Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'carbide'.
-
I hope everyone can enjoy a peaceful Easter accordance with your customs. Our Patriot Turners- @Smallpatch was hitting the yard sale circuit when he spied an old lathe. Not one to pass up a bargain, he took it home a refurbished it. Check out his post for more images and the back story- New member @User74 posted a question about carbide tools. We had a very informative discussion about the quality of tools and cutters. Check out the post and see if you can add to it- @Steve Krumanaker created a beautiful Beads of Courage box. Steve used a special technique to create the staves for his turning project. Head on over to his post for more images and our members' comments Another great week for our What's ON/OFF your lathe discussions. From ON the lathe, @Gerald and @User74 gave us a look at their current turnings New information starts here- And, from OFF the lathe- @RustyFN and @User74 completed some really nice turnings- New posts for this week starts here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Last week, we posted a link to the Mid-Atlantic Woodturning Symposium. One of the presenters is Alan Lancer. Here's a short video of what you can expect to see from him- For The Newbies- A tip, from Lyle Jamieson, for holding small turnings without a chuck- Easy Wood Tools shared a new video on how their products are made. Easy Wood Tools are made, in America, entirely in house- even their carbide cutters! @Jordan Martindale Expand Your Horizons- Tim Yoder shows us how he makes his French rolling pin. Tim is always fun to watch! Richard Raffan is bucking the trend of large turnings. In these two videos, he creates lovely small turnings. His commentary, while turning, gives an insight into his turning techniques- The Woodworker's Journal has published the Woodturning Monthly newsletter. Nice article on how to add butterfly patches to a turning. The newsletter can be found at- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email New Turning Items- Got a heads-up from @Grandpadave52 about a great price on a Longworth chuck sale. Everything Else- Safe turning
- 5 replies
-
- 4
-
-
-
- peachtree
- longworth chuck
- (and 29 more)
-
I've seen different sets of carbide tools with wide variations in price. I know people say you get what you pay for but has anyone bought the cheaper ones and was able to tell the difference? It seems to me as long as it holds the cutter straight it should work regardless of price. I have been turning off and on for about two years so I'm not an expert but not exactly new. Just asking for options.
-
Stonemasons finished the chimney today. Mimi says it looks really nice. Our Patriot Turners- Member @keithlong asked a question about carbide, negative rake bead cutters. He was curious if anyone had experience with them. Please check out his post and maybe give him your opinion. The "What's OFF Your lathe..." and "What's On Your Lathe..." topics had activity this week by @kreisdorph. He showed us some really nice bowls and one that didn't quite make it. From Off the lathe- New stuff and comments start here- And, What's On the lathe The new stuff starts here- Some good discussions in both posts. What’s Coming Up- This is the video from last Friday's Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda. It was a little different as she talked about the new "gadgets" she has in her shop. Click on the following images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- A couple of turning tips from Lyle Jamieson- Sam Angelo has created a new YouTube channel to help the new turner get started. It's called "Learn 2 Turn With Sam" The introduction to the channel And one of the first lessons- For a woodturner, one of the most useful machines, besides the lathe, is a bandsaw. In this video, Kent Weakley discusses Bandsaw Basics. The latest issue of Woodcraft Magazine (April/May 2024) has a great article for someone thinking about getting started in woodturning. It covers just about everything you need to consider. There's also a how-to article on turned fishing lures. Check it out at your local newsstand or in the magazine section at the local Borg. Expand Your Horizons- A couple of weeks ago, we included a video from Alan Stratton on multi-axis star ornaments. Alan has refined his process and posted this video- One of our member from a long time ago, @Charles Nicholls, used to turn light pulls. It's a great way to use up scraps and Charles sold many of his turnings. Mike Waldt shows us how he does it. New Turning Items- Even though I turn almost exclusively with carbide tools, I do have and can use traditional HSS tools. For sharpening the HSS tools, I use a Tormek slow, wet grinder. Tormek has an extensive lineup of sharpening jigs to aid in getting those razor sharp edges. Now, those styles of jigs are available from Woodturners Wonders, for other types of grinders and they are on sale! Click on the above image for the link to the sale page. Everything Else- I had some sycamore bowls roughed out and dried. Spent an hour or so this afternoon working on the closed bowl shape. The wood itself is pretty unexciting grain wise so I added some extra details to make it more interesting. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to reverse it and finish out the bottom. Used Yorkshire grit and beeswax/mineral oil for finishing. Burned rings. Beads made with EWT beading cutters. Safe turning
- 6 replies
-
- 5
-
-
-
- woodturners wonders
- light pulls
- (and 23 more)
-
Has anyone tried one of these cutters? If so what are your thoughts? I am thinking about one to use to dress up some listed boxes. Thanks
-
I got a slew of 'em for my Agazzani but I'm looking for something in particular. I want the finest finish off the saw that I can get. Glueline quality. Do you know a blade, pitch, tooth, geometry, that is good like that? Mostly I run a 1" lennox carbide tipped woodmaster It's pretty good and I may use that but I want a finer cut, really smooth
-
and I have a question. Today I was using a carbide tool to hollow out a practice bowl; this one is an old piece of really (really) dry walnut. The dust is causing me coughing problems so I'm wearing a dust mask under my glasses and shield. Anyway, here's my question: do the carbide tools create more dust than the edged tools? I cut on it for just a few minutes with a bowl gouge and it didn't seem to be as dusty. But this exercise is to try out the carbide so I'm sticking with it at the moment. Maybe one more question: could the dust be saing I need to rotate the cutter on the tool (it really hasn't been used all that much)?
-
About midway thru December, need to start thinking about doing some Christmas shopping soon. Our Patriot Turners- @Masonsailor updated his post from last week to show us the finished Christmas bowl he turned. Talk about a beauty!! Paul added a little more about the experience in his post- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/forums/topic/39795-a-bowl-for-christmas/?do=findComment&comment=325402 @Fred W. Hargis Jr asked us a question concerning carbide cutters and dust creation. Our turners had lots of advice. Please check out Fred's post and see if you can add your own experience- What’s Coming Up- A list of some of the 2024 woodturning events- https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/l/Woodturning-Symposiums For The Newbies- It is always helpful to see how other turners approach a similar project. That is the premise of the "4 Ways" series at the beginning of each month. This month the project is to turn a serving tray. Expand Your Horizons- A hodgepodge of ideas from a few well known turners- New Turning Items- The Woodworker's Journal recently reviewed the new Jet 1221 VS lathe. Here's the article- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/weekly/vip/turning-techniques-features-and-benefits-of-the-jet-1221vs-lathe/ This would make a nice stocking stuffer- Orders can be place here- https://store.popularwoodworking.com/products/woodturning-basics-with-jimmy-clewes-combo-pack?utm_campaign=PWW - NL - Sunday Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=285905188&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8uGMQyOk6eL8OM6vb4iIlMHuyz4aaNDe4RqU3IspCLxylrDDkN6ElsI4ye1O2d9kMfSAXtgKU-uLXs_pPcNIOxAtLHFQ&utm_content=285905188&utm_source=hs_email Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- Think Ahead “If I had thought about it, I would have done this first, or at least before now.” Certain things make your life much easier if you do them at the proper time. Woodturners learn the importance of WHEN to do something, usually after they forget to do it and have moved on to the next step and can’t go back. Sometimes you see it coming after it is too late. I have a couple of examples to consider as you think ahead: Twice turned projects 1) You rough-turned a bowl from green wood and it has now dried. You are ready to finish turn it but it has gone dramatically oval, including the tenon and your scroll chuck won’t seat properly. You are finding it very difficult to center your work. You could have added a very simple 5-second step that would greatly simplify your life. You could have left a divot in the center of your tenon. 2) Bring the tailstock with a pointed live center into the divot and secure your bowl. 3) True up the warped oval tenon to round again and the scroll chuck will now hold the bowl properly for final turning. (This is a perfect time to use our natural edge jam chuck since the rim of the bowl will not be flat or level either and won't sit flat against cole jaws or a longworth chuck.) Rework a finished project: On the outside or bottom 1) There is no tenon and you are having difficulty centering your work. You didn’t want to leave the divot as it would have been unsightly. a. Alternatively, a single nearly invisible small circle or series of 3 small rings on the foot will make finding the center much easier and will look like a decorative detail to most onlookers. b. I use the tip of a skew, my micro detailer, or a point tool for this. Removing sanding scratches: Before moving on to the next finer grit, STOP! Blow the dust off your project and use a strong light to LOOK at your project. Are all of the scratches gone? I see otherwise beautiful work with elegant shapes and excellent finishes on the internet that have scratch marks showing through. That ruins the piece for me every time. If you find scratches that are still visible, go back one grit and sand until they are gone. Then LOOK AGAIN before moving on. Otherwise, you will either have to live with ugly scratch marks or remove the finish and go all the way back to where the scratches are and start over. I’ve done that, but it is much easier to take a few seconds to discover them as you go. I find this happens often when turning pens. Over time, you will develop those little things that save time and effort if you do them as you go Safe turning
- 4 replies
-
- 5
-
-
-
- jimmy clews
- jet 1221 vs
- (and 21 more)
-
Missed last weeks post so this one will be have a little extra. Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc posted a couple of projects he has been working on. First, a neat little table item that would be useful in any kitchen- Nevin combined woodworking and turning to complete the project- He also posted a question and his method of storing sawdust from various species of wood he uses as fillers. He was wondering what storage method the rest of us use for storage. Check out his post and let him know your method- And, Nevin showed us some beautiful walnut bowls he had finished- He received lots of positive comments in his post- @Steve Krumanaker has been busy fulfilling orders to some of the artisans in his area. He has been working with one who sells "Bee Products" for whom he make honey dipper lids. Steve posted a couple of short videos on how he has upgraded his manufacturing process. Steve is also making drop spindles for another craftsperson. These are used in the process of turning wool into yarn. He developed a neat jig to create shop made dowels for part of the pieces. In this post, he explains why he made the parts instead of buying them- @Gerald added a project to our "Off The Lathe And Finished" thread. These beautiful ornaments got lots of great comments and a couple of questions as well. Head on over to the thread and check out more on these- Gerald was also kind enough to provide links to videos on sharpening. I must apologize for not recording who asked the question on sharpening. Gerald had entered the AAW August Turning Challenge and provided us with the link to the voting and winners- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/august-2023-turning-challenge-final-results.21511/ @KevTN Asked for help identifying a specific pattern for the rim of a platter. Our turners had several suggestions. If you can identify this patter, please help out Kevin- @RustyFN has a gorgeous spalted bowl on his lathe! What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda is live tomorrow- Thursday, October 12 at 2pm EDT. She will be discussing how do you protect your eyes, ears, and lungs in the workshop. For registration, follow this link- https://streamyard.com/watch/PsF54zh7XSVb For The Newbies- Kent Weakly's video on what tools are not suitable for bowl turning- Carl Jacobson makes an oak lidded box. Notice that Carl uses both traditional and carbide tools to complete the project- A simple bowl turning to use as a succulent planter from Craft Supplies USA From Tim Yoder on choosing your sandpaper Richard Raffan demonstrates how to make your turned bowls look really top notch by refining the bottom. Expand Your Horizons- Several articles from Kent Weakley on bowl finishes. https://turnawoodbowl.com/my-favorite-food-safe-wood-finish-waterproof-almost/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 https://turnawoodbowl.com/spray-lacquer-illustrated-guide-equipment-system-set-up-technique/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Jim Rodgers continues his series on hollowing- Alan Stratton posted this video on YouTube. It reminded me of a similar project that @Gerald had shown us sometime back- The Four Ways videos from the first of the month- Mike Peace- Richard Raffan- Sam Angelo- Tomislav Tomasic- New Turning Items- From Niles Bottle Stoppers- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/cocktail-muddler-set/ From Woodturners Wonders- Diamond wheels for both bench grinders and Tormek grinders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/diamond-wheels?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- When you share the joys of your craft with someone who has never seen shavings fly off a fresh bowl blank or get to watch a spinning top appear in just a few minutes, you might change their world. A small pebble can create a world of ripples. Members of our woodworking club have attended county fairs, woodworking shows, and symposiums which always included live demonstrations. Why? Most people can’t visualize what we do. I’ve seen people become fascinated with turning after they made a simple maple or oak pen at one of these events. I’ve seen their entire family get interested and turning became their family hobby. They’ve planned family trips around turning shows and symposiums along with week-long hands-on learning at folk schools. I’ve witnessed folks buying their first mini lathe and accessories then go on to develop a lifelong passion for the smell of freshly milled lumber and the shavings from another bowl blank. The benefit to you of doing something like that is they bring their non-turning skill sets from their regular jobs, i.e. management, leadership, and organizational skills. Many have become club officers including President. One such fellow served three terms and on a personal note, became my dentist until he retired. We’ve seen lawyers, engineers, business executives, moms, teenagers, pastors, and doctors get the turning bug all because they saw a turning demonstration at a craft fair or other public event. I’ve told the story many times of how I attended a two-hour club demonstration in a cold dark basement one Saturday between Christmas and the New Year. Nick Cook made a top, a garden dibble, a honey dipper, a toothpick holder, and a mahogany plate plus some other things I don’t remember. One couple thought that was terrific and booked a day's instruction with Nick. Then they started a turning club, then I attended, then I got hooked. Now I make a great living inventing and offering turning accessories to the turning community worldwide. During the thirteen years I was on the Woodworking Show Circuit, I was able to demonstrate turning in front of over a million people. That’s a pretty good ripple! Thank you, Nick Cook. In order to cause the ripple, you have to toss the stone in the first place. I would encourage you to invite someone to a club meeting or over to your shop for an hour or two for coffee and to make some shavings. You never know how big that ripple might become Safe turning
- 4 replies
-
- 6
-
-
-
- tomislav tomasic
- sam angelo
- (and 42 more)
-
I bought some Easy Wood mini carbide tool cutters when they were on sale. It was so long ago that I don't remember when. I decided it was time to make the tools to use them on. I have some 3/8" chromed and hardened steel rods that came in a box acquired at an auction. I chucked a grind stone in the metal lathe mounted the rods in the milling attachment and ground a flat spot for the cutters. The small cutters take a 4-40 screw supplied with the cutters. I drilled the hole but broke the tap when threading. Decided to drill a larger hole and use a longer bolt with a nut. Didn't care for that arrangement as the nut got in the way at times during use. Was going to cut the end off and start over but found a 6-32 screw head fit well enough for use so I got the 6-32 tap and was successful at threading the holes. Handles are some of what I believe is Cherry rescued from the neighbors firewood pile. Then of course I took the time to test them. They will be a good addition to the arsenal.
- 4 replies
-
- 9
-
-
- carbide tools
- carbide tips.\
- (and 1 more)
-
I need to replace several carbide bits for my Rockler R2 cutter. Usually, because the screw comes loose and the bit and screw get swooped up by the vacuum, never to be found. I will work on that. For now, though, I see Rockler replacement cutters for now $25 for a round one. I simply don't want to pay that much. I see some similar things, though with different sizes and screw holes on Amazon for $15 down to less than $3 if I buy ten at a time. For the difference in price, I might either modify my Rockler tool or craft a new one by myself, with friends. But, is less than $3 a piece too good to be true? Going to the web on quality levels of tungsten carbide, I see "C" levels. Some carbide bits have C1 printed on them. Most have nothing printed on them, nor do I see anything in the specs. One local guru says it may not really matter much with wood. Looking deeper, I see there are over 1500 grades of tungsten carbide, And, the source says that two manufactures may use the same designation while the true specs are completely different. It is too bad that several brands of carbide tools for lathes seem to use their unique sizes, but it is probably so they can sell their proprietary bits. For today, how much do I need to think about C ratings on carbide bits for the lathe? Is $3 or less a bit too good to be true? Are there far cheaper sources for bits that fit a Rockler tool and its dimensions? What sources for carbide bits have you used successfully, if I am to build my own tool? Thank you, as always
- 8 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- replacement
- cutter
- (and 2 more)
-
Hasn't been this busy on our forum in quite a while so let's just jump right in! Our Patriot Turners- We have had a new sub-forum added to the Woodturners Forum. The Ringmaster sub-forum is dedicated to those makers who create bowls using the Ringmaster method. You can find it listed under the main Woodturners Forum- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/forums/forum/98-ringmaster-turning/ Let's see some of those beautiful creations!! @Gerald gave us a look at a commissioned bowl he is in the process of turning- Gerald tells us about the species and more in his post as well as a bit about his "new" kiln- Gerald also posted an interesting article by Ron Brown providing some additional thoughts on Carbide tipped tools. We have had several insightful discussions here on the forum comparing traditional and carbide tools. @FrederickH posted a question to the group about using a fluted parting tool. Several of our members provided their insights. If you can help out Rick, give him your thoughts at- One of our newer members @adot45 gave us a look at his latest fantastic turning. Please see his post and welcome him to the forum! More about Dave and some additional images are in this post- And more here- Even @smitty10101 is getting into the stacked ring bowls! He is looking for information about a thin parting tool. If you have a source or have made such an animal, why not share your knowledge with him- @forty_caliber and family have taken some friends under their wing. As a way to help ease the sorrow of a loss, he has turned a memory box for a family member- Forty shows us some additional images in his post. Note the laser burned embellishments! Last week we had a question about bowl saver tools. Not sure this is what the author had in mind but @forty_caliber found one that will certainly doe the trick! @forty_caliber's post from last week generated additional input that might be useful for those following the discussion of hollowing tools- Or resident Christmas ornament designer has done it again. @Ron Altier turned this gorgeous little jewel- Ron explains his design idea in his post We had lots more from our members on @FlGatorwood's little train that could. If you missed it, here's where the discussion left off- @bradleyheathhays's post from last week also continued to receive comments and inputs. Here is the entire thread location- @Grandpadave52 gave us a heads up on the contest being run by Woodworker's Journal. The challenge was to turn a honey dipper. Not sure if our own @Steve Krumanaker entered the contest or he decided to let someone else win first place . https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/honey-dippers/ What’s Coming Up- Women In Turning in conjunction with the AAW presents Kailee Bosch, Rebecca DeGroot, and Marjin Wall to give short presentations about their work, ideas, and inspirations, followed by a group discussion and Q&A, led by artist and moderator Hayley Smith. The event is free and open to the general public. For registration- https://www.woodturner.org/Woodturner/WIT/WIT-Home-Page.aspx?WebsiteKey=c9100f02-c77e-4177-a9bc-7d3eb0216238&hkey=7f6a65b2-ec98-472f-a7b6-2ac573f7258d&New_ContentCollectionOrganizerCommon=8&_zs=lMMTa&_zl=02Hp2#New_ContentCollectionOrganizerCommon For The Newbies- Nice little project for the coffee lover in the family. If you prefer a heavier version, Ruth Niles, https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/ , has some stainless steel kits. https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/project-classy-espresso-tamper/ Expand Your Horizons- Turning demo from Mike Waldt- New Turning Items- Tim Yoder has an improved hollowing rig- The folks at Woodturners Wonders have some special, short time deals on grinders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/pages/grinders Everything Else- Rick turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning and stay well
- 8 replies
-
- 7
-
-
-
- grinders
- woodturners wonders
- (and 26 more)
-
Got Ron Brown's Newsletter today and this related to one of our sponsors Easy Wood Tools. I found this to be an exact statement of what place there tools have taken in woodturning. Carbide Turning Tools – I Was Wrong I first met Craig Jackson, founder of EasyWood Tools, at a turning symposium around 2005-2007. I had heard about his carbide-tipped tools for a while. Craig was not the first or the only one to introduce carbide to the woodturning world, but he was the best marketer of the bunch. I was very passionate about turning wood and had invested a great deal of time, effort, and money in learning how to use High-Speed Steel turning tools and how to keep them sharp. I understood the difference between cutting and scraping so I confronted Craig to let him know that I felt he was single-handedly ruining new turners by teaching them to scrape everything with his carbide scrapers! He was congenial and agreed to disagree. Over the next few Woodworking show seasons and turning symposiums, I spoke to many people who told me that they had been introduced to turning using EasyWood Carbide tools because they were easy. They loved our hobby and were now ready to learn more. Several recurring themes among these new turners were: 1.They originally only had only a mild interest in turning, 2.Using carbide tools, they had instant success with their first few attempts and made something useful right away, 3.They were terrified of having to sharpen HSS conventional turning tools, 4.After a short while, they were hooked on turning and expressed a deep hunger to learn more. They were now eager to learn how to use and sharpen conventional turning tools to become better turners. My earlier assessment only saw one side of the story. I still believe carbide turning tools are scrapers and that it is better to cut wood fibers than to tear wood fibers whenever possible. What I didn’t realize was that carbide tools made it easy for new turners to have quick success as they were introduced to our wonderful hobby. They could produce the same beautiful turned wooden treasures that we love to make, but with much less hassle. Folks who might have otherwise become frustrated and quit wanted to take the next step. Here is how it makes sense to me: There are four pillars in woodturning, 1.The Lathe 2.Work Holding Devices – Chucks, spur centers, faceplates, etc. 3.Lathe Chisels – High-Speed Steel & Carbide 4.A sharpening station – Grinder, Wheels for HSS, Sharpening Jigs (Wolverine, etc. Carbide tools don’t require a sharpening station. A turner can eliminate 25% of the equipment, the cost of that equipment, and all of the time and energy needed to learn how to use the sharpening equipment and various gouge grinds. By eliminating so much expense and effort, the chance for one to become a successful turner increases greatly. I eventually became a great promoter of carbide tools for folks with a mild interest in turning wood. Whenever someone told me they wanted to try it to see if woodturning was something they might be interested in, or for non-turning parents helping their kids get started. Carbide turning tools are a great starting point. Why? Because it really is easy. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe carbide tools are scrapers, but scrapers have their place. Most turners who stay with our hobby eventually add HSS tools to their arsenal and do acquire a proper sharpening station. I own and use carbide scrapers as well as HSS scrapers and use them when appropriate. I mostly turn with razor-sharp HSS tools because it is so much faster, cleaner, and easier once you know how. So, the day came when I had a chance to meet Craig Jackson face-to-face again a few years later. I apologized for my earlier premature judgment which he graciously accepted. The lesson for me was not to make snap judgments and give the situation a little seasoning so I can see a bigger picture and make a more accurate assessment. First impressions might not tell the whole story. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Here is my inspiration for this week’s message: Prov 12:15 AMP The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise. Acts 5:38-39 MSG "So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!" John 7:24 AMP Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously. Basic Concept: It is better to cut wood fibers than to tear (scrape) whenever possible. Copied from Ron Brown's Best newsletter Just found this link to archived newsletters: https://ronbrownsbest.com/archive/index.php/en/
-
John Morris wrote an excellent bio on Easy wood carbide turning tools. I was surprised to find out they invented them. Its a good read. II hope I found the proper link for his story.
-
We had an awesome snow here. Right around 14" of the light powdery stuff. New snow blower worked flawlessly! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker has expanded his Lid Making business to include pieces for spice bottles. Steve shows us some of the work it takes to create these new items- Check out his post for more details- @Pauley turned a couple of spectacular bowls. The wood color and grain patterns take your breathe away! Please see his post for the images and the types of wood he used- @RustyFN was also working on a beautifully colored bowl. Rusty received lots of comments about his choice of wood and the bowl- @AndrewB is really having fun with his new pressure pot and casting resins. He continued to update us on last week's post with more images of some of his castings You can can see the updates at- Andrew used one of the castings to begin turning an egg- In Andrew's post, @Gerald gave us a link to some of his favorite color additives for resin. Here's the link to the discussion- Andrew didn't just turn acrylic resin this week. I suspect there will be some pine tar resin on his lathe after working with some wood his local tree guys gave him. See more images and his progress in this post- I hope you all are aware The Patriot Woodworker has added another sponsor- General Finishes! While we may be tempted to think of their finishes being used for woodworking, they have a woodturning finish, too! Here's a short video from General Finishes demonstrating that finish- What’s Coming Up- Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, some of "The Woodworking Shows" will still be virtual. You can get more information about the schedule and demonstrators at- https://www.thewoodworkingshows.com/?fbclid=IwAR39zWURThvLgnzTRqV9OAdVKFxNtR9qON_8bR36HupZ-GVNMR11oAjnQcU Highland Woodworking is offering an online course for photographing your work. Although it is directed toward photographing furniture, there certainly could be some worthwhile content for the turner- Click on the above image for the link to registration and more information. For The Newbies- Over the past month or so we have had a reoccurring topic about gouges and the discussion often centers around the choice between HSS and carbide. In this video, the author provides pros and cons of both types of tools. (Editor's note: The thing I have found in these comparison videos/articles is that the author(s) are often turners who have used HSS tools from the time they started turning. Many of them have decades of experience using the "traditional" tools. Then with a few hours of carbide turning, they render their often not so positive verdict. Perhaps the opinions would be different if they had the same tool time with both types of tools.) Expand Your Horizons- Maybe I should call this compress your horizons. One of the first questions, when considering casting resins, is how to get rid of the bubbles that form in the pour. Should I use a vacuum or use pressure? This video attempts to answer that question. Having had some experience with casting objects (cold cast porcelain) we found that a combination of both was the best way to go. We would vacuum each part of the components- before mixing. Carefully mix. Apply pressure. Looking for that perfect toy for the grandkids, or great grandkids? Tim Yoder has you covered- New Turning Items- Ruth Niles has a couple of new items on her website- This 3/8" three fluted spiral tap is especially suited for acrylics and very hard wood- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/spiral-3-8-tap/ She also has new mandrel adapters- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/mandrel-adapters/ Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube turning videos from last week. If you missed the Virtual Craft Festival this past weekend, several of the presenters' videos are included in Rick's list. Safe turning and stay well
-
Coming up on the end of January already! Time sure does fly during a Pandemic. A little less, this week, from our own but a lot more from others. Our Patriot Turners- We had a post this week from @ehbowen asking for some information about green wood. Eric got his hands on some freshly cut ash and wanted to know about preserving it. The post generated a lot of comments on turning, sanding project supplies and more. Maybe you can help give Eric some ideas. Check out his original post. @Pauley had a problem with some of his sanding discs and asked our turners for some ideas. The conversation yielded lots of sanding techniques information and sources for sanding supplies. @Gerald provided us with a link- https://www.turningwood.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=T&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=2S I checked one of my favorite sanding suppliers. Their prices were comparable to Gerald's- https://www.supergrit.com/view.php?pg=index @RustyFN gave us an update on the bowl jig he shared with us last week. He included pictures of how he mounted the jig on his bandsaw- @AndrewB Updated us on his pressure pot adventure. There was an interesting discussion as to how much pressure was needed to pressurize the pot for casting resins- Andrew, later, showed us the results of his first casting attempt- I often reference Alumilite in these posts. I have no connection with them other than learning a lot from their videos. This particular video provides tips and techniques for mixing casting resins. Most of the information applies to any manufacturer- What’s Coming Up- A couple of events happening on Saturday, January 30, 2021. Cindy Drozda is hosting the second part of her waterfall lidded bowl. Check Cindy's site for more information and registration- http://www.cindydrozda.com/ If you have insomnia, The first Virtual Craft Festival of 2021 starts at 2am (PST) Saturday morning and goes until 6pm (PST) Saturday evening. Click on the above image for the link to the schedule and presenters. This is a free event and all presenters use their own YouTube channel for their demonstration. There is a link for each presenter in their bio on the website linked in the above image. For The Newbies- Mike Peace continues his critique of carbine turning tools. If you've followed Mike for any length of time you know he has always used traditional HSS tools. This video is a little long but it not only demonstrates turning but also gives us some insights on design. Expand Your Horizons- If the previous "twig pot" video looked like something you might try, but, you wanted your turning to be more hollowed out, this video may help you decide which hollowing tool to buy/use. Looking for a way to make that cracked/split bowl a work of art? Here's one turner's take on what to do- Bowl Stitching! Good information- video of a demonstration- New Turning Items- The folks at Woodturners Wonders have a very nice sanding deal going on with the Roloc mandrels and pad holders Check it out, here- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/ultimate-sanding-system/products/ultimate-2-and-3-inch-sanding-kit This really isn't a new item but we touched on it a bit last week. The shop made steady Rest from Alan Stratton. This video shows a bit more about it- These links have more written details- https://www.aswoodturns.com/ https://www.aswoodturns.com/2014/09/steady-update/ https://www.aswoodturns.com/2013/08/lathe-steady-rest/ Everything Else- Rick Turns YouTube video list from last week- I haven't been in the shop this week. Been writing Micro Credentials for the National Occupation Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI). A long time friend is the CEO and called to get some help in the Electrical/Electronics areas. I had forgotten how tedious writing those things can be! Safe turning and stay well
- 8 replies
-
- 9
-
-
-
- steady rest
- carbide
- (and 18 more)
-
Our Adopted Family Christmas Project was a complete success. Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to the raffle winners! Our Patriot Turners- Lots of great projects and discussions this past week! @Ron Altier started us off with a sweet little birdhouse ornament! Ron tells us a little about this turning and the little additions he added- @Steve Krumanaker embellishes some of his orders with an inexpensive laser. Steve shows us just how versatile one of these machines can be- Check out the comments in his post- Steve was a very good boy this this year and Santa rewarded his behaviour with an awesome new toy. We all can't wait to see what Steve does with it! @RustyFN showed us a new bowl he is making and wondering about what type of finish might be possible. Rusty received lots of great comments and suggestions. Head on over to his post and see what you think- Rusty also asked us our opinion on a new emblem he is designing to identify his work. He posted three different ideas and wondered which one we liked best. Why not add your input to help Rusty? Rusty looking for a new bowl gouge and saw several at Woodcraft. Rusty asked us which one(s) would be best. Our turners offer lots of suggestions and which one might be best. Rusty is our big winner this week for the number of posts! When you have HSS tools, you need to sharpen them, so Rusty is replacing his standard bench grinder. His question was centered on what to look for in a grinder for turning tools. We were able to help him with his purchase. Check his post to see which grinder he bought! @AndrewB was also looking for new HSS gouges and inquired about sharpening. Andrew's post generated a lot of conversation on sharpening and our members even provided some additional advice on jigs. This is a great conversation on sharpening- What’s Coming Up- Two on-line events events in the next couple of weeks- January 9- Click on the above image for the link to more details and registration On January 23- Click on the above image for the link to more information and registration. For The Newbies- There was lots of discussion this week on HSS turning tools. To get the absolute best finish from these types of tools, they must be sharp- and kept sharp. Here are two videos from well known turning experts. See how they keep their tools sharp Expand Your Horizons- Mike Peace decided to expand his horizons and give carbide tools a try. See his impressions in this video- Now if he would have just bought the Easy Wood Tools!! New Turning Items- Gauging the thickness of a turning can be challenging. There are all sorts of jigs, devices and tools you can make or buy. This one adds the digital function to the mix. It probably will not work for small opening hollow vessels but for bowls it will do the trick. More information and a video of the operation is here- https://segmentedturning.org/product/digital-wall-thickness-gauge/ Everything Else- Rick Turns list of You Tube turning videos from last week- ...and somedays the Dragon wins... At least the new dust collection setup works! Safe turning and stay well
- 6 replies
-
- 6
-
-
-
- sharpening
- grinder
- (and 13 more)
-
Here's hoping all our members along the northern Gulf are safe. I saw where Pensacola had almost 2 feet of rain so far. On another note, please remember to add tags to your posts. I try to remember to check but sometimes my memory fails me. Our Patriot Turners- @AndrewB has been cranking out projects like crazy this past week! His little elm bowl is beautiful- You can see his progress in this post and check out the comments by our turners- Next, Andrew posted his work on a bloodwood bowl. All did not go as planned as he describes in his post. However, the end results were quite spectacular! Moving on, Andrew turned some acrylic pen blanks. He included a video of his process in the post- Finally, saving the best for last here, he showed us a myrtlewood bowl. It is inspiring to see how far Andrew has come in such a short span of time. He mentions in his post about the inertia sander he used to get this awesome beauty finished- @FlGatorwood saw an item that is designed to sharpen carbide cutters. Check out his post to see the comments of our turners- We have a couple of turning items for sale- First, @Jim from Easy Wood Tools was contacted by a turner who has a Easy Wood Tools Pro Rougher for sale- Jim provided contact information in his post- Also, @FlGatorwood has some Easy Wood Tools cutters for sale. They are Ci2-R2 and Ci3-NR. You can contact him through our site- What’s Coming Up- This Saturday, September 19, 2020, there will be another Virtual Craft Festival. Get all the information here- https://www.virtuallycrafty.com/ Turner Andrew Hall is offering interactive remote demonstrations (IRD). Here's a little more information- If you haven't registered for the Woodturners Worldwide Symposium, here a way to save $10! Click on the image for more details. For The Newbies- Andrew mentioned in his post about his new inertia sander. Just happens that Rick Turns posted a video about turning a vase. In that video, he uses one of these sanders- Expand Your Horizons- I thought this was a really great way to add a decorative touch to a bowl. Although the author used soapstone, I would imagine many other "fillers" could be used. New Turning Items- Not new, but if you are thinking about getting some carbide tools here is your chance to save 15% on our Easy Wood Tools sponsor's products! https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/Sales/8/Easy-Wood-Tools?utm_source=csusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ewt&utm_campaign=20-09-ewt-1 Everything Else- Rick Turns video list for last week- The only lathe work I've done this past week was turn 2 walnut dowels for the rocking horse I was kinda happy with the progress until I put on the stain Mimi wanted (not shown). I was expecting the pine to splotch but the white oak really disappointed me. I've stained red oak with walnut stain and it covers evenly. This oak had areas that turned really dark. It wasn't noticeable until I wiped off the excess. Even a second application made no difference. I guess that's what happens when you get free wood. Safe turning and stay well
-
All this talk about Carbide Wood Lathe Tools I thought I needed to try one. Prices are high so i made my own. I used 4140 tool steel for the shaft. I almost messed up when milling the flat. The steel started to work hard from the heat of the mill. The mill made the cut but drilling and taping was tough. Ash handle with brass ferrule. I have 100's of different carbide tips to try. I snapped the first tip when I tightened the screw. I then put a brass washer under the screw and that seemed to fix that problem. It's not been tested yet. I'll keep you up to date.
-
I have the 3 piece carbon steel turning set that Rockler had on sale last year. They stayed sharp a long time. If one edge dulls, you turn it to a new sharp surface. They are round, square and triangular. Today I went to turn the round one and got an idea. I removed the cutter and placed it on my hand diamond sharpening tool. One side is course and the other fine. The tops and bottoms of these are perfectly flat. I placed the top (cutting edge) down and worked my way thru the course to the fine. It did a good job and I am pleased at the results. The sharpener is from Home Depot and cost under $20
-
Snow and windy here tonight! Our Patriot Turners- @Woodbutcherbynight is cranking out wooden stemmed wine glasses. He is using segmented blanks to make these beauties- Check out his post and see the nice comments he received. Within that post, he also posted some gorgeous tool handles! Gunny wins the award this week for the most posts of projects! In addition to the glasses, he turned a fantastic little "Q-Tip Holder". He gives us an insight into how this handy item came about- @HandyDan added more information to his ornament and stand posting. Dan's tutorials are always well detailed and photographed. Check out the addition information- @Jim from Easy Wood Tools added some really great information to a resurrected post comparing Easy Wood Tools to some of the clones that have been showing up in the woodworking stores. Check it out so you don't buy a pig-in-a-poke! You may remember from last week that @Cliff donated his Easy Wood Tools winnings, from our Operation Ward 57 Adopt a Wounded Warrior Family, to @Pauley. Well Pauley received the tools and sent his thanks and gratitude for the generosity. What’s Coming Up- Bradley McCalister, from Spiracraft, has posted the dates he will be at the various woodworking show around the country- For The Newbies- Mike Peace posted a very interesting video on a shop made tool used for creating a chuck recess. This tool overcomes the drawbacks of many of the "store bought" tools- Sam Angelo gives us an insight into the differences between buffing and burnishing- Expand Your Horizons- Rick Turns added his list of December 2019 videos. New Turning Items- Ruth Niles sent out her latest newsletter. She has some great prices on her stainless steel stoppers- Here is the link to Ruth's website- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/ Everything Else- Haven't been at the lathe this week. My Mom, who recently moved to an assisted living facility, wasn't happy with the only table in her living space. Finding one that would fit proved futile so I have been working on building one. Safe turning
-
Thinking back on the controversy surrounding Bosch vs SawStop: How is that any different from the Axe carbide turning tools from Carter Products compared to Easy Wood Tools? This sound to me like as much of a patent infringement as the table saw issue. Taking a very brief look at the Axe tools, the only difference I can see is the shape of the handle. Is that enough to constitute a different tool? Jim, being an official representative of EWT, I realize you may be somewhat constrained on what you can say here, but I would be interested to hear your comments on this, as well as everyone else's.
- 18 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- carbide
- comparison
- (and 1 more)
-
Well that say the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Once again another manufacturer is trying to pull us away from the best carbide tools on the market. Checking their tool specifications will reveal that their tools don't measure up to those from Easy Wood Tools. Don't be fooled, buy the best! contact @Jim from Easy Wood Tools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
If you think carbide router bits are delicate creatures, check out this Youtube video from Tom Lipton, a machinist in the San Francisco area. The interesting part starts at about 8:45 and goes to the end. Yep, it grabbed me by the short hairs too! NOTE: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! But certainly educational. Jon-439 (from the WOOD Magazine forums)
-
I drive through a blinding snowstorm today to pick up a killer deal on a Dewalt 735 planer to supplement or replace my Delta 22-580. I know Gene Howe just replaced his 3 blade system with a helical head and gives his approval but how about the rest of you? I read that the 735 is a bit underpowered with the Shelix head and you can only take a maximum of 1/32” pass with it. Any of you guys running a 735 with a helical carbide head? Give me your opinion yea or nay before I drop $400 into one.
-
On January 3, I got a PM from One of our members, @Dadio, that literally left me speachless. (Doesn't happen often!) "Hi John, I am looking for home for the Raffle prize I won, the woodturning tools set. I am not a turner,and don't have a lathe, not interested in getting into turning any time soon,so I don't need the tools. If you would be interested, I will arrange with John for you to claim the Easy Tool Certificate. Herb" Upon recovering my composure, I got back to Herb and informed him that I would be DELIGHTED! Long story short, today a brown van stopped in front, and the driver handed me a long parcel. The best present I got for Christmas 2018! @John Morris has already informed me that I'll have to try them out and post about my experience, which I will certainly do, as soon as my little plumbing job is finished. It's been a few years since I turned anything, and I am really looking forward to it! Meanwhile, a big THANK YOU to Herb. I would have said he's one of a kind, but there are more like him on this site. Thanks also to Easy Wood Tools for their support of our site. John
- 22 replies
-
- 12
-
-
- ewt
- easy wood tools
- (and 1 more)
.png.1f6b339f08772f54381aabb42f9c8a1b.png)
.png.412cfc6ee24db21f58cce132992ccf08.png)
-.png.f849b758464fd3a37baa1e9bface1e04.png)
.jpg.d2bfbe25c25c41cb31d7070241f9d648.jpg.6cb418ba8949d2ece8cbdffe461dbc73.jpg)
.png.1e40c5f0594f2ffeb7fe7d302df178ad.png)
