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  1. September is slipping away! Although he is not a turner, please send a prayer and well wishes to @Grandpadave52. He is recovering from some surgery. Our Patriot Turners- @Drumone posted a question about lathe height. He is building a stand for a lathe he is restoring. Several of our members offered their suggestions. If you have any additional ideas/tips on building a cart, please check his post. @Gerald was lucky enough to attend this years SWAT event. He put together a video of the projects gallery. Amazing turning talents on display- @Fred W. Hargis Jr posted a video of a scary turning accident. Fortunately the only injury was to the turner's ego. Fred's post got lots of suggestions and great information on catches and how to avoid them. Can't thank you all enough for keeping our "What's ON/OFF Your Lathe" full of new projects! From ON- @Gerald is working on one of @Steve Krumanaker amazing patterns which he burns into his turnings. Catch up on everything from last week- And from OFF- @kreisdorph posted two lovely bowls- flame box elder and cherry! New material starts here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information- If you missed Cindy Drozda's Tool Talk last week, she has made it available on YouTube- For The Newbies- @Fred W. Hargis Jr's post, above, started a conversation on catches. @Gerald mentioned Tim Yoder's series on catches occurring while using various lathe tools. Here's a link that will take you to the complete series- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgd2j-BTilZshIM5CcMiXNNJ4MnUq9nDB Expand Your Horizons- Last week we posted a video from Mike Peace where he talked about various thread chasing tools. Mike takes the process further by posting videos explaining what species of woods work best for threading and some additional tools useful when chasing threads Kent Weakley demonstrates how to create some pizazz on the foot of a bowl- New Turning Items- Not new but a sale from Niles Bottle Stoppers- Check it out on the Niles web site https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/ Ron Brown's Sphere Jig is shipping- https://longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=77 Everything Else- Got a couple of slabs of Sycamore. It has a little spalting which is soft and punky. Maybe I can salvage it with CA and shellac. Gonna try and make it into a salad bowl. I'm not sure how long it has been laying, but it is surprising dry. I'll rough out the inside tomorrow and put it in the soap and water soak for several days. Safe turning
  2. August is coming to an end. Our local schools start back tomorrow. Our Patriot Turners- We have a new member at the Patriot site. @Gordon joined this week and posted some of his turnings. He does some beautiful work! If you haven't already welcomed him, please take a minute to stop by his post and check it out! @AndrewB continues to rehab his shop and posted some more images of what he is doing. Pick up here from last week- What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy Drozda's most recent live tool talk, she uploaded it for replay- For The Newbies- Mike Peace demonstrates turning a clamshell. During the turning process, Mike encountered some grain tear out. He has a pretty neat way of handling the problem. His solution is at about 9 minutes into the video. Captain Eddie posted a short video on the importance of keeping the lathe's Morris tapers clean- John Lucas discusses techniques for sanding the inside of hollow vessels Expand Your Horizons- Lyle Jamieson provides tips on matching grain between the bottom and top of a turned lidded box and why grain orientation is important. When I learned to turn bowls I used a mortice to hold the blank to the chuck. It just seemed that it wasted less material on the bottom of the blank. I could easily convert the mortice into a foot for the bowl. Alan Stratton uses a similar technique to turn a Sapele bowl- How about embellishing your turning with clouds! Tim Yoder shows us how- New Turning Items- Last week we posted a link to the Niles Bottle Stoppers tenderizing kit. Since then, Carl Jacobson produced a video on turning handles for those items- Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter= The Difference Between Perfect And Good Enough Perfect Definition: “Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.” In life, things are seldom perfect. When turning wooden objects, things are rarely perfect. I recommend that you strive to be better this time than last time. Three main areas within your control always make a huge difference in the final product and require surprisingly little extra effort. Shape Learning what shapes are pleasing is a lifelong quest for most of us. When you are making something for someone other than yourself, you have to consider the shape. It must be visually pleasing with the proper proportions. The curves must be fair and the separations must be sharp. A great way to develop an understanding of pleasing shapes is to study ceramics and glass vessels similar to the projects you undertake. There are tons of resources on classic shapes that have been around for centuries. There are good reasons for certain shapes to remain popular over the centuries. If you try to swim upstream for too long, you will soon tire and fail. Sanding This is an area most easily and quickly improved. 1) Half a Grit: if you start with 100 grit sandpaper, don’t go finer than 150 grit next. Then don’t go finer than 220 grit and so on. 2) Take time to visually inspect that all of the 100 grit scratches are removed before you finish with the 150 grit. If you don’t remove all of the scratches at each step, they will show through in the final finish. 3) I recommend using compressed air to blow off all of the sanding dust along with a strong raking light to inspect your work before moving to the next grit. If you are working with very hard wood i.e. ebony, cocobolo, African blackwood, padauk, acrylic, or epoxy, this is especially important. Take extra time to get it right now or you will have to do it over. 4) NOTE: I stop sanding wood at 320 grit. When using finer grits, friction can overheat the lignin in the wood and make it resistant to film finishes adhering to the surface causing the finish to fail much sooner. Finish 1) If you rush the finishing process, you will have ruined all your hard work. 2) Film finishes (lacquer, varnish, shellac, epoxy, friction finish-shellac) are more durable than wax finishes. But they take more time and effort. 3) Wax is a quick finish that will dull over time and need to be renewed either by reapplication or more buffing. Wax finishes are quick to apply and look shiny and sparkly in the short term. Wax is perfect for projects where saving time is important and the durability of the finish is of no significance. Wax or oil is mandatory for utility vessels such as salad bowls or kitchen utensils. 4) Multiple coats of lacquer (10 to 30) applied over several days and when allowed to cure for 30 or more days, can be polished to a brilliant mirror-like finish. This is the finish of choice for art and display-only pieces bringing top dollars such as in a gallery. Try to do better each time than the time before and you will quickly reach Master Status Skill Sets. Consider the end use for what you are making and decide how much time you can devote to making something perfect or just good enough. Safe turning
  3. Congrats to all of those who participated in this summer's annual fund raiser. Thanks for the donations and the help in keeping our site alive. As @Gerald pointed out last week, we are in the summer doldrums. Not much turning taking place. This week's post is all about videos. Hope you find something interesting among them. Our Patriot Turners- What’s Coming Up- Something from Todd Raines- Click on the image for the link to registration. For The Newbies- A bandsaw is probably the turners second most used power machine. Kent Weakley offers this video for Bandsaw safety. As turners, we typically reach for the "old standby" tool for a specific task. Turning a spindle? Spindle gouge. A bowl? Bowl gouge. Here are videos that use some not so typical tools for turning- Richard Raffan- Craft Supplies USA- Expand Your Horizons- August brings another installment of the "4 Ways" series. This month the topic is turning a wheel. From Tim Yoder- A short video on using colors to enhance your turnings- New Turning Items- From Mike Peace, a 6Pc M2 Cryo HSS Woodturning Tool Set Review- Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- In A World Full Of Problems, Be The Solution- There is plenty to complain about every day. I am issuing a 7-day challenge: every day for the next 7 days address a problem that has been bothering you and implement a solution. Here are some common challenges that every woodturner faces. I bet you can think of plenty non-turning problems you can fix too. 1) If you are having difficulty because your tools need sharpening and you are not very good at sharpening them yourself, find someone to teach you how to sharpen them properly. If you need a sharpening jig, buy one and learn how to use it. 2) If you always get catches with a skew chisel, watch some YouTube videos or spend a minute with someone who knows how this tool works. Then practice until you can show someone else without getting catches. 