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  1. 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
  2. March already! Some of the trees are starting to show signs of waking up and I have garlic greens showing through the mulch! Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr posted an inquiry about a new tool rest. He asked particularly about the curved type used for turning bowls. Several of our members offered their opinions. Maybe you could hop on over to Fred's post and provide additional insights. @HandyDan posted a link to a site for turning tool handle inserts. If you make your own handles you might want to check it out. The site is for Trent Bosch tools and there are lots of other items there. Here's the link to his site's home page- https://trentboschtools.com/ @Gerald showed us the setup for his new JaHo jig in the "Good Monday Morning" forum- There is additional information in his post- Our continuing thread on the "What's On Your Lathe" post continues to showcase new and beautiful items. This past week @teesquare, @kreisdorph and @Gerald all posted projects! Catchup on all the activity at- In addition to the ones still on the lathe, We had entries into the "What's OFF Your Lathe And Finished". @Gerald and @kreisdorph both added their finished items. The new entries and comments start here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for the link to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Not quite ready to make the deep bowl? here's an intermediate step from Alan Stratton. Reading a post on social media from a turner who upgraded to a larger lathe. He was lamenting that his expensive Cole Jaws were small and would not allow him to use the maximum swing of the new lathe. One person recommended this video from Alan Stratton- Expand Your Horizons- Several of our turners give back to others by participating in events such as Turning Pens For Our Troops and Beads Of Courage Boxes. This month the turners participating in the "4-Ways" turning collaboration are making Wig Stands. Anyone who has suffered the ravages of cancer and chemo would certainly appreciate one of these items. New Turning Items- Many turners tint their epoxy/acrylic work with various products. Up until now, tinting CA glue was limited due to the reaction between the glue and the tinting substance. Starbond has released an assortment of materials to tint their CA glues. Check it out at- https://starbond.com/collections/powders-inlay-supplies?utm_source=1. Starbond Newsletter Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SB - TOTD Mica Mix (01HR9F16QNEP00ZFQF4704JB87)&_kx=UWBjOrBvGqdgxjbKJKjzdYtukO2Hko9tBjUvyv5yRmCPEYlA8GzGmWiEh-BS_64B.KAnW2a Wasn't sure where to put this but Woodturners Wonders is having a give-a-way contest- If you do that sort of things, here's the link- https://woodturnerswonders.com/pages/giveaway?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter When Size Matters What is the second major difference between a 12” swing wood lathe and a 16” swing wood lathe? The first difference is obvious, the 16” lathe can swing a 4-inch larger vessel. The second major difference is in the motor or horsepower. The smaller lathe is most likely equipped with a ¾ or 1 horsepower motor while the larger lathe will typically have 1-1/2 to 2 horsepower motor. Why does horsepower matter anyway? When all you turn are pens, wizard wands, and bottle stoppers, HP doesn’t matter. But when you are roughing out bowl blanks, plates, platters, drilling salt and pepper mills, or virtually any hollow form, the extra HP keeps the lathe from stalling. The larger the diameter, the more HP is needed because you lose the advantage of leverage. Imagine going up a steep hill with a heavy load in high gear. With the smaller HP you are forced to take lighter cuts and can’t be aggressive without stalling the lathe in its tracks; been there done that. You can turn little stuff on a big lathe, but it is much more difficult to turn big stuff on a little lathe. It can be done, of course, it’s just not as fun, safe, or easy. I have discovered recurring patterns after observing many thousands of turners over a few decades: 1) Most new turners start with a mini-lathe if they buy it new. 2) If they inherit the lathe from a relative or purchase it used, they are likely to get a larger machine to start with. 3) Although they planned to sell the smaller unit when they upgraded, they most often kept both lathes. I had 5 at one time. Now I’m down to only two. 4) These days, 2020 and later, most new turners start with carbide-tipped tools rather than the High-Speed Steel traditional tools. They are easy to use, quick to become proficient with, and they don’t require frequent sharpening or an expensive sharpening station. 5) After the new turner decides to pursue turning as a hobby, (1 to 3 years later) most will undertake learning how to use and sharpen HSS tools. They will invest in a fully equipped sharpening station including a slow speed grinder and sharpening jig. A no-fail way to introduce someone to turning wood on a lathe is to help them turn a wooden pen using a carbide-tipped tool. They treasure that pen and use it every day. They can spend the minimum amount of money and easily make lots of pens to give away or sell to their friends and associates. Their sense of accomplishment is validated often and they will have firmly joined the family of wood turners. Just like everything else in life, we all have to start somewhere. Me too. If you recognize the path each of them must walk on their journey, you will be better able to help and advise other turners who are not as experienced as you are. Experts were once beginners too. That is why we are always ready to help whenever we can and invite folks to call with their turning questions. Where are you on the path? 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. 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
