(duh, without the extra attachments...)

On Mar 24, 2008, at 13:16, Roger Books wrote:
> I'm going to have to insulate it.  I'm already thinking I'll have to
> wire it (may hire an electrician),  put plywood over the insulation,
> and put pegboard over that.  I'm debating the lathe.  I really like
> treadle lathes but have a disorder which makes coordination with my
> right leg difficult.  Maybe I can harness the dog.
>
> It sounds like 10x14 is a reasonable size if I do lumber storage
> intelligently.  Maybe an external, closable cabinet/bench so I can
> sharpen outside.  Is SS still the method of choice or has something
> better shown up?

As far as I have been able to determine, assuming you're finishing  
with the same grit stuff (which with oilstones usually requires  
stopping) oilstones, waterstones and SS all give the same edge  
quality.  I like SS because it's more compact and requires less  
fiddling, and it's very easy these days to get a very, very sharp  
edge; you can buy 0.5 micron sandpaper from Lee Valley, and Tools for  
Working Wood sells 0.3 PSA stuff.  It is possible but difficult to  
find a waterstone with similar natural grit size, and basically  
impossible to find an equivalent oilstone; however you can strop using  
some sort of 0.5 micron abrasive compound for essentially the same  
result.  Whatever works for you, it's all basically the same idea.

As to the lathe, I have no idea.  I want to make one, and soon, but I  
need to finish the bench and some other projects first.  If you're  
wiring the place for electricity, you could try to find a "normal"  
lathe; I gather they're about as compact, possibly smaller.  But that  
discussion goes off old-tools content, I suspect.

Graham
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