1. Home
  2. Woodturning Crafts
  3. R.I.P.

R.I.P.

Time marches on, so does my senility along with my turning tools and devices. Here's some deceased devices I've buried over the years and a couple that are moribund and life support isn't working. What tools have you pulled the plug on or are already in your tool cemetery?

I remember those half circular blocks for bolting to rectangular shaft skews to make oval or round skews. Why didn't I just grind a bevel on a round shaft to begin with?

I remember when metal lathe dogs and driving plates were fostered on this innocent woodturner and his lathe.

I remember when cheap independent 4 jaw chucks were going to save me from bruised knuckles from 3 jaw universal chucks. They don't even keep my skiff from drifting with the tide.

I remember when a vertilathe was going stand the woodturning world on it's head or at least on my drill press and make my old AMT obsolete. Mine didn't.

I remember when a sharpened pipe with a suction line would solve the need for multiple gouges and the dust control problem simultaneously.

I remember thinking I was uptown and on the leading edge when instead of a tail center integral with its spindle, my lathe sported a 60 degree dead tail center with a Morse taper that could be removed from the spindle. Those burned center dimples might be considered art today. Maybe not.

I remember trying to make a vacuum chuck out of a suction grip meant for toting glass panels. I forgot that wood isn't glass. Oxymoron or not wood leaks vacuum.

I remember tail pipe expanders, camed internal pipe wrenches, sand paper with real sand, $8.00 tool sets from H.F. and carbide tipped tools from AMT.

When I look under the piles of scrap and general discards in my shop, I wonder what possessed me to buy or make so many poor substitutes or useless tools and devices. Hope springs eternal and I'm still possessesd. Think I'll go by H.F. this morning and see what junk or bargains I can adapt for use in turning wood. I know ahead of time that they won't work or else be far less useful than the real thing, a proper tool. Thrift can be waste, sadly it often is in my shop. Has thrift or the leading edge ever backfired on you?

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

formatting link

Reply to
Arch
Loading thread data ...

"Arch" wrote: What tools

I remember when a vertilathe was to going stand the woodturning world on

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I started making pens before I had a lathe. Rather than a Vertilathe, I bought a plastic kit from Woodcraft, consisting of an assortment of bushings, and a pair of wheels. The idea was to make the wood round by rolling it over a spinning router bit. It ALMOST worked ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I remember when cheap independent 4 jaw chucks were going to save me

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I have a couple of those from Harbor Freight, @ $20 each. Not only did it take forever to center the work, it didn't hold anything well enough to be useful. I thought I could do off-axis turning with one, but nothing ever came of it. The only off-axis work I got was a result of poor recentering of those pieces that didn't break when they flew out of the chuck. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Those burned center dimples might be considered art today.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Oh, I think they would, if you did it right. Sign the piece pyrographically, wrapping your inscription around that burned dimple--maybe add a few spokes or scrolls. Depends on how tacky you want to get. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I remember trying to make a vacuum chuck out of a suction grip meant for

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Arch, I can't believe you actually tried that. Aside from leakage, the wobble factor would have defeated you. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (clip)I wonder what possessed me to buy or make so many poor substitutes or

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Even the failed attempts are exercise for the brain, and this has obviously kept you from stagnating. Besides, if you could go back over your record, I'll bet your ratio of successes to failures is better than average.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Sharpening do-dads. I have a Bunch of sharpening do-dads. The only ones that really work are my eyes and hands.

But I really Like Harbor Freight - AKA Horrible Fright. Maybe it's the cheap metal bristle brushes or the box of a thousand cotter pins or the $14.00 4" angle grinder that won't quit or the smell of used motor oil, but whatever it is draws me in. We now have TWO in town, new one close to where I live. I once made the mistake of ordering on line from them. The dog and cat took an unhealthy interest in the box and I had to get it out to the garage right quick.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

My wife actually introduced me to Harbor Fright... They didn't have them in my area at the time but were in hers.. She said "you gotta see this place, it's like Costco for guys".. She was right..

