# This may sound silly but...



## Marc Phillips (Feb 15, 2008)

.. I can't seem to get the thought to go away, so....

My new job means that I have to travel.... 9 days at a time. It will be a lot better when I move down to the coast but I will still be required to travel at least once a month...

I work all weekend teaching, but then the classes are at night Monday through Friday from 6pm - 10:30pm, so I have all day to myself. I want to keep myself busy during the week, cause hanging out at a motel just ain't gonna cut it.

So....

I am picturing a box or something that can fit in the bed of my small GMC Sonoma, and the lid comes off and flips upside down and has a mini lathe attached. I can stand at the rear of the truck in a remote corner of the parking lot, or somewhere that a little dust won't cause a problem and turn some pens. In the box would be my turning stuff... tools, etc... Of course since I am going to be at the beach on the Gulf coast, I am picturing setting up at the beach so I have some better scenery while I turn... I am sure I will hurt myself

I can get one of those things that holds my Beall buffs on the lathe, so I won't need a grinder, and I can drill on the lathe, so no drill press will be needed..... or I can just cut pre-drill the blanks, and even install the tubes I guess...

I probably won't need to sharpen anything...

Hmm.... thinking while I type....


----------



## Ron in Drums PA (Feb 15, 2008)

So let me see if I understand you correctly.

You want to do clandestine pen turning in a parking lot.

You got it bad


----------



## alamocdc (Feb 15, 2008)

Sounds like a plan, Marc, but I know I'd end up hurting myself w/such distractions. What can I say... I like females!DOH![}]


----------



## palmermethod (Feb 15, 2008)

Sounds like you have the right idea Marc. I'm just thinking about salt air corrosion and wood expansion. Maybe stabilized or plastic blanks would work better? But the image of working outdoors near the ocean sound good to me. Good luck...........


----------



## RMB (Feb 15, 2008)

Cool idea! how will you power your lathe? I'd imagine hooking it up to your truck battery through one of those transformer thingys would run down the battery pretty quick. How about a foot powered lathe? Ought to be easy enough to generate enough power to turn something as small as a pen. Wait, I forgot about generators... but those are noisy and smelly. 
Turning at the beach would be awesome! I usually just drink Coronas and fly a kite or something...


----------



## Proud_Poppa_of_2 (Feb 15, 2008)

Of course, if you were turning at the beach, you could display your pens for the tourists.  I'm sure you'd sell them as fast as you could make them.


----------



## GoodTurns (Feb 15, 2008)

he turns tree trims down by the truck tail.....

doesn't work as well as that "she sells seashells" thing, but why not?


----------



## Marc Phillips (Feb 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA_
> 
> So let me see if I understand you correctly.
> 
> ...



Not clandestine... just wanna be turning pens instead of watching I Love Lucy reruns in some motel room [xx(]

I was thinking that this might be a cool trick, and if set up right would attract pen buyers and also tourists to whatever parking lot I set up in... such as a gift shop  .... maybe....


----------



## Marc Phillips (Feb 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by alamocdc_
> 
> Sounds like a plan, Marc, but I know I'd end up hurting myself w/such distractions. What can I say... I like females!DOH![}]



Yea... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 ... showing a bikini clad hotster how to hold my tool... errr, how to make... uhh.... OK, better stop now


----------



## Marc Phillips (Feb 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by RMB_
> 
> Cool idea! how will you power your lathe? I'd imagine hooking it up to your truck battery through one of those transformer thingys would run down the battery pretty quick. How about a foot powered lathe? Ought to be easy enough to generate enough power to turn something as small as a pen. Wait, I forgot about generators... but those are noisy and smelly.
> Turning at the beach would be awesome! I usually just drink Coronas and fly a kite or something...



I have an 800w inverter.... I am going to have to check and see how many amps I need to power the lathe.... if you get a bigger inverter the cost goes waaaaayyyy up, so a mini honda generator may be in order....


----------



## Ron in Drums PA (Feb 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Marc Phillips_
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You know I was joking around I just had the picture in my mind of some guy in a remote corner of a parking lot having to explain to a couple of cops that he is turning pens because he can't get enough of it when he's away from home.

BTW There is a product on the market that converts 12v DC to 120v AC. Other than that, Have Fun!


----------



## mikemac (Feb 15, 2008)

My biggest concern would be someone deciding they liked your tool set-up so well, they would make it their own.  Without asking you.  At night.  While you're catching up on I Love Lucy reruns.


