taig micro lathe question for bulldog

[timothy thorpe]

is it possible to make a bulldog on the taig micro lathe, if so what cutter or tool would be used? i have also found out that the lathe does not like lucite in square form to be chucked!!!!!!! even with the tailstock holding it in place. i don't know what it is but it cuts o.k. then it slams it self and takes a chunck out od the material. it also scares the s_it out of me!!!!! i quess because i am concentrating

thanks guys, tim

[Nick]

Lucite is definitely less forgiving than vulcanite.

[ckr]

If you are attempting to actually carve a pipe with the Tiag you need to use the standard wood working chisels, the tool rest and risers. About the only way to get around the virbration factor is to counter weight the stummel. I epoxyed another scrap of briar onto a emery board and epoxied that to the block and some nylon string for good strenght. You end up with a "T" shaped block where the left top side of the "T" is the counter weight.

Even when the pipe is drilled and the shank cut the shank i still had to counter-weight it again to drill and shape on the stummel.

It was a very cold winter day and the Tiag is very portable. In short, it can be done with a the 4 jaw SC chuck.

The Taig likes square lucite in small bites and sharp bits.

Good luck, ckr

[sethile]

... i have also found out that the lathe does not like lucite in square form to be chucked!!!!!!! even with the tailstock holding it in place. i don't know what it is but it cuts o.k. then it slams it self and takes a chunck out od the material. it also scares the s_it out of me!!!!! i quess because i am concentrating .....

With Lucite you might want to round off the corners of the material before attempting to turn it into shape. You can do that once it is already chucked and supported with a heavy rasp, or before you chuck it by cutting off the corners on a band saw. That will make a big difference in those first few cuts. You will still need to take off very little at a time until you get it round.

I've only made two Lucite stems. I hated it! I would only make them by request now. The material is just too brittle for me. It looks great, but it feels bad on the teeth to me, and is much more difficult to work with. I have heard of using coolant while cutting and drilling it, but that sounds like a mess... Anyone messed with that? I know Lucite is used by many great pipe makers, especially the Italians. Hmm... Perhaps some of their excellent red wine would also help?

[KurtHuhn]

I've had god luck with acrylic and polyester (another brittle material) by cranking up the speed on the lathe, using super sharp tools, and taking very shallow cuts. I've found that I can get square stock round in a hurry by using a cutoff or parting tool and taking small bites. I use a 1/8" parting tool, take half the width of the tool at a time, and take each 1/16" cut down to round, then repeat until the entire section I want is round.

Thing is, this is a very learned process. Acrylic, if handled to roughly, will self destruct rather spectacularly - as you've found out. You really have to go by feel when hand shaping acrylic. It's very unforgiving.

[TreverT]

I used to do my acrylic stems that way. Just rough-round the square rod first - Use a sanding disc or grinder to sand down the square edges and it will make a huge difference in the knocking and danger potential. Doesn't have to be round or anything close to accurate, just get the hard edges off. In cutting, take many shallow cuts rather than bigger ones. Also, develop continual hand flow - keep the cutter advancing evenly and at similar speed, without sudden shoves or halts which can cause catches.

[Bill D]

I haven't turned any lucite stems in over a year, but I have been turning a lot of acrylics for tampers recently. Like Kurt, I turn the square blocks fast and use freshly ground chisels. I like to round the block with a very sharp 1" gouge. Once you get the hang of it, you can go pretty fast. I take a shallow bite and slide down the tool rest. I get into a rhythm and the stock is round before you know it. I rough in the profile with the gouge and finish it with a straight and a radius skew. Last weekend I turned 5 decorative handrail ends for Duke University Med Center out of soft maple. After turning so much acrylic lately, turning the handrail ends was heaven! It felt like I was turning butter. I turned a matching set of 5 in less than 4 hours. So, turning lucite or acrylics will improve your wood turning skills. To see my acrylic tampers, go to:

http://www.bdwoodturn.com

Bill

[timothy thorpe]

I used to do my acrylic stems that way. Just rough-round the square rod first - Use a sanding disc or grinder to sand down the square edges and it will make a huge difference in the knocking and danger potential. Doesn't have to be round or anything close to accurate, just get the hard edges off. In cutting, take many shallow cuts rather than bigger ones. Also, develop continual hand flow - keep the cutter advancing evenly and at similar speed, without sudden shoves or halts which can cause catches.

thanks guys, for the help!!