3) You always get torn grain on the inside of a bowl and sanding to remove them takes forever. Watch some videos on shear scraping and practice until you can sand the surface beginning with 180-220 grit. You might have to learn to use a negative rake scraper to get the results you expect. 4) You would turn more but the wood is too expensive. Visit the owners of a tree service company and make a deal to get free green wood in exchange for a few salad bowls. This is a perfect solution when you have more time than money. 5) Your shop has so much sawdust that you can’t walk. Take time to sweep up the shavings and save them for your flowerbeds. Be careful with each dustpan full, there might be long-lost treasures (spur drives, sockets, T-handle Allen wrenches, scroll chuck jaws and/or screws!) 6) Your scroll chuck is hard to operate, open, or close. Take time to disassemble and clean your chucks and jaws. Re-oil and reassemble. 7) The banjo sticks and is difficult to move. Clean and wax the bed ways often. I prefer ceramic car polish. Turning green wood coats them with a lot of moisture. You might have to do this every day or two if you turn a lot of wet stuff. 8) Your tools stick and don’t slide on the tool rest anymore. Dress the top of the toolrest with a file to remove the nicks. This is basic maintenance. 9) Turned-lidded boxes are always a crowd favorite with threads or without. You can use exotic timber, branchwood, glued-up blanks, or domestic timber, they all look marvelous. Practice until you can get a suction-fit lid or, if you are up for the challenge, learn to hand-chase the threads. 10) If nobody participates in show-and-tell at your turning club, bring extra things yourself. If you have trouble getting guest presenters, volunteer yourself. These are obvious issues, but the point is that someone has to do something, it might as well be you. Safe turning
  4. Our Summer fund raiser is still happening! Remember, this is to provide funds for the site operation and unexpected expenses. Our Patriot Turners- @AndrewB posted a couple of new items he is working on, check out his posts! And- We had a post on our "What's Off Your Lathe And Finished" by @kreisdorph. That Black walnut sure is lovely! What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda posted the video of her live tool talk event from last week. Always some great tips! Cindy and Todd Raines will be hosting a Woodturning Sharing event on August 2, 2024 https://community.woodturner.org/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=22337b94-ff08-4811-a511-019074232f14&Home=%2fevents%2fird-demonstrations&_zs=ceDib&_zl=EQRA4 https://community.woodturner.org/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=48fd6950-9604-44ed-b3d9-0190c7ad94e2&Home=%2fevents%2fird-demonstrations&_zs=ceDib&_zl=AQRA4 https://mawts.com/ For The Newbies- @AndrewB posted about learning to turn bowls. Member @Gerald was kind enough to locate a video from Stuart Batty on the subject. Reposting Gerald's link here- Also, here's a video from Kent Weakley on the correct use of the bowl gouge- Some great tips from Tim Yoder! Check out the one on turning speed. Expand Your Horizons- Do you do craft shows or just looking for some new ideas for turnings? Mike Peace has two neat turned "animals" that might interest you. New Turning Items- A couple of weeks ago, we posted a video from Todd Raines demonstrating the Robust "Tru-Arc" tool. Sam Angelo gives us his impression of the tool in this video- Everything Else- I did an Easy Wood Tools demonstration for The Catoctin Area Turners' club last Thursday in Leesburg, VA. I thought @Gerald would be interested in their Beads of Courage boxes shown during the show and tell portion of their meeting Well the rolling pin blanks are finally finished- yesterday! The demo/workshop is this Saturday. 24 blanks here and 2 more at the workshop location. I make my blanks 22" long and 2 x 2" square. The lathes available for the workshop max out at 15" and 17" so angles had to be adjusted for a pleasing look when turned. Also some of the supplied blanks were smaller that 2 x 2 all that required different cutting angles. Some blanks were larger (almost 3 x 3) and my jig for cutting the angles wouldn't let the saw blade reach a high enough point to cut the proper insert slots. Had to design another jig for those blanks. Now on to Mimi's honey-do list that has been expanding exponentially! Safe turning
  5. Whew! Is it ever hot out side. Back porch thermometer, in the shade, reads 98°! Good thing I painted 150 feet of chain link fence yesterday when it was only 95°!! On another topic, keep watching TPW for BIG news!!! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald posted a root ball turning he completed. Lovely colors and design! Lots of great comments on this one- @User74 added to our "Off Yor Lathe" continuing post with a lovely bowl turning- You can see more images and comments at- There have been a couple more comments added to @Fred W. Hargis Jr post for a turned box. Also, Fred's post on turning a crotch log has generated more interest. Questions and answers abound! What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration- For The Newbies- Mike Peace recently did a club IRD on box turning. This is the complete demo so it is a little long but has lots of good information. Thinking about purchasing that first scroll chuck. I copied this from Woodturners Wonders email. It offers some good advice about choosing a chuck. No I do not have any affiliation with them! Choosing the Right Woodturning Chuck: A Guide for Enthusiasts When diving into the world of woodturning, selecting the right chuck for your lathe is crucial for both the quality of your projects and your overall experience. At WoodTurners Wonders, we understand that every turner has unique needs and preferences, which is why we proudly offer Vicmarc, Axminster and Easy Wood Tools woodturning chucks. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a chuck, along with the advantages of these renowned brands. Key Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Chuck Compatibility with Your Lathe: Ensure the chuck fits your lathe’s spindle size and thread. Different lathes have varying spindle sizes, so double-check your lathe specifications before purchasing. Size and Weight: The size and weight of the chuck should match your lathe’s capacity. A heavy chuck on a small lathe can strain the motor and affect performance, while a lightweight chuck on a large lathe might not provide sufficient grip for larger projects. Grip and Holding Power: The chuck must securely hold your workpiece. Consider the types of projects you undertake—bowls, spindles, or intricate designs—and choose a chuck with jaws that suit those needs. Ease of Use: Look for chucks that are user-friendly. Quick and easy jaw changes, smooth operation, and robust construction can significantly enhance your turning experience. Jaw Compatibility: Some chucks offer interchangeable jaws, allowing you to adapt the chuck for different projects. Check if the chuck you’re considering has a range of compatible jaws. Vicmarc Woodturning Chucks Vicmarc chucks are known for their precision engineering and durability, making them a favorite among professional turners and hobbyists alike. Here are some standout features: Superior Build Quality: Vicmarc chucks are crafted from high-grade materials, ensuring longevity and reliable performance. Precision Engineering: The precision of Vicmarc chucks means less vibration and better stability, leading to smoother and more accurate turning. Wide Range of Jaws: Vicmarc offers a variety of jaws, making their chucks versatile and adaptable for different projects. User-Friendly Design: Many Vicmarc chucks feature a quick-change jaw system, simplifying the process of switching jaws for different tasks. Axminster Woodturning Chucks Axminster chucks are celebrated for their innovative designs and exceptional value, making them a great choice for both beginners and seasoned turners. Key benefits include: Innovative Features: Axminster chucks often incorporate unique features like woodworm screws and dovetail jaws, enhancing their functionality and versatility. Excellent Value: Despite their high quality, Axminster chucks are competitively priced, offering great value for money. Robust Construction: Built to last, Axminster chucks can withstand heavy use and demanding projects. Stainless Steel Construction: The Axminster chucks we offer are made of stainless steel, which resists rust and corrosion. This is particularly beneficial when turning wet wood, ensuring your chuck remains in top condition over time. Comprehensive Support: Axminster provides excellent customer support and a wealth of resources for turners, from instructional videos to detailed manuals. Easy Wood Tools Chucks