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Steve Schaefer

Steve Schaefer

Steve Schaefer

Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
16
Likes
18
Location
Atlanta, GA
Greetings

I’ve been thinking about getting a lathe for a while. I just never pulled the trigger. I figured I had a lot of other woodworking projects that I wanted to do, and a lathe would only distract me.

Well, I found a used lathe for a reasonable price on craigslist and brought it home, and I was right. Since I set it up in my shop, that’s the only thing I’ve been doing.

I’m going to have a lot of newbie questions. I try to research the issue before I post, but please have patience.

Thanks
 
Welcome. The camera outfit in the avatar tells me you will not only be turning some nice things but show them as outstanding photos.
 
Welcome aboard, Steve. I see by your white "L" lens that you are a discriminating photographer who knows quality.

Woodturning is definitely addictive. The only known therapy is to turn more wood. :D We have many very knowledgeable members who are eager to answer your questions. The best way to get up to speed with your turning skills is to join a local club where you can get one on one mentoring.

There are a couple woodturning clubs in the Atlanta area. Here is a link where you can search for a club: https://www.woodturner.org/search/custom.asp?id=1509
 
Steve,
Welcome. As Bill said try to connect with one or more of the local clubs.
The clubs near me all have a Christmas dinner instead of a December meeting so if their next meeting is December call to see if they are having a meeting.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Welcome aboard, Steve. I see by your white "L" lens that you are a discriminating photographer who knows quality.

Woodturning is definitely addictive. The only known therapy is to turn more wood. :D We have many very knowledgeable members who are eager to answer your questions. The best way to get up to speed with your turning skills is to join a local club where you can get one on one mentoring.

There are a couple woodturning clubs in the Atlanta area. Here is a link where you can search for a club: https://www.woodturner.org/search/custom.asp?id=1509
Click to expand...

Thanks, Bill
 
John Torchick said:
Welcome. The camera outfit in the avatar tells me you will not only be turning some nice things but show them as outstanding photos.
Click to expand...

Well I turned and finished a few bottle stoppers and thought I would take a quick photo to post. That glossy finish is hard to deal with. I am going to have to work on that technique. If there is a photo question I am happy to help when I can.
 
Welcome to the forum Steve. You'll get a lot of help here and can't wait to see some of your photographed work. Happy turning!
 
Lamar Wright said:
Welcome to the forum Steve. You'll get a lot of help here and can't wait to see some of your photographed work. Happy turning!
Click to expand...

Well it may be a while before I am confident enough to post a turning projects here. I've been working on making bottle stoppers because it seemed like the easiest project to start with. To date I've managed to superglue the mandrel twice to the bottle stopper. I think I have a lot of learning to do. :)
 
Steve,
If you like turning bottle stoppers, you can also turn a similar item (Fire Starters) using a ferro rod pressed or glued into the handle.
These are cheaper to make and the outdoor people pack them when they go out in the wilderness. The Ferro rods average about a dollar a piece compared to the wine bottle stoppers that can run between $5-$10 each. I install a miniature compass into the end of the handle to make it a multipurpose tool.
 
Mike Johnson said:
Steve,
If you like turning bottle stoppers, you can also turn a similar item (Fire Starters) using a ferro rod pressed or glued into the handle.
These are cheaper to make and the outdoor people pack them when they go out in the wilderness. The Ferro rods average about a dollar a piece compared to the wine bottle stoppers that can run between $5-$10 each. I install a miniature compass into the end of the handle to make it a multipurpose tool.
Click to expand...

Great Idea Mike. Where did you get your ferro rods?
 
Steve,

There are plenty of listings on eBay and Amazon, I usually purchase multiple packages of 10 at a time as I turn a number of these each year and give them away to co-workers and clients. They make these in different diameters and lengths, I usually get the 5/16 or 3/8 inch diameter by 3-4-inch long ferro rods. 1-inch of the rod pressed or glued into the handle is plenty to secure it to the handle.
 
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