This question was originally asked almost a year ago so I thought it was about time to give it another chance for some more responses.
We would like you to come up with some questions you would like to see us ask.
How do you do ____?
I wish they would ask ____?
What's your favorite ____?

Ask anything you want as long as it's turning related.

QOTW
What Questions would you like us to ask?

How many on the forum that turn as a hobby, rather then sell, get along with a Reeves type drive lathe?

My personal experience with a reeves drive is this.
While I prefer a VFD, there is nothing wrong with a properly working reeves drive.
The main short falls of the drive are, 1. no reverse and 2. minimum speed too high.
I recommend getting a high quality belt and they work fine.

Mostly just a hobbie. I do sell a few.  Here in poor SC  people won't pay much for a wooden bowl.  $20-$25

Rick Caron wrote on Jul 23^rd, 2018 at 4:59pm:

Mostly just a hobbie. I do sell a few.  Here in poor SC  people won't pay much for a wooden bowl.  $20-$25

Wow!! My smallest piece, a 4" dia red gum bowl/cup/thing sold for $75.00

My best so far is an 11" ambrosia maple bowl for $225.
Most are going in the $140 range.

Seems you need to move to Maine!!


I know... off topic.

I'll think of a question sooner or later. [smiley=023.gif]

As to the Reeves drive lathes, I bought the HF lathe as a first lathe in April of 2017. It did everything I asked of it until a few weeks ago when I tried a larger log piece that was out of balance.  They are just too fast even at the slowest speed.  If you are only going to do precut blanks that are relatively balanced you should be fine.  I want to branch out so my Laguna is arriving later this week.

If you were sandpaper, what grit would you be and why?

I feel your pain Rick. Same here in Louisiana
... I’ve love turning all types of things and have enough items to start my own gallery, but here in real America I just keep turning and happy doing it.  Bring on the wood

[highlight]If you were sandpaper, what grit would you be and why?[/highlight
Depends on what I was sanding! ;D

I'm thinking I'd be 600 grit.

I wouldn't want to rub anyone the wrong way!! :o

So, does anyone have a question they would like asked as QOTW?
Favorite tool?
Favorite wood?
Holding method?
Project advise or insight?
Safety
What type of gouge would you be? (thanks Jennifer)

I have a question I've wanted to ask for a while. Why do so many turners leave the spigot or recess on the bottom of their completed bowls as the footing?

-Is it a lack of equipment?
-Do people not want to take the time to remount and turn a "3rd" surface?
-Does Joe-public not notice a detail like this therefore is it unimportant?
-Other than mounting in cole jaws/vacuum chuck, etc., and turning the spigot or recess away completely, are there other methods people use to disguise a spigot or recess?

I have to say, it does bother me a bit when I go to craft fairs and see a stall full of nice bowls all with the recess left in the base. I personally feel that it leaves a piece feeling almost "unfinished".

Great question Alistair, thanks

I just saw one posted to the gallery that had an enormous "spigot" on the bottom of a nicely curved bowl and for me personally, it ruined the whole thing. It looked unfinished.


I always remove the "Spigot" or "tenon" as I might call it. If I turn a recess for the jaws to insert, then I go back and reshape the bottom of the bowl so it gently merges with the recess.

I have a major dislike of a foot or a pedestal on a bowl that is so visible.

I try to keep track where in this world my turned pieces have gone.   I have pieces in Tasmania, Australia, Germany, Holland, England, Japan, Sweden, eastern Canada and southern US.

QOTW

What is the farthest from your shop your pieces have made it to? 

Thanks Leo, great question  smiley=023.gif

I've been fortunate to be able to participate in a couple of "wood swaps". They have provided me with with some unique wood from different parts of the country.

My question is, could get a wood swapping event started?

Thank you
Dick

Dick Bernard wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2018 at 10:20am:

My question is, could get a wood swapping event started? Thank you Dick

Dick, that's simply a matter of interest. We can start a thread and ask, if their are enough members that want to swap then we can move forward.
Items that need to be factored in are
1. How much wood (what size box)
2. Shipping cost (what size box)
3. Shipping cost for those not in the contiguous 48 states
4. Compliance of quarantine zones for EAB and other wood diseases
This is off the top of my head, I'll try to put something together and see if it gets enough interest.

I realize it takes time and effort to this research, so, for your time and effort I offer you a sincere "thank you".

Dick

What is a reliable commercial source of a vacuum chuck system? I have had an order in at one vendor since October or November and still haven’t received the product. Anyone I should avoid?

Welcome to the forum

  (You need to Login or Register

I don't know what lathe you have but I bought my Vac system from them many years ago. Simple one stop shopping, everything from one supplier.
Everything still works perfectly

Who invented turning?   ;D ;D

Ed Weber wrote on Feb 1^st, 2020 at 12:09am:

Welcome to the forum   (You need to Login or Register I don't know what lathe you have but I bought my Vac system from them many years ago. Simple one stop shopping, everything from one supplier. Everything still works perfectly

He is part of our turning club and nice guy to but no discounts.  ;D

Arlin Eastman wrote on Feb 1^st, 2020 at 2:42pm:

Who invented turning?   Grin

That's the kind of thing I would expect from Ralph  ;D

The most common answer is the Egyptians at about 1300 BC

Great men think alike.  ;D ;D

Question:  If money were no issue and you could buy one piece from any other turner in the world, what would it be and who would have turned it?

