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  1. Stonemasons finished the chimney today. Mimi says it looks really nice. Our Patriot Turners- Member @keithlong asked a question about carbide, negative rake bead cutters. He was curious if anyone had experience with them. Please check out his post and maybe give him your opinion. The "What's OFF Your lathe..." and "What's On Your Lathe..." topics had activity this week by @kreisdorph. He showed us some really nice bowls and one that didn't quite make it. From Off the lathe- New stuff and comments start here- And, What's On the lathe The new stuff starts here- Some good discussions in both posts. What’s Coming Up- This is the video from last Friday's Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda. It was a little different as she talked about the new "gadgets" she has in her shop. Click on the following images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- A couple of turning tips from Lyle Jamieson- Sam Angelo has created a new YouTube channel to help the new turner get started. It's called "Learn 2 Turn With Sam" The introduction to the channel And one of the first lessons- For a woodturner, one of the most useful machines, besides the lathe, is a bandsaw. In this video, Kent Weakley discusses Bandsaw Basics. The latest issue of Woodcraft Magazine (April/May 2024) has a great article for someone thinking about getting started in woodturning. It covers just about everything you need to consider. There's also a how-to article on turned fishing lures. Check it out at your local newsstand or in the magazine section at the local Borg. Expand Your Horizons- A couple of weeks ago, we included a video from Alan Stratton on multi-axis star ornaments. Alan has refined his process and posted this video- One of our member from a long time ago, @Charles Nicholls, used to turn light pulls. It's a great way to use up scraps and Charles sold many of his turnings. Mike Waldt shows us how he does it. New Turning Items- Even though I turn almost exclusively with carbide tools, I do have and can use traditional HSS tools. For sharpening the HSS tools, I use a Tormek slow, wet grinder. Tormek has an extensive lineup of sharpening jigs to aid in getting those razor sharp edges. Now, those styles of jigs are available from Woodturners Wonders, for other types of grinders and they are on sale! Click on the above image for the link to the sale page. Everything Else- I had some sycamore bowls roughed out and dried. Spent an hour or so this afternoon working on the closed bowl shape. The wood itself is pretty unexciting grain wise so I added some extra details to make it more interesting. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to reverse it and finish out the bottom. Used Yorkshire grit and beeswax/mineral oil for finishing. Burned rings. Beads made with EWT beading cutters. Safe turning
  2. 60° this afternoon. Storm front passed over a few minutes ago, now down to 51° Our Patriot Turners- We've had a couple of entries in our "What's On Your Late" continuing post- @kreisdorph and @teesquare posted some of their work- You can catchup with all the comments and more images at @Gerald is still recovering from knee surgery but is slowly getting back into his shop. He is working to put together a JaHo jig. From the video in his post, it looks like an awesome device to add incredible embellishments to turned pieces. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration information- This is the video from Todd Raines (All Things Woodturning) on jam chucking that was presented live this past Friday. A little long but some interesting pointers. https://streamyard.com/watch/dRHpgGNz55hV For The Newbies- Thinking of buying a new lathe? Kent Weakley has an article on some of the things you may want to consider- https://turnawoodbowl.com/buying-a-wood-lathe-5-things-you-need-to-know/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Expand Your Horizons- A week or so ago, we posted Part# 1 of a Mike Wald video "A Lidded Box an In Depth Guide". Mike has added part #2- Woodworker's Journal has published their Woodturning Monthly newsletter The entire newsletter can be read here- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email One of the articles is from Ernie Conover in which he turns an Hawaiian Calabash bowl- Several of our turners have made this style of bowl. The article links to an Hawaiian turner- Emiliano Achaval- and conversation about turning this style of bowl- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/video-emiliano-achaval/ New Turning Items- "Nothing to see here, move along" Everything Else- I have never been very skilled at creating pleasant looking designs/forms/proportions. Every now and then something turns out OK but usually it's pretty neanderthal and my hollowing is mostly confined to bowls. There was some of that wind shake cherry left, so I decided to play a little. I have a set of Easy Wood Tools Mini Hollowers as well as a set of mid-sized hollowers. Used some of each to make these. I think the one on the right should have had a smaller diameter "neck". I didn't make any real effort to finish them- just some sanding. Safe turning jhdgfj
  3. End of January already. Friday is Groundhog Day and in 2 weeks it's Fastnacht Day! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker posted images of a bird turning. This one is different than the small birds he adds to his bird house ornaments Check out Steve's post for his description and inspiration for these lovely likenesses. Keeping with the bird theme, @HandyDan posted some awesome birdhouses/gnome houses Dan has gotten those tiny birds down to an science! See his post for more images and additional information about these fantastic turnings! @Fred W. Hargis Jr posted a safety oriented video that reminds us there are dangers lurking when using the lathe! I, for one, will take this video to heart. A few things were added to our "What's On Your Lathe" continuing thread. You can catchup with all the comments and more images starting at- A gorgeous ring box made by @calabrese55 An incredible lighted turning from @teesquare And a walnut bowl along with a white oak platter with a Pewa patch What’s Coming Up- Click on the above image for the link to more information and preregistration. For The Newbies- If you are considering using traditional tools for bowl turning, you may be confused by all of the different "grinds" or shapes for the bowl gouge. In this short video, Lyle Jamieson discusses his signature grind and why he uses it. Here are a few more resources for learning about the various grinds- https://turnawoodbowl.com/bowl-gouge-basics-beginner-guide-parts-use-sizes-grinds-inforgraph/ https://turnawoodbowl.com/bowl-gouge-sharpening-angles-illustrated-guide/ https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/video-understanding-bowl-gouge-grinds/ https://stuartbattytools.com/free-videos-%26-articles#11a33c77-bf25-4de7-9257-fd1dbc667a1c When you first start down the slippery slope of turning, it is tempting to purchase expensive exotic woods for those beautiful pieces you've seen. In these two videos, the common thread is to use "green" (freshly cut) wood. Green wood turns much easier than dried wood. It is less expensive than the exotics. And, you'll often be surprised at the beauty hiding within the pieces. Expand Your Horizons- Add some finesse to your next lidded box with a finial! Lyle Jamieson discusses finial design considerations- Mike Waldt has started a multi part in-depth guide for turning a lidded box- Part#1 New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders has become a dealer for Easy Wood Tools Check out the products at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/easy-wood-tools?