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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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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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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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Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc posted images of his walnut bowls and a question about warping. His beautiful walnut bowls changed shape after they set for a bit. Check out his post and see if you can provide more information or suggestions- @Gerald had a craft show this past weekend but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. This is one of his "Friendship Bowls" he had for sale- Head on over to his post to see more of the bowls along with other items he had for sale- "What's On You Lathe" continues to highlight our turners' work! Some of what was posted- You can catchup here- We had some interesting comments on last week's "Wednesday's" about chuck removal. I appreciate the input- What’s Coming Up- 2023 Mid Atlantic Woodturners Association Symposium. Click on the image for registration For The Newbies- Turners are often asked to duplicate another piece. This video from Sam Angelo demonstrates one technique. What I found particularly interesting was the story stick he made with the pencil point notches- Expand Your Horizons- Watch Mike Waldt turn a Spalted Beech Lidded Box This video, from Turn A Wood Bowl, gives a a little insight to the question asked by @nevinc concerning warping- It is less expensive to buy unhandled lathe tools and then turn your own custom handle. Alan Stratton explores the possibilities- New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new parting tool kit. Check it out here- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&search=PARTING TOOL K&product_id=475 Everything Else- Tim Yoder got a new "toy"- Safe turning
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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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Birds chirping, sun shining, grass is green here in south central PA- probably snow tomorrow! Our Patriot Turners- @jthornton Posted a question about dust collection for his lathe. He posted pictures of his shop along with a description of what he currently has set. Please check his post and see if you can offer any suggestions to help him. JT continues to work on his "Dizzy Bowl". He has taken a lot of time to document the steps a and share the progress with us- You can catch up with his continued progress here- @Masonsailor finished up the bowl that will be the prize in his neighborhood's get-together. Some lucky family will really be happy with this- You can catchup here- "What's On Your Lathe" got a post from @forty_caliber. I think he must have hit the jackpot on Pecan! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- Ever use CA glue to fix a turning only to find out later that the CA stained the wood? This came in an email from Kent Weakley from Turn A Wood Bowl- Richard Raffan demonstrates how to modify an already turned bowl. Notice the use of the jam chuck which will be talked about more in Cindy Drozda's presentation. Another toothpick holder with a unique shape. Some spindle work and a little hollowing from Carl Jacobson- Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton continues to add Celtic Knots to his turnings. This time he experiments with a bowl. Embellishing a turning with color can turn an ordinary piece into something spectacular. This one from Craft Supplies USA on dying- Ebonizing may only be a single color but it can add striking effects to a turning. This article from Fine Woodworking was written more for the woodworker but can easily be "applied" to a turned object- https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/ebonizing-wood-2 A video for the recipe for the ebonizing solution can be found here- https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/video-ebonizing-oak-steel-wool-vinegar?oly_enc_id=7454G3912223B7R New Turning Items- Neither of these are really new. But some insights from other turners on equipment and resources. Everything Else- Been finishing up those little natural edge, flowering cherry tree bowls. Pictures to follow...
