Robert, you were not the first to mention this. I ended up building a dedicated lathe bench, which turns out to be 7 inches lower and that really helps. I'm using that on one of my Moroccan table videos. Cheers!
Marc, this is the second time I have watched these videos. They are great and well made. I will try this before Christmas. Thanks for making the videos and keep them coming. By the way your skills are very good for someone just new to turning...as I am.
Why not drill the hole early when you have more timber for support, drilling at the end could break it. Just an observation however using RAG to polish is very dangerous, if it catches it could badly damage the piece or worse you, use PAPER towels if it catches it just tears.
Thanks for chiming in. You are not the first one who recommended the use of the paper towels and I’ve adopted this approach. I’m never going to use a rag again when turning. As for the drilling, I have seen others use the lock mechanism on their lathe and a hand held drill to drill the holes. I have yet to try this, but think that would be an even better idea. I’m not sure about pre-drilling while the blank is still square or rough turned. I’m not sure I would line them up correctly with the finished piece.
I truly love these little snowman! I have a very small lathe, so I would be working with spindles of less than inch and a 1/2 square and 6 inches Long. Could the same be done on a very small scale? Maybe without the candle insert?
Tracy, thanks so much for adding your comment and question. I don’t think you could have tea light candles with that size of stock. But, you could put smaller candles directly into the hat. Even if that does not work, you can absolutely turn these snowmen on your lathe. You might need a different strategy to decorate them, such as painting the decorations on the piece instead of gluing a nose and buttons. Give it a try and please send me a picture of what you manage to get done!
Thanks. No, I don’t have a link, but if you send me an email at mleblanc123@videotron.ca, I’ll send you the pdf files. Warning, they are hand written, but they work.
Great pair of videos. Two tips I would suggest. Please don't take them as criticism, they're not intended that way. 1. If you're going to make more than a few of these, construct a wooden "profile" template so you don't need to measure each one on the lathe. 2. Lower your lathe by two to three inches. You'll find you can turn for longer periods without getting fatigued. Great videos, keep up the good work.
Steve Rochester Thanks for your feedback. A template is not a bad idea. I have done that for legs that I turned earlier this year. As for the height, you are correct. The lathe is sitting on my outfeed table for my table saw. I would like to build a dedicated turning station, but I’m running out of room in my shop. Right now, this is the best place to put it and use it. Cheers!
