Big Bowls

[Kalai]

This is a picture of my home made lathe, it can turn bowls up to 4 feet 8 inches, the big platter is Mango wood and is about 34 inches in diameter, the big bowl next to it is Mango too and about the same size in diameter but a lot deeper. Aloha.

Kalai

 

[ahoiberg]

holy cow chris, those are impressive. you got the coolest looking shop with those nice flowers outside and open-air... how long has that lathe been kickin'? it looks fun.

 

[jwoodwright]

Looks like Paradise, that's right it is! That's some lathe and platter and bowl...

 

[Tea Clipper]

[:0] Wow! Simply amazing!

 

[Kalai]

Andrew, yes my shop is open, I have a dirt floor and roofing for walls on 2 sides , I like it, I made this lathe about 15 years ago, it has a 3 hp motor connected to a old jeep transmision so I can change speeds, works great and I even have reverse[8D], I also have a powermatic, 2 rockwells 1 delta 1 jet mini lathe and 1 antique metal lathe I am converting into a ornamental lathe.
Thanks for all the comments so far and aloha.

kalai

 

[R2]

Do you do that on the Big Island?

 

[doddman70]

HOLY COW!!!! that is cool [8D] they look very nice youll have to show some pics of them when they are finished[8D]

 

[GBusardo]

Nice Chris! What a great set up! As far as the open air shop...well.... if you haven't been to Hawaii, go.... it's realy a paradise

 

[Ligget]

That is HEAVY DUTY turning![:0][] Must be great out in the open air working away, I envy you so much!

 

[louisbry]

Nice homemade lathe and mango turnings. Mango must be fairly stable wood since you have relatively thin walls for a rough turning. I usually leave the thickness approx 10% of diam so I can turn round after all the distortion that occurs during drying.

 

[rlharding]

Now that's a big lathe! Great build, saved yourself a few thousand dollars. Looking forward to seeing the finished results.

 

[rhahnfl]

That lathe is sweet. Wish I had the talent to be able to make a great power tool like that.

 

[R2]

Just a question: What do you use as a chuck? I notice the bowl on he floor to the left has a square foot.

 

[Kalai]

Hi Louis yes Mango is a stable wood.
R2 I do not use a chuck on the real big bowls I use a home made face plate and some long screws.
Thanks all for the comments, aloha from Hawaii.

Kalai

 

[karlkuehn]

Wow, you must go through a ton of micromesh. hehe

Really nice looking lathe, that's amazing. On the bigger bowls, do you just climb inside while it's turning and run like a hamster while holding out a tool? That's some huge turning!