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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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Beautiful spring day here in south central PA. Dogwood trees in full bloom. Our Patriot Turners- @Ron Altier posted some images of his Christmas ornaments. One of his pieces was finished with his experiment using epoxy. Ron asked us what we thought about the finish. Please hop on over to his post and let him know what you think- "What's On Your Lathe" continues to show our turner's work. This week, @forty_caliber was working on some bowls- You can catchup here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for the links. For The Newbies- Received this information in an email from Kent Weakley- 49-Must-Know-Wood-Bowl-Turning-Terms.pdf Kent is a bowl turner and this video demonstrates making a natural edge bowl- starting with a log through to the finished piece. Mr. Weakley uses traditional turning tools. This video, from Craft Supplies USA, demonstrates turning a bowl using Easy Wood Tools carbide cutters. Lots of great tips for getting the best finish. Expand Your Horizons- Some random ideas to spark your creativity Carl gets "artsy-fartsy" Add marbling effects to a turning- Several of our members do four sided "inside-out" turnings. Alan Stratton made some with three sides- New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new version of his chatter tool available- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=23&product_id=261 Everything Else- Took a couple of days but I finally got this little elm bowl finished. Use the Easy Wood Tools beading cutters (1/4" & 3/16") @Jordan Martindale. Out of the drying box- Finished with Yorkshire Grit And from Ron Brown's newsletter- A journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. Excellence takes time, patience, and practice. Becoming an excellent craftsman or craftswoman is possible for all of us, but we must remember that improvement comes in small bites. Every time I walk away from the shop, I ask myself what I learned from this session. And there is always something new. It might be small, but it represents one more step in my journey to excellence. “The Expert In Anything Was Once A Beginner” Helen Hayes There is joy, sometimes hidden, in every journey. It is up to you to see and understand it. In a world gone crazy, common sense is still the currency you can count on. Study, practice, and remember. Before you know it, you will have become someone’s expert just like the expert you so admired yesterday. Being in my seventh decade of glorious living, I’m often asked when I plan to retire. My answer is always the same, “This is me retired.” This is what I would be doing if I didn’t have to work at a job. Last week I read about an interview with two sisters, one 106 and the younger one 104 years old. Asked about their secrets for long life, they both agreed on a few things that keep them young; reading, staying active, meeting new people, and learning new things keeps their minds sharp and their attitudes positive. It makes each day worth getting up. You’ve all heard about the “Supply chain issue,” with Asia. We are affected by it along with everyone else. When I have issues importing a popular product, I often figure out how to make it myself right here in Georgia, USA. And while I’m at it, I look at how I can make it better. That is exactly how you got the Longworth Chuck Type 2 and, ultimately, the doughnut ring option. Each product involves new equipment, processes, and materials most of which I have not worked with before. Hence, the joy of the journey. This week, I’m introducing our Chatter Tool Version 2.0 as a replacement for an item I’ve sold many thousands of over the years. Why? Greedy foreign manufacturers forced me to figure out how to make it in my own facility in Georgia. This improved version features an ergonomic vibration-dampening soft grip handle designed to reduce fatigue, and it comes with three blades. As companies fade away and their products become impossible to find, put on your inventor’s hat and figure it out. I know you can do it with a little persistence. Remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
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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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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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Our Ward 57 project was a complete success. Congrats to all of the raffle winners. Sure hope we get to see some pictures of the kids opening their presents! Writing this on Tuesday as Mimi is scheduled to have here right knee replace tomorrow. She had the left one done about a year ago. I'll be on nurse, cook, laundry, dog sitting and general all around house husband for then next couple of weeks. Our Patriot Turners- @jthornton posted a couple of things this past week. First is his segment jig- As often happens, the best laid plans of mice and men... anyway, he discovered the accuracy wasn't spot on. He tells us more in his post- JT went on to show us what he does with the segments he makes. This is an awesome bowl! Check out his post for more images