Replies

1. 
   frenchy | Sep 15, 2007 05:43pm | #1

   JVK,

    I do it's well made and a nice addition to my turning stuff but in retrospect I haven't used it yet for anything that I couldn't have dupilcated nicely without it..

    I thinks it's like a set of training wheels'  spend enough time around a lathe and suddenly  training wheel devices like this are more in the way than in use..

     (And I'll be doing a lot of duplicate work as I make my spindals..)  

1. 
   danmart | Sep 21, 2007 02:50am | #3

   Frenchy

   If you're doing a bunch of spindles(of any type) I have a time-saver that might be helpful. I turn out 100 legs back to back for my windsor chairs. I find when I turn one after another, I get better as I go and get in the groove. Rather than rough gouge then shape, I turn all of my squares to cylinders then set up for the run.

   Square to cylinder: I built a box to sit on the lathe the lengh of the spindle. The blank sits between centers and spins. I have a router that travels on top of the box with a large cove bit. I can make 2 passes in less than a minute and have a slick cylinder to exactly 2" diameter. It takes longer to slip the blank in and out than it takes to round the blank. This is a big time saver and the bit holds an edge a long time. I use a plunge router to step down to final cut quickly.

   To get away from the calipers, I made depth gages that sit on the bed of the lath with rare earth magnets. It is nothing more that a 1/4" rod about 12" long(vertical) with a 2" arm made of brass that is silver soldered to the vertical pole. Attached to the little arm is another 2" piece of thin brass the has a pin thru it so it can fall of the cylinder when I go to the depth I want. I have about 10 of these(when friends don't take them) that I can put anywhere I need to cut a bead or cove. You never turn the lathe off and you cut constantly. With this method you can repeat spindles very accurately and very quickly.

   Play with the idea at your lathe. You might have a better way to make cheap depth tools but this might be a good start. I know you will beat any duplicator on the market and you can really cut rather than scrape. You'll always appreciate that when it comes to finishing.

   Dan

2. 
   Barry1 | Sep 16, 2007 07:19pm | #2

   I bought one several years back and on a lot of projects it about as much trouble as its worth  and the sharpen is never ending. It takes a fair amount of time to draw and cut out your patterns but on some projects it is great to get all your spacing the same. I haft to put my stock in another lathe and turn my entry and exits. They come with a vidio and the fellow in it makes it look pretty easy so maybe I need a little more practice but I don`t find it near as quick as I thought it would be. By the way this is my first post I have woodworked for around 20 years and I`m am still in the average catagory. Barry