It's been a busy week around here- finishing projects, starting new ones and a couple of days subbing in the Pre-engineering course at school.

 

The natural edge bowl is finished-

 

I was going to use poly on this but opted for rattle can lacquer- easier to do.

 

To sand the inside ot his bowl, I made a foam ball sand paper holder. The plans/instructions for the sander can be found at Mr. David Reed Smith's web site-

http://davidreedsmith.com/Articles/FoamBallSander/FoamBallSander.htm

 

Mine looked like this-

 

 

I tried to make this so I could use 5" hook and loop sanding discs from my random orbital sander. My failure to take into consideration the additional added thicknesses of the duct tape and Velcro meant the 5" discs were too small. The ball worked OK but I couldn't capture the ends of the "flowers". When sanding, some of the "pedals" unstuck and it acted more like a flap sander. Our local Blue Borg doesn't carry 6" discs so I guess it is another trip to Super Grit in Gettysburg. I'm going to make a smaller version that WILL use 5" discs.

 

When I was at school, the Culinary Arts instructor brought me a couple of rolling pins to repair. One needed a new handle turned. The pin rolled off of a table.

 

 

Made of hard maple and needs a finish. Tricky part here is getting the correct sized hole as the handle is a press on fit.

 

 

 

Saved the best for last!

 

Our young neighbors are into craft shows. The wife makes a variety of articles, which she sells thru her Etsy shop. They have a big craft show coming up in November. Her social circle includes other moms that also make/sell various articles and they are working feverishly building stock for the big weekend.

 

Did you know that you can actually buy a snowman decorating kit?? Neither did I! I thought half the fun of making a snowman was the scavenger hunt for the "trimmings"!  (Apologies to you warm climate residents who don't get the opportunity to demonstrate your creative skills with snow figures).

 

Anyway, I was met in the front yard, Monday, when I got home from school. The neighbor mom was holding an orange painted piece of wood this a dowel stuck in one end. "Can you possibly make a bunch of these?", she pleaded. "What is it???" I said..... "It's a carrot!!" came the indignant reply. (Between you and me- it looked like no carrot I've ever seen- and I've cleaned out the refrigerator's 6 month old vegetable drawer). This thing was a piece of pine shaped on a belt sander and painted orange. I told her I could maybe make something on the lathe. After all, carrots are generally round and tapered. "We need at least 20!!!" I hate to think where this is going to lead. At least she agreed to paint them. (I told her not to paint them brown- they would look too much like Mr. Hanky)

 

 

Safe Turning!

 

That bowl came out very nice.

Wow! That bowl turned out unreal Lew, so happy you were able to keep it all in one piece! I really want to be able to throw something like that off my lathe, I am envious. I have tried several times but with very mediocre results, uneven wall thickness, to thin at the rim and it cracked up.

So now you are also the rolling pin fixer upper? That's pretty neat, your reputation at school is out waay in front of you it sounds like.

The carrots are shaped perfectly irregular and different, just like a carrot should be, great job sir.

And thanks Lew for the Wed topic!

Very nice work Lew. I am about to start turning some Apples again. Same customer as before, now I have to turn 12 more apples.

Thanks so much for the kind words, guys!

 

John 1- The most difficult thing I have with turning is making the transition from roughing to shaping/finishing. The roughing stage goes quickly then when I get to the shaping/finishing stage I get impatient and try to hurry it along. I must keep reminding myself- "light touches"!

 

John 2- Hope you post those apples when you finish them!!

Thanks for the advice Lew, that was my problem, in a hurry to see it finished, I get excited, so I need to slow down. I got the rim of a bowl nice and thing and touched the rim head on with the tip of my chisel and it frayed and splintered. Arrrgh!