Replies

1. 
   MichaelPB | Jun 01, 2004 01:15am | #1

   Nobody here has used one of these?  I find that hard to believe!

1. 
   fdampier5 | Jun 01, 2004 01:44am | #2

   I have the full sized version, it works well with it's limits.  It isn't an exactly perfect match, the sharpness of the cutter and your technique determine the degree of perfection..

       It's close enough that if I pay attention you'll be hard pressed to find fault.. well built.. 

1. 
   MichaelPB | Jun 01, 2004 02:49am | #3

   I can grind sharp cutters, I grind my own metal lathe cutters. 

   The technique, do you just mean it isn't magic, go slow and make a pass or two?

   Thanks for the info...

1. 
   fdampier5 | Jun 02, 2004 04:12pm | #4

   Depends on the wood you are working with and it's moisture content..  Once you have things "round"  you can hog off a fairly great amount.

    I tend to get things round free hand because it seems faster

     I'll knock off the corners on the table saw so I have a octagon slightly larger in diameter than what I'm going to finish with.  Then center things up. (I take a bit of care doing that since once things are in my lath they leave a print on either end where center is so the next time I can quickly refind center using the old marks) 

     Then I'll use a gouge to get things roughly round, if there are any really deep cuts I'll take a pencil and mark on a piece of masking tape stuck to the lathe where they are and go ahead and hog out the wood within a half an inch or so. (real easy to eyeball)

     After everything is done in the rough I go back and using the Vega I'll take a pass and get the rough outline to within a 1/4 of an inch or so.  Now depending on how green or dry the wood is I'll sharpen the bit and do the final cuts in a pass or two. Leaving everything in the lathe I'll go after it with ever finer grit of sand paper.

     It's done and I'll do the next one.

     Things carve so much easier when they are green that I hate to do things dry, yet if I'm doing spindles for example. I don't want the wood movement that you get with green so those I do dry..

    I tried to do everything in one pass on the Vega and found that it took far too long to do that way. That plus I was sharpening the cutting bit too often.  I've got my sharpening stand set up right next to the lathe so I just reach over make a pass or two on the stone and a pass or two in the wheel and I'm back cutting without getting off my stool.

      I found that the time you take to set things up really helps on longer production runs. Doing spindles for example I set up a "production" line and turn on the radio to classic music.  A well lit area a good dust collector and  a smooth process makes doing mini runs pleasant and quick rather than a chore..

2. 
   Tao | Jun 03, 2004 12:48am | #5

   I'm still not very impressed with any simple duplicators, including Vega.  I don't do a whole lot of turning, but when I do, it seems I can knock out most any profile by hand faster than I can using a duplicator, and variation from piece to piece is almost undetectable.

   Your little handles could be ganged with several profiles to a piece, and then separated. Actual turning time would only be a couple of minutes apiece, once you got a rhythm going.  Time to get some practice with a skew chisel.  You can even rough from square to round with a skew (it helps to watch someone do it first), and you can quickly get a finish that needs little or no sanding.  If the work's not too thin, you could knock out ten pieces at a time with just a parting tool for layout and a skew for shaping.

   Alternatively, you could chuck one piece at a time, and knock out each one with just a skew, including parting off.

   Michael R.

1. 
   fdampier5 | Jun 03, 2004 03:15am | #6

   You may be able to, I'll freely admit repitition isn't a skill that I've ever mastered.. The only way I could make duplicates of several things at one time would be with slow careful measurement and by only cutting a tiny bit at a time..

     The duplicator I bought allows me to do that.   One thing in particular that I have a great deal of trouble with is getting tapers the same. The Vega duplicator is the only way they all come out the same.  When I tried to free hand them I bet I used up 30 blanks and none of them were ever close enough to put next to another.   I bought the vega and only reject maybe one out of ten or so..

1. 
   Tao | Jun 03, 2004 03:36am | #7

   I use a pinboard to score layout lines after the piece is rounded, then use a narrow parting tool and two or three sets of calipers (preset) to cut down to almost finished dimension at critical points, then sort of "connect the dots" with beads, coves, or tapers.  Controlling dimension at critical high and low points is the key, then making a smooth connection gets pretty easy with practice.