  6. 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
  7. About midway thru December, need to start thinking about doing some Christmas shopping soon. Our Patriot Turners- @Masonsailor updated his post from last week to show us the finished Christmas bowl he turned. Talk about a beauty!! Paul added a little more about the experience in his post- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/forums/topic/39795-a-bowl-for-christmas/?do=findComment&comment=325402 @Fred W. Hargis Jr asked us a question concerning carbide cutters and dust creation. Our turners had lots of advice. Please check out Fred's post and see if you can add your own experience- What’s Coming Up- A list of some of the 2024 woodturning events- https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/l/Woodturning-Symposiums For The Newbies- It is always helpful to see how other turners approach a similar project. That is the premise of the "4 Ways" series at the beginning of each month. This month the project is to turn a serving tray. Expand Your Horizons- A hodgepodge of ideas from a few well known turners- New Turning Items- The Woodworker's Journal recently reviewed the new Jet 1221 VS lathe. Here's the article- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/weekly/vip/turning-techniques-features-and-benefits-of-the-jet-1221vs-lathe/ This would make a nice stocking stuffer- Orders can be place here- https://store.popularwoodworking.com/products/woodturning-basics-with-jimmy-clewes-combo-pack?utm_campaign=PWW - NL - Sunday Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=285905188&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8uGMQyOk6eL8OM6vb4iIlMHuyz4aaNDe4RqU3IspCLxylrDDkN6ElsI4ye1O2d9kMfSAXtgKU-uLXs_pPcNIOxAtLHFQ&utm_content=285905188&utm_source=hs_email Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- Think Ahead “If I had thought about it, I would have done this first, or at least before now.” Certain things make your life much easier if you do them at the proper time. Woodturners learn the importance of WHEN to do something, usually after they forget to do it and have moved on to the next step and can’t go back. Sometimes you see it coming after it is too late. I have a couple of examples to consider as you think ahead: Twice turned projects 1) You rough-turned a bowl from green wood and it has now dried. You are ready to finish turn it but it has gone dramatically oval, including the tenon and your scroll chuck won’t seat properly. You are finding it very difficult to center your work. You could have added a very simple 5-second step that would greatly simplify your life. You could have left a divot in the center of your tenon. 2) Bring the tailstock with a pointed live center into the divot and secure your bowl. 3) True up the warped oval tenon to round again and the scroll chuck will now hold the bowl properly for final turning. (This is a perfect time to use our natural edge jam chuck since the rim of the bowl will not be flat or level either and won't sit flat against cole jaws or a longworth chuck.) Rework a finished project: On the outside or bottom 1) There is no tenon and you are having difficulty centering your work. You didn’t want to leave the divot as it would have been unsightly. a. Alternatively, a single nearly invisible small circle or series of 3 small rings on the foot will make finding the center much easier and will look like a decorative detail to most onlookers. b. I use the tip of a skew, my micro detailer, or a point tool for this. Removing sanding scratches: Before moving on to the next finer grit, STOP! Blow the dust off your project and use a strong light to LOOK at your project. Are all of the scratches gone? I see otherwise beautiful work with elegant shapes and excellent finishes on the internet that have scratch marks showing through. That ruins the piece for me every time. If you find scratches that are still visible, go back one grit and sand until they are gone. Then LOOK AGAIN before moving on. Otherwise, you will either have to live with ugly scratch marks or remove the finish and go all the way back to where the scratches are and start over. I’ve done that, but it is much easier to take a few seconds to discover them as you go. I find this happens often when turning pens. Over time, you will develop those little things that save time and effort if you do them as you go Safe turning
