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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
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A big THANK YOU to all of our members who donated to our summer fundraiser! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker has been really busy! Steve produces turnings used by local artisans in his area. This week he showed us a new item he was asked to make- These are called "drop spindles" and Steve explains their use in his post Steve also turns and engraves items for jars used by another artisan. His lids are works of art- You can see more in his post, here- Another addition to our "What's On Your Lathe" thread- And these were added to "Off The Lathe And Finished" thread Thanks @Gerald! That's bowl has awesome grain and color! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Spalted wood can produce some fantastic turnings but it is not without its problems. This article from AAW provide tips and insights into using it- https://www.woodturner.org/Woodturner/Resources/Woodturning-Fundamentals--Publication-/2023/03-August/Turning-Spalted-Wood-A-Beginners-Guide.aspx A couple of weeks ago we posted a video that featured the proper stance/movement when working on the lathe. Tim Yoder gives us additional thought- Every corner of my shop has wood pieces that are too precious to pitch out, although I suspect some may disappear on trash day when Mimi thinks I'm not looking. Mike Peace tells us what he does with those pieces- Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton has some thoughts on purchased vs. shop made Donut Chucks If you have the opportunity to serve as a woodturning instructor, Jim Rodgers has a video to help understand the various types of learners and some strategies for assisting each. New Turning Items- Not a new item but FREE shipping on your purchase, from Woodturners Wonders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Safe turning adkjasbd
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The 4th has passed and Beauregard the Basset made it thru his first fireworks display without the use of valium. Garden shed has all the vinyl siding in place but still need to add trim coil on the facia and door trim. Our Patriot Turners- The "What's On Your Lathe" has some interesting posts this week! From @nevinc And @forty_caliber Check out more images on this thread at- What’s Coming Up- Click on image for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Adding this future event to this section only because it is something often asked about. Sharpening is something we need to learn as we start on out turning journey. This weeks free tool talk is about spindle gouge sharpening. Expand Your Horizons- On the first of each month, 4 turners are challenged to create a similar project using their own ideas how it should be done. Sam Angelo, Mike Peace, Richard Raffan and Tomislav Tomasic embellish a bowl. Speaking of embellishing a turning, Richard Raffan is on fire! Not all bowls are destined to be soup bowls. Check out this piece by Alan Stratton- New Turning Items- Announcing the release of a new upgrade for the Bowl From A Board Easy Cut System; Steel Guide Pin Accessory. Free upgrade for current users and will be included automatically with all Bowl From A Board Easy Cut System purchases after July 1, 2023. https://www.longworthchuck.com/ Everything Else- Tim Yoder's laser adventure continues- Safe turning
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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
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Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc posted images of his walnut bowls and a question about warping. His beautiful walnut bowls changed shape after they set for a bit. Check out his post and see if you can provide more information or suggestions- @Gerald had a craft show this past weekend but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. This is one of his "Friendship Bowls" he had for sale- Head on over to his post to see more of the bowls along with other items he had for sale- "What's On You Lathe" continues to highlight our turners' work! Some of what was posted- You can catchup here- We had some interesting comments on last week's "Wednesday's" about chuck removal. I appreciate the input- What’s Coming Up- 2023 Mid Atlantic Woodturners Association Symposium. Click on the image for registration For The Newbies- Turners are often asked to duplicate another piece. This video from Sam Angelo demonstrates one technique. What I found particularly interesting was the story stick he made with the pencil point notches- Expand Your Horizons- Watch Mike Waldt turn a Spalted Beech Lidded Box This video, from Turn A Wood Bowl, gives a a little insight to the question asked by @nevinc concerning warping- It is less expensive to buy unhandled lathe tools and then turn your own custom handle. Alan Stratton explores the possibilities- New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new parting tool kit. Check it out here- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&search=PARTING TOOL K&product_id=475 Everything Else- Tim Yoder got a new "toy"- Safe turning
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Birds chirping, sun shining, grass is green here in south central PA- probably snow tomorrow! Our Patriot Turners- @jthornton Posted a question about dust collection for his lathe. He posted pictures of his shop along with a description of what he currently has set. Please check his post and see if you can offer any suggestions to help him. JT continues to work on his "Dizzy Bowl". He has taken a lot of time to document the steps a and share the progress with us- You can catch up with his continued progress here- @Masonsailor finished up the bowl that will be the prize in his neighborhood's get-together. Some lucky family will really be happy with this- You can catchup here- "What's On Your Lathe" got a post from @forty_caliber. I think he must have hit the jackpot on Pecan! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- Ever use CA glue to fix a turning only to find out later that the CA stained the wood? This came in an email from Kent Weakley from Turn A Wood Bowl- Richard Raffan demonstrates how to modify an already turned bowl. Notice the use of the jam chuck which will be talked about more in Cindy Drozda's presentation. Another toothpick holder with a unique shape. Some spindle work and a little hollowing from Carl Jacobson- Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton continues to add Celtic Knots to his turnings. This time he experiments with a bowl. Embellishing a turning with color can turn an ordinary piece into something spectacular. This one from Craft Supplies USA on dying- Ebonizing may only be a single color but it can add striking effects to a turning. This article from Fine Woodworking was written more for the woodworker but can easily be "applied" to a turned object- https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/ebonizing-wood-2 A video for the recipe for the ebonizing solution can be found here- https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/video-ebonizing-oak-steel-wool-vinegar?oly_enc_id=7454G3912223B7R New Turning Items- Neither of these are really new. But some insights from other turners on equipment and resources. Everything Else- Been finishing up those little natural edge, flowering cherry tree bowls. Pictures to follow...
