How Thin can you go?

[Roby]

Gosh, here I am a novice asking the experts.  I've got a chunk of ebony wood (really expensive stuff - right), and I am planning on cutting it into strips and lathing it into dowels for a project.  Yes, it is an ambitious project for my first attempt at a lathe, but just how thin can you go without smashing the project into the wall.  I want 1/8 dowels and will attach the project to base pieces on each end.  Ebony is pretty sturdy wood, but I don't know if I can go that thin with out the force of the motor splintering the project.  Any advise???  How thin is the thinnest project that anyone has done?

[VisExp]

1/8" shouldn't be a problem.  When working with thin spindles the biggest problem is flexing along the length of the spindle because of the pressure from the tool.  You can negate this by either turning shorter spindles or by supporting the spindle on the opposite side of the tool with your fingers.  You might want to practice on some less expensive woods first though.

[Skiprat]

1/8 shouldn't be a problem if the length isn't too long.,between centres. But I guess you could do long objects if you use a lathe steady.
I've never tried, but we have a guy in the UK ( Ian Woodford ) that seems to easily get long spindles down to what look like hairs to me

[Skiprat]

LOL, Keith

Reminds me of the card game....'Snap!!!'

[Johan Heyns]

I assume the rocks are now smooth?

[Canuck]

I assume the rocks are now smooth?

You never forget anything do you?

[Johan Heyns]

I live in the land of the elephants!!

[Roby]

Thanks for the encouragment and imput, I will give it a try.  I just hated to waste expensive wood on something that was doomed to never work. 

[mike toulouzas]

DEAR ROBY,
Because i have experiment a lot with thin wood, on the lathe it is very importand to have a very very sharp and corect tool.I have found that the same tools can not be used for making small projects.make some miniature tools and then experiment on the lathe.I was lucky to know these things because i like very much spinning tops.So when i started making them i was going and trying to make smaler and smaller spining tops.When i found dificulties with the ready tools i start making my own and  the difference is from day to night.A very importand thing is go slowly dont rush,dont get exited .....you can be after you turn of the lathe.Take a look on some spinning tops i have with thickness of 0.043 of an inch.( 1.08mm)
dont forget that the tool has to cut very nice because you need no sanding on small dowell or its very tempting but maby it will brake.Standarize you project and you will be fine.Dont worry.You are an exelent craftsman.

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[Roby]

Thanks, Mike your the "tops".  I still have a week before I will start the project and I am accustomed to making my own tools for special projects.  I will let you guys know how they "turn" out.

[Arc Light]

O all the puns have me "spinning" around!

[Canuck]

O all the puns have me "spinning" around!

Kinda makes me think of the lyrics in that song;  'you spin me round, round, baby right round, like a record baby, round, round, round...'

Oh and for the record, if any of you got my 'weird' email saying 'HI BABY'....it was meant for 'Pinhead'   Mark's reply was pretty funny though, when he told me;  'Stay away from the cold medicine while you are on the computer.'  

[Arc Light]

  Yeh I thought Ummmmmmm John I'm married............Happily married

[rolly_wood]

Guys, masters of lathe, surely you know the top which after a while turns upside-down and continue spinning.... It should be simple to realize it with a lathe and it is intriguing to play with...
In the, almost unreal, case that you have not ever heard anything about it, read these:
http://www.fysikbasen.dk/English.php?page=Vis&id=79
http://www.physik.uni-augsburg.de/~wobsta/tippetop/index.shtml.en

In all the other cases, .... disregard this message 

[Chinnomotto]

Guys, masters of lathe, surely you know the top which after a while turns upside-down and continue spinning....

Man, don't you have these tops? I do them with my eyes closed, will send you a care pack soon

The mushroom ones are nicer