  8. Take a moment tomorrow, December 7, to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor. If you were in the Navy and made it to Hawaii, you probably passed by the Arizona monument at Ford Island coming into Pearl Harbor. It's a place you'll never forget. Our Patriot Turners- We've had a bunch of additions to our "What's On Your Lathe" thread this week! @Gerald, @teesquare and @RustyFN all gave us a look at their current projects. The new items start here- @Gerald followed up on the bowl he is working on with this separate post. He has started on the front side with amazing results- Gerald describes what he has done in this post- @DAB posted this lovely bowls in the Monday morning thread- At first I thought it was walnut but I was wrong. Doug followed up with information about the species called Ohia. More images of the bowl and about the species can be read at- @RustyFN added a installment to the "Off The Lathe And Just Finished" thread. A beautiful cherry bowl- Rusty tells us more about the bowl's size and finish in this post- @Masonsailor continues to crank out amazing Christmas presents. This fantastic bowl is just another example of his beautiful work. Paul guides us through the glue up and first stages of turning- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Adding this from Ron Brown's newsletter to this section as it is good information and often asked by beginning turners- Understanding Lathe Speed One of the most asked questions I get is, “What Speed Is Best?” There is a formula, but my answer after the first 1,000 times settled into the following: “I start slow then speed up until I don’t feel safe. Then I slow the lathe down a little and make shavings.” My first wood lathe was a Jet 1236 that controls the speed with a lever. There were 5 speeds with the slowest being 500 rpm. It didn’t matter what speed I selected because in those days I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and I had a lot more to worry about than how fast the lathe was running. I moved on to Jet 1015 manual speed change, a Delta 46-460 with variable speed, and then to my workhorse, a Powermatic 3520A. I still have it and still rely on it. I also have a Jet 1640 variable speed in my studio shop. When you think of speed, you have to put it in context: 1) Out of round out and out of balance bowl blank 2) Bowl blank but cut to a round disk and centered pretty well 3) Small spindle 4) Large spindle 5) Hollow form, etc. What is important is how fast the material will be moving past the cutting edge of your turning tool. The larger the diameter of your blank, the faster the cutting speed will be at a given RPM. Sorry for the math but let me give you an example: 10” diameter bowl blank at 1,000 rpm. The material is moving past the cutting edge at approximately 30 miles per hour. Dia 16” bowl blank at the same 1,000 rpm is traveling at approximately 47.575 miles per hour. Note: The reason you have to sharpen your quality HSS lathe tools so often is that in 10 minutes of turning at average speeds, your tool has cut around 5 miles of wood! The best advice I can give you is to start on the slow side. Then increase the lathe speed slowly until you don’t feel safe, then slow it down a little and make shavings. I ignore the tachometer most of the time. Formulas can’t take into account, out-of-balance blanks, things that are not exactly on center, different wood densities, or defects in the wood that would change the center of gravity. As you get closer to round the balance will change and you can speed up gradually. I turn as fast as I feel safe unless the tool is burning the wood, making powder instead of shavings, the wood is tearing rather than cutting, or I’m getting catches because I can’t control the tool at this high speed. In short, there is no perfect answer as to speed. In general, the larger the blank the slower you need to start. Spindle work is almost always turned at a higher speed due to the smaller diameter of the workpiece. Delicate finials and small work are usually turned as fast as the lathe will go. Sanding is almost always done much slower than cutting and shaping. Expand Your Horizons- Tim Yoder demonstrates how to turn a Honeycomb Christmas ornament- Looking for turning ideas? Why not check out our own Hollow Forms Gallery! New Turning Items- Nothing new that I've seen. Remember Woodturners Wonders has different items on sale throughout December. https://woodturnerswonders.com/ Everything Else- Safe turning
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Only ONE week left in our summer fund raiser. Please consider donating to help keep our site alive- Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber hasn't used up all of that pecan stash. Check out this beauty- He tells us a bit more in this post- @Gerald was turning a tenon and uncovered this unusual shape. He asked what we thought it could be. Check out more images and the thoughts of our members- Boy, did we get a bunch of neat turnings posted on our "What's On Your Lathe" topic! @Gerald, @calabrese55, and @RustyFN all were busy in their shops- You can catchup starting here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Form Mike Peace. Some good tips about the size of a tenon vs. the diameter of the piece- Mike also has some thoughts on purchasing kits- A hint from Tim Yoder about retaining those beautiful colors in your turnings- Are there little ones in your family? Sam Angelo shows how to create some simple turnings that could become favorite toys. Expand Your Horizons- You pulled that bowl round off the shelf and discovered it had a nasty split, now what! Here's