woodsac Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 OK got the new lathe all set up. Wilton variable speed mini lathe. Nothing fancy. To start out, to get the feel of things, I bought a Craftsman 3/4" HSS roughing gouge (they didn't have any round nose in stock). For wood, I bought a soft piece of 1 1/4 round dowel. I figured this would be easier to get the feel of then square stock. For actual turning, I've got some 2x2x12 pieces of pine. Here's the problem. When I start turning, nothing happens It doesn't matter how high the speed is. As soon as I apply any pressure to the wood, it just stops spinning? After lightly (very, very, very, very lightly) applying pressure for about 2 minutes, I was barely able to make a dent in the wood : Is my gouge just not sharp enough to cut the wood? I followed all the tutorials I read about tool rest position, tool position and everything else. All I can think is the tool is too dull to make the cuts? It's brand new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendary Lures Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 What stops spinning? Take your stock out of the lathe and look at the ends of it. Has the spurs tore out the center of the stock? If you lathe has a chuck on the drive end, it might not be tight enough. If you're using a drive spur, whack it into the stock with a hammer. Not too hard, mind you. You don't want to split the stock or peen over the end of the drive spur. Does the motor stop running? That certainly should not be happening. If so, I'd return the lathe. I've decided that there is no such thing as gouge that's too sharp. Even if it is brand new, I'd hone it. I use a regular 3/4" wood chisel and sharpen the heck out it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincoya Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 LL has some excellent suggestions. Another is: If your wood AND drive spur stop spinning AND the motor is still running, your drive belt may be slipping. Tighten the belt a bit and see if that solves your problem. As far as your tool goes, ALWAYS sharpen a new tool. Factory edges generally require a fair amount of sharpening. If you need some sharpening tips, ask "My Lures". He owns his own sharpening business and can be a big help. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsac Posted January 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 Yes, the wood and the spur stop turning. But the motor keeps running. I'll go take a look at the belt tension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsac Posted January 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 Beep Beep...back the truck up! I went out and double checked. The head stock spur was still spinning :!: Took it out, gave it a couple good wacks with a mallet and everything is working fine. :oops: But ya, I'm sure I still need to sharpen my gouge. Thanks guys :!: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatnik13 Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Thats not so bad! Take time to get to know your lathe! See what makes it tick! keep it clean and practice alot! You''l find all your answers first hand.Know how it should feel so that you can better judge possible problems befor it breaks. This is how I learned after buying a used one and making corrections. I only turn wood dowl like your doing now, Its easyer on a mini lathe. Easy on the tooling and rough use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
