All posts by Dave

Airgun Hanger

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Pretty simple, but it’s been helpful. I added a big screw eye to a piece of scrap wood and attached it to the end of my lathe (using holes that were already there for attaching extensions etc). I put it on the headstock end because otherwise the hose was just underfoot too much.IMG_3960.jpg

Wolverine V-Arm Setting Jig

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I set the arm where I wanted it and made the guide to match that location. I really have no idea what the dimensions are, just that they’re right for my gouges. They’re just made from scraps of Masonite/hardboard.  Two points touch the grinding wheel, and the other end sits in the V.

Since they register off the surface of the wheel, they actually set the distance from the wheel to the V.  Other jigs (like stop blocks) only set the extension of the arm from some point on the grinder stand, and thus will set different grinder angles if moved to another wheel or grinder that’s configured slightly differently. So I can use these on either side of either of my grinders and get the same setting at the wheel. I can also take them to a friend’s shop and setup their grinder for my gouges.

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Tool Rack

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This is my turning tool rack.  Some PVC pipe screwed to a board, attached to the wall over a narrow shelf.  The important bit (as I discovered with a previous attempt) is the gap between the bottom of the PVC pipes and the shelf, to let out any chips that get in the pipes.

The “business end” of the tool is up and exposed so I can find the tool I’m looking for.  The rack is mounted high enough that I’m not going to accidentially stab myself reaching for a tool.

Cheap Inertia Sanders

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I use small, cheap die grinders from Harbor Freight for inertia sanding. They are small and cost about $10 when on sale. They may not be great die grinders, but the bearings are good and they have a 1/4″ collet that accepts my 2″ hook-and-loop pads.

Inertia sanding is when you hold a sanding disk to the wood while it’s spinning on the lathe. The turning wood spins the sanding disk so you don’t get straight scratches. It’s less aggressive than power-sanding, and can produce a better finish than plain flat sandpaper.

Big Drive Center

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Drive Center for Roughing Bowls
I made this big drive center that I sometimes use for the initial roughing out of bowls. A standard drive center just won’t work for larger pieces or wet wood.
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I rough between centers when I want to reposition the blank to center the grain, avoid (or highlight) a defect, etc.  Or for times when I don’t have a good surface for a screw chuck, or when the wood just won’t hold a screw for some reason.
I started with a 3″ faceplate and added 5 bolts.  The faceplate had a center hole so it could be used as a screw chuck. So one bolt went in there, and 4 others around the outer holes. I sharpened the ends of the bolts to a point (chuck it in a drill and spin it against a bench grinder). The center point is a bit longer than the others, which helps with initial positioning and keep the thing where it should stay.
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