Recent content by srjdsmith

So, once again, breaking out another tool left to me by my Dad. It’s a Steel City mortiser 25200. It’s not the Rolls Royce of Mortisers, but it seems to work well enough. I have five chisels with it. It seems to use a slightly non-standard 5/8 collar chisel size, but that’s not a big problem...

I have some questions about sharpening wood lathe gouges. (caveat: some day I will buy a slow speed grinder and a proper attachment for gouges, parting tools, skews… but right now I have to use what I have. It the moment I’m coveting the 8” Rikon grinder with either a complete set of Wolverine...

Dubuque, Iowa. If Menard’s doesn’t have it, I can’t get it. There’s a Lowe’s and a couple farm stores, but they typically have less selection than Menard’s It’s ok. I finally got a sheet of 1/2” I’ve cut the squares and marked the centers, but I haven’t cut the circles yet. I’m reorganizing my...

I got Stumpy Nubs’ plans but I’m modifying them a bit. I just picked up the machine today. Didn’t have time to do much other than dry fit some pieces and set the machine on it. I’m making the actual slab the machine sits on a double layer with adjustable feet on the top one so that I can level...

Are you making disks? How will you do it? Band saw and sand them round? 6” hole saw? If you do it, please let me know how you made it work. I might forgo using the 3/4” for now and use the factory disks. I’ll make some of my own disks when I can get some 1/2” MDF

1) couldn’t find 1/2” 2) had to buy a 4x4 handi panel and only need about about 1/3 of it for the project, so trying to find a use for the rest 3) Stumpy Nubs makes disks for the WorkSharp 3000 out of 1/2” MDF. 3/4” might work, but they’ll be a lot heavier to spin (I don’t have the machine yet...

I need to have a surfacing setup for router anyway because I have some lumber more than 13” wide that needs to be surfaced- or even thickness adjusted. Any idea who has a good plan for a router sled? Or do I just design one based on my router?

…but it gives me courage to try it. WITH dust collection. I would think hardener would stabilize afterward like the varnish you used.

I have not done much with MDF, so I have some questions. 1) Can you run MDF through a thickness planer? (DeWalt 735x) Should I use something like Minwax Hardener before or after planing? 2) If it can be planed (3/4” down to 1/2”) does it need a base under? Like a 1x8 or 2x8?

I feel like I need to update. As a way of thanking for the advice. I’ve switched almost entirely to the Deta Midi lathe (but I did use the CalHawk for one larger diameter bowl). I’m really loving this!

It’s not much. I’m very proud of it. I have literally wanted to learn to turn my whole life. I think I’m addicted.

The Cal-Hawk doesn’t have MT, on either end. So that’s disappointing. But the Delta does and it’s a standard 1” x10 spindle. It seems adapters down to 3/4” x8 are easy enough to get, so a chuck would be useable on both. I guess eventually I’ll want a #2 MT drill chuck for the Delta.

The Delta is 1” x8, which I think is more standard. I’m not sure how to remove/change the live center. I’d like to be able to use a drill chuck for center drilling. or the dead center …on the Delta. Maybe there’s an online source for a user’s manual.

The Cal-Hawk is 3/4 x10. I guess the 4 jaw chuck is good for now, but self-centering would be nice. I definitely want a work holder that allows me to screw the faceplate in from behind, and a mandrel that screws directly into the piece (not sure what these work holders are called?).

Pictures on the way. Didn’t have time the last couple of evenings. Thread gauge. Hm. I’m not a machinist (I’m barely a woodworker- yet) I always forget about that. I’ll measure it today. It seems like there’s a chuck by Nova that has a whole set of adapters for different spindles. I believe...