I decided we needed a traveling trophy for my wife's Fantasy Football League at her office. Ecspecialy since we (a.k.a I) won it the last 2 years and thought it would be fun for bragging rights.  And mostly because i wanted to see if i could make one.  

It has been a fun project so far and still have to make the base.  I want it to resemble the Lombardi trophy when I'm done.  

My take on the project so far has been:

I would do it a little different next time.  Maybe precut the pieces the long way.  

Be a little more selective with the wood I choose.  There were some cracks towards the middle i did not see.

I havent used my lathe much in the past and not at all in the last 3 years.  I have a hard time getting the hang of sharpening my tools.

I also have to do the laces a little different as that was a little tedious.

A couple questions for you guys if you dont mind is,

Is it worth getting tools with the carbide tips?

Do you have any suggestions for sharpening tools, or is it just practice?

I will post some pictures when i get the base done.

Great work there, Roy. It's going to be a treasured trophy, for sure.

Very cool idea and project Roy. Looks like the lathe skills came back pretty quick. Looking forward to seeing the prize trophy fully completed. I'm not a latheologist so I'll leave your questions about carbide tools to those who are...sure I probably missed some of our talent here, but a good start.

@lew

@HandyDan

@Gerald

@forty_caliber

@Steve Krumanaker

@RustyFN

@nevinc

Edited September 26, 20232 yr by Grandpadave52
Misspellings

* Is it worth getting tools with the carbide tips?

 

Personally, carbide tools are 75% of what I use.  Once the blades begin to get dull, a little oil and a 3000 stone and they are as good as new.

 

Occasionally I chip a blade, I rotate it either 90 or 180 degrees and your right back in business.

 

I have several, round tip, square tip and pointed diamond tips, these tools are so easy to use and with practice they can cut time significantly.

 

All of course, my opinion.  Happy turning.

 

Nevin

 

I assume you have a grinder.  A Wolverine sharpening jig should be your next investment.  Getting your tools sharp with repeatability is key.  I have the carbide tools and use them but traditional tools are what I prefer and use 90% of the time.

I'm a traditional tool guy.  I have some Hunter Tools Systems carbide lathe tools, but these are generally speaking special purpose used in specific circumstances only.  Any way you slice it, pun intended, traditional tools leave a better tool finish and require less sanding but have a steeper learning curve than carbide.  

 

Sharpening traditional lathe tools is an art in and of itself.  Some guys are really good at sharpening by hand (not me), others use some kind of jig.  For me a Sorby Pro-Edge is the ultimate answer because it does not introduce a hollow grind like a round wheel system does.  One big reason to use a jig is that you can remove just a penny's worth of steel and walk back to the lathe with a very sharp tool.    Here is a link to a comparison I posted a while back.  

 

 

IMHO the football would look better if the segments were staved (grain parallel to the long axis) rather than stacked.  If you planned it just right, the laces would be added to just one of the 6 or 8 staves.  Segmented turning is very hard to do in the best of circumstances.  All things considered, you did a fine job with it and it came together really well.  

 

Edited September 26, 20232 yr by forty_caliber

You have received some great advice from our turners. I think you see that traditional and carbide tools have a place in their turning arsenal. 

 

The Patriot turners had the unique privilege of testing the first carbide tools from Craig Jackson, founder of Easy Wood Tools. We did a round robin with his products. The newness of the carbide wasn't readily accepted by turners worldwide. Most thought of it as a gimmick and only to be used by novice who weren't motivated enough to learn to use/sharpen traditional tools. That feeling was also shared by some of the Patriot turners, at that time.

 

For myself, I liked the idea- probably because I embrace changes. The turning process is different and to get results that rival traditional tools there is a learning curve. Today, I get finishes, off the tools, that I can start sanding at 150/180 grits. To be clear, I had been a traditional tool turner. I didn't start when carbide was introduced. I have a complete set of "regular" tools and an early model Tormek wet grinder and am proficient in using it.

 

So, to answer your question about getting carbide tools, if you can go to a retailer/club/friend and try one before you buy would the best solution. There are many makers of the carbide tools and the biggest difference between them is the carbide used for the cutters. IMHO Easy Wood Tools makes the cutters that stay the sharpest for the longest time.

