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Tomorrow- Our Patriot Turners- @Steve Krumanaker showed us some of his spectacular little bird houses and some other objects! Steve is not going to let Christmas creep up on him this year! Check his post for more images and our member's comments- @Gordon asked our opinion on comparing the Longworth chuck to a vacuum chuck. Several of our members employ the vacuum chuck and Gordon received some great advice. Check out the post and add your ideas- @Headhunter posted some of his bowls in our Ringmaster Sub-forum. Hop over to Tony's post to see where the idea for the design originated and the species used- From our "What's Off" an example of waste not - want not. A little spalted sycamore bowl salvaged from a failed project. What's Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration What have you been working on in your shop? Share it with all of us at this Friday's free Zoom Sharing Session! September 12th, 2:00 pm Eastern, 18:00 UTC September 19 through September 21 2025 For The Newbies- Tomislav Tomasic discusses scraper sharpen and how it can reduce your sanding efforts- So you've started turning bowls but you want to make them more aesthetic looking? Mike Peace has some tips- Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton is back! I've followed Alan for years and really enjoy his projects. Of course I'm a "jig junky" and Alan loves to make jigs!! @Headhunter uses a Ringmaster to make his bowls from a board. In this video, Alan puts his own spin (see what I did there 😁) on doing one. Tim Yoder showed us how he uses a "story stick" in a short video, last week. This week he gives us a look at what the overall project was and an insight into making wood live on. Woodturning has gone through many changes from the spring pole lathe to carbide tools. But are we ready to embrace "AI"?? Check out what Tomislav thinks- Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Lots of Easy Wood Tools demonstrations happening in the near future! https://www.mmwtc.org/ https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/appleton https://okstatefair.com/ Last week we posted the short video of Carl Jacobson with the Joyner Offset Jig. This is the step by step setup tutorial. See how the Easy Wood Tools products compliment the use of the jig. @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- A couple of sales on turning equipment- https://longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=30 Click on the below image for the link to the sale Everything Else- A video series that will help you appreciate your lathe when making a bowl- https://www.finewoodworking.com/2017/11/02/ep-1-finding-the-bowl-within-the-log Safe turning
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Our Patriot Turners- Things are a little slow this week. I did an Easy Wood Tools/Club Demo last Thursday evening. Showed the process for doing the John Beaver wave bowls. I don't get the club meetings as often as I should. Seems that Thursdays are always busy. One of the members- a brother of one of my former school students- snapped this so he could see how old I have gotten. What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda's Tool Talk will continue the Emma, Tod, Cindy collaboration piece. It's Friday, August 15. It’s coming along nicely! I’ll be sanding and finishing, and showing how I sign my work. It’s free and open to everyone. Join me for talk about tools, woodturning tips, upcoming events, and interesting Woodturning stuff. Make comments, ask questions, or say hello. Win a prize in the Raffle! Subscribe to my list, and get the links to my free events by email. Please tell all of your woodturning friends and club members! https://streamyard.com/watch/C6bayNKnBhM7 SWAT is almost here! https://www.swaturners.org/swat-registration-2025.html For The Newbies- Richard Raffan uses a lot of scrapers for both inside and outside of bowls. In this video, he shares/describes his scraper arsenal. Picked this up from Ron Brown's newsletter. Some good advice about sharp(ening) tools- Free-hand Sharpening vs. Jigs For some people, a good piece of wood is a work of art. For others, it's just a blank canvas waiting to be transformed. And for a select few, it's a constant reminder that they don’t know what they don't know. When I first started turning wood, I was a walking, talking example of that last group. I was a greenhorn with a gouge, completely unaware of my own ignorance. Fortunately, I crossed paths with a seasoned pro named Nick Cook. Now, this guy could sharpen a tool by hand with his eyes closed, so I had to ask him: Why do you bother with those fancy jigs?" His answer was a master class in common sense. He gave me three simple reasons: 1. It saves time. A lot of time. 2. It's repeatable. You get the same perfect edge every single time. 3. Your tools last longer. They just do. Those three points really stuck with me. Later, while working the woodworking show circuit, I heard a lot of complaints. People loved the idea of sharpening jigs, but hated the time it took to set them up for different grinds. So, I went to work and created setup aids for 6 of the most common HSS lathe tools; 7 if you include the 4040-grind setup block. They are: Bowl Gouges, Spindle Gouges, Skews, Scrapers, Parting Tools, and Spindle Roughing Gouges. For the last 20 years, these setup aids have helped woodturners quickly and easily get the perfect edge. Most woodturners see their tools as a one-time purchase. They're not. They're a consumable, just like a lightbulb or a roll of paper towels. Sharpening a bowl gouge by hand often takes three or four passes. A good jig can do it in a single pass, removing less material in the process. Less material removal means your tools last longer. It’s simple math. But here’s the real kicker: if sharpening is quick and easy, you’ll actually do it. Most people will tolerate a dull tool far longer than they should because the idea of sharpening it is such a hassle. A sharp tool makes a clean cut. A dull one just scrapes and tears at the wood. When it comes to turning, that difference doesn't just affect the wood; it affects the entire process. Benefits of Sharp Chisels 1. Smoother Finish: A sharp chisel produces a much cleaner cut, resulting in a smoother surface that requires less sanding. This can save a lot of time and effort in the finishing stages of a project. 2. Reduced Tear-Out: When a tool is sharp, it shears the wood fibers cleanly. A dull tool, however, can tear out the grain, creating a rough, uneven surface that is difficult to fix. 3. Increased Control and Safety: Sharp tools are easier to control. A dull tool requires more force to make a cut, increasing the risk of a "catch," which is when the tool grabs the spinning wood violently. This can be dangerous and damage the workpiece. A sharp chisel, on the other hand, allows for more precise and controlled movements. 4. Faster Material Removal: A sharp tool removes material more efficiently. This means you can get through the initial shaping of a piece of wood much faster. 5. Improved Shavings: Sharp tools produce long, continuous shavings. Dull tools produce fine dust or small chips, which are a clear sign that the tool is not cutting effectively. It's important to note that even carbide tools, which are known for their longevity, will eventually become dull and require sharpening or a new tip. Regular sharpening is an essential skill for any woodturner to maintain tool effectiveness and achieve high-quality results. You should sharpen your wood-turning chisels frequently, even several times during a single project, to maintain their edge. Expand Your Horizons- Tomislav shared a great video showing a technique called "back hollowing". For those of us who learned the traditional method of hollowing this is really different! Mike Peace makes a small, threaded keepsake box for cremains. Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Found this video comparing the Easy Chuck to the Nova G3 Chuck. The Influencer does a pretty good job of comparing/contrasting the two. Some Easy Wood Tools Demos coming up- Did you know Easy Wood Tools sells "unhandled tools"? Check this out- https://www.easywoodtools.com/unhandled @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Ron Brown's new spindle duplicator is ready to go! https://longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=90&product_id=589 Hope Live Star Drive is available. This is available in he USA from- https://blackforestwood.com/products/live-star-drive?_pos=1&_psq=hope+live&_ss=e&_v=1.0 Everything Else- Tim Yoder cheated death to retrieve this piece of wood. Safe turning