what Richard Raffan does- Got the outside turned and starting to hollow out the inside and then this! What would you do? Tenon or mortice?? How about neither! Mike Waldt's video short of turning a large platter illustrates the strength of hot glue! New Turning Items- Several of the vendor attendees to SWAT did a live video showing much of what was happening and is available for viewing. I did catch one unique item from Niles Stoppers. Audio is a little off. https://streamyard.com/watch/8dzBZqCXEzpu A couple of weeks ago, we posted a new item from Ron Brown- the lathe disk sander. Ron has since added a short video of its operation- Woodturners Wonders is now handling Crown Tools. Check out more at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/search?type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=crown* tools*&_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- I Meant To Do That! Show-and-tell is an important element at any gathering of craft people, turners included. I implemented a guideline at the Gwinnett Woodworker’s regular Saturday morning meetings: "Don’t point out flaws.” If it isn’t blatantly obvious, don’t talk about it. Stay positive and share what you enjoyed about making this piece and possibly what you might have learned. In an attempt to appear humble, we sometimes point out our shortcomings or mistakes so we won’t appear to brag about what we’ve accomplished. You put in the time, energy, and effort to create something you are proud of. Don’t diminish it by pointing out the smallest of mistakes. One of our members was describing his piece which was very impressive by the way, he mentioned what became known as “the hanging hole.” None of us could see it, folks asked him to show us what he meant because it was so minor that even if you saw his mistake, you wouldn’t think anything of it. Most of the pieces woodturners make are unique because the wood's character can vary dramatically. Often there is no standard for comparison. If your piece didn’t turn out exactly like you intended, don’t be disappointed, be proud of what you did accomplish. Mistakes Can Be An Opportunity For An Object Lesson! A famous highly skilled local woodturner was demonstrating hollow forms when he suddenly pierced the vessel's side. Rather than giving up, he brilliantly used this turn of events as an object lesson on what to do with the remaining material. If you have never come through the bottom of a bowl or through the side of a hollow form, just wait, you will sooner or later. It’s a little more difficult when you do it in front of 30 other turners! Things are rarely perfect and yet most are still beautiful. Only someone lacking wisdom would criticize your work and point out small flaws. Don’t be easily offended and don’t do it yourself; that can lead to false humility. You’ve put in the work and practiced for untold hours, sometimes years, to gain your specific skill set. In other words, you’ve earned it Safe turning
  14. 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
  15. Got some Bradford pear from a friend. Got it all ready to rough turn.
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. Hazy, hot and humid. A good day to be in the basement workshop Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 finished up another of his segmented bowls and it is a real beauty! Check out his post for more images and additional information- He also posted this in our "Friday's Weekend Agenda" Our "What's On Your Lathe" was busy this week! @forty_caliber and @HandyDan contributed their projects! Catchup here- What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda is presenting the second part of her Threaded Boxes and Vessels. Here's the link for more information http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/IRD.html?fbclid=IwAR0fpla9tf09DBhqd_P3EoM2XqNAFPxY4ahLw1eWdvPcbnT9Sd4-O0rwPNc Want to have recognition for your turning skills? Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) would like to hear from you! Click on the image for the link to register. For The Newbies- Tim Yoder has been creating short videos to help us get better at sharpening our tools- The "turner's dance" is important to get the most out of the lathe tools. Richard Raffan demonstrates how moving your body can help you improve your turning skills- Expand Your Horizons- Mike Peace demonstrates how to make a "screw chuck"- Mike also upgraded the knockout bar for his new Powermatic lathe- Mike Waldt demonstrates turning another finial. A lot of skew chisel work! Alan Stratton is starting in on his Christmas ornaments! These segmented bells will make some fine gifts- New Turning Items- Not a new product but this video from Carl Jacobson demonstrates using the Niles Joyner Off-Center Jig Everything Else- Finally got back to the lathe and finished up the little elm bowl that had been waiting for me to complete the garden shed project. Had so much fun that I turned another one. I'm taking the lead from @Gerald on "friendship bowls" so Mimi can give them away when she needs a gift. Mine aren't nearly as fancy as Gerald's bowls. One is 5" in diameter, the other is 6". Both turned with Easy Wood Tools and finished with Yorkshire Grit and Hampshire Sheen Safe turning
