What do you make?

Ken Wilson · 2007-05-21T19:22:20+00:00

Ok - i know you have to choose the equipment (lathe/mill/lefthanded sproggle whatsit) according to what you want to make.But how are you supposed to know that until you have started?Take my woodwork lathe. I thought carefully about the first and chose one that would do long posts and big bowls. And upgraded it two years later becuase it wasn't precise enough and i didn't want to faff around changing belts to get the speed right. and i still haven't done a huge bowl or felt the slightest inclination to make a fourposter bed with cherubs carved around the top. But i did taper a catamaran mast for the youngest son which was longish - and made a large disc sander attachment for flattening which is wide-ish.So what do i want for metalwork? I did try the "buy what you need when you need it" approach for woodcarving gouges, router bits, er, etc- but that doesn't work either becuase you have started the job. I can't plan far enough ahead to realise I'll need a 6mm ball bit for getting rid of 20 seasons of varnish in the bolt rope groove of my boom so i try and manage with what i have. (Ground an old cabinet scraper to a ball shape and used paintstripper)So i don't actually know what i want to do. I do rather like model rains - but i can admire a 3.5inch model of a bulleid pacific without feeling much inclination to negotiate with the council to run track around the house or spend the next 5 years making one. Static steam engines and traction engines don't fire my boiler. I quite fancy making some more model sailing boats - but not the sort with tapered brass cannon barrels. The eldest kid has been a robotic wars fan for 50% of his life. I read a book about making jigs and tools for your workshop so that you can do certain jobs better but I didn't notice him making anything I actually wanted.So, I'll try it another way - what is on your workbench?Recommnded reading lists for pre beginners are also most appreciate.Thanksken

May 21, 2007 22 Replies

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Lester Caine 19 years ago

I know the problem :( When I retire I've probably got another 50 years of projects to work on :)

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DCreed 19 years ago

I have found that having a lathe is just the start, then comes meta

storage and some means to cut it, i made a hacksaw machine from a twi tub washing machine gearbox, works a treat, the list goes on. I mainl make skeleton clocks but like to make tools that make the lathe mor versatile, milling/drilling spindle, indexing dividing plates, etc etc Dav

-- DCree

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