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  1. I hope everyone can enjoy a peaceful Easter accordance with your customs. Our Patriot Turners- @Smallpatch was hitting the yard sale circuit when he spied an old lathe. Not one to pass up a bargain, he took it home a refurbished it. Check out his post for more images and the back story- New member @User74 posted a question about carbide tools. We had a very informative discussion about the quality of tools and cutters. Check out the post and see if you can add to it- @Steve Krumanaker created a beautiful Beads of Courage box. Steve used a special technique to create the staves for his turning project. Head on over to his post for more images and our members' comments Another great week for our What's ON/OFF your lathe discussions. From ON the lathe, @Gerald and @User74 gave us a look at their current turnings New information starts here- And, from OFF the lathe- @RustyFN and @User74 completed some really nice turnings- New posts for this week starts here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Last week, we posted a link to the Mid-Atlantic Woodturning Symposium. One of the presenters is Alan Lancer. Here's a short video of what you can expect to see from him- For The Newbies- A tip, from Lyle Jamieson, for holding small turnings without a chuck- Easy Wood Tools shared a new video on how their products are made. Easy Wood Tools are made, in America, entirely in house- even their carbide cutters! @Jordan Martindale Expand Your Horizons- Tim Yoder shows us how he makes his French rolling pin. Tim is always fun to watch! Richard Raffan is bucking the trend of large turnings. In these two videos, he creates lovely small turnings. His commentary, while turning, gives an insight into his turning techniques- The Woodworker's Journal has published the Woodturning Monthly newsletter. Nice article on how to add butterfly patches to a turning. The newsletter can be found at- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email New Turning Items- Got a heads-up from @Grandpadave52 about a great price on a Longworth chuck sale. Everything Else- Safe turning
  2. Stonemasons finished the chimney today. Mimi says it looks really nice. Our Patriot Turners- Member @keithlong asked a question about carbide, negative rake bead cutters. He was curious if anyone had experience with them. Please check out his post and maybe give him your opinion. The "What's OFF Your lathe..." and "What's On Your Lathe..." topics had activity this week by @kreisdorph. He showed us some really nice bowls and one that didn't quite make it. From Off the lathe- New stuff and comments start here- And, What's On the lathe The new stuff starts here- Some good discussions in both posts. What’s Coming Up- This is the video from last Friday's Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda. It was a little different as she talked about the new "gadgets" she has in her shop. Click on the following images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- A couple of turning tips from Lyle Jamieson- Sam Angelo has created a new YouTube channel to help the new turner get started. It's called "Learn 2 Turn With Sam" The introduction to the channel And one of the first lessons- For a woodturner, one of the most useful machines, besides the lathe, is a bandsaw. In this video, Kent Weakley discusses Bandsaw Basics. The latest issue of Woodcraft Magazine (April/May 2024) has a great article for someone thinking about getting started in woodturning. It covers just about everything you need to consider. There's also a how-to article on turned fishing lures. Check it out at your local newsstand or in the magazine section at the local Borg. Expand Your Horizons- A couple of weeks ago, we included a video from Alan Stratton on multi-axis star ornaments. Alan has refined his process and posted this video- One of our member from a long time ago, @Charles Nicholls, used to turn light pulls. It's a great way to use up scraps and Charles sold many of his turnings. Mike Waldt shows us how he does it. New Turning Items- Even though I turn almost exclusively with carbide tools, I do have and can use traditional HSS tools. For sharpening the HSS tools, I use a Tormek slow, wet grinder. Tormek has an extensive lineup of sharpening jigs to aid in getting those razor sharp edges. Now, those styles of jigs are available from Woodturners Wonders, for other types of grinders and they are on sale! Click on the above image for the link to the sale page. Everything Else- I had some sycamore bowls roughed out and dried. Spent an hour or so this afternoon working on the closed bowl shape. The wood itself is pretty unexciting grain wise so I added some extra details to make it more interesting. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to reverse it and finish out the bottom. Used Yorkshire grit and beeswax/mineral oil for finishing. Burned rings. Beads made with EWT beading cutters. Safe turning
  3. 60° this afternoon. Storm front passed over a few minutes ago, now down to 51° Our Patriot Turners- We've had a couple of entries in our "What's On Your Late" continuing post- @kreisdorph and @teesquare posted some of their work- You can catchup with all the comments and more images at @Gerald is still recovering from knee surgery but is slowly getting back into his shop. He is working to put together a JaHo jig. From the video in his post, it looks like an awesome device to add incredible embellishments to turned pieces. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration information- This is the video from Todd Raines (All Things Woodturning) on jam chucking that was presented live this past Friday. A little long but some interesting pointers. https://streamyard.com/watch/dRHpgGNz55hV For The Newbies- Thinking of buying a new lathe? Kent Weakley has an article on some of the things you may want to consider- https://turnawoodbowl.com/buying-a-wood-lathe-5-things-you-need-to-know/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Expand Your Horizons- A week or so ago, we posted Part# 1 of a Mike Wald video "A Lidded Box an In Depth Guide". Mike has added part #2- Woodworker's Journal has published their Woodturning Monthly newsletter The entire newsletter can be read here- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email One of the articles is from Ernie Conover in which he turns an Hawaiian Calabash bowl- Several of our turners have made this style of bowl. The article links to an Hawaiian turner- Emiliano Achaval- and conversation about turning this style of bowl- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/video-emiliano-achaval/ New Turning Items- "Nothing to see here, move along" Everything Else- I have never been very skilled at creating pleasant looking designs/forms/proportions. Every now and then something turns out OK but usually it's pretty neanderthal and my hollowing is mostly confined to bowls. There was some of that wind shake cherry left, so I decided to play a little. I have a set of Easy Wood Tools Mini Hollowers as well as a set of mid-sized hollowers. Used some of each to make these. I think the one on the right should have had a smaller diameter "neck". I didn't make any real effort to finish them- just some sanding. Safe turning jhdgfj
  4. Lots happening this past week! Our Patriot Turners- @keith long stopped by to say "Hi". He is busy with life and doing well. He had some questions about lathe parts. Check out his post and see if you can add to what has been said- Keith also had a question about what wood species would be best for making duck calls. If you make them or know what would work best, maybe you could help him out- @kreisdorph resurrected an older post about bowl drying. He added some great additional information. Check out the entire thread here- Kent also gave us a nice review on a book for identifying wood species. Thanks!!! @Gerald is recovering from knee surgery and snuck back into the shop to work on some projects. Hope he got back into his recliner before the Mrs. got home See what else he did at- Our "What's On Your Lathe" thread continues to generate awesome projects. @kreisdorph, @teesquare and @RustyFN showed us some fantastic work. Start here to catch up on all the projects- @StaticLV2 continues to work on his segmented turnings He posted this one in the "What's On Your Weekend Agenda" And, from our "OFF The Lathe and Finished' thread- @kreisdorph and @RustyFN posted some gorgeous turnings. Catch up with all these items here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- Ask ten turners what is the best finish and you will likely get at least 15 different answers. One finish that often mentioned is shellac. This video from Kent Weakley explains why shellac is appropriate. This is the link to his article on shellac and how to mix it- https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/ Turned wooden boxes make nice gifts. Sam Angelo demonstrates turning one from start to finish. Looks like Sam needs to turn the heat up in his shop. I don't endorse wearing gloves, but that's just me. Craft Supplies USA has a step by step video on turning a pepper mill. Expand Your Horizons- Richard Raffan demonstrates turning one of his signature scoops. Awesome skew work and check out the shop made, lathe mounted sanding disc. Lyle Jamieson provides tip for preventing vibration when turning finials New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new parting tool to use with his "Bowl From A Board" jig- Everything Else- This past week, in another Patriot forum, there has been a very informative discussion on liability for the stuff we make. This video, from Alan Stratton, addresses some of the regulations for a specific item. Safe turning