  20. Lots happening with our turners this week! Our Patriot Turners- We have a new member at the Patriot who is also a turner! @calabrese55 showed us some of his work when he introduced himself. How about this beautiful segmented turning- Check out his post and give him a Patriot welcome! He also posted another bowl in our "Monday Morning" forum- Check it out here- Our "What's On Your Lathe" was also hot this week. New posts start here- Some of the images from @teesquare, @forty_caliber and @calabrese55 @Steve Krumanaker turned a cane for his daughter and his son cast the knob. Andy his an expert on casting! See the cane and the back story in Steve's post- Our resident ornament expert, @Ron Altier, gave us his impressions on turning bamboo. Ron's conclusions are that's it's probably not the best overall species for turning. In one of our posts, there was a mention of the Lichtenberg burning process. @Gerald was kind enough to do a little research on safety when doing this. The process, when ALL safety precautions are observed, can create beautiful patterns. High voltage is dangerous when we become complacent. My neighbor, the electrical safety training officer in our borough, was electrocuted on the job. Insulation, isolation, incomplete human electrical path and full awareness are a must. This is what Gerald found- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Richard Raffan turns a nice little shallow dish in real time. Mike Peace shows how to turn a simple but elegant lidded box. He even makes a special chuck to hold one of the pieces. Holding turnings can be challenge. Home made chucks supplement purchased ones. Sometimes adding modifications to a purchased chuck is the answer as Alan Stratton shows us. Looking for an inexpensive gift? How about salt and pepper SHAKERS. This video from Craft Supplies USA shows us how to make them- Expand Your Horizons- Mike Waldt completes a beautiful elderberry vase- Mike also demonstrates his method of turning finials. This video is from a live feed so it is a little long- New Turning Items- Last week we posted a review from Mike Peace on his new Powermatic 2014 lathe. Mike has a chance to use it and has posted more of his impressions- Ron Brown has release his new lathe mounted disk sander Here's the link to more information- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=66&product_id=477 Woodturners Wonders is now a Vicmarc Dealer Check out their complete line- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/vicmarc?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Some great prices, at Spiracraft, on Easy Wood Tools products @Jordan Martindale ! https://spiracraft.com/?inf_contact_key=d8ae9197ac7a87c978260b58c8e41427 Everything Else- Boy did this bring back memories! Safe turning
  21. Middle of July, almost, and it feels like summer here in south central PA. Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber showed us a beautiful bowl made from Pyinma. In his post he tells us more about the species and the purpose of this little bowl. Forty is also working on his stash of pecan. Really gorgeous bread platter- Here's his post along with a bunch of great comments- And speaking of pecan platters, @Gerald is putting the finishing touches on one he started several years ago. Gerald answers questions on this one in his post- A platter wasn't the only thing Gerald was turning. He was successful in turning a circular form, that when cut apart, created a specific silhouette. I wonder what other designs could be made. Gerald's post- "What's On Your Lathe" had a little action this week. Both @Gerald, @nevinc and @teesquare posted their turnings! See all the images and more information at- What’s Coming Up- The AAW has a multi-part informative tutorial on doing demonstrations. You need to be a member of the AAW to take advantage of these lessons. Log into their site using your credentials to learn more. If you missed Cindy Drozda's tool talk last week, here is a replay- https://streamyard.com/watch/p2Dx5CgdwBbq From Todd Raines- https://streamyard.com/watch/D83QTW86cQcx?receiptful=64af360be3d57500388bb7b5&utm_source=CM Commerce&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-261&utm_term=newsletter&utm_content=other&receiptfultype=newsletter For The Newbies- Alan Stratton shows us an inexpensive safety device to protect your fingers and knuckles when using a chuck- As an aside, the Easy Chuck was designed to reduce finger/knuckle scrapes. We've all heard the term "ride the bevel" but unless someone has actually shown you how, most description leave a lot to be desire. In steps Tim Yoder and as usual makes thing much easier to understand. Tim also gave us a lesson on how importance lighting while turning- Mike Peace turns a small, lidded box. Notice his use of shop made chucks and that, even for experienced turners, things don't always go as planned Still learning sharpening techniques? Richard Raffan has some help with your bowl gouge- Kent Weakley demonstrates just how much weight is lost when turning a bowl. I think this makes a good case for a bowl saver tool! Some good turning tips throughout- Expand Your Horizons- We've all been told DO NOT DO THIS! His spindle gouge has a really beefy tang. Richard also reviews the "burned" turning from last week- Carl Jacobson turns an apple wood burl vase- New Turning Items- Cindy Drozda's tool talk (above) demonstrated the use of the new Stuart Batty sharpening platform. Cindy sells these on her site- Check Cindy's site- http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/SBTplatforms.html Woodturners Wonders has a sale on lathe lights- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/lamps?