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7K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  HerbC 
#1 ·
My New Toy! A Mini Wood Lathe!

Today Harbor Freight had a 25% off coupon. I used mine to buy a mini wood lathe. My best friend was with me and he bought a set of chisels for me as my birthday gift. I'm so excited, and already very covered in saw dust and wood shavings.

Naturally, I tried to just jump in, I mean I've used my itty bitty Dremmel lathe before. I made a HUGE mess of a scrap of 2×4. Then I came inside at my friend's urging, watched a few Jet videos on YouTube, and went back out to the garage determined to make a honey serving stick.

My best friend cut two 10" pieces of 2×2 poplar on his miter saw and I loaded one up. The idea was we'd each do one. I was so excited when I sucessfully turned my stick into a perfect dowel. Then, I cut the grooves for the honey at the bottom. All was going relatively well, except that the little chisel from the Dremmel lathe was over heating. I kept taking breaks. Then I shaped the main body of the honey dipper with relative ease. After shaping the ball bit on the end of the honey grooves and sanding the entire piece, I decided that the honey grooves should be deeper.

I should have left well enough alone. The little Dremmel chisel was a bit warped and when I tried to deepen the narrow honey grooves, the wood split and blew up into a big mess. I tried to save my honey dipper as a 3 groove dipper instead of a 5 groove dipper, but it exploded again. Clearly, this mini chisel was bad news, but the 1/8" equivalent chisel that came in the big set was just too wide for honey grooves.

I ended up experimenting with other types of chisels in the set to make thin honey grooves in the handle of the remaining mess. I've gotten something I'm relatively satisfied with and I'll try again tomorrow to make a proper honey dipper. I also need to make a dowel bit for an Andean Wool Winder for plying yarn on my spinning wheel.

And yes, I'm that cool. I make my own spinning tools from wood, use them to spin wool that I may or may not have raised on the hoof/rabbit paw, knit that handspun yarn into clothes, and then look damn sexy in it.
 
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#3 ·
Swamps42,

"And yes, I'm that cool. I make my own spinning tools from wood, use them to spin wool that I may or may not have raised on the hoof/rabbit paw, knit that handspun yarn into clothes, and then look damn sexy in it."

Somebody once said "No pictures, it didn't happen…"
Welcome to LJs. I look forward to seeing your work.

Be Careful!

Herb
 
#5 ·
This is the lathe I picked up for only $90 bucks. It's the 8"x12" one. I really wanted the floor stand one that can do up to 14"x40" with an attached disc sander. Unfortunately, that one was a bit pricier and out of stock.

As for the pictures of my level of epic because it did happen and continues to happen. :) Let's see what I can find already online.

Here's my first two rabbits. I raise English Angora for their wool and am preparing my new property to also raise miniature cheviot sheep. Please forgive the doofy smile. I was really exhausted after picking up the new bunnies.


Here's the spinning wheel I made Spring 2010:


And here's a Dr. Who's TARDIS sock being tried on as I was knitting it. They're now my favorite pair of socks, and will probably stay that way until I finish the pair that's on my needles now.

I suppose socks aren't all that "damn sexy," but I don't have any photos of any tight tops online so it'll have to do.
 
#7 ·
Swamps42,

Good job on the photos. Maybe the socks are just "darn sexy…" They definately look comfortable and durable.

I tried raising Angora Rabbits in my youth (a half century ago). Was in north Florida, not really a good place to raise them. My buck got frightened to death (literally) when a couple of ******************** hounds came wandering into the hutch area and barked at him… You seem to have much better luck with your bunnies.

Again, welcome to LJs.

BTW, when creating blog posts, if you're going to do several related look at using the series option, makes it easier to follow along.

Keep up the good work and enjoy yourself, but remember…

Be Careful!

Herb
 
#8 ·
Wow! My angora actually play with and chase my dogs. I always keep a close eye, but the only time I've ever seen a dog mouth the rabbit, they quickly changed their mind with the fluff choking them. Each of my dogs tried to mouth a rabbit once. They learned their lesson and now run away when the rabbits charge across the lawn at them! They do seem to do pretty well in Colorado, but I do keep them shaded or indoors depending on the weather. Our winters have been getting harsher and harsher.

Thanks for the tip on series blogs. I've got one post that didn't make it into the lathes series, but I've got it figured out now. I'll have to also start a series for scroll saw work. That's what I love the most in my shop. I'm trying to justify spending big bucks on the Excalibur EX21 right now. My current saw just can't handle much of the work I want to do and there's a few craft shows coming up. If I get the saw now, I could probably have it paid for by Christmas with the shows I want to do. Unfortunately, with building a home this summer too, cash is at a premium!
 
#9 ·
If you ever want to trade up, I'd recommend the 12×36 (with WOOD Magazine coupon, $199) as opposed to the one with the disc sander. It's a clone of the Jet 1236, and there are several LJs (me included) who have it and have been satisfied.
 
#11 ·
These were ******************** hounds that had been released the night before by hunters in the area. They (the dogs) came on to our property and fouind the rabbit cages which were in a shed but there was no door on the shed… They gathered around the cages and started barking at the rabbits. The buck literally had a heart attack and dropped dead. Not a mark on him. The hunters (who were neighbors) felt bad about it and paid the cost of the buck…

Anyway, your rabbits look happy and healthy. That spinning wheel shows some ingenuity in the design and construction.

Good luck with your projects.

Be Careful!

Herb
 
#12 ·
Honey Dipper

I finally made a honey dipper. It's got a bit of blow out around the honey groves. I think that not only did the lack of an appropriate parting tool hurt this spot, but the generally poor quality wood was against me too. It's also much too big for a proper honey dipper in my opinion. But whatever, I made a honey dipper. I finished it with a canned butcher block finish oil. I think I'll coat it with a beeswax/mineral oil finish later too.



Unfortunately, I'm coming to the belief that I'm just not a turning sort of a person, I should sell/return the new lathe (it has a manufacturing defect so I could), and save up for a REAL scroll saw. I'm so sick of mine and it's wonky table and pin-end blades. It's time for an Excalibur EX21 in my garage. Now to finance it…
 
#13 ·
Don't give up so soon. A better lathe, or at least one that works properly, and practice will improve your results. As many have said, and I have learned myself, turning is addictive. We've all got to start somewhere. Give yourself a chance. Check and see if there's a local turning club near you. If so and that club is anything like the one I belong to there will be a wealth of information and help from the members.
 
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