  5. If you haven't gotten that Valentines present, maybe you should dig out a pillow and a couple of blankets for the couch! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN posted a beautiful walnut bowl in our continuing thread "OFF The Lathe And Just Finished"- Rusty has another image and a little about the finish in his post. Rusty also posted that he is looking to purchase a McNaughton Center Saver. Check out his post here- @StaticLV2 is tinkering with segmented turning. He created a really nice cutting jig for the angles. The results are gorgeous! You can see the jig and his process images starting in this post- We have a new member to our forum! @kreisdorph, from Tennessee, posted some of his awesome work. You really need to check out his post to see more of his turnings- One of our members, Brian Longshore, "Big B", is battling the dreaded "C". He's a Navy vet. Here's the link to his Patriot profile- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/profile/4825-big-b/ If you do Facebook, you can follow his progress at- https://www.facebook.com/brian.longshore.9. What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for the link to registration- From Cindy Drozda- For The Newbies- From Richard Raffan, a tip on making/using a "tail center disc" Last week we posted a safety tip when using the Jacob's Chuck with the tail stock. Lyle Jamieson has an idea that secures the chuck in the tail stock- Expand Your Horizons- Richard Raffan continues to work on his stash of green elm. The warping really creates interesting designs. New Turning Items- Sorry couldn't find anything interesting. Everything Else- I had gotten some cherry a while back only to discover most of it had "windshake" damage. One of the pieces destined to be a bowl became pretty much fodder for the garbage man. I salvaged one small piece for a little bowl only to have it explode while sanding. So as not to have the efforts be a total loss, I cut what was left to see the profile and how I was doing with wall thickness consistency. I was using only my fingers as a gauge, except for the bottom, where I use a gauge/jig from Sam Angelo to determine the thickness. I'm pretty happy. The wall thickness could have been a little better at the transition from side to bottom. And maybe a little thinner overall. Safe turning
  6. End of January already. Friday is Groundhog Day and in 2 weeks it's Fastnacht Day! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker posted images of a bird turning. This one is different than the small birds he adds to his bird house ornaments Check out Steve's post for his description and inspiration for these lovely likenesses. Keeping with the bird theme, @HandyDan posted some awesome birdhouses/gnome houses Dan has gotten those tiny birds down to an science! See his post for more images and additional information about these fantastic turnings! @Fred W. Hargis Jr posted a safety oriented video that reminds us there are dangers lurking when using the lathe! I, for one, will take this video to heart. A few things were added to our "What's On Your Lathe" continuing thread. You can catchup with all the comments and more images starting at- A gorgeous ring box made by @calabrese55 An incredible lighted turning from @teesquare And a walnut bowl along with a white oak platter with a Pewa patch What’s Coming Up- Click on the above image for the link to more information and preregistration. For The Newbies- If you are considering using traditional tools for bowl turning, you may be confused by all of the different "grinds" or shapes for the bowl gouge. In this short video, Lyle Jamieson discusses his signature grind and why he uses it. Here are a few more resources for learning about the various grinds- https://turnawoodbowl.com/bowl-gouge-basics-beginner-guide-parts-use-sizes-grinds-inforgraph/ https://turnawoodbowl.com/bowl-gouge-sharpening-angles-illustrated-guide/ https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/video-understanding-bowl-gouge-grinds/ https://stuartbattytools.com/free-videos-%26-articles#11a33c77-bf25-4de7-9257-fd1dbc667a1c When you first start down the slippery slope of turning, it is tempting to purchase expensive exotic woods for those beautiful pieces you've seen. In these two videos, the common thread is to use "green" (freshly cut) wood. Green wood turns much easier than dried wood. It is less expensive than the exotics. And, you'll often be surprised at the beauty hiding within the pieces. Expand Your Horizons- Add some finesse to your next lidded box with a finial! Lyle Jamieson discusses finial design considerations- Mike Waldt has started a multi part in-depth guide for turning a lidded box- Part#1 New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders has become a dealer for Easy Wood Tools Check out the products at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/easy-wood-tools?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  7. This month is quickly coming to an end! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald posted a beautiful bowl he finished. This one has some gorgeous embellishments on the bottom and the rim. Gerald received lots of positive comments on this one! Please keep Gerald and his family in your prayers. He had a knee replacement done recently. @calabrese55 is working on a staved bowl. He built a really nice steady rest to do part of the turning. This was posted in our "What's On Your Lathe" continuing thread- Check his comments about the wheels he used and see more images! We've had an additional post in the "What's Off Lathe And Just Finished" What’s Coming Up- This is the video of the recent Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda, in case you missed it live. She demonstrates Hook and Cygnet mini hollowers. Cindy and Todd Raines will be hosting free Q&A session. Click on the image for the link. From the Keystone Woodturners via their Facebook page. Click the image for the link to more information. For The Newbies- Some things about making turning more safe. Over the years, I've heard and read about something called "shake" or "wind shake". However, I had never had a piece of wood that displayed the characteristic split. Recently, the tree man called and said they were taking down a cherry tree and was saving me a couple of pieces. As I was making blanks from the logs, one of them plainly showed the results of wind shake. The beginning of this video, from Tim Yoder, address the potential dangers of turning wood affected by this and other types of defects. This short video illustrates why it is a good idea to grasp the Jacob's Chuck when using it for drilling, on the lathe. I usually hold it when advancing the quill. Now I'll hold it for movement in both directions. Expand Your Horizons- Some weeks back we posted a video, from Carl Jacobson/Niles Bottle Stoppers, demonstrating the use of the Joyner Offset Jig. Mike Peace decided too build a similar device to do offset embellishments. Alan Stratton is still making goblets. These are done in three pieces. New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders continues with their weekly sales. https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/weekly-sale?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  8. Been really cold here, compared to last winter, even had some snow! Our Patriot Turners- @PostalTom asked a question about vacuum chucks. He received several responses on various brands. If you use a vacuum chuck, please help Tom with your experiences to help him make an informed decision. We had another entry into our "What's On Your Lathe" thread. What’s Coming Up- Click on the above image for the link to more information and registration or you can use the following link- https://streamyard.com/watch/pNG2QZxkG2uY Picked this up from the Niles Bottle Stopper Newsletter- Live Remote Video Demos As you all know, we are doing live remote videos of any Niles product for turning clubs free of charge. There are presently 7 club videos scheduled, you can ask questions or comment and you do not need to be at the meeting, you can watch from home on your PC, smart phone or tablet. We also discuss other aspects of turning or can try to help with problems or techniques and finishes. Here is a list of the clubs we have scheduled so far for 2024. You can contact one of your officers for the link to get access to the video. Wed. Jan. 17 = Gold Country Woodturners, northern Sierra Nevada foothills. Threaded bronze urn inserts will be the subject. Thurs. Jan 18 = Georgia Assoc. of Woodturners, Metro Atlanta area. The Joyner Jig will be demonstrated with many of it's uses. Thurs. Feb. 15 = Diamond State Woodturners, Jacksonville, Arkansas. Bottle stoppers and other kitchen utensils. Sat. April 20 = Oregon Coast Woodturning, cover the whole coast of Oregon. Demo on various embellishments for your projects. Thurs. June 13 = Willamette Valley Woodturners, Oregon Threaded bronze urn insert rings is the subject. Thurs. July 25 = Beaver State Woodturners, Coburg, Oregon. The Joyner Jig is to be demonstrated. *note: We are working on a "Calendar" or "Events" page on our website where all club demos will be listed as they are scheduled. This will give you time to get the link to attend. For more information or to schedule a demonstration, contact Carl Jacobson at "nilesstoppers@gmail.com" or call 503-939-4565. For The Newbies- If you spend anytime watching turning videos, or visit another turners shop, you'll probably notice that the turner has an impressive assortment of chucks. We are not talking chuck jaws but complete setups. In this video, Richard Raffan discusses his collection. Ask "why" and they will tell you that they do not like taking the time to change jaws. If you haven't purchased a chuck, yet, consider a chuck that doesn't use screw to hold the jaws. Hint: the Easy Wood Tools "Easy Chuck"- I know, I know but I couldn't resist after seeing the video. Lyle Jamieson's Tuesday Tip can help with clearing chips when turning hollow pieces that have an entry hole smaller than the inside diameter of the piece. Expand Your Horizons- If you have a nice laser setup and thinking about making a segmented turning, Alan Stratton has you covered! @Gerald does a lot of embellishing using various tools. Mike Peace recently posted a video on making a chatter tool. Unlike tools that use wheels that are crosshatched or spiked, this tool uses vibrations to create unique patterns. New Turning Items- Not really new, but a recommendation from Tim Yoder about a supplier for turning blanks. I know some of our members are customers. If the Easy Chuck is not in your future, Woodturners Wonders has the Axminster Systems on sale- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/axminster?