Woodturning Blooper – Exploding Lampshade

Exploding LampshadeThis video is also posted to YouTube, Vimeo, and FaceBook. Where Best? Right Here!

After receiving this trunk of fresh aspen at the club wood raffle, Dave suggested that I turn a lampshade. I turned a lampshade several years ago but had resolved to avoid turning another until I had completed a deep hollowing rig. Here’s a link to that video Extreme Woodturning – Cedar Lampshade

Well that hollowing rig did not work well. But later the Southern Utah Woodturning Club gave me one that they made for their members. This new rig works great.

So, why not a lampshade?

Well, turning went very well until I was nearly finished. Then a catch and the whole project blew up. Why? Probably multiple reasons. Better luck next time. Perhaps another faceplate on the live center would have avoided this. It would need to allow me to easily measure wall thickness.

Enjoy!


12 Responses to “Woodturning Blooper – Exploding Lampshade”

  1. Don Rayner says:

    That is why I always wear a full face shield!

  2. Ned says:

    I too had a real scare recently when a large piece exploded on my lathe. The impact against my face shield was very large. Had I not been wearing my face shield, real damage would have been done. Thanks to your repeated advice, I was wearing a face shield. Thanks!! Ned

    • Glad you’re okay. My worst was a 10 pound chunk of wet apricot as can be seen in a much earlier video.
      That one knocked me down. This one, already hollowed, did not have the same impact.
      Still, I always wear the faceshield.
      Keep on turning (and wearing your protection)
      Alan

  3. Gary says:

    Alan,
    Cabinet scrapper on inside is a bad idea. One slip and you could be wearing that scrapper.
    Where was your tailstock when you blew that piece up?
    Assuming a lot of beginner turners watch your videos I would expect a more conservative approach to turning.
    Gary

    • As noted in the video, cabinet scraper can be dicey. However, I have seen a professional turner use a scraper also. Just be careful and observant.
      The tailstock would have helped but I would have needed to make a custom threaded faceplate for a jam chuck. I had hoped to get by without that.
      It did not work!
      Alan

  4. Carl Clayton says:

    Now that was too funny,Have to commend you on effort.

  5. Samuel Bullard says:

    Alan what make is your hollowing fixture, or is it your on design?

  6. Duncan says:

    Perhaps the wobble was because you had cut the walls quite thin for the full depth, instead of progressing in stages and never going back to the completed sections!
    Took me four tries to get a vaguely successful result?

    • Progressing in stages is usually a good plan.
      In this case, I needed a continuous smooth surface which is tough in stages. I probably would have had better luck with the stages.
      Thanks for sharing.
      Alan