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Beautiful spring day here in south central PA. Dogwood trees in full bloom. Our Patriot Turners- @Ron Altier posted some images of his Christmas ornaments. One of his pieces was finished with his experiment using epoxy. Ron asked us what we thought about the finish. Please hop on over to his post and let him know what you think- "What's On Your Lathe" continues to show our turner's work. This week, @forty_caliber was working on some bowls- You can catchup here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for the links. For The Newbies- Received this information in an email from Kent Weakley- 49-Must-Know-Wood-Bowl-Turning-Terms.pdf Kent is a bowl turner and this video demonstrates making a natural edge bowl- starting with a log through to the finished piece. Mr. Weakley uses traditional turning tools. This video, from Craft Supplies USA, demonstrates turning a bowl using Easy Wood Tools carbide cutters. Lots of great tips for getting the best finish. Expand Your Horizons- Some random ideas to spark your creativity Carl gets "artsy-fartsy" Add marbling effects to a turning- Several of our members do four sided "inside-out" turnings. Alan Stratton made some with three sides- New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new version of his chatter tool available- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=23&product_id=261 Everything Else- Took a couple of days but I finally got this little elm bowl finished. Use the Easy Wood Tools beading cutters (1/4" & 3/16") @Jordan Martindale. Out of the drying box- Finished with Yorkshire Grit And from Ron Brown's newsletter- A journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. Excellence takes time, patience, and practice. Becoming an excellent craftsman or craftswoman is possible for all of us, but we must remember that improvement comes in small bites. Every time I walk away from the shop, I ask myself what I learned from this session. And there is always something new. It might be small, but it represents one more step in my journey to excellence. “The Expert In Anything Was Once A Beginner” Helen Hayes There is joy, sometimes hidden, in every journey. It is up to you to see and understand it. In a world gone crazy, common sense is still the currency you can count on. Study, practice, and remember. Before you know it, you will have become someone’s expert just like the expert you so admired yesterday. Being in my seventh decade of glorious living, I’m often asked when I plan to retire. My answer is always the same, “This is me retired.” This is what I would be doing if I didn’t have to work at a job. Last week I read about an interview with two sisters, one 106 and the younger one 104 years old. Asked about their secrets for long life, they both agreed on a few things that keep them young; reading, staying active, meeting new people, and learning new things keeps their minds sharp and their attitudes positive. It makes each day worth getting up. You’ve all heard about the “Supply chain issue,” with Asia. We are affected by it along with everyone else. When I have issues importing a popular product, I often figure out how to make it myself right here in Georgia, USA. And while I’m at it, I look at how I can make it better. That is exactly how you got the Longworth Chuck Type 2 and, ultimately, the doughnut ring option. Each product involves new equipment, processes, and materials most of which I have not worked with before. Hence, the joy of the journey. This week, I’m introducing our Chatter Tool Version 2.0 as a replacement for an item I’ve sold many thousands of over the years. Why? Greedy foreign manufacturers forced me to figure out how to make it in my own facility in Georgia. This improved version features an ergonomic vibration-dampening soft grip handle designed to reduce fatigue, and it comes with three blades. As companies fade away and their products become impossible to find, put on your inventor’s hat and figure it out. I know you can do it with a little persistence. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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More nice weather! Garden rototilled and fertilized. On to replanting grass over the dog's bathroom. Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker posted a cedar bowl he finished up. Beautiful colors and grain patterns! Check out the comments from our turners at- @forty_caliber is still cranking out bowls from his dryer stash. This one has some gorgeous spalting- In his post, he tells us about the shape- @Gerald mentioned he did a presentation for the Magnolia Woodturners club. He demonstrated some of the tools and methods for embellishing a turning. This video picks up at his part of the presentation- Thanks, everyone for continuing to post in our thread on "What's On Your Lathe"! I think this is about where we left off last week- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Note: The Bowl turning class will also be on June17, 2023 For The Newbies- Put your spindle skills to work and turn a mixed media wine glass. Very informative video from Craft Supplies USA Mike peace demonstrates turning small square bowls. These can be made from scraps of even several boards glued together. Expand Your Horizons- Carl Jacobson turns, carves and adds color to a vase- I've seen this turning show up on several social media sites. Carl Jacobson explains how it is done- We pretty much know about scroll chucks and jam chucks but do you know about a "cup chuck"? Richard Raffan demonstrates- I'm not sure which I enjoy more- watching Alan Stratton turn objects or looking at the shop made jigs he uses. For a "jig junky" like me, it's a real treat. In this video, Alan adds Celtic Knots to Easter eggs- New Turning Items- Not new but on sale from Niles Bottle Stoppers- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/tenderizer-set/ Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- Difficult