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  9. Looks like things are picking up, now that the holidays are over. Let's get to this! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN is participating in his turning club's annual contest. He has posted a couple of images as he begins to create his entry. Rusty has more in his post at- @forty_caliber gave us a look at another one of his Hays County pecan bowls- Monty supplied some additional information about his drying process- There have been a couple of new entries on our "What's On Your Lathe" continuing thread. @calabrese55 added some process images of this - Also posted was a red oak platter- Check out all the comments starting at- @Gerald is making a design change on his little spinning tops. I really like the new design and the colors he uses. In his post, Gerald added a picture of his previous design for comparison- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration- Todd Raines continues his presentation on the spindle gouge- If you missed Cindy Drozda's live tool talk last week, here's the YouTube video- Also from Cindy- For The Newbies- The skew chisel is a powerful tool, once you have mastered it. Richard Raffan shows us how that done- Mr. Raffan goes further, in this video, demonstrating using the skew to turn finials- There are several ways to chuck mount a bowl. Two of the more popular ways are the Mortise and Tenon. I typically use the mortise because it allows me to finish the bowl bottom with my preferred method. The mortise, however, is not without pitfalls as Kent Weakley points out- Jim Rodgers demonstrates how to make a bottle stopper. Unlike the metal stopper kits, Mr. Rodgers uses corks to seal the bottle. Also check out the home made mandrel at the end of the video- Tim Yoder offers up a short video on turning a curve Although a chuck is a really nice piece of equipment to own, especially when making small items. Lyle Jamieson shows us the chuck is not the only way to to accomplish it. Expand Your Horizons- If you are ready to move up to bowl turning, Craft Supplies USA has a nice video illustrating the process step by step. The bowl blank in this demonstration was partially dried commercially- Never too early to start those ornaments for next Christmas! Here Alan Stratton creates an 8 point, 3 axis item! @Steve Krumanaker turns items for artisans in his area. Recently he started making "drop spindles" for a craftsperson who works with wool. I thought this might be another thing Steve could use as a money maker From Woodworker's Journal, a Three Winged Jewelry box. The how-to article is at- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/project-three-winged-jewelry-box/ Check out what Tim Yoder does with a small 3 branch crotch piece- New Turning Items- A sale on Woodturners Wonders LED lights https://woodturnerswonders.com/ Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- You Are Called To Be A Mentor You have to know something about your subject. First-hand experience is helpful. If you can explain What, How, and Why so a 5th grader can understand it, you will be a good mentor. It only takes a very small portion of your time (15 minutes to 1 hour) here and there to show individuals or groups of folks what you are talking about. You might need to take an occasional phone call to clear up misunderstandings. In this day and age, you might need to answer a text message or send a YouTube link addressing the issue. Unless you are a paid demonstrator, you must accept that you most probably will receive nothing material in return from those you help so unselfishly. Some won’t even say thank you and some will argue that you are wrong. A few of the people you help will go on to accomplish even greater things than you did. Some of the students will indeed go on to become the teachers. You need to accept and appreciate that others gave of themselves to help you achieve the things you know. Even if you learned most of what you know by yourself (so-called self-taught), chances are that you watched YouTube videos, attended a trade show demonstration, or a club demonstration. Perhaps you were just a member of the crowd and not in a one-on-one situation. Someone took their time to show you something you didn’t know in a way that helped you be more successful. Sometimes folks will want to be paid for their advice. They are still exercising mentorship. I was very fortunate during my early turning career to encounter some very talented and generous mentors; Nick Cook was the very first and Don Russell gave of his time and energy unselfishly on numerous occasions. I hosted Chris Stott from England for a full week! That turned out to be a magnificent chapter in my turning career. Kirk Deheer of Craft Supplies in Utah gently guided me over a period of several years and I will be ever grateful for his wisdom. Mike Mahony offered guidance and freely answered my list of 20 questions over dinner many years ago. Others have given their time and energy and are wonderful examples of mentorship even when they didn’t realize it. Of course, it required me to put their advice into practice to make it my own, but, as they say, the way you get to Carnegie Hall is practice, practice, practice. A mentor simply guides someone willing to learn. It is really that simple and anyone can and should do it when given the opportunity. Safe turning
  10. Welcome to 2024! Our Patriot Turners- We've had some activity on our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe"- @forty_caliber is whittling away at his stash of pecan. In his post, he tells us a little more about the source of the wood- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Cindy Drozda's Live Tool Talk covering the the Arc and Sweep tools as negative rake scrapers that refine and smooth the surface to eliminate a lot of sanding. The Southwest Wood Art Expo- For The Newbies- Lyle Jamieson has a short video explaining reverse chucking methods- Lyle also has a nice little video explaining the importance of the tool rest height- Ever wonder why some lathe tools have really long handles? Tim Yoder can help, with that! Expand Your Horizons- It's just past the first of the month and the "4 Ways" videos have been posted. Not sure if these will continue but I find it interesting to see the different ways a single concept can be approached. Tomislav Tomasic- Mike Peace- Richard Raffan- Sam Angelo- I was looking at some of the social media sites for woodturners. Just trying to get ideas for something different to try. There was an interesting twist on a bowl posted and there were questions about how it was created. Following several links, I finally found this video by the fellow who has made "Wave Bowls" his passion. You all know my passion for jigs so this might just be my next attempt! The video is long but very detailed so every step is explained- New Turning Items- A couple of new things. From Craft Supplies USA, some new finishing/polishing products mainly focused at acrylics- From Woodturners Wonders, new sharpening products that mimic the actions of the Tormek system but work with the Wolverine system. https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/tormek-style-wheels-and-accessories Everything Else- Things have been busy over the holidays, got to the lathe the other afternoon and roughed out 3 small sycamore bowls. The oak platters have just about finished losing weight in the drying box. One of them will probably not see the lathe. A bark inclusion was worse than I thought and opened up. Might be able to use a couple of dutchmen to keep it together, or maybe some epoxy? After roughing the sycamore, those bowls went into the soap/water soak for 3 days. Pulled them out today, weighed them and placed them in the drying box. What they look like straight out of the soak, pretty gnarly- Rinsed off and in the drying box- Not sure how long it will take to reach equilibrium. These are pretty small 5-6" diameter. Probably one to two weeks. Safe turning
  11. Chilly, damp, rainy day. Hope everyone had enjoyable Christmas. Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr Asked our turners a question about tear out. More specifically, Fred wanted to know what tools and techniques could be used to prevent/repair it. Please see Fred's post and check out what our members had to offer and provide some input. New member @Barbara asked about getting a lathe as a gift for a novice. If you live in the Chicago area, maybe you could offer some leads. @RustyFN Showed us the shavings left from a bowl turn and mused about perhaps purchasing a coring system. Of course our gang had lots of other suggestions and some good natured ribbing- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration If you missed Cindy Drozda's presentation on her recess tool, she has it posted on her YouTube channel- For The Newbies- Lyle Jamieson has a short video on preventing vibrations while turning- An article from Kent Weakley help reduce/eliminate tool marks when turning a bowl- https://turnawoodbowl.com/10-tool-marks-tricks-wood-bowl-understand-fix-remove/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Nice video from Craft Supplies USA on bowl turning- Expand Your Horizons- A couple of ideas to add more excitement to your turnings Ebonizing- https://turnawoodbowl.com/5-magical-ebonizing-wood-tricks-how-to-techniques-recipes/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Make your own spalted wood- https://turnawoodbowl.com/spalting-and-spalted-wood-bowls/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Mike Waldt demonstrates turning a goblet in real time- New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders has made a change in their available sharpening systems- Click on the above image for more information. Everything Else- Sometime back, we included information on the Christmas Ornament Challenge hosted by Alan Stratton of "As Wood Turns". He has posted a video of the winners. Check out these beautiful and imaginative works of art! Safe turning