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TWO DAYS LEFT TO ENTER THE RAFFLE TO SUPPORT OUR SITE! WE STILL NEED A LITTLE MORE MOOLA TO MEET OUR GOAL! IF YOU HAVEN'T DONATED, PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN is preparing stock for a craft fair in which he is participating. He has made really fantastic pieces. Check out more of his pieces in his post- @FrederickH and @Gerald both added to our "What's On" post. Both showed us burl bowls they are working on! Rick's is an oak burl and Gerald's is cherry. The latest additions to the post start here, with lots more images- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration. From Cindy Drozda- I hope to see you online at my Free Tool Talk Livestream! It's this Friday, July 4th, 2pm Eastern (18:00 UTC). From Highland Woodworking- For The Newbies- Mike Peace demonstrate turning a wooden mallet from a log. Very handy project for the shop and great between centers turning example. Sam Angelo presents what he feels are essential tools for the woodturner, in this video- Would your significant other like a wooden spatula? Great for those who use no stick cookware! Expand Your Horizons- Hard to believe but the "4 Ways" collaboration has been creating fantastic projects for over 2 years! This month's the turners do their interpretation of salt and pepper shakers! Maynard G. Krebs would be proud of Tim Yoder's "bongo" Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- A bunch of Easy Wood Tools demonstrations coming up next week! If you are near by check one out! A turner I watch on YouTube, from the United Kingdom, is an avid Easy Wood Tools user. Jamie (JP Woodworks) recently made an inertia sander. Like all his turnings, he used Easy Wood Tools to create the project. You can get a pretty good look at the EWT tools in action. @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Everything Else- Have a safe July 4th celebrating this great nation's 249th birthday. Safe turning
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Just a little over a week left to reach our goal of $1800. If you haven't gotten your raffle tickets- DON'T DELAY! Our Patriot Turners- @FrederickH salvaged an oak burl and wondered whether we thought it was worth turning. You can probably guess we were 100% in favorite of doing it!! Check out more images and our members comments here What’s Coming Up- Last Friday (June 20) Cindy Drozda's Tool Talk was about cutting threads. She used a dedicated jig for her demonstration. If you missed it, she made it available on YouTube- Click the image for more information and registration For The Newbies- If you are getting ready to turn that first bowl but need some advice on mounting the blank, Mike Peace has some ideas- Sam Angelo follows up with more ways to mount turnings on the lathe- Woodcraft has a great page on their site for turning lessons. If you need ideas on awesome projects, check it out! Click the below image!! Expand Your Horizons- On your tool rack , there's the spindle gouge, the bowl gouge and the parting tool. But, what about that skew chisel gathering dust. Richard Raffan and Tomislav Tomasic have some tips, techniques and ideas for improving our skew skills! Speaking of Richard Raffan, he was recently given the 2025 Honorary Lifetime Award by the AAW- Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- If you are in the Leesburg, VA are on Saturday, June 28, stop by the Woodcraft store and check out the Easy Wood Tools demo- https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/northern-virginia?srsltid=AfmBOooX-T5uZvqRSaE53QE8POZK3Az_uUkkKI4F6AiBz28zxtHegHai Another EWT shared video showing how easily a bottle stopper can be made- AQMKdmjEumcWBsnzATzgqKdhM_B42S3eIyZZnqgeYCBchGv6K1yRedL_mLQVDjURiFkIQvYOXHI2FkUFbc40B6C7.mp4 @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Tim Yoder recently reviewed a new CBN wheel for his grinder. Woodcraft has a sale on turning kits and supplies! Click on the image for the link to all the goodies! Highland Woodworking has the Woodslicer Bandsaw Blades on sale-. Click on the image for the link Everything Else- @Gerald asked for some images of the John Beaver wave bowls I am preparing for a demo I am doing in August. This will be a club demo for the local Cumberland Valley Woodturners. These are just some images of the bowls in various stages of development that I will use to show how they are made. The actual production of a bowl, from start to finish takes several days to allow for glue drying, coloring, sanding and finishing. The bowls are roughed out but left a bit thick so that there will be enough "meat" for gluing later in the process Special supports are made to custom fit inside the bowl to provide a way of holding it together while turning operations are done later. The supports are hot melt glued in place. John Beaver uses MDF but I didn't have any. The supports are drilled to accept dowels to maintain alignment. One of the supports is labeled to keep things aligned. The blank is moved to the bandsaw and a wave is cut in two steps. Dowels are inserted and a pressure block added to the tail stock to make sure everything stays in place and aligned. At his point, the bowl could be made with a wave that stands proud of the surface or recessed below the surface. Recessed wave waiting for the squeeze out to gel. The inside of the bowl will have the supports removed and then turned to the final thickness. The extra "meat" in the wall thickness makes sure there is enough surface for a good glue bond when turning the inside to a respectable wall thickness. Safe turning
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We only have about 2 weeks left to get your raffle tickets for the Summer Fund Raiser. This fund raiser will help keep our site alive and allow us to help veterans. Please Donate! Sorry about the late post. Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr Finished up his segmented coin displays and they are absolutely gorgeous! Check out more images and what our members had to say- Sad news in the world of woodturners this past week. @Gerald was kind enough to post his information about David Ellsworth. If you are not familiar with Mr. Ellsworth's art, here's a link to get you started https://ellsworthstudios.com/about-david What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Thinking about selling your work at a craft show? Here's a fairly simple item from Tomislav Tomasic. Gets you started into simple bowl turning- Expand Your Horizons- Sam Angelo turns his version of a scoop using a shop made collet system Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Did you know Easy Wood Tools has a newsletter? To quote Joe Namath- It's FREE! Sign up here! Great prices on EAT products from Taylor Toolworks until the end of June. https://taytools.com/ @Jordan Martindale Carl Jacobson uses EWT equipment to create a beautiful lidded box. Checkout how easy it is to change jaws on the EWT chuck! New Turning Items- Sam Angelo reviews the Trent Bosch Laser Bar used for hollowing. Everything Else- Safe turning
