The Little Wood Shop

[rgfixit]

Well..you're correct. The angle does change as the tool gets shorter. I'll compensate with the length of the base and the angle of the belt. The block mounted to the sander is only for locating the fingernail grind fixture and isn't used to locate the other tools.  I actually have more adjustability in finding the proper angle because the belt tips to the rear and the base extends. The tool handles I make are typically in the 16" range, making the overall tool up to 26" long. Plenty of room to adjust and get the angle right.

When I think I have everything adjusted, I mark the bevel of the tool with a sharpie and lay it against the belt. Turn the belt a bit and inspect to determine if the belt is hitting the tool as I want it. It really only takes a few seconds and it's set.

Take a look at the Oneway Wolverine or Robert Sorby sharpening systems and you'll get a better idea of how I combined their processes to use the belt sander rather than a grinding wheel.

It's wood turning tools and the angle of approach is part tool and part eye/feel. Basically, one rides the bevel of the tool to start then angles the cutting edge into the workpiece by raising the handle till it cuts. There's nothing really fixed in the operation. That's the fun part. Depending on how one angles, tips, turns or approaches the piece, the tool will shear, dig, scrape or cut. Every piece of wood and every cut is different. Lots of technique to master.....I've a long way to go.

Anyway, I went through and took all my tools to a 400 grit finish yesterday. They cut like a hot knife through butter. My guess is that going beyond a 240 finish is really unnecessary.

Rg

[rgfixit]

Turned my first bottle stopper yesterday.





Little wine barrel

Rg

[Raquettedacker]

Way cool.......

[ActiveTrapChecker]

nicely done!

[Mac Attack]

Great job Bob.
You even got the cork on the side.

 

[rgfixit]

Thanks guys.

Just the start. Practicing on some oak dowel before I get into the exotic blanks I have.

Picked up a treadmill yesterday about a mile from my home for free. Stripped it this afternoon and will be setting up the variable speed motor on the lathe. Looks like a pretty simple conversion. I'll give me 0-3700 rpm with a 1 1/2 hp motor. Probably the last I'll do to the current lathe before upgrading

It's  the most addicting thing I've done next to tying flies. Has everything that peaks my interest.

Rg

[Mac Attack]

Picked up a treadmill yesterday about a mile from my home for free. Stripped it this afternoon and will be setting up the variable speed motor on the lathe. Looks like a pretty simple conversion. I'll give me 0-3700 rpm with a 1 1/2 hp motor.

Rg

Soooooooooo.........................got tire of sitting around waiting for my fat ass Bob?

 

[rgfixit]

Nah...just bumped into one on Craigslist. Yet to see if this will work. I'm pretty confident it will though. Next up will be the drill press. I have a big old powermatic variable speed drill press at my friend's gun shop. It's a moose.....just too big for my basement and for what I do. He's been using it for years. He's building a woodworking shop and I have no doubt I'll have complete access if I need it.

I'll be tinkering around with the new drive the next few days.

Rg

[rgfixit]

So.....got to tinkering around this morning. Here's the salvageable parts.

Motor, rectifier/control board, circuit breaker, old on/off switch, speed control pot.

Here's the bare components wired up for testing


Had a problem with the speed control to,start with. The motor would simply wind up to top speed without any speed control. Then I realized that when I removed the fan blade,(didn't think it was necessary) I also removed the integral tachometer magnet. Once reinstalled, the motor varies from a crawl to zoom   Zoom!

Just ordered a hand held laser tachometer to positively determine the spindle speeds at the chuck. I'll be able to use the existing motor mount system after fabricating a new platform. The control box will be dirt simple and I can  even use the existing pulleys on both the motor and lathe. My new ACCULINK belt will also work .

If I'm real creative and able to find a 4 step pulley to fit the motor shaft, I can have 4 ranges of variable speed........not that I really need that

Love a cheap, effective project.

And...yes....that's my chop Saw still in pieces in the background.....no parts yet.

Rg

[fishnmachine]

Fun, fun, fun!

Nice stopper, too. Not just for wine, but that would look sharp on a bourbon decanter, too!   

[Mac Attack]

Nah...just bumped into one on Craigslist.

Rg

So do I drag mine to the curb?
Or would you still like it?
Our annual Spring drive to Bass Pro in Auburn is coming up for Donna and I in the next month or two.

[rgfixit]

I can make use of it Mac. I'm already thinking about the drill press.

My son posted the little barrel on a bourbon lovers site and they all liked it. I'll be making more of those.

Rg

[fishnmachine]

When you turn the little barrel do you hold on the plastic insert? 

[rgfixit]

No that's a silicone sleeve that's glued on to the stopper after it's turned.

Chuck up the blank between centers
Rough it down to a cylinder
Turn a 1/2" tenon the length of the sleeve and shape the bottom of the stopper
Switch to the collet chuck and hold the piece by the tenon
Turn the shape
Do some sanding and finishing....... voila'.

Rg

[fishnmachine]

Okay. So then the little bung on the barrel is only decorative and not actually a dowel through the silicone insert. Nice.