Scott Rousseau

[Scott Rousseau]

Hello, y'all! My name is Scott Rousseau and I am new to woodturning, so I thought it would be a good idea to learn from some experienced turners. I am a mostly self-taught woodworker, having been buying old tools and learning how to use them for about 35 years, but I have never owned a lathe until a co-worker sold me one a couple months ago. It is a 1979 (I think) Craftsman 12" wood lathe that was owned by her father who passed away some months ago. It was rusted but mostly complete with a running motor, so I spent some time cleaning it up and putting it back together and now it is looking good. It came with a basic set of 8 chisels that were pretty dull, so I had to get a nice Hurricane wheel for my bench grinder to get a fresh edge on them and learn how to use them. My first project was to make some table legs for a section of a bowling alley that I wanted to use for a TV stand (see pics). After working through a learning curve I got 4 legs turned, painted them black, and installed them onto the maple bowling lane piece with some cherry aprons. It came out great!
Now I want to turn some shallow bowls for Christmas presents, so I bought an old 6" craftsman face plate off Craigslist and I am getting some 8/4 mahogany that is 11" wide. The problem is that I cannot get the spur center off the drive spindle. I am sure that there is a fair amount of rust in there and I have sprayed with WD-40 and tried to get vice grips on it, but I don't really want to ruin the spur center. I put a rod through the back of the spindle and whacked it pretty good, but to no avail. Any of you have tips on how to remove a spur center that may have been on there for many years? Please help!

 

[Alan Weinberg]

I put a rod through the back of the spindle and whacked it pretty good,

Welcome and whack it harder.

 

[Jim McLain]

Welcome you might try spraying wd40 or some other penetrating oil from the back side of the spur center. Then I’m with Alan whack it real hard.

 

[Brian Gustin]

Can also cut a 2x4 to snugly fit, almost wedge between spindle shaft and bedways, and lay another piece of 2x4 on top and whack that with a joiner's mallet a few times, then try whacking the push rod behind spur center again. Once you do get the center out, be sure and carefully clean/polish the Morse Taper before putting a center back in. (and no lubrication on it)

 

[Rick Urban]

Welcome, Brian. You've come to a good place for advice. I also started with a round tube Craftsman lathe. The "whacking" advice you've already received should work. I suggest you repeat the penetrating oil at intervals for a couple of days with whacks each time to try to allow it to penetrate further. Failing that you might try heaing (gently) the spindle to make it expand and loosen. A heat gun might work, but a propane torch might be better. I would say to stay with propane vs MAPP gas, which gets quite a bit hotter, and I do not recommend an acetylene torch unless you are already pretty competent in its use.

Probably a good idea to post your questions etc. in one of the other forums or this one might become a jumble of lots of stuff.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Welcome to the forum. I will say previous advise is good but WD40 is not a penetrating oil. Try Lock Ease. Sharp hits on the rod will not harm the lathe.

 

[Scott Rousseau]

Thank you for your welcoming posts and your helpful comments, although Rick is correct that this is not the right forum for soliciting assistance. I will continue this saga in Tutorials and Tips.