and a little about the build- What’s Coming Up- Registration is at https://streamyard.com/watch/KGRprAZsAGQU More information here- https://woodturner.org/Woodturner/Virtual-Events/Emma_Cook_Resin_Inlay_Platter.aspx For The Newbies- Reverse sanding can be useful but it comes with some possible problems. Mike peace explains in this video- Do you use a scraper when turning? Richard Raffan shows us how to hone it for the best cuts- Expand Your Horizons- I get a lot of turning notification form various social media accounts. One from Sam Angelo popped up covering his home made finish. I was curious about food contact. Sent him a message but haven't heard back. Here's his video- It worried me about the turpentine. Did a little more digging and found something I didn't expect in a post by Kent Weakley. About have way through the article there is information comparing Linseed Oil to Boiled Linseed Oil. I'll let you decide about what/when you use the ingredients- https://turnawoodbowl.com/my-favorite-food-safe-wood-finish-waterproof-almost/ Another social media article popped up about the difficulty between turning large bowls vs. small bowls. Most of the respondents felt small bowls were more difficult. No one told Richard Raffan that! A beautiful maple burl bowl from Tim Yoder- New Turning Items- Couldn't find anything new but I did notice that Niles Bottle Stoppers have added some Yorkshire Grit products. Our generous sponsor Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) is now the US source for this great sanding finish! Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Got to play at the lathe the other day. Everyone was making those Gnomes/Gonks. I got this idea that they should be more than just a shelf setter. Turned this one from maple and walnut. The "fur" is from Hobby Lobby. I found some of the original Niles Bottle stoppers hidden in a box. Wine bottle stopper Safe turning
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Today, I had the greatest pleasure by being able to deliver all of the Ward 57 Christmas gifts to the Forney family. We met with Travis, Michelle and their two youngest sons- Houston and Levi. Great folks! Even though the kids' gifts have been purchased, there is still time to get in on the awesome prizes in our raffle. Your donations will be forwarded to Mr. and Mrs. Forney to help out with raising their 5 young boys. So, be generous, I know they will appreciate it beyond words. Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber posted a video from Robo Hippy describing a uniquely shaped gouge. Forty also purchased that tool and showed us a little on how well it worked- Forty also posted some images of his new sander/grinder setup. I really like that flexible shaft idea! @Bob Hodge posed a query about what type of spindle gouge would be good for turning finials. Several of our turners had suggestions and also shared some of their turnings from their favorite type of gouges @RustyFNTurned a couple of beautiful bowls- one from pecan and one from walnut What’s Coming Up- https://meetthewoodturner.com/ For The Newbies- It's getting closer to Christmas and if you are short a couple of gifts, Carl Jacobson has an idea for a cute little bottle stopper- Another gift idea comes from Mike Peace. This is a two part video and part 2 is linked from Mikes channel- Kent Weakley offers some tips on how to reduce the stress and strain on your body during turning- Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton uses mixed media to produce really fantastic Christmas ornaments. Last week, we posted a link to threaded inserts for screw-on lids. In this 2 part video Mike peace demonstrates how to cut your own threads directly into the wooden turning. Part 2 is linked from Mike's channel- Richard Raffan has a short video discussing various finishes for turnings. These aren't your ordinary clear coat finishes- New Turning Items- These LED lights are similar to the ones sold by Cindy Drozda. Pretty good price. Available from Woodturners Wonders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/lamps/products/eclipse-led-lathe-lamp On a personal note: if you have a soldering pencil, an old 5 volt USB charging brick and cable and a rare earth magnet- you can get these and build your own. Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Found this on social media and thought it described how many woodturners/woodworkers felt about their work Safe turning
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Frantic week here, unfortunately absolutely no time at the lathe. Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN rough turned a bunch of bowls- In his post he tells us about the type of wood and shows us some of the blanks- Rusty also finished a beautiful mahogany bowl Check out the nice comments by our turners- Last week, @forty_caliber picked up some really nice bowl blanks. He created some awesome pieces from them Check out more from his continued post- What’s Coming Up- Lots happening in the near future. Click on the images for links to more information and registration. For The Newbies- This is copied and pasted from Ron Brown's latest newsletter. Good advice for new turners when selecting tools. Should You Use A Butter Knife For Everything? Why not? Because there are times when a butter knife just won’t cut it. Sometimes you need a butcher knife to cut up chicken, steak, or a pork roast. You might need to peel a potato or an apple or cut up ingredients for a chunky salad. It is the same thing with lathe tools. Sometimes you need to slice, other times you need to scrape, and sometimes you just need to make a lot of material go away. When I first began to learn about turning, my turning buddies thought the key to turning like the professionals was having their tool with their grind. So, I bought a new tool with every new demonstration I watched. Turns out, it isn’t the tool! I began to analyze High-Speed Steel lathe tools and it didn’t take long to realize that there are only 6 basic categories for HSS tools; 7 if you include tools for hollowing. There are many different sizes within each category and many different grinds within each category. I even developed a helpful chart so you can better visualize each one. I’ve made it available as an Instant Free Download here: We call it “Turner’s Reference Guide.” You will have to be registered, also free, and logged into your account. I recommend you print this out and post it in your shop. My recommendation is to acquire a limited number of HSS tools in each category and add different sizes and grinds as you need them. Simply having 100 HSS turning tools doesn’t make you a better turner. This I found out the hard way. Here's the link to register for Mr. Brown's newsletter. Once registered, you can download the reference guide mentioned above. "It's Free"!! https://www.ronbrownsbest.com/index.php?route=account/register Want to expand your creativity? A video from the AAW on turning a mushroom- Turned beads are a great way to add interest to almost any turning. In this video, Mike Peace demonstrates some of the tools for turning beads- Turning a bowl from a log can be done several ways and it's always good to see the method used by other turners. Here Kent Weakley demonstrates his style- And, Richard Raffan's method- Expand Your Horizons- Need to turn a thin spindle? Jim Echter shows how it's done. Awesome skew work!! Always fun to watch Mike Waldt create a new item. This is part 1 of an elderberry vase. Yet another scoop version from Alan Stratton- I happened upon this on a social media site. We are always looking for food safe methods of finishing turnings. This may, or may not, be an effective but it sure is interesting. This is a copy and paste from Debbie Coull's Instagram post ( https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj3BgYgjbrC/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D ) so all can read it. "Sealing a food safe vessel with hot milk. No idea of the exact process as I struggled to get anything online for doing this with wood. Lots about how to do it with earthenware. So, since this is an ancient technique, I figured, keep it simple. Sycamore cereal bowl (hopefully), turned and sanded to 320. Exterior sealed with wax, interior left naked (I know the wax exterior will wash off after it's been in use and washed). Milk was heated till I burned the tip of my finger, then poured in till it lipped the rim. Now leaving it to cool. The process requires the casein protein in the milk penetrating and sealing the wood grain. I know there will be several folk comment about the milk going rancid, but I'm trusting the process. If it didn't work, then it wouldn't have been practiced for centuries." New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders has expanded their product line to include CA adhesives. You can check out their complete selection at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/adhesives Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
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It's been a slow week here for our turners. However, Easy Wood Tools is helping veterans get started and enjoy the satisfaction of woodturning and dealing with their PTSD. You can help this awesome cause by purchasing T-shirts. Head over to the Easy Wood Tools site and order yours while there is still time- https://www.easywoodtools.com/ Our Patriot Turners- Everyone was busy cleaning their shops What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration. The mid Atlantic Woodturning Symposium- From Craft Supplies USA- For The Newbies- Scroll chucks are are excellent for holding turnings but they can leave jaw impression marks on your work. In this video, Richard Raffan demonstrates how to almost completely eliminate them- A great video from Jim Rodgers on why catches occur when using gouges- Alan Stratton comes up with yet another method for turning scoops. This is a one piece scoop- Speaking of scoops, here's an old video from Tim Yoder demonstrating how he does it- Expand Your Horizons- How thin do you turn your bowls?? Here, Kent Weakley demonstrate techniques for turning really this bowls- Sometimes the turning we had in our mind isn't quite what comes off the lathe. Here, Tim Yoder makes design modifications on the fly. The results are pretty neat! If you have one of Ruth Niles' Joyner Off Center Jigs You know it can be a little frustrating imagining exactly what the final pattern will look like. In this video, from the AAW, Dawn Petrie-George shows how to create a template to help with this. Speaking of Ruth Niles, Cindy Drozda recently did a live stream on YouTube making bottle stoppers using Ruth's products- New Turning Items- Mike Waldt demonstrates a modular tool rest system. Not sure if this manufacturer is available in the U.S. Here in the U.S., there are several sources of similar products including Nova, Sorby and other woodworking outlets. Not a new item but a sale on sanding supplies from Woodturners Wonders- Check out the deals here- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/weekly-sale Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
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Just a couple of days left in our summer fund raiser. Please consider getting those raffle tickets, if you haven't already done it. Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald posted a fantastic walnut platter he just finished- Check out more images and the comments from our turners- @PostalTom moved his chess piece post into our woodturning forum. He has a great start on a bunch of the pieces. He is getting ready to turn the "Knights" and was curious about the procedure. Maybe you can help him with some ideas. What’s Coming Up- https://www.woodturner.org/Woodturner/2022VirtualSymposium/2022-Virtual-Symposium---Main.aspx?_zs=ceDib&_zl=kVAC3 For The Newbies- A chuck, stuck on the headstock threads, can be a real problem. In this video, Mike Peace discusses some of the ways to remove it and how to prevent it. Cindy Drozda hosts live tool chats from time to time. You can sign up for notifications when they will be available. http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Signup.html This is the video she posted from her last presentation- This video, from Kent Weakley, is on twice turning a bowl. What I found interesting is the type of chuck he used to hold the bowl to get it ready for mounting on his chuck. Expand Your Horizons- Last week we posted information on cleaning CBN grinder wheel. @Gerald pointed out there is some disagreement on whether or not this is necessary. Not having used CBN sharpening products, I was not aware of this difference in opinion. I searched the AAW boards for some more information and found this- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/cbn-wheel-cleaning.13014/ The discussion touches on several "cleaning" ideas as well as some other wheel care. Along the CBN lines, here's a video from Mike Waldt setting up a grinder with CBN wheels. Although the video is about a specific manufacturer, there are lots of great tips- From the AAW, a video on multi-axis spindle turning How does a true artist deals with the unexpected? Richard Raffan demonstrates- New Turning Items- Ken Rizza, from Woodturners Wonders, has a video demonstrating the Kodiak MAX sharpening system. Everything Else- The Richard Raffan video demonstrated how to work around the unexpected. Frank Howarth takes it to a whole other level. Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
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Jeeze, half way thru June already! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN showed us a new vase he is turning. I really like the shape on this one. Check out his post for all the positive comments- As so often happens, a new turning requires an additional piece of equipment. Rusty's vase project needed a Steady Rest. The one he built looks awesome- Here's more and some comments- @Masonsailor created a beautiful base for a protective glass globe. The entire project displays a prized possession As always, Paul's post contain informative images about his processes. An update on an older thread about lathe tool sharpening. @Bob Hodge has added CBN wheels to his sharpening arsenal and had some questions about using the Wolverine system with the wheels. Please check out his post and offer any advice you can- What’s Coming Up- This Friday, June 17 2022, there will be a free Vendors Showcase Here's the link provided by Cindy Drozda- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41FJ5JM109M From the Art Of Turning- Link to more information- https://www.artofturning.com/?mc_cid=dee7298ffb&mc_eid=480d9e65bf For The Newbies- Some projects require the use of metal inserts to hold threaded utensils. In this video, Carl Jacobson show a neat way to install the inserts from Ruth Niles- A bowl turning video from Alan Stratton. What I found interesting in this one was the faceplate jig and the safety measures used when reverse chucking with the mortice. Not sure if everyone can view this video from Lyle Jamison, on Facebook. An interesting method of assuring a reverse chuck maintains the original centerline axis. https://fb.watch/dFPTsQz-05/ Expand Your Horizons- Several of our turners have made "gnomes" in the past. Here's another how-to video on making them. Check out the use of our sponsor's tools- @Jim from Easy Wood Tools!! Kent, from Turn A Wood Bowl, has an interesting video and discussion about turning and dust collection. New Turning Items- Some new information on the Kodiak Sharpening system from Woodturners Wonders- A special on Ruth Niles pizza cutters! https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/pizza-night-special-kit-2/ Recently we mentioned that Ron Brown had released a stabilizing device for hollowing bowls. Sam Angelo puts it through its paces Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week-
