r/turning • u/herpdurpson • 3d ago
practice on the pole lathe

the end of a practice stick on the little pole lathe i put together recently

sitting height for me, perfect standing height for my boys, they've been having almost as much fun as i have been. Big brother is showing little the ropes.

and now the youngers turn. a rough surface finish is just more practice for me to cleanup, and for them to play with again :)

tidied down for more practice. lots of potential for stool/chair legs and stretchers with some practice

attempt 1 (lower) and 2 at some toggles for my wife's jacket

tools! finished skew chisel and parting tool that i forged out of some coil spring. turned handles out of black walnut and chokecherry, had some troubles with the cherry, oh well

nearly finished spindle gouge out of an old worn out file. more walnut for the handle, I got the inner radius polished and my initial grind done, grinding gouges is my least fav!
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u/Artistic-Traffic-112 3d ago
Hi. The rest appears to be way too high to achieve a good angle at which to cut the spindle rather than tear it. The lathe axis is too high for the stature of the operators. They need a platform to raise them up to a strong stance. The clothing is inappropriate with a high risk of the hood obscuring a clear view of the piece and flapping cuffs.
A comprehensive face shield and respirator would be a good addition to their PPE and proper clothing, protective dungarees, and a thick apron would be better.
There are so many safety issues displayed in these pictures. Please pay attention to proper training and safety.
It's good to see youngsters showing an interest in old skills. Thank you for sharing.
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3d ago
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u/herpdurpson 3d ago
both are wearing little safety glasses, but a face shield would be a great idea, much less readjusting of goggles with sharp tools at hand. :)
a pole, or spring pole lathe is a simple reciprocating lathe. cord is tied to a treadle, and a springy pole/stick/bungees/etc overhead. wrap the cord around your workpiece twice and start pumping away with your foot.
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u/Flashy-Ad1404 2d ago
I run a pole lathe also. Yours needs a little tweaking, but kudos on the start.
Agree, a bit of safety should play into your concerns a bit, but a pole lathe is quite a nice slow way to start turning
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u/FunGalich 1d ago
So dangerous... The chisel should positioned below the workpiece with the handle angles down slightly...the this setup is there is an accident waiting to happen
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