Inexpensive Hand Safety While Turning
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Occassionally, while working at the lathe with a chuck, my fingers go where they should not and get hit by the spinning metal. Since an ounce of protection is worth much more than a pound of cure, I made these loops to help my fingers bounce away if they have wandered.
Latex tubing 0.25″ ID and 0.375″ OD but these dimensions are not critical
Dowel 0.25″ diameter and 1.00″ +- .25″ – must match the ID of the tubing.
E6000 glue
Measure the tubing to require stretching around the chuck or other item needing some protection.
Make sure you have to stretch the band significantly so that it is very tight on the chuck body. Otherwise, centrifugal force may stretch the rubber and allow it to fly around.
BTW. Finger protection does not replace a faceshield.
Turning A Bowl ??????
This video is best viewed right here on this page. However, in case of technical gremlins, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
After acquiring a block of green oak, my choice were limited. Often, I would simply rip it in half and two two bowls – one from each half. However, this block was short. Any bowl would have to be much smaller than the wood diameter would usually allow.
Instead, I turned it in to several cross grain tubes. Since the wood is still very green, I hoped for some dramatic warping. Alas, not so much. Now what?
I decided to make a bowl anyway while using the tubes. There were several alternatives. I chose to slice the tube into thirds and glue them to a base for a splayed rib bowl. However, there were issues:
- What to do for a center? For a foot, I laminated some dry oak together incorporating an expansion mortise.
- The tube slices are cross grain and very weak. I created a segmented ring to provide some support. That was still not enough. So I glued a spline of solid wood to the underside of each tube section.
- Epoxy would require a lot of clamping and forming. UV resin to the rescue. With this resin, I could apply small quantities of resin. Then quickly cure each application of resin before it dripped or ran.
In the end, the bowl seems a bit too “organic” for my tastes. However, I am open to ideas as I still have additional tubes.
Enjoy.
Turning Small, Bark Edge Boxes – From Hazelnut Limbs
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I pruned the wood for this project from my backyard several years ago. The limbs were suckers growing from the base. I kept many of them. Some have split others have not. Regardless, the wood is very light in color and beautiful to turn. As a bonus, warm shavings smell fantastic.
As natural edge turning, the outer profile is already complete. All that is left is to hollow, make a joint and clean up the ends.
- Turn tenons on both ends.
- Mount to chuck and part off the lid portion.
- Mount the lid; drill for joint at 1.25″; drill remainder at 1.0″
- Mount the base; drill at 1.0;
- Cut tenon for joint. Turn tight or loose according to taste.
- Mount base and lid together. Cut v-groove at joint.
- Using small chuck jaws or a jam chuck, turn bottom of base and top of lid.
Enjoy.
As a reminder to wear your faceshield, see the clip at the end. or..
Green Apricot Bowl Disaster
A Tale Of Turning Two Bowls – Same Trunk – Opposite Look – Part 1
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I scored a section of a log sufficient for two bowls. Noticing that the bark is quite tight, I decided that one of them should be a natural or bark edge bowl and turned all at once (or nearly so). Later, I will turn the other half rough, let it dry, and finish turn it later.
Then we can compare the two bowls from the same wood and same size. Unfortunately, it will take time to dry the other bowl.
The bark stayed on this bowl. It is nice at 10 inches by 4 inches and finished with walnut oil.
Enjoy.
Taking A Break To Teach Youth To Turn Wood Pens
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Taking a break from larger project, in this video, I turn some simple pens from “tropical hardwoods”. The pen kit is a slimline.
While I do not know the specific species of wood, in my experience, these blanks are low density – some do not turn well. To improve this density issue, the wood was stabilized.
While the pen is simple, there is a processs to prepare and complete a pen.
- Mark the blank
- Cut pen sections to length
- Drill center holes
- Sand brass tubes
- Glue brass tubes into wood.
- Trim pen sections down to clean brass
- Turn pen profile
- Sand and apply finish
- Press parts together to assemble.
Of course, much more could be done to “dress up” the pen blank.
Enjoy.
Exploring Turning Tool Handles – Interchangeable And DIY
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Most lathe tools come with handles. But why? Do we have to buy them with handles? Plus, if we are making our own handles, why not use the same handle.
I have been thinking about this issue for a long time. Some new handle systems have shown promise – only to be discontinued.
When I saw this kit from Robust Tools, I was intrigued. A single handle with several common collets. They also offer the kit complete with a wood handle. But where is the fun in that?
This is a set of ER32 collets which accept round cylinders (such as tool steel) in 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, & 3/4″. Other sizes are available from machine tool suppliers. There is a smaller set which starts at 1/4″.
The handle is hickory whcih has been hollowed and taped for a 1x8tpi which is common for smaller lathes. In the taped end, I can add additional weight if desired. My handle is 18″ long finished with mineral oil and beeswax.