   When I have long tapers, I turn the tool rest parallel to the finished surface I want, and use the tool rest as a guide to help give me a straight line.  I will also cut down to final dimension at a couple of points along the taper, so I know when I am flush with the layout cuts, I am pretty straight on the taper.  A nice, wide skew chisel is a good tool for this -- I have a hard time doing decent tapers with a spindle gouge.

   Mike Darlow's "the Practice of Woodturning" has lots of good hints and techniques for repetitive turning.  He doesn't even turn his lathe off to change workpieces when turning bannisters and such.......  Makes me look like a turtle stuck in granny low, and using a duplicator still seems even slower to me.

   To each his own......

   Michael R

1. 
   fdampier5 | Jun 03, 2004 04:19pm | #10

   I read the book and tried the techniques.. maybe with a lot more practice I'd get better but for right now the duplicator is my way of dealing with multiple turnings.

     A lathe is just one of dozens of tools I've got and I may not work on it for a whole year or so. Call it training wheels or scoff at me if you wish.. My spindles are acceptable to me and I make them fast enough to satisfy my requirements. 

     I keep remembering the bit about when you're up to your azz in alligators don't forget your main job is to drain the swamp..

     Maybe if I develope more of a liking to the lathe after this timberframe is built I'll go back and try to do some neat stuff.  Untill then Whatever gets the job done is my tool of choice! 

1. 
   Tao | Jun 03, 2004 11:38pm | #11

   To each his own.  Lots of ways to skin the proverbial, but keep the other ways in mind -- never know when you'll want to try something different.

   Michael R

2. 
   MichaelPB | Jun 04, 2004 06:46am | #12

   Those are my handles in the photos from the first batch I did.  I made them on a router but I think doing them on a lathe would be safer.  I will still do the tennons on my router as they are much more accurate and crisp.

2. 
   MichaelPB | Jun 03, 2004 06:33am | #8

   The link is the items I am making.  The tennon is held to =/- .008, the edge is not held quite so close but any real variation shows since there are two side by side.

   I have some big ones for a full size German Maxim but this would be the primary project.  These are a .22 lr belt fed copy of the old US Browning.http://mgstocks.com/Tippman.jpg

1. 
   Tao | Jun 03, 2004 04:07pm | #9

   Those are a little harder than normal.  I control critical diameters on round tenons or spigots by locking a dial caliper at the selected dimension and cutting with a partring tool until the caliper just slips on.  I hold the caliper behind the wood while I am cutting.  A go-no go gauge would accomplish the same end. You can hold a few thousandths that way.

   I think the length will be the hardest to hold, since layout lines aren't that accurate.  Again, a gauge or locked caliper would be quickest and easiest to use.  Layout a little fat, and pare the end faces with a skew until the gauge just slips over.  I'm not sure that a duplicator would hold any better tolerances, but in this case it might make things a little easier, but slower.  To me, it's hard to tell without trying.

   Michael R.

3. 
   PlaneWood | Jun 04, 2004 06:36pm | #13

   Michael -

   Take a look at this old post.  http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=6654.1

   I've cut 1000's of knobs with this.  Just a basic pin follower type duplicator.  The 'pin' is a 1/2" dowel and the knife is 1/2" wide by 3/16" thick A2 tool steel ground to a half round cutting edge (to match the shape of the pin).

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

1. 
   MichaelPB | Jun 04, 2004 06:55pm | #14

   Gee,

   Why would I build a useful tool for $35 when there is a gee-whiz tool with a WHEEL no less for $300?

   I downloaded the pictures and will make a nice one out of steel.   Nice thing about being a gunsmith is that I can use a mill and a lathe.

2. 
   Tao | Jun 08, 2004 12:09am | #15

   That's a pretty good design, and is probably as accurate or more so than a Vega for these little knobs.

   One more possibility is to use the same geometry as you show there for a "back knife" attachment that would use a profiled knife to cut the shape in one pass.  You might have to experiment with the cutting angle a little bit by raising and lowering the knife, but it might work pretty well.

   Michael R

1. 
   PlaneWood | Jun 08, 2004 12:39am | #16

   Thought of that but there are dozens of different patterns.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood