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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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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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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
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Got some Bradford pear from a friend. Got it all ready to rough turn.
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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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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
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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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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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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
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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.
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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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Third day of May here in South Central PA- Sleet on the back deck this afternoon! Our Patriot Turners- @jthornton Is giving us a great tutorial on how he does his his "dizzy bowl". He has uploaded process shots, with explanations, in his post- @Headhunter got us caught up on some of the things he has been making. Make sure you see all his stuff by subscribing to our "Ringmaster Turning sub-forum". His work certainly has some gorgeous patterns! He posted lots mor pix here- @Fred W. Hargis Jr posed a question about lathe speed fastest rpm. Several of our members provided their thoughts. Why not hop on over to Fred's post and give him your thoughts- @Masonsailor is taking a little break from his laundry room project to make a bowl. Paul explains the materials and the purpose of the turning, in his post- We've had several additions to our "What's On Your Lathe"! This is where we left off last week- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Richard Raffan explains the shear scraper- I think this happens to us all. Sometimes more than once. Whether you're a newbie or experienced turner- Expand Your Horizons- Something from Tim Yoder- In my own turning, it seems my bowls don't have much variation is shape/design. Ernie Conover shows us examples of different bowl shapes. Being the first of the month, Sam Angelo, Mike Peace, Richard Raffan and Tomislav Tomasic have put together the "4 Ways" videos. New Turning Items- This is not new but a chance to have input on the design of a relatively new product- If you would like to submit input, the email address is- nilesstopper@gmail.com Everything Else- An interesting read from Ron Brown's newsletter- “Dividing up the budget is a zero-sum game.” Don’t live your life like it is a zero-sum game. When you give encouragement to someone, your optimism bottle won’t run out. When you teach someone about lessons you’ve learned, your box of skills is just as full, and likely even more full. When you gift a nice piece of wood to someone, you can be sure there is another one headed your way, probably even nicer. I have a few special methods in my manufacturing processes, and the more I help others, the more I am helped. That is simply the law of sowing and reaping. If you want better tools, start giving some tools away! If you want to turn better pens, teach someone who wants to learn to turn pens; amazingly, you will begin to make better pens yourself. If you want more friends, be friendly; invite someone to coffee, breakfast, or lunch. Try hosting a small impromptu-turning get-together for 2 or 3 folks at your shop. One of the paradoxes in the life of a turner is how quickly turned items multiply! You make a few bowls, pens, or Christmas Ornaments, and the next thing you know they are everywhere. There is literally not room enough to contain them. You think about selling a few after you’ve given every relative, friend, and neighbor something you’ve turned, and still, the turnings keep multiplying. They are like Tribbles (Star Trek reference) only real. My encouragement today is to not be afraid to give to others. It really doesn’t mean you will have less, in fact, you will get more. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. A little lathe time for me. A couple of natural edge bowls from a flowering cherry tree limb. Not quite finished. Pulled the elm platters from the soapy water soak today and placed them in the drying box. Pretty ugly looking rite now. Probably take about a week to reach equilibrium. Safe turning
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Hard to believe that April is almost over! Our Patriot Turners- One of our long time forum members @Mark Wilson posted a couple of his projects. First is a beautiful natural edge walnut bowl Mark's post has some progress shots! Mark also posted some cool screwdriver handles! In his post there are several different designs- If you get a chance, check out Mark's profile- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/profile/1926-mark-wilson/?tab=activity @Steve Krumanaker was busy in his shop! This gorgeous goblet is for his club's President Challenge. Steve explains more in his post- Steve also works with a local gift shop. He turns custom lids for one of their products. Check his post to see where these beauties are used. A while back, @jthornton told us he was working on a "dizzy bowl". He got a chance to post his progress- More images in the addition to his original post- @HandyDan continues to amaze us with his tiny turnings. This week he used some really old red wood. The growth rings are really amazing. Check his post for more images- "What's On Your Lathe" continues to receive lots of interest. Thanks to everyone for making this a popular thread! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- A lot from Richard Raffan this week. Here he shows how to mark center and laying out diameters on a wood lathe. Considering turning a bottle stopper? Nice video with step by step instructions. Expand Your Horizons- Last week we posted a video from Alan Stratton on making inside out turnings. One of his turnings had a flame shape. This video takes us through how that turning was done. Mike Waldt turns a beautiful cherry vase from a log- If you add carved embellishments to any of your turnings, a carving stand can be invaluable. They can be purchased or as Mike Peace shows us- they can be made from simple materials New Turning Items- Setup jigs for sharpening lathe tools, from Ron Brown- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=30&product_id=427 Everything Else- Had a little time at the lathe this week. Finish turning a roughed out little elm bowl. Still experimenting with the Easy Wood Tools beading cutters @Jordan Martindale. Tried to make the bead, at the lip of the bowl, set centered on the rim. The outside and top of the bead was pretty straight forward. To turn the inside portion, I had to run the lathe in reverse to get the proper angle on the tool. My lathe sets against a wall so access for turning is only from the front. Came out OK for my first try. A smaller bead as a foot sorta carries the theme from top to bottom. Safe turning
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Mother Nature decided to treat us with two days of summer. Got a lot of yard work done. Our Patriot Turners- @Headhunter showed us some of his early work. Like a lot of turners, he started out with some pens. He wondered if any of our turners started that way- @forty_caliber posted some images of a platter he turned. I wasn't familiar with his term for the species. Well, Google is your friend and discovered another name for it Check out his post for more images. Oh yeah- it's Osage Orange. Forty also posted a beautiful bowl. I really love the colors and contrasts in this one- Check out how he did this! Our thread of "What's On Your Lathe" continues to be quite popular. This is about where we left off last week- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration. If you missed it live, Cindy Drozda put her presentation of "Planning A Turned Box" on her YouTube channel. The beauty of her turnings don't just happen by accident! For The Newbies- A neat little spring turning for Easter- The bandsaw is quite possibly the next most used piece of equipment, besides the lathe, for a turner. Mike Peace demonstrates some of the push sticks that can be used when cutting- Expand Your Horizons- Something I've always struggled with is pricing a turning. Kent Weakley has some guidance for turned bowls- Every turner seems to have their own procedure for turning an object. This is the second in the series of "4 Ways" where four turners do the same project, using their own techniques. Tim Yoder turns an arched, winged bowl. Not sure what kept the lathe from taking off and flying around his shop! Richard Raffan turns and burns a natural edge bowl. What I found interesting is that he does the entire bowl without the aid of a faceplate, Cole jaws or jam chuck- New Turning Items- With all of the "burning" as embellishment, this might be something interesting- Everything Else- Playing with some of the elm from behind the shed, This piece was rough turned and then soaked for 3 days in a soap/water solution. Looks pretty ugly but as it dries the color will lighten and turning to the final thickness will remove all discolorations from the soak. These go into my little drying box ala Rick Turns. I weigh the pieces once each day until they reach equilibrium. The day after I put this one in, it lost 100 grams of weight. 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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Good day folks, I'd like to open up a topic of support for our Patriot Woodworker and very talented turner @Big B. Big B is a Navy Veteran with an absolutely beautiful family and a very wonderful talent in the turning craft. Brian has been recently diagnosed with Large Cell Lymphoma, and he is currently going through Chemo treatments and by the looks of Brian he is dealing with it all pretty good, and I am sure his incredible circle of family and friends are a great support to him. Brian may not make it here as often as he would like, but I have followed his work on Facebook and there he is also keeping us all up to date on his progress and treatments. Lately, he decided to get with the times and sport a new hair-do! He decided to shave his hair off and be fashionable Here is Brian with one of his best friends on his lap, an older image a year ago Brian is a fighter, and he appears to be doing fantastically through it all, with his best furred friends at his side, and his family and friends, he's going to beat this sucker into remission and come out looking better than before, any of you Navy vets out there know that a little boat rocking aint gonna keep ya down! Just a little look at some of Brian's talent: If any of you are on Facebook you can find his page at the link below and check in on him and his progress. Log into Facebook WWW.FACEBOOK.COM Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. On behalf of myself, and my family, Brian you are in our prayers for a speedy recovery in this journey, and to see you keep turning the wonderful craft that you do, you got this Sailor! And Brian, if you happen to read this topic for you, I actually like the new look you have! On a side note to our folks here, keep your sorry's to yourselves, Brian don't roll that way! Lastly but not leastly, Brian needs help in paying his medical bills, he and his family would be completely grateful for anyone who wishes to donate, you can do so at this following link: Help Brian Longshore beat cancer, organized by Meredith Harris WWW.GOFUNDME.COM Many people in Lagrange, GA (his hometown) as well as Cropwell and Pell City, Alabam… Meredith Harris needs your support for Help Brian Longshore...
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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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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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