If you are looking for a good time....

[Big Mike]

Tom Ferone made me an offer I could not refuse. He invited me to teach a bowl turning class at Woodcraft on May 27th and I accepted.

To all my friends at North Carolina Woodworker I invite you to come down and spend the day with me. If you survive I promise you will go home with a smile on your face.:-D

The class is $95 and there are 5 slots available. We will be using the Delta Midi-lathes. There are tools available but you are welcome to bring your own. If you have your own chuck and it has a 1" X 8 threaded adaptor you can bring it so that all the work will be done with your own equipment.

If anyone is interested PM Tom and make inquiries and reservations through him.

I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

[DaveO]

Man, Big Mike that is very tempting. Will I come out of the class as good as you?:lol: :lol: Serious, I am sure that will be a very good class to take.

Dave (counting my pennies)

 

[Big Mike]

Will I come out of the class as good as you?:lol: :lol:
Dave (counting my pennies)

Dave, actually I hope you will come out of the class a lot better than me. I figure there are lots of people who turn as well as I do.:rbedface: :-D

 

[DavidF]

What sort of turning are you going to do - pens, bowls? I would love to get an intro to bowl turning and hence maybe justify a lathe set up.

"Duh.... just read the original posting - says bowl right up there:roll:

Will contact Tom

 

[Big Mike]

Dave, that is exactly what this class will be. We will take you through the process of mounting wood, turning the outside, finishing the outside and turning the inside of the bowl and then completing the bowl. The Delta midi is limited to about 10" diameter bowls and this is a good size for a beginner to start with. Come on down and have a fun Saturday. Tom tells me that there are a complete set of tools there for students to use so there is no need to invest a bunch of money until you find out if you like turning. Let me go ahead and warn you- turning is very addictive...

 

[DavidF]

Mike - I have nothing related to turning so will need to borrow it all! just PM'd Tom. I asked the finance committee if I could do it and she said she might like to try it!!!!!!!! Could this mean a shared Shop ?????

 

[Big Mike]

That is great news David. I am sure you and your wife will enjoy having a two lathe shop.:rolf: Several turning friends introduced their wives to turning and in short order they were elbowed away from their own lathes and had to buy one for the wife. Women in particular find turning to be very creative and less intimidating than some of the other woodworking activities. I hope to meet you both.:-D

 

[DavidF]

You could be right Mike, I think it is the size and the immediate gratification that she may find attractive - hope to see you there:-D

 

[DaveO]

DavidF, just tie a rope to your waist before you go in. It's a very slippery slope. I think you will love it.
Dave

 

[DavidF]

Ok, I'm signed up!!! Carol hasn't committed yet, but I am the first to sign so there are 4 places left as of today.:eusa_clap

 

[Big Mike]

Wonderful, David, I am looking forward to meeting you and spending the day together. Like I said before, I promise a good time will be had by the survivors, er, I mean by everyone.....:lol: :-D

 

[DavidF]

Only down side is the subsequent cost - Midi lathe, chuck, tools etc, etc. Although Pen State had a special starter offer of something like $350 for all that and more. They were pushing the "turner crafter Pro" what do think of that V the delta - if you have seen it.

 

[woodguy1975]

Stick with the delta or the jet. You won't be sorry.

John

Only down side is the subsequent cost - Midi lathe, chuck, tools etc, etc. Although Pen State had a special starter offer of something like $350 for all that and more. They were pushing the "turner crafter Pro" what do think of that V the delta - if you have seen it.

 

[DavidF]

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/lbtss3.htmlhttp://www.pennstateind.com/store/lbtss3.html

 

[Big Mike]

David, I cannot say anything bad about the Turncrafter because I have had no experience with it whatsoever. For that matter I have never turned on the Delta midi. When we turn on it in Raleigh it will be a first for both of us. But the Jet mini 1014 I use all the time for pens and have turned boxes and bowls on it without any problems. I think it is a fine piece of equipment for the money.

Yes, you are right, you can reasonably expect to spend as much on lathe tools and accessories as you did on the lathe. Unfortunately there is no way around it. You have to have a chuck although people did without them for centuries. A chuck just makes things so much easier. And you have to have tools. A sturdy bench or stand is essential for any lathe as it is imperative that all vibration is dampened if you want to do fine controlled work. My main lathe is on a massive bench which I have more than 400 pounds of weight embedded in it. It is vibration free and enables you to spin something without vibration which causes problems.