# new lathe learning curve



## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

So am so used to my old lathe speed by listening to the sound of the motor, the delta is very quiet, I can't tell how fast its spinning, destroyed this banksia candle holder, good thing I was standing to the side haha


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## fboyles (Nov 7, 2012)

Glad to hear that you didn't get hit by any of the shrapnel.

Since you brought up speeds how is one to determine what the proper speed for a particular wood and tool should be?

Has anyone add a Digital readout RPM meter to their lathe?

What are the chances of using a bicycle computer to make a DIY Digital readout?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

When I first got my Delta, I was amazed at how quiet it was in comparison to my other lathe. Glad to hear you are getting some use out of the new one. :thumbsup: shame about the destroyed turning. Looks like it would have been cool


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Rule that I was taught was diameter of piece x rpm should be between 6000-9000.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Glad you are safe and not hurt. I guess learning a new lathe is like baking a cake - can't do it without breaking a few eggs. :smile:


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Now I'll have to source my banksia contacts and see if I can get you some replacements. Glad you weren't hurt. Shrapnel can kick a hard punch.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

sawdustfactory said:


> Rule that I was taught was diameter of piece x rpm should be between 6000-9000.


Is that metric or imperial

I'd like to play around with that and see how it works

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

This just got me to thinking, how does one know what the speed is at on a VS lathe without a digital readout? Obviously you would know when you were at the bottom or the top of your range but what about all the area in between?

Glad you wernt hurt.:thumbsup:


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I've never paid attention to those formula's because on most of my lathes I didn't have a way to know the rpm. My Powermatic has a readout but it's just a number and you have to look it up on a chart and the number is on the back side of the lathe. 
I just turn by what feels safe. Sometimes that's very fast, other times it's quite slow. 
What tools were you using to turn the Banksia. I've turned a lot of them and never had one break yet. I turn those at fairly high speed.


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

john lucas said:


> I've never paid attention to those formula's because on most of my lathes I didn't have a way to know the rpm. My Powermatic has a readout but it's just a number and you have to look it up on a chart and the number is on the back side of the lathe.
> I just turn by what feels safe. Sometimes that's very fast, other times it's quite slow.
> What tools were you using to turn the Banksia. I've turned a lot of them and never had one break yet. I turn those at fairly high speed.


John, that piece exploded without me.touching it with tools, just spining at 4000 rpm


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

man that sucks
i kinda start slow with my turnings
i have only once turned on the high belt setting


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

robert421960 said:


> man that sucks
> i kinda start slow with my turnings
> i have only once turned on the high belt setting


Yup, lesson learned


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Another curiosity question. Do you guys typically turn items at speeds that high? My lathe wont go to 4000, its highest setting is 3600 or 3200, cant remember. Ive never had the belt on that pully. I turn pens at the speed just before that one which is either 2200 or 2600. Should I turn pens at the fastest speed? I get a fairly clean cut but maybe I could get an even better cut at the fastest speed?


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

BassBlaster said:


> Another curiosity question. Do you guys typically turn items at speeds that high? My lathe wont go to 4000, its highest setting is 3600 or 3200, cant remember. Ive never had the belt on that pully. I turn pens at the speed just before that one which is either 2200 or 2600. Should I turn pens at the fastest speed? I get a fairly clean cut but maybe I could get an even better cut at the fastest speed?


Bass, my problem is the lathe is so quiet I don't get the belt and pulley cranking noises so my brain keeps telling me its going slow when it realty is going fast, I normally turn my pens at around 2200 rpm, but on my other lathe I had only 10 speeds and I knew what speed setting was what. There is a sheet that tells u what speed its turning depending on what pulley and number u set on the vs knob...


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

DaveTTC said:


> Is that metric or imperial
> 
> I'd like to play around with that and see how it works
> 
> Dave The Turning Cowboy


Imperial, so diameter in inches x rpm = 6000 - 9000.

I saw this reference for bowl turning or large spindles.


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I see. My lathe is only a 5 speed and I wouldnt call it quite. Not loud by any means but you can sure hear those bearings singin especially at the higher speeds.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

RusDemka said:


> John, that piece exploded without me.touching it with tools, just spining at 4000 rpm


Wow, that is fast. The banksia pods are not very robust.

I sand mine on the drill press running at around 500 rpm.

I use the Klingspor flapwheels. Come in various grits. 

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fw98070/

For the readers who have not seen a banksia pod, here is a picture of a whole pod and my first set of T light holders.


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

Dave Paine said:


> Wow, that is fast. The banksia pods are not very robust.
> 
> I sand mine on the drill press running at around 500 rpm.
> 
> ...


Thats exactly what I was making but with a curvy body...


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## fboyles (Nov 7, 2012)

I saw a guy fill the voids with turquoise and some sort of resin. Will HSS tools cut the turquoise without ripping the stone out? What kind of risen is used? Does anyone have a source for turquoise? I would like to try it.


