Category Archives: Turning

One Piece Spool, Again

Posted on August 15, 2017 by dave49

This post is not so much about how to make a one piece spool (topic covered June 2013) as it is about a comparison of two types of metal lathe available to hobbyists. I now have both a MiniLathe (China … Continue reading →

Posted in Spool, Turning | Leave a comment

Diamond Toolholder

Posted on June 6, 2017 by dave49

Somehow the Diamond Toolholder (a.k.a. Tangential Toolholder) came to my attention and I thought it sounded like a great idea. Uses a standard 1/4 inch HSS bit, easy to sharpen, easy to adjust height. So I put my money down. … Continue reading →

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Thrust Plate for Compound Slide

Posted on May 30, 2017 by dave49

I have had a MiniLathe for several months now, but am still having trouble making it function well enough to replace my Sherline lathe for routine reel making operations. One particular problem is that the dial of the compound slide … Continue reading →

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More MiniLathe Tooling

Posted on April 13, 2017 by dave49

I have used a Sherline lathe for about 9 years to make reel parts. In that time I developed many fixtures to facilitate lathe operation. Now that I am converting to a MiniLathe, new tools are needed. Here its a … Continue reading →

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MiniLathe Tooling

Posted on April 4, 2017 by dave49

In 2015, I replaced my Sherline mill with a MiniMill (Little Machine Shop 3990). The switchover was simple; I only had to make some special hold down clamps to continue using my Sherline rotary table with the new mill. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Tools, Turning, Work Holding | 1 Comment

A Foot Fixture for the Lathe

Posted on July 24, 2016 by dave49

Since starting this hobby in 2010, I have built about 50 reels. For every one of these, I shaped the top of the reel foot with a vertical mill using this rotary table fixture. This is a labor intensive process … Continue reading →

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Radius Turning with the Compound Slide

Posted on May 11, 2015 by dave49

“Any tool can be the right tool.” – Red Green I put a “waist” on a reel knob by moving the tip of a lathe tool bit through an arc. The radius of this arc is 1.8 inches and makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Knob, Turning | Leave a comment

Swarf Pan

Posted on April 25, 2015 by dave49

I have been collecting waste chips from the lathe in shallow pans made of folded poster board, placed in front and back of the lathe base.  To make a more effective collection, I recently bought an aluminum “full sheet” baking … Continue reading →

Posted in Fixtures, Turning | 2 Comments

Shaping the Knob

Posted on February 3, 2014 by dave49

The knobs on my reels have just been simple cylinders. They might look better with some shaping, perhaps a “waist”. Here is a material blank mounted on a mandrel, ready for turning. I want to make a concave arc cut … Continue reading →

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Lathe Bit Grinding

Posted on July 1, 2013 by dave49

I find that high speed steel (HSS) lathe bits cut more smoothly than any carbide bits, brazed or insert. HSS bits cut best when freshly sharpened, a task that I have dreaded. My grinder is typical of the “home improvement … Continue reading →

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