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  4. Chilly, damp, rainy day. Hope everyone had enjoyable Christmas. Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr Asked our turners a question about tear out. More specifically, Fred wanted to know what tools and techniques could be used to prevent/repair it. Please see Fred's post and check out what our members had to offer and provide some input. New member @Barbara asked about getting a lathe as a gift for a novice. If you live in the Chicago area, maybe you could offer some leads. @RustyFN Showed us the shavings left from a bowl turn and mused about perhaps purchasing a coring system. Of course our gang had lots of other suggestions and some good natured ribbing- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration If you missed Cindy Drozda's presentation on her recess tool, she has it posted on her YouTube channel- For The Newbies- Lyle Jamieson has a short video on preventing vibrations while turning- An article from Kent Weakley help reduce/eliminate tool marks when turning a bowl- https://turnawoodbowl.com/10-tool-marks-tricks-wood-bowl-understand-fix-remove/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Nice video from Craft Supplies USA on bowl turning- Expand Your Horizons- A couple of ideas to add more excitement to your turnings Ebonizing- https://turnawoodbowl.com/5-magical-ebonizing-wood-tricks-how-to-techniques-recipes/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Make your own spalted wood- https://turnawoodbowl.com/spalting-and-spalted-wood-bowls/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Mike Waldt demonstrates turning a goblet in real time- New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders has made a change in their available sharpening systems- Click on the above image for more information. Everything Else- Sometime back, we included information on the Christmas Ornament Challenge hosted by Alan Stratton of "As Wood Turns". He has posted a video of the winners. Check out these beautiful and imaginative works of art! Safe turning
  5. Only 68 turning days until Christmas!!!! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald gave us a peek at his next project that will be going on his lathe- His post has a little more about this glue up and what he is doing while the glue dries- What’s Coming Up- Lots of stuff in the future! Click on the images for the links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- Woodturning safety is paramount! In this recent video, Cindy Drozda discusses some of the most important "PPEs" Venturing down the rabbit hole of bowl turning can lead to an addiction. Soon, every shelf in your home, friends, relatives and co-workers have at least one. Maybe you've considered selling them. There are lots of opinions on pricing your work. Here's one from Kent Weakley- https://turnawoodbowl.com/pricing-wood-bowls-for-profit-three-approaches/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Expand Your Horizons- As mentioned, Christmas is fast approaching. Here's some ideas for ornaments for gifts or for yourself. First up is Mike Peace turning a bird ornament similar but larger than the awesome ones done by our own @Steve Krumanaker From Alan Stratton, a sea urchin ornament but without the sea urchin- And, from Carl Jacobson, a natural edge bowl ornament- Our own @Gerald and the club he belongs to are faithful supporters of the "Beads Of Courage" boxes. In this video, Alan Stratton discusses how he creates his version of a box to save those beads. Some neat jigs for turning the "staves" he used to make the box. Mike Peace shared a "cool" trick on how he unstuck a thread lid on a box- I cannot remember if I saw this information here on the Patriot or on a social media site. The question was concerning a ring type turning that was then sliced into thin pieces. After some searching, I discovered there are called "German Rings". Simon Beggs seems to have a lock on how these are done- If you have accounts at Facebook or Instagram, you can see more of these- https://www.instagram.com/simonbeggswoodturning/ https://www.facebook.com/simonbeggswoodturning/ New Turning Items- From Woodturners Wonders https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/ultimate-sanding-system?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Some new products reviewed by Mike Waldt. I am not sure if all of these are available in the united states- Everything Else- Did an Easy Wood Tools demo at the Woodcraft of Richmond this past Saturday. Really nice folks there and the Woodcraft store is huge! They even had refreshments- The turners I spoke to really like the Easy Chuck and the #1 hollower.
  6. Last Wednesday in September but at least we had a sunny day here, for a change. Our Patriot Turners- @Roy showed us a really neat segmented turning that will be used a traveling trophy at his wife's work. He asked our turners several questions including their opinions on carbide tools. Please check out his post and see if your can provide any insights from your experiences. @nevinc posed a question about a turning blank he purchased. Seems the blank was quite wet and he was wondering about the turning options. Please check out his post, the comments and add your ideas. Nevin also showed us another cool bowl turning he made. In his post, there are more images and comments from our turners- @HandyDan needs to get a couple of "barn cats" to take care of his problem. Seems he has mice!! As usual, Dan has gotten ahead of us all with this years batch of Christmas ornaments. Check out his post for more images- @forty_caliber completed another one of his beautiful pecan bowls- He received lots of positive comments in his post- @RustyFN finished up a request from his wife to turn a pumpkin (hope she didn't mean he was to turn INTO a pumpkin) Rusty describes the turning and its purpose in his post- We've had more activity on our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe" @forty_caliber and @calabrese55 both added what they have been up to. You can catchup up starting here- What’s Coming Up- Live tomorrow, September 28, with Cindy Drozda- Preregister here- http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Signup.html For The Newbies- Jim Rodgers' video describing some of the various turning tools used for hollowing A short video about woodturning safety equipment from Cindy Drozda- If you have started turning bowls, you know it can be challenging to find a way to hold the work. This video, from Richard Raffan, he demonstrates the process from start to finish on a rough turned bowl. What is interesting is how he has prepared the rough blank for being held by the chuck on the inside of the bowl. A video short from Tim Yoder on turning stance- Expand Your Horizons- A different kind of winged bowl from Alan Stratton- Over the last several weeks we have had information on various thread cutting processes. Sam Angelo prepares a new set of chasers for use. Sam explains why and how he modifies his chasing tools- Mike Peace explores what the term "Food Safe" finish- New Turning Items- Mike Waldt reviews a new vase steady rest- Woodturners Wonders has expanded their product line. They now carry "Hold Fast" vacuum chuck systems. Here's the link to that page on their website- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/hold-fast?