Another question:  Who has been the most influencial person to you as a turner?

David Ellsworth for both questions.

...any piece from him.  I have 2 of Wendy's bead pieces and it would be nice to have something from him as well. [smiley=023.gif]

My question is,,,,Why turn bowls??  I have been turning for over 50 years, and don’t remember ever turning a bowl(or pens either)..
I turn balls, bats, canes, etc, never had a desire to turn bowls...the local thrift store has a table, that always has over 20 handturned bowls,,, priced as low as a $1 each,,, they seldom sell.....
And I turn balls and can’t keep up with the demand,.

Sooo ....why bowls???

Well.. when I can turn a bowl and sell it for $225..that seems to be a good reason.

Plus, I find turning pens a waste of time... now that is only MY opinion, mind you.

I'd be willing to bet that those bowls on the bargain table are of such low quality that they were destined to that table.

I might get into turning balls sometime in the future as it seems like a neat thing to do. [smiley=023.gif]

My question is:


What are you planning on doing or not doing related to the coronavirus?

I plan to spray everyone who comes into my store with Lysol. :o

Possibly just have a belt with cans of Lysol and spray anyone who gets within 6' of me. smiley=023.gif

Not a problem for me, I don't play well with others anyway  ::)

Seriously, please take all necessary precautions everyone

Ken Appelt wrote on Mar 11^th, 2020 at 1:05am:

My question is,,,,Why turn bowls??

The short answer is that they can be attractive and/or useful.

The long answer is that it's how the mainstream turning is geared.
First you get a small lathe to turn pens, until all your friends and family start saying "I have a pen thank you".
Then it's time to move up to a mid-sized lathe and work on boxes or potpourri containers, and various handle kits, basically the entire PSI catalog.
Then your supposed to move up to a full sized lathe and turn bowls.
Anything else is considered a 'specialty" and not really looked upon as proper turning. Oh, you turn that, that's nice  ::)

Apparently you didn't get the memo that was sent out, now get with the program.
I want to see you get out there and pump out a few bowls or we'll, we'll do something, you just wait.

Turning spheres, you rebel.

For those who are satire impaired, I was partially joking

Apparently you didn't get the memo that was sent out, now get with the program.
I want to see you get out there and pump out a few bowls or we'll, we'll do something, you just wait.


We'll  come out there and make you shake hands with us...without Purell!! :o

Now Ralph, that's a bit extreme for a first offense but i do like your enthusiasm.
There may be a place for you on the enforcement squad  :-/

:) :) smiley=023.gif smiley=023.gif

You sell non essentials so with everyone staying home, you should not have many visitors to douse with Lysol.

On the plus side, i might finally get to all of my own framing pieces that been in here for years.

I have a  6' long red snake skin that is in the process of being framed and might finally get finished this week.  My own project for the store.

People really do buy this stuff! [smiley=023.gif]

Red snake?  We have a few red racers in S. Colorado.  Is that what you have.?

No, it has a Malaysa stamp on it and I have not been able to find anything like it on any google search. I have had it for close to 20 years rolled up and in a box of other weird things.

I have had 3 customers come in today and the last one spent almost $1,800 on framing...stuff. Nothing expensive, just stuff. [smiley=023.gif]

Sounds like it is paying you to stay open. By bro is POed cuz even the golf courses In Colo. Springs is shut down. It is open here.  I went to my local liquor store yesterday to get some corona or stock market sedative.  The owner was grinning fro ear to ear, said business was fantastic

I recently got my father’s General model 160 lathe.  The other night, the spindle cracked at the last thread and near about threw my chuck off.  Does anyone know where I can find a spindle for this old unit?  smiley=023.gif

  (You need to Login or Register is one possibility. However, it has to be bought with a couple extra parts.  ;)

Robert Hayward wrote on Feb 17^th, 2021 at 5:20pm:

Here is one possibility. However, it has to be bought with a couple extra parts.

I was going to suggest you might have to buy a used machine and cannibalize it for parts.

Jennifer Hasan wrote on Jul 23^rd, 2018 at 10:30pm:

If you were sandpaper, what grit would you be and why?

I would be an odd grit like 100 or 150. I never really use those.

My shop is in my basement and my wife is concerned that my pile of rages will catch fire. So my question is what is the safest way to store rags in a shop? New and used ones.

Any oily, greasy, solvent soaked wipe should be out of your shop yesterday, if your house is still there. If you don't have a approved container take them out and burn them, hang on a fence till crusty or throw in a bucket of water. I don't even like to pile up damp wood chips (ask old hay farmers).

I use a metal can with a metal lid.
No oxygen means no ignition.
A pail with water in it also works well, also covered or a weight to submerge the rags.
Once the oil is cured (hardened) it's no longer a threat.

Not sure if this is the right place to put this but here goes.
My brother is very sick and called me and asked if I could make him a Urn. I can but i need someplace that I can buy a solid 10" long but 8" x *8 square. I would like to use a spalted type of wood. I can not glue up boards for this project. I could cut a tree down but I don't the time to wait for the drying of the wood. Any Ideas?

Questions like yours can be put in Turning Talk

What you want to look for is called a vessel blank
Ebay often has some good prices for large blanks like this.