GRRR!!!

[bloodysafety]

I just have to complain a little here. I carved 6 stummels today and broke every one of them! I need to be more patient with stem fitting i suppose.

[bloodysafety]

ok, so, I had my tittie fit and decided complaining to strangers isn't going to fix the issue. I have a slight taper in my tenon I just cant seem to sand out and I think that's whats busting my mortise. so yeah, I guess I need more practice on the lathe

[bandkbrooks]

Delrin tenon. If you get the mortise right the delrin tenon goes in like butter. Todd Johnson has a fantastic post about using delrin.

Brandon

[Sasquatch]

Fit your tenon as soon as you have the hole drilled. It's utterly impossible to split the block before you shape. So do your tenon-twiddling before the shank is shaped and your danger-zone is hugely reduced.

What are you cutting them with that you are getting a taper?

When I'm fitting a stem, I think about fitting about 8 little sections. Get the first 1/8" to feel right, then work on the next 1/8 until 1/4" feels right, then work on the next 1/8" etc.

[RadDavis]

When I'm fitting a stem, I think about fitting about 8 little sections. Get the first 1/8" to feel right, then work on the next 1/8 until 1/4" feels right, then work on the next 1/8" etc.

Todd, that sounds awfully tedious. Get yourself a metal lathe, you bozo!

Rad

[Sasquatch]

Don't be hatin' cuz I gotz skillz.

It's actually nowhere near as tedious as it sounds. My complete tenon procedure basically involves "eyeballing" it to just a little big, cutting a bevel on the end of the tenon from which to gauge the actual fit (stem comes off lathe #1) and then making a series of cutnfits over a period of about 5 minutes until I'm happy with it. It really is pretty fast and pretty painless.

This is totally dumb compared to having a metal lathe and making a couple of passes and a couple of adjustments, but needs must when the devil drives (or something).

Now being in possession of a 2 jaw chuck and thinking every time I use it "How did I live without this?" I'm sure I'd feel the same about a metal lathe. But I don't wanna dink-out when I do upgrade - when I get one it's gonna be a good one, and that means waiting a bit.

[bloodysafety]

well firstly, I'm using a wood lathe we'll get that out of the way. I use a combination of a flat scraper and a parting tool for the tenon. i get the taper if i don't hold the tool perfectly square. I recently figured out that if i watch the "horizon" instead of the cut I get much better results.

I'm kinda kickin myself in the ass for buying a sander instead of a metal lathe this year. can't wait till next time to get one. till then, is there any way to attach a chuck to the tailstock of a wood lathe?

[RadDavis]

till then, is there any way to attach a chuck to the tailstock of a wood lathe?

That shouldn't be a problem. They do drill on wood lathes don't they? Wouldn't that involve a chuck and a drill bit in the tail stock?

Rad

[taharris]

If your tail stock has a receiver for a Morse taper you can use one of these:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200397 ... Chuck.aspx

Works like a champ.

[Sasquatch]

Yeah you can drill on the lathe no trouble. Jacobs chuck on a Morse Taper, as has been mentioned - just find out if your MT is #1 or #2.

You didn't mention if you were using briar or not. That's another issue here, tapered tenon or not. Some woods just won't tek the strrrren, Cap'n.

[bloodysafety]

thanks guys! i have a hard time finding stuff like that since I'm totally new to turning, I dont know any terminology. Thanks bunches!

Yes I do use briar, but I also use madrone