of skew sharpening. Their "bowl gouge" sharpening also works well and cuts down on sharpening. Truly worth the investment.
Regards
Jabe
hi jabe,you comment that it is almost impossible to keep the bevel flat when hand sharpening and i agree, sort of. with carving chisels my focus is on preventing a double bevel but i am not too concerned with a slight rounding of the bevel. carving does not seem to be affected by this. i have gotten pretty good at grinding a flat, consistent bevel, free-hand at the belt sander. a cool glass of water for quenching and a steady hand are what's called for, although to listen to derek and some others talk, high speed steel can take the heat. i will probably forever fear "blueing", by over-heating the steel, however, as it was drilled into me years ago to avoid doing that at all costs.
eef
Edited 11/13/2009 3:31 pm ET by Eef
Hi EEF,
I agree with what you say,particularly about the bluing.
I still sharpen most of my chisels,etc on glass and 3M psa paper.
If you move the skew sideways while honing you can do a decent job,but its tedious. The power sharpener while taking longer seem at least to me a decent way to go with out bluing or messing up a good bevel from the start. I anxious to try the wolverine skew jig and see how that works. But overall there is nothing like practice and more practice whatever method you go with.
Regards
Jabe
Hi, Jabe. I opened my computer at 2pm this afternoon and found I'd opened the "Reply" window, but never typed it. Busy morning, LOL.
I hear your caution about a nice clean bevel for a skew, but not all "recognized turners" will agree that flat and no facets is "essential." I've seen two turn some beautiful surfaces with skews that were not perfect, and not ground using anything more sophisticated than the simple tool rest that comes with the grinder.
The Wolverine looks like a sensible system, and I'd certainly like to have it -- business for me will pick up in January and it may be a post-Christmas present -- but 'til then a tool rest will have to do.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi Forest Girl,
Using a tool rest ad a grinder is fine and I venture to say that the Skew was "hollow ground" which is fine but makes the tool a little more "catchy". Again, turning and sharpening takes practice and more practice. The better one "gets" the less dependent thaey become on devices.
Hope all goes well for you and you have a great xmas. If Santa come late its better than not at all.
Regards
Jabe
You read me right.
mike
Sounds like what you have is harmonic vibration or whip. This is not caused by bad bearings, but by the wood flexing under the cut from the tool. It occurs in long thin turning stock, or trying to take too heavy of a cut. Try turning a heavy piece of stock (3x3x12) and see if you get the same ridges in your work. Make sure your tools are sharp, and try a lighter cut.
Hi Forrest Girl,
Read your post with some interest since I am getting back into turning som walnut bowls for the holidays.
Thinking about your problem and the possibility of the piece moving back & forth laterally:
1. Place a turning chuck or drill chuck on the "head" and try to pull out by hand -- You should have no movement which means bearings are ok.
2. Place a hard piece of wood between centers (like a broom handle or something else the is cylindrical; pick a spot on the piece and hold the skew chisel firmly on the tool rest ; slowly touch the tip of the skew to the piece; If there is lateral movement ,there will be a curve traced on the piece. I believe it will trace out a sinusoid.
3. If all is ok then turn apiece of hardwood and monitor where you stop and possibly regrip. I have been told that turning soft wood isnt the best way to practice.
Anyway, Good Luck and keep trying
Regards
Jabe
Hi, Jabe, thanks for relaying your ideas. Unfortunately, I have neither a turning chuck nor a drill chuck I can pop in there. The head stock assembly (spur and spindle, seem to be tight. The live center (TS) may be a tad sloppy in the spindle (the bearing seems tight).
I'll try the cylindrical scribing idea and see what occurs. I did put in a nice piece of wet maple last night and this morning and things seemed to go better. I have a piece of liburnum in there right now, I've just roughed off the bark and a little bit of the surface. That's really hard wood, so it may give me good news.
Have fun with the walnut bowls. I'm looking foward to tackling bowls and other vessles down the road. Hope you can post some pics!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi Forrest girl,
Sorry about you not having chucks. But all will come in due time. If all is tight, try turning some DRY hard wood like maple into a cylinder> this will give you a good idea of your technique and the sharpness of your tools. Just take you time and go slow. light cuts are better than heavy cuts.