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Ken Rizza added a YouTube video to further explain the additions to their product line- Everything Else- I think I would buy the game instead of this, but Richard Raffan turns what we used to call Pick Up Sticks! And from Ron Brown's Newsletter- 22 Things I Wish I Knew In The Beginning Friends, here is a partial list of things I wish someone had told me when I first started wood-turning. I plan to do a follow-up article based on your responses to things you wish someone had told you. Things I didn’t mention. Send your comments to me at ronbrown@coolhammers.com. 1) I wish I had a “Turner’s Reference Guide” It is now a free download and very worth your time. Get it at www.ronbrownsbest.com or <Here> You have to be logged into your account. 2) When you get a lathe, you’ve just started to spend money 3) You can turn small things on a big lathe, but it is difficult to turn big things on a small lathe. 4) There are four pillars to woodturning: a) The lathe itself, turning tools (HSS & Carbide), Chucks and work holding devices, and sharpening 5) There are 6 basic types of HSS turning tools but lots of sizes of each type. a) Skews, parting tools, scrapers, spindle roughing gouges, spindle gouges, and bowl gouges 6) Buying HSS tools in sets is usually not a good idea. Get the tool you need when you need it. Learn to use it, learn to sharpen it. 7) Carbide tools are a separate category and 98% are scrapers a) Diamond, round, square, square with radius 8) Hollowing tools can be a separate category a) Scrapers (HSS and Carbide) & ring tools 9) You don’t need 150 different tools, about 15 will do a) It is easy to overpay for turning tools if you only buy brand names because of the brand. Save the expensive stuff for when you are more experienced and can tell the difference in quality. b) It is never a good idea to buy based on the cheapest-priced tool. c) Most mid-priced turning tools today have excellent quality M2 steel for the hobby turner 10) Sharp tools are safer, easier to work with and leave a better finish 11) Develop the habit of sharpening often 12) Hone your skews, avoid the grinder if at all possible 13) Sharpening is a cornerstone skill and worth the investment in time and money 14) Some kind of HSS tool sharpening jig is one of the things every woodturner needs to own as soon as possible. Tools last longer, grinds are repeatable, and you will sharpen more often because it becomes quick and easy. Turning will be more fun and safer. 15) At least one Scroll chuck is mandatory 16) Free wood isn’t free 17) Green wood is like lettuce, it goes bad very quickly so seal it immediately 18) Use PPE, accidents happen in microseconds. Direct pressure usually stops the bleeding 19) Good tool technique along with sharp tools eliminates much of the sanding 20) Stop! Carefully examine your work at every step before going to the next process a) If you can still see individual sanding scratch marks, go back and do it again before moving up to the next finer grit. 21) Swing diameter is far less important than horsepower on larger projects. 22) When your workpiece flies out of the chuck or comes loose from between centers, are you in the correct position to avoid injury? Safe turning
  7. Only ONE week left in our summer fund raiser. Please consider donating to help keep our site alive- Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber hasn't used up all of that pecan stash. Check out this beauty- He tells us a bit more in this post- @Gerald was turning a tenon and uncovered this unusual shape. He asked what we thought it could be. Check out more images and the thoughts of our members- Boy, did we get a bunch of neat turnings posted on our "What's On Your Lathe" topic! @Gerald, @calabrese55, and @RustyFN all were busy in their shops- You can catchup starting here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Form Mike Peace. Some good tips about the size of a tenon vs. the diameter of the piece- Mike also has some thoughts on purchasing kits- A hint from Tim Yoder about retaining those beautiful colors in your turnings- Are there little ones in your family? Sam Angelo shows how to create some simple turnings that could become favorite toys. Expand Your Horizons- You pulled that bowl round off the shelf and discovered it had a nasty split, now what! Here's what Richard Raffan does- Got the outside turned and starting to hollow out the inside and then this! What would you do? Tenon or mortice?? How about neither! Mike Waldt's video short of turning a large platter illustrates the strength of hot glue! New Turning Items- Several of the vendor attendees to SWAT did a live video showing much of what was happening and is available for viewing. I did catch one unique item from Niles Stoppers. Audio is a little off. https://streamyard.com/watch/8dzBZqCXEzpu A couple of weeks ago, we posted a new item from Ron Brown- the lathe disk sander. Ron has since added a short video of its operation- Woodturners Wonders is now handling Crown Tools. Check out more at- https://woodturnerswonders.com/search?type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=crown* tools*&_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- I Meant To Do That! Show-and-tell is an important element at any gathering of craft people, turners included. I implemented a guideline at the Gwinnett Woodworker’s regular Saturday morning meetings: "Don’t point out flaws.” If it isn’t blatantly obvious, don’t talk about it. Stay positive and share what you enjoyed about making this piece and possibly what you might have learned. In an attempt to appear humble, we sometimes point out our shortcomings or mistakes so we won’t appear to brag about what we’ve accomplished. You put in the time, energy, and effort to create something you are proud of. Don’t diminish it by pointing out the smallest of mistakes. One of our members was describing his piece which was very impressive by the way, he mentioned what became known as “the hanging hole.” None of us could see it, folks asked him to show us what he meant because it was so minor that even if you saw his mistake, you wouldn’t think anything of it. Most of the pieces woodturners make are unique because the wood's character can vary dramatically. Often there is no standard for comparison. If your piece didn’t turn out exactly like you intended, don’t be disappointed, be proud of what you did accomplish. Mistakes Can Be An Opportunity For An Object Lesson! A famous highly skilled local woodturner was demonstrating hollow forms when he suddenly pierced the vessel's side. Rather than giving up, he brilliantly used this turn of events as an object lesson on what to do with the remaining material. If you have never come through the bottom of a bowl or through the side of a hollow form, just wait, you will sooner or later. It’s a little more difficult when you do it in front of 30 other turners! Things are rarely perfect and yet most are still beautiful. Only someone lacking wisdom would criticize your work and point out small flaws. Don’t be easily offended and don’t do it yourself; that can lead to false humility. You’ve put in the work and practiced for untold hours, sometimes years, to gain your specific skill set. In other words, you’ve earned it Safe turning
