MC900 Wood Lathe

A while ago I talked about my very first wood lathe, well today I shall talk about my current wood lathe.  After a year with my ebay lathe I decided the bug had taken hold and it was time to upgrade.  A little research and I settled on the MC900 form Carbatec.   The reason for my choice, availability (they were in stock and only an 90 minute drive away) and they were within my small budget.

One point first of all, it is heavy and is a two person lift.  This was frustrating when I got home waiting for someone to help me lift it out of the box and bolt to the bench (which I had newly constructed for the purpose). 
OK so onto the actual review.  The MC900 seems to be available with a variety of different badge names, but presumably roll out of the same factory in China.  I will state now you get what you pay for, and at $497 it is at the budget end of the market.  It is not as smooth as a Nova or Wood fast or higher end lathe.  It can be noisy and the drive belt is a little rattly in sound though doesn't slip. 

I like the variable speed handle on the front giving a range of speed selections from 500RPM through to 2000RPM.  However, the minimum of 500RPM can be too fast some projects, especially heavy objects that aren’t balanced.  In fact I did have a big lump of red gum on there that I nearly shock the house down before I could press stop.  This lack of a really slow speed I find a shortfall, however for most of my turning, mainly pens and already round bowl blanks it does the job easily.

The variable speed drive worked nice and smooth on purchase, but now three years down the track it is a little stiff to change down speeds even with a little TLC and preventative maintenance (I expect I will need to replace the drive belt soon).
It is certainly a sturdy cast iron construction, although the legs supplied do look a little flimsy and may require some additional bracing.

I was seduced by the rotating headstock for bigger items, but if truth be known I have used it twice, neither time I was comfortable with.  The head is easy to turn, just release two nuts and has three positions.  The lathe comes with an extension Banjo for outrigger turning but it never seems to fit in the correct spot.  The tool rest also is a little chunky for small turnings and you cant always get close enough for thin objects (a definite downfall for making pens).  In addition the tool rest is a little long again getting close to the headstock spindle and tailstock for short barrel pens.  The position of the drive motor is also not ideal, it is close to the dust and can get in the way of some bits of wood when using a small face plate.

Although a nice solid construction I have found that the friction nuts below the banjo and tail stock do become a little loose and are hard to access to tighten whilst mounted to the bench. There are a few things I wish it did have. Firstly a lockable and index able headstock, for ease of chuck change and allow more intricate work. Secondly a hand wheel on the headstock so that it is easier to turn the spindle to rotate the work piece.
So am I happy with my Lathe?  Yes.  It was the right lathe for me at the time and price, and will continue to cover my needs for the foreseeable future.

Dealing a quick deck

The house we are staying in (well squatting if you ask my parents) has a short decked path way at the front.  This deck must have been laid when the house was built, and that must have been a while ago.  It was loose, broken, creaking and bouncing all at the same time.  After a large cracking sound was heard the other day as I floated across it, I decided it was time to re-surface it.
It was a simple task. I measured the current decking wood to see if there was a similar size replacement (90mm x 22mm) which I discovered there were two.  The choice was treated pine or Merbau, I went the Merbau, it has a nice reddish/brown colour, is strong and hard wearing.

I am un-imaginative at times so I just replicated what was there already,removing the old boards and replacing with the new.  I was going to rip the whole old deck of but decided I was likely to get bored, it rain or I get called to work and didn’t think only half a deck would be appreciated by the family.  Previously the wood was held down by nails, this has been replaced by stainless steel decking screws.  I left the boards long to cut the shape at the end.

Years of watching Better Homes and Gardens had paid off with setting out the spacing.  It is really simple, two nails to get an equal gap each side, magic.

A few hours later and was done.  With a Jig Saw I trimmed the edges to the desired shape.  Now the deck is firm, and looking good, all it will need is a coat of oil each spring and it will last forever (well at least long enough for my house to be built, me move out and be a long way away).

In the Beginning

In the beginning there was a yearning, a need for something creative, a need for a hobby, a need for something for me.  I had always had an interest in wood (i think I've said that before) but I needed a push.  My wife had been nagging me to get a hobby, but I had been putting it off. It was only after a trip to Tassie that I caught the bug (and it is a bug).  A trip to Strahan where I watched an experienced man turning wood and I smelt the Huon got the heart fluttering.

On return from that family holiday I scoured eBay looking for wood lathes.  Everyday I would log on and see what was new out there, but they all seemed expensive.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money, I didn't know if I would enjoy it, or be any good at it.  Then one day it was there.  It wasn't a great looking lathe.  It was a fairly common Chinese made lathe that seems to have been produced for GMC, Ryobi, Dynalink and many, many more (mine was Brook Crompton).

It was very simple.  Four speeds changed by a pulley, with a disc sander on the back of the headstock.  I loved this lathe for two reasons, it was local and came with some tools, plus it was cheap, I guess that's three things.