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We all enjoyed getting away last week. Nothing like eating your way up and down the boardwalk Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN asked some questions about rough turned bowls- He received lots of input from our members. Check out his post and see if you can add to the conversation Rusty also shared a completed Bradford Pear bowl he made. It sure is a beauty- He tells us a little about the turning in his post What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Lyle Jamieson For The Newbies- Rusty's question concerning rough turning wood bowls ties into these videos on drying turning blanks- Not sure if everyone can see this video on Instagram. This is a screen grab from John Jordan and the link- https://www.instagram.com/p/CcWy7uYLwqp/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY Need a portable way to carry your lathe tools? Mike Peace may have just what you need Spring is busting out all over- so they tell me- Alan Stratton is making flowers that won't freeze! Couple of smaller projects picked up from the AAW- Salt and Pepper mills- and a little scoop- Expand Your Horizons- Cindy Drozda is doing more online, live presentations. You can find her on the web at https://www.facebook.com/cindy.drozda.3/ https://www.youtube.com/user/cindydrozda https://twitter.com/CindyDrozda Her latest YouTube video Vacuum chucks are one of the easiest way to reverse chuck a bowl to finish off the bottom. Here Jim Rodgers explains Lyle Jamieson turns a beautiful crotch hollow vessel Carl Jacobson has a super easy way to do beautiful inlays- Mike Waldt turns a beech goblet- New Turning Items- Ron Brown has a new stabilizer for those who do hollowing- Some sale prices on our most generous sponsor's products ( @Jim from Easy Wood Tools) from Craft Supplies USA- https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/Sales/8/Easy-Wood-Tools?utm_source=csusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ewt&utm_campaign=22-04-ewt-1 They also have a new, small lathe available- https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/216/7390/artisan-1420-EVS-Mini-Lathe?utm_source=csusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=1420&utm_campaign=22-04-1420 Ruth Niles has a special deal on an assortment of stoppers designed for liquor bottles Click on the above image for the link to her store. Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last two weeks- Safe turning
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Starting into another month already. This is April and taxes are due in a little over a week. Hope our turners post their new tools purchased with those gigantic refunds! Our Patriot Turners- @Reese Aukee showed us some more of those cute little hedgehogs she turns. Reese received lots of positive comments and some questions about her turnings. Check out her post- @Gerald posted a comment in our sub-forum for Ring Master Turning. We have an ongoing thread in our woodturners forum discussing how we decide what to make from a chunk of wood. @Gerald suggested this topic and we have had several entries. Please take some time to see the thought processes (or lack thereof ) when trying to decide what to make. We look forward to seeing your turnings and how they came to be. If you are into turning miniatures, @kmealy showed us a neat portable lathe. He received lots of comments! ¹ What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- Cindy Drozda has been offering both paid and free online presentations. If you would like to receive notifications of her events, check out this link- http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Signup.html For The Newbies- A hodgepodge of videos to help us be more knowledgeable as beginning turners- Have some wood from a downed tree? Ashley Harwood has a few tips on helping prevent logs from cracking- Of course you need to first get that tree cut into manageable chunks. Here Lyle Jamieson and Sam Angelo have some tips on using the chainsaw- In combination with a chainsaw, the bandsaw can be used to create turning blanks. Robo Hippy's informative video gives us lots of pointers- Expand Your Horizons- Once you get that tree log into a manageable blank, you can create a beautiful natural edge bowl. Lyle Jamieson shows us how. If a natural edge bowl doesn't thrill you, here, Kent Weakley shows us how to turn a "magnetic" paper clip bowl! With Easter coming up fast, a cool turning from Alan Stratton on turning the perfect egg- What is a Kuksa? And How to Turn One? Mike Peace does some turning, carving and shaping! Basket weave illusion bowls are quite popular. Carl Jacobson turned something a little more shapely using the basket weave process. New Turning Items- For the pen turners, Craft Supplies USA has a new pen kit- Hobble Creek Craftsman King's Camo Bolt Action Pen Blank Click on the image for the link to more information Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning ¹ Only available on April 1st.