Easy Wood Tools chucks are designed with ease of use and innovation in mind, making them a popular choice for turners of all skill levels. Here are some key advantages: Innovative Design: Easy Wood Tools chucks feature a unique quick-change jaw system that allows you to switch jaws in seconds without any tools, streamlining your workflow and saving time. User-Friendly Operation: These chucks are designed to be intuitive and easy to use, making them ideal for both beginners and experienced turners. Durable Construction: Made from high-quality materials, Easy Wood Tools chucks are built to withstand regular use and provide consistent performance. Versatility: With a range of compatible jaws and accessories, Easy Wood Tools chucks offer flexibility for a variety of turning projects. Making the Right Choice Ultimately, the best chuck for your lathe depends on your specific needs and preferences. Vicmarc, Axminster and Easy Wood Tools offer exceptional products, each with their own unique advantages. Consider the types of projects you’ll be working on, your lathe’s specifications, and your budget to make an informed decision. At WoodTurners Wonders, we are committed to helping you find the perfect tools for your craft. Whether you choose a Vicmarc, Axminster or Easy Wood chuck, you can be confident in the quality and performance of your purchase. Visit our store or website to explore our full range of woodturning chucks and accessories. Happy turning! Expand Your Horizons- Last week's post included a tip from Lyle Jamieson about making a secure glue block connection. In this video Jim Rodgers demonstrates another method of connecting to a glue block- Another scoop from Alan Stratton. This one uses offset turning and a couple of neat jigs. Also, check out Alan's method for turning spheres- WITHOUT a jig! New Turning Items- Posted the video about these last week but here's the official Niles Bottle Stopper announcement- **NEW PRODUCT ALERT**  We’re excited to introduce our new Low Profile Lightweight Threaded Rings, available as a set of all three or individually in three sizes: 1.5”, 2.5”, and 3.5”. Made in the USA from bronze, these rings feature: - 1.5″ ring: Inside measurement 1″, overall height 3/8″ - 2.5″ ring: Inside measurement 2″, overall height 3/8″ - 3.5″ ring: Inside measurement 3″, overall height 1/4″  This hardware creates a secure closure for lidded boxes, urns, canisters, and other similar projects. They consist of a male and female thread, which helps create a tight seal. These rings are lighter weight and lower in profile than our original Threaded Rings. The original rings are also still available and might be better suited for urns. Installing the new rings is a little different than the original style. The new rings require a tenon on one half. Pricing and more information is here- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/low-profile-lightweight-threaded-rings/ Everything Else- Just for fun Safe turning
  6. Picked up a wild dose of the back door trots. Our Patriot Turners- @keithlong did his first craft show and picked up some additional turning work. Keith is looking for curly Koa. Check out his post and see if you can point him in the right direction! @Ron Altier picked up some cypress from his local thrift store. Ron is our resident ornament maker and this one doesn't disappoint! Check Ron's post for the wonderful comments from our members- @Gerald posted a cart/rack for holding his new Jaho jig. This jig is bigger than I realized and certainly heavy! More pictures and information about the build in Gerald's post- @kreisdorph put his new Rikon lathe through it paces! He tells us about it here- @smitty10101 is working on a bowl from a board. He has some questions about cutting the angles and a few other things. I know some of our turners use this technique, I you can help Smitty out, head on over to his post! In our "Good Monday Morning" forum, @John Morris posted a really amazing turning video. Checkout some of the custom made jigs for applying finish! We've had some entries on or continuing posts of ON/OFF your lathe From ON- @Gerald posted this one Catchup up on all the comments here- And from OFF- @Gerald, @kreisdorph and @lew Head on over to the topic and checkout the comments What’s Coming Up- This was last week but if you missed it, Cindy Drozda posted the video of her "Tool Talk"- https://streamyard.com/watch/CyvKGNCGNujG For The Newbies- A video from Mike Peace on the various types of drive centers- Sam Angelo demonstrates the use of the spindle gouge. From Tim Yoder on the roughing gouge- Facebook video.mp4 Expand Your Horizons- Lyle Jamieson discusses balancing the grain and color when turning a bowl- For some reason this video isn't showing up for me. Here is the YouTube link https://youtu.be/VtHVrf-1xlQ?si=n28y_i4yw_IKFfTY Alan Stratton makes a unique box that looks like a stacking toy! An interesting design on a cherry bowl by Kent Weakley Jim Rodgers makes a really neat one piece pen- New Turning Items- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/threaded-rings-for-urns/ Everything Else- Safe turning
  7. May is quickly coming to a close. I think about my teaching friends and how busy they are at this time of the year. Our Patriot Turners- @HARO50 gave us a look at a display he saw at a gift shop. Lots of interesting turnings, including some turned, wooden hats! Check out John's post for more images and our turner's comments- Again, I'd like to extend my personal thanks to all of our members who take the time to post their works in progress and those that have been finished. You all keep our "What's ON/OFF Your Lathe" topics humming along! This past week's projects are awesome! From "ON"- @calabrese55, @Gerald, @Fred W. Hargis Jr and @kreisdorph gave us a look at what they are making- Check all their images and comments beginning here- From "OFF"- @kreisdorph finished up a couple of beautiful natural edge bowls- The new projects and comments start here- What’s Coming Up- For registration- https://www.cindydrozda.com/ https://mawts.com/ For The Newbies- Turning away end grain can be challenging. Richard Raffan demonstrated how it can be done while avoiding chip/tear out. Richard Raffan shows how to shorten or turn away endgrain without splintering the internal grain..mp4 Expand Your Horizons- I have recently been looking at John Beaver's work and considering attempting one of his wave bowls. (His bowl, not mine!) https://www.johnbeaver.net/wave-bowls I'm not sure if I'm more intrigued by the actual bowl or the elaborate processes involved. Anyway, Alan Stratton just posted a video on creating a multipurpose jig that used Mr. Beaver's process as part of the inspiration for the new jig. Hmmmmm.... Talk about "pucker factor"!! Melted Burl Platter.mp4 New Turning Items- Our very generous site sponsor, Woodcraft, has a sale on turning tools/products! Rikon Lathes Easy Wood Tools Ron Brown has a new gauge for measuring the thickness of a bowl bottom. Looks well made and universal for all lathes and chuck/jaws. https://longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=75 Woodturners Wonders has added the "Hold Fast" product line to their inventory. https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/hold-fast?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQGZ2p91Dzyb6Hq8u86HRP26F2J3AVp8xSSqd_hTF8cT.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  8. Looks like a thunderstorm brewing off to the west. Garden could use a little water. Our Patriot Turners- @Headhunter posted a couple of beautiful segmented bowls he created using a Ringmaster! These became gifts for friends. He tells us more about them in this post- Our What's ON/OFF Your Lathe again had some gorgeous content! From "ON"- @kreisdorph worked with several different species of wood to produce these lovely pieces- New items start here- And from What's OFF Your Lathe- @kreisdorph and @User74 showed us what they are doing! You can catch up and see more images here- What’s Coming Up- Just a reminder that this Friday, May 24, Cindy Drozda and Todd Raines are having a free Sharing Q&A Session on Zoom. Here are 2 links for signing up for the Zoom meeting. https://www.cindydrozda.com/html/Signup.html https://woodturningtoolstore.com/event/sharing-session-free-and-live-on-zoom-4/ If you don't have Zoom on your computer/phone, here's the link for the free download- https://zoom.us/download For The Newbies- Mentioned before that Sam Angelo has started a new YouTube channel to assist the new turner. This video compares and contrasts the spindle and bowl gouges. New turners are often confused why/where to use these two gouges. This is the opening lecture from a nine-hour seminar on how woodturning tools work, from Jim Rodgers. Lots of good information on the various HSS materials. Craft Supplies USA has a nice video on chuck maintenance. Although this video is for a specific brand/model, much of the information is common to all scroll chucks. Expand Your Horizons- If you have watched Richard Raffan for any length of time, you've probably noticed most of his turning