  8. Just 2 weeks left is our fundraising drive. Please consider donating and taking a chance on wining one of our sponsors' awesome prizes! Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker continues to supply his unique turnings for a local "Bee" business- Steve's post has more images of some of the custom things he makes! @RustyFN scored some Bradford pear and showed us his blank preparation. Looks like some awesome bowls in his future Check out Rust's post- @Gerald has been busy replenishing his craft show stock- Check out his post to see what these are! @PostalTom updated us on the chess set he made. Tom included a closeup of the turned chess pieces, in his post Tom also posted some kitchen utensil items in our "What's On Your Workbench" forum- Our "What's On Your Lathe" continues to showcase our turners' projects! @nevinc, @forty_caliber and @Gerald all shared images of what's happening What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links- For The Newbies- A variety of topics from around the web- From Tim Yoder, a couple of short video tips- From Mike Waldt, help for using my old nemesis- the Skew! This is a live demo so it is really long- Have you ever tried to cut a round blank on the bandsaw? Not a bowl blank, but rather an end off of a cylinder shape. If not secured properly, the blade can grab the piece and even break the blade. Mike Peace cautions about this and shares a video on making it safer. Expand Your Horizons- Craft Supplies USA created a video demonstrating the use of the Easy Core One Way Coring System. This is a rather long video but does demonstrate using the system. In the description, the presentation is broken down so the viewer can select sections to view. We've noticed several discussions about finishing, on other Patriot forums, and the subject of shellac pops up frequently. This link, from Kent Weakley, is to an article on making and using shellac as a bowl finish. https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/ I think everyone here knows my love of carbide turning tools. @smitty10101 posted about using Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) to turn a bowl. The video is from Craft Supplies USA New Turning Items- Ron Brown has been creating and posting videos, on his YouTube channel, discussing his hollowing stabilizer. You can check them out at- https://www.youtube.com/@Ronbrownsbest/videos With SWAT happening this weekend, there will probably be some new products shown. Be sure to check out the Vendor showcase listed above for live feeds of some of the products. Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter, something I think we all have struggled with from time to time- What Is It Worth? I’ve had lots of questions about pricing one or two special pieces. For the vast majority of woodturners, it is a hobby, they never intend to sell anything they make. Some folks are interested in turning as a side gig but have no idea how to price their work. As someone who has experience in just about every conceivable selling venue, I would like to pass along what I have learned. Any object is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. When I’m considering how to price anything I’ve made or plan on making, there is a formula I use: Cost of material + Time @ desired labor rate = Hard Cost Hard Cost X 4 = Suggested Retail Selling Price Hard Cost X 2 = Wholesale Selling Price Average Market Price For Similar Items; Am I Close? This is only a starting point. Determine the “Market Price” for similar items depending on the selling venue, are you in the ballpark? The Market Price in an Arts & Crafts Gallery is very different from the Market Price at a street craft fair and those prices are different on Etsy, eBay, your own website, or Amazon. Don’t forget about the associated cost for each venue. The last measure is a selling price that I feel good about. In other words, it is a Win-Win; the customer is happy at that price and I was happy to make it for them. An absolute fact of life is that everybody loves a bargain. (See the scripture below). Your “Retail Price” should be some amount above the price you hope to sell it for. Every retail store on the planet understands this and so should you. If you are selling one-on-one, you can comfortably offer a deal if they take it now and still earn what you needed in the first place. If you are selling online, this is the perfect scenario for a sale with either free shipping or a percentage discount. You must also consider why you want to sell at least some of your work. Perhaps you want to fund additional tool purchases. In that case, forget the time you put in and consider the amount of profit dollars such a sale will contribute to your “new widget” fund. If the income is important as a supplement to other household income, it needs to be worth your time. If you are thinking of this as a main income stream, you need to maximize the return on your capital and your time and this will require counsel and careful consideration. Try to pick items that are fast, easy, and cheap to make that you can sell tons of i.e. pens, bottle stoppers, pepper mills, spinning tops, utility bowls, cutting boards, kitchen utensils, etc. The bottom line is complicated depending on your specific situation. Only you can make that determination. I recommend setting your initial asking price higher than you think you should. Often someone else thinks your widget is worth more than you do. You can always lower the asking price, but it is difficult to raise it. As I said before, something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. Here is a true quick story. I used to sell fancy laser-cut Christmas ornament kits and made finished samples for display at The Woodworking Shows. I got many inquiries from folks wanting to buy the finished ornaments that I really didn’t want to sell. I finally put a price of $150 on each one figuring that would stop all of the questions because nobody would pay that much for a Christmas Ornament. The first year we sold 12! Don’t sell yourself short Safe turning
  9. Hazy, hot and humid. A good day to be in the basement workshop Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 finished up another of his segmented bowls and it is a real beauty! Check out his post for more images and additional information- He also posted this in our "Friday's Weekend Agenda" Our "What's On Your Lathe" was busy this week! @forty_caliber and @HandyDan contributed their projects! Catchup here- What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda is presenting the second part of her Threaded Boxes and Vessels. Here's the link for more information http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/IRD.html?fbclid=IwAR0fpla9tf09DBhqd_P3EoM2XqNAFPxY4ahLw1eWdvPcbnT9Sd4-O0rwPNc Want to have recognition for your turning skills? Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) would like to hear from you! Click on the image for the link to register. For The Newbies- Tim Yoder has been creating short videos to help us get better at sharpening our tools- The "turner's dance" is important to get the most out of the lathe tools. Richard Raffan demonstrates how moving your body can help you improve your turning skills- Expand Your Horizons- Mike Peace demonstrates how to make a "screw chuck"- Mike also upgraded the knockout bar for his new Powermatic lathe- Mike Waldt demonstrates turning another finial. A lot of skew chisel work! Alan Stratton is starting in on his Christmas ornaments! These segmented bells will make some fine gifts- New Turning Items- Not a new product but this video from Carl Jacobson demonstrates using the Niles Joyner Off-Center Jig Everything Else- Finally got back to the lathe and finished up the little elm bowl that had been waiting for me to complete the garden shed project. Had so much fun that I turned another one. I'm taking the lead from @Gerald on "friendship bowls" so Mimi can give them away when she needs a gift. Mine aren't nearly as fancy as Gerald's bowls. One is 5" in diameter, the other is 6". Both turned with Easy Wood Tools and finished with Yorkshire Grit and Hampshire Sheen Safe turning
  10. Lots happening with our turners this week! Our Patriot Turners- We have a new member at the Patriot who is also a turner! @calabrese55 showed us some of his work when he introduced himself. How about this beautiful segmented turning- Check out his post and give him a Patriot welcome! He also posted another bowl in our "Monday Morning" forum- Check it out here- Our "What's On Your Lathe" was also hot this week. New posts start here- Some of the images from @teesquare, @forty_caliber and @calabrese55 @Steve Krumanaker turned a cane for his daughter and his son cast the knob. Andy his an expert on casting! See the cane and the back story in Steve's post- Our resident ornament expert, @Ron Altier, gave us his impressions on turning bamboo. Ron's conclusions are that's it's probably not the best overall species for turning. In one of our posts, there was a mention of the Lichtenberg burning process. @Gerald was kind enough to do a little research on safety when doing this. The process, when ALL safety precautions are observed, can create beautiful patterns. High voltage is dangerous when we become complacent. My neighbor, the electrical safety training officer in our borough, was electrocuted on the job. Insulation, isolation, incomplete human electrical path and full awareness are a must. This is what Gerald found- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Richard Raffan turns a nice little shallow dish in real time. Mike Peace shows how to turn a simple but elegant lidded box. He even makes a special chuck to hold one of the pieces. Holding turnings can be challenge. Home made chucks supplement purchased ones. Sometimes adding modifications to a purchased chuck is the answer as Alan Stratton shows us. Looking for an inexpensive gift? How about salt and pepper SHAKERS. This video from Craft Supplies USA shows us how to make them- Expand Your Horizons- Mike Waldt completes a beautiful elderberry vase- Mike also demonstrates his method of turning finials. This video is from a live feed so it is a little long- New Turning Items- Last week we posted a review from Mike Peace on his new Powermatic 2014 lathe. Mike has a chance to use it and has posted more of his impressions- Ron Brown has release his new lathe mounted disk sander Here's the link to more information- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=66&product_id=477 Woodturners Wonders is now a Vicmarc Dealer Check out their complete line- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/vicmarc?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Some great prices, at Spiracraft, on Easy Wood Tools products @Jordan Martindale ! https://spiracraft.com/?inf_contact_key=d8ae9197ac7a87c978260b58c8e41427 Everything Else- Boy did this bring back memories! Safe turning
  11. 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
  12. Back from the beach. For those who can relate: Wife and Dog necessities- Navy veteran- Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber has been working on some calabash bowls- Love the grain in this one. And another one- Forty also showed us a gorgeous shaving brush turning- @Headhunter posted some more of his beautiful segmented turnings in our Ringmaster subforum- Check out his post for more examples! We've had some more comments in our on-going thread "What's On Your Lathe" and @Gerald posted his cool Dice Cups! I'm gonna have to have him teach me how he gets those spirals/cross hatches so evenly spaced! What’s Coming Up- The AAW symposium starts tomorrow! Check our post from 2 weeks ago for the Virtual Signup. Also, you can see some of the goings-on from Lyle Jamieson (and Mike OB), Joe Fleming, and Cindy Drozda. They will be live at the AAW Trade Show. Tod Raines and Steve Worcester will be at their shops in Texas. They'll all be on the Vendor Showcase Live Stream!! Don't miss it! Friday, June 2nd, 3:30 pm Eastern (19:30 UTC). It's FREE! https://streamyard.com/watch/HPPX7NfwzCzN?fbclid=IwAR1Uyxj3nbHf-v1JR55ZeXuu8ugsGIfV6a8LrVlA4Qd0oa2sZtnE-G7jN4w https://www.youtube.com/@Lyle/streams For The Newbies- Keeping the Morris taper, on your lathe, clean will assure a solid grip. You can purchase a cleaning tool or make one. Jim Rodgers shows us how- Do you use paper towels to apply finish? Tired of cutting them into little square pads? Mike Peace has a solution- Baby rattles are fun to make. This video from Craft Supplies USA gives us step by step instructions and several ideas on different shapes- Expand Your Horizons- In our last post, we listed several videos on making kitchen utensils. Richard Raffan demonstrates how to turn a spatula using my old nemesis, the skew! Mike Waldt turns a beautiful cherry goblet from a log- New Turning Items- Our last post had a review, by Mike Waldt, on the Woodcut Max 4. This is a follow up and Mike answers some questions about the product. Another coring product from Hunter. The Hunter Korpro Cartridge that retrofits onto the existing OneWay™ coring system. https://huntertoolsystems.com/product/coring-cartridge/ This vide, from Mike Peace, shows it in action- The Vendor's Showcase, listed above, may reveal some new items. Check it out! Everything Else- No shop time for me. still trying to catch up with all of the phone message requests while we were away.
  13. 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...