Things Why Is It Always So Hard The First Time You Try Something New? Do you remember the first time you tried to ride that bicycle? How about roller skates, ice skates, or a skateboard? And I hope trying that hoverboard didn’t send you to the emergency room. What about parallel parking or hooking up that trailer? Then there was your first time using a skew chisel, WOW! I’ll bet you didn’t even know catches that big were even possible. How about the first time you tried to get started hollowing the inside of a bowl? Did the gouge skate clear off the edge like mine did? The reason is that you don’t know what you don’t know. As we summon enough courage to try something new, we imagine how it is supposed to go and how we are supposed to react. It seldom goes as well or as badly as we imagined. We try again, but the second time around, we adjust from what we learned the first time. The third time it gets better and so on. When I demonstrated turning on the Woodworking Show Circuit, I would often hear the phrase “He’s done that before!”, or “I’ll bet that isn’t his first time!” I promise you, it gets better. If you have the courage and persistence to try and try again, you eventually figure it out. The secret is taking the time to understand what went wrong so you can make the small changes necessary for success. I deal with this scenario almost daily. I find it really helps if I limit my changes to only one or two things so I can narrow down the culprit and focus on those areas. As an example, if torn grain is my issue, I might change from a gouge to a scraper or a gouge with a different grind. If that doesn’t work, I might try shear scraping (holding the scraper at a 45-degree angle). You can shear scrape with both the scraper and the gouge. You just have to turn the gouge over. If that fails, I might cut from the inside out or the outside in using lighter cuts over the problem area. I’ll change up one thing before moving on to something else. Imagine trying to juggle the effects of speed, feed, tool geometry, cutting angles, grain orientation, and wood hardness all at once. My advice is to control what you can and understand that some things are out of your control. Make small changes slowly until it works like you want it to. Be careful not to tweak it so much that something that used to work, doesn’t work anymore. That is something I also have to guard against. It happens all too frequently when running complicated machinery like CNCs and Lasers. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you will be money ahead when you learn to make changes little by little. One day soon you will have figured it out and folks will marvel at your expertise. Zig Zigler often said, “Yard by yard it’s hard, but inch by inch it’s a cinch!” Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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Remembering all my Brothers and Sisters on this 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Welcome Home. Our Patriot Turners- @Headhunter posted some of his Ringmaster turnings in our sub-forum. Thought it would be nice to share them with the entire group. He also posted an awesome open segment turning. Headhunter was kind enough to add a photo of how he created the blank to create this beauty. @forty_caliber Has bee working with some spalted pecan. I really like the way he embellished the rim of this bowl- Check out his post to see what our turners had to say- Forty also posted an inquiry asking if any of our members had any experience with a specific type of knot/gap filler. Please check out this post and offer any additional help- Can't express how happy I am to see everyone adding to our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe"! Some of the recent additions include- This is about where we left off last week- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Found this article that compares these tools. https://turnawoodbowl.com/carbide-vs-traditional-hss-wood-turning-tools-high-speed-steel/ Alan Stratton's video on turning a box from tree to display. To add interest to the turning, Alan burns some detail lines. Check out his wire burning tool at 9 minutes- Expand Your Horizons- Carl Jacobson turned a small lidded box, and used the urn threaded rings. This was a live demonstration so it's a little long- Mike Waldt turns a hollow Mulberry hollow form- New Turning Items- Couldn't find anything new but checkout this week's Vendor Showcase (link above). Not sure what they will be doing. Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- Driving A Stake In The Ground Sometimes progress seems so slow that you have to drive a stake in the ground to see if you are moving. I first heard this phrase when I worked on the railroad as a long-haul trainman. The first half of our route took us from near sea level over a 4,000 foot high mountain range. Sometimes I could run alongside the train faster than it was moving! Developing our skills can be a lot like that. You want to be able to use a skew chisel like they do on YouTube and roll perfect beads, disks, and wonderfully symmetrical coves. But you get catch after catch and it seems like you are never going to figure it out. Or the grain tears on the outside of your bowl blank even with freshly sharpened tools. You wonder if you will ever be able to start sanding with 120 grit or higher rather than 60 or 80 grit. You look forward to the day you don’t have to spend so much time sanding. Practice makes perfect because each time you try, you get a little bit better. You develop muscle memory whether you know it or not. Suddenly, or so it would seem, you can roll a beautiful bead with that skew and not get a catch. Where is the stake now? I used spinning tops as my demonstration canvas on the Woodworking Show Circuit for 13 seasons. I glued up 1,200 top blanks at the beginning of each season and more when those ran out. All day long I would load a blank into the lathe’s collet chuck for my next demo. I used