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Our Patriot turners have been busy in their shops this week with a wide range of project! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker accepted his club president's challenge for making gnomes or "gonks". Steve received lots of comments and questions. Please check out his post for more images and ideas- Steve also showed us a new toy he bought. I have to say, I'm kinda partial to this one myself Sooner or later it happens to all of us. @Gerald was turning a bowl and disaster struck. But undaunted, Gerald pressed on and salvaged what otherwise would have been firewood. Check out what he did and the end results at- New member @Reese Aukee posted some of her awesome turnings. Reese is new to turning but it looks like she is a natural and a real eye for creativity!! She shared more of her work here- @Ron Altier is finally getting back into the shop after a brief hiatus as caregiver. As for most of us, woodturning is our relaxation and meditation- All did not goes as planned for Ron. As often happens, "the best laid plans of mice and men..." This post by @Headhunter reminded me that we really haven't promoted our "Ringmaster Sub-Forum" very often. Check out this post for some fantastic creations! Here is the link to the Ringmaster sub-forum- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/forums/forum/98-ringmaster-turning/ What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for the links to registration and more information- From the AAW- From a social media post by Rebecca DeGroot- For The Newbies- From Carl Jacobson, a video covering some tools that make turning easier- Turning a thin walled bowl has a bit of a learning curve but they are beautiful and elegant. However, thin walled bowls are rather fragile and may not be suitable for utilitarian use. Here, Kent from Turn A Wood Bowl, demonstrates how to have to the best of both worlds. Mike Peace shows us we don't need a chainsaw or a chunk of log to make a bowl- Expand Your Horizons- Some turning, some carving and a lot of sanding when Tim Yoder tackles a Manzanita root- This one's for @Ron Altier. Ron turns crochet hooks for his Mrs. This video, from Alan Stratton, shows how to turn quilting tools. New Turning Items- Woodturners wonders have their Lathe Track System on sale. Check it out at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/lathe-track Mentioned this before. Ruth Niles sold her business to Carl and Robin Jacobson. Ruth is holding a clearance sale to avoid having to ship a lot of stock from Pennsylvania to Oregon. Here are some examples of the savings available- Click on the image for the link to more sale items. The sale ends April 3!!! Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Cherry burl/wood platter from a piece of wood I got at the Nittany Woodturners Club meeting a while back-
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Lovely spring day here in south central PA. My grandmother would have called this "the robin snow" Our Patriot Turners- Not too much happening from our turners this week. @Gerald did post about some of his sales on a different forum in answer to questions about craft shows- What’s Coming Up- From "Meet The Woodturner"- A two day event featuring quite a list of presenters and a wide variety of topics. Click on the above image for the link to the home page and associated information. From Ruth Niles- Click on the above image for the link to registration. For The Newbies- Turning can be like dancing- there are lots of subtle moves that makes it an enjoyable pastime. This video from Kent Weakley demonstrates body movements that can really improve your turning abilities. Cap'n Eddie has a nice little video with a shop tip on protecting your lathe ways. Simple device and easily made- Our shops are almost always in a state of flux. New equipment, saying goodbye to old stuff and changes in interest can all lead to rearrangements. Some of you may be lucky enough to have local friends to compare notes and idea. Others need to rly of folks like Mike Peace to help with ideas on shop reorganization. Expand Your Horizons- Lyle shows shaping and hollowing small objects with Hollowing System and laser measuring. Richard Raffan posted a couple of really nice turned box videos. Both are cross grained turnings. The second video shows making a suction fit lid. New Turning Items- The folks at Woodturners Wonders have a new lamp available. Check it out at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/products/nebula-led-lamp Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- You may remember from last week, I was trying to figure out what to do with that piece of Manzanita. Gerald suggested carving it instead of turning. I seriously considered that, however, that would have required the purchase of new realm of tools/equipment. As I have already spent my allowance on a new laser engraver, turning it seemed to be the least expensive