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Asking for a friend.....first turnings

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Asking for a friend.....first turnings

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 19:52

Just suppose for a minute that someone who was an experienced woodworker but a life long avoider of turning had an up-coming job which involved a few spindles and some small acorns, and had also acquired a gouge or two that could benefit from a new handle.......is there anything he should look for or avoid in a suitable second hand lathe? He has no interest in turning bowls, pens or 4-poster bed frames (I'm told).

:eusa-whistle: :eusa-whistle:
Last edited by Mike G on 20 Dec 2021, 14:51, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Malc2098 » 15 Oct 2020, 20:00

You're nicked, Sunshine! We've got you banged to rights this time! :lol:
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:06

Who sir? Me sir? Noooooo............. I'm asking for a friend, honest.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Malc2098 » 15 Oct 2020, 20:07

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah, right!
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Andyp » 15 Oct 2020, 20:17

How deep are your “friend’s” pockets? Do they want a cast iron lump to restore? How long are the spindles they plan to turn?
Do they realise that the lathe is just the start. They will need chucks ( one is never enough), tool rests and a whole host of paraphernalia.

There are experts on here of course but start having a look on ebay or gumtree for a Record with a long enough bed for those spindles. Parts and accessories will be easy to source and can be easily sold on when your “friend” wants to upgrade.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Rezi » 15 Oct 2020, 20:19

Why don't you ask someone to turn the items for you? You can't just 'get a lathe', there's a whole pile of other accessories you will need which all cost money. I'd offer to do it for you if I lived anywhere near you.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby DaveL » 15 Oct 2020, 20:21

Well there are two ways to do this:

1 You know where my Workshop is, drive over and use my lathe.

2 Do some drawings of what needs turning, sort out some wood and drop them off and I will turn them. Hopefully the time frame is not to short.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:26

Rezi wrote:Why don't you ask someone to turn the items for you? You can't just 'get a lathe', there's a whole pile of other accessories you will need which all cost money. I'd offer to do it for you if I lived anywhere near you.


My friend has some turning experience, and some tools. He may even have made a couple of pole lathes in the past for one-off turnings, if I remember right. He probably reckons that continually asking friends with lathes to turn up bits for him is....well......just wrong.

Anyone got any comments on this lump of cast iron: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Union-Jubilee-Wood-turning-Lathe/274531299017?hash=item3feb572ec9%3Ag%3AEckAAOSwTmBfhJho&LH_Auction=1

Or this Coronet No. 3? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/48-CORONET-No-3-LATHE/284046412155?hash=item42227c497b%3Ag%3ArE8AAOSw3eFfiGPs&LH_Auction=1
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:30

DaveL wrote:Well there are two ways to do this:

1 You know where my Workshop is, drive over and use my lathe.

2 Do some drawings of what needs turning, sort out some wood and drop them off and I will turn them. Hopefully the time frame is not to short.


Ten chairs, Dave, each with 2 turned legs, 2 spindles, 1 stretcher and 2 turned ears.....that's 70 turnings.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:33

Andyp wrote:How deep are your “friend’s” pockets? Do they want a cast iron lump to restore? How long are the spindles they plan to turn?
Do they realise that the lathe is just the start. They will need chucks ( one is never enough), tool rests and a whole host of paraphernalia.

There are experts on here of course but start having a look on ebay or gumtree for a Record with a long enough bed for those spindles. Parts and accessories will be easy to source and can be easily sold on when your “friend” wants to upgrade.


Thanks Andy. He's a cheapskate of course, and would always want an old machine......doesn't mind getting his fingernails dirty sorting it out. Record, you say.......hmm..........I'll have a look.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby AJB Temple » 15 Oct 2020, 20:36

Alternatively .....borrow a lathe. I am not using mine at the moment and can manage without it until next Spring if you wanted to pick it up on loan.

It's a Record with the twin bar bed and stand. Full range of tools. Good chuck etc.

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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:40

Very kind of you Adrian. This is a long term project, though, in that I ....I mean he.....won't be starting the table & chairs within the next 6 months or more.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Trevanion » 15 Oct 2020, 20:43

It sound like "he" would mostly be doing between centre work which basically only requires the bare minimum of equipment for straight-forward turning, A couple of roughing gouges, spindle gouges, and skews in a couple different sizes would serve rather well but most work could be done with say one of each.