a skew to turn the disk to round in less than 3 seconds. Then I shaped the disk in preparation for texturing. That took another 10-15 seconds, one pass on the front, and one pass on the back. In one continuous motion, I shaped the stem using the same spindle gouge I had shaped the front and back of the disk. Then I made 3 cuts with the texturing tools and finished with various color combinations. I had developed so much muscle memory that I could carry on a lucid conversation and make the top at the same time. Elapsed time, less than 5 minutes including all of the decoration and coloring. It didn’t start out like that, but after the first thousand tops, it got easier. I’ve told you before that you don’t really know how to make something until you made 50 or 100 of the same thing. Then you begin to understand but still have much to learn. So, drive that stake in the ground, metaphorically, and watch as you get better each time you try again. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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Hard to believe that March is half over already! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker posted some handles he turned for a friend! Steve says he did not use a duplicator but you sure could have fooled me! Check out Steve's post for more about this project- We continue to have more posts in our thread "What's On Your Lathe"! Check out what @forty_caliber is doing- @Smallpatch gave us a look at his setup for duplicating piece on the lathe. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Carl Jacobson put together a short video on aligning the head and tail stock. From Kent Weakley "Turn A Wood Bowl", a checklist of things to do for lathe maintenance (click on the image)- Expand Your Horizons- If you don't have a steady rest, here's an instructional video where the author builds one patterned after one built by Mike Waldt Jim Rodgers makes a really interesting segmented vase- Alan Stratton turns a cool toothpick holder. Might make a nice craft show item- Easter is not far away and Mike Peace demonstrates how to turn some Bunnies! At the end of Mike's video, are some other Easter oriented turning ideas/links. New Turning Items- Not really a new item but some mods on an older device to hold odd shaped pieces- Available at- https://woodturningtoolstore.com/product/elio-dr-safe-drive-2-5/?receiptful=923&receiptfultype=reviewsadminfb&fbclid=IwAR0bWspnfZ-Tx5be43_wuR3mi0wfVQA1OB1GAg6HkS29Mx2qziuyjg9PFXY Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter It Works For Me When you work up the courage to demonstrate in front of your club or the public, someone will always ask, “Why do you do it that way?” The short answer is “it works for me.” Turning, apart from most other forms of woodworking, relies heavily on the skills of the turner. Cabinet-making, for example, relies more on design, careful measurements, and the ability to cut relatively large pieces of sheet goods perfectly square. Ask five woodturners the right way to do something, and you will likely get ten different answers. Do what works for you until it doesn’t, then do it another way until it does. Everyone’s shop is different; different lathes, sharpening setups, lathe chisels, people are different heights, ages, strengths, lighting, some are left-handed, etc. Yes, there are generally accepted “Best Practices”, but my encouragement is to use the method that works for you as long as it is safe. However, keep an open mind to different approaches. As I view different turners making shavings, I still notice little things that might just be a better way to do something I have been doing for many years. I try their way and sometimes it works better, sometimes not. Most of my shop time these days is spent making accessories for turners and for that we are very grateful. My production shop would make most woodturners see double. I have the quintessential 5-pounds of stuff in a 3-pound sack. I wouldn’t recommend anyone set up their shop like mine. But it works for me, for what I do with the equipment and space I have. And I love it! In case you’ve seen some of my YouTube videos filmed in a nice clean uncluttered perfectly lit woodturning shop, that is a purpose-built film studio in a whole separate building set up just for making videos. I never actually make shavings in that area. Why? Because it works for me. When it doesn’t, I’ll do something else. For now, remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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Two cloudless days is south central Pennsylvania- something is about to give! Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber turned a gorgeous mortar and pestle! Check out his post to see what species he used- He also posted a beautiful Pecan bowl- We are still getting comments on our thread "What's On Your Lathe"! Let's keep this alive! What’s Coming Up- Lots happening! Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Cindy Drozda did a live chat on sharpening scrapers- Bowl turners talk a lot about using jam chuck to hold their work. Here Mike Peace shows us those chucks can be used for other types of turnings Richard Raffan adds more information on how to get the most out of a tree branch/log Expand Your Horizons- Using resins/epoxies to fill voids is a common practice for woodturners. Alan Stratton tried a different approach to speed things up- Carl Jacobson turns a nice little project. Be a great thing to give the grandkids- New Turning Items- These will be available soon from Ron Brown. Click on the images for more information- Everything Else- Rick Morris (aka Rick Turns) had a major computer failure. He has decided to discontinue his weekly roundup of YouTube woodturning videos. Rick says he is going back to producing his own turning videos in the near future. Got some lathe time this past week. The little calabash bowl looks pretty good, at first glance, from this angle From here, not so much- Got in a hurry