  12. Hope everyone has an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas. Our Patriot Turners- Our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe" has been really busy this past week! @forty_caliber, @Fred W. Hargis Jr and @Gerald have been busy cranking out some awesome turnings. Catch up on all that's been happening here- @Gerald also posted in the thread "Off The Lathe And Finished" - Gerald's description is at- @John Hechel asked our members for their opinion on a lathe set up for his Mrs. She needs to turn small items and still be near her store. Check out John's post and see if you can provide some input- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Email to: neowta.events@gmail.com For The Newbies- A simple turning to practice hollowing, and a place to put your spare change, from Craft Supplies USA. Some bowl turning techniques from Richard Raffan- Expand Your Horizons- Want to get into bowl turning but you are holding off to purchase a chuck? Wait no longer- Kent Weakley, from Turn A Wood Bowl, has the answer- This short video, from Lyle Jamieson, offers other reasons why a chuck may not be what you need to make some turnings- A neat project from Alan Stratton using yet another one of his shop made jigs. Offset turned icicles! And not to be outdone, Carl Jacobson turns a lidded bowl with an offset turned finial. Carl uses the Joyner Offset Jig for his turning. Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- The Genius Of Simple Simple can often be complex. The adage “KISS – keep it simple silly” is a foundational principle and applies to virtually every area of our daily lives. As a lifelong salesman, I was often coached to give my presentation to a 5th grader. If I could explain my product or service in terms a 10 to 12-year-old child could understand, my story was simple enough for most adults to understand. I would have more success in a shorter amount of time. When we try to explain how we approach a project or execute a particular cut, we too must keep it simple. You don’t have to explain every little detail and nuance you’ve discovered. When teaching a subject or giving a demonstration, think of levels like schools; 101, 201, 301, etc. Club demos are almost always at level 101, while all-day hands-on might be at level 201 or even 301 in rare cases. Remember that your knowledge base comes from your lathe, in your shop, with your tools ground for you. Everyone else has a different situation. When you explain your subject in level 101 terms, they can adapt your insights to their situation and enjoy newfound success for themselves. When it comes to design, simple classic shapes with fair curves and flowing transitions usually work best. Even projects that are greatly embellished fall flat if the core shape is not pleasing. Here are two examples of what I mean: 1) Pens: Slimline pens (the most popular) are not meant to incorporate beads, coves, or lumps and bumps. They always look best as a simple cylinder relying on the figure of the wood or other material to impart beauty to the project. Even the larger pen kits are always more appealing with simple lines rather than bulbous shapes. You can always spot new turners who feel they must offer more than just round and straight. (Just my opinion). 2) Finials: One of the best-known finial turners is Cindy Drozda. If you study the finials she turns, you can’t help but be blown away. There are always 4 elements to her work; a. a large Fibonacci cove as the base (Golden Mean) b. next is a large bead c. followed by a tall ogee-curved taper d. ending in a delicate tip usually with a series of small disks with a point. Here is a link from The American Woodturner Magazine in the spring of 2006 where Cindy gives an analytical approach to her finial design for comparison. (Not Simple) If folks want more details, they will tell you. Tell them a little more while still keeping it simple and so on. I was prepping some turning blanks when the washing machine bit the dust. Everything needed to be moved to allow access for its replacement- tomorrow. Sycamore, cherry, red oak and somewhere back in there is a chunk of walnut. Merry Christmas to us. You know those old ringer type never wore out. Safe turning
  13. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember, only 25 shopping days until Christmas! Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 and @Gerald added to our running thread on "What's On Your Lathe"- Read the comments and see Gerald's videos at- @Bob Hodge Posted a beautiful piece of art in our continuing thread "OFF the Lathe and Just Finished"_ Lots of nice comments here- What’s Coming Up- Actually, in case you missed it, this happened last week from Cindy Drozda on making a pizza cutter- And then coming up, Cindy and Todd Raines are co-hosting a live interactive sharing session, Friday December 1, at 2pm EST. You need to signup- it's free- at this link: http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Signup.html For The Newbies- The Woodworker's Journal published their Woodturning Monthly newsletter. Some nice projects, just one example- Read the entire newsletter at: https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email Expand Your Horizons- Happen to catch our local PBS airing of The Woodsmith Shop. It was a rerun from season 15 but the guest was Jimmy Clewes demonstrating his colored platter techniques. Here's the link to the Woodsmith site and information about the episode, including a PDF of the project. https://woodsmithshop.com/episodes/season15/1511/ New Turning Items- Lots of sales but nothing new. Woodturners Wonders and Easy Wood Tools among others. Everything Else- Relatives left and I had a chance to complete a shallow table centerpiece bowl requested by a dear friend. Walnut, about 11.5" in diameter and 2.5" deep. Finished with mineral oil and beeswax. Engraved with my little Ortur laser. Safe turning
  14. Happy Thanksgiving. Hope your lives are filled with friends, family and food. For those in Pennsylvania, good luck on the first day of buck season on Monday. Our Patriot Turners- Last week, @RustyFN showed us his basket weave illusion vase. He added to his post the jigs he used to create the weave lines- @Gerald posted a Christmas tree turning that he embellished. Check it out. I really like the star topper! @Steve Krumanaker makes items for a local artisan who works in wool. Steve found the perfect adornment for the drop spindles he makes- In his post, Steve tells us where he got the inspirations- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for links to registration and more information- Cindy Drozda's Live Online Woodturning is this Friday November 24. For The Newbies- Tim Yoder turns some recycled plastic! Some fun with messy stuff all over the shop. The link to getting the plastic blanks is below the video's description. Click on "Watch on YouTube" for all the information. Expand Your Horizons- Lyle Jamieson's ornament video talks about design and vibration reduction- New Turning Items- Boy, Santa is really keeping any new items under wraps. Can't believe something hasn't been released for the holidays. Everything Else- From Ron Brown's weekly newsletter- Easier The Second Time Most folks are afraid to try new things. Turners are no different. 1) Fear of the unknown a. Your imagination presents all kinds of scary scenarios. You aren’t sure how long something might take, or what else you could end up needing. You don’t understand the process. b. You are not sure exactly how to get started or what steps to take and in which order. 2) Fear of failure a. Probably the number one reason people never get started. b. Your vivid imagination will show you all kinds of ways it could go wrong, how you might get hurt, or how you might damage your equipment in the process. 3) Fear that it’s not what you are used to and that is uncomfortable a. I know folks that only turn bowls because that is what they are used to. It’s the same with some pen-turners. We all have things we are very comfortable making and have become very accomplished at those items. The thought of making something different seems uninviting. When you finally work up the courage to try something different, you are stepping out of your comfort zone. Since we are all creatures of habit, new stuff isn’t what you are used to and it feels awkward. The first time you try, it is usually as hard as you imagined it would be. In Order To Learn New Things, We Must Be Willing To Fail. The first time you mainly learn what not to do. The second time you already know mostly what not to do and you can think about improving your sequence to gain a better result. From the third time on, you can focus on alternative techniques and tools. After that, if you are still interested in making more of this new item, besides improving your techniques and methods, you can work on variations, larger, smaller, additional elements, etc. John Jordan, a very well know turner who recently passed, always said “Life is too short to turn crappy wood.” I recommend you actually do use crappy wood the first couple of times because failure is part of succeeding. You shouldn’t have to fail with expensive materials. I recommend that you step out and try something new this week. I think you will be surprised at how much fun it is. You never know what you might like making once you try it. Safe turning