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Don't drool on the keyboard, but Mike Peace got himself a new lathe- Everything Else- Tim Yoder continues to experiment with his new laser- From Ron Brown's newsletter- One Universal Secret All Successful People Share When successful people try and fail, they understand that failure is part of the process that eventually leads to victory. Almost no one succeeds the first time they try. When you learned to ride a bicycle, you fell. You got up and tried again, and again. You eventually learned how to ride a bicycle successfully. The first several dozen times I tried to make elegant finials for my turned-lidded boxes and fancy Christmas Ornaments, they broke or looked like I turned them with a hammer. But eventually, I figured it out. Now I can turn a fancy finial that approaches a Cindy Drozda class finial out of ebony or African Blackwood without worrying that it will fly into a million pieces before I’m done. That skill level took many failures before I was able to call myself a successful fancy finial turner. You can do it too. It just takes practice and experience. If you are willing to practice, nothing is beyond your reach. I’m encouraging you to pick yourself up and try again. Success will come if you don’t quit. I must be an inventor at heart because I love figuring out ways to solve common problems for woodturners. As a long-time woodturner, myself, I share the same difficulties and frustrations you do. I’ve taken those challenges as my personal mission to invent unique solutions that make tasks easier, safer, and quicker. Safe turning
  22. Back to milky skies from the Canadian wild fires. Our Patriot Turners- @Ron Altier has perfected his technique for getting a glass like finish on his Christmas ornaments. Now inquiring minds want to know his secret!! Head on over to Ron's post and add your comments- @RustyFN finished up his lidded gift box. His mixed media turning is truly beautiful. Notice how closely the grain matches at the lid/box interface. Check out Rusty's post at- Our "What's On Your Lathe" still has weekly additions! I really want to thank @RustyFN to starting this thread. It's so great to see what everyone is doing and the progress on the projects. This week picks up here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration. For The Newbies- Haven't turned a bowl yet? Here's a nice little beginner's bowl from Mike Peace- Some important safety information for beginners and experienced turners alike. Kent Weakley discusses the importance of keeping that respirator clean and functioning properly. Expand Your Horizons- You've turned a natural edge bowl, now how about a natural "sided" box?!?! Alan Stratton shows us how it's done! See how Richard Raffan re-turns a small warped bowl. Notice how he chucks the bowl to true up the outside. You might remember that Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) recently added beading cutters to their product line. In this video, Carl Jacobson demonstrates their capabilities as he turns some really neat refrigerator magnets. @Steve Krumanaker might just ad these to his product line! New Turning Items- Last week we posted a video from Mike Peace where he demonstrated how to make wooden faceplates/glue blocks. Part of his video mentioned the Beall taps. This week he updated the Beall information to let us know that John Beall sold his company to Lee Valley and that Lee Valley will be the sole distributors of Beall products. Mike there is a quick note in this video- Everything Else- Interesting thoughts from a recent Ron Brown's newsletter- How To Become An Overnight Success As a new turner, you are anxious to become as good as some of the names you hear regularly; Nick Cook, Richard Raffan, David Ellsworth, Kirk Deheer, Mike Mahoney, Cindy Drozda, and many more. So, you develop a plan: 1. You buy a top-of-the-line lathe, a Powermatic 4224, a Robust American Beauty, A OneWay 2436, a Laguna 2436, or something in that same category costing between $5,000 and $12,000. 2. Next, you spend whatever it takes to get the very best lathe chisels, Robert Sorby, Carter and Sons, Crown, Ashley Iles, Doug Thompson, etc., and you need at least one of everything they sell in multiple sizes because great tools make great turners, or so you’ve been told. 3. Then you must set up your sharpening station with a slow-speed grinder, sharpening jig, and not one, but two CBN wheels. 4. You’ve watched untold hours of YouTube videos, including some of mine, so you have tons of head knowledge under your belt. You have many ideas on how this turning thing works; now is your time to shine! Wait! You are still not a turner. You are a student and you will be for the next several years. Granted, you are a student with lots of nice expensive gadgets, but you are missing the one thing you can’t buy: Time in the seat, or hours in front of the lathe. You are a novice until you have put in the time, made the mistakes, tried something 10 different ways, made 100 pieces of the same thing, and made 10 different kinds of turned items. The wonderful thing about turning is that even our first pieces while we are learning can turn out pretty good and it is just a given that our wives (and most of our kids) will love whatever we make. But you are still a beginner. That isn’t a bad thing, it is just a thing. Over the years I’ve met thousands of folks that had been turning for 20 years. The problem was that they had one year of experience 20 times over! Since you can’t get around the time needed to become an overnight expert, a master, or someone to pay attention to, just put in the time as a student to acquire those skills, make those mistakes, and perfect those methods and techniques. It is all part of the journey that will one day result in your overnight success. Safe turning
