pipemakersforum.com

When boring out a stummel on a lathe, ensure that your chuck is tightened before applying power to a spindle set at 1800 RPM.

When turning a pipe bowl on a lathe, and you find that your spindle gouge is getting dull, pressing harder does not make it cut better, it simply dislodges the stummel from the chuck - at 1800 RPM.

If you insist on shaving your head, you probably should make attempts to dodge briar that has been tossed from a lathe set at 1800 RPM.

When you buy a new set of bits, drill test holes to ensure that your 1/4" bit will actually make a hole .25" or less, not one that is closer to .26".

A jacobs chuck does not make a good live center. 8O

All in one glorious day in the new workshop. There is more, of course, but pride keeps me from posting those particularly bad blunders....

KurtHuhn wrote:There is more, of course, but pride keeps me from posting those particularly bad blunders....

I was extremely preoccupied the other day when turning a few pieces on the lathe (something I rarely do), and switched bits without changing the angle of the block in the 2 jaw chuck. It's foolproof and sort of does its own work without any alignment, etc., so I never sweat alignment. I had set the depth stop, and thought it curious when the draft hole bit came out the bottom of the shank. Yes, step 2, actually rotate the block in the chuck when drilling the draft hole instead of the mortise! Se la vis.

Todd

ToddJohnson wrote: I had set the depth stop, and thought it curious when the draft hole bit came out the bottom of the shank

Sounds like a good candidate for bamboo.

Jeff

KurtHuhn wrote: When you buy a new set of bits, drill test holes to ensure that your 1/4" bit will actually make a hole .25" or less, not one that is closer to .26".

This is the biggest reason I had to learn how to turn tenons (for four pipes, no less).

Tell me about it. I had a stem all made up with a 1/4" delrin tenon, and that darn drill bit went and screwed me all up. I had to take a 5/16" piece of delrin and turn it down.