I paid about $150 for it which I thought was good, especially when I found it came with three Robert Sorby tools as well as a pack of cheap tools.  All I needed to learn and practise.  I bought some cheap pine to play with and I was off and running.

This was my first effort, its abstract but I just wanted to combine steel with wood and make shavings.
After a few months I had realised the limitations of the lathe without a chuck and bought one of those (I will review that later). Then it was a pen mandrel, and lots of pen parts!  But I needed to upgrade and after twelve months I did (I will review that to sometime).  This old machine went back on EBay, and sold minus a few of the tools for $100.  All in all I had found a hobby and a passion all for the bargain price of $50, I love bargain!

What was your first wood working toy?

Spindle master

Occassionally I read something other than a work manual or Tom Clancy book.  I was checking out a book on pen making the other day.  One of the tools used was a Spindle master.  I had never heard of a Spindle Master.  I guess that is not all together surprising as I have only been turning for a short time.  Anyway a quick google search, and there it was, the Spindle Master.

It is a cross between a gouge and a skew, two of my favourite pen turning tools.  The only manufacturer appeared to be Ropbert Sorby, whose tools I love.  I had thought of ordereing one to try but decided to put it in the to do basket for now.  That was until I was at the working with wood show and saw one.  I had cash left over, so I just HAD to buy one.

Keen to try it out I needed a project.  Luckily I had to turn eight pens for a friend so here was my oppurtinity.  I found it easy to use.  Depending on the angle you can get rapid wood removal or twist and it has great skew action.  I found it a little easier to use than the skew as it didnt dig in if I lost the correct angle.

The best part of it is how simple it is to sharpen.  All you need is to run the flat side over a sharpening stone and hey presto it is done!

I am waiting now to try it out on a bowl or other project, but for pens it is now my favourite finishing tool.

Flying and wood turning

Ok, it's not as crazy as it sounds.  Yes unfortunately I have not come across a mini lathe that I can fit on the flight deck.  I'm sure if I did management would not appreciate the mess.  Neither have I come across a lathe and tool combination that security wouldn't have a melt down with when going through the X-ray machines.  It would be handy to be able to spend those wasted hotel hours knocking out a few bowls.  Perhaps a bow operated lathe maybe?

Anyway I digress.  Being away a lot I do sometimes get a day off in a different part of the country between red eyes.  Yesterday was one of these days.  Often the days are spent killing time, writing blogs, seeing movies and pretending to study.  Occasionally I use this time to check out woodworking shops.  Yesterday was Carbatec in Perth.  I have done this trip before, but had learned from last time.  This trip involves a walk to the station, train, bus and more walking.

Last time I did this it was summer and I walked from the station to the shop as I didn't want to wait for a bus.  This was about thirty minutes in 35 degree heat.  Didn't have this problem yesterday.  It is however a much shorter walk than the journey in Brisbane which was over an hour each way (looked shorter on the map).

Anyway the trip had a purpose to pick up some pen cases for an order. Whilst there talk shop and check out the machines for the new work shop (when the house gets built).

Now I have the problem of over purchasing and now having to carry everything around for the next four days until I get home.

Mystery Box

It's Mystery Box time of the year, a fun time for us pen makers on the woodwork forum.  Yes we are a crazy wacky bunch that live on the edge.  Contrary to popular belief we are not all old, glasses wearing, appron wielding wood lovers (some of us are actually young glasses wearing, apron wielding wood lovers).

Yes once a year we send a cardboard box from state to state full of wonderful pen making goodies.  A few days I got an email from the last recipient saying it was my turn.  I was excited waiting for the box of wonders.  What cool things would be inside?  What would I take and what would I leave for the next person?  The rules are simple, take out whatever you want and replace it with other things pen makers would like.  It could be wood pen blanks, acrylics, pen kits, something for casting, the choice is yours. The only rule is the box should way under three kilos and be posted on to the next on the list as soon as possible.

Now I can't show you what dark secrets lie within, that would spoil it for everyone. However I can show what I took out.

Having taken my goodies the box has been topped up and is ready to continue its cosmic journey.

Arbortech Mini-Grinder

Recently I attend the Sydney Timber and Working with Wood Show, if you don't remember look here.  One of my purchases was the Arbortech Mini-grinder, something I had had my eyes on for a while.

I am not an experienced carver, in fact I am a novice, in fact I'm not even that accomplished.  I have only had one attempt at carving a bowl from a burl and that was using my Arbortech Woodcarver attached to my angle grinder, and it scared me a little.  There was a lot of noise, power and spinning blade to be careful off.  The project I tackled was a little small for the blade, but I wanted to give it another go.

The Mini-Grinder used to come as an attachment for angle grinders, but due to the many different sizes they now only come as a whole unit including the grinder, neck and blade.  It was great to open the box and see it set up ready to go (I hate having to assemble new toys beofre I play).

The kit comes with two carving blades and four sanding discs, as a show special they also through in a Tungsten carving blade (haven't tried it yet).

