flames

-laser calliper diagram, hope this makes sense. Also brought a Wadkin BZL, it was too cheap to pass up... also it has a tail stock. http://www.wadkin.com/uploads/files/Wadkin%20BZL%20Lathe.pdf

Bealers, hello, welcome and thanks. Nice looking pole lathe! I saw a guy at APF who made his own hook tools... they looked very interesting, and I liked the fact that you use them to core bowls out. Not had a go with any yet, keep us posted if you get one/some. Ben (Pyro) that spindle looks like it's been through wars - does your lathe have solid bushes? -not that familiar with the Jubilee head assembly... also you could try a triangular file to tidy up that out board thread, cheaper than a LH thread die. -explanatory diagram of laser calliper to follow.

I've got a pair of tech24 type A - very pleased!

Hi folks, it's been quiet on here for a bit... made this tonight, had to share it. Has anyone else made something like this? I don't often make hollow forms - I wanted a good(?) way to check the wall thickness. I know an 'S' caliper would be the normal tool of choice, but I don't have one, I do how ever have a laser pen some threaded rod and some box off-cuts...

Might try the PVA after rough turning. I've used the Ronseal stuff before, it's not bad, but pricy - as this blank is about Ø14" I think it would drink a can. Might be a good one for a hollow form, so I don't have to sand the inside. -the colours are more vivid than the pics show. Worth the effort? I'll save it from the wood burner for the time being.

Ben, Nice spalted beech, shape and finish! It is tough to get it in time, I spun up a lump the other day, fantastic colours, but it was mush. Any rotten wood hardening advice anyone? Nice finishes there bob, BTW.

roobbo 110 ~4" & 8", although the pulley size is relative, it's the ratio that is important, 2:1 here. My lathe is driven with an inverter for speed control, as 2:1 from a standard 4 pole induction motor will run at ~700rpm too fast for big 2' diameter lumps... If you'd like to know more, bearings, motors, etc, msg me, so not to derail Ian's thread too much. Cheers.

Build you're own... this bowl is about 2' in diameter. What sort of size?

check this out... Woodturning lathe Spindle Thread Sizes

Which lathe do you have? -some pics of what you're describing would help... (I personally do not like threaded spindle noses, as it means you can only turn in one direction safely) Nice gobblet BTW, yew?

Mill cost - just a few quid for the box, I have a contact who works with sheet metal so those parts were free! So very cheap. Bar - I got a v-good deal on, but yes, saw, bar and chain not cheap, how ever I guess it wouldn’t' t take many jobs to pay for it's self - what do you reckon Rob D? Fallen oak wasn't a job proper, but used it to test the mill, make a few planks for myself and made some big slabs for the land owner, win all round. Rob, Milled timber so far is to make a floor in my house, although some of these recent wide ones may make some nice furniture depending on how it dries.

Hello millers, I've enjoyed seeing others milling efforts, so I thought I'd add some pics of my own. These pics are of a DIY mill I built a while back for my 880, I revised it recently and have been testing it with a new 50" bar. It's similar to the alaskan, but a little cruder. I designed it to be very simple, fully adjustable and lightweight. It worked well initially, but as I used it the rail clamps deformed and allowed the height rails to twist out of parallel from the bar. I recently added supporter guides (with beer can shims) that hold the height rails square, it now works really well, but needs the clamp bars improving- as I didn't do them up tight enough- bar slipped, chain hit the clamp bolt. Also the longer bar is taller than the original Stihl one so there's not much clearance above the chain. Would like to add a pusher handle and aux oiler too. The first 3 pics are of the mill’s trial run, milled a fallen oak ~Ø2’ –quite successful. The rest are of mk2’s efforts, an oak crotch, about 3,1/2’ wide. 1st few crotch boards- ran an Oregon chipper chain, which worked well. Then switched to a Granberg ripping chain (Thanks Rob D) which was a bit more aggressive. Hope some of you find this interesting, would be good to hear about others home made mills.

Is it a nova chuck (think you've mentioned before, but can't remember) Super Nova Chucks -this thread adaptor is about 20 quid, give ASK a call - Rustle is very helpful.

That's pretty week that none of the local engineering firms could/would help, if they haven't got a tap it's not that difficult to screw cut with a boring bar... I could make you one, but not until the end of March..., I guess you won't want to wait that long. Ask axminster, they might be able to help, I think they machine some stuff them selves. Good luck. Sympathies in the mean time.

Cheers, I've probably got an 1"BSF tap somewhere, but I think you might struggle to tap that by hand, plus you'll need to bore the chuck or adaptor back plate for the spindle resister diameter (I think). (What are you going from to - 1"x10 on spindle to ?x? chuck?) Cheep taps here: BSF taps sets Whitworth Fine Taps whitform special tap 3/16 BSF tap 7/32 BSF taps 1/4 BSF tap 9/32 BSF taps 5/16 BSF tap 3/8 BSF taps 7/16 BSF tap 1/2 BSF taps 9/16 BSF tap 5/8 BSF taps 3/4 BSF taps 7/8 BSF tap 1 BSF taps 1-1/8 BSF tap 1-1/4 BSF taps Otherwise it might be easier to use a local engineering firm... trade a bit of turnery, perhaps the chuck manufacturer would do it on the cheap seeing as the told wrong?

Nice to see some new pics, nice turnery Pyro- Here's a few things I've made recently, I think it's Hornbeam, not sure though, any suggestions? The figure, grain and colour in this wood is amazing, the pics don't do it justice. Incidentally does any one have a good method for taking nice turnery photos?

Pyro (Ben) That's a nice little square number, I'd say Yew from the pics. What finish did you use? If you make the out-rigger bed to match the between centres bed, then you could just use the normal banjo tool post and just increase the T-rest stem height...

Pyro, which Sheppach are you looking at? I've used the DMT450 Scheppach : Werkstatt - Drechselmaschinen It was quite good for a small lathe, good sturdy cast construction. I think this may even be the same as one from Axminster (?)

Ian, I get it through a friend, but he buys it from T & J TOOLS. I guess it's available else where too... Otherwise if you just want to try a bit, you can have a few samples off me, if you're passing near Worcester.

Abranet is good, but I calculated that it's over twice as expensive, and it doesn't last twice as long, as Norton NorGrip. Maybe I'm just tight :-) Say hi to Rustle at ASK next time you're in.

-so I found the names of the sand paper I use... it's very good and quite good value. Sand paper: Norgrip 120 - 400grits, and A275 Rotolo foam backed 600 - 800grits. Brillo pad type stuff: Mirlon total 1500 UF & 2500 MF. Has any one else used these?

basically just to hold larger work, allowing you to turn the base. Look back up the thread for a more detailed confusing explanation :-)

slack ma girdle - thanks, raffle prize good idea... If you mean concentricity and parallelism of top to bottom of the bowl, then you can get very close depending how the bowl is mounted. This one was mounted on a big spigot, so the base turning is concentric and parallel, thus the spherical surface is continuous and not miss-matched. The back plate (just a big face plate) is perpendicular and concentric to the lathe spindle. The retaining ring (doughnut) is just to clamp the bowl to the back plate and its position is not important. Although you can use it to adjust the concentricity of what you're turning if its not located on a spigot, such as with natural edge... My explanations are not great, so here's a few more pics that may help. 1st one is the spigot the ash bowl was mounted on, other bowl just clamped to the back plate.

Cheers, it's a marmite piece though, and I've yet to make a stand for it - any ideas? Currently it's kicking about in the shed, know anyone who'd want it?