You say that "he" may be turning spindles, do you mean stair spindles? You'd need to make sure the lathe has enough space between centres to accomodate the length of said spindles. Chair parts are easy enough to fit on most machines.

I know the Union Jubilee is a decent enough machine but the Graduate is considered better though. Having used both, to be honest, there isn't really much in it, they both spin up pieces of wood! That machine has got pretty much everything "he" would need excepting some tools and is more than sturdy enough for the work that would be presented to it.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:53

We need a "thanks" button here.....
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 15 Oct 2020, 20:54

Trevanion wrote:.......You say that "he" may be turning spindles, do you mean stair spindles?.....


No, for chairs.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Rezi » 15 Oct 2020, 21:07

He wants too much for the Coronet, he'll be lucky to get half of that! The jubilee looks like a solid lump and comes with some extras so it would be a good buy if the price is OK. It will need a lot of space though.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby DaveL » 15 Oct 2020, 21:08

Well the Union is the better of the two in my opinion. It's not too far for collecting but it will be a heavy lump to get in to your van. Also I think the bidding will push the price up a good from the current level.

If you aren't going to be turning the parts until next spring, there should hopefully be enough solar to run my lathe and I won't have drive over to collect the shavings!
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Trevanion » 15 Oct 2020, 21:08

Mike G wrote:No, for chairs.


Ah, said "friend" needn't really worry about the between-centre length unless "he" is making bar stools :D
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Dalboy » 15 Oct 2020, 22:06

Minimum equipment needed to do spindles.

Lathe capable of holding the maximum length of spindle.
a 4 pronged drive centre and a revolving one for the tail-stock end
Chisels, spindle gauge 3/8th and 1/4", parting tool.
grinder with some jigs to sharpen.
Chuck would be nice but not essential.
Safety equipment goes without saying.
Measuring equipment.
Story board if making multiples to the same pattern.

There may be others stuff but the above is just for spindles. So check the tools already available first to save extra expenses

If not familiar with turning beads and coves then time for practice as most spindle require this skill.

With the lathe try for one that has a common thread size the 33mm is now becoming the main one now. No point getting an old lathe with a thread size that you can't get accessories for. MT2 also is a common size for the head-stock and tail-stock bits and pieces.

And lastly have fun it may become a habit :lol: :lol: :lol: OOPS I mean you friend :eusa-whistle: :eusa-whistle: :eusa-whistle:
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Rod » 15 Oct 2020, 23:17

An old Myford ML8 will do the trick and they go for reasonable prices. Limited in bowl size but a long bed length for spindles.

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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Woodster » 15 Oct 2020, 23:40

Do me a favour and let me know when the “sharpening turning tools” argument starts ... :eusa-whistle: :lol:
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Mike G » 16 Oct 2020, 07:05

Dalboy wrote:Minimum equipment needed to do spindles.............


Thanks. Most useful.
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby Dalboy » 16 Oct 2020, 10:46

A very well known and respected turner Richard Findley did a demo on u tube making a lamp. the spindle part gives an idea of tools and ways to achieve different shapes on it. Some of the tools he used are only to show different ways of producing different features.
It is quite a long video and may be taken down after a short time.

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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby DaveL » 16 Oct 2020, 10:51

Dalboy wrote:A very well known and respected turner Richard Findley did a demo on u tube making a lamp. the spindle part gives an idea of tools and ways to achieve different shapes on it. Some of the tools he used are only to show different ways of producing different features.
It is quite a long video and may be taken down after a short time.

Richard Findley
Richard is great, had a day of training from him, I learned a lot and still have the example pieces I turned that day,
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Re: Asking for a friend.....

Postby TrimTheKing » 16 Oct 2020, 10:56

Me too, focussed on beads and coves and the way to achieve them using different tools. Very nice chap and took me from never having picked up a spinning tool in my life to confidently turning all sorts of spindles, drumsticks, acorns etc in about 6 hours of tuition.
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