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

fboyles said:


> I saw a guy fill the voids with turquoise and some sort of resin. Will HSS tools cut the turquoise without ripping the stone out? What kind of risen is used? Does anyone have a source for turquoise? I would like to try it.


I've seen people do that, but I like the holes as is when candles are lit


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

fboyles said:


> I saw a guy fill the voids with turquoise and some sort of resin. Will HSS tools cut the turquoise without ripping the stone out? What kind of risen is used? Does anyone have a source for turquoise? I would like to try it.


Ive cut turquoise Inlace with HSS tools but Inlace is fairly fine stone. The best I can tell, Inlace is just crushed stone in PR so it would be much cheaper to make it yourself than buy it. If I remember correctly, I paid 25 or 30 bucks for 8oz of Inlace. It would take quite a bit to fill the voids in one of those pods. A better option may be resin cast.

Check Ebay for turquoise. You can crush it yourself to whatever size chunks you like.


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## fboyles (Nov 7, 2012)

Come to think about it the example I was thinking of the guy had cut up the pod into pen blanks, then filled, and then turned.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

fboyles said:


> I saw a guy fill the voids with turquoise and some sort of resin. Will HSS tools cut the turquoise without ripping the stone out? What kind of risen is used? Does anyone have a source for turquoise? I would like to try it.


I think you mean In-Lace which is an epoxy resin which comes with a variety of different colours/pigments, one of which is turquoise.

It can add a very nice decorative effect.

Not cheap. You have to mix more than you need, then turn/sand once it is set.

Read the instructions. Too many drops of hardener and it will not harden. Too few and it will harden but take longer.

Do not rush, it must be set before turning/sanding.

Get the thickener if applying to vertical surfaces. These are tiny fibreglass beads.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Mer...=packard&Category_Code=proj-supp-inlay-inlace

This is a close up of my applying In-Lace to a groove in a segmented bowl.

It is useful to cover the sides with tape. In this case I only covered the low side.









Picture after the In-Lace set and turned to match the bowl contour.


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

RusDemka said:


> So am so used to my old lathe speed by listening to the sound of the motor, the delta is very quiet, I can't tell how fast its spinning, destroyed this banksia candle holder, good thing I was standing to the side haha


You have seen the chart on the side of the 46-460 giving dial setting for the rpm?
Tom


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

TomC said:


> You have seen the chart on the side of the 46-460 giving dial setting for the rpm?
> Tom


Yup, after the piece blew in my face, I didn't stop and read the instruction and safety warnings before turning on a new piece of equipment...


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

RusDemka said:


> Yup, after the piece blew in my face, I didn't stop and read the instruction and safety warnings before turning on a new piece of equipment...


Been there, done that!
Tom


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Imperial. Dia x rpm =6000-9000. Example, 6" bowl x 1000rpm = 6000, x1500 = 9000. So for 6 inch blank I wouldn't exceed 1500 rpm.


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

I am on the more extreme side, I say chuck it up, turn it on full speed, if it's still attached and turning, go ahead and start cutting, besides, carbide likes higher speed turning anyway.


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

Dave Paine said:


> Imperial, so diameter in inches x rpm = 6000 - 9000.
> 
> I saw this reference for bowl turning or large spindles.


Thx for that. I will have a play and see what I think

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

RusDemka said:


> John, that piece exploded without me.touching it with tools, just spining at 4000 rpm


"Just" spinning at 4000 rpm. That is hugely fast. 

If you only turn a pen at 2200 then a banksia being a larger diameter prob would not want to be any faster than 1500.

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## Piper (Oct 8, 2012)

Regarding spindle speeds, I have a non-contact digital tachometer with strobeoscope that I use to check speeds. I have a reflective adhesive spot on my lathes, drill press, and a few other tools. I find it a very good investment, but also use it for work, so I could justify the cost. The one I have cost me about $300-400. several years ago, but they have come down in price and there are many less expensive units on ebay. Does anyone know how reliable the cheaper units are?

You can also get a contact speed counter which only counts revolutions. I used to use Veeder speed counters with a rubber tip which went on the end of the shaft. These should be much less expensive.

It is also not too hard to figure knowing the motor speed is 1725, the diameter of the pulley and the transfer pulley and setting a ratio for speed. 

That said, I have not done enough turning to judge the speed by the sound of the motor, and have never worked with this material.


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

DaveTTC said:


> "Just" spinning at 4000 rpm. That is hugely fast.
> 
> If you only turn a pen at 2200 then a banksia being a larger diameter prob would not want to be any faster than 1500.
> 
> Dave The Turning Cowboy


I know it was too much, won't do that any more


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## LatheManDave (Dec 9, 2012)

i saw those broken things when i picked that lathe up from you! better luck next time i guess. your lathe doesnt tell you how fast it is going?


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## LatheManDave (Dec 9, 2012)

yay my 25 post!


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## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

LatheManDave said:


> i saw those broken things when i picked that lathe up from you! better luck next time i guess. your lathe doesnt tell you how fast it is going?


Niether does yours lol
Jk, it does, I just didn't look and not used to it yet...


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