Woodturning Spring Blossoms – This Year Spring Needs Help
This video post is best viewed here on this page. However, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Spring is finally showing evidence of coming. For this video, I found another style of flower that is very fun and interesting. It is turned from a log slice while maximizing the amount of natural edge across the flower bloom.
It is tough to visualize and layout for success. I also needed a slight modification to a tenon faceplate to use on the live center.
For more flowers, please visit these videos:
Woodturning – Three Ways To Turn Flowers
Woodturning Followup – Adding Fuzzy Flowers To Bouquet
Enjoy.
Inside Out Woodturning Classic – Three Stave Flame
This video is best viewed here on this page. But, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Sorry to leave you hanging last week. 🙂 But, I could not pack it all into one video. Last week, we cut staves for a triple inside out project. That has now turned out – into a flame – one of my favorites.
With the base, the flame is about 2.5 inches by 8 inches. The base is walnut; the outer flame is maple; the inner flame is padauk. All are finished with shellac.
A triple inside out is similar to a quad or four stave. The difference in preparation is cutting the staves. A four stave is easily cut since all angles are 90 degrees. A triple requires a parallelogram with angles of 60, 120,60,120. So, last week, we cut the staves. This week we turned the flame.
This link goes to a detailed step description to successfully cutting the staves plus a diagram to explain the minimal calculations (2 of them) to get things right.
Enjoy.
Inside Out Woodturning Basics – Cutting Beveled Staves
This post is best viewed here on this page. In case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
This video addresses essential preparation for an inside out turning. You may say “That is simple – just mill four square pieces of wood”. Not so fast.
What if you want larger windows into the soul of the turning? This means three staves. The angles on the three staves are not square – they must be precisely 60 and 120 degrees around each stave.
What if you want more narrow windows or more staves around the interior? This means six staves that are very similar to the three stave setup. All angles are the same. However, twice as many staves are required.
My favorite tool for cutting the staves is a tablesaw. With proper jigs, I believe the saw is much safer than using a bandsaw. A bonus is smoother cuts.
The link below goes to a detailed step description to successfully cutting the staves plus a diagram to explain the minimal calculations (2 of them) to get things right.
Enjoy.
Woodturning Easter Eggs With Three Lobe Celtic Knot
This video is best viewed here on this page. However, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook. If you have not already subscribed here on this side, please do so in the upper right corner.
These two eggs are cherry and walnut. The cherry came from a branch that is now well dried. In fact, it is dry enough that it has a large drying crack that I will have to deal with.
For the Celtic knot, the wood is first roughed round. Then templates are attached to both ends. A simple sled provides a sawing platform. Scrap wood provides alignment and support for the cuts.
When cutting, each slice is cut individually, replacement wood is inserted with slow epoxy.
Then the second cut, Replace wood, Then the third cut and replace wood.
Any number of slices can be used depending on the DIY template.
Then turn the egg using part of the sphere octagon process for the big end. There is no template for the small end but chicken eggs vary significantly anyway.
These eggs are finished with shellac.
Enjoy.
Egg posts:
Woodturn Simple Egg Chuck From PVC Fitting
Woodturning – A Search For The Perfect Egg
Woodturning Rattle Compliant With Government Regulation Gauge
This post is best viewed here on this page. But, in case of difficulty, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
This project is a rattle most likely for a child since I do not foresee an adult playing with it.
One end is egg shaped; the other is a fat disk. Most importantly, any rattle for a child must be compliant with Code of Federal Regulations section 1510.4 Title 16. This regulation specifies that a rattle must not protrude through a test fixture designed to represent a child’s mount and throat.
I 3D printed the test fixture. The object file is posted on a PRUSA share site.
https://www.printables.com/model/438810-rattle-fixture-to-assess-compliance-with-15104
The woods are walnut sapwood, padauk, maple, and cherry.
For noise, I recommend edible objects such as popcorn, pasta, rice. Do not use beans as they can swell. I wonder about skittles or mini M&M. Accessing the rattle contents will destroy the rattle but must not do harm to the child.
My rattle is 2″ diameter and 7″ long, finished with walnut oil. Walnut oil is food safe. I also avoid any film finish on a project intended for a child.
Enjoy.
Sphere posts:
Turn A Perfect Wood Sphere Or Ball – No Expensive Jig
Woodturning Essentials – Octagon Method For Perfect Spheres
How To Turn Perfect Hollow Sphere – No Jig
Woodturning Perfect Spheres – For Wise Turners
Woodturning End Grain Box – From Tree To Display
This post is best viewed here on this page. However, in case of video difficulties, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Instead of turning a smooth top, I used a chain saw bit to texture the surface.
This project is a end grain box from elm. End grain is dramatically different from cross grain. Some good things – some (well) not so good.
Generally, an end grain box is turned from one species of wood and generally one piece of wood. A big issue is expansion/contraction as humidity changes. When made from the same species, this should be uniform. Since there is no cross grain, there should be no difference.
However, in this project, I stabilized the wood at the joint with CA glue to further reduce wood movement.