When we hit Yuma on our shopping trips, she drops me at HF while she emptys Wal-Mart... There's always something that is just too inexpensive not to buy..lol

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

Dunno, I sometimes find good stuff at Costco. Got a shop stool with Five casters, pneu-matic height adjustment and a motorcyle style seat at Costco!

I rarely get out of HF for under $30 - just about fills the back of the cab. :)

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

I spent more than that on clamps last visit.. I think 36" bar clamps were like $7 or $8 each..

If they ever bring HF to Baja, they'll be a big hit, for sure.. The Home Depot in Mexicali has expanded twice in the last year or so and runs at least 2 trucks a day to my area.. 120 miles each way.. They're flatbed semi's and always coming down full..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

Some of the power tools are incredibly good, if you are aware of what they copied and are willing to do some finish work. I bought a copy of a Makita 3612B plunge router. When I say copy, I suspect it was made in the same plant from the same dies, etc. The "user manual" and parts lists are Identical. I stripped it down, did some fettling and put it back together. Great router and dead nuts on! Probably has a cheaper motor, but since It doesn't get much use so $30 is a lot more comfortable than $200.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

I have a 6-in-1 chuck, with several different dovetail jaws. Never could figure out all 6 ways the chuck could grip.

Reply to
Bruce Barnett

hmm.. I don't have a plunge router yet.. do you have HF's model number or something on the one that you got? What kind of "fettling" did you have to do?

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

60Hz 110VC~ 1600W 23000r/min 1/2" (1/4")

It is a dead ringer for the Makita 3612B - single speed.

Primarily taking apart the plunge mechanism. Cleaned all the parts, did a light sanding in one or two spots and lubed where appropriate. Had to fiddle a bit until I got the plunge working smoothly. The handles are some sort of rubberized plastic and they still had mold marks. I smoothed those with a knife and sandpaper. I replaced the base with a Milescraft Turnlock kit. Cost me almost as much as the router - LOL!

I've been happy with it, though it hasn't seen much use for the past year or so. Runout seems to be less than what I can measure and it does not complain in HW.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

Reply to
Leetollett

Thanks.. I'll order one! (I called the HF in Yuma and they don't stock it, of course..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

Hi Lobby, You'll probably be insulted and have a right to, but I wonder if we had the same mother.

I know you are hoping that your HF router will die soon so you can justify buying a new tool. You might be able to kill it by squirting some sand and syrup in the bearings. I might try that on my HF Sioux angle drill knockoff. I've mistreated it every way I can think of and it keeps on ticking. HTH. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

formatting link

Reply to
Arch

Nope. Portland Oregon area.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

Stop Press!!

I had a brain drain there. Looked for it online and rediscovered the place where I Really got it:

formatting link
They've jacked the price to $40, but I'd buy it again at that price. I strongly suspect that C.M.T. stands for Chinese Made Tool. They also have a mini router and an angle drill that look interesting. And their 4" grinder is cheaper than HF. They have a box on ordering that asks if you want to pay for extra packaging. When I bought the router, something told me it might be a good idea - it was. Box looked like the FedEx truck dragged it the last ten miles, but the router was ok. Sorry about the mixup.

You know it's getting bad when you gotta hit yourself upside the head to get a clear picture!

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

A few generations back! :)

For new tools, I Really like to get something I don't already own. New Projects = New Tool(s) - 'I really need a framing nailer to do that'.

Dropping sometimes works.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

I thought this morning that you were talking about this one:

formatting link
>They've jacked the price to $40, but I'd buy it again at that price. I >strongly suspect that C.M.T. stands for Chinese Made Tool. They also have >a mini router and an angle drill that look interesting. And their 4" >grinder is cheaper than HF. They have a box on ordering that asks if you >want to pay for extra packaging. When I bought the router, something told >me it might be a good idea - it was. Box looked like the FedEx truck >dragged it the last ten miles, but the router was ok. >

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

Lotta good stuff at tiny url. Cars, boats, houses ...

In fact, I think it's identical. Look at the pictures side by side.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.