3 hours ago, forty_caliber said:

I'm a traditional tool guy.  I have some Hunter Tools Systems carbide lathe tools, but these are generally speaking special purpose used in specific circumstances only.  Any way you slice it, pun intended, traditional tools leave a better tool finish and require less sanding but have a steeper learning curve than carbide.  

 

Sharpening traditional lathe tools is an art in and of itself.  Some guys are really good at sharpening by hand (not me), others use some kind of jig.  For me a Sorby Pro-Edge is the ultimate answer because it does not introduce a hollow grind like a round wheel system does.  One big reason to use a jig is that you can remove just a penny's worth of steel and walk back to the lathe with a very sharp tool.    Here is a link to a comparison I posted a while back.  

 

 

IMHO the football would look better if the segments were staved (grain parallel to the long axis) rather than stacked.  If you planned it just right, the laces would be added to just one of the 6 or 8 staves.  Segmented turning is very hard to do in the best of circumstances.  All things considered, you did a fine job with it and it came together really well.  

 

 

 

I agree with you.  I think it would look better and it would be easier to get the laces in just one piece.

Thank you for the info and the kind words.

I am also a traditional tool guy. I have a few carbide tools but rarely use them. I can get a lot better finish and a lot less tear out and sanding with a nice sharp gouge. I second the comment about getting a sharpening jig for the grinder. I also recommend at least one CBN wheel for the grinder, 180 grit minimum. Nice football.

Edited September 27, 20232 yr by RustyFN

I wanted to thank everyone that gave some input so far.  This is a great site.  

I have decided to get some carbide tip tools, but am not giving up on the traditional tools.  I am going to look into a jig like a lot of guys suggested.  That way I can still turn some wood and have fun and also learn how to sharpen my other tools properly.  

8 minutes ago, Roy said:

I wanted to thank everyone that gave some input so far.  This is a great site.  

I have decided to get some carbide tip tools, but am not giving up on the traditional tools.  I am going to look into a jig like a lot of guys suggested.  That way I can still turn some wood and have fun and also learn how to sharpen my other tools properly.  

Keep posting your turnings! We love pictures!!

Here is a sharpening video for you     Sharpening Woodturning Tools-- Doug Thompson

 

Here is another. John has several videos on sharpening different tools as well as Hunter Carbides, the Best IMHO>

Sharpening Tips -- John Lucas

 

Being wired somewhat differently than most, brain wise, my first thought after great looking football was you’re gonna need a really cool name for the annual trophy. Sadly I could not come up with said name.  

18 hours ago, Gerald said:

Here is a sharpening video for you     Sharpening Woodturning Tools-- Doug Thompson

 

Here is another. John has several videos on sharpening different tools as well as Hunter Carbides, the Best IMHO>

Sharpening Tips -- John Lucas

 

Thank you for sharing Gerald.  I will be watching those this weekend.

You are right Artie.  I do need to come up with a name.  I am open to any suggestions from anyone as I am not the clever.

I totally forgot that my neighbor has been turning wood for decades.  He will be a good resource for me and hopefully can show me hands on how to sharpen.  He used to be a professor of engineering so he does like to teach.  I can't believe i never thought of him!

2 minutes ago, Roy said:

I totally forgot that my neighbor has been turning wood for decades.  He will be a good resource for me and hopefully can show me hands on how to sharpen.  He used to be a professor of engineering so he does like to teach.  I can't believe i never thought of him!

Porky the PigSkin

 

.40

Here is the finished trophy.  It was a little harder to fit the football the base than I was anticipating.  A lot of curves to fit and make look nice.  I need to go back and clean it up a little bit but the wife wanted it done for a party yesterday.  

This was a big learning curve again for me.  There was a few things i would do different.  I would make my angle cut for the base, and then drill and set the dowel for the base and the football.  I think i would also hollow out the top of the base more at this point and then start scribing and shaping.  This way there is less to fit.  

All in all it was a fun project and i would make another one.  I could definitely improve on it It was a great way to use up scraps in the shop.

 

 

 

 

That turned out great Roy. Fun project for you and fun post for us to follow. Thanks for sharing and glad you're here.

Edited October 2, 20232 yr by Grandpadave52

What @Grandpadave52 said!