At the Woodcraft store , I bought a DVD on turning bowls. Its by Bill Grumbine a professoinal turner, In the DVD he takes you through the process from chain sawing a raw piece of wood to the end of how to finish a bowl. Through the journey he shows techniques for cutting to mininimize tear out and how to sharpen tools. Its an informative and enjoyable video
Put a trash can by your lathe and keep practicing. Cut go back and read about basic techniques ,cut again. Finally , it will strar to happen
Regards
Jabe
I had a very similar experience with my lathe after it sat for almost a year unused, it turned out that the belt had developed kinks where it bent around the pulleys and didnt get any use, a new belt fixed the problem, unfortunately it was after replacing my live center and then bearings and then the spur drive, heck I just about had a new lathe before I found the six dollar problem. Now I take the belt off between turning which is easy on my lathe , the motor just hangs on a hinge and the weight of the motor is the tension.
Ooooo, what a bummer! It's such a drag to spend your way around a simple problem!
Have you thought about using a link belt instead? It sounds like your belt is easy to take off and put back on though, since the motor pivots, may not be worth the expense of changing to a link.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
the pulleys on my lathe are the multi ribbed type like a serpenteen belt on your car so I would have to replace them in order to use the link belt but thanks anyway
I'ts just one board at a time
I doubt there's anything wrong with your lathe other than the inherent lack of fit and finish found in all consumer grade lathes mass produced in China. The bulk of the chatter is caused by the spindle flexing under the tool.
You need a spindle steady:
http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=packard&Category_Code=lathes-acc-spiste
Edited 11/10/2009 1:13 pm ET by Marsupial
Mmmm, I dunno, Marsup, if I need a spindle steady for pieces such as these, the future is dim indeed. I learned something about chatter last night, watching R. Raffan's woodturning DVD, and I'm less concerned now than I was that it's any kind of significant machine problem.
My lathe's old enough, it might have been made in Taiwan. Wherever it was made, it's one that has done well by it's owners over the years as an introductory stationary machine.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Well, when you can turn as well as Raffan et al. please let us know. In the meantime, you'll appreciate a steady assuming the end result is what it's all about for you. Ernie Conover has plans for a shop-made steady in one of his books, and he tends to use pretty nice equipment. If Ernie sees the occasional need I guess they can't be all that bad, eh?
Edited 11/11/2009 9:51 am ET by Marsupial
Or, "pentabevel" - not to be confused with "penta-gone" (when you have no more $fives in your wallet), or the devilish inverted pentagram. ;-)
Hi FG
Just received the latest issue of Australian Wood Review no.64 and there is a 4 page article by Richard Raffan on exactly your problem.
Essentially you have to maintain bevel contact and no facets on the chisels.This has been covered in this thread to some degree, so here is confirmation by the goo roo. The article also covers sharpening as well.
wot
Hey, thanks, wot! Now, I don't suppose the have that magazine on the shelf at Barnes & Noble, LOL. I'll check online and see if I can find it.
I finally got a check I'd been waiting for, so I'm free to spend a little on a sharpening set-up. Have picked the Wolverine, gotta call the Seattle Woodcraft and make sure it's in stock.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Darn, struck out online. Didn't really expect 'em to give it away for free, but....forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi, Jabe, following up -- Santa came early! My most-valued client is back from hither and yon and I'm looking at predictable cash-flow, plus I landed a small video job last week, so the Wolverine set is installed and the spindle gouge, skew and roughing gouge are in fine fettle. The skew was a joy to use in my test-run tonight. I still have a couple questions about it and the roughing gouge, but slumber calls.
Jeff, I missed your message (and kind offer), somehow. It doesn't happen often, but..... I'll shoot you an email -- had to abandon the shop for over a week, needed to get some horse and video stuff done. Hope you had a good T.G., and if you went to the Carthart Ball, had a good time and won some door prizes!
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