Robust Lathe Review - More Woodturning
Robust Lathe Review - More Woodturning
Robust Lathe Review - More Woodturning
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
that I would say that it would bea universally appealing odor. Butmore importantly, the wood turnsabsolutely beautifully, almost likebutter, and it is a richly figured andcolored wood to boot. From theoutside looking in I don’t think onecould easily imagine how stunningscrap olive wood intended for theburn pile can be once turned andsanded smooth. But I think onceyou see a piece you will be wishingyou had the same inside source forthis “trash” wood as I do!What the “Trash” Turned IntoI was able to leave a naturaledge on both dishes; howevermore of the bark was preserved onthe first attempt. The second dishshows the rather severe crackingand checking that happened as thegreen wood dried in my shop priorto my turning it down. I fully realizethat for some turners the existenceof such severe cracking would bean automatic disqualifier and thatpiece might have been discarded andnever turned at all. But honestly, ofthe two, it is my favorite because itreminds me, and all of us really, thatwood is a natural material and likeall natural materials it has uniquecharacteristics from piece to pieceeven among that same species oreven the same tree. This piece ofwood cracked, that is what the wooddid, it isn’t anything I did rightto achieve an effect or somethingwrong that caused the appearance,and if you could feel the wood, youwould immediately know that greatcare and patience was exercised toachieve that smooth feel where thewood isn’t naturally cracked.The Unique Piece Waiting to BeFoundThis little dish reminds me thatif I want a certainty of appearanceand smooth finish 100% of the timethen I should stick with thermoformedplastic crap from China. Itwill always be predictable, and mostimportant, or horrifying, to someof us, exactly like the one before itand after it, multiplied by the literalmillions. WallMart is happy to sellyou as many as you can carry andmore. But with a piece of randomwood that is free for the taking younever know. It might be a rottenmess that you throw out, and if youdo, so what? It was free! But everynow and then you find yourselfwith a truly unique one of a kindpiece that no one else can ever havebecause you found the materialand your work, patience, practice,and skills turned that “trash” intosomething you can treasure for alifetime. So, the next time you seewood lying by the side of the road,pick it up because you never knowwhat it might turn out to be.New BGM-100 BenchGrinder MountWhile nothing on the planetbeats the Tormek at maintaining aperfect edge on turning tools, establishingthe shape on a tool can pusha turner’s patience and take the funout of the process. Shaping on adry grinder comes with its own setof trials and tribulations, too. Thesteel is coming off the tool veryquickly, which as all of us who havebeen there know, can be as much ofa curse as a blessing. If you’re tryingto control that process freehand-- good luck. Those who can do itwell are few and far between.Jig systems are nothing new todry grinders, but what we have now,with the BGM-100, is the controlthat has made Tormek jigs worldfamous combined with the shapingspeed of a dry grinder. Even better,if you use the TTS-100 Turning ToolSetter, the match of the profile to thegrindstone when moving from shapingon the dry grinder to sharpeningon the Tormek is nothing short ofamazing.Tormek is now accepting thatdry grinding is a reasonable alternativefor initial shaping, if donecarefully and under the same controlused on the Tormek.Setting up a BGM-100 is veryeasy. You just laminate a block fromscrap plywood that is 2 inches lessin height than the measurement fromthe base to the centerline of yourgrinder (2-½ inches if using a 6 inchgrinder). Screw the horizontal baseto that, position it in front of yourgrinder according to the detailed instructions,and you’re good to go.It is as easy or easier to constructthan any of the competitivesystems. It’s priced competitivelywith anything out there. And, itdoesn’t have the huge footprint inyour shop that some other systemstake up. If you later decide that youwant to take the next step and put theperfect edge on your turning tools,everything you buy for a BGM-100set up will be fully functional withyour new Tormek.<strong>More</strong> <strong>Woodturning</strong> February 2010 Page 21