Nearly Kicked The Habit

What I used at the other house over my wood lathe was a truck/car headlight. I had a 12V transformer and wired both high and low beams on. Had it into a wood box with a open area for the light and chain holders to an overhead hook.

The super bright light fell across the lathe and not in my eyes. I don't look upwards. It never flickered or went out. Twelve volts is lower than car

Car fixers types likely would have a front assembly with calibration screws :-)

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal. NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.

charlieb wrote:

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Well Martin's Truck/Car Headlight idea would solve the flickering fluorescent problem. Unfortunately, the VS lathe is 110V AC.

Thankfully the toasted 30A 220V breaker didn't set the shop on fire - or burn out the 3hp TEFC motor on the table saw.

All is well now - but I'm putting turning into perspective in my woodworking over arching addiction. I have neglected not only my other power and hand tools, but my wood stash as well. I've got 200 bf of mainly quater sawn "english sycamore" (which isn't really sycamore but rather a maple) with lots of tiger figure, maybe 60 bf of old growth mahogany and lots of claro walnut crotch, some with some night "feather" grain that's been waiting to be made into something. The router, table and fence, and an unused set of cope and stick and panel raising bits are chomping at the bit to start the kitchen cabinets. The Robland X-31 combi is getting tired of collecting dust.

Having gotten past the woodturner withdrawl symptoms it's time to return, for some unspecified period of time, to some furniture making.

Maybe I'll turn some door and drawer pulls - when the time comes.

But first I've got to clear all the turnings and turning stuff off ALL the horizontal surfaces which are above floor level . . .

charlie b

Hi Charlie,

This is going to be interesting, especially to my flat work neighbor and me. He absolutely refuses to let me be an enabler to get him into the turning habit.

Please keep us informed about your withdrawal symptoms as you return to woodworking. What a shame to waste all that lovely stash on cabinets. (calm down, Robert) :)

Even if you are a true renaissance man, you will be sorely missed til you come to your senses. A table saw is a workbench with a slot in the middle. Meanwhile here's my sincere thanks for making rcw a better forum and a grudging "good luck and have fun with that 'other' wood thing". :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Arch old buddy, I have seen more beautiful wood turned into ashtrays and thingamajigs than I can count.

At the last woodturning club meeting we had, one of the folks there was BRAGGING about cutting a huge pecan trunk that was spalting (apparently dying before collapse in a storm) up for turning stock. I was mildly interested...

Then he told me that the trunk was almost 4' across, tapering to 3' in about 25 feet. I was immidiately wondering how many board feet that could be cut into, or even rough slabbed out with a good chainsaw (mine has a 32" bar on it!).

Then he told me he rented a big chainsaw and cut it into turning chunks and firewood, nothing over 18" long.

I was horrified... a trunk of spalted pecan? Chopped up into little pieces?

As I sat there with a stunned, blank look on my face, he thought I was admiring his efforts, wishing I had my own spalted pecan tree trunk to make in to turning blanks and firewood.

He nudged me a little out of sight of the other guys... and very generously offered to let me come by his house and pick up as much as I wanted.

Ouch.

Wood turning is a powerful mistress. I love my flatwork and will turn away (no pun intended!) from the lathe for a while from time to time. Only to get a nice piece of wood, spin it up and have a ball. Then I'm back on it for a while, letting my imagination have at the pieces in the wood pile.

Charlie will no doubt hear the siren's call soon enough. And like me, just because he isn't turning all the time doesn't mean he can't hang around here and start trouble, right?

;^)

Robert

there are few people who combine lathe and flat work except for legs - that would be a new avenue to show mixed skills - for example, a square edged bowl might fit very nicely into a table or cabinet (adjust size of bowl as needed for aesthetics) - let your imagination free and make something new

if you only have one tool, everything starts looking like a bowl.....

".