New here - first lathe

I bought one of those exact lathes once for $5 - it's usable for spindle work but it isn't very rigid. you will find information about it at lathes.com.uk and you will find folks who like old wood working machines at

Get rid of it--quick, before it's too late! That is the kind of lathe that got me hooked. Although mine is a Harbor Fright. I still use it as a buffing machine and do my turning on a bigger machine.

Welcome to the world of rotary addiction.... My name is Mac and I'm a woodturner...

Good starter lathe, be careful and have fun....

As Mac has said, (and the other two have intimated) "My name is Deb and I am a woodturner."

It is an addiction, but a wonderful one.

I would agree, your Craftsman is a good place to start. You will do one of three things with it.

You will decide you do not like turning You will find you really do not like it but find it valuable and just keep the Craftsman But, in all probability, you will become addicted and soon learn that your Craftsman is limited and start looking around for something bigger and better. I have two words for you when this symptom hits "Craigs List."

Your Craftsman has a #1 Morris taper, most have a #2. I am not sure of the threads on the headstock spindle, but 1x8 is common for the midsized lathes and 1 1/4 x8 for the larger midsize lathes. So go light on buying a chuck (i.e., shop around) unless it has an insert that allows you to change thread sizes.

Lastly and MOST IMPORTANTLY. GET A FACE SHIELD

Yes, woodturning clubs are nice, new tools are wonderful, Youtube videos are great. But a face shield will save you in three ways:

A trip to the dentist to have that stub front tooth pulled A trip to the plastic surgeon to have that nasty gouge in your face sown up A trip to the cemetery (No this is not hyperbole - it really happens)

You really, at this point have no idea just how much kenetic energy that spinning piece of wood has. You will learn "When" (not if) you get your first major catch (gouge hits wood at wrong angle, wood reacts in an unpredictable manner), or a piece just flies off. Its very startling to hear "Thwack" and feel a force against the face shield. (But YOU are okay, except for needing a new pair of shorts, that is). Imagine that withouit the face shield.

You do not have to spend a fortune, one from Harbor Freight works just fine. But get one ASAP,

Deb

I bought one of those exact lathes once for $5 - it's usable for spindle work but it isn't very rigid. you will find information about it at lathes.com.uk and you will find folks who like old wood working machines at

Fortunately, spindle work is what we bought it for, so this one will work fine at least for a starter lathe, once it's spiffed up a little.

The lathes.com.uk link seems to be gone, but owwm is a good resource - I found a couple pictures of lathes with pretty close model numbers.

Tom

As Mac has said, (and the other two have intimated) "My name is Deb and I am a woodturner."

It is an addiction, but a wonderful one.

I would agree, your Craftsman is a good place to start. You will do one of three things with it.

You will decide you do not like turning You will find you really do not like it but find it valuable and just keep the Craftsman But, in all probability, you will become addicted and soon learn that your Craftsman is limited and start looking around for something bigger and better. I have two words for you when this symptom hits "Craigs List."

Your Craftsman has a #1 Morris taper, most have a #2. I am not sure of the threads on the headstock spindle, but 1x8 is common for the midsized lathes and 1 1/4 x8 for the larger midsize lathes. So go light on buying a chuck (i.e., shop around) unless it has an insert that allows you to change thread sizes.

Lastly and MOST IMPORTANTLY. GET A FACE SHIELD

Yes, woodturning clubs are nice, new tools are wonderful, Youtube videos are great. But a face shield will save you in three ways:

A trip to the dentist to have that stub front tooth pulled A trip to the plastic surgeon to have that nasty gouge in your face sown up A trip to the cemetery (No this is not hyperbole - it really happens)

You really, at this point have no idea just how much kenetic energy that spinning piece of wood has. You will learn "When" (not if) you get your first major catch (gouge hits wood at wrong angle, wood reacts in an unpredictable manner), or a piece just flies off. Its very startling to hear "Thwack" and feel a force against the face shield. (But YOU are okay, except for needing a new pair of shorts, that is). Imagine that withouit the face shield.

You do not have to spend a fortune, one from Harbor Freight works just fine. But get one ASAP,

Deb

That sounds like real good advice.

Thanks, Tom

Not quite the last - think about how you keep all that wood dust out of you lungs, it doesn't do you any good in there.

sorry, no "M" in the link, try this

As my mentor told me.... "wear eye protection of your next turning might be a white cane"... As your other woodworking tools, ride that line between respect and fear and you'll do far less dumb things (like I seem to do almost daily)

Like Me too!

I was replacing an old gatepost that had ben screwed to a brick wall. Some of the screws were impossible to remove (rusted in) but I got the rotting post off the wall and picked up the angle grider to hack off the projecting screws. I had to remove the guard to get in close.

Next job, a while later, was taking some length off the "hardened stainless steel" bar of a digital readout and I hadn't got round to putting the guard back on. I now have a deep, slowly healing, gash in the left edge of my left hand!

OUCH!

I usually do things like knowing not to reach across the lathe to adjust something and doing it anyway... usually getting a good rap on the knuckles, expecially by wing bowls...

I have a face plate I believe 3/4" thread belonged to my dad possibly shop smith. My Lathe is 1 1/8 and I have a face plate so if it would work shipping cost would cover it. Sent an e-mail

Mike M

I have a face plate I believe 3/4" thread belonged to my dad possibly shop smith. My Lathe is 1 1/8 and I have a face plate so if it would work shipping cost would cover it. Sent an e-mail

Thanks for the offer, Mike. I'll take a look at it and see what the threads are.

Tom

I have a face plate I believe 3/4" thread belonged to my dad possibly shop smith. My Lathe is 1 1/8 and I have a face plate so if it would work shipping cost would cover it. Sent an e-mail

Mike, I checked the threads on the headstock and it's 3/4 x 16. If that's what your face plate is we've got a deal. Email me offline please and I'll give you the address and mail you a check if you know what the shipping would be.

Thanks, Tom

Apparently came up with the wrong e-mail, I've tried again.

Apparently came up with the wrong e-mail, I've tried again.

Got it this time, Mike. Answer on the way.

Tom

if you find you need more faceplates, visit my site,

and click on faceplates - I try to make them as inexpensively as I can for those in the hobby - I make a little, it pays for the tooling but mostly I make them for the fun of making them.

Mike, I've submitted my application for permission to reply to your email. Here's hoping that you will approve my request.

Tom

Apparently came up with the wrong e-mail, I've tried again.

On Fri, 16 Aug 2013 22:43:38 -0500, tdacon wrote (in message ):

I had this same lathe many years ago. Still have the chisels that I got with it. Am addicted worse than ever to turning, thanks to this lathe. You will like it, learn from it, and want a better one eventually. Good for spindle work. You can manage some faceplate work with it, too, but slowly. tom koehler