Revisiting Tippy Top Failure – New Process For Success
This video is best viewed here on this page. In case of technical difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Ten years ago, I failed to turn a tippy top. What is a tippy top? When a tippy top spins, it spins on its axis. But then, the turning axis gradually shifts until it flips over. Believe it or not, the top itself is now rotating very opposite to its initial rotation. No, it does not stop spinning to change. It gradually flips over.
Why not incorporate the octagon process to give a great starting point for the top? But before rounding off the octagon, the straight sides are perfect places to measure from while drilling a couple of holes.
This top is two pieces: the round body and the handle. The body started with 1.5″ by slightly longer wood; the handle about 3/8″ by 2. Coloring was with a variety of Tombow markers. Finish is carnauba wax.
The optional 1/4″ ball bearing goes in the extra depth of the hole for the handle. The ball bearing serves to lower the center of mass to encourage the tippy top to behave.
I also designed a launcher to help my fingers get the spinning started. While mine is 3D printed; it is easily made from wood. The model files are at www.Printables.com at this link: https://www.printables.com/model/582064-tippy-top-launcher
It is time to prepare for this year’s challenge. Details are at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Resources:
Turn A Perfect Wood Sphere Or Ball – No Expensive Jig
Woodturning Essentials – Octagon Method For Perfect Spheres
Woodturning Perfect Spheres – For Wise Turners
Turning, Hollowing, & Carving Perfect Sphere With Donut Chuck
This post is best viewed right here. However, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
After observing a good demonstration, I like to turn my own project using the same or similar techniques that I observed. However, I also make it my own using techniques that I have perfected. In this case the source inspiration was a carving demonstration by Laurent Niclot at the annual AAW symposium.
This project turns a perfect sphere, hollows it, and then it is carved.
I do not know how Laurent initially carved and hollowed his sphere. That was a separate demonstration.
I like the octagon method for turning a sphere. No expensive jig or fixture is required and more importantly, the process can be quickly mastered by novice turners. This is in contrast to my first experience turning a sphere using jam chucks. That one was a total failure.
Sometimes, vendors cross the line when hawking their products. At SWAT, I listened to just such an event. In this video, I present my opposing view concerning a donut chuck used to hollow the sphere.
Then on to carving. This art form is finished with rattle-can lacquer.
It is time to prepare for this year’s challenge. Details are at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Resources:
Turn A Perfect Wood Sphere Or Ball – No Expensive Jig
Woodturning Essentials – Octagon Method For Perfect Spheres
Woodturning Perfect Spheres – For Wise Turners
Turning Saturn Style Christmas Tree Ornament
Please view this post here on this page. But if there is a problem, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook
After last year’s Ornament Challenge, Paul sent me a kit for me to make an ornament similar to one he had submitted. It took me a while to get to it. But now it is just in time to show off before this year’s Ornament Challenge.
The middle part is a slice of a large branch. Mine was dry and still fairly straight. I prepped it by sanding it on a disk sander and painted it black with rattle-can lacquer.
The upper and lower hemispheres are turned using a modified octagon method. The modification enables splitting the sphere into the two hemispheres and enables it to be hollowed. This portion is finished with shellac friction polish.
The hanger is twisted brass and copper colored wire at about 20-22 gauge. Two pieces about 8 inches long were twisted together to form a long strand. Then strand was then wrapped around a mandrel and the ends twisted together.
It is time to prepare for this year’s challgenge. Details are at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Resources:
Turn A Perfect Wood Sphere Or Ball – No Expensive Jig
Woodturning Essentials – Octagon Method For Perfect Spheres
Woodturning Perfect Spheres – For Wise Turners
Enjoy!
Turning Spalted Bowl With Bonus Nail (Not)
In case of difficulty this video is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
I was happy to be given this block of fresh, green chestnut already slabbed and rounded. It was ready to turn. I had great plans for it: maybe a calabash bowl; maybe a hollow form.
The initial turning for the outside bottom went normally. Then when I started the top and hollowing, my gouge found nail. The nail turned out to be a big 16 penny nail totally embedded in the wood with the head towards the outside. Should I blame the gouge?
I went on to try several ways to extract the nail. It just would not pull out. Afterall, pulling against the nail head is generally futile. As it was this time.
My grand plans evaporated. If salvaged, this would be a normal, once turned, deep bowl.
