Newb setting up community workshop lathes - HELP!

[lightrider]

I'm a member of the Birmingham makerspace FizzPop, an eclectic, member-run workshop. As the person with the most interest in the woodwork room and the lathes, it has fallen to me to find out how to get the lathes into a more useful state. Could some of you lovely people please help by pointing out some basic parts that we'd need? Or anything else I don't know I don't know?

We have two lathes: a DML24X, which works but doesn't have a "proper" chuck, just pointy bits on both sides; and a Graduate bowl lathe, which looks a long way from ready.

The guys at the workshop have a lot of technical expertise between them but we all lack basic knowledge about lathes.

I'm at the stage where I've turned a few basic pieces and watched a bunch of Youtube videos. I plan to do a day course. I've got more photos of the machines but didn't want to flood this post. I'm guessing that getting a useful chuck for the DML24X will be pretty straightforward once I know what to look for. I understand that there are different levels of cleverness and expense in chucks so we'll have to go for the most affordable-but-useful option. We've got a few different chisels that seem to be doing the job well enough for now.

We don't have the budget to go mad getting things perfect, but getting thing useful is important to us, otherwise what's the point of having these toys, right?

So what do you think?

 

[Robbo3]

As nobody has answered so far, I'll chip in with some basic information.

Your Record DML24X headstock is threaded 3/4" x 16 TPI.

Both the headstock & tailstock are bored with a number one morse taper (1MT or MT1) to accept 1MT accessories such as drive centres & revolving centres (= live centre as mounted in your tailstock).

The tailstock is bored all the way through (I think) & requires a knock out bar (a length of metal rod with a knob or handle) to remove anything mounted in the taper.

The headstock isn't bored all the way through but has a thread protector which when unscrewed forces the drive centre from the taper. Tapers should be kept clean & dry.

The drive shown is a ring drive/centre with an adjustable point - good for beginners as it's forgiving in the event of a catch. Others have 2 prongs, 4 prongs or a circle of teeth (Steb centre) to drive the work.

Any 4 jaw scroll chuck with a 3/4x16 thread will suit - I wrote a summary here
- woodturning-chucks-some-info-for-those-new-to-the-hobby-t76139.html

The beginner's bible is deemed to be 'Woodturning. A Foundation Course' by Keith Rowley.

I'll leave the Graduate lathe to those with more specialised knowledge but there is information available at lathes.co.uk
- http://www.lathes.co.uk/harrisonwood/index.html

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Birmingham is a big place - hopefully a member close by will volunteer to spend an hour or two with you. I'd be happy to, but a 650ml round trip is a bit far.

 

[duncanh]

It's probably worth seeing if there are any woodturning clubs close to you. There are plenty spread all over the country and they're usually welcoming places full of knowledgeable people

 

[chipmunk]

I'd suggest that if you make an early decision to harmonize the chucks of both the Record and the Graduate to one manufacturer then you could swap the jaws between them. Axminster, Robert Sorby and Toolpost Versachuck all provide chucks which will fit both lathes.

My recommendation would be to settle on Axminster chucks. The Graduate has a 1 1/2" x 6TPI left hand (outboard) and right hand (inboard) nose thread.

HTH
Jon

 

[lightrider]

Wow! This is all incredibly helpful. Thank you! I'm slowly working my way through all this information.

 

[marcros]

are there any more bits with the graduate- it appears to be missing the tool rests which may be expensive to replace

 

[chipmunk]

Well the view of the Graduate is looking at the outboard side. More information of the variants can be seen here...
http://www.lathes.co.uk/harrisonwood/index.html

Either this is the dedicated bowl lathe which as Marcros says is missing the toolrest swan neck (expensive bit) and rest (cheaper bit). or it is another variant and is missing a lot more bits.

...but there is a firm reconditioning Graduates http://woodturninglathes.co.uk/graduate_classic.html

and they also stock spare parts...
http://woodturninglathes.co.uk/graduate_spares.html

HTH
Jon

 

[lightrider]

I finally got a chance to ask around at the workshop about the Graduate. The good news is we DO have the swan neck and rest! Until I knew that I was considering essentially writing that out of foreseeable plans. We don't have the mounting bolt but that seems fairly straightforward. I also checked the other side of the lathe and it does have another thread, if that means anything, but we will just use it as a dedicated bowl lathe.

Now I will look into seeing if there is a chuck that could be shared by the two lathes because they are very unlikely to ever be used at the same time. If that's not the way to go then certainly keeping in mind the excellent advice from chipmunk on jaw compatibility. Robbo3's post on chucks had been incredibly helpful.

Now I need to put this to one side for a couple of weeks because I will be away quite a bit. Thank you so much for your help with this. It's getting quite exciting!

 

[rdesign]

Just to let you know the record isn't a great lathe won't allow big bowls to be turned. The graduate is a great lathe if you get it set up with chucks ect. The record I would use as a dedicated Spindal lathe you won't need a chuck just use the driving centers you have. Much easier to learn the basic techniques doing spinal work than learning on a bowl. The Graduate will allow small to large bowls to be turned as it has all the mass to reduce any vibration. The record and my cheap Drapper variable speed lathe would have some vibration problems when doing Large bowls over 8 to 10 inch.

Best of luck Richard

 

[lightrider]

Thanks, Richard. I'll add that to my thinking.