option. The piece had 3 nubs on the most flat side (circled) which seemed to say "these will be my feet". That meant some sort of mounting had to be made, on this side, for chucking the piece. The stumper was that the opposite side was anything but flat! Using scraps under what would become the top, and hot melt glue, the piece was fastened to my very old shop made chuck; making sure the 3 nub feet were at a level plane. Various length posts added to hold the piece while spinning. And some additional safety taping. Turned a recess. I wanted to leave as much of the natural shape as possible. If I had cut a dovetail mortice for the main mounting, the chuck would not fit with all of the natural shapes. Made a glue block and a paper joint. Utter failure! Considered just a plain glue joint but recently saw a lot of information on hot glue for mounting. I'm Sold! That stuff really holds!! Re-chucked in the lathe. Fairly well balanced and had no trouble with vibration up to and above 1000 rpms. Ready for sanding on the front. First coat of wipe on gloss poly. After the second coat, I'll see what it looks like. Then remove the glue block, reverse chuck it and finish up the area where the glue block is located. Safe turning
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Woodturners took a page out of the lumber industry playbook for drying their bowl blanks. If you can speed up drying lumber, why not a bowl blank. Turners have been building/repurposing equipment to create drying kilns for some time. The trick to incorporating this method is not to dry the bowl blanks too quickly. As with the previous methods, controlling the moisture loss to equilibrium is a balancing act. Too slow and you'll grow old waiting as well as mold can grow on the blanks. Too fast and the blanks run the risk of cracking. A quick Internet search will yield a plethora of ideas, videos and "professionals". I've tried to pick more authoritative sources for reliable ideas. This first exchange is from the American Association of Woodturners. The original poster inquired about a shop made kiln. The responses were from experienced turners and they offered good advice/ideas. https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/home-made-kiln.12618/ Following along with this post, led me to Cindy Drozda's site and her instructions on a drying kiln- http://www.cindydrozda.com/handouts_Pdfs/handouts/demo handouts/drying_kiln.pdf Another woodturning organization- The Baltimore Woodturners- wrote this article on how one of their members built/modified his kild- https://www.baltimoreareaturners.org/articles/bowldryingkiln.pdf All of the preceding ideas are based around drying a lot of bowls. Not every turner (myself included) needs to process a dozen or more bowls at one time. For me, I needed to find something that could dry a few small bowls (5" to 6" in diameter) or maybe 1 or 2 medium to large bowls. Rick Morris (aka Rick Turns) came up with a space saving idea using readily available materials. His kiln idea can be set up to dry a bowl(s) and then disassembled when done. With my small shop, this idea was really appealing. Rick's video goes shows how he made his kiln/drying box- Never one to let well enough alone, I had to add my twist to what Rick did. If the entire heat/air mechanism could be incorporated into one unit, storing it would be easier and I might not forget where I put all of the pieces. I used Sketchup to design a one piece unit To hold the unit snuggly to the card board box, there are a couple of long sheet metal screws that pierce the box and grab the cardboard. Some foam rubber, self sticking, air barrier tape makes a pretty good seal. I had to experiment with the bulb size to prevent the temperature from going too high. So far this is a workable idea. The Sketchup model is available to anyone who wants it. Kilns work by applying heat to the outside of the wood and migrating to the inside. What if we applied the heat to the inside and allowed it to migrate out? A turner, somewhere, thought- "the microwave heats like that!" Placing the rough blank in the microwave for a few minutes at a time can be used to drive out the moisture. This turner suffered severe injuries when his wife returned home and found him in her kitchen. If you decide to use this method- buy your own microwave! Again, I've tried to find reputable sources for ideas and tips. The first 2 are from the AAW and contain additional links to more information- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/drying-wood-in-oven-or-microwave.6855/ And- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/microwave-bowl-drying.9555/ This video, from Kent Weakley, describes the process and provides a bunch of tips Another method of applying heat is to use a dehydrator. With the proper temperature settings this can also be a viable drying procedure Next up we'll look at some not so traditional methods of drying
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