  14. Hard to believe that April is almost over! Our Patriot Turners- One of our long time forum members @Mark Wilson posted a couple of his projects. First is a beautiful natural edge walnut bowl Mark's post has some progress shots! Mark also posted some cool screwdriver handles! In his post there are several different designs- If you get a chance, check out Mark's profile- https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/profile/1926-mark-wilson/?tab=activity @Steve Krumanaker was busy in his shop! This gorgeous goblet is for his club's President Challenge. Steve explains more in his post- Steve also works with a local gift shop. He turns custom lids for one of their products. Check his post to see where these beauties are used. A while back, @jthornton told us he was working on a "dizzy bowl". He got a chance to post his progress- More images in the addition to his original post- @HandyDan continues to amaze us with his tiny turnings. This week he used some really old red wood. The growth rings are really amazing. Check his post for more images- "What's On Your Lathe" continues to receive lots of interest. Thanks to everyone for making this a popular thread! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- A lot from Richard Raffan this week. Here he shows how to mark center and laying out diameters on a wood lathe. Considering turning a bottle stopper? Nice video with step by step instructions. Expand Your Horizons- Last week we posted a video from Alan Stratton on making inside out turnings. One of his turnings had a flame shape. This video takes us through how that turning was done. Mike Waldt turns a beautiful cherry vase from a log- If you add carved embellishments to any of your turnings, a carving stand can be invaluable. They can be purchased or as Mike Peace shows us- they can be made from simple materials New Turning Items- Setup jigs for sharpening lathe tools, from Ron Brown- https://www.longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=30&product_id=427 Everything Else- Had a little time at the lathe this week. Finish turning a roughed out little elm bowl. Still experimenting with the Easy Wood Tools beading cutters @Jordan Martindale. Tried to make the bead, at the lip of the bowl, set centered on the rim. The outside and top of the bead was pretty straight forward. To turn the inside portion, I had to run the lathe in reverse to get the proper angle on the tool. My lathe sets against a wall so access for turning is only from the front. Came out OK for my first try. A smaller bead as a foot sorta carries the theme from top to bottom. Safe turning
  15. 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
  16. Snowing a little outside but tomorrow it's to be 70°! You gotta love Pennsylvania weather! Our Patriot Turners- @forty_caliber gave us a heads up on a very worthwhile endeavor for kids suffering from life altering conditions. Please check out his post and see if you can find the time to participate. @Gerald turned some little boxes for the folks at his physical therapy location. Really beautiful combination of species- His post has more information about the species and comments from our members- Our continuing topic of "What's On Your Lathe" has had a few additions. Sure would like to keep this thread going as our members work on projects. @Steve Krumanaker was commissioned to make some handles. His post gives us lots of ideas on how it is done- What’s Coming Up- Quite a lot of events coming up. Click on the images for links and more information- A week or so ago, we shared a new thread chaser tool. Bradley, from Spiracraft, will be demonstrating it. A YouTube reminder and the link- https://www.youtube.com/@Spiracraft For The Newbies- An article from Kent Weakly on recommend equipment for bowl turning. https://turnawoodbowl.com/recommended-equipment/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 From the Woodworker's Journal, the Woodturners Monthly newsletter, nice article on making a texturing tool. Click on the image for link to the article. Another article from the Woodworker's Journal on wood holding on the lathe. Click on the image for the link- Richard Raffan gives us an insight into the wood turning lathe- Expand Your Horizons- Last week we shared a video from Alan Stratton showing his shop made Longworth chuck. In this continuation, Alan demonstrated making bracelets using the chuck- Pizza cutters make awesome gifts. Here's a way to have your work showcased in its new home- Mike Peace demonstrates how to add a fluted rim to a wooden vase- Mike Waldt turns a beautiful ash bowl with an undercut rim. We've been seeing a lot of turners using this technique for a finish. I have been forbidden to try this unless I carry the lathe outside! New Turning Items- You may have seen the "teases" on social media about Easy Wood Tools' new product. Here it is! Can't wait to get to try them! ( @Jordan Martindale ) Here's the complete, current list of EWT pricing- EWT Customer Pricing - 1-1-2023.pdf Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- You Are Unique You’ve heard that all your life. Good or bad, you are the only one exactly like you. But what if you are an identical twin, or have found your doppelganger, what are you going to do with that information? You are still unique with your own combination of gifts, abilities, and talents. There is a famous parable about servants who were given different talents in Matt 25:14-30 that would serve us well. The lesson is not how many talents each of us has but what we do with the talents we are given. You may have many more talents than I do, but what are you doing with those talents? I sometimes watched various turning demonstrators thinking “I could do a better job than that guy.” But he or she was the one up there doing it and I was the one with my butt in the chair not doing it. I used to have the same reaction to certain YouTube videos. But they were the ones showing the world what they had learned and I was the couch potato watching them do it. You might be thinking that you don’t have a creative mind or know where to start. I have some suggestions that will catapult you to great and wonderful things. 1) Consider an existing item. a. Make a larger version b. Make a smaller version c. Use it for something totally different that what it was designed for d. Add capabilities by adding some new features to an existing item 2) Consider an existing challenge like roughing down a spindle or a bowl blank a. Use a different tool to make it easier, faster, safer i. Have you ever brought a spindle square to round with a skew? ii. Have you ever ground your own negative rake scraper from scratch? iii. Have you ever made your own parting tool from an industrial hack saw blade? iv. Have you ever ground a miniature hollowing tool from an Allen wrench and fabricated your own handle? You’ve heard the expression “Don’t reinvent the wheel.” My suggestion is to take an existing wheel and make it better. Everyone has ideas for how something can be a little bit better. I know because you tell me those things about my tools frequently. Start today, and remember that wherever you go, there you are. Safe turning
  17. Only 6 days until Valentines day! Maybe your significant other would like a new turning tool Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN turned a couple of small boxes, one of which he entered into his turning club's contest. Both are beauties! Check his post to see which one got entered into the contest! @forty_caliber got a new chuck for his lathe. This baby is a monster, too! He did a super job of sharing his findings and comparing it to one of his other chucks. Please see his post for lots more images and additional findings- Forty also posted his splated pecan bowl. Really gorgeous color and finish See his post for some more details- @Masonsailor used a couple of spare minutes to turn another one of his gorgeous bottle openers- Paul tells us a little more in his post- @jthornton is working on a gift, requested by his Mrs. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this "dizzy bowl" comes out! The glued up blank looks marvelous- JT has lots more process images in his post- @Bob Hodge's post about carbide quality and availability has a new entry. Thought it would be good to catch up- What’s Coming Up- Lots going on! Click the images for links and information- This is supposed to be on YouTube and Facebook- For The Newbies- Several videos from Richard Raffan explaining important aspects of turning. Tools, creating blanks, chucking small pieces and more Chucking methods- Spindle gouge and skew practice- Expand Your Horizons- Should I use a mortice or tenon to hold the piece? Ask 10 turners and you will probably get 15 different answers. Instead of asking a turner, ask the piece you are about to turn- @RustyFN showed a finial he turned and there was some comments on design. We posted this video before but it's worth another look- Our member @Steve Krumanaker turns beautiful honey dippers. This is how Mike Waldt does it- Several of our turners make segmented project. Having a way to assure the pieces are flat is a must. Mike Peace shows us how to make a disc sander attachment for your lathe- If you have a Facebook account, Tim Yoder posted a short video on getting to know your bowl gouge- https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=612976757305709&ref=sharing New Turning Items- This video was taken at TAW trade show. Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