tools have been resharpened many, many times! Not one to let tings go to waste, Richard repurposes an old spindle gouge. I remember @Gerald using various painting schemes and came across this method of creating a Cosmic Clouds motif with iridescent paints. I think this was done by Tim Yoder- Cosmic Clouds #shorts.mp4 Thinking about working with acrylics? Craft Supplies USA posted a start to finish hybrid handle. Casting and finishing tips included! Last week we posted that Niles Bottle Stoppers had their bronze threaded rings for sale. Carl Jacobson created a very stylish urn using a set of rings- If hand chasing threads is more your thing, Mike Peace recently posted this video creating threads in a piece of Palo Santo Wood, Bulnesia sarmientoi, from Argentina. Finally, the Woodworker's Journal published their Woodturner's Monthly newsletter. Here's the link to the entire newsletter- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email New Turning Items- OK, this is something you can create in your shop. I thought it was pretty neat as I do not have an accurate cross sled for my drill press. What is the vertex#diy #woodworkingtools #woodworking.mp4 Everything Else- A few thoughts from Ron Brown- Sharing Makes You Better Three reasons you will be better: 1) When you explain your process, you must organize your thoughts. You will discover some steps are unnecessary while others need more attention. 2) Your audience usually asks questions that spark new ideas to improve your process and ultimately the result. 3) Explaining how you do it will often uncover why you do it this way. There is always room to be more efficient and you usually discover them by accident often during an explanation. The skills you have learned are a gift and make you who you are. The laws of sowing and reaping are in full effect. The more you share what you have discovered, the deeper your understanding will become. This is true with any skill or knowledge set you have Safe turning
  9. The old Dogwood tree, outside my window, should be in full bloom tomorrow. Hard to believe when I transplanted it, from my parents mountain property, it was a single, spindly stick. That was 56 years ago! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN showed us a beautiful new turned lidded box he made. He said this one is made from Maple. He certainly has perfected the flocking technique, too! Our turners gave him lots of compliments in his post- @Gerald has been creating amazing designs with his JaHo jig. His most recent refrigerator magnet is a beauty! Check out this addition to his post- More activity on our two continuing posts of "What's On/Off the Lathe" From ON: @Gerald provide a closeup look at his JaHo jig in action- You can see how this jig can create some fantastic designs. Check out Gerald's post for additional images. From OFF: @kreisdorph turned a gnarly piece of mulberry into a beautiful bowl- Kent also finished these beauties. This spalted piece caught my eye because of the shape. Years ago, an artist friend sent me a picture from a magazine. He fell in love with the shape. I think it was a hint for me to turn one. Alas, I have not done it. New projects start here- @lew was looking for some input on design and proportions for turnings. He used miniature hollow turnings to get an idea of what had pleasing shapes and asked our turners their opinions. As always, our members provided some excellent advice and suggestions. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- This is a replay of the most resent Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda For The Newbies- Thinking of design and proportions, Lyly Jamieson's turning tip discusses the design for bowls, Pen turning is a great way to get into turning. Kits can be inexpensive and provide amazing results. Tim Yoder shows us how it's done!! Now for a little more of a challenge, Jim Rodgers turns a segmented pen- Expand Your Horizons- Last week we posted a shop tour hosted by Mike Peace. The craftspeople were making Beads Of Courage boxes. Mike takes a segmented glue up and turns his own version of a Beads of Courage box- Sometimes the most beautiful turning is not the most perfect piece. Alan Stratton explains- https://youtu.be/hx1qGGVvU-g?si=mSuL1RJNLd0YDMOu EDIT: Cannot get this video to show in published post. Link seems to work. A short video from Richard Raffan demonstrating how he utilizes as much of a turning blank as possible. Check out the unique parting tool! New Turning Items- Been really difficult to find anything new on the market. Maybe by the time the income tax return is ready there will be some new toys to spend it on. Everything Else- An excerpt from Ron Brown's newsletter on advice for the new turner My advice for a new turner or a student would include the following: Find a turning club in your area and attend some meetings. These people are a tremendous resource and are always eager to help. Start with pens. Start by watching some YouTube videos for instructions. Get setup for basic pen turning, a 7mm mandrel, some slimline pen kits, proper sanding grits, CA glue, friction finish, etc. Pens are quick to make, easy to turn, and provide an immediate sense of accomplishment. If someone wanted to sell a few pens to pay for more turning stuff, many folks earn turning money this way. Then make some spinning tops for fun and give them away. Turn a few bottle stoppers and give them as gifts to friends and relatives. As soon as you can afford it, buy an inexpensive 4 jaw scroll chuck. Add more jaws down the road or buy a chuck with a few jaws included. Quality chucks with multiple jaw sets can be very expensive. Save that for later. For now, just get a serviceable chuck for around $100. Turn small plates from a 3/4" thick piece of wood using a recessed tenon in expansion mode for practice. A family member might even wish to add decorations or paint your masterpiece. Now that you have a scroll chuck, practice making turned lidded boxes, goblets, and soup ladles for the kitchen. Try turning a few small bowls from green wood. Turn the walls to 1/4" and watch them go oval. Turn a few 1/2" thick to let them dry in a paper bag for a few months, then re-turn them to 1/4" wall thickness once they’ve dried if they didn’t crack or explode. Once you've done all that, evaluate your interest in turning and if you love it, like most of us do, prepare to spend some money (easily $500) on High-Speed Steel lathe tools, a specialty grinder, and a sharpening jig. Next, set about learning to cut with traditional turning tools and learn to keep them sharp. Note: You only need a few HSS tools. In the beginning, don't buy more than 10 total, and never buy turning tools in a set. Always purchase the tool you need for the job at hand. After that, plan to take some full-day turning classes and plan to attend some turning symposiums in your area. From there, the sky is the limit. Turning can be as much or as little as you want. You can learn to make shavings in a couple of hours. It takes a lifetime to become a “Turner”. Did play a little at the lathe this week. The largest usable piece of that wind shake cherry was dry so I put it on the lathe. The more I turned, the more defects were uncovered. Filled the cracks with CA and sanding dust. The colors are nice but I don't like the tiny splits throughout the piece. Sanded to 600 and beeswax/mineral oil finish. Safe turning
  10. I hope everyone can enjoy a peaceful Easter accordance with your customs. Our Patriot Turners- @Smallpatch was hitting the yard sale circuit when he spied an old lathe. Not one to pass up a bargain, he took it home a refurbished it. Check out his post for more images and the back story- New member @User74 posted a question about carbide tools. We had a very informative discussion about the quality of tools and cutters. Check out the post and see if you can add to it- @Steve Krumanaker created a beautiful Beads of Courage box. Steve used a special technique to create the staves for his turning project. Head on over to his post for more images and our members' comments Another great week for our What's ON/OFF your lathe discussions. From ON the lathe, @Gerald and @User74 gave us a look at their current turnings New information starts here- And, from OFF the lathe- @RustyFN and @User74 completed some really nice turnings- New posts for this week starts here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Last week, we posted a link to the Mid-Atlantic Woodturning Symposium. One of the presenters is Alan Lancer. Here's a short video of what you can expect to see from him- For The Newbies- A tip, from Lyle Jamieson, for holding small turnings without a chuck- Easy Wood Tools shared a new video on how their products are made. Easy Wood Tools are made, in America, entirely in house- even their carbide cutters! @Jordan Martindale Expand Your Horizons- Tim Yoder shows us how he makes his French rolling pin. Tim is always fun to watch! Richard Raffan is bucking the trend of large turnings. In these two videos, he creates lovely small turnings. His commentary, while turning, gives an insight into his turning techniques- The Woodworker's Journal has published the Woodturning Monthly newsletter. Nice article on how to add butterfly patches to a turning. The newsletter can be found at- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email New Turning Items- Got a heads-up from @Grandpadave52 about a great price on a Longworth chuck sale. Everything Else- Safe turning
