Heya,
Turned my first pepper mill using the wood lathe and wanted to put a post in here.
I made it using oak from the scrap bin which I ebonised using steel wool dissolved in vinegar and finished it with a layer of danish oil followed by two coats of tung oil.
This was my first time using the lathe with forstner bits and extenders and it was really enjoyable.
Lessons for next time:
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Use the lathe’s slowest speed when drilling and back it up fully to stop the shavings compacting and possibly igniting
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Make a jam chuck to drive the mill, after boring the centre hole
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Make a tool to set the mechanism in place (I smashed part of it this time but managed to epoxy it in place)
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Use a recess tool to cut a notch for the crushing mechanism to sit in place, this will be far more secure than just using epoxying
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Measure the blank before hand
this one was too long and although it works, the top doesn’t stay on as intended.
A big thanks @petra for the L1 and L2 inductions, really fun and left feeling confident after both sessions!
Cheers,
Pete