  15. First of November already! Time to start on those Christmas turning gifts. Our Patriot Turners- We had lots going on with our continued thread "What's On Your Lathe"! @RustyFN, @calabrese55, @Gerald and @teesquare all posted some of what they were doing- Catchup with all the new stuff at- @Roy asked a question about sphere turning- Please see his post and offer any additional information and/or share any jigs you might have in your turning arsenal. New member @Cam is looking for some help for a gift Please check his post and see if you can provide any more information- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information. Cindy Drozda has a class on making a triangle box Don't forget, Cindy also has sharing sessions and tool talks every other Thursday- For The Newbies- If you are thinking about getting into segmented turning, Jim has an entire video series on the subject. Check his YouTube channel for the entire series. Here's part 1- Expand Your Horizons- It's the first of the month and the series "4 Ways" is available. This months subject is Christmas Ornaments! New Turning Items- World of Texas turning supplies has added some kitchen items to their website- https://woodworldtx.com/products/food-grater-stainless-steel?_pos=1&_sid=f0ceaafa8&_ss=r Woodturners Wonders is having a Christmas sale- As we gear up for the Holiday Season and the most wonderful time of year, we are thrilled to introduce a holiday sale like never before! So, we'd like to introduce you to WoodTurners' Christmas Wonder-land! This year, we will be offering a series of flash three-day sales that are sure to offer something for everyone on your list. The sales will begin on November 7th and run until December 25th. The sales will run from Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. and Friday at 12:01 a.m. until Sunday at 11:59 p.m., respectively. Mondays will be our only day without a sale, except for Cyber Monday, when our sale will run from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Check out our sale schedule below to see when the items on your wish list will be on sale! November 7th - November 9th: Spend $50 or more, get a Dimmable Galaxy free November 10th - November 12th: Buy 1/2HP, 3/4HP, or 1HP Kodiak Complete Sharpening System, get two Grit Grabbers, 1 Slick Stick, and 1 Beacon LED Machine Lamp + 80 Kg Pull Magnet free November 14th - November 16th: Buy an Angle Drill or Inertia Sander, get a 2" and 3" Purple Power Sandpaper Sample Pack free November 17th - November 19th: Buy a Bandsaw, get a Beacon LED Machine Lamp + 80 Kg Pull Magnet free November 21st - November 23rd: Buy a Robust tool rest, get an Eclipse Lamp free November 24th - November 26th: Buy a Rikon 70-3040 Lathe, get a Rikon 70-971 Mobility Kit free November 27th - Cyber Monday: Free shipping site-wide. Within the contiguous US, only November 28th - November 30th: Spend $300 or more, get 10% off your entire order (Sale price will show in cart) December 1st - December 3rd: Buy a 6", 7", or 8" CBN Wheel, get a set of Self Aligning Washers and Slick Stick for free (1 Washer set per wheel, 1 Slick Stick per order) December 5th - December 7th: All Kodiak products 15% off December 8th - December 10th: Buy a PROS or PROS Mini, get a Super Sample Pack free December 12th - December 14th: Stocking Stuffers: Select Hones, Dowels, and Little Lamps 20% off (Sale price will show in cart) December 15th - December 25th: For every $100 purchased in gift cards, get a $10 gift card free https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/weekly-sale?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  16. October is almost in the books! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald was busy turning out some really neat projects- He posted these in "Friday's Weekend" thread. See his post for some other colorful items- He even managed to score some beautiful cherry over the weekend- There are more pictures at- And he managed to get at least one piece underway- Our resident Christmas ornament professional, @Ron Altier, posted some beautiful maple items. I think he used his patented epoxy finish on them. Check out his post for more about where he got the wood- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- New turners typically have difficulty getting proficient with the skew. I still haven't mastered it! Watch Richard Raffan make it look easy- Mike Peace demonstrated how to do some tool "makeovers" Woodturning Monthly was published by the Woodworker's Journal. Some nice projects and articles- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton is always coming up with unusual turning ideas and this one is no exception- Wish you had a Genie? Well Carl Jacobson has turned a Genie Bottle in case you ever find one New Turning Items- Niles Bottle Stoppers has added a couple of new items- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/artisan-coffee-scoop-kit/ https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/artisan-rasp-grater-kit/ Woodturners Wonders is having a sale on their lathe "Track System". Check their website at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/lathe-track?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- Side Gig – Sage Advice I had a long visit with a friend who will be retiring in 5-6 years and is thinking about starting a woodworking business to keep busy and generate some extra income. I have been hearing from more folks than usual about generating a little cash from a side hustle in view of the current economic situation with a dollar buying less every day. I’ve made extra income from my side hustle for the last 55 years. Even when I was in the corporate world, I still made and sold wooden items on the side. Sometimes for pocket change, sometimes as a second income when the first one wasn’t enough. I’ve picked up a few things along the way that you might be interested in or passing along to a friend. 1) Demand – don’t just make and try to sell what you love, make and sell what they want to buy (even if you don’t particularly like it). I tell my family that I would sell dried cow patties if that was what the demand called for. a. In general woodworking the good sellers might be cutting boards, stove top covers, 2x4 basic bunk beds, etc. b. For woodturners it could be pens, tops, pepper mills, salad bowls, etc. I’ve learned from experience that just because I’m wild about something, doesn’t mean it will sell. 2) If an item is in high demand and everyone else is doing it, don’t be afraid to make them also. a. A prime example of this is metal tumblers like the Yeti. In the laser engraving world, there are thousands of people making laser engraved tumblers, wrapped tumblers, or personalized tumblers. I know, my kids have given me several every Christmas for the past bunch of years. My church even gave me a pair. b. Hamburgers are another great example. If people were afraid of making something someone else made, there would only be one place to get a hamburger instead of a hamburger joint on every corner. 3) Don’t be the cheapest guy on the block. Find out what the market price is and be somewhere around there. You might have to be creative to make a profit. 4) If no one is doing it, there is probably a good reason. No demand, impossible to make a decent profit due to the material cost or excessive labor. Before you bring something totally new to the market, get half a dozen regular items well established and selling consistently before you attempt to blaze a totally new trail. 5) You might be a perfectionist, but your customers won’t pay for perfection. They will pay for great or even good, but perfect is in the eye of the beholder. You can be perfect if you don’t mind making $2/hr. But that is not how you make a profit in the real world. 6) Listen to your wife. She loves you and wants you to succeed. She will tell you things your friends won’t. There are many more tidbits of advice, based on years of experience, but these are some of the important ones. Safe turning
  17. Only 68 turning days until Christmas!!!! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald gave us a peek at his next project that will be going on his lathe- His post has a little more about this glue up and what he is doing while the glue dries- What’s Coming Up- Lots of stuff in the future! Click on the images for the links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- Woodturning safety is paramount! In this recent video, Cindy Drozda discusses some of the most important "PPEs" Venturing down the rabbit hole of bowl turning can lead to an addiction. Soon, every shelf in your home, friends, relatives and co-workers have at least one. Maybe you've considered selling them. There are lots of opinions on pricing your work. Here's one from Kent Weakley- https://turnawoodbowl.com/pricing-wood-bowls-for-profit-three-approaches/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Expand Your Horizons- As mentioned, Christmas is fast approaching. Here's some ideas for ornaments for gifts or for yourself. First up is Mike Peace turning a bird ornament similar but larger than the awesome ones done by our own @Steve Krumanaker From Alan Stratton, a sea urchin ornament but without the sea urchin- And, from Carl Jacobson, a natural edge bowl ornament- Our own @Gerald and the club he belongs to are faithful supporters of the "Beads Of Courage" boxes. In this video, Alan Stratton discusses how he creates his version of a box to save those beads. Some neat jigs for turning the "staves" he used to make the box. Mike Peace shared a "cool" trick on how he unstuck a thread lid on a box- I cannot remember if I saw this information here on the Patriot or on a social media site. The question was concerning a ring type turning that was then sliced into thin pieces. After some searching, I discovered there are called "German Rings". Simon Beggs seems to have a lock on how these are done- If you have accounts at Facebook or Instagram, you can see more of these- https://www.instagram.com/simonbeggswoodturning/ https://www.facebook.com/simonbeggswoodturning/ New Turning Items- From Woodturners Wonders https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/ultimate-sanding-system?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Some new products reviewed by Mike Waldt. I am not sure if all of these are available in the united states- Everything Else- Did an Easy Wood Tools demo at the Woodcraft of Richmond this past Saturday. Really nice folks there and the Woodcraft store is huge! They even had refreshments- The turners I spoke to really like the Easy Chuck and the #1 hollower.