Again, mounting is critical. Keeping track of how to mount is essential.
My box is 2.5″ diameter and 4.5″ tall, finished with walnut oil.
Enjoy.
Woodturning Cross Grain Box – Beautiful Zebra Wood
This post is designed for this page. But, in case of technical difficulties, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
This project is a cross grain box from Zebra wood.
One challenge is turning a box both base and lid from 2 inch wood. Often I use two different blocks of wood and potentially from different species.
Another challenge is the joint. A cross grain box requires a loose fix.
Yet, this is a good challenge. A good exercise is mounting a project. Keeping track of how to mount is essential.
Also, in this project, I wet sanded with 220 and 320 grit paper with walnut oil. This kept the dust down by keeping dust trapped as a slurry in the oil. I was able to breath much more easily.
My box is 5″ diameter and 2″ tall, finished with walnut oil.
Enjoy.
Woodturning Toothpick Dispenser – Not A Box
This post is designed to view here on this page. However, in case of technical difficulties, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
Inspired by a my friend and mentor, Frank Young, I turned a toothpick dispenser from Apricot.
Many times, this would be a box turning. However, a box requires opening a lid and reaching into the cavity to retrieve the contents – in this case – a toothpick.
For this dispenser, one would simply lift the top knob. The toothpicks inside would come up and fan out for easy selection. To close, lower the knob and everything slides back inside.
The challenge for this project different from the original design is that it requires a center hole deeper than my longest Forstner bit. The adaptation to overcome this challenge is to turn a hollow cylinder. Then plug the bottom with the same wood with a tenon and hide the joint.
The body is apricot. The knob is stabilized heat treated ash. Both finished with shellac.
After completing this project, I reordered the steps. While both accomplish the same thing, this is what I would do next time:
- Rough cylinder
a. Cut mounting tenon – both ends
b. Reverse - Drill ¼” hole thru tray & top
- Part off tray
a. Cut new tenon on remainder. - Part off top cover
a. Cut new tenon on remainder. - Body
a. Drill 1.75” hole 3/16 deep in top
b. Drill 1.5” hole as deep as possible
c. Part to length
d. Reverse mount
e. Finish 1.5” hole. - Base
a. Cut & fit tenon to body.
b. Glue body to base. - Tray.
a. Drill inner hole.
b. Fit to base.
c. Final shaping. - Cover
a. Fit to top 1.75” hole.
b. Insert (no glue) to body with paper towel. - Entire unit
a. Shape.
b. Finish? - Jam chuck
a. Finish bottom - Knob
a. Glue dowel to bottom tray.
b. Glue dowel to cover.
c. Glue knob.
Enjoy.
Woodturning Olive Bowl – UV Resin To The Rescue
This post is best viewed here on this page. But, in case of technical difficulties, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
I started and rough turned this bowl from olive about three years ago after a trip to Arizona where one of you hooked me up with fresh mesquite and olive trunks.
As I turned the wood and later as it dried, I found a lot of interesting figure, eyes, and grain. But I also found cracks and loose knots which dismayed me. I did not want to fill with CA glue and did not want to use anything to detract from the olive.
UV resin to the rescue. UV resin is a special resin which hardens when exposed to ultra-violet light. Using a small UV flashlight, I can squeeze out a small bead. Then shine the UV flashlight on it to start the curing process. Then move on to another area.
The flashlight is not strong enough to drive a full cure. I must expose it to direct sunlight for a full cure. That is a little more difficult in a winter snowstorm. There are powered stronger UV lights available but I do not use one. Yet?
I trust UV resin is stronger and more durable than CA glue. It is more convenient than 2 part epoxy where I would need to mix up at least a small batch and then hurry to use it in several areas. While treating additional areas, epoxy would run out of earlier treated areas.
I cannot endorse any brand or formulation. I picked a clear resin. Additives may block the sunlight from curing.
I would appreciate you sharing your experiences with UV resin.
Enjoy.
Woodturning Live Centers – What Works – What Does Not Work
This post is best viewed here on this page. However, in case of technical difficulties, it is also posted on YouTube and FaceBook.
A short while ago, I had a conversation with another club member about live center options. He is an experienced turner, so the conversation was mutually beneficial.
Sometimes a new turner is constrained by how their lathe was initially equipped. That begs the question of where to go from this point. What to do when you do not want a point poking into your beautiful wood?
Some options include:
-removing the center point (if it comes out) but then it can get lost in wood shavings.
-padding the point with a coin.
-covering the live center with wood.
-purchasing a more capable live center. But then often the issues repeat themselves as projects come.
one upgraded live center has 3/4-10 threads and a cone accessory. Then
-perhaps a covering wood piece could be threaded to be secure when on.
-what about a dedicated cone center so you do not have to look for where the cone piece is hiding.
-how about a rubber stopper drilled to match that slips on but is still secure?
Another upgraded live center has 1-8 threads but no accessories.
-The threads match more lathe spindles as is. An inexpensive adapter covers more options.
-With matching threads, many other possibilities emerge. Limitless.
Enjoy.