Hello everyone,
I'm 68 years old and have recently rejoined AAW after a long break, having been a member in the mid to late 90s. I've been turning on and off for almost 30 years, and, recently getting over some neck and back problems, have started up again in earnest. My lathe is a very big, home made concrete and steel beast I put together in 1997 (I had no money for a Powermatic back then) powered with a Leeson 1.5 hp dc motor and controller I bought from Denver Ulery. It's modeled on the old Nichols lathe (I think Denver might have been a relative of Nichols). Bed, banjo, tailstock and tool rest parts all cut by me with a hacksaw from scrap steel and welded by a machine shop. One chuck and one tool rest are all I've used. I've never turned on a commercial lathe since I gave up on the old Craftsman tubular-bed lathe I started with, but I'm thinking I may soon need something with a sliding or rotating headstock because of my neck/back issues. But the lathe and the Oneway Stronghold chuck and live center I use all still work flawlessly.
For years I've mostly turned hollow forms with very small openings (inspired by David Ellsworth) using home made tools, along with a few bowls and platters - some quite large and some very some small.
Woodturning has provided me an amazing amount of pleasure through the years, and I'll always be thankful to AAW, which really got me going in this craft, and those master turners (like Richard Raffan, David Ellsworth, Al Stirt, and others) from whom I've learned so much. It's a pleasure to return as a member - AAW is a great resource and I continue to learn a lot from the many contributors to the forums.
.
I'm 68 years old and have recently rejoined AAW after a long break, having been a member in the mid to late 90s. I've been turning on and off for almost 30 years, and, recently getting over some neck and back problems, have started up again in earnest. My lathe is a very big, home made concrete and steel beast I put together in 1997 (I had no money for a Powermatic back then) powered with a Leeson 1.5 hp dc motor and controller I bought from Denver Ulery. It's modeled on the old Nichols lathe (I think Denver might have been a relative of Nichols). Bed, banjo, tailstock and tool rest parts all cut by me with a hacksaw from scrap steel and welded by a machine shop. One chuck and one tool rest are all I've used. I've never turned on a commercial lathe since I gave up on the old Craftsman tubular-bed lathe I started with, but I'm thinking I may soon need something with a sliding or rotating headstock because of my neck/back issues. But the lathe and the Oneway Stronghold chuck and live center I use all still work flawlessly.
For years I've mostly turned hollow forms with very small openings (inspired by David Ellsworth) using home made tools, along with a few bowls and platters - some quite large and some very some small.
Woodturning has provided me an amazing amount of pleasure through the years, and I'll always be thankful to AAW, which really got me going in this craft, and those master turners (like Richard Raffan, David Ellsworth, Al Stirt, and others) from whom I've learned so much. It's a pleasure to return as a member - AAW is a great resource and I continue to learn a lot from the many contributors to the forums.
.
