Cleanliness

[jleiwig]

This tip relates to lathe cleanliness.

I got real sick of always getting water and CA and other stuff on the ways of my lathe and having to clean it off every few pens. So one day while in my pile of stuff that may one day be useful I found some magnetic vent covers that I had bought previously. They look like this. The brand here is FrostKing



What I did was set up my lathe how I normally sand and finish. Banjo all the way to the left. I then cut the pieces to fit and they work great! Here is a picture with them on.

[www]

great idea, thank you

[Rick_G]

Just don't leave them on permanently. I had read the same idea for protecting the blades on my handplanes when stored using fridge magnets, looks like the same material. I came back a month or so later and found rust under the fridge magnet card. I don't know whether it is a dissamilar metals thing or moisture is creeping in and causing the rust. Needless to say I don't use them any more.

[DozerMite]

I just use a piece of cardboard cut to size and lay a couple pieces of papertowel on top of that.

[OKLAHOMAN]

Holy crap, lathes don't come in the box dirty? I think my 2 jets were white or blue or red, mabey grey...All kidding aside I have a 1X4x6 that I cover with an old dish rag on the ways to keep water off when wet sanding and glueing. But really your lathe is just toooooooooo clean go turn some pens...

[JimB]

I use an old hand towel.

[jleiwig]

Originally Posted by OKLAHOMAN

Holy crap, lathes don't come in the box dirty? I think my 2 jets were white or blue or red, mabey grey...All kidding aside I have a 1X4x6 that I cover with an old dish rag on the ways to keep water off when wet sanding and glueing. But really your lathe is just toooooooooo clean go turn some pens...

I had actually just taken it completely apart and cleaned it when I took that picture, hence the dead blow mallet, allen wrenches and screw drivers laying around. Even took the headstock off and cleaned under there. You would not believe the gunk that can accumulate underneath there!

Seriously thought about stripping it and repainting it too, since the factory paint is so cheap and keeps flaking off. It seems every time I bump into the darn thing I get some red flecks around. I can't have that possibly get into a pen finish! But I'd want to paint it a lighter color, probably white, but then people would think I'm trying to pass it off as a JET which I'm not. Been there and had one. Perfectly satisfied with the PSI lathe.

[jleiwig]

Originally Posted by Rick_G

Just don't leave them on permanently. I had read the same idea for protecting the blades on my handplanes when stored using fridge magnets, looks like the same material. I came back a month or so later and found rust under the fridge magnet card. I don't know whether it is a dissamilar metals thing or moisture is creeping in and causing the rust. Needless to say I don't use them any more.

They are only there for finishing. Otherwise I stick them to the front of the lathe.

[CSue]

I just brush it all off with an old computer keyboard brush after every pen. But I'm not gonna post a picture of the finish on mine. It wouldn't pass my Grandfather's inspection standards. ("White Glove.")

But ya know what? It still makes pens okay.

[rjwolfe3]

Justin - another great idea. Think I will have to try that one too. I use the sandpaper ideas that you put in the other thread.