  18. 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
  19. Last day of August! Where did the summer go?!?!? Our Patriot Turners- Our turners have been busy this week! @Gerald posted about a novel idea for embellishing a turning. He describes the materials he used and how he obtained the neat colorization in his post- @Gunny posted this in the "What's on tour weekend agenda"- Gunny has these down to an art! @forty_caliber finished up a bowl he started a while back. The grain and color in this one is incredible! He explains the name in his post- @RustyFN posted his beautiful Calabash bowl. He received lots of positive comments and @Gerald was kind enough to post a couple of his bowls for comparison. What’s Coming Up- Hold onto your hats- lots coming up in the near future! A bunch from the AAW. Click on the images for links and information. For The Newbies- Jim Rodgers continues his instruction on how/why catches happen. In this one, Jim discusses the scraper- Expand Your Horizons- Mike Waldt turns and embellishes an ash hollow form- ...and a Yew lidded box Seems we have been really concentrating on making scoops. Another idea but quite different than the previous designs- New Turning Items- SWAT was this past weekend. Cindy Drozda took the opportunity to video many of the vendors and their products. She was live on several occasions. She has posted some of the material on her YouTube Channel. The link to her channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/cindydrozda Craft Supplies USA is having a closeout on a bunch of their products. Some good prices! https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/Sales/20/Closeout?utm_source=csusa&utm_medium=email&utm_content=closeout&utm_campaign=22-08-closeout Woodturners Wonders Weekly sale: https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/weekly-sale A couple of weeks ago we mentioned the 3M Xtract sand paper. Taylor Toolworks is currently having a sale on the product- https://taytools.com/collections/3m-xtract?afmc=17p&utm_campaign=17p&utm_source=leaddyno&utm_medium=affiliate Everything Else- Rick Morris must be on vacation this week- He didn't post his usual list of turning videos. Tim Yoder is always a lot of fun to watch- I've been kicking this idea around for a while. Usually, when I make a lidded container, I will use contrasting species for the lid and body. Some things like pepper mills are made from a single piece of the same species. Cutting the blank in half and then creating a tenon can cause a noticeable grain mismatch where the cut/tenon is created. I was watching one of Cindy Drozda's live tool talks and she described a technique that minimizes the material loss and grain mismatch. After cutting the blank, it is glued back together with a sacrificial piece between the halves. This sacrificial piece becomes the tenon. My first attempt at this was a miserable failure. The cuts were not clean enough to create a good glue joint. I'm thinking I need a way to ensure the pieces will look seamless when mated together. My next try was a little better. The first thing was to create a sharp cut with no tear out. I forgot to take a picture in my haste but I used a skew chisel to start the separation cut. Then used my freshly sharpened, shop made, thin parting tool. Also cranked the lathe speed way up to part off the pieces- I did not create a tenon. Instead, I decided to turn tight fitting plug that would be used as the lid tenon. Mortice in one end- Fitting the plug Glue the plug into one of the mortices- the lid on this one. Trim the plug so the two halves fit together- Carefully hollow out the insides making certain not to touch the plug mating surfaces. I did not spend a lot of time sanding the inside. My main goal was to see if the plug idea would work. Some sanding on the outside and testing the grain match- Had to play a little to fancy up the very plain shape- I think this will have a much great effect when used on highly figured wood. This was from a very old piece of air dried walnut. Quite brittle. Safe turning
  20. Please don't forget about the fund raiser that our very generous sponsor- Easy Wood Tools- is currently having. Head on over to the EWT site and order yours today- https://www.easywoodtools.com/ Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN Is making a fabulous lidded box for his Mrs. In his post, Rusty tells us about the material he used for the "metal" bands. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for the links to more information and registration. These are from the AAW. If you catch this post in time, Cindy Drozda is having another live bottle stopper video. You can watch it on her YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AR8MzQJOBs I picked this information from social media. Jeff Hornung, who does fantastic embellishment work, also does IRDs and demonstrations for clubs. For more information, contact him through his site, The Walnut Log. https://www.thewalnutlog.com/ For The Newbies- Jim Rodgers continues his video series on catches- Lyle Jamieson has made his "Tuesday's Tips" available on his YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/JamiesonLyle/videos Search his channel for "Tuesdays Tips" IF you use your worm screw, here is a useful addon that you can make to improve stability. If you are thinking about getting into turning but not sure what tools you might need, Richard Raffan discusses some traditional choices. Don't overlook the possibility of using carbide tipped tools as well. Expand Your Horizons- Scroll chucks hold your work firmly but can mar the piece and sometime be less that ideal for odd shaped pieces. In this video, Alan Stratton discusses creating soft, custom replacement jaws. Mike Waldt turns an earring stand from English Yew- Carl Jacobson turns a gorgeous maple burl lidded box- And yet another two piece scoop. This one from Mike Peace- New Turning Items- Save your lunch money! With SWAT happening in about a week, thee may be some new toys presented. Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- I've been finding it really hard to get to the lathe lately. Life is funny that way. My lighting equipment for turning has been cobbled together from old desk lamps. They work but can sometimes be difficult to position and still be able to see what's happening. I saw a neat idea for a small LED light that helped overcome some of the disadvantages I was experiencing. Being a cheap scape frugal, I decided to build one. The parts If you have an old cell phone charger and cord, that's the perfect power supply. The other parts are a magnet- this ones is from an old computer hard drive. The LED light board- available from https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256804164219166.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.0.0.2856f19c9S68hd . They were 6 boards for $1.00 plus $3.00 shipping and came all the way from China in 4 weeks!! Epoxy. Miscellaneous Harbor Freight stuff. Started by preparing the wire. Cut off the end that wasn't the standard charger USB connector. Removed the green and white wires. Added the shrink sleeving because I had a box from Harbor Freight. Stripped, tinned and knotted the wires on the board Soldered the wires to the LED board. The board has a miniature USB connector but I figured the solder would be more robust. Added a zip tie- because I had a bag from Harbor Freight- as a strain relief. Turned the board over and epoxied the magnet to the metal heatsink. I had to add a couple of washers between the magnet and heatsink to allow space where the wire passed thru the board. This allowed the LED board to sit flat. On the small tool rest- With the LED lamp off- LED lamp on- I'm happy but I think I'll build another one. I failed to take into consideration that the "chuck side" of the tool rests are not vertical. The light board angles "down" slightly. I think that can be fixed by adding a shim between the LED board back and the magnet before applying the epoxy. Also, if you have ever played with hard drive magnets, they are incredibly strong for their size. It is almost a struggle to get the lamp off of the tool rest. Regular rare earth magnets would probably work just as good. Safe turning
