Woodturning Project Stand – Steam Bent and Multi Axis
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I’ve searched for a long time for a good stand for small projects and Christmas ornaments. This is one of the two best that I’ve seen. However, I will continue my search.
This display stand consists of two almost separate projects.
The top is steam bent air dried cherry. I split the cherry to be more sure to follow the grain. My wife’s new pressure cooker provided 10 minutes of steam to heat the wood. After 10 minutes of steam, the wood easily bent to my prepared form. I left it in clamps overnight to be sure it cooled and dried again from any moisture. A little sanding cleaned up the surface.
The base was mounted to an offset chuck adapted from “Build A Shop Made Chuck For Offset Turning” American Woodturner February 2015 pages 35 -40. The adaptation adds a work platform that interchanges between a standard chuck and the infinite axis chuck.
Together, they make for a great project stand.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Pierced, Curved Leaf – Lemonade From A Lemon
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After my lampshade disaster, I was about to throw that wood into the fireplace. But after Lauren, a woodturner from our club, shared what he has done after a similar disaster, I decided to try something.
This leaf is from the largest pieces of the exploded lampshade. It is carved and pierced. The lampshade contributed aspen wood with a nice curve.
It is about 5 by 5 and finished with rattle-can lacquer.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Ornamental Pear Bowl – My Patience Is Rewarded
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When I first started woodturning, I wanted to turn bowls – I still do. I’m always amazed at the color, figure, and shape that results. Often, the shape evolves.
This bowl is pear from a neighbor’s ornamental tree that blew down last summer. For this bowl, I wanted it perfectly round – no warp. So, I rough turned it while green and soft but left the wall thickness big, about 3/4 inch. I sealed the bowl with “Tree Saver” sold by Craft Supplies USA.
Periodically, I weighed the rough bowl and recorded the weight. Last time, the weight actually increased. To me, this means it is close to equilibrium and time to finish turn.
This bowl is about 8 inches diameter and 2 inches tall, finished with walnut oil.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Volcano Salturn In A Perfect Sphere
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After seeing Dave’s demonstration of a salturn or volcano salt shaker, I remembered one I made over seven years ago. You can view that video,“Woodturning An Unusual Salt Shaker in Maple” at this link.
I felt inspired to turn a new salturn just not the same as the one years ago. I think turning a sphere is a basic skill that every woodturner should master early on. Despite my early failures, I later learned and mastered the octagon method which when combined with a process using cup centers, yields perfect spheres.
Combining a perfect sphere with a salturn is a challenge. If you’re a novice woodturner, master turning a sphere first. I have produced several videos that include a sphere. Here’s a couple:
Turn A Perfect Wood Sphere Or Ball – No Expensive Jig (Link Here)
Simple Wood Faceplates For Perfect Balls Or Spheres (Link Here)
How To Turn Perfect Hollow Sphere – No Jig (Link Here)
I keep the two multipliers in a note on my phone:
- Distance from top to first corner = diameter times 0.293
- Length of octagon’s side = diameter times 0.414
By the way, I prepared the cherry spindle back in 2016, turning green cherry into billets, waxing it thoroughly, and allowing it to dry.
Preparing Green Cherry – Not Solely For Bowls (Link Here)
Enjoy!
Woodturning Green Mesquite Bowl In One Spin
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After turning a bowl from mesquite a couple of months ago, I noted that I cannot obtain mesquite regularly. Subsequently, Mark from Phoenix, AZ offered me a bunch of mesquite.
So, here is another bowl from mesquite with more of a pedestal design. The wood was fresh green wood. However, the mesquite, being a very dry wood, did not warp significantly. Therefore, I did not need to rough turn, dry the wood, and remount to turn again.
This bowl is finished with walnut oil and is about 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Valentine’s Box With Infinite Axis Chuck
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This video combines three elements: a cross grain box; a laminated box lid; multi-axis turning.
The box portion is 3.5 inches diameter hard maple turned with a cross grain orientation. That means the grain is running perpendicular to the turning axis. A cross grain box expands and contracts unevenly with changes in humidity. This, in turn, requires a more loose fit between the box and the lid. The box was hollowed mostly with a bowl gouge and cleaned up with a box scraper. The interior is finished with an odorless wax. The exterior is finished with shellac friction polish.
The lid is laminated colored birch produced by FrogBlanks.com. They have a large selection of different laminations to choose from. FrogBlanks is offering a 15% off coupon YT-AWT for a period of time. Where FrogBlanks are not available, DIY laminations could substitute.
The lid is turned with my Infinite Axis Chuck. This chuck is a multi-axis chuck that enables turning axes that are not parallel. What I like is that I can turn what appears to be non-symmetrical features into the wood. On the FrogBlank wood, this is particularly interesting.
For videos on the Infinite Axis Chuck, I recommend:
Plans for the chuck at https://www.aswoodturns.com//plans-n-resources/
Shop Built Eccentric Chuck From PVC Fitting (link)
Woodturning Jewelry With Infinite Axis Chuck (link)
Eccentric Spindle Woodturning With Infinite Axis Chuck (link)
Woodturning Eccentric Twig Vase With Infinite Axis Chuck (link)
Eccentric Bottle Stopper With Infinite Axis Chuck (link)
Woodturning Christmas Ornament Using Infinite Axis Chuck (link)
Enjoy!
Woodturning Apple Branch To Cider Mug
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Last year after completing my spring pruning, I had an apple limb that I cut in short segments and bored out the center including the pith. They’ve been drying since then. My video for that is “Preparing Green Apple Branch For Natural Edge Projects” at this link.
I’m using one of those segments for this project. I’m trying to use the natural shape of the limb to make a bark edge mug. After starting with the wood from last year I need to clean up the center, glue in a bottom, shape a handle, and waterproof the wood if it is going to survive liquid. The bottom is hazelnut also from my yard.
Fortunately, I’ve also experimented with dissolving acrylic in acetone for use as a waterproof finish. My video for this experiment is “A DIY Approach To Waterproof Wood” at this link.
While there is no instant gratification in creating this mug, now I can instantly enjoy some apple cider from my apple mug.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Blooper – Exploding Lampshade
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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!
Woodturning Quilt Burnisher For Paper Pieced Quilts
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My sister asked me to turn several burnishing tools for her quilting. She is an avid quilter.
Why not? These are approximate 9 inches long with one end having a slant flat end. Both ends could be used to press a seam, attach a pattern, or whatever.
These are turned from spalted box elder, maple and cherry, finished with shellac friction polish.
Enjoy!
References:
DIY Triple Wire Woodburner For Woodturning
Nailed It – Woodturning “Woodies Breakfast”
This video is also posted on YouTube, Vimeo, and FaceBook. But, you’re already here.
What to do with a pretty piece of wood with an old rusty nail in it?
Turn a bowl, of course. But avoid the nail.
The wood is spalted box elder. Someone drove a nail into the tree. The tree grew over the nail then the center rotted out leaving the tree hollow.
This bowl is 5″ by 2″ finished with walnut oil. Two small rusty nails decorate the top.
Enjoy!