I am considering buying a lathe. I know it eats electrons, but it can also increases speed and precision. I am determined to make: chairs, a desk and some low tables too from the large supply of green wood on my property. Yes, this work will also entail making a decent size kiln for drying pieces. I want a way to make round chair/table legs, rungs that does not entail a half day's work. I also think a lathe is a much easier way to make a precisely tapered round tenons to go into a chair seat. I will make large bowls and platters by hand but I will probably turn bowls & plates under 12" too.
Two heavy sharpening chores
Making round objects from wood spinning at high speed is a whole other thing in terms of dulling up tools. I am also facing a number of challenges sharpening: drawknives, inshaves, travishers, large gouges, adzes...Turners and chair makers spend a great deal of time at their grinders. In the little turning I have done so far I have learned two things. First, hesitant beginning turners dull tools at an alarming rate. Secondly, working with dull turning tools is even more frustrating than dealing with dull tools in other woodworking tasks.
Current Workstations
I bought the standard Delta variable speed grinder a few months ago. I have two CBN wheels on the grinder, with a Veritas tool rest on one station and a Stuart Batty large round rest on the other station. Now I see why so many turners have multiple grinding stations. I may need/want two or more additional permanent stations for grinding/sharpening turning & green wood tools.
Additional Workstation Needs
1) a Wolverine station with Vari-grind 2 jig for sharpening spindle and bowl gouges. 2) MDF, hard felt, Razor Sharp (laminated paper) buffing wheel. Gouges and several other hand tools I use need a polished surface to work properly. I can use an MDF board with Veritas buffing compound, diamond film.....The issue I am finding is the turning tools need constant sharpening and the green woodworking tools need to be kept exceedingly sharp so they can continue to slice large amounts of wood at less than perfect angles to the grain. I think power buffing may be the answer for greenwood tools.
Buffing with a Lathe
Peter Galbert in his new book Chairmaker's Notebook came up with a good way to keep his green tools very sharp. He mounts a round dowel in his lathe and covers different sections in a variety of buffing compounds, which I have seen works well. The issue with this method being, the need to remove what is being turned to mount the buffing dowel then remove the dowel and remount the piece being worked...Spindles, the most numerous part type in chairs, are switched back and forth between the lathe and shave horse during the construction process I prefer. Spindles could be done just with hand tools or just with the lathe but the method I think produces the best spindles fastest accomplishes parts of the work on both tools, frequently swapping back & forth. I like to use drawknives and spokeshaves which work within the grain pattern very well for roughing long spindles, final fitting on the lathe. With short wide spindles that do not flex I may rough the spindles with the lathe, switch to a spokeshave to retain the rough appearance and then finish on the lathe.
Yes, I am posting part of this on the Turning Forum too. The salient point for posters here is the two sharpening stations I have set up on my current grinder get used for plane blades, chisels and other more standard woodworking tools and I loath the thought of constantly resetting them.
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