  21. 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
  22. Congrats to all the winners of our summer fundraising/raffle event. A great big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in helping keep our site alive!! The Patriot Woodworker site is dedicated to helping veterans. Our very generous sponsor Easy Wood Tools ( @Jim from Easy Wood Tools ) is offering a limited edition T-Shirt and they are being sold to support combat veterans through VetsTurn. Please show your support by ordering a shirt today. The shirts are $35 each and include shipping within the USA. Please consider helping out VetsTurn and our combat veterans. Shirts can be ordered at https://www.easywoodtools.com/ Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald gave us a look at a tool stand he made. This one certainly won't tip over! Gerald tells us about where he got the base in his post- What’s Coming Up- From the AAW list of upcoming events- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-kitchen-series-part-one-woodturning-platte-tickets-392861458197 For The Newbies- Mike Peace continues to produce short videos covering turning topics often over looked. This one is on lathe vibration- You don't necessarily need a large chunk of a log to turn something beautiful. In this video, Richard Raffan demonstrates using a flitch to create bowl blanks. Watch how a professional handle the occasional chuck problems, too. Here's a project that can be sent home with the grandkids. Take the phone off of the hook after they leave- Expand Your Horizons- It has always bothered me to waste so much material when creating a bowl. In this video, Mike Peace visits a turner who demonstrates using the Oneway Coring System- I know @Steve Krumanaker and @Gerald both embellish their turnings with pyrography techniques. This video, from the AAW, provides some tips for those who might be interested in getting started with this- Not a material I have ever considered using to do a turning but Alan Stratton creates a really nice looking segmented vase from OSB! Mike Waldt turns a gorgeous vessel from "American Mountain Mahogany". I had never heard of this species but it sure is beautiful when turned- New Turning Items- Not a new item but new sale price from Woodturners Wonders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/weekly-sale Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- If you missed the online Virtual Craft Festival last week, each presenter's video is listed in Rick's post. Safe turning
  23. 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
  24. OK, we are getting close to the end of our summer fund raiser and we are seriously short of our goal. If you haven't donated, please consider helping our site stay alive. Our very generous sponsors have donated some awesome items as prizes. Please head on over to this post and donate. Every little bit helps! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald started catching up on some older projects and in the process did some cleaning- Part of Gerald's post was a challenge to our members to show us some of the unfinished projects we are procrastinating about completing! One of Gerald's projects to be finished up was a turned vase that cracked. Instead of the burn pit, Gerald used this as a chance to turn it into spectacular embellishments. In his post, he shows us his process- @RustyFN Finished up a gorgeous lidded box. Perfect glue-up and centered on the lathe. Made from two of my favorite woods. In his post, Rusty explains a little on how he mounted it on the lathe. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information- For The Newbies- Another informative video in the series from Mike Peace- From the AAW, a video demonstrating a beautiful turning from shop scraps- Alan Stratton posted a video turning a bowl from start to finish. A couple of things of interest are his reason for not band sawing the blank round at the beginning and his thoughts on drying. Check out his faceplate jig for uneven surfaces! Expand Your Horizons- Watch Mike Waldt turn a beautiful, shallow mahogany bowl! Off-center and eccentric turning are similar but different. In this video, Carl Jacobson turns an eccentric goblet. Notice he does this without the aid of jigs. Cindy Drozda posted a short video demonstrating sphere turning- New Turning Items- From Craft Supplies USA, their new turning smocks- Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Safe turning
  25. Hope everyone had an enjoyable July 4th. Our Patriot Turners- @knockonit posted a question to turners about turning Indian Rosewood. He has received a few responses so far- If you have experience with this species, please hop on over to his post and give him your suggestions. @RustyFN gave us a look at his hollowing rig he is using in conjunction with his shop made steady rest. Really looking forward to seeing this in action. Check out the addition to Rusty's previous post- @Masonsailor turned a few more of those baseball displays for his Mrs. Paul's post has more images- What’s Coming Up- As a reminder, Cindy Drozda's 4 part, online turning class starts this Saturday July 9. More information at her website- http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Demo.html Cindy is also hosting a "Tool Talk" on Thursday July 7. These are live streaming interactive discussions. If you do Facebook, checkout this link- https://www.facebook.com/1124046309/posts/pfbid0ZHVS9EBVaYc2vTFwaKiAraUEvgrHRGyGNHStARhvxYNwhZ3TbHzZ65qxMZi4tG2Rl/?d=n&mibextid=HcvaIG Cindy usually streams this live on YouTube as well. This is the link to her channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/cindydrozda/featured or here- https://youtu.be/-UpYnwfIEgA For The Newbies- Mike Peace continues to post short, informative turning tips and instructional videos. This one compares a chuck worm screw to a screw chuck. If you have a set of Cole jaws for your chuck, you may find this video useful- Expand Your Horizons- Offset turning can be exciting. Here Alan Stratton turns a one piece wooden scoop- Mike Waldt demonstrates turning a hollow form- An interesting process that uses more than just turning to create an awesome looking bowl- New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders has a preorder sale on the complete Kodiak sharpening system- https://woodturnerswonders.com/products/kodiak-max-woodturners-complete-sharpening-system-pre-order-expected-7-15?utm_content=Facebook_UA&utm_source=facebook&variant=42576925851815&fbclid=IwAR3y-Ljoo49jKC2oyp_e_ftGdoCgg2HiKZKdcnxBM68SEMflaWDbN4lqRbY While you are at the site, checkout their line of sanding supplies/equipment. Ken Rizza discusses some the products in this video- Everything Else- Rick Turns list of YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Finally got done with the refinishing of some old kitchen ware turnings. These were made back in 2007 and had been used hard in Mimi's kitchen. The pepper grinder set a little too close to the stove and the heat discolored the wood. All of the surfaces had accumulated cooking oils/grease from daily use. Sanding and fresh applications of gloss ploy, The platter is the one that got way too thin at the center mounting mortice. Did all the sanding/finishing and then filled the mortice with Alumilite mixed with black opaque coloring. Safe turning
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