April 1, 200818 yr I have my little lathe on order and it's a cheap POS cos I'm broke so the question I have is..... If you too were a broke cheap-ass, what would be the one chisel you'd buy for doing stuff like woody cups and the like? I can't afford much so It needs to be small enough for detail and tough enough for roughing out the basic shape. Suggestions?
April 1, 200818 yr I have my little lathe on order and it's a cheap POS cos I'm broke so the question I have is..... If you too were a broke cheap-ass, what would be the one chisel you'd buy for doing stuff like woody cups and the like? I can't afford much so It needs to be small enough for detail and tough enough for roughing out the basic shape. Suggestions? I think you'll need at least two chisels, one rough gouge and another facing tool. Otherwise you'll never get the faces of the cups flat if you just have a gouge. Basically I'd go for at least the first three on the left hand side of this image.
April 1, 200818 yr There is really no getting past having a 3/4" roughing gouge. It's a necessity for rounding your stock, and is the most versatile of all turning tools. That said however I'd not want to have to turn a Grado cup with one tool alone. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/lx250.html Basically I'd go for at least the first three on the left hand side of this image. I'm in complete agreement. A skew, a gouge and a parting tool will get you through many projects.
April 1, 200818 yr I'm in complete agreement. A skew, a gouge and a parting tool will get you through many projects. Those are the three I use the most. Others can come in handy depending on the shape, but IMO those three are essential.
April 1, 200818 yr Author Hehe, I secretly figured one would not cut it so three it is. Thanks guys and wish me luck, I'll need it
April 1, 200818 yr Try and find an episode of New Yankee Workshop on the internet showing Norm using a lathe. Watch the way he holds the gouge close into his body. You want to have firm control of the tool. Be patient and don't try to shove the tool in too fast. Very gentle light touches until you get the feel of the lathe. You'll be turning beautiful pieces in no time. Oh and have fun!
April 1, 200818 yr Author Yeah, I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. I need to find somewhere local that has a decent tool supply and, more importantly, decent wood supplies. Surprisingly up here in the Seattle area there seems to be a dearth of such suppliers. Over in Spokane we had a really good shop, here I'm struggling to find any half-way decent wood/tool shops. Last time I bought some walnut burl on line, it turned out to be pretty ratty and sopping wet through. Once it dried it was warped and split all over so I'm a bit wary of going via ebay for blanks now. Luckily the biggest lump I'll need will be 4x2" so hopefully I'll be able to dig something up that's more suitable.
April 1, 200818 yr Yeah, I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. I need to find somewhere local that has a decent tool supply and, more importantly, decent wood supplies. Surprisingly up here in the Seattle area there seems to be a dearth of such suppliers. Over in Spokane we had a really good shop, here I'm struggling to find any half-way decent wood/tool shops. Last time I bought some walnut burl on line, it turned out to be pretty ratty and sopping wet through. Once it dried it was warped and split all over so I'm a bit wary of going via ebay for blanks now. Luckily the biggest lump I'll need will be 4x2" so hopefully I'll be able to dig something up that's more suitable. I've been pretty happy with Woodcraft. I've gotten great service, and the wood I get from them has always been top notch too. Here is one in your neck of the woods...5963 Corson Ave. S.
April 1, 200818 yr Author Sweet, thanks Steve! That's like 10 minutes from my house. I'll drop in there shortly.
April 14, 200818 yr Author Woohoo!!! Finally got some time this afternoon to try my hand at turning with the new toy. Came out better than I was expecting The mounting plate is 3/8 birch plywood for stability as the 'stat drivers are a tight press fit (to be glued in place) and the cups are Brazilian Cherry with a wax coat. The SR-X Pro is now a full woody
April 14, 200818 yr Looks really good! I loved woodwork in highschool craft and design, so much that I dropped a "proper subject" column to take the 6th year practical woodworking class, which was, if im honest, filled with the thick end of the brain pool from the year below. Wasn't that surprising when I finished top of the class (might have been the only person who actually completed every project). How much did your little lathe set you back Smeggy?
April 14, 200818 yr Author Thanks guys. The lathe was $159, the set of three chisels was $45 and the wood was $15. So, not too bad at all and I have enough for four cups. My whole garage (including car) is covered in sawdust and chippings
April 14, 200818 yr Absolutely beautiful work Smeggy! Those are too cool! We need a drooling emotocon.
April 14, 200818 yr We need a drooling emotocon. there are a few around http://smileys.on-my-web.com/categorie-Drooling.html
April 14, 200818 yr Author Hehe, they sound great, adds a nice little bass boost to the lower registers as I think the bigger chambers allow the sound to resonate a little. They're not fully fitted yet so I was able to check full cup (sr-x style plus) verses no cup (gamma style) and they sound distinctly different with the bigger cups providing a good oomph! I won't know if it sounds 'right' until it's all together and sealed for proper testing but it sounds promising for now. The Ply base with tight press fit drivers should work well for keeping the drivers under control as it's gripping the drivers over their whole depth rather than just some sticky tape on a flimsy plastic mount. Nice strong bass at 32Hz and tapering down at 25. I still have to find a way to mount them to a headband as they are O2 size cups rather than SR-X/Gamma size and I've run out of cash, so the O2 headband will have to wait. Thanks for the kind words all. My first ever play with a real lathe rather than some half-assed drill attachment!!
April 20, 200818 yr Author Ok, couldn't resist making a better set as the rosewood is a bit coarse and I wasn't happy with the shape and rear opening. I set off to woodcraft and got some nice Madrona, a Staples wire bin and some wool felt from the local craft store and set to it. I'll get it all fitted tomorrow with cable holes etc. Sounds wonderful.
April 20, 200818 yr Very nice!! It should also get rof the slight tunnel effect that these drivers can create.
April 20, 200818 yr Ok, couldn't resist making a better set as the rosewood is a bit coarse and I wasn't happy with the shape and rear opening. I set off to woodcraft and got some nice Madrona, a Staples wire bin and some wool felt from the local craft store and set to it. I'll get it all fitted tomorrow with cable holes etc. Sounds wonderful. That's beautiful
April 20, 200818 yr Beautiful. Seeing all these nice projects the past few days makes me wish I wasn't such a no-talent klutz.
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