and didn't change the EWT square cutter to the square R2 cutter I would normally use to finish off the outside. Still looking for a couple of the smaller pieces. The other bowl , from the same log, had finished up in the kiln- When I rough turned it, I hadn't really decided what the final shape would be. When EWT released their beading cutter, I thought I could use this for a bit of practice. My practice pieces generally aren't sanded well, or finished. They usually just end up on a shelf or hold small parts. Mimi saw it and immediately gave it to one of her friends. Not real happy about it- could have been a lot nicer. I am really happy with the beading cutters. Very smooth finish with no chip out- at least on this mystery wood. Need to give them a real test on walnut and red oak. One thing EWT mentions is to increase the RPMs when cutting the beads. These were at about 2800. @Jordan Martindale Thinking about making a wall thickness gauge. The "figure 8" caliper I have is pretty large. On this one I used a simple bent wire and maybe that's all I need?? Safe turning
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Snowing a little outside but tomorrow it's to be 70°! You gotta love Pennsylvania weather! Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber gave us a heads up on a very worthwhile endeavor for kids suffering from life altering conditions. Please check out his post and see if you can find the time to participate. @Gerald turned some little boxes for the folks at his physical therapy location. Really beautiful combination of species- His post has more information about the species and comments from our members- Our continuing topic of "What's On Your Lathe" has had a few additions. Sure would like to keep this thread going as our members work on projects. @Steve Krumanaker was commissioned to make some handles. His post gives us lots of ideas on how it is done- What’s Coming Up- Quite a lot of events coming up. Click on the images for links and more information- A week or so ago, we shared a new thread chaser tool. Bradley, from Spiracraft, will be demonstrating it. A YouTube reminder and the link- https://www.youtube.com/@Spiracraft For The Newbies- An article from Kent Weakly on recommend equipment for bowl turning. https://turnawoodbowl.com/recommended-equipment/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 From the Woodworker's Journal, the Woodturners Monthly newsletter, nice article on making a texturing tool. Click on the image for link to the article. Another article from the Woodworker's Journal on wood holding on the lathe. Click on the image for the link- Richard Raffan gives us an insight into the wood turning lathe- Expand Your Horizons- Last week we shared a video from Alan Stratton showing his shop made Longworth chuck. In this continuation, Alan demonstrated making bracelets using the chuck- Pizza cutters make awesome gifts. Here's a way to have your work showcased in its new home- Mike Peace demonstrates how to add a fluted rim to a wooden vase- Mike Waldt turns a beautiful ash bowl with an undercut rim. We've been seeing a lot of turners using this technique for a finish. I have been forbidden to try this unless I carry the lathe outside! New Turning Items- You may have seen the "teases" on social media about Easy Wood Tools' new product. Here it is! Can't wait to get to try them! ( @Jordan Martindale ) Here's the complete, current list of EWT pricing- EWT Customer Pricing - 1-1-2023.pdf Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- You Are Unique You’ve heard that all your life. Good or bad, you are the only one exactly like you. But what if you are an identical twin, or have found your doppelganger, what are you going to do with that information? You are still unique with your own combination of gifts, abilities, and talents. There is a famous parable about servants who were given different talents in Matt 25:14-30 that would serve us well. The lesson is not how many talents each of us has but what we do with the talents we are given. You may have many more talents than I do, but what are you doing with those talents? I sometimes watched various turning demonstrators thinking “I could do a better job than that guy.” But he or she was the one up there doing it and I was the one with my butt in the chair not doing it. I used to have the same reaction to certain YouTube videos. But they were the ones showing the world what they had learned and I was the couch potato watching them do it. You might be thinking that you don’t have a creative mind or know where to start. I have some suggestions that will catapult you to great and wonderful things. 1) Consider an existing item. a. Make a larger version b. Make a smaller version c. Use it for something totally different that what it was designed for d. Add capabilities by adding some new features to an existing item 2) Consider an existing challenge like roughing down a spindle or a bowl blank a. Use a different tool to make it easier, faster, safer i. Have you ever brought a spindle square to round with a skew? ii. Have you ever ground your own negative rake scraper from scratch? iii. Have you ever made your own parting tool from an industrial hack saw blade? iv. Have you ever ground a miniature hollowing tool from an Allen wrench and fabricated your own handle? You’ve heard the expression “Don’t reinvent the wheel.” My suggestion is to take an existing wheel and make it better. Everyone has ideas for how something can be a little bit better. I know because you tell me those things about my tools frequently. Start today, and remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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Middle of February and it was 70° today in South Central PA! Our Patriot Turners- @Thad posted an image of a garden tool he turned. These are really handy for anyone planting both garden veggies and flower bulbs- Check out the comments at Thad's post- Last week, @RustyFN told us about the turned boxes he had made. Check out more about the one he entered into his club's contest and the awards presented- Also, a great big thanks to Rusty for starting a great new thread called "What's On Your Lathe"! Hope we can keep this going!! Our turners are already starting to post their stuff- @HandyDan used some of the Easy Wood Tools carbide cutters to top off a couple of turning tools he made. Dan's post describes the construction and why he chose round bar stock @jthornton continue work on his dizzy bowl. He has posted lots of progress shots along with explanations of what he is doing. This is going to be an awesome bowl! