Wednesday's Wisdom For Woodturners December 10, 2025

[lew]

 

 

Our Christmas project is underway! Please consider making this a special time for a deserving military family!

 

Our Patriot Turners-

I think all our turners are out shopping for presents this week!

 

I was gifted some spalted, maple (I think) and was turning a small bowl as a thank you gift. Normally I turn bowls using a mortice to attach to the chuck but went with a tenon this time. Shaped, sanded and discovered the tiger stripes with beautiful chatoyance

 

 

 

Then reverse chucked to finish off the bottom using the chuck jaws in expansion mode, making sure to protect the inside from marring and not applying too much outward pressure. Switched the lathe back on and spun it up... BAM!!

 

 

 

Never heard a crack or any indication that the blank was stressed when opening thee jaws. No visible cracks. It simply came apart along a spalted line. I think this would have occurred earlier in the turning process if I had been using a mortice. The chuck jaws were probably holding the piece together.

 

What's Coming Up-

Click the images for links-

Cindy Drozda has a two part IRD coming up-

 

 

 

For The Newbies-

Sam Angelo demonstrate methods of sharpening a spindle gouge-

 

Sam also shows us how to make lathe tool handles to save some money on those new tools-

 

Mike Peace turns a globe Christmas ornament without hollowing-

 

Expand Your Horizons-

Another take on how to make your Christmas ornaments emit real smoke, from Carl Jacobson-

 

Using the John Jordan shear scraper-

 

Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools-

If you do social media, Easy Wood Tools currently has an accessory pack give-a-way -

The social media links are-

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BvFJy1aXL/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSAZNssjtiY/

 

Upcoming EWT Demonstrations-

https://schoolofwoodwork.com/

 

https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/indianapolis

@Jordan Martindale

 

New Turning Items-

From our very generous sponsor, Woodcraft, a demonstration of the new xTool F1 Laser Engraver-

 

Ashley Harwood has posted information on some of her signature tools-

 

 

 

 

From Axminster-

 

From Wood Magazine a review of a new Harbor Freight Dust Extractor. @Grandpadave52- Go HF 

 

Everything Else-

 

Safe turning

 

 

[Grandpadave52]

46 minutes ago, lew said:

Go HF 

Thanks for the recognition Lew. Drove right past ours today so literally Go (past) H-F. Weather was too nasty to get out of the car. OTOH, I did find the resolve to stop at the donut shop.

[HandyDan]

Lots to play with here Lew.  Thanks!

[Gerald]

Thanks for the post Lew

 

[lew]

@Grandpadave52   Thank You!

 

@HandyDan   Thanks!

 

@Gerald   Thank You!