  23. Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of summer. Been a little hazy here dude to the smoke from our northern neighbors. Our Patriot Turners- A bunch more stuff posted on our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe". Thanks @Gerald, @forty_caliber Check out this update on more stuff! What’s Coming Up- A bunch of stuff happening in the world of turning. Please click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- We have talked several time about how to remove a stuck chuck. Found this video demonstrating yet another way. The video is directed towards a specific type of chuck but might work for others. My own thoughts were that this might stress the gearing mechanisms. You can decide for yourself- Mike Peace calls these marriage savers. I really do need to get a pair of these! If you are wondering if carbide tools are something you should consider, Woodcraft has an article that may help you decide- https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/carbide-gets-a-turn Here is the PDF of that article- 88_Turning-with-Carbide_FINAL.pdf Expand Your Horizons- On the first of each month, Mike Peace, Sam Angelo, Richard Raffan and Tomislav Tomasic create a project "4Ways" Richard Raffan posted a video on turning, sanding and using the microwave to create a bowl from green wood- New Turning Items- Recorded live at the AAW Symposium this past weekend. Shows some of the vendors and their products- https://streamyard.com/watch/HPPX7NfwzCzN Not new products but special prices for Father's Day. Click on the images for links- Ron Brown has release a new device that is used to create a bowl from a board. Similar to what can be done with the Ringmaster. Everything Else- Finally got back to the platter on the lathe. Ended up being a little over 10" in diameter. Chinese elm. Finished with wipe on poly. Used Easy Wood Tools for all of the turning except the rim detail- Sorby spiral/texture tool. When the finish is completely dry I will laser our Navy squadron's emblem on the front along with the name/rate of a Navy buddy. Hope he likes it! Safe turning
  24. Back from the beach. For those who can relate: Wife and Dog necessities- Navy veteran- Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber has been working on some calabash bowls- Love the grain in this one. And another one- Forty also showed us a gorgeous shaving brush turning- @Headhunter posted some more of his beautiful segmented turnings in our Ringmaster subforum- Check out his post for more examples! We've had some more comments in our on-going thread "What's On Your Lathe" and @Gerald posted his cool Dice Cups! I'm gonna have to have him teach me how he gets those spirals/cross hatches so evenly spaced! What’s Coming Up- The AAW symposium starts tomorrow! Check our post from 2 weeks ago for the Virtual Signup. Also, you can see some of the goings-on from Lyle Jamieson (and Mike OB), Joe Fleming, and Cindy Drozda. They will be live at the AAW Trade Show. Tod Raines and Steve Worcester will be at their shops in Texas. They'll all be on the Vendor Showcase Live Stream!! Don't miss it! Friday, June 2nd, 3:30 pm Eastern (19:30 UTC). It's FREE! https://streamyard.com/watch/HPPX7NfwzCzN?fbclid=IwAR1Uyxj3nbHf-v1JR55ZeXuu8ugsGIfV6a8LrVlA4Qd0oa2sZtnE-G7jN4w https://www.youtube.com/@Lyle/streams For The Newbies- Keeping the Morris taper, on your lathe, clean will assure a solid grip. You can purchase a cleaning tool or make one. Jim Rodgers shows us how- Do you use paper towels to apply finish? Tired of cutting them into little square pads? Mike Peace has a solution- Baby rattles are fun to make. This video from Craft Supplies USA gives us step by step instructions and several ideas on different shapes- Expand Your Horizons- In our last post, we listed several videos on making kitchen utensils. Richard Raffan demonstrates how to turn a spatula using my old nemesis, the skew! Mike Waldt turns a beautiful cherry goblet from a log- New Turning Items- Our last post had a review, by Mike Waldt, on the Woodcut Max 4. This is a follow up and Mike answers some questions about the product. Another coring product from Hunter. The Hunter Korpro Cartridge that retrofits onto the existing OneWay™ coring system. https://huntertoolsystems.com/product/coring-cartridge/ This vide, from Mike Peace, shows it in action- The Vendor's Showcase, listed above, may reveal some new items. Check it out! Everything Else- No shop time for me. still trying to catch up with all of the phone message requests while we were away.