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links and more information- For The Newbies- Richard Raffan continues with his video series to help the new turner and us old turners that need some reminders Expand Your Horizons- Looking for something different to turn? Check out the latest from Mike Peace- Having just the right device to hold a turning makes life a lot simpler. Look what Alan Stratton has created- New Turning Items- Several things on hollowing. Two from Trent Bosch Some more from the Woodturning Tool Store on the Woodcut Tools Pro Forme Flexi Just got word today that Easy Wood Tools is about to release a new product! Hopefully @Jordan Martindale will keep us in the loop! Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- and from Ron Brown- If You Never Try, You Will Never Know Have you been turning for 5, 10, 20 years, or longer? You are just beginning to understand the fascinating craft of woodturning. This might make more sense if I used the analogy of someone who had one year’s experience twenty times. Think of it like this, a baker who only makes one kind of bread over and over might be pretty good at making that one kind of bread but most folks wouldn’t consider him much of a baker. While someone who makes several different kinds of delicious bread, bagels, cakes, pies, and muffins would be considered a thoroughly accomplished baker. I’m not suggesting you give up making what you love, only that you add other types of projects into the mix. That is how you keep our craft alive, interesting, and growing. Or, just consider adding embellishments this time such as pyrography, carving, texturing, or painting. Besides, the skills you learn by turning something different often carry over and make you even better at turning what you love. I’ve met scores of folks who make mostly bowls who ventured out with spinning tops, bottle stoppers, pepper mills, pens, and hollow forms and discovered a completely new passion. I would like to suggest you try a few different kinds of projects this year. You might just be surprised at what you learn. If you are mainly a bowl-turner, try some spindle projects. If you are mainly a spindle turner, try some plates, platters, bowls, and hollow forms. I can tell you from experience that it takes making more than a few to understand your new project. I’ve made somewhere over 10,000 spinning tops and it took a few hundred before I started to “Get It.” Fancy delicate finials were the same way. I’ve made hundreds for Christmas ornaments, turned lidded boxes, and lidded hollow forms. Looking back at the first ones, they now seem clunky and disproportionate but they were fun and educational, well worth my time and effort. Besides, having an arsenal of quick easy projects that you are good at is a great way to demonstrate turning to the public, or to introduce someone new to woodturning as a fascinating hobby or side business for a little extra income. Always be on the lookout to show someone how fun a wood lathe can be. Keep it simple and they will understand. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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Only 6 days until Valentines day! Maybe your significant other would like a new turning tool Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN turned a couple of small boxes, one of which he entered into his turning club's contest. Both are beauties! Check his post to see which one got entered into the contest! @forty_caliber got a new chuck for his lathe. This baby is a monster, too! He did a super job of sharing his findings and comparing it to one of his other chucks. Please see his post for lots more images and additional findings- Forty also posted his splated pecan bowl. Really gorgeous color and finish See his post for some more details- @Masonsailor used a couple of spare minutes to turn another one of his gorgeous bottle openers- Paul tells us a little more in his post- @jthornton is working on a gift, requested by his Mrs. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this "dizzy bowl" comes out! The glued up blank looks marvelous- JT has lots more process images in his post- @Bob Hodge's post about carbide quality and availability has a new entry. Thought it would be good to catch up- What’s Coming Up- Lots going on! Click the images for links and information- This is supposed to be on YouTube and Facebook- For The Newbies- Several videos from Richard Raffan explaining important aspects of turning. Tools, creating blanks, chucking small pieces and more Chucking methods- Spindle gouge and skew practice- Expand Your Horizons- Should I use a mortice or tenon to hold the piece? Ask 10 turners and you will probably get 15 different answers. Instead of asking a turner, ask the piece you are about to turn- @RustyFN showed a finial he turned and there was some comments on design. We posted this video before but it's worth another look- Our member @Steve Krumanaker turns beautiful honey dippers. This is how Mike Waldt does it- Several of our turners make segmented project. Having a way to assure the pieces are flat is a must. Mike Peace shows us how to make a disc sander attachment for your lathe- If you have a Facebook account, Tim Yoder posted a short video on getting to know your bowl gouge- https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=612976757305709&ref=sharing New Turning Items- This video was taken at TAW trade show. Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