  11. This month is quickly coming to an end! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald posted a beautiful bowl he finished. This one has some gorgeous embellishments on the bottom and the rim. Gerald received lots of positive comments on this one! Please keep Gerald and his family in your prayers. He had a knee replacement done recently. @calabrese55 is working on a staved bowl. He built a really nice steady rest to do part of the turning. This was posted in our "What's On Your Lathe" continuing thread- Check his comments about the wheels he used and see more images! We've had an additional post in the "What's Off Lathe And Just Finished" What’s Coming Up- This is the video of the recent Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda, in case you missed it live. She demonstrates Hook and Cygnet mini hollowers. Cindy and Todd Raines will be hosting free Q&A session. Click on the image for the link. From the Keystone Woodturners via their Facebook page. Click the image for the link to more information. For The Newbies- Some things about making turning more safe. Over the years, I've heard and read about something called "shake" or "wind shake". However, I had never had a piece of wood that displayed the characteristic split. Recently, the tree man called and said they were taking down a cherry tree and was saving me a couple of pieces. As I was making blanks from the logs, one of them plainly showed the results of wind shake. The beginning of this video, from Tim Yoder, address the potential dangers of turning wood affected by this and other types of defects. This short video illustrates why it is a good idea to grasp the Jacob's Chuck when using it for drilling, on the lathe. I usually hold it when advancing the quill. Now I'll hold it for movement in both directions. Expand Your Horizons- Some weeks back we posted a video, from Carl Jacobson/Niles Bottle Stoppers, demonstrating the use of the Joyner Offset Jig. Mike Peace decided too build a similar device to do offset embellishments. Alan Stratton is still making goblets. These are done in three pieces. New Turning Items- Woodturners Wonders continues with their weekly sales. https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/weekly-sale?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  12. Been really cold here, compared to last winter, even had some snow! Our Patriot Turners- @PostalTom asked a question about vacuum chucks. He received several responses on various brands. If you use a vacuum chuck, please help Tom with your experiences to help him make an informed decision. We had another entry into our "What's On Your Lathe" thread. What’s Coming Up- Click on the above image for the link to more information and registration or you can use the following link- https://streamyard.com/watch/pNG2QZxkG2uY Picked this up from the Niles Bottle Stopper Newsletter- Live Remote Video Demos As you all know, we are doing live remote videos of any Niles product for turning clubs free of charge. There are presently 7 club videos scheduled, you can ask questions or comment and you do not need to be at the meeting, you can watch from home on your PC, smart phone or tablet. We also discuss other aspects of turning or can try to help with problems or techniques and finishes. Here is a list of the clubs we have scheduled so far for 2024. You can contact one of your officers for the link to get access to the video. Wed. Jan. 17 = Gold Country Woodturners, northern Sierra Nevada foothills. Threaded bronze urn inserts will be the subject. Thurs. Jan 18 = Georgia Assoc. of Woodturners, Metro Atlanta area. The Joyner Jig will be demonstrated with many of it's uses. Thurs. Feb. 15 = Diamond State Woodturners, Jacksonville, Arkansas. Bottle stoppers and other kitchen utensils. Sat. April 20 = Oregon Coast Woodturning, cover the whole coast of Oregon. Demo on various embellishments for your projects. Thurs. June 13 = Willamette Valley Woodturners, Oregon Threaded bronze urn insert rings is the subject. Thurs. July 25 = Beaver State Woodturners, Coburg, Oregon. The Joyner Jig is to be demonstrated. *note: We are working on a "Calendar" or "Events" page on our website where all club demos will be listed as they are scheduled. This will give you time to get the link to attend. For more information or to schedule a demonstration, contact Carl Jacobson at "nilesstoppers@gmail.com" or call 503-939-4565. For The Newbies- If you spend anytime watching turning videos, or visit another turners shop, you'll probably notice that the turner has an impressive assortment of chucks. We are not talking chuck jaws but complete setups. In this video, Richard Raffan discusses his collection. Ask "why" and they will tell you that they do not like taking the time to change jaws. If you haven't purchased a chuck, yet, consider a chuck that doesn't use screw to hold the jaws. Hint: the Easy Wood Tools "Easy Chuck"- I know, I know but I couldn't resist after seeing the video. Lyle Jamieson's Tuesday Tip can help with clearing chips when turning hollow pieces that have an entry hole smaller than the inside diameter of the piece. Expand Your Horizons- If you have a nice laser setup and thinking about making a segmented turning, Alan Stratton has you covered! @Gerald does a lot of embellishing using various tools. Mike Peace recently posted a video on making a chatter tool. Unlike tools that use wheels that are crosshatched or spiked, this tool uses vibrations to create unique patterns. New Turning Items- Not really new, but a recommendation from Tim Yoder about a supplier for turning blanks. I know some of our members are customers. If the Easy Chuck is not in your future, Woodturners Wonders has the Axminster Systems on sale- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/axminster?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- Safe turning
  13. Looks like things are picking up, now that the holidays are over. Let's get to this! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN is participating in his turning club's annual contest. He has posted a couple of images as he begins to create his entry. Rusty has more in his post at- @forty_caliber gave us a look at another one of his Hays County pecan bowls- Monty supplied some additional information about his drying process- There have been a couple of new entries on our "What's On Your Lathe" continuing thread. @calabrese55 added some process images of this - Also posted was a red oak platter- Check out all the comments starting at- @Gerald is making a design change on his little spinning tops. I really like the new design and the colors he uses. In his post, Gerald added a picture of his previous design for comparison- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for more information and registration- Todd Raines continues his presentation on the spindle gouge- If you missed Cindy Drozda's live tool talk last week, here's the YouTube video- Also from Cindy- For The Newbies- The skew chisel is a powerful tool, once you have mastered it. Richard Raffan shows us how that done- Mr. Raffan goes further, in this video, demonstrating using the skew to turn finials- There are several ways to chuck mount a bowl. Two of the more popular ways are the Mortise and Tenon. I typically use the mortise because it allows me to finish the bowl bottom with my preferred method. The mortise, however, is not without pitfalls as Kent Weakley points out- Jim Rodgers demonstrates how to make a bottle stopper. Unlike the metal stopper kits, Mr. Rodgers uses corks to seal the bottle. Also check out the home made mandrel at the end of the video- Tim Yoder offers up a short video on turning a curve Although a chuck is a really nice piece of equipment to own, especially when making small items. Lyle Jamieson shows us the chuck is not the only way to to accomplish it. Expand Your Horizons- If you are ready to move up to bowl turning, Craft Supplies USA has a nice video illustrating the process step by step. The bowl blank in this demonstration was partially dried commercially- Never too early to start those ornaments for next Christmas! Here Alan Stratton creates an 8 point, 3 axis item! @Steve Krumanaker turns items for artisans in his area. Recently he started making "drop spindles" for a craftsperson who works with wool. I thought this might be another thing Steve could use as a money maker From Woodworker's Journal, a Three Winged Jewelry box. The how-to article is at- https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/project-three-winged-jewelry-box/ Check out what Tim Yoder does with a small 3 branch crotch piece- New Turning Items- A sale on Woodturners Wonders LED lights https://woodturnerswonders.com/ Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter- You Are Called To Be A Mentor You have to know something about your subject. First-hand experience is helpful. If you can explain What, How, and Why so a 5th grader can understand it, you will be a good mentor. It only takes a very small portion of your time (15 minutes to 1 hour) here and there to show individuals or groups of folks what you are talking about. You might need to take an occasional phone call to clear up misunderstandings. In this day and age, you might need to answer a text message or send a YouTube link addressing the issue. Unless you are a paid demonstrator, you must accept that you most probably will receive nothing material in return from those you help so unselfishly. Some won’t even say thank you and some will argue that you are wrong. A few of the people you help will go on to accomplish even greater things than you did. Some of the students will indeed go on to become the teachers. You need to accept and appreciate that others gave of themselves to help you achieve the things you know. Even if you learned most of what you know by yourself (so-called self-taught), chances are that you watched YouTube videos, attended a trade show demonstration, or a club demonstration. Perhaps you were just a member of the crowd and not in a one-on-one situation. Someone took their time to show you something you didn’t know in a way that helped you be more successful. Sometimes folks will want to be paid for their advice. They are still exercising mentorship. I was very fortunate during my early turning career to encounter some very talented and generous mentors; Nick Cook was the very first and Don Russell gave of his time and energy unselfishly on numerous occasions. I hosted Chris Stott from England for a full week! That turned out to be a magnificent chapter in my turning career. Kirk Deheer of Craft Supplies in Utah gently guided me over a period of several years and I will be ever grateful for his wisdom. Mike Mahony offered guidance and freely answered my list of 20 questions over dinner many years ago. Others have given their time and energy and are wonderful examples of mentorship even when they didn’t realize it. Of course, it required me to put their advice into practice to make it my own, but, as they say, the way you get to Carnegie Hall is practice, practice, practice. A mentor simply guides someone willing to learn. It is really that simple and anyone can and should do it when given the opportunity. Safe turning
  14. Welcome to 2024! Our Patriot Turners- We've had some activity on our continuing thread of "What's On Your Lathe"- @forty_caliber is whittling away at his stash of pecan. In his post, he tells us a little more about the source of the wood- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Cindy Drozda's Live Tool Talk covering the the Arc and Sweep tools as negative rake scrapers that refine and smooth the surface to eliminate a lot of sanding. The Southwest Wood Art Expo- For The Newbies- Lyle Jamieson has a short video explaining reverse chucking methods- Lyle also has a nice little video explaining the importance of the tool rest height- Ever wonder why some lathe tools have really long handles? Tim Yoder can help, with that! Expand Your Horizons- It's just past the first of the month and the "4 Ways" videos have been posted. Not sure if these will continue but I find it interesting to see the different ways a single concept can be approached. Tomislav Tomasic- Mike Peace- Richard Raffan- Sam Angelo- I was looking at some of the social media sites for woodturners. Just trying to get ideas for something different to try. There was an interesting twist on a bowl posted and there were questions about how it was created. Following several links, I finally found this video by the fellow who has made "Wave Bowls" his passion. You all know my passion for jigs so this might just be my next attempt! The video is long but very detailed so every step is explained- New Turning Items- A couple of new things. From Craft Supplies USA, some new finishing/polishing products mainly focused at acrylics- From Woodturners Wonders, new sharpening products that mimic the actions of the Tormek system but work with the Wolverine system. https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/tormek-style-wheels-and-accessories Everything Else- Things have been busy over the holidays, got to the lathe the other afternoon and roughed out 3 small sycamore bowls. The oak platters have just about finished losing weight in the drying box. One of them will probably not see the lathe. A bark inclusion was worse than I thought and opened up. Might be able to use a couple of dutchmen to keep it together, or maybe some epoxy? After roughing the sycamore, those bowls went into the soap/water soak for 3 days. Pulled them out today, weighed them and placed them in the drying box. What they look like straight out of the soak, pretty gnarly- Rinsed off and in the drying box- Not sure how long it will take to reach equilibrium. These are pretty small 5-6" diameter. Probably one to two weeks. Safe turning
  15. Take a moment tomorrow, December 7, to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor. If you were in the Navy and made it to Hawaii, you probably passed by the Arizona monument at Ford Island coming into Pearl Harbor. It's a place you'll never forget. Our Patriot Turners- We've had a bunch of additions to our "What's On Your Lathe" thread this week! @Gerald, @teesquare and @RustyFN all gave us a look at their current projects. The new items start here- @Gerald followed up on the bowl he is working on with this separate post. He has started on the front side with amazing results- Gerald describes what he has done in this post- @DAB posted this lovely bowls in the Monday morning thread- At first I thought it was walnut but I was wrong. Doug followed up with information about the species called Ohia. More images of the bowl and about the species can be read at- @RustyFN added a installment to the "Off The Lathe And Just Finished" thread. A beautiful cherry bowl- Rusty tells us more about the bowl's size and finish in this post- @Masonsailor continues to crank out amazing Christmas presents. This fantastic bowl is just another example of his beautiful work. Paul guides us through the glue up and first stages of turning- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Adding this from Ron Brown's newsletter to this section as it is good information and often asked by beginning turners- Understanding Lathe Speed One of the most asked questions I get is, “What Speed Is Best?” There is a formula, but my answer after the first 1,000 times settled into the following: “I start slow then speed up until I don’t feel safe. Then I slow the lathe down a little and make shavings.” My first wood lathe was a Jet 1236 that controls the speed with a lever. There were 5 speeds with the slowest being 500 rpm. It didn’t matter what speed I selected because in those days I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and I had a lot more to worry about than how fast the lathe was running. I moved on to Jet 1015 manual speed change, a Delta 46-460 with variable speed, and then to my workhorse, a Powermatic 3520A. I still have it and still rely on it. I also have a Jet 1640 variable speed in my studio shop. When you think of speed, you have to put it in context: 1) Out of round out and out of balance bowl blank 2) Bowl blank but cut to a round disk and centered pretty well 3) Small spindle 4) Large spindle 5) Hollow form, etc. What is important is how fast the material will be moving past the cutting edge of your turning tool. The larger the diameter of your blank, the faster the cutting speed will be at a given RPM. Sorry for the math but let me give you an example: 10” diameter bowl blank at 1,000 rpm. The material is moving past the cutting edge at approximately 30 miles per hour. Dia 16” bowl blank at the same 1,000 rpm is traveling at approximately 47.575 miles per hour. Note: The reason you have to sharpen your quality HSS lathe tools so often is that in 10 minutes of turning at average speeds, your tool has cut around 5 miles of wood! The best advice I can give you is to start on the slow side. Then increase the lathe speed slowly until you don’t feel safe, then slow it down a little and make shavings. I ignore the tachometer most of the time. Formulas can’t take into account, out-of-balance blanks, things that are not exactly on center, different wood densities, or defects in the wood that would change the center of gravity. As you get closer to round the balance will change and you can speed up gradually. I turn as fast as I feel safe unless the tool is burning the wood, making powder instead of shavings, the wood is tearing rather than cutting, or I’m getting catches because I can’t control the tool at this high speed. In short, there is no perfect answer as to speed. In general, the larger the blank the slower you need to start. Spindle work is almost always turned at a higher speed due to the smaller diameter of the workpiece. Delicate finials and small work are usually turned as fast as the lathe will go. Sanding is almost always done much slower than cutting and shaping. Expand Your Horizons- Tim Yoder demonstrates how to turn a Honeycomb Christmas ornament- Looking for turning ideas? Why not check out our own Hollow Forms Gallery! New Turning Items- Nothing new that I've seen. Remember Woodturners Wonders has different items on sale throughout December. https://woodturnerswonders.com/ Everything Else- Safe turning
  16. Happy Thanksgiving. Hope your lives are filled with friends, family and food. For those in Pennsylvania, good luck on the first day of buck season on Monday. Our Patriot Turners- Last week, @RustyFN showed us his basket weave illusion vase. He added to his post the jigs he used to create the weave lines- @Gerald posted a Christmas tree turning that he embellished. Check it out. I really like the star topper! @Steve Krumanaker makes items for a local artisan who works in wool. Steve found the perfect adornment for the drop spindles he makes- In his post, Steve tells us where he got the inspirations- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for links to registration and more information- Cindy Drozda's Live Online Woodturning is this Friday November 24. For The Newbies- Tim Yoder turns some recycled plastic! Some fun with messy stuff all over the shop. The link to getting the plastic blanks is below the video's description. Click on "Watch on YouTube" for all the information. Expand Your Horizons- Lyle Jamieson's ornament video talks about design and vibration reduction- New Turning Items- Boy, Santa is really keeping any new items under wraps. Can't believe something hasn't been released for the holidays. Everything Else- From Ron Brown's weekly newsletter- Easier The Second Time Most folks are afraid to try new things. Turners are no different. 1) Fear of the unknown a. Your imagination presents all kinds of scary scenarios. You aren’t sure how long something might take, or what else you could end up needing. You don’t understand the process. b. You are not sure exactly how to get started or what steps to take and in which order. 2) Fear of failure a. Probably the number one reason people never get started. b. Your vivid imagination will show you all kinds of ways it could go wrong, how you might get hurt, or how you might damage your equipment in the process. 3) Fear that it’s not what you are used to and that is uncomfortable a. I know folks that only turn bowls because that is what they are used to. It’s the same with some pen-turners. We all have things we are very comfortable making and have become very accomplished at those items. The thought of making something different seems uninviting. When you finally work up the courage to try something different, you are stepping out of your comfort zone. Since we are all creatures of habit, new stuff isn’t what you are used to and it feels awkward. The first time you try, it is usually as hard as you imagined it would be. In Order To Learn New Things, We Must Be Willing To Fail. The first time you mainly learn what not to do. The second time you already know mostly what not to do and you can think about improving your sequence to gain a better result. From the third time on, you can focus on alternative techniques and tools. After that, if you are still interested in making more of this new item, besides improving your techniques and methods, you can work on variations, larger, smaller, additional elements, etc. John Jordan, a very well know turner who recently passed, always said “Life is too short to turn crappy wood.” I recommend you actually do use crappy wood the first couple of times because failure is part of succeeding. You shouldn’t have to fail with expensive materials. I recommend that you step out and try something new this week. I think you will be surprised at how much fun it is. You never know what you might like making once you try it. Safe turning
  17. Missed last weeks post so this one will be have a little extra. Our Patriot Turners- @nevinc posted a couple of projects he has been working on. First, a neat little table item that would be useful in any kitchen- Nevin combined woodworking and turning to complete the project- He also posted a question and his method of storing sawdust from various species of wood he uses as fillers. He was wondering what storage method the rest of us use for storage. Check out his post and let him know your method- And, Nevin showed us some beautiful walnut bowls he had finished- He received lots of positive comments in his post- @Steve Krumanaker has been busy fulfilling orders to some of the artisans in his area. He has been working with one who sells "Bee Products" for whom he make honey dipper lids. Steve posted a couple of short videos on how he has upgraded his manufacturing process. Steve is also making drop spindles for another craftsperson. These are used in the process of turning wool into yarn. He developed a neat jig to create shop made dowels for part of the pieces. In this post, he explains why he made the parts instead of buying them- @Gerald added a project to our "Off The Lathe And Finished" thread. These beautiful ornaments got lots of great comments and a couple of questions as well. Head on over to the thread and check out more on these- Gerald was also kind enough to provide links to videos on sharpening. I must apologize for not recording who asked the question on sharpening. Gerald had entered the AAW August Turning Challenge and provided us with the link to the voting and winners- https://www.aawforum.org/community/threads/august-2023-turning-challenge-final-results.21511/ @KevTN Asked for help identifying a specific pattern for the rim of a platter. Our turners had several suggestions. If you can identify this patter, please help out Kevin- @RustyFN has a gorgeous spalted bowl on his lathe! What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda is live tomorrow- Thursday, October 12 at 2pm EDT. She will be discussing how do you protect your eyes, ears, and lungs in the workshop. For registration, follow this link- https://streamyard.com/watch/PsF54zh7XSVb For The Newbies- Kent Weakly's video on what tools are not suitable for bowl turning- Carl Jacobson makes an oak lidded box. Notice that Carl uses both traditional and carbide tools to complete the project- A simple bowl turning to use as a succulent planter from Craft Supplies USA From Tim Yoder on choosing your sandpaper Richard Raffan demonstrates how to make your turned bowls look really top notch by refining the bottom. Expand Your Horizons- Several articles from Kent Weakley on bowl finishes. https://turnawoodbowl.com/my-favorite-food-safe-wood-finish-waterproof-almost/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 https://turnawoodbowl.com/make-shellac-wood-bowl-finish/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 https://turnawoodbowl.com/spray-lacquer-illustrated-guide-equipment-system-set-up-technique/?ck_subscriber_id=1577117793 Jim Rodgers continues his series on hollowing- Alan Stratton posted this video on YouTube. It reminded me of a similar project that @Gerald had shown us sometime back- The Four Ways videos from the first of the month- Mike Peace- Richard Raffan- Sam Angelo- Tomislav Tomasic- New Turning Items- From Niles Bottle Stoppers- https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/cocktail-muddler-set/ From Woodturners Wonders- Diamond wheels for both bench grinders and Tormek grinders- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/diamond-wheels?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter- When you share the joys of your craft with someone who has never seen shavings fly off a fresh bowl blank or get to watch a spinning top appear in just a few minutes, you might change their world. A small pebble can create a world of ripples. Members of our woodworking club have attended county fairs, woodworking shows, and symposiums which always included live demonstrations. Why? Most people can’t visualize what we do. I’ve seen people become fascinated with turning after they made a simple maple or oak pen at one of these events. I’ve seen their entire family get interested and turning became their family hobby. They’ve planned family trips around turning shows and symposiums along with week-long hands-on learning at folk schools. I’ve witnessed folks buying their first mini lathe and accessories then go on to develop a lifelong passion for the smell of freshly milled lumber and the shavings from another bowl blank. The benefit to you of doing something like that is they bring their non-turning skill sets from their regular jobs, i.e. management, leadership, and organizational skills. Many have become club officers including President. One such fellow served three terms and on a personal note, became my dentist until he retired. We’ve seen lawyers, engineers, business executives, moms, teenagers, pastors, and doctors get the turning bug all because they saw a turning demonstration at a craft fair or other public event. I’ve told the story many times of how I attended a two-hour club demonstration in a cold dark basement one Saturday between Christmas and the New Year. Nick Cook made a top, a garden dibble, a honey dipper, a toothpick holder, and a mahogany plate plus some other things I don’t remember. One couple thought that was terrific and booked a day's instruction with Nick. Then they started a turning club, then I attended, then I got hooked. Now I make a great living inventing and offering turning accessories to the turning community worldwide. During the thirteen years I was on the Woodworking Show Circuit, I was able to demonstrate turning in front of over a million people. That’s a pretty good ripple! Thank you, Nick Cook. In order to cause the ripple, you have to toss the stone in the first place. I would encourage you to invite someone to a club meeting or over to your shop for an hour or two for coffee and to make some shavings. You never know how big that ripple might become Safe turning
