Indy Cindy

My first lathe was a Delta midi lathe which appears to be similar to the Rikon. I made many things on that lathe over 3 years until this year when I upgraded to the Jet 1642 which I love. I still have the Delta which I also love. For me turning became my primary passion, but going into it you just don't know if you will like it and it is hard to want to plunk down 2 grand or more on a big lathe when it might turn into a coat rack. Heck, I thought $700 for my small lathe was risking a lot of money. So I do recommend starting out with a modest sized lathe such as the Rikon or the Delta, and if/when you upgrade I recommend the Jet 1642. Lots of bang for your buck.

Modern Family. Always smart. Always funny.

I'll be watching. I expect they (Ellen and producers) learned a lot from the first season and it will be an improved show. Looking forward to it!

Pretty boy. Thank-you for sharing his picture with us.

Jerry, I am so very sorry for your loss. We lost two of ours last year six months apart. My heart still aches and I miss them every day. My deepest sympathy to you. Cindy

For me it is a lathe. Changed my life, literally. Turning has become my passion.

Check out this product. http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/best-step-anti-fatigue-foam-floor-mat?cm_vc=-10005 Nice size (46"x93"), nice price ($US19.99), warm and cushy underfoot.

Thought about it but love the house and location. Now I have power so staying put!

No problem. Attached garage but we have a big tri-level with power coming in from the exact opposite corner from the garage and attics over the three levels of the house that don't quite match up. We had 3 bids and 3 entirely different approaches to the problem. 1st guy never came back with a bid after repeated prompting. 2nd company wanted $5k and had an unnecessarily complicated approach, 3rd company was more common sense and cost the $2.6k. We ran a line out from our house panel, under a deck, around the corner of a brick patio, up a wall into the garage soffit and attic over to my half of the garage and down to install the 60 A sub panel. Four 20 A circuits were run from there. Up until now I had one 15 A circuit in the garage and I ran an extension cord into the house for another 15 A circuit so I could run my shop vac. I'm really happy now to have more power! In the grand scheme of things on how much money I spend on this hobby it is worth it. I now have light (yay!) and a big lathe (yay!) and am ready to install an air cleaner (yay!). I have family visiting for the last week and am looking forward to getting out there and putting it all to use.

Price is not the point. I had the GFCI outlets already installed as part of the electrical upgrade. The lathe would not run on GFCI. The only question was whether or not a non-GFCI outlet could be installed in place of the GFCI outlet so I could run the lathe. The electrician did so and all is good. Also, FWIW the lathe is >$2K (sales price), electric installation in garage was >$2500. We're not quibbling about $30, just the ability to run the lathe. All other circuits in the garage are still GFCI protected.

Okay then, here is the first piece off of the Jet 1642. Sycamore hollow vessel, 5"D x 5"H. Here it is in progress on the lathe. I almost didn't even install the guard grid work but I'm finding it surprisingly easy to get used to and I do feel safer. It is astonishing how quickly something can fly off the lathe right at your head. I plan to carve it into something like this work in progress, Ash wood, using techniques I learned in a class with J Paul Fennell. Quite a bit yet to do on this piece.

I'll see what I can do. I have family coming to visit next week, staying for a week, and I'm still getting ready. But I gotta try it out!

And we have power! Swapping it out with a non GFCI 20 amp outlet worked.

Richard, Any of the canines travel with you? I'll bet people leave your tractor trailer alone if they see the 2 canus lupus staring them down in the cab. Ankle biters, not so much, but they could be the most aggressive. The lab would probably lick an intruder to death. My canines are all the same breed, American Eskimo Dogs. So as David Frei likes to say during his broadcast of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, dog hair is a condiment in our household. I'll add another category, most times in NYC for the Westminster Dog Show at seven. 3 times were as a spectator, 4 as an exhibitor. Unfortunately we never made the tv round.

I had to google cigar lighter, not part of my world. Kind of cool. Thanks for the graphite offer Brendon, but I don't even recall what I had in mind using it for so I'd better pass.