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More rain to fill the PA potholes Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr is making progress on his coin displays. He is turning the pedestals for each coin and ran into a little problem and asked our advice. Check out Fred's post for our members suggestions. I finally dug out the chainsaw and went for some sycamore. Cut everything on site instead of manhandling big chunks of logs. A bunch of approximately 6 x 6 pieces and some a little bigger. Ends sealed with old Titebond glue. Seven of these pieces have been rough turned, 4 soaked and in the drying box and 3 more in the soak now. I was surprised how much the log had spalted since the last time I cut from it, especially since it was not in contact with the ground. What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy Drozda's tool talk with Emma Cook, it is available on YouTube- For The Newbies- From Tomislav Tomasic on the importance of tool rest positioning- Expand Your Horizons- No Longworth chuck, no Cole Jaws? No problem! Sam Angelo demonstrates how to finish off the bottom of a bowl without those special chucks. Spindles, bowls, hollowing-- been there, done that?? But have you turned a Jelly Fish?? Carl Jacobson shows us this turned art work- Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Easy Wood Tools has a great selection of accessories for holding pieces on the lathe. For the headstock, besides their awesome Easy Chuck, they have faceplates, faceplate rings and drive centers. Faceplates- Faceplates are available for lathes with headstock spindles threads of 1 x 8, 1.25 x 8, M30 x 3.5 and M33 x 3.5. With diameters ranging from 2" to 4.5". The faceplates have a large number of holes to ensure secure mounting even on rough surfaces. Faceplate rings- The faceplate rings are machined from cold rolled steel. These heavy rings will work with most 4 jaw chucks. These are available in 3, 4.5 and 6 inch diameters. As with the EWT faceplates, the large number of holes provides secure mounting on uneven surfaces. With faceplate rings, there is no need to replace the chuck with a faceplate. Drive Centers- Being able to mount spindle work without removing your chuck can save time. EWT offers two styles of chuck mounted drive centers. 4 Prong- This heavy duty center offers a retracting point for easy centering and will work with most chucks. Multi-Spur As with the 4 prong drive center, the retracting point makes for easy centering and will fit most chucks. EWT hasn't ignored the tailstock either. Live Center- Standard #2 Morris taper with a 3/4 x 10 threaded nose for additional adapters. The center point position is adjustable. Stabilization Cones- Available in 1.5" and 4" diameter with 3/4 x 10 threads Some of these items are demonstrated and reviewed by Carl Jacobson- Another well known woodturner demonstrating EWT tools- Upcoming EWT live demonstration- Be sure to check you local Woodcraft store for additional live EWT demos during the month of June. @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Everything Else- From Ron Brown's newsletter Opportunity "There is little opportunity when nothing changes...but with change comes opportunity." My daughter is brilliant! As a scientist working in a large laboratory developing poultry vaccines, change was constant: personnel, protocols, facilities, and equipment. It bothered her every time. My counsel was always to welcome changes because there is little opportunity when nothing changes. But with change, opportunity always comes, and it always did. For the hobby woodturner, this speaks to stagnation. If your techniques remain the same, your projects look the same, and your understanding of wood and tools doesn't evolve, your opportunities for growth and enjoyment are limited. You might become proficient at a few specific tasks, but you'll likely hit a plateau. • Limited Skill Development • Repetitive Projects • Missed Learning • Lack of Innovation "...but with change comes opportunity." This is the exciting part! Change, even when it feels a little daunting, opens doors to new possibilities and growth in your woodturning journey. • Learning New Skills: Experimenting with different wood species or mastering a new finishing technique (like CA), expands your capabilities and opens up new project possibilities. • Exploring Different Project Types: Moving beyond simple bowls to tackle complex spindle projects, or even furniture components, can lead to greater satisfaction. • Adopting New Tools: Investing in a new tool, jig, or fixture, even a seemingly small one, can revolutionize your workflow and the types of projects you can undertake. • Discovering New Materials: Experimenting with epoxy resin, metal inlays, or even incorporating non-traditional materials into your woodworking can lead to unique and exciting results. • Sharing and Learning from Others: Engaging with the woodturning community online or in person exposes you to different approaches, ideas, and critiques, fostering growth and new opportunities for learning. Other key precepts to consider: • Master New Forms: Progressing beyond basic shapes to complex forms (hollow vessels, segmented/off-center turning) provides significant skill development. • Experiment with Different Woods: Exploring various wood types (hardwoods, softwoods, figured, green) reveals diverse textures, colors, and challenges. • Learn New Tool Techniques: Utilizing different gouge profiles, scrapers, and specialized tools expands achievable effects and forms. • Explore Embellishments: Incorporating carving, burning, painting, or resin inlays adds artistic dimensions to turned pieces. • Improve Sharpening Skills and Techniques: Continuously refining tool sharpening and lathe stance improves cut quality, control, and intricacy. • Embrace New Technologies: Integrating modern technologies like laser engravers and advanced finishes offers new creative possibilities in woodturning. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone at the lathe. Embrace the challenges that come with learning new techniques, experimenting with different materials, and exploring new forms. Each change, each new skill acquired, each different wood you turn, is an opportunity to grow as a craftsman, to create more unique and satisfying pieces, and to deepen your enjoyment of this excellent craft. Safe turning
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Raining again! Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr updated us on his progress with his cool segmented coin holders. He has made some adjustments in his technique and describes them in his post. @RustyFN is teaching at his local Woodcraft. He got some practice in with this bowling ball. It didn't go quite as planned as Rusty describes in his post- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information For The Newbies- Sam Angelo discusses the difference between a traditional bowl gouge grind and the "Bottom Feeder" grind. Tomislav Tomasic posted a video that includes a new safety feature that protects both the operator and the lathe. I hope it becomes a standard feature on all lathes. Expand Your Horizons- A nice article/tutorial in Popular Woodworking, from Jimmy Clewes, on turning a winged box. The link to the tutorial- https://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/turned-winged-box/ Tim Yoder does some threading with an awesome looking threading "device" The video is apparently a little old. This is the link to a newer version of the jig. https://chefwarekits.com/Threading-Jigs-c9880435?srsltid=AfmBOorAAUTaQZHrT_dOYeJamCRCvOW1p_t4UJMLP--Wcow5aFwbgsj7 Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Most of the Easy Wood Tools carbide cutters are available in the Negative Rake configuration, identified by the "NR" notation in the descriptions. The negative rake cutters are less aggressive compared to the the "original" style of cutter. The negative rake design was originally developed for acrylic/hybrid blanks to be turned with less chipping that occurred with standard HSS and or standard carbide cutters. They work equally well on wooden blanks, especially during hollowing. Tools utilizing negative rake cutters are used with the same presentation angle/position as the standard cutters. For the Easy Wood Tools users "across the pond" a nice discount on the products- @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Reviews, something new and sale items. Tomislav unpack and reviews the Mike Mahoney Hollowing System Click on the images for links to the suppliers. Starbond- Woodcraft Spiracraft Everything Else- Safe turning