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Big doings at Gobbler's Knob tomorrow! Will Phil see his shadow??? Our Patriot Turners- @jthornton has finished up his popcorn bowl! And, what a beauty it is! His post picks up at- @HandyDan commented on JT's glue up and showed us the kind of glue he likes to use. Thanks for the tip, Dan! A while back @John Morris asked about our favorite 3 turning tools, JT posted this about his- JT also shared a video of a young man using a very creative way to make a vase. A little scary at a couple of places! @forty_caliber added some really cool instrumentation to his drying box. He tells us a little more here- And, it is pretty obvious that Forty's drying box works great. This is his first bowl he turned from his kiln- Check out more image in his post- @Masonsailor made a glued up bowl blank but he didn't use any of the traditional methods. Check out how Paul milled the blanks and what type of finish he used- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- From Cindy Drozda- For The Newbies- Sharpening traditional turning tools can be made easier by using a sharpening system. In this video, Sam Angelo demonstrates the use of the Wolverine system- You've spent a lot of money on that new lathe! Here are tips from Mike Peace on how to keep it in top condition. NOTE: this is a video from a live presentation so it's a little long- Turning a bowl can be a intimidating at the beginning. Kent Weakley offers some tips to help you along- Expand Your Horizons- It's always fun to watch Richard Raffan. He makes it look so easy! Two recent videos in which I found some techniques to help me. In this one, I was amazed at just how shallow of a mortice he used for reversing the piece- And here, the hollowing seemingly done with wild abandon and yet perfectly executed- Make some of these for the grandkids and then send them home to their parents- Last week, we posted a project called a Salt Volcano. Alan Stratton gives us a some insight on the design Finally, Carl Jacobson uses the new Niles bronze thread inserts to make a pill box- New Turning Items- Thread cutters/chasers are not new but this tool has a neat design by combining inside and outside threading operations in one. https://spiracraft.com/product/carter-and-son-toolworks-double-ended-thread-chaser/?inf_contact_key=8268ca260892678527d2626eaa684eee Video from Carter and Sons demonstrating the tool. https://vimeo.com/788457481 Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- And from Ron Brown's Newsletter- Artistic License Another reason turning wood is so satisfying is the total creativity allowed when turning most projects. Take pens for example; simple and straight, curvy, puffy, long, short, wood, plastic, bone, resin, one-piece, two-piece, pencil, ballpoint, or fountain. A quick look on Facebook, Etsy, or YouTube will reveal a wide variety of examples. While we all have our preferences, the folks who made each one loved every minute and are just as proud as the next fellow is of their creations. Some folks strive to make their turnings perfectly symmetrical and seemingly flawless. Others are just the opposite reveling in off-center, out-of-balance projects leaving as many natural defects and voids in the final product as possible. Aren’t all of us just like that; off-center and out of balance according to someone else? I often repeat the phrase “Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.” I’ve come to realize that is the beauty of my fellow beings. There is a reason that everyone is a unique combination of God’s creation. That is what makes them special. Yes, there are accepted standards of what makes a great shape for a bowl, vase, pen, urn, or finial. But who says those are the only pleasing shapes? I encourage you to use your artistic license to explore something outside the traditional shape, material, or order of things. My friend, Michael Gibson turns ultra-thin vessels, then pierces and colors them so they become something you might find floating in a whirlwind in the forest. Some would seem to be so fragile that merely looking at them may cause them to break. I discovered the joy of turning green wood from start to finish in one session just so I could see how much it would warp and distort, not unlike myself. Now I sometimes even add rubber bands to help it along! Celebrate your artistic license as you stand at the lathe and welcome each new friend, knowing they are probably just a little bit off-center too. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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Nice little 3" snowfall this morning. Used the snowblower for the first time this winter. Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker Showed us a really neat beading tool handle he made. The handle serves the normal handle function while turning but Steve also designed it to act as a storage place to protect the tip during transportation- Steve created a video of the build and posted it to his YouTube channel- Instead of just making a just a handle, @HandyDan made a complete beading tool! Dan details the tool fabrication and the operation in his post- Beading tools and bowls dominated our posts this past week. @HandyDan has been turning some little bowls and used his beading tool to decorate them! He shows us what he made in this post- @jthornton continues working on his popcorn bowls segments. If you missed what JT has done, check it out here- @smitty10101 is looking for some ideas on making a hand help drill chuck. He posted his questions in our Woodturners Tips sub-section Our members have offered several ideas/suggestions. Maybe you could drop by his post and see if you can help him. @Bob Hodge added to his post on lathe tool carbide cutters. He was curious about the cost and quality of the various suppliers. Check