croessler

Wow... Excellent tip! I never thought of that one.

I own and have used the brand Chet mentioned in both medium and fine. The only thing I will add is to be aware that they can clog if it is a resinous wood you are shaping.

Do you have a link to this chuck?

It wasdry; I took the pic 2 days after the final coat.

Typically I use this process : Sand to 600grit then apply a coat with a rag. The first coat will soak in rather quickly if the piece is well seasoned. This is let dry overnight. The reason I leave it on the lathe is I can have the lathe running at a very low rpm while the finish is wet keeping it from pooling or dripping which is typically not an issue as I am applying very thin coats each time. After the first coat I give it a light sanding and wipe before the next coat. Repeating the process until I'm happy with the results. After the last coat I wet sand with very high grit micromesh and finish it off with a buffed out coat of wax. Arm-r-Seal is very forgiving and gives a great result on most wood species. I also like pure tung oil on pieces that don't need a durable finish.

Thanks for the compliment. I like salad bowl and Arm-r-Seal. They both go on so easy it's not even funny.

It is an outstanding finish for turning. I just finished this bowl with Arm-r-Seal.

I too am in NE Florida. I have a mini split that was installed by Snyder. PM me if you have any specific questions.

Curtis, I have a jet 16-32 drum and the original domino. While I love having them both I would have to say that I have actually completed more projects due to the domino. If you have a planer and a random orbit go with the domino first and the drum sander second.

Very nice first attempt(s) I have been turning for a few years but have never attempted pens; i'm thinking about doing a couple for gifts this year.

I have just one cordless and one corded. I guess I need to pick up the pace. I wonder if the wife will buy into that logic?

My 13yr old nephew started turning on a harbor freight mini lathe. He now has sells duck calls at the rate of a dozen or so a month. I would recommend looking locally for a used jet or general midi lathe first then go to the HD if all else fails. I started with a jet midi and upgraded a couple of years later .

Ben, I use it along with Sketch up. I like the way it optimizes material layout. I work with a fair amount of rough lumber so I do spend some time entering the rough materials at the start but after that it has been great. Oh, I have the Silver version as well. --Chris

Eric, I wish I had seen this before tonight. Please ask again before your next ride; hopefully I will be in a position to help. To all you folks dealing with cancer in one way or another.... Our prayers are with you!

That really is a beautiful piece of lumber. Love the slight curl....