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First Wednesday in May! Where does the time go?!? Our Patriot Turners- A little slow this week. I think everyone is out mowing! A couple of "Blasts From The Past"! From our Ringmaster sub forum a chaos turning from @Headhunter More images are at the gallery- And from member @Big B (aka Brian Longshore)- This was posted at- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration. From the AAW- From Cindy Drozda- I hope to see you online at my Free Tool Talk Livestream! It's this Friday, May 9th, 2pm Eastern (18:00 UTC). For The Newbies- Tim Yoder answers another turning question. This one is about drilling on the lathe. And, here's a simple spindle turning project that also uses drilling on the lathe. Easy to make and then send home with your grandkids !! Expand Your Horizons- Tomislav Tomasic made a knockout bar handle. At the end of the video, he added a short segment on turning a sphere without a jig. Pretty cool. The "4 Ways" collaborators have posted their versions of a "Glasses Holder". These 4 projects are always really interesting to me. Love the way they interpret to the challenge in different ways. Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- If you are in the Oklahoma, OK area, check out Jesse Horn's demo at the Woodcraft store! https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/oklahoma-city While you are there, take a look at the Easy Wood Hollowing tools. The EWT "Hollowers" come in three shapes- Straight (#1), 45 degree (#2) and 90 degree (#3). The Hollowers come in three different lengths, as well. The Mini Hollowers are about 15" long; the Mid Hollowers are about 22" long and both use the Ci5 standard or negative rake cutter. The Pro Hollers are about 32" long and use the Ci3 standard cutter or negative rake cutter. The #1 Hollower also works great for hogging out bowl interiors and making very small cove cuts. A short video from Craft Supplies USA demonstrating the use of the three hollowers- This short video from Easy Wood Tools, Doug Dixon, talks a little about the hollowers. Doug is one of the driving forces behind EWT and an expert in carbide cutter development. Doug Dixon from Easy Wood Tools sharing about their hollower. He is so knowledgeable and just fun to hang with 🙂 #woodturning #turnerswarehouse.mp4 @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Not sure if this is a new tool. Picked it off of the Spring Vendors Showcase that was highlighted here a week or so ago. The cutting head and extendable handle look interesting. YouTube won't embed to video so click the link if you want to view the video of the hollowing tool. https://youtu.be/pKJVVo-vrKA?si=SJOyeYDEqGQM3XbO&t=6011 Everything Else- Safe turning
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Wow, where did the month of April go?!?!?! Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN gave us an update on his latest basket illusion vase. It is absolutely gorgeous!! Head on over to Rusty's post and see what our members had to say- What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy Drozda's Live Tool Talk, she has it uploaded to her YouTube Channel- Click on the image for the link to more information and registration- https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/dayton https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/raleigh For The Newbies- A short video from Tim Yoder on choosing a drive center- Expand Your Horizons- Mike Peace demonstrates a multi axis turning with a beautiful piece of cherry burl- Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Easy Wood Tools has settled into their new digs! Click on the calendar for the link to the interactive page. The Easy Wood Tools Detailers are typically used to create fine lines on a turning. They can also be used to shape tiny details in objects like finials. The Detailers come in two configurations. The Easy Detailer, which uses the standard Ci4 cutter or the negative rake Ci4-NR cutter And the Easy Micro Detailer, which uses the Ci7 cutter or the negative rake Ci7-NR cutter This short video from Craft Supplies USA demonstrated the Easy Detailer This video, from Tracey Malady uses the Easy Detailer and Micro Detailer to help shape a finial- When using this tool, the best surface is created by having only one side of the cutter in contact with the material, at a time, as the cutter goes deeper into the turning. New Turning Items- Tomislav Tomasic reviews his new Vicmarc VL300 Wood Lathe. That sure is a nice piece of equipment, Everything Else- Safe turning
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Our Patriot Turners- From OFF The Lathe, @User74 posted a lovely two species, pedestal bowl. Check out his post for mor images and the great comments by our members- What’s Coming Up- If you missed last Friday's Tool Talk from Cindy Drozda, It is available on YouTube- Todd Raines, from All Things Woodturning, will be hosting a free online demonstration where he will turn small pieces of oak burl. Click on the image for the link to registration- For The Newbies- Learning to sharpen your traditional HSS tools can be daunting. Mike Waldt demonstrates how to get the profile correct and throws in some other great tips. Tomislav Tomasic turns a small bowl in this video. His method of reverse chucking is similar to that used by Richard Raffan. Expand Your Horizons- If we have a theme this week, it's all about sharpening. Mike Waldt's emphasis was on creating a symmetrical grind. This video, from Richard Raffan, demonstrates creating an asymmetrical grind and why it could be beneficial. Richard demonstrated how this specialty grind is used- Mike Peace reviews the Camvac dust collector from Record Power- Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- This week the spotlight is on Easy Wood Tools' Rougher. The Rougher is excellent for creating tenons, turning blanks from square to round and removing material quickly. It is available in a wide range of sizes. The Pro version, the largest, is 28.5" long, Full Size at 24.5", Mid-size at 21", Mini at 16", Easy Start at 12.5" and the Micro at 9.25". The Roughers can use both regular and negative rake cutters as well as the square and radiused cutters. The Mid, Mini and Easy Start tools accommodate the new Beading Cutters. It didn't take long for bowl turners to realize that the radiused cutter produces an almost flawless surface on the outside of a bowl. Practically eliminating the need for sanding! The original EWT Rougher in action- For those of you in Canada. Click on the image for the link And finally- New Turning Items- I never have much success with rattle can lacquer. This new stuff from Craft Supplies USA may be the answer- Turning accessories and project items for sale. Click on the image for the link- Bandsaw blade for woodturners- Highland Woodworking Everything Else- Safe turning
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I swear one of these days I'm going to use my lathe and turn something. Our Patriot Turners- Thanks to @User74 for posting his cool lidded bowl, on our "Off the Lathe" topic! More images and a description of how he did the dark ring embellishment starts here- @Fred W. Hargis Jr asked our turners their thoughts on a vacuum chuck vs. a jam chuck. Fred received some great input. Please check out his post and see if you can add to the discussion- @RustyFN posted his "basket weave" vase. This amazing piece certainly take a whole lot of patience, a steady hand and perfect eye sight! See Rusty's post for more description and process images- What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy Drozda's Tool Talk last week, she uploaded the event to her YouTube page for viewing. This Saturday- April 5- is the free, online Vendors Showcase. Registration can be done at - https://streamyard.com/watch/UwJbzWJMHmsV?receiptful=67eadc4126171910e58cc7c7&utm_source=CM Commerce&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-445&utm_term=newsletter&utm_content=other&receiptfultype=newsletter Or- https://streamyard.com/watch/UwJbzWJMHmsV For The Newbies- Mike Peace posted a 5 year review the Record Power Coronet Herald lathe. It is a mid size variable speed wood lathe with a 14” swing and a 1HP motor. If you are thinking of upgrading, check out what he has to say. Expand Your Horizons- The first of the month brings another turning collaboration between Richard Raffan, Sam Angelo, Tomislav Tomasic and Mike Peace. As you saw in Cindy's tool talk, Easter is approaching and turning eggs is as much fun as coloring real ones- except they are not as edible. Tim Yoder goes one step farther and turns an "Easter ??? Bunny". Some of you may be aware of my love of Monty Python- Turning Time With Easy Wood Tools- Easy Wood Tool Demonstrations for the month of April for locations around the country- Why does Easy Wood Tools have the best carbide in the industry? Check out this article- Not All Carbide is Created Equal Final.pdf Tim Yoder turns Easter Eggs using Easy Wood Tools- @Jordan Martindale New Turning Items- Hoping the Spring Vendors Showcase will be introducing some new stuff. Check out the link above. Everything Else- Many turners are familiar with the name Rebecca DeGroot. Well known as a talented turner with a weird imagination, a tattoo artist, former high school art instructor and a contestant on the Food Network's Outrageous Pumpkins. Ms. DeGroot is featured in the February American Woodturner magazine. Link to the article- https://www.woodturner.org/Woodturner/Resources/AmericanWoodturner/2025/40-1/Rebecca-DeGroots-Creepy-Crawlers.aspx?fbclid=IwY2xjawJap6RleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYoPblEISEOS8K8BmeTWgGCyC-EDP0Vs5r4eq28xnALVQzulxIePbROvyA_aem_sfboYCYcwKY5SwZV6VzkVg Safe turning