the latest in his post and see if you can offer some suggestions- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration. For The Newbies- Neat little project from Carl Jacobson to practice spindle turning- A short video from Stuart Batty on grain direction- Want to make that turned bow even more attractive Kirk DeHeer shows what can be done in this video from Craft Supplies USA- Twice turned bowls are a great way to have finished bowls that are symmetrical and less likely to crack. Richard Raffan discusses it in this video- If you've been turning for awhile and thinking about moving up to a new lathe, Mike Peace has some things to consider- Expand Your Horizons- Richard Raffan discussed the procedure of twice turned bowls but bowls can be turned start to finish with "green" or wet wood. Alan Stratton turns this bowl and adds carved feet. I think I found what my relatives will be getting next year for Christmas- New Turning Items- You may remember that Easy Wood Tools has purchased Yorkshire Grit. Another product often used in conjunction with the grit is Hampshire Sheen. Hampshire products are featured on their YouTube channel. They are constantly adding new products. https://www.youtube.com/@HampshireSheen Their products can be ordered from https://thewalnutlog.com/ Everything Else- I see Rick is back! Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
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Well 2022 is drawing to a close and that means our Ward 57 event is very near the end, too! It is not too late to get those raffle tickets for those awesome prized donated by our generous sponsors- Our Patriot Turners- @John Hechel Posted a thread about some custom rolling pins he was asked to create. These are awesome! John tells us who will be using them, and more about the build, in his post- @forty_caliber got himself a new toy from Tim Yoder! In his post, Forty gives us an in depth review of the hollowing rig and shows us what if can do- @Gerald is adding the finishing touches to his lathe accessory stand. You can never have too much storage space (or too many clamps!) What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- Ahh Skews, my old nemesis! Mike Peace fills us in on everything you ever wanted to know about this instrument of the devil! This is from one of Mike's IRDs so it is a little long. Just starting to learn the lathe? Sam Angelo's video about spindle turning and the tools used might give you some insights- And, speaking of the skew, a video from the Kirk DeHeer by Craft Supplies USA turns a mallet using one- Expand Your Horizons- A little late for this year's Christmas but a way for us turners to have our own method of delivering Hershey's Kisses. Check out how Alan Stratton lays out the blank for turning spheres without a jig- A while back @PostalTom turned a chess set for his grandson. Wish I had access to this video to give Tom some ideas at the time. This is another Mike Peace IRD video- New Turning Items- I see that the folks at StarBond (the CA folks) have added a line of sanding disks. I haven't tried them but the prices look competitive- https://starbond.com/products/starbond-premium-grade-5-inch-8-hole-hook-and-loop-sanding-discs-pack-of-100 Everything Else- Even the pros can have a bad day. Check out the end of this video- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from the last two weeks- Safe turning
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Today, I had the greatest pleasure by being able to deliver all of the Ward 57 Christmas gifts to the Forney family. We met with Travis, Michelle and their two youngest sons- Houston and Levi. Great folks! Even though the kids' gifts have been purchased, there is still time to get in on the awesome prizes in our raffle. Your donations will be forwarded to Mr. and Mrs. Forney to help out with raising their 5 young boys. So, be generous, I know they will appreciate it beyond words. Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber posted a video from Robo Hippy describing a uniquely shaped gouge. Forty also purchased that tool and showed us a little on how well it worked- Forty also posted some images of his new sander/grinder setup. I really like that flexible shaft idea! @Bob Hodge posed a query about what type of spindle gouge would be good for turning finials. Several of our turners had suggestions and also shared some of their turnings from their favorite type of gouges @RustyFNTurned a couple of beautiful bowls- one from pecan and one from walnut What’s Coming Up- https://meetthewoodturner.com/ For The Newbies- It's getting closer to Christmas and if you are short a couple of gifts, Carl Jacobson has an idea for a cute little bottle stopper- Another gift idea comes from Mike Peace. This is a two part video and part 2 is linked from Mikes channel- Kent Weakley offers some tips on how to reduce the stress and strain on your body during turning- Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton uses mixed media to produce really fantastic Christmas ornaments. Last week, we posted a link to threaded inserts for screw-on lids. In this 2 part video Mike peace demonstrates how to cut your own threads directly into the wooden turning. Part 2 is linked from Mike's channel- Richard Raffan has a short video discussing various finishes for turnings. These aren't your ordinary clear coat finishes- New Turning Items- These LED lights are similar to the ones sold by Cindy Drozda. Pretty good price. Available from Woodturners Wonders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/lamps/products/eclipse-led-lathe-lamp On a personal note: if you have a soldering pencil, an old 5 volt USB charging brick and cable and a rare earth magnet- you can get these and build your own. Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Found this on social media and thought it described how many woodturners/woodworkers felt about their work Safe turning
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