It was a pain.
We’re preparing for this year’s Ornament Challenge – details will be at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Turning Oversize Ornament For Fund Raising Event
This video is best viewed here on this page. However, if there are difficulties, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Our club is turning oversize ornament for a Christmas tree to be auctioned in a fund raising event.
By oversized, this ornament is twelve inches long and two inches diameter. It is walnut and maple finished with shellac.
It is a fun project.
Resources:
DIY Triple Wire Woodburner For Woodturning
We’re preparing for this year’s Ornament Challenge – details will be at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Turning Large Box Elder Burl Bowl
This post is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook. Where best? Right here!
This bowl is turned from box elder burl, a beautifully figured but gnarly wood. A burl gives and takes away. It gives the beautiful figure and color; it takes away with defects and bark inclusions.
Originally, the blank was over five inches thick. But, I think that would be too deep for this bowl. A friend with a large bandsaw let me saw it in half so that I could have two bowls instead of wasting a lot of wood.
This bowl is 13 inches diameter and two inches tall, finished with wipe on poly and buffed.
Resources:
Woodturning Tool Review Buffing System Update
We’re preparing for this year’s Ornament Challenge – details will be at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Turning Enhanced Three Piece Goblet For Club Challenge
This video is best viewed here on this page. However, gremlins do attack occasionally, so it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
I did not want to turn a run of the mill goblet for our club challenge. To elevate my game, I decided to experiment with Celtic knot inspiration in the goblet bowl. There are five loops in this goblet bowl to give a swirl look.
The goblet is English and black walnut and hard maple 3×9 inches finished with shellac.
The N-Loop Celtic knot process that I demo for clubs has three principles for a well turned knot. This project relaxes one of the three principles to yield a very different look.
I like it and dream of future variations.
We’re preparing for this year’s Ornament Challenge – details will be at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
What Not Round? How To Turn A Square Box
While it is best to view this video from this page, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Inspired by presentation at the AAW symposium, this project is a turned square box. Actually, it is a cube in 3D.
The cube is walnut 3x3x3, finished with shellac and rattle-can lacquer. The inside of the lid is textured with a Wagner texturing tool. The exterior is textured with a two toothed rotary cutter. The rough surface was then cleaned with an abrasive wheel to soften corners.
The box is indexed with a 1/8″ brass pin to keep edges aligned for a consistent view especially since the box is not round.
For texturing and some finishing, I used 30mm and 50mm chuck pins from two weeks ago.
I like it and dream of future variations.
We’re preparing for this year’s Ornament Challenge – details will be at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Turning Segmented Laminated Ornament Bells
In case of video difficulty, this is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook. But best right here!
These bells are turned from a laminated block of maple, cherry, wenge, yellow heart, and padauk. Lamination involves gluing wood essentially side by side into a block. They wood was then segmented into a four segmented ring. Admittedly, a small segment count as segmented projects go. Yet, it does fit the criteria for segmented on the small end of the scale.
The wood requirements is for a block of wood at least nine times the wood’s width. Safety and whoops factors indicate adding another six to nine inches. The worst case is to have too little length for the two bells and have to start over with the glue up.
The bells are about three inches diameter. With the handles, they are seven and nine inches long. They are finished with shellac friction polish.
My friend Robin Costelle demonstrated this bell at the Segmented Woodturners Symposium. In his writeup, he credits yet another woodturners. I am please to continue the chain of enhancement for this bell project.
We’re preparing for this year’s Ornament Challenge – details will be at www.OrnamentChallenge.com
Enjoy.
Another Inexpensive Chucking Option To Supplement Jam Chucks
First, an addendum to the bouncy loops from last week. Latex tubing stretches more than I anticipated. I had to cut and re-glue to make several loops smaller. They need to be a tight fit. Check them with high speed rotation.
Meanwhile, in preparation for another project that I have not turned previously, I make pins that bolt directly to the chuck. My pins are 3/4″ diameter. The bolt that fits my VicMarc is 6 mm diameter and 50 mm (about 2 inches) long. I also made another set 30 mm long (about 1.25 inches) just in case.
I did not sand nor finish – expecting raw wood to potentially hold more securely.
There are plenty of enhancements.
I think these will come in handy for many projects that require a jam chuck. We’ll see.
Enjoy.