I still wonder how to “handle” rectanglar tools. Ideas?
ERRATA – At AAW, I learned more:
- Robust Tools said their collets will accept rectangular tools as long as the rectangular portion is NOT tapered.
- I purchase their smaller ER-25 kit for another experiment.
- SB is again making their carbon fiber handles and the system. Still very expensive.
Enjoy.
Not So Basic Segmented Patchwork Turned Bowl
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At club meeting, we had a great introduction to segmented turning. Ken, who presented went the extra (many) mile(s) to prepare segmented bowl kits with segments and a base for a bowl.
I decided to elevate my bowl by leaving out random segments and by swapping the base for one that looks better and will survive the ravages of humidity changes.
My base is a random glue up of scraps from previous projects. To stabilize this glue up, I glued it to oak veneer and cross banded one piece before gluing it into the base. Please see the video for details and the sequence.
I also left out random segments from intermediate rings. This presented its own set of difficulties but nothing a set of large band clamps could not handle.
The bowl is various woods, five rings of 16 segments each for 80 segments total. Even though some segments are missing, they still had to be there to complete the turning. The bowl is 8.5 inches diameter and 3 inches tall and finished with walnut oil.
Enjoy.
How To Remount To Finish A Demonstration Project
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Many times in a club demonstration, I skip sanding and potentially other steps that are repetitive or take too much time. The problem then is how to finish the project. That was very nice wood – I would hate to put it into the burn pile.
If you recall, a cross grain box process requires at least three mounts each for the base and the lid.
But what if you now need to go back a couple of steps to sand and finish and perhaps adjust the form?
Similarly to the original project, this is an exercise in mounting the wood to the lathe. It is then a matter of how far back in the process and what additional adjustments may be required.
To repeat the original process:
Base:
- Press against closed jaws while turning a sacrificial mortise on what will be the inside;
- Mount with sacrificial mortise; Turn underside including a mortise; complete with final finish.
- Mount with mortise on underside; Turn remainder of interior and exterior. Finish
Lid:
- Press against closed jaws while turning a sacrificial mortise on what will be the underside;
- Mount with sacrificial mortise; cut a shallow sacrificial tenon on what will be the top in wood that will be cut away;
- Mount with sacrificial tenon; Shape underside of lid; fit to base; cut another shallow mortise; Finish underside of lid;
- Mount with shallow mortise on underside of lid; turn top of lid.
I have also found that I am allergic to zebra wood. I now have to take extra precautions to finish this box.
Just like my practice box, this box is also finished with beeswax and mineral oil which was also used as sanding media.
.25 pound beeswax chopped to 1 pint mineral oil. Safely (double boiler) melt together and mix. But I have better idea.
Enjoy.
How To Mount and Woodturn Multi Wood Cross Grain Box
This video is best viewed here on this page. However, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Before I do a club demo, I like to run through the process as refresher practice. I felt I might as well make and share my practice in this video.
I am sure that a cross grain box may be turned several ways. This way is my favorite using closed chuck jaws for the initial mount instead of a screw chuck. I like it because I do not have to be careful to not drill too deeply.
The process does require at least three mounts each for the base and the lid.
Base:
- Press against closed jaws while turning a sacrificial mortise on what will be the inside;
- Mount with sacrificial mortise; Turn underside including a mortise; complete with final finish.
- Mount with mortise on underside; Turn remainder of interior and exterior. Finish
Lid:
- Press against closed jaws while turning a sacrificial mortise on what will be the underside;
- Mount with sacrificial mortise; cut a shallow sacrificial tenon on what will be the top in wood that will be cut away;
- Mount with sacrificial tenon; Shape underside of lid; fit to base; cut another shallow mortise; Finish underside of lid;
- Mount with shallow mortise on underside of lid; turn top of lid.
In this case I used two different woods for lid and base. The lid is zebra wood with its striking grain. The base is white oak which is pretty but more subdued than the zebra wood.
This box is finished with beeswax and mineral oil which was also used as sanding media.
Enjoy.
Woodturning Segmented Bowl With Celtic Style Inserts
This video is best viewed here on this page. In case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
In past videos, I have explored variations on Celtic knots far beyond the traditional four loop Celtic knot found on spindles:
-Varying the number of loops 3,4,5,6…
-Celtic knots on spindles using the table saw;
-Celtic knots on vases using the bandsaw;
-and now Celtic knots on a bowl.
A Celtic knot from square spindle stock is the simplest of all variations. This bowl is not a spindle and is absolutely not square.
I have found three principles that, if adhered to, enable a perfect knot. Since a knot has many intersections, a perfect knot has perfect alignment at intersections.
- Indexing for repeatable cuts;
- Replacing the removed wood exactly;
- Maintaining exact positioning when inserting splines.
Jigs are essential to this process.
Enjoy.