  18. Missed last weeks post so this one will be have a little extra. Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc posted a couple of projects he has been working on. First, a neat little table item that would be useful in any kitchen- Nevin combined woodworking and turning to complete the project- He also posted a question and his method of storing sawdust from various species of wood he uses as fillers. He was wondering what storage method the rest of us use for storage. Check out his post and let him know your method- And, Nevin showed us some beautiful walnut bowls he had finished- He received lots of positive comments in his post- @Steve Krumanaker has been busy fulfilling orders to some of the artisans in his area. He has been working with one who sells "Bee Products" for whom he make honey dipper lids. Steve posted a couple of short videos on how he has upgraded his manufacturing process. Steve is also making drop spindles for another craftsperson. These are used in the process of turning wool into yarn. He developed a neat jig to create shop made dowels for part of the pieces. In this post, he explains why he made the parts instead of buying them- @Gerald added a project to our "Off The Lathe And Finished" thread. These beautiful ornaments got lots of great comments and a couple of questions as well. Head on over to the thread and check out more on these- Gerald was also kind enough to provide links to videos on sharpening. I must apologize for not recording who asked the question on sharpening. Gerald had entered the AAW August Turning Challenge and provided us with the link to the voting and winners- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/august-2023-turning-challenge-final-results.21511/ @KevTN Asked for help identifying a specific pattern for the rim of a platter. Our turners had several suggestions. If you can identify this patter, please help out Kevin- @RustyFN has a gorgeous spalted bowl on his lathe! What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda is live tomorrow- Thursday, October 12 at 2pm EDT. She will be discussing how do you protect your eyes, ears, and lungs in the workshop. For registration, follow this link- https://streamyard.com/watch/PsF54zh7XSVb For The Newbies- Kent Weakly's video on what tools are not suitable for bowl turning- Carl Jacobson makes an oak lidded box. Notice that Carl uses both traditional and carbide tools to complete the project- A simple bowl turning to use as a succulent planter from Craft Supplies USA From Tim Yoder on choosing your sandpaper Richard Raffan demonstrates how to make your turned bowls look really top notch by refining the bottom. Expand Your Horizons- Several articles from Kent Weakley on bowl finishes. https://turnawoodbowl.com/my-favorite-food-safe-wood-finish-waterproof-almost/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 https://turnawoodbowl.com/spray-lacquer-illustrated-guide-equipment-system-set-up-technique/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Jim Rodgers continues his series on hollowing- Alan Stratton posted this video on YouTube. It reminded me of a similar project that @Gerald had shown us sometime back- The Four Ways videos from the first of the month- Mike Peace- Richard Raffan- Sam Angelo- Tomislav Tomasic- New Turning Items- From Niles Bottle Stoppers- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/cocktail-muddler-set/ From Woodturners Wonders- Diamond wheels for both bench grinders and Tormek grinders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/diamond-wheels?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- When you share the joys of your craft with someone who has never seen shavings fly off a fresh bowl blank or get to watch a spinning top appear in just a few minutes, you might change their world. A small pebble can create a world of ripples. Members of our woodworking club have attended county fairs, woodworking shows, and symposiums which always included live demonstrations. Why? Most people can’t visualize what we do. I’ve seen people become fascinated with turning after they made a simple maple or oak pen at one of these events. I’ve seen their entire family get interested and turning became their family hobby. They’ve planned family trips around turning shows and symposiums along with week-long hands-on learning at folk schools. I’ve witnessed folks buying their first mini lathe and accessories then go on to develop a lifelong passion for the smell of freshly milled lumber and the shavings from another bowl blank. The benefit to you of doing something like that is they bring their non-turning skill sets from their regular jobs, i.e. management, leadership, and organizational skills. Many have become club officers including President. One such fellow served three terms and on a personal note, became my dentist until he retired. We’ve seen lawyers, engineers, business executives, moms, teenagers, pastors, and doctors get the turning bug all because they saw a turning demonstration at a craft fair or other public event. I’ve told the story many times of how I attended a two-hour club demonstration in a cold dark basement one Saturday between Christmas and the New Year. Nick Cook made a top, a garden dibble, a honey dipper, a toothpick holder, and a mahogany plate plus some other things I don’t remember. One couple thought that was terrific and booked a day's instruction with Nick. Then they started a turning club, then I attended, then I got hooked. Now I make a great living inventing and offering turning accessories to the turning community worldwide. During the thirteen years I was on the Woodworking Show Circuit, I was able to demonstrate turning in front of over a million people. That’s a pretty good ripple! Thank you, Nick Cook. In order to cause the ripple, you have to toss the stone in the first place. I would encourage you to invite someone to a club meeting or over to your shop for an hour or two for coffee and to make some shavings. You never know how big that ripple might become Safe turning
  19. Last Wednesday in September but at least we had a sunny day here, for a change. Our Patriot Turners- @Roy showed us a really neat segmented turning that will be used a traveling trophy at his wife's work. He asked our turners several questions including their opinions on carbide tools. Please check out his post and see if your can provide any insights from your experiences. @nevinc posed a question about a turning blank he purchased. Seems the blank was quite wet and he was wondering about the turning options. Please check out his post, the comments and add your ideas. Nevin also showed us another cool bowl turning he made. In his post, there are more images and comments from our turners- @HandyDan needs to get a couple of "barn cats" to take care of his problem. Seems he has mice!! As usual, Dan has gotten ahead of us all with this years batch of Christmas ornaments. Check out his post for more images- @forty_caliber completed another one of his beautiful pecan bowls- He received lots of positive comments in his post- @RustyFN finished up a request from his wife to turn a pumpkin (hope she didn't mean he was to turn INTO a pumpkin) Rusty describes the turning and its purpose in his post- We've had more activity on our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe" @forty_caliber and @calabrese55 both added what they have been up to. You can catchup up starting here- What’s Coming Up- Live tomorrow, September 28, with Cindy Drozda- Preregister here- http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Signup.html For The Newbies- Jim Rodgers' video describing some of the various turning tools used for hollowing A short video about woodturning safety equipment from Cindy Drozda- If you have started turning bowls, you know it can be challenging to find a way to hold the work. This video, from Richard Raffan, he demonstrates the process from start to finish on a rough turned bowl. What is interesting is how he has prepared the rough blank for being held by the chuck on the inside of the bowl. A video short from Tim Yoder on turning stance- Expand Your Horizons- A different kind of winged bowl from Alan Stratton- Over the last several weeks we have had information on various thread cutting processes. Sam Angelo prepares a new set of chasers for use. Sam explains why and how he modifies his chasing tools- Mike Peace explores what the term "Food Safe" finish- New Turning Items- Mike Waldt reviews a new vase steady rest- Woodturners Wonders has expanded their product line. They now carry "Hold Fast" vacuum chuck systems. Here's the link to that page on their website- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/hold-fast?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Ken Rizza added a YouTube video to further explain the additions to their product line- Everything Else- I think I would buy the game instead of this, but Richard Raffan turns what we used to call Pick Up Sticks! And from Ron Brown's Newsletter- 22 Things I Wish I Knew In The Beginning Friends, here is a partial list of things I wish someone had told me when I first started wood-turning. I plan to do a follow-up article based on your responses to things you wish someone had told you. Things I didn’t mention. Send your comments to me at ronbrown@coolhammers.com. 1) I wish I had a “Turner’s Reference Guide” It is now a free download and very worth your time. Get it at www.ronbrownsbest.com or <Here> You have to be logged into your account. 2) When you get a lathe, you’ve just started to spend money 3) You can turn small things on a big lathe, but it is difficult to turn big things on a small lathe. 4) There are four pillars to woodturning: a) The lathe itself, turning tools (HSS & Carbide), Chucks and work holding devices, and sharpening 5) There are 6 basic types of HSS turning tools but lots of sizes of each type. a) Skews, parting tools, scrapers, spindle roughing gouges, spindle gouges, and bowl gouges 6) Buying HSS tools in sets is usually not a good idea. Get the tool you need when you need it. Learn to use it, learn to sharpen it. 7) Carbide tools are a separate category and 98% are scrapers a) Diamond, round, square, square with radius 8) Hollowing tools can be a separate category a) Scrapers (HSS and Carbide) & ring tools 9) You don’t need 150 different tools, about 15 will do a) It is easy to overpay for turning tools if you only buy brand names because of the brand. Save the expensive stuff for when you are more experienced and can tell the difference in quality. b) It is never a good idea to buy based on the cheapest-priced tool. c) Most mid-priced turning tools today have excellent quality M2 steel for the hobby turner 10) Sharp tools are safer, easier to work with and leave a better finish 11) Develop the habit of sharpening often 12) Hone your skews, avoid the grinder if at all possible 13) Sharpening is a cornerstone skill and worth the investment in time and money 14) Some kind of HSS tool sharpening jig is one of the things every woodturner needs to own as soon as possible. Tools last longer, grinds are repeatable, and you will sharpen more often because it becomes quick and easy. Turning will be more fun and safer. 15) At least one Scroll chuck is mandatory 16) Free wood isn’t free 17) Green wood is like lettuce, it goes bad very quickly so seal it immediately 18) Use PPE, accidents happen in microseconds. Direct pressure usually stops the bleeding 19) Good tool technique along with sharp tools eliminates much of the sanding 20) Stop! Carefully examine your work at every step before going to the next process a) If you can still see individual sanding scratch marks, go back and do it again before moving up to the next finer grit. 21) Swing diameter is far less important than horsepower on larger projects. 22) When your workpiece flies out of the chuck or comes loose from between centers, are you in the correct position to avoid injury? Safe turning
