quick question

[Neil Collier]

hi all, i want to have a go at turning a small sink for my bathroom but the blank won't clear the bed on my draper lathe, the question is when swiveling the head is it best to have it just clear the bed or turn it through 90 degrees?

thanks in advance

 

[Lazurus]

I had the Axminster M900 with a swiveling head stock, I found that it was a balance between clearing the bed bars and the reach of the tool rest. I would say though to turn a sink sized object on your lathe may be problematic, as that will be a fair chunk of timber for the lathe to handle. I use a VB36 and would think carefully before attempting.

 

[LancsRick]

You will usually find that the lathe head has a locking pin at the 90 degree point for security. You should be able to get a curve tool rest for bowl turning if you don't have one.

 

[Neil Collier]

cheers lads slow and steady it is

 

[SVB]

Alternately think does it really need to be round - or is round the right shape for a sink? I’d be tempted to invest in an arbortech blade for my angle grinder and carve something rather than turn it.

(PS - I’d endorse comments above re duty of lathe. IIRC the draper models (and similar others) will really struggle to spin these type of projects slow enough and lack the mass required to both stay put and avoid potentially damaging the machine itself - what is the size of the blank you have in mind for this project?)

 

[Lazurus]

If you do make a sink, what kind of waterproofer will you use, there are some really cool images online of various designs but I am curious as to their functionality.

 

[Happy amateur]

Carl Jacobson did a youtube video making and sealing a sink from wood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3wt13z4lH0
Might be worth a look

Fred Taylor
orchard-woodturners.org.uk

 

[the axe]

G'day Neil from Australia. my name is also Neil Collier and I have been turning for the past 20 years(coincidence). I found your name when searching my results in the Royal Easter Show competition here in Sydney. Very pleased to see another person with the same name with the same interest.