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For what it's worth, I use a Taig mini-lathe. I'm not unhappy with it, but if I knew what I know now, I would have gone a different direction and got something that would allow me to get my material through the spindle. That's not an option for me at the moment. I work around it just fine, but when ...

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I'm good for 3 rods of the 22mm rough.

Thanks, Rad.

I am smart...s-m-r-t...I mean s-m-a-r-r-t

That is also why it is kind of important to have a small radius at the base of the tenon. This obviously doesn't apply when using delrin tenon, but when you cut the tenon from the stem material itself, a radius at the base of the tenon helps to reduce the stress riser at that point. I cannot for th...

I'm interested but need an idea of cost before I can totally commit. I'm super low on ebonite but have yet to re-up because the per-rod cost lately from PME is so high. If I can get better prices from a group buy, that would be most excellent!

Another place to get stem sanders(nail files/emory boards) is at a beauty supply store. They have literally hundreds of different kinds and they list the grits so you know what you're buying. I tried my local rite-aid but they didn't have anything but the old plain-jane emory boards. The ones from t...

Android... it can be done, you just have to pay special attention to it if you don't have a lathe to make things perfect. A way around this is to purposely design your shank so the stem can ONLY fit one way to begin with, or as kkendall mentioned, design your pipes so they require a bend of some sor...

I don't turn stummels on a lathe(don't have a wood lathe) so I'll offer a no-lathe perspective. On my metal lathe, I'll turn the rod stock down to nearly the diameter I intend it to be. I then insert the stem into the shank and with a pencil, trace the diameter onto the shank face. This way I can sh...

Matt, are you opting to just go with the 1725 rpm single speed of the motor as opposed to a 3 pulley system? I don't mean to be a pain in the arse, but when you ordered your motor from Grizzly...: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Motor-Arbors-5-8-Arbor-1-2-Keyless-Chuck/G5553 I'm still going to buil...

Thanks, Kurt. I think maybe the motor chuck from Woodcraft may be the way to roll here for the short term.

Weeeeeeeee.....she SPINS!!!! Good deal.

Now, anyone know where a guy can get a mandrel threaded at 1/2"-20 that will fit a 5/8" motor shaft? I searched McMaster-Carr and came up empty, which I didn't think was possible.

I'm doin cartwheels over here.... hehe... So I got the motor and made a plug end with a switch on it at work today. I'm good to go with that. Here's where I'm stuck. This is a link to the wiring diagram. I know what goes where, I'm just not sure if I can wire them up all in a bundle like it shows he...

I believe I have to agree with you on that, Kurt. I was wondering what the quality was. I don't need to thread too many holes, but I am going to be making some mandrels that will require some threading to complete. I'll just get the ones I need when I'm ready.

Basically, it's going to rely on you doing a *bunch* of experimentation. Even when you find something that works, keep experiementing with new ways - I make about a half dozen experiments a year, sometimes muchmore. This is how I figured out the few things I know about finishing. Save ALL the worka...

So I'm going to have to pony up for a tap and die set very directly. I'm checking out the following kit on Grizzly.com. Just curious if this is something you need to purchase high-end(like forstner bits) or if the following kit will get me where I need to be. I don't see me using it all the time, bu...

thank you fellas. one other question i have regarding staining. do you allow it to dry in place or do you try to wipe 'excess' off while it's still wet? this wouldn't allow much time, but that's what i've been trying to do. i suppose i should just let it dry in place? Everyone does something differ...

I've found that if you go much past 800 grit and/or buffing BEFORE you apply any stain, it has a hard time getting into the wood. I do as Frank listed above, have been for a number of years, and it works well for me. One thing to keep in mind, this isn't staining like you stain a piece of furniture....

That's pretty much what I was thinking. My first "buffer" was actually a 3450rpm grinder that I converted. Understand, "converted" means nothing more than hung some buffs on the shaft and went after it. I'm completely surprised that I never scorched a hole straight through the ki...

Is there any reason I would need to get up to 3450rpm for any application on a machine like this? The motor I've been using lately for shaping is 1725 and that seems a bit too fast for the finer stuff I'd like to do on it. I have to stop there and go to hand work or I know I'll bork it up ugly.