24 minutes ago, lew said:

I'm going to try using the acrylic ink

 

Test the ink on a scrap first.  The ink may bleed like dye if you are just wanting the wave colored you may not be happy with the results.  I usually use a burn line to keep it from bleeding.

44 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

 

Test the ink on a scrap first.  The ink may bleed like dye if you are just wanting the wave colored you may not be happy with the results.  I usually use a burn line to keep it from bleeding.

Thanks, Dan! It is not glued yet so I will do the pieces separately. 

Well been awhile but finally got to the adding finish stage. The feature ring is my second set the first set drank too much moisture from my compressor tons of froth and bubbles so had to start all over again . Little light on the mica powder so I didn't get the graining I expected but I will be happy just  to keep it in one piece 

Edited November 13, 20241 yr by calabrese55

14 minutes ago, calabrese55 said:

Well been awhile but finally got to the adding finish stage. The feature ring is my second set the first set drank too much moisture from my compressor tons of froth and bubbles so had to start all over again . Little light on the mica powder so I didn't get the graining I expected but I will be happy just  to keep it in one piece 

 

That is Awesome!

That is incredible @calabrese55Mike! 

Put the first finish on these today. 
 

All are very nice @Gerald but I really like that live edge bowl. Beautiful. That vase ain't too shabby either.

You guys have some incredible talent!

Really like that spalted vase @Gerald!

Finally got some time in the shop this morning.  Started shaping 2nd turning of a live oak bowl that I put in the kiln a while back.  Wood dried into the classic foot ball shape, but pulled open some cracks in the end grain in the process.  

 

Fixed the foot and put it in the chuck, shaped the rim and outside.  The second I touched the inside with a gouge, the bowl exploded into several chunks.  I wasn't standing in the line of fire and was not injured. RPM ~500. 

 

Never have gotten along with the oak that grows in these parts.  Swearing it off for good this time. 

 

.40

1 hour ago, forty_caliber said:

Finally got some time in the shop this morning.  Started shaping 2nd turning of a live oak bowl that I put in the kiln a while back.  Wood dried into the classic foot ball shape, but pulled open some cracks in the end grain in the process.  

 

Fixed the foot and put it in the chuck, shaped the rim and outside.  The second I touched the inside with a gouge, the bowl exploded into several chunks.  I wasn't standing in the line of fire and was not injured. RPM ~500. 

 

Never have gotten along with the oak that grows in these parts.  Swearing it off for good this time. 

 

.40

Glad you weren't hurt! 

Thanks for the reminder for shop safety and your willingness to openly share @forty_caliber.

 

Thankful no injury occurred.

 I'll agree with Fred, there is some amazing talent in this forum.

This isn't exactly on my lathe anymore, I took it off to see if I could get a threaded insert installed in it. I'm making a Kissmas tree and the flat work part is right up my alley. But the plan called for a lamp finial and I thought there must be some alternatives. This is a practice attempt at mine. I want to turn a small tree shape finial and the trick (for me) was figuring out the sequence of steps to get the hole for the insert drilled...and then put it in. So this was my second attempt. I couldn't get the tool positions correct on the first and had a catch that chipped out one of the limb rings. I wound up using a carbide detailing tool to do most of the final work given the problems I was having with the spindle gouges. I couldn't get the insert into the first one either. I drilled a 5/16" hole which isn't large enough for this very hard white oak, so on the second one I drilled 3/8" which worked (but not easily). I plan on making the final one out of a small piece of ebony so I wanted to get some practice in before I ruined it.

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

This isn't exactly on my lathe anymore, I took it off to see if I could get a threaded insert installed in it. I'm making a Kissmas tree and the flat work part is right up my alley. But the plan called for a lamp finial and I thought there must be some alternatives. This is a practice attempt at mine. I want to turn a small tree shape finial and the trick (for me) was figuring out the sequence of steps to get the hole for the insert drilled...and then put it in. So this was my second attempt. I couldn't get the tool positions correct on the first and had a catch that chipped out one of the limb rings. I wound up using a carbide detailing tool to do most of the final work given the problems I was having with the spindle gouges. I couldn't get the insert into the first one either. I drilled a 5/16" hole which isn't large enough for this very hard white oak, so on the second one I drilled 3/8" which worked (but not easily). I plan on making the final one out of a small piece of ebony so I wanted to get some practice in before I ruined it.

 

 

Neat idea! It's always fun to use the lathe for at least one part in every project!

Excellent @Fred W. Hargis Jr. That'll be a neat touch to the Kissmass trees.

Making the finial is best in my opinion.  Good thinking.

I remember Lew saying some time back how he tries to include some turning on everything, I've decided to try doing that as well. Plus it was another learning experience for me.

Well, I got one done in Ebony. Not shaped quite as good as I wanted, but it will do. I have to say, this was the first time ever I had something with ebony and it was easier to work with than the white oak I used for practice. Turning stuff this small takes as much skill (I think) as the big stuff....unfortunately I have none of those skills. BTW, I wanted the trunk to be smaller but there's a 3/8" hole in there for the threaded insert.

Edited November 20, 20241 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

Fred,

 

I use 3/8"-16 all-thread for my Kissmas tree shafts. I drill the appropriate size hole in the piece for the finial and use a tap to thread it. Then I screw it onto a short piece of all-thread and mount it in a chuck on my lathe for turning.

 

Seems to work easier than messing with a threaded insert.

 

You may want to try this and see if it works for you.