The beautiful metal pieces that Mike Blume posted on the photo page got me thinking about how nice it would be to turn my own winding checks, etc. I have a nice wood lathe....don't really have the room or $$ for a metal lathe. Does anyone else turn on a wood lathe? I am looking to turn aluminum. Any tips on tools, etc?

Thanks

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

Hard to do on a wood lathe. Attachments for holding the tools, etc., are going to be difficult.

But there is an alternative - stay tuned to the next issue of RodMaker.

...........

I will be looking forward to the article! I have both types and can see turning wood on a metal lathe but not the opposite! Tom must have an idea on a toolholder!

Scott I've turned over a dozen ink pens out of aluminum bar stock with my wood lathe. A standard scraper and skew is all I used and it was just a little more time consuming than turning Trustone which is comprised of 80% pulverized stone. I have an inexpensive set of tools just for turning aluminum pensthat I purchased from Penn State Ind. You will need a dedicated buffing wheel set up to use the metal polishing compounds that are needed to get a nice shine. Polishing metal will turn your buffing wheels black in no time.

Lance

Lance, you aren't using a standard wood lathe tool rest to turn aluminum pens, right?

Hi, Scott
Mike here, turning the 11/8 in. stock on my wood lathe was kinda slow but it did work. All I used were my wood tools. I'm trying to come up with something to hold smaller bits. Thing about epoxying and pinning a steel sleeve into a wood handle to insert the bit into and hold the bit in with set screws. I used a standard tool rest. The rod was for myself but a coworker I showed it to gave me money to start him one. So I can't wait for the Rodmaker article, hint hint Tom if you're reading, you have my email.
Your tools will need sharpened more often, just grab some scrap and give it a try, just go slow and easy they will grab. Also I drilled my pieces first and super glued them to my mandrel, worked out pretty well.

Good luck and good fishing
Mike
Mikes Custom Fly Rods

Yes, the standard tool rest that came with the lathe.

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hard to do on a wood lathe. Attachments for
> holding the tools, etc., are going to be
> difficult.
>
> But there is an alternative - stay tuned to the
> next issue of RodMaker.
>
> ...........


I'd love to see the article, but can't get the magazine here in South Africa! (No overseas subcriptions available). I wish I could get it here.
Any chance of sending me a PDF file Tom? Or posting it on here after the mag hits the subscribers?

Sorry no. The subscribers would no reason to subscribe if I did that and we'd have to stop developing these new techniques.

............

Hi Tom

Yep...I understand...but here's MY problem: I'd LOVE to subscribe, but can't as you don't allow overseas subscriptions. So basically, I'm screwed in terms of seeing the article you talk about in the next issue.