Practice Cherry Billiard

[bandkbrooks]

I have a new girlfriend and her name is Lathe. The stem is pre-fab so the length is all wrong as well as the curve (once again practice). This is the first pipe I attempted on my new lathe. Nerve wracking.

[MonsieurLabo]

What kind of lathe did you get Brandon?

[bandkbrooks]

Nothing fancy. It's a Rikon. I got it at Woodcrafters on sale. It's a start at least. It's already helped improve my accuracy.

Rikon 70-050vs 12in X 16in Variable Speed Mini Lathe
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/208156 ... -1216.aspx

It's all my budget would allow. I got a Super Nova chuck with several different jaw sets.

I look at some of the mortise "angles" I've done in the past and I either want to cry or crack up laughing.

[wmolaw]

Nothing fancy. It's a Rikon. I got it at Woodcrafters on sale. It's a start at least. It's already helped improve my accuracy.

Rikon 70-050vs 12in X 16in Variable Speed Mini Lathe
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/208156 ... -1216.aspx

It's all my budget would allow. I got a Super Nova chuck with several different jaw sets.

I look at some of the mortise "angles" I've done in the past and I either want to cry or crack up laughing.

Seems to be the same one I purchased, though the number is different, you can get it for a great price now, $249.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/riko ... 050VS.aspx

I went back and forth for over a month with the Delta 46-460, http://www.woodcraft.com/product/206410 ... 46460.aspx which was $400 more. Clearly a better wood lathe, more powerful, etc., etc. but finally figured that as, sooner or later, I would need to buy a metal lathe then I could get alot of chucks/etc for the extra $400.

I've been happy as hell with it, lots of fun and it's great learning something new.

[AldenW]

I'm gonna be practicing on some cheap cherry as well; glad to know it looks pretty good as a finished piece!

How'd you wind up cutting the tenon? Delrin? Pimo cutter? By hand on the lathe?

[bandkbrooks]

I got the lathe at a good price and the Nova Chuck was on sale too.

The tenon was a prefab so I didn't have to do anything for that. I almost always use delrin though as I don't have a super accurate way to cut the tenon. I do have one of those Pimo tenon cutters but getting that thing exactly right is a shot in the dark. It serves it's purpose at times but the delrin option is much more accurate as long as you've got properly sharpened and accurate diameter bits.

[AldenW]

The tenon was a prefab so I didn't have to do anything for that. I almost always use delrin though as I don't have a super accurate way to cut the tenon. I do have one of those Pimo tenon cutters but getting that thing exactly right is a shot in the dark. It serves it's purpose at times but the delrin option is much more accurate as long as you've got properly sharpened and accurate diameter bits.

Wait, by prefab I assume you mean molded? Or are there stems that arrive looking finished? If it's molded, then I'm confused, because those ones definitely need to be recut.

[bandkbrooks]

Molded. Sorry for the confusion. I just used the existing tenon on the stem. It fit and I didn't want to screw with it given that I knew it would be practice for the bowl. I did however sand and polish just as I would normally to get a good finish.