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Lots of stuff this week! Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 posted a concept for modifying a set of calipers- See his post for what he proposes and additional information. @Gerald posted information concerning Teknatool USA Bankruptcy filings. Lots of folks use their products. Guess we will have to wait to see how this shakes out. @Fred W. Hargis Jr added a comment to the end of last weeks "Wednesday". Fred said that even though he has watched a lot of turning videos, he is still having trouble with tool presentation to the work. I did some searches on the topic and found several videos that might help him, and others having the same difficulties. For bowl gouges, this one has really great closeups- These are from noted turners, however, they are from live demonstrations. There are not a lot of closeup images- This link is to free Stuart Batty videos and other information that may be helpful- https://stuartbattytools.com/free-videos-and-articles What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- If you are new to carbide tools, Easy Wood Tools has posted a nice videos demonstrating the making of a little LED candle holder. There are lots of opinions about whether the tenon or mortice is the best option when holding work on the lathe. Stuart Batty explains pros and cons in these 2 videos- Expand Your Horizons- It is just after the first of the month and the "4 Ways" collaboration continues. Threads are this month's challenge. Thanks to Tomislav Tomasic, Mike Peace, Richard Raffan and Sam Angelo for posting their turnings. Mimi puts decorations in our front window for every season/holiday. If your Mrs. does the same, she might appreciate this for March 17- New Turning Items- Many of our turners use casting resins for different applications. This information came in an email from Alumilite The email linked 3 turners who pretty much specialize in each one of the 3 types of resin. If you have access to Instagram, you should be able to see example of their work. Click on the images for links to their Instagram accounts Jake Thompson- Clear Slow. Michael W Kusmierz – Amazing Deep Pour Troy Shipley – Alumilite Clear Not new but Woodcraft is having a sale on turning kits. Specials and closeouts! Click the image for the link to the sale age. Everything Else- Picture of the Easy Wood Tools demo in Harrisburg, PA last Saturday- Had a great time! They set us up right inside the front door. Lots of interest! The one for March had to be cancelled due to scheduling conflicts @Jordan Martindale. Safe turning
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Just a gentle reminder that Friday is Valentine's Day... Our Patriot Turners- We've had additions to our "ON/OFF" the lathe this week! From OFF- @kreisdorph Has been cranking out a really awesome range of turned shapes!! New comments from last week and more bowl images start here- And from ON- Some work on a wave bowl- Description is here- What’s Coming Up- This Friday, Cindy Drozda will be having another Tool Talk. Here's the link for free registration- https://streamyard.com/watch/Wj5UmiFqqTev This is something I should have been doing for some time. For those who enjoy using Easy Wood Tools, or want to learn more about them, we will be posting the locations, along with website links, of free turning demonstrations by Easy Wood Demonstrators. This first list is for the remainder of the Month of February. https://www.hartvillehardware.com/ https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/store/tulsa https://www.manntools.com/ https://www.statelinewoodturners.com/ For The Newbies- Stuart Batty added 3 videos explaining and using scrapers and gouges when turning a bowl. He demonstrates how and why things can go wrong. Tomislav Tomasic demonstrates what to look for when sharpening a bowl gouge and how misshaped grinds can affect the quality of cuts. Expand Your Horizons- Steady rest?!? We don't need no stinking steady rest! Well at least Richard Raffan doesn't! Mikes Peace turns a lidded box from Holly New Turning Items- Mike Peace also reviews a new chuck from Record Power. Everything Else- Looking for turning ideas? Ron Brown's latest newsletter may provide some. Turning Wood Is Like An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet There is a seemingly endless variety to choose from. Some you know instantly you want, some quite the opposite. There are others you might want to sample first before digging in. There is something for everyone’s taste in the world of woodturning. General Categories: Dried wood, wet/green wood, branch wood, wood from trees brought down by storms, projects using glued segments, wood suitable for spindles (grain runs parallel to the lathe bed), bowl orientation (grain is perpendicular to the lathe bed), hybrid wood and resin, structural projects (columns, posts, balusters, etc.), furniture parts (legs, stretchers, stool seats, etc.), projects using kits (pens, seam rippers, bottle stoppers, pepper mills, etc.) Within each general category, there are several sub-categories. Most folks never venture beyond 3 or 4; a few will try 5 to 7, then usually return to the category they are most comfortable with and know the most about. Here are a few items for your consideration: Bowls, vases, platters, goblets, pepper mills, candle holders, pens, bottle stoppers, Christmas ornaments, spindles, rolling pins, tool handles, jewelry boxes, decorative eggs, mortar and pestle, egg cups, honey dippers, spurtles, garden dibbers, mushrooms, finials, drawer pulls, bracelets, desk organizers, cake stands, salt cellars, lazy susans, mallets, yo-yos, coasters, napkin rings, birdhouses, chess pieces, plant stands, picture frames, serving spoons, tealight holders, fruit bowls, urns, platters with inlays, sculptures, toys, tea kettles, coffee scoops, trays, jewelry trees, herb grinders, clocks, letter openers, spinning tops, furniture legs, balusters, posts and columns, segmented urns, vases, basket weave illusion plates, vases, and bowls. That should get you started. Safe turning