  25. Unbelievable, planted tomatoes last week supposed to be in the low 30's tonight! I hate this global warming! Our Patriot Turners- @Ron Altier brought us up-to-date on his epoxy finish for ornaments. Looks like he has pretty much perfected the process. Ron provides lots of tips on how he gets this mirror like finish- Several members posted in our "What's On Your Lathe" this past week. You can catchup with the new posts here- @forty_caliber added a couple and @teesquare added this beauty (and a couple of other pieces as well)- Do yourself a favor and check out all the new turning in the past week! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Thinking about turning that first bowl or maybe just need some more pointers? Kent Weakley's video could be what you are looking for. I thought this one was particularly helpful with the dialog and tips throughout the presentation. Richard Raffan puts his spin in the natural edge bowl project- Something to think about from Ron Brown's newsletter- This Is Just The Beginning It is easy to forget how much you have learned along the way. New turners also have to learn the same things we did. Or, if you are a new turner, there is much to learn. You can learn to sail in an hour – It takes a lifetime to become a sailor It is the same with learning about a wood lathe. Just like any other craft, getting the machine is only the beginning. Let’s start with the Four Pillars of Woodturning: #1-The Wood Lathe Itself There is a multitude of quality wood lathes available to fit most budgets. The most common starter lathe nowadays is a 12 to 12.5-inch swing lathe with a 1 hp variable speed motor. Many folks will keep this lathe when they upsize to a larger lathe with swings of 16 to 25” and motors up to 3 hp. #2-The turning chisels Beginning turners will see much faster results if they begin with carbide-tipped tools. A sharpening station is not required for carbide tools. High-Speed Steel tools require frequent re-sharpening and require a suitable sharpening station (more in #4) The turner must learn a whole new skill set for sharpening in addition to learning woodturning. #3-The means of holding your work Most lathes come with a spur drive center for the headstock and a live center for the tailstock. Great for beginning spindle projects like baseball bats, lamps, etc. Most lathes also come with a faceplate mainly used for turning bowls. I consider a 4-jaw scroll chuck a basic necessity. I recommend extra jaws also Pin jaws for very small spindle projects #3 or 100 mm jaws for larger spindle work and for many larger bowls. #4-A sharpening station Slow-speed grinders (1750 rpm or similar) with 8” grinding wheels made to work with High-Speed Steel are recommended A sharpening jig specially designed for sharpening lathe tools is virtually a necessity when using HSS lathe tools. Note: Using only carbide-tipped wood lathe tools eliminates the need for any kind of sharpening station and eliminates 25% of the learning curve and initial expense. Folks trying their hand at any new craft are much more likely to stick with it if they can experience early success. Easy projects to learn on are pens, small bowls, spinning tops, and small lidded boxes. Someone can successfully make all of them with simple carbide tools. Some folks only turn bowls while others only turn pens. As long at they turn something, I’m happy for them. Most folks who begin using carbide tools eventually add HSS tools and a sharpening station down the road. I recommend that route to see if they are going to enjoy turning wood and if they are going to stick with it long term. It seems like you never have every widget you want, but over time you can accumulate most of them. Remember that you can turn small items on a big lathe, but it is much harder to turn something big on a small lathe. So get ready to see that huge smile on that kid’s face from ages 8 to 88 when you show them how to make their first slimline pen or maple bowl. There is nothing like it! Expand Your Horizons- In last week's post, one of the "What's Coming Up" events were classes on turning kitchen utensils. The classes were at Highland Woodworking in Atlanta, GA. Not everyone can travel that far to learn to turn a spoon, so I found a bunch of videos, if you'd like to give it a try. If kitchen ware isn't your thing, Mike Peace demonstrates how to add an insert to a turned box New Turning Items- Sorry, couldn't find anything this week Everything Else- Started working on one of the elm rough blanks. I have enough meat on the bottom to remove some of the thickness around the mortice. It will make the thing set a little lower on a surface and lighten up the piece a bit. Safe turning
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