Setting up the lathe

I unpacked the lathe tonight and set it up; all went well. I couldn't resist trying all the cool stuff I've learned watching Woodturner's Workshop. I grabbed a 1.5" dowel, cut about 10 inches off, and mounted it between centers. So far, so good.

After grabbing my safety glasses, I turned on the lathe and used the roughing gouge to round out the piece. Then I grabbed the spindle gouge, and tried some different shapes. It was actually pretty easy to get the tool to do what you want, but it does seem to take a certain touch. I tried some other tools and various speeds to get the feel of everything.

I wanted to try out some finishing techniques I'd seen on TV, so I tried sanding with 150 grit paper while the part spun on the lathe. I also tried steel wool, but that was a BAD idea since it likes to wrap around the part and throw shreds in every direction! Next, I put some lemon oil on rag and let the rotation of the lathe work it into the wood. Since this was pine, it didn't take too well, but I got the idea of how to apply it. Next I tried some butcher's wax, and found that you have to speed up the lathe to work it in. In the future, I wouldn't put oil on if I were going to put on a waxed finish. Lastly, I parted off both ends and briefly cleaned up the end faces.

I must admit that I'm fairly impressed with the outcome of my first experiment, and I'm definitely hooked on turning. It was TONS of fun, and I can't wait to get into my first project.

Here's the assembled lathe:


Here's my fantastic set of Sorby tools:


And here's my finished product: