parvum
Established Member
Hello everyone, I have been a lurker for some time , having only recently tried turning wood as opposed to nice stable predictable metal! I have just leant a valuable lessson which may be obvious to all you experienced turners. I got hold of a Turnstyler lathe with variable speed. I stripped it and fitted new bearings, shimmed the tailstock to align it with headstock and then attacked some wood. No matter what speed I got wobbly finish and umpteen catches using a skew.But I've fixed all the thigs that should have caused chater on a metal lathe, I thought. At last the penny droppped, whats the belt like? being continuous is not sufficient. It was SH****D very worn on both sides as shown by being well down in the pulley grooves and with flat spots on the sides to boot. New belt , cleaned and degreased pulleys and frabjous joy a transformation, no weird creaking noises, juddering and even I can get a glassy srface on cross grain oak. I hope this may be of use to those of us who are not using monster lathes with very sophisticated bearings and drive systems, but who nevertheless enjoy making designer firewood in the hope that we may eventually aquire the skill to make something more demanding than chisel handles! Thanks to all the members whose posts I have learnt from, I have a lot more reading to do and a lot more shavings to make. 