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. Please keep in mind we are having our community fund raiser. Check out the cool prizes- Our Patriot Turners- Our "What's On Your Lathe" thread had several additions this week- @forty_caliber, @nevinc and @HandyDan were busy- Check out what they were up to- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- ❗️For invitation to attend this zoom, simply send an email with the subject line “Invite Me” to sales@exoticblanks.com❗️ Keith was kind enough to share this from the Easy Wood Tools newsletter. The email is sent to the folks EWT has on file. If you don't get it, call @Jordan Martindale at (859)246-0294 and asked to be put on the list. For The Newbies- Some turning tips, hints and general information from Tim Yoder and Ron Brown- Expand Your Horizons- Richard Raffan- waste not, want not- And... Mr. Raffan also turns a lovely "breakfast bowl". Note in his description his formula for turning time to make a living! I'll never make it! Alan Stratton turns a beautiful shallow bowl leaving natures imperfections Carl Jacobson does a variation on the Mason jar vase lid- Woodworker's Journal published their monthly Woodturning Monthly newsletter. Some neat projects for all skill levels https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly/?utm_medium=email New Turning Items- From Woodturners Wonders a new item to help keep grinder dust under control- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/grinding-wheel-accessories/products/grit-grabber-magnet-with-sleeve?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk%3D.VJvU8R Niles Stoppers posted a video describing their threaded inserts- Everything Else- Some interesting thoughts from Ron Brown's newsletter- Copying vs. Stealing in Woodturning This subject comes up frequently and is not very well understood. What, then, is morally permissible and what is wrong and probably illegal? “Art Plagiarism Defined: Plagiarists copy sketches, paintings, photos, and even sculptures. When you copy someone else’s art without consent or credit—you are stealing. Even mere using of filter, changing of color, and adding of clip art or text are part of this poor practice. Like literary plagiarism, art plagiarism also comes in many forms such as theft and tracing.” Source: College of Arts and Technology Q: Is it OK to copy well-known turners work? • Yes, provided you name the original artist as the inspiration for your version. • You don’t try to pass off or sell yours as a piece made by them. • Give credit where credit is due. • If the item is for your own private use or collection and it isn’t for sale, there are no limitations, IMHO. My first real venture into turning was making turned-lidded boxes for Christmas presents for all of the women in our extended family. I worked directly from the book “Turned Lidded Boxes – 50 Designs” by Chris Stott. I copied examples from his book as exactly as my inexperienced turning skills would allow. That Christmas I even showed everyone the book and the pages their present was displayed on. Everyone knew I wasn’t that creative on my own. By this time in my turning career, I’ve made thousands of different items. Virtually none of them were purely my own design. Each one was taken from something I’d seen in a magazine, book, or on YouTube. Yes, I added my own twist, but the core idea was almost never original to me. I am always quick to acknowledge the source of my inspiration by name if possible. As an example, the 10,000-plus spinning tops I’ve made are in the Bonnie Klien style. I added my own twist and used different texturing tools eventually, but I can show you the exact pages where the designs originated in her book. I even met Bonnie at an event in Provo, Utah where I was turning "her tops." As she looked over an assortment of about 50 spinning tops, her comment was “Not Bad”. Famous turners develop their own recognizable style over time and so will you. Think of Mike Mahoney’s Calabash bowls, David Ellsworth’s hollow forms, Cindy Drozda’s hollow forms with fancy finials, Dick Sing’s miniature birdhouses, and John Jordan’s turned and carved hollow forms. All of these styles are readily identifiable. It is normal and healthy to study the work of folks who have figured something out that is distinctive and outstanding. The very best way to learn something is by doing practice exercises; drill for skill. In sports, you run the same plays over and over until they become second nature. In school, we call that homework exercises. I would encourage you to copy work you admire, acknowledge their inspiration give them credit for the idea when showing it to others, and add your own twist when appropriate. Sometimes theirs can’t really be improved on so have fun and let everyone know who inspired you in the first place. I've been taking a hint from @Gerald and making "friendship bowls". Mimi has pretty much depleted all of the bowls I've had setting on the shelves. Some of my earliest ventures aren't of the quality I'd like people to see so I needed to replenish. Have some elm and some walnut from the woodshed. These are under 6" in diameter and have 2 more blanks this size. Then a couple about 8". The largest two will be for special gifts. Safe turning
  24. 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
  25. Just about the time of the year when I start having dreams of beginning another school year- and all the things that can go wrong! Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 posted one of his segmented bowls in the "What's On Your Weekend Agenda". I love the combination of colors! His post has more images. Check it out here- @Headhunter posted a really neat setup for assisting in making square cuts across a log. He posted it in our "General Woodworking" forum but said it was OK to share it here Looks like it can be helpful for us turners- @Gerald finished up the turnings and dice boards he was commissioned to make I never hear of either of these items. Thankfully, Gerald explained their uses. Gerald also started a discussion about project ideas. He wondered how/if we saved pictures/drawings to be inspirations for our own turnings. He received lots of great comments and examples. Please check out his post and add your thoughts to the others- We are still getting entries on out "What's On Your Lathe" forum. This one from @forty_caliber @John Hechel is passing on his turning skills to a younger generation. What a wonderful way to keep turning alive! Read more about this young man's journey- What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda's Woodturning Tool Talk will be live Thursday August 3. Her guest will be Carl Jacobson. Click on the image for the link to registration For The Newbies- Tim Yoder has added a couple more video shorts on sharpening- Richard Raffan added another video illustrating how a turner's body movement is an integral part of turning skills- Some additional Richard Raffan turning projects- Carl Jacobson takes some Thrift Store glasses and turns them into lovely vases- Expand Your Horizons- Another set of "4 Ways" videos. This time the turners make their own interpretation of a cherry burl hollow form- Several of our turners use paint as a way to embellish their turnings. Mike Peace has ventured into air brushing as a way to enhance his turnings. This video is his introduction- Fractal Burning was all the rage for a while. It can be dangerous if all safety precautions are not strictly followed. Well, Tim Yoder has found a safe way to create the patterns- Spoiler Alert- Heads up laser owners! New Turning Items- Not a new tool but a new site for Stuart Batty tools- https://stuartbattytools.com/ From Niles Bottle Stoppers https://nilesbottlestoppers.com/product/whiskey-sample-kit/ Craft Supplies USA provides information on the new Easy Wood Tools ( @Jordan Martindale ) beading cutters- Everything Else- I was asked to make a bowl, to be used as a table centerpiece, for a friend. The only requirements were 10" to 12" in diameter and his favorite wood is walnut. Really hope he likes it. Safe turning
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