First Lathe - Hooked

[Greg Parrish]

We picked up a new addition to the work shop with a Nova Comet II midi lathe last month and I finally got a chance to play with it this weekend. We bought the lathe, a Nova G3 kit with multiple jaws, and a 6 piece starter Benjamins Best tool set from PSI. I already had a Rikon 8" grinder with One Way wolverine jig.

Anyway, I know these are not great but were my first learning experiences yesterday and today. I didn't have any decent wood for bowls so I just grabbed some very dry, very old pieces from the fire pile. Got them from a friend and have no clue what the wood is. I think it might have been a type of dogwood or something.

Any constructive tips are of course appreciated. I feel that I need to add a tool or two, and maybe a couple of rests to make doing bowls and vases easier. Also, I need to pick up some pre made bowl blanks and get started making some of my own on the band saw with some green wood.












Neither of these would be functional bowls. The wood was full of cracks and voids and I didn't fill it with anything. So, just for the sake of art or something I guess.

[Adam Petersen]

That's a nice firewood pile you have there! I think those are some excellent first couple of pieces. That pen is very regal looking.

[Greg Parrish]

That's a nice firewood pile you have there! I think those are some excellent first couple of pieces. That pen is very regal looking.

Thanks Adam.

The pen blank was purchased in a grab bag from Woodcraft, but the bowls were turned from pieces of a small tree I cut down for a friend. They didn't know what it was but it had died and was next to their house. They let me have the wood for taking it down, but since it was dead it was hard to identify. At this point, the bark has all gone, and all I have are the really small, hard, dry pieces. They are too small to cut real blanks out of them so I had to turn these with the grain the wrong way, but regardless I worked with what I had. Wish these had been properly cut and dried but oh well.

[Don Jarvie]

Nice job for the first time.

[David Herring]

Looks like you're off to a great start Greg. From the looks of the fit on that pen, it almost looks like you've been doing it for a while.

[Stefano Bastianelli]

Greg, I have started with the same lathe, same tools, same grinder as you just a little bit more than a year ago. It seems a real deja vu for me
For my personal little experience, I can tell you that for the size of bowl you can turn, at the moment you just need more a longer tool rest than a dedicated bowl rest. If you can get both, good for you. Nova sells modular tool rests at a good price.
Regarding turning tools, depends on what you want to turn. For bowl, I would get a bowl scraper for sure. Then try a different bowl gauge because what you got from the PSI Benjamin tools set is a bowl gouge with a grind ideal for the bottom of the bowl; and for my honest opinion is a little too short.

[Thomas Canfield]

Welcome to turning. I bought a Nova Comet II when they first came out and wrote a review posted on Sawmill Creek and showed some modifications made to make a better mount. I use it often to supplement my Powermatic 3520 and like to turn small items on it. I would encourage you to turn some side grain bowls out of construction 2x6 material for practice to work on curve sides. I have turned some 12" items, but find that 8" and under work better, and the slow speed range is almost useless for power. Lathe is nice for travel and class.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Welcome, and pretty nice work, but watch that high speed with splits in the wood, you would not like to wake up laying in front of your lathe and wonder what happened, some turners never wake up when hit with a piece of wood, be safe

[Greg Parrish]

Thanks for all the comments and tips guys.

[Tim Passmore]

Welcome aboard! Nice work. My guess is that you think you're "hooked", but don't have any clue what the long term ramifications will be��. The VORTEX has a mighty pull.

[Greg Parrish]

Welcome aboard! Nice work. My guess is that you think you're "hooked", but don't have any clue what the long term ramifications will be��. The VORTEX has a mighty pull.

Well, let's just say that I've been having crazy thoughts of selling my 1972 fully restored PM66 and my PM jointer to buy a bigger lathe like a PM3520. Crazy, I know but I really like making 3D pieces so far and can't afford the bigger lathes. Trying not to rush into anything though.

[Greg Parrish]

Made a few more since my last post. Still learning but I want a bigger lathe.

[Greg Parrish]

I've made a few more creations with the new lathe. Figured I would continue to share for feedback.


This his one was made for a friend from a 1"x8"x12' cedar board




Then I took some wood from the firewood pile that a friend gave me and pieced together a couple of 11.5" blanks. This first one is only about 2.25" thick. This is spalted ambrosia maple.






the next one is from a piece of 6"x6"x3" yucatan rosewood from Rockler




lastly I'm working on this one now. It's a piece of spalted red sycamore picked up online.

[Adam Petersen]

Seriously, where is this firewood pile of yours!

[Greg Parrish]

Seriously, where is this firewood pile of yours!

Ha. Just a dead tree I cut down for a friend. Just dumb luck.