strop for bowl lathe

You can't dangle a carrot...

Shawn - in ID

>like that 'round here. Give us details on the lathe and post pictures!

Won't a standard handwheel work for your needs?

Large Handwheel...

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>I can't imagine turning without a handwheel. I have a nine inch hardwood one on my lathe. Just attach it using a faceplate.

Wally

Re: Large Handwheel...

greg readling

>i'm such a turning beginner i don't know what the handwheel is for. can you explain.

thanks,

greg

Handwheel =

Shawn - in ID

>Assuming the end of the spindle is threaded: get a faceplate with matching threads, screw a nice wheel/disc onto the faceplate and then thread this unit onto the spindle...now you have a handwheel to rotate the spindle with.

Re: Handwheel =

greg readling

>thanks for your input...sounds like a good idea.

Re: Handwheel =

Ronny Eelen (Belgium)

>only to be used when motor not running ;-)

Plan ahead and...

Bob Hackett

>You can use that handwheel as a basis for a counterbalance.

Sooner than you think you`ll be chucking up large unbalanced pieces and that counterbalance will come in handy.Look at the McNaughton site for ideas.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Plan ahead and...

George Van

>Hi Bob, I went to the Kelton site and on the balancer page they said "A backing plate adaptor lets the Balancer fit between the lathe and your faceplate or chuck."

Are you saying to create a balancer in place of a handwheel on the outboard side? Are you suggesting using the Kelton balancer on the outboard side?

I have had problems with out of balance pieces and this may be the advise I need.

Thanks, George

Re: Large Handwheel...

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>Greg, the handwheel is used in many ways. When installing or removing a chuck or faceplate to the spindle, give the handwheel a couple of spins and it's done. When examining the piece being turned, or applying glue to fill cracks, or applying finish, or to stop the lathe quickly, the handwheel is indispensible. I do most of my turning with a screw chuck. The handwheel is needed to apply and remove the piece easily.

I've done demo's on a Jet 1236, which has no handwheel. I find myself constantly reaching for a handwheel that isn't there. A real design flaw in that lathe.

Most lathes have handwheels that are 3 or 4 inches in diameter. I recommend making one of hardwood that is at least 7 inches. Mine is nine inches, and especially when using the screw chuck, the larger size is much better.

Wally

Re: Large Handwheel...

greg readling

>thanks wally, your advise was very informative. however, it sounds very inexpensive and i'm in the mood to spend $! is there another accessory for that side of the spindle you also find indispensible? i want to think that having a strop attached to the lathe would make it convenient for touching up the tools. on my lathe, the largest pulley is 10" and it is exposed, acting somewhat as a handwheel already.

thanks for any input,

greg

Counterbalance

Bob Hackett

>I suggested going to the Kelton site for ideas as thier unit is one of the best I`ve seen.I would suggest putting the counterbalance on the outboard end of the spindle as opposed to behind the chuck as it puts less stress on the spindle bearings and one less connection between the chuck/faceplate and the spindle.

Thompson lathes used to have the counterbalance set up outboard although they were far more crude than the Kelton units.They involved multiple weights that were all clamped individually.

Mainely,Bob

Re: better closer to forces... *LINK*

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>also see balancer review


http://www.fholder.com/Woodturning/lyn.html

Re: better closer to forces...

Bob Hackett

>Lyn,

I understand that the Kelton balancer is designed to go between the work and the headstock and will work better closer to the piece it`s trying to balance.

What I worry about is that it acts as an extention would and puts more stress on the headstock bearings doesn`t it?

The other thing is that if you design a handwheel to act as a counterbalance when needed you can still use it as you would a plain old handwheel when the balancer isn`t called for.It would seem that an outboard balancer would be more accessable too.

Then again I have been known to be wrong and it wouldn`t surprise me if this is one of those times.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Large Handwheel...

Bob Hackett

>I would advise against using any pulley as a handwheel.It`s not a matter of IF it`s a matter on WHEN your fingers will get caught if you do this.

A handwheel should have a hand and finger friendly smooth,rounded surface with nothing sticking out in the center area and be big enough to be effective as a brake.

All a pulley will do is wear grooves in your palm before you lose a finger or two to that open unguarded belt.I don`t even want to think about pulleys with spokes.

Make up at least a short guard for your side of the spindle.If nothing else it will keep clothing or long hair out of that belt.It will also act as a deflector for whatever falls on the belt while the lathe is running.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Large Handwheel...

JamieDonaldson

>And if you want to spend some money, make the handwheel out of Brazilian rosewood or cocobolo!!!

Leo's excellent analysis of this situation

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>From Leo Lichtman, 5/2/02 on rec.crafts.woodturning

Let's try another thought experiment--they often seem to help. Picture a

long shaft, mounted between two bearings, near the ends. Close to one of

the bearings, mount a flywheel. If you give this assembly a spin, it

revolves and slowly comes to rest in a random position, because it is in

balance. Now, take away half of the flywheel. The assembly is now way out

of balance, and the side with the half-flywheel will fall to the bottom. If

you now give it a spin, the end with the unbalance will do its best to rip

itself and its bearing loose. Now for the crucial part: Put back the

half-flywheel previously removed, but put it at the other end of the shaft,

180 degrees to the first half-flywheel. The assembly will vaguely resemble

a pair of bicycle pedals, and it will be in STATIC balance. Because the two

halves of the flywheel are on opposite sides of the shaft, the assembly will

remain stopped in any position.

Now for the excitement: get it spinning. BOTH ends are out of balance

dynamically, and BOTH ends will be trying to tear themselves loose from

their moorings. If you could watch the shape of the shaft, it would look

something like a long letter S on its side. The faster it turns, the more

centrifugal force is added to the weight, so the curves of the S become

wider. Each bearing is being jerked one way, and then the other. The

forces, which in the static situation would neutralize each other, don't

meet. They produce what in engineering terms is called a "couple."

On a headstock, with a sturdy spindle, and good solid bearing mounts, the

chances are the situation would not get out of hand. But, remember also,

that the unbalanced chuck of wood is hung out over the ways, while the

counterbalancing system (as proposed earlier) is hung outboard from the

headstock. This maximizes the distance between the unbalanced forces, which

maximizes the "couple."

If we place the disk holding the compensating weights to the same side as

the wood, we minimize the couple, reducing markedly the amount of of dynamic

unbalance. And remember, even though a spindle seems like a big hunk of

steel, it has a pretty deep thread on the outside, and the inside is reamed

out for a Morse taper. As was pointed out in an earlier thread, when Leif

Thorvaldson asked about bearing spacing, a spindle loses a lot of strength

due to these machining requirements.

This is an aside, here, but it is so relevant I will mention it. With an

unbalanced chunk on the lathe, it is easy to see why it is good to bring up

the tailstock for extra support. It takes half the load and sends it the

other way. It changes the cantilevered system to a span, which is

structurally much stronger. (and, of course, if the wood does come loose,

it can't get away.)

Thanks Bob and Lyn

George Van

>

Re: Leo's excellent analysis of this situation

Bob Hackett

>Why am I not surprised that I am once again in error?

Thanks for setting me straight Lyn.I`ve filed this for future refererence.

BTW-How`s the hand?Is the dog sleeping with the fishes?

Mainely,Bob

Re: Large Handwheel...

Wally Dickerman at Green Valley, Az.

>Mine's teak, and has a wonderful polish from years of use.

Wally

Walnut

Bob Hackett

>it doesn`t show the dirt as much.

Glad I didn`t go with curly maple as originally planned.

MB

might get out of cast tomorrow, I hope

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>