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Well apparently Punxsutawney Phil got it right, at least for PA. Snow and sleet tonight, rinse and repeat for Saturday! Our Patriot Turners- @calabrese55 added a beautiful mixed media, mixed construction vase to our "What's Off" topic and our turners showed their appreciation for his work- Please head over to Mike's post and check out more images and the great comments- @RustyFN taught another bowl turning class at his local Woodcraft store. Please see his, and our turner's, comments at- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for the link to more information and registration If you missed it, last Friday, Cindy Drozda uploaded her Tool Talk presentation- For The Newbies- This video is a live demonstration showing some of the things to do for lathe maintenance. Filming isn't theater quality Pen turning is a nice way to ease into turning and the pens make awesome gifts. This video, from Craft Supplies USA, takes us through the steps. Although there lots of specialized jigs that can be purchase to do pen turning, many can be shop made for practically no cost. Expand Your Horizons- It is the beginning of the month and the "4 Ways Collaboration" group has uploaded their versions of a long stemmed goblet- New Turning Items- Everything Else- Popular Woodworking provided links to several turning articles. Beginners as well as more advanced turners should be able to find something useful. Jimmy Clewes turns a natural edge bowl- https://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/turn-a-live-edge-bowl/ Judy Ditmer discusses turning multiple copies of an item- https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/making-multiples/ Alan Lancer turns handles for turning tools- https://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/handles-for-turning-tools/ And, Yoav Liberman provides his insights into using carbide tools for the beginner. Although I disagree with his observation that carbide tools are "crude but effective." https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/carbide-tools-unlocking-woodturning-potential/ Safe turning
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Cold and windy here. Expecting a coating of snow tomorrow. Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr is prepping the load of wood he picked up a while back. He is sealing the ends of the blanks to slow down the drying process. Fred received some tips, from our members, on sealing materials. Check out his post at- @Gordon posed a question about using coloring agents to finish off a bowl. Specifically, he is looking for input on using dyes. Several of our members have provided some guidance. If you have experience, please add your comments to Gordon's post- A couple of entries and comments on our post for "What's ON/OFF" the lathe From what's ON- From @Gerald New comments start here- And from What's OFF- @RustyFN's awesome bowl. Check out the grain patterns! New entries start here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration- Any one up for a road trip?? For The Newbies- You've started to turn bowls. The outside looks pretty good but you are not happy with the roughness/ridges on the inside. Tomislav Tomasic demonstrates techniques to help improve the surface. Expand Your Horizons- Is there a use for a 3-D printer for the woodturner? Mike Peace investigates. A few weeks ago we posted a source for the new bowl coring system from the Woodcut company. Craft Supplies USA created an in-depth video from unboxing through use. New Turning Items- From Trent Bosch, a new design in tool rests. Asymmetrical Tool Rests. Click the image for link to the site. From Ron Brown, a video demonstrating the new "Bowl From A Board Extended Reach Base"- Everything Else- The new Craft Supplies USA catalog is available online at- https://indd.adobe.com/view/773366dd-1e4a-437f-92f0-c98e00d316ab I may have to buy an iPad to be able to peruse the pages while relaxing in the "Reading Room" Safe turning
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Day late . Computer started an update (failed again). By the time it came back up, it was already Thursday. Our Patriot Turners- @Headhunter posted some new turnings in our "Ringmaster" sub forum. Tony sure can do magic with that Ringmaster jig! Please check out his post at- @BuckeyeHomestead asked about where we get our turning blanks! Our members offered a bunch of ideas from their own experiences. If you can provide some ideas and/or sources, please check out Kenny's post and chime in! A few of our turners have braved the cold weather and showed us some more of their turnings in our "What's OFF the lathe." @calabrese55, @Gerald and @kreisdorph New posts start here and has more images! What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy's "Tool Talk" last week, she has made it available on her YouTube Channel- Cindy and Todd Raines will be having live sharing event tomorrow January 24, 2025. Click on the image for the link to registration. For The Newbies- Sanding is probably my least favorite part of turning a project. In this video, Sam Angelo, provides some tips he has found helpful. One this I noticed was how he organized his sanding supplies on a cart. I know @Gerald puts most of his items on a wall, within easy reach, behind his lathe. @BuckeyeHomestead asked about turning blanks. Not every turning has to begin with a large chunk of wood. Mike Peace shows us what can be made from smaller branches- Expand Your Horizons- If you have been thinking about expanding your turning repertoire into bowl turning but you are still hesitating, check this video from Tomislav Tomasic. Some really good closeups of tool positions and techniques. Resin casting is still popular and Tim Yoder casts a Banksia Pod for turning a project- New Turning Items- Everything Else- A short video that brought a smile to my face and I hope it does the same for you. It was posted by Easy Wood Tools but applicable to any turning session/tool. Share your knowledge with the kids! Safe turning
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Please checkout the update on our Operation Help a Hero Christmas Project Fundraiser 2024. There has been an additional prizes added to the raffle! Our Patriot Turners- Please welcome new turner @DE Turner! He sent me a couple of pictures of his beautiful work- Say Hi and encourage him to post more of his pieces! In our site's "Good Monday Morning..." forum, @Gerald posted a cool Christmas tree turning- His post can be viewed here- We have had a few additions to our continuing topic of "What's Off..." this past week! @User74 and @calabrese55 both added turning projects- Catchup on all of the new projects at- What’s Coming Up- Cindy Drozda's tool talk "I'm looking forward to spending some time online with you at my free Tool Talk Livestream. It's this Friday, December 6th, at 2pm Eastern (19:00 UTC)" https://streamyard.com/watch/6QBkMFj5Crnh Live Interactive Remote Demonstrations December 10, 2024, Tuesday, 7:00-9:30pm, Eastern Time, Details of Hollow Form Turning https://lylejamieson.com/product-category/live-interactive-remote-demonstrations/ For The Newbies- We post a lot of the activities from Cindy Drozda. This past week she shared a tour of her shop. It's great to get to see how other turners' shops are equipped and laid out- Mike Peace posted a video discussing techniques for drying wood for turning. This video from Mike Mahoney, made available through Fine Woodworking Magazine, shows how to sharpen various woodturning tools. I don't think you have to subscribe to the magazine to view the video. https://www.finewoodworking.com/2015/03/25/episode-2-sharpening-turning-tools Expand Your Horizons- With Christmas fast approaching, a couple of season related turnings. One from Alan Stratton and one from Sam Angelo. The "4-Ways" collaboration turning series posted these videos. This month's concept is to demonstrates how to turn an enclosed vessel with a height greater than its diameter, using readily available tools. New Turning Items- Not new but on sale- Bowlsaver Max4 Coring System Save $100.!! https://woodturningtoolstore.com/product/bowlsaver-max4-coring-system/?receiptful=674cfd640a220e4070fe56ec&utm_source=CM Commerce&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-408&utm_term=newsletter&utm_content=other&receiptfultype=newsletter Everything Else- Safe turning