  20. Summer's about over and the days are getting shorter. Less yard work means more lathe time! Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc has really put his lathe to work this week. He showed us a bunch of bowls, with different design! He describes what he has done in this post- Nevin also worked on a box elder bowl with a unique shape- He provides us with more information in his post- @forty_caliber also has been busy with more of his pecan stash! he posted a couple of bowls for us to drool over- There's more images and descriptions at- Forty then had a chance to finish up the bowl on which he used epoxy and diopside inlay- More images and specifics can be found in this post- @Gerald added a video of a neat little toy on which he has been experimenting. He calls them "Tippy Tops". Check this post to see what they do! Another addition to our continuing thread- "Off The Lathe And Just Finished" What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration- For The Newbies- A few video short from Tim Yoder and Ron Brown Both Tim and Ron have been producing these short videos to help the newer turner understand some of the nuances of turning. You can check out their series at https://www.youtube.com/@woodturningwithtimyoder/featured and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMD5dw_8FCyaHPjztP5sklw I think everyone knows how I hate to sand, mainly because I never get the results I see from other turners. Cindy Drozda recently did a live Tool Talk showing her sanding techniques. I learned a lot. Expand Your Horizons- @Gerald's post on Tippy Tops coincided with this video from Alan Stratton. Alan revisited these in hopes of having better success. Check out Alan's process from turning spheres freehand. Kent Weakley turns a wooden bowl but not without some difficulty. He explains what happened and how to correct it. Mike Peace shared a video of an IRD he recently conducted. The video is rather long but the demonstration of the threading jig/device is interesting. Not all tree logs are suitable for turning bowls or larger pieces. Richard Raffan explains the phenomena of "wind shake" or "cup shakes". New Turning Items- Not new but some better prices- https://lylejamieson.com/ Free shipping continued until September 25. https://woodturnerswonders.com/ Everything Else- Woodworker's Journal published their Woodturning Monthly newsletter. https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email Safe turning
  21. ONE DAY LEEFT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald started a new topic for our turners! I hope we can make this one as popular as the one @RustyFN started for showing what's on our lathes! So far we've had two members add items. Let's make this topic sail to the "Most Posts" list! Our other continuing topic of "What's On Your Lathe" also had activity! @RustyFN and @forty_caliber both added some of what they are working on! Check out this post for more images! @forty_caliber also posted a nice little "catch-all" bowl. I think these bowls are so useful. Not too large to take up a lot of space but large enough to hold most small items. Great for pocket dumps! See more images here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration Well, it happened last week, but if you missed it, Cindy has posted the video- For The Newbies- How fast should I turn is a question we often hear. There really isn't a hard and fast rule. Ron Brown has some thoughts in this video "short"- Mortice or tenon to attach the bowl to the lathe. Ask 10 woodturners and you'll probably get at least 15 different answers. My personal choice in a recess and use it to incorporate the foot. Here's what Kent Weakley thinks about it- Of course, if you don't have a chuck, there are other ways to attach a bowl blank to the lathe. Sam Angelo shares his thoughts on some methods of securing that blank- Expand Your Horizons- It's just past the first of the month and the videos from "4 Ways" is available. This month Richard Raffan, Tomislav Tomasic, Sam Angelo and Mike peace each turn their version of a natural edge bowl. Tim Yoder turns a beautiful Flame Elder platter. He eve uses some of his Easy Wood Tools in the process! It is not too soon to start thinking about making Christmas ornaments. Alan Stratton creates one that is out of this world! Craft Supplies USA has an idea for something that the ladies in your life might enjoy- New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new Ladle Chuck System- Safe turning
  22. Just 2 weeks left is our fundraising drive. Please consider donating and taking a chance on wining one of our sponsors' awesome prizes! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker continues to supply his unique turnings for a local "Bee" business- Steve's post has more images of some of the custom things he makes! @RustyFN scored some Bradford pear and showed us his blank preparation. Looks like some awesome bowls in his future Check out Rust's post- @Gerald has been busy replenishing his craft show stock- Check out his post to see what these are! @PostalTom updated us on the chess set he made. Tom included a closeup of the turned chess pieces, in his post Tom also posted some kitchen utensil items in our "What's On Your Workbench" forum- Our "What's On Your Lathe" continues to showcase our turners' projects! @nevinc, @forty_caliber and @Gerald all shared images of what's happening What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links- For The Newbies- A variety of topics from around the web- From Tim Yoder, a couple of short video tips- From Mike Waldt, help for using my old nemesis- the Skew! This is a live demo so it is really long- Have you ever tried to cut a round blank on the bandsaw? Not a bowl blank, but rather an end off of a cylinder shape. If not secured properly, the blade can grab the piece and even break the blade. Mike Peace cautions about this and shares a video on making it safer. Expand Your Horizons- Craft Supplies USA created a video demonstrating the use of the Easy Core One Way Coring System. This is a rather long video but does demonstrate using the system. In the description, the presentation is broken down so the viewer can select sections to view. We've noticed several discussions about finishing, on other Patriot forums, and the subject of shellac pops up frequently. This link, from Kent Weakley, is to an article on making and using shellac as a bowl finish. https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/ I think everyone here knows my love of carbide turning tools. @smitty10101 posted about using Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) to turn a bowl. The video is from Craft Supplies USA New Turning Items- Ron Brown has been creating and posting videos, on his YouTube channel, discussing his hollowing stabilizer. You can check them out at- https://www.youtube.com/@Ronbrownsbest/videos With SWAT happening this weekend, there will probably be some new products shown. Be sure to check out the Vendor showcase listed above for live feeds of some of the products. Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter, something I think we all have struggled with from time to time- What Is It Worth? I’ve had lots of questions about pricing one or two special pieces. For the vast majority of woodturners, it is a hobby, they never intend to sell anything they make. Some folks are interested in turning as a side gig but have no idea how to price their work. As someone who has experience in just about every conceivable selling venue, I would like to pass along what I have learned. Any object is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. When I’m considering how to price anything I’ve made or plan on making, there is a formula I use: Cost of material + Time @ desired labor rate = Hard Cost Hard Cost X 4 = Suggested Retail Selling Price Hard Cost X 2 = Wholesale Selling Price Average Market Price For Similar Items; Am I Close? This is only a starting point. Determine the “Market Price” for similar items depending on the selling venue, are you in the ballpark? The Market Price in an Arts & Crafts Gallery is very different from the Market Price at a street craft fair and those prices are different on Etsy, eBay, your own website, or Amazon. Don’t forget about the associated cost for each venue. The last measure is a selling price that I feel good about. In other words, it is a Win-Win; the customer is happy at that price and I was happy to make it for them. An absolute fact of life is that everybody loves a bargain. (See the scripture below). Your “Retail Price” should be some amount above the price you hope to sell it for. Every retail store on the planet understands this and so should you. If you are selling one-on-one, you can comfortably offer a deal if they take it now and still earn what you needed in the first place. If you are selling online, this is the perfect scenario for a sale with either free shipping or a percentage discount. You must also consider why you want to sell at least some of your work. Perhaps you want to fund additional tool purchases. In that case, forget the time you put in and consider the amount of profit dollars such a sale will contribute to your “new widget” fund. If the income is important as a supplement to other household income, it needs to be worth your time. If you are thinking of this as a main income stream, you need to maximize the return on your capital and your time and this will require counsel and careful consideration. Try to pick items that are fast, easy, and cheap to make that you can sell tons of i.e. pens, bottle stoppers, pepper mills, spinning tops, utility bowls, cutting boards, kitchen utensils, etc. The bottom line is complicated depending on your specific situation. Only you can make that determination. I recommend setting your initial asking price higher than you think you should. Often someone else thinks your widget is worth more than you do. You can always lower the asking price, but it is difficult to raise it. As I said before, something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. Here is a true quick story. I used to sell fancy laser-cut Christmas ornament kits and made finished samples for display at The Woodworking Shows. I got many inquiries from folks wanting to buy the finished ornaments that I really didn’t want to sell. I finally put a price of $150 on each one figuring that would stop all of the questions because nobody would pay that much for a Christmas Ornament. The first year we sold 12! Don’t sell yourself short Safe turning