----------



## GaryMGg (Feb 15, 2008)

Presuming you're traveling in a pickup, I'd build a wooden tool box with doors that open out to the sides and put a shelf on Blum full-slide hinges. That way all you'd have to do is open the doors and slide the mini out. The tool box could be bolted to the bed so tilt wouldn't be an issue. Chisels could hang on the doors while they're closed and open.
The toolbox would be easy to build using a web frame construction.
I've got one that'd almost work 'cept it's got a center stile.

You comin' to the Feb 23rd get-together? Only five hours from Pensacola.


----------



## GBusardo (Feb 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by RMB_
> 
> How about a foot powered lathe?



I am liking this idea!    I seen a guy work with a foot powered scroll saw, so maybe.........   This could be a gold mine on the weekends      How about a driftwood slimline??? or maybe a Palm Cigar?  hmmmm   It's soundin good!


----------



## GoodTurns (Feb 15, 2008)

jack up the back of the truck, put a belt around one of the rear tires, run it around the lathe drive, lock down the accelerator and you have all the power you need!


----------



## leehljp (Feb 15, 2008)

Marc,

Here is a link to a fellow wanting to turn pens in a mobile home: http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33595

The Taig may not be what you want to do, but with the right 12V motor, you wouldn't have to worry about needing a converter or 120v extension cord.

Find one of those bread stores/coffee restaurants (Paneras?) known for their wireless settups and you can turn in their parking lot and then go to the IAP web site when taking a break! Have your cake and eat it too!


----------



## pssherman (Feb 15, 2008)

Marc,
I think you will find that the 800W inverter will be more than enough for any mini lathe. That should be enough to power a 1 hp motor at full load.


----------



## ashaw (Feb 15, 2008)

No instead of the job.  Just rent another room.  Can you imagine the face on the cleaning people to vac all of the dust...


----------



## MikeInMo (Feb 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by GoodTurns_
> 
> jack up the back of the truck, put a belt around one of the rear tires, run it around the lathe drive, lock down the accelerator and you have all the power you need!



It sounds like someone has been watching a little too much of The Red Green Show.


----------



## Firefyter-emt (Feb 16, 2008)

Got a trailer hitch? How about a slip in seat so you can sit while you turn? 

The ideal set up would be a topper on the back of the truck and just build a "workbench" in the back.


----------



## WWAtty (Feb 16, 2008)

If you get a ground floor motel room, and can park close enough to it, why not run an extension cord out the window to your truck?  At least bring along a 100' cord in case you get such an opportunity.

If the motel clerk comes out, quickly turn off the lathe and say you're merely charging your battery. 

Cheers.


----------



## kirkfranks (Feb 16, 2008)

Marc,

Not to get you too far off your current track, but maybe a better alternative.
You say that your job is teaching.  Where are you going to be teaching at?  
If it is a school do they have indrstrial arts facilities (code for shop classroom).  

If not is there a local community college around that does?  I have heard of some community college have good setup for woodworking.  Perhaps you can sign up for a "individual study" course in woodworking and use their shop as much as you need.  You would have to pay tuition, but would also have access to a real shop.  Might even have more and better tools than at home and could expand your work some.


----------



## barrels (Feb 16, 2008)

Ok...Mark.... Like me you are sick.... we need help..this addiction is most cunning. I thought when I started talking to wood and when I was driving, eating,working and being with my family all I thought about was turning pens... oh boy we are in trouble.... You got me though I neer thought of taking my lathe with me... hum...[][][:0]


----------



## jughead (Feb 17, 2008)

> _Originally posted by GoodTurns_
> 
> he turns tree trims down by the truck tail.....



Now thats funny right there......... I don't care who you are


----------



## Draken (Feb 17, 2008)

Be careful about selling out of the back of your pickup.  Something about some pesky business licenses, vendor permits, no soliciting on the premises types of things.


----------



## Marc Phillips (Feb 18, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA_
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I knew that!

I LMAO at the image of me hiding in a remote corner somewhere.... sniffing CA and chattering to myself... []


----------



## Marc Phillips (Feb 18, 2008)

Still checking this out.... it is starting to look like I will be able to just run an extension cord at the places I was thinking about.... not sure about being right on the beach though... those folks are here to drink and uh.... other stuff and don't really look like folks who would fork out some serious money for a good pen... 

Maybe I should look into video taping .... could call it "Pens gone Wild"


----------