My challenge to test out the device was this Red Mallee Burl.  Firstly there is a lot of power for a small device, ideally it would be great if you could slow down the RPM a little.  I soon discovered the moving in a sweeping motion was the best way to remove waste wood (and there is an instruction guide and you tube help).  If going vertically the blade will bite in and saw a straight, deep cut very quickly. 

Protection is a MUST!  It removes wood in a hurry throwing chips everywhere.  As well as ear and eye protection (full face mask highly recommended), I also need gloves and long sleeves as my hands we getting a fierce uncomfortable shower of wood.

The unit is easy to hold, and two hands are needed, but I did find the location of the hand grip a little awkward at times.  This though is something that I will probably find in the right place once I establish my style.

It did make light work of some hard wood.  The general finish was smooth, and I'm sure I will get much better at it, but this first effort did require a lot of sanding to remove ridges.  As the Mini-Grinder is very light it is easy to get some finesse in the finishing, but again the blade can grab and pull you along if not held tightly.

Blade changes are easy, just the case of a screw driver and an Allen key.  It took me about thirty seconds to change blades.  To smooth out the ridges I gave the sanding disc a try.  I was stupid at this stage, as although I had my mask on, I did not turn the dust extractor on.  With high speed it sanded quickly covering the shed in a fine layer of dust.  The sanding discs though did wear rapidly and aren't cheap to replace.  It may be a case that the plastic backing can be recovered extending wear, this is something I will investigate further and keep you posted.

They did however last long enough to do a great job in getting a smooth finish, that plus a little elbow grease.

The bowl is still drying so I don't have any finished photos yet, but it's looking great.  The Mini-Grinder has certainly opened my eyes to the world of carving and I have a few more burls and a big chunk or Red Gum waiting its attention.  It is a great easy to use tool, if you treat it with respect and a little practise  it will give you great results.  I can't wait to get out to the shed and create more saw dust.

Now all I need is the Arbortech Turbo-Plane and the fun can really begin (hint, hint if anybody at Arbortech is reading!).  If you want to know more just check out their website or most good woodworking shops.

What is your favourite way to carve?

Timberbits!

OK, so I love playing with wood, and one of my favourite items to make are pens.  Whenever I am in need of pen kits my first port of call is always the Timberbits website.  If I'm honest, I look at this site weekly to see what new stock or specials are on, its always a good time to buy more stuff!  Anyway recently the crew at Timberbits had a Facebook competition, just like their page for a chance to win a $200 gift pack.  Already a follower I made sure I was entered, and then completely forgot about it.  Luckily they did not forget and guess who won?  Yes I was as happy as a wood turner in a forest!

Now the hard part, choosing.  With $200 to play with and Timberbits always low prices you can get a lot of bang for your buck (in this case their buck!).  I only placed my order yesterday but by this morning this was waiting at the post office.  I shouldn't have been surprised, the people their are fantastic and the delivery is always prompt, in fact fantastic service all the time!

I was very keen to get home and see my goodies, as you can see I did manage to squeeze it quite a bit for the money.

Included were Sierra, Streamline, Slimline with stylus nib, Executive clicks and European pen kits.  Add in some new bushes, glue, some great acrylics and a new stand to show off the finished pens and it was a full box.

Now I guess a few of you will look at this and say I'm getting a kick back to write this but no, until I post this they will have no idea.  In this day and age of poor people relations its good to be able to plug a small family business.  I can't wait to go and play with some of these acrylics.  If you are into pen making and wood turning check out the web site www.timberbits.com The service is always great, the prices low (I don't know how he gets them so low) and the postage rate fantastic even overseas. 

Where do you get great service?

Sydney timber and working with wood show

I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning today, why?  Yes it was the Sydney Timber and Working with Wood Show.  So much possibility lay ahead.  I have been looking forward to this event since my first visit last year, and hiding some cash away too.

This was the first year in a new venue at Sydney Olympic Park. There was great parking and a large cue to get in, but after the wait it was great to get it.  If you are into timber and tools, this is the place to be.

My first port of call was to look at the exhibitions of the fantastic and far too talented work of the wood turners out there.  I am blown away at how clever they are, and how much I have to learn.

One piece of equipment that really caught my were the lathes of the ornamental turns group.  They are something I had never seen before but something I will need to set my father upon.

After checking out the displays it was time to flex the cash and if need be the credit card (and yes, it was needed!).  There were of course stands from the leading wood shops, tool makers, and suppliers.  I was especially keen to check out the Arbortech stand and look at the carving tools.

There was also a great stand from Timberbits with some fantastic examples of Davids pens.

And of course there was plenty of wood in all shapes, sizes and varieties.

Some of the Red Mallee burls even managed to find their way home with me.  Luckily a new toy jumped into my bag to use on them (and I will review that soon).

If you have an interest in wood, get down to the Dome at Sydney Olympic Park this weekend (27th-29th August) and check it all out for yourselves.

Sydney Timber and Working with Wood Show