  23. Please keep in mind we are having our community fund raiser. Check out the cool prizes- Our Patriot Turners- Our "What's On Your Lathe" thread had several additions this week- @forty_caliber, @nevinc and @HandyDan were busy- Check out what they were up to- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- ❗️For invitation to attend this zoom, simply send an email with the subject line “Invite Me” to sales@exoticblanks.com❗️ Keith was kind enough to share this from the Easy Wood Tools newsletter. The email is sent to the folks EWT has on file. If you don't get it, call @Jordan Martindale at (859)246-0294 and asked to be put on the list. For The Newbies- Some turning tips, hints and general information from Tim Yoder and Ron Brown- Expand Your Horizons- Richard Raffan- waste not, want not- And... Mr. Raffan also turns a lovely "breakfast bowl". Note in his description his formula for turning time to make a living! I'll never make it! Alan Stratton turns a beautiful shallow bowl leaving natures imperfections Carl Jacobson does a variation on the Mason jar vase lid- Woodworker's Journal published their monthly Woodturning Monthly newsletter. Some neat projects for all skill levels https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email New Turning Items- From Woodturners Wonders a new item to help keep grinder dust under control- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/grinding-wheel-accessories/products/grit-grabber-magnet-with-sleeve?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Niles Stoppers posted a video describing their threaded inserts- Everything Else- Some interesting thoughts from Ron Brown's newsletter- Copying vs. Stealing in Woodturning This subject comes up frequently and is not very well understood. What, then, is morally permissible and what is wrong and probably illegal? “Art Plagiarism Defined: Plagiarists copy sketches, paintings, photos, and even sculptures. When you copy someone else’s art without consent or credit—you are stealing. Even mere using of filter, changing of color, and adding of clip art or text are part of this poor practice. Like literary plagiarism, art plagiarism also comes in many forms such as theft and tracing.” Source: College of Arts and Technology Q: Is it OK to copy well-known turners work? • Yes, provided you name the original artist as the inspiration for your version. • You don’t try to pass off or sell yours as a piece made by them. • Give credit where credit is due. • If the item is for your own private use or collection and it isn’t for sale, there are no limitations, IMHO. My first real venture into turning was making turned-lidded boxes for Christmas presents for all of the women in our extended family. I worked directly from the book “Turned Lidded Boxes – 50 Designs” by Chris Stott. I copied examples from his book as exactly as my inexperienced turning skills would allow. That Christmas I even showed everyone the book and the pages their present was displayed on. Everyone knew I wasn’t that creative on my own. By this time in my turning career, I’ve made thousands of different items. Virtually none of them were purely my own design. Each one was taken from something I’d seen in a magazine, book, or on YouTube. Yes, I added my own twist, but the core idea was almost never original to me. I am always quick to acknowledge the source of my inspiration by name if possible. As an example, the 10,000-plus spinning tops I’ve made are in the Bonnie Klien style. I added my own twist and used different texturing tools eventually, but I can show you the exact pages where the designs originated in her book. I even met Bonnie at an event in Provo, Utah where I was turning "her tops." As she looked over an assortment of about 50 spinning tops, her comment was “Not Bad”. Famous turners develop their own recognizable style over time and so will you. Think of Mike Mahoney’s Calabash bowls, David Ellsworth’s hollow forms, Cindy Drozda’s hollow forms with fancy finials, Dick Sing’s miniature birdhouses, and John Jordan’s turned and carved hollow forms. All of these styles are readily identifiable. It is normal and healthy to study the work of folks who have figured something out that is distinctive and outstanding. The very best way to learn something is by doing practice exercises; drill for skill. In sports, you run the same plays over and over until they become second nature. In school, we call that homework exercises. I would encourage you to copy work you admire, acknowledge their inspiration give them credit for the idea when showing it to others, and add your own twist when appropriate. Sometimes theirs can’t really be improved on so have fun and let everyone know who inspired you in the first place. I've been taking a hint from @Gerald and making "friendship bowls". Mimi has pretty much depleted all of the bowls I've had setting on the shelves. Some of my earliest ventures aren't of the quality I'd like people to see so I needed to replenish. Have some elm and some walnut from the woodshed. These are under 6" in diameter and have 2 more blanks this size. Then a couple about 8". The largest two will be for special gifts. Safe turning
  24. If you haven't seen the post, we are beginning our summer fundraiser to help support the operations here at the Patriot. Please consider donating to this worthy cause and maybe be lucky enough to walk away with some cool prizes- Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc posted a couple of beautiful bowls- Head on over to his post and check out additional images. @calabrese55 finished up that gorgeous segmented bowl. What a beauty! Check out his post to see what his plans are for this turning- @Gerald posted a vessel he is doing on the "What's On Your Lathe" forum. His image shows the business end of his hollowing rig and the laser attachment- @forty_caliber turned some more bowls fresh from the blanks in his drying kiln. I really like how he does the feet on these- There are more images in his post- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- These first two might be a bit of a drive- If you missed Cindy Drozda's live presentation with Carl Jacobson. She has it posted on YouTube- For The Newbies- Drilling on the lathe may not require a Jacob's chuck, especially for smaller diameter bits. Tim Yoder demonstrates- Tim also shows a quick and easy way to round over the ends of handles- Pretty neat explanation about lathe speed- Kent Weakley on the importance of good lighting. Mike Peace demonstrates how to make a soft touch cone for the live center- Expand Your Horizons- What do you do when the bowl becomes a funnel- fix it or toss it? Mike Peace has some pretty strong feelings about it- Couple of turnings from Richard Raffan- Alan Stratton modified his Celtic Knot idea to create swirls and added it to his goblets. I had done this on some bottle stoppers- New Turning Items- Robert Sorby has a new multi-tip hollowing tool- Sorby tools are now available from Woodturners Wonders https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/sorby?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R From Spiracraft, a new drilling device for those who make salt/pepper grinders https://spiracraft.com/product/woodcut-tools-mill-drill/?inf_contact_key=48786b7cec548ebb0bc98929c43bd777 Everything Else- Safe turning
  25. Just about the time of the year when I start having dreams of beginning another school year- and all the things that can go wrong! Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 posted one of his segmented bowls in the "What's On Your Weekend Agenda". I love the combination of colors! His post has more images. Check it out here- @Headhunter posted a really neat setup for assisting in making square cuts across a log. He posted it in our "General Woodworking" forum but said it was OK to share it here Looks like it can be helpful for us turners- @Gerald finished up the turnings and dice boards he was commissioned to make I never hear of either of these items. Thankfully, Gerald explained their uses. Gerald also started a discussion about project ideas. He wondered how/if we saved pictures/drawings to be inspirations for our own turnings. He received lots of great comments and examples. Please check out his post and add your thoughts to the others- We are still getting entries on out "What's On Your Lathe" forum. This one from @forty_caliber @John Hechel is passing on his turning skills to a younger generation. What a wonderful way to keep turning alive! Read more about this young man's journey- What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda's Woodturning Tool Talk will be live Thursday August 3. Her guest will be Carl Jacobson. Click on the image for the link to registration For The Newbies- Tim Yoder has added a couple more video shorts on sharpening- Richard Raffan added another video illustrating how a turner's body movement is an integral part of turning skills- Some additional Richard Raffan turning projects- Carl Jacobson takes some Thrift Store glasses and turns them into lovely vases- Expand Your Horizons- Another set of "4 Ways" videos. This time the turners make their own interpretation of a cherry burl hollow form- Several of our turners use paint as a way to embellish their turnings. Mike Peace has ventured into air brushing as a way to enhance his turnings. This video is his introduction- Fractal Burning was all the rage for a while. It can be dangerous if all safety precautions are not strictly followed. Well, Tim Yoder has found a safe way to create the patterns- Spoiler Alert- Heads up laser owners! New Turning Items- Not a new tool but a new site for Stuart Batty tools- https://stuartbattytools.com/ From Niles Bottle Stoppers https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/whiskey-sample-kit/ Craft Supplies USA provides information on the new Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) beading cutters- Everything Else- I was asked to make a bowl, to be used as a table centerpiece, for a friend. The only requirements were 10" to 12" in diameter and his favorite wood is walnut. Really hope he likes it. Safe turning
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