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Well another election is in the books. I, for one, will be glad to return to commercials for Ozempic and Liberty Mutual car insurance. Our Patriot Turners- @RustyFN picked up some great looking Sycamore logs- He received lots of comments on the popularity of Sycamore for turning. Check out the comments at- Rust also made a super score at his local Woodcraft store. Our resident Ring Master turner, @Headhunter, posted some awesome bowls he has completed! Head on over to Tony's post and see more images and the comments from our gang- @Fred W. Hargis Jr was perusing some of our older topics and posted an observation about a commonly turned wood- @DAB turned a nice little bowl from a wood I had never heard of- Ohia. I found this from an Internet search- https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/plants/ohia-lehua/ He has some interesting stuff he is thinking about storing in this one! @forty_caliber has several serious hobbies along with turning. It's fantastic when you can meld them together. In this post from "What's Off Yor Lathe...", Monty turned an adapter to help build his short wave radio antenna farm. Also, in the "OFF" topic is a really nice bowl posted by @user74- The new items start here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- Safety video from Craft Supplies USA. PSA- not just for Newbies!! With Christmas coming, a gift idea from Alan Stratton @Steve Krumanaker Practice your spindle turning and a little hollowing with this item from Mike Waldt Expand Your Horizons- The "4 Ways" collaboration is back! A winged box!! A neat project for the seamstress in your life from Carl Jacobson- New Turning Items- I think we posted this before from another source. Here is Tim Yoder's assessment of the Tru-Arc tool Everything Else- Safe turning
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Now don't be eating all of the candy for tomorrow night's Trick or Treaters!! Our Patriot Turners- @Masonsailor posted a follow up on his turning class. His students turned some tool handles and a segmented bowl! Check out Paul's additional information and more images here- @Gordon is working on some of that silver maple he scored! He has a beautiful blank on his lathe and gave us a peek at how it's going- See more images and comments here- From OFF the lathe and finished, a "Wave Bowl" in cherry and walnut. The design concept is from John Beaver. What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to more information and registration For The Newbies- @Ron Altier makes knitting/crocheting needles for his Mrs. If you know a quilter, Alan Stratton shows us how to turn a quilting tool. Great project for practicing your spindle turning! A close up view of using some of the typical woodturning tool, Tomislav Tomasic. This might be helpful to the beginning turner to be able to see just how the cutting edges interact with the wood being turned. Cute Christmas ornament from Mike Peace- Expand Your Horizons- Jimmy Clewes is a world renowned turning instructor and many of us would love to be able to attend one of his courses. Well, Popular Woodworking has done the next best thing. They have paired with Mr. Clewes to create a video course. Click on the image below to the registration site and more information! "Electrified" Christmas ornament form Carl Jacobson- New Turning Items- From Ron Brown, more information on his "Bowl From A Board" tool- Everything Else- Last week @Gordon asked a question about the variations in his bowl wall thickness. Several of our members gave possible reasons for this. Just happens that I had the same thing happen to me, yesterday, when turning a sycamore bowl. I was doing the second turning and had sanded and finished the outside. Had gotten started on the inside. I was giving extra thickness to the walls to allow some waste as the wood was quite soft and needed stabilized. I used some shellac and CA to strengthen the wood and would turn away any staining to reach the final thickness. As it so often happens, an "emergency" showed up at the front door. By the time I got back to the lathe, the bowl blank had warped. The blank had been dried to moisture equilibrium. Turning it to the final thickness caused the rim to have thinner areas. If I hadn't put finish on the outside, I could have touched up both the outside and inside to correct the problem, but alas, I'm lazy. Moral- don't stop half way through! Safe turning
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Where did the summer go?!?!?!?!? Our Patriot Turners- We've had more activity on our "What's On/Off Your Late..." From "ON"- @Gerald posted several of the things he is currently completing! Some amazing looking pieces. Check out the post to see how Gerald created those amazing colors on the vase- And from "OFF"- @kreisdorph completed a couple of gorgeous bowls. I just cannot get over how beautiful the spalted one came out! Catchup from last week starting here- @AndrewB continues to grow his tool inventory. Check out what he has done this week- What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy Drozda's live tool talk last week, she posted it on YouTube- Click on the following images for links to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Kent Weakley, from Turn A Wood Bowl, has a nice video demonstrating the body positions during the turning process. Mike Peace turns a great little item that may just be something the Mrs. would like- Expand Your Horizons- Another installment of the "4-Ways" collaboration. I must be a cheap skate- I keep mine in an old scuba diving net bag Seems lately that baby rattles have been the current flavor of turning. Carl Jacobson has a special reason for this one- he's will be a grandpa soon! New Turning Items- Sorry, couldn't find anything this week... Everything Else- I've been working on a cane for my brother. First time trying one of these. There is a lot of lathe use but much of it is just a way to hold the cane while working on shaping it. I did turn the tapered shaft. I can't take credit for the design as I liberated much of it from "mmh's" blog I found when doing research. I am at the point where the sanding is finished and I need to laser engrave his name and put on a finish. Have to set up the laser and play a little with test pieces to get a nice engraving. The Derby handle is tiger maple- the stripes show better when I wiped it down with mineral spirits. The collar is cherry and walnut. The shaft is hard maple. The black dots are dowels that go through the cane to pin an internal oak dowel that runs from the handle to the shaft. The pins are ebony turned from old piano keys. Safe turning
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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
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Happy Birthday, America! Here's how it really happened! Our summer fund raiser is underway! If you haven't gotten your raffle tickets or checked out the great prizes, see the following post!!!! Our Patriot Turners- We've had some additions to our continuing post of "What's On Your Lathe" @Gerald and @kreisdorph both added images of what they have been up to- Catch up on all this week's action starting here- What’s Coming Up- It's been awhile since we've done a recap of the upcoming AAW events. Click on the images for links to registration and more information. Southwest Florida For The Newbies- Mike Peace posted a video to help turners understand the various methods and tools for center finding. Expand Your Horizons- Last week we posted a video on turning a trembleur. I guess the YouTube algorithm was watching me because this one showed up a couple of days ago. It's really neat how the turners create string steady rests- Carl Jacobson turns a cool paper clip holder- The collaboration between the "4 Ways" turners continues- New Turning Items- I received an email from Wood World of Texas covering their Kitchen Essentials products/kits. Check out their products here- https://woodworldtx.com/ Everything Else- Pulled this from a Woodturners Wonders email. Carbide vs. traditional HSS tools. This week, we want to share some helpful information so you can choose the best turning tool option for you. Additionally, we are offering a 15% discount on Sorby, Crown Hand Tools and Easy Wood Tools! * The discount will be reflected in the cart * Choosing the Right Turning Tools: Traditional vs. Carbide Woodturning is a craft that blends artistry with precision, and selecting the right tools is crucial for achieving the best results. At WoodTurners Wonders, we offer a wide range of turning tools from renowned brands such as Robert Sorby, Crown Turning Tools, Easy Wood Tools, and Yellowhammer Turning Tools. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned turner, understanding the differences between traditional and carbide turning tools can help you make an informed decision. Here are some factors to consider when choosing your turning tools, along with a comparison of the pros and cons of carbide and traditional tools. Factors to Consider When Choosing Turning Tools Skill Level: Beginners may find carbide tools easier to use due to their low-maintenance nature, while traditional tools offer greater versatility and control, which can appeal to more experienced turners. Maintenance: Consider how much time you're willing to invest in maintaining your tools. Traditional tools require regular sharpening, while carbide tools typically only need occasional replacement of the carbide inserts. Material and Projects: The type of wood you work with and the projects you undertake can influence your choice. Traditional tools are often preferred for fine detail work, while carbide tools excel in roughing and removing large amounts of material quickly. Budget: Evaluate the initial cost and the long-term investment. Traditional tools might have a lower upfront cost but require ongoing investment in sharpening equipment, whereas carbide tools have a higher initial cost but lower maintenance expenses. Comparing Traditional and Carbide-turning tools Traditional Turning Tools Pros: Versatility: Traditional tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing for a wide range of cuts and finishes. Control and Precision: Skilled turners can achieve intricate details and smoother finishes with traditional tools. Lower Initial Cost: Typically, traditional tools are less expensive upfront compared to carbide tools. Cons: Maintenance: Requires regular sharpening, which can be time-consuming and necessitates additional equipment like sharpening stones or grinders. Learning Curve: Mastering traditional tools takes time and practice, as each tool and cut requires different techniques and angles. Safe turning
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Lots happened this past week! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald posted more images of his "Frig Magnets". His Jaho jig really creates some spectacular designs! Here's where the new entry starts- @John Hechel made a couple of posts in our sub-forum for Ringmaster Turning. He showed us some of his glue ups and some absolutely gorgeous bowl! Check out his posts here- @RustyFN posted an update on his new McNaughton Bowl Coring System. He created some measuring devices to help setup the system for different sized cores. Thanks, Rusty for the update! I love all your posts on our "On/Off Your Lathe". It is so enjoyable to see the development and finishing of the projects. From "ON"- From @kreisdorph and @Gerald Catch up from last week starting here- From OFF- @kreisdorph and @User74 The latest entries start here- What’s Coming Up- If you missed Cindy Drozda's Tool Talk last week, she posted the video on her YouTube channel- Click on the following images for links to registration and more information- For The Newbies- The bowl gouge can be confusing for the new turner, especially when it comes to the type of "grind" on the tip. Professional turners seem to have individual preferences and provide that grind style on the tools they recommend/sell. Lyle Jamieson discusses his preference in this video. Jim Rodgers creates another custom pen. Check out some of the jigs he uses to create the pieces. Expand Your Horizons- Alan Stratton turns a bowl as a keepsake for a tree that needed to be removed. Most of us do this when we are gifted wood. What I found interesting was Alan's use of UV epoxy instead of the typical epoxy/acrylic. Here's the entire video- the UV information is at about 4:30. The "4 Ways Collaboration" continues. This month they turn multi-sided plates Mike- Tomislav- Sam- Richard- New Turning Items- From Ron Brown- Glue Press for Bowl From Board or Segmented Rings https://longworthchuck.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=536 Everything Else- My experiment with the turned blank from last week was a miserable failure. That turning became this- The prototype for a passive amplifier. There was a barely noticeable increase in volume but it looks neat. Biggest mistakes- don't use a spade bit for long holes, cutting an angle and rotating is not produce as nice as cutting 2 angles. As in Alan Stratton's video, I did turn a little bowl from our Crab Apple tree that is dying by inches. Planted it in 1969. Safe turning
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Well, Al Jolson was certainly right about April showers! A little over 3" since Sunday evening and a little more yet to come Our Patriot Turners- Member @calabrese55 posted a great tip for protecting turnings when chucked to a set of Cole jaws. In his post, he shows us how he made these foam protectors. Thanks, Mike, for this great idea! @Fred W. Hargis Jr posted a question about the Easy Wood Tools square cutters. Our members offered lots of great information. Please check it out and share your experiences. ( @Jordan Martindale ) Member @User74 gave us a couple of interesting surveys this past week. Don is interested in our shops and our preferences for turning species. It is really nice to get to know our members on a more personal level. First off, Don inquired about the lathes we are using: LOTS of responses and we learned that @HandyDan wins first prize!! Secondly, he asked what our favorite wood to turn. Again, no one was shy about sharing their picks: We really appreciate having our members getting actively involved in these conversations. Lots of projects finished and OFF the lathe this week! @kreisdorph and @RustyFN gave us a peek at what they were up to The new posts start here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the images for links to registration and more information: For The Newbies- Sam Angelo continues to offer videos for the beginner interested in learning woodturning. This one is about considering grain direction when turning- Well, you found a nice size log along the road and you are thinking about turning it into a bowl(s). A couple of videos to get you started. First from Richard Raffan showing how to break down the log- And from Craft Supplies USA demonstrating the roughing out process- Expand Your Horizons- It is a new month and the 4 Ways collaboration group has posted a new project. Each of the turners creates a version of a mystical goblet. Another turning from the antiquities. From Craft Supplies USA, an artifacts pot. Check out the microwave tip at the end! A neat birdhouse from Carl Jacobson. Maybe @Steve Krumanaker could shape it a little more like a bee hive to add to his product line! New Turning Items- For our Canadian friends, Lee Valley is now carrying some additional Laguna equipment. Check their site at- https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/tools/laguna-tools?utm_campaign=485417_Apr3-ProdFeature-Wood-LagunaLaunch-CA&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Lee Valley&dm_i=6EER,AEJT,12YD53,1HQJS,1 Everything Else- This was originally posted in the Woodturner's Forum. In case you missed it- From Ron Brown's newsletter- Just A Few Things I’d like to talk to you about incrementalism for your turning journey. Let’s assume that you already have the basics; a lathe, chucks, spur centers, faceplate, etc. And that you have at least a basic set of turning tools including a few carbide-tipped tools. Also, that you have at least a basic sharpening station for your High-Speed Steel tools. You’ve made the major capital investment needed. Now let’s suppose you want to turn pens and pencils. You only need a few more things like a pen mandrel to hold the blanks, a drill bit to make the hole for the brass tubing, and bushings to help make the proper sizing easily. You might add a pen press and a drilling fixture if you really decide to make lots of pens, but that’s about it. What about threaded lidded boxes? There are two routes, hand chased threads, and a threading jig. A great set of thread chasers from Robert Sorby including a depth gauge is only $149.94 on Amazon. With that set you’ve expanded your repertoire to small turned lidded boxes, burial urns, hollow forms with threaded lids, etc. You can add different thread pitches for around $100 with the addition of new thread chasers. Threading jigs begin at around $250 and go up to over $500, but there is practically no learning curve and you seldom fail. Let’s say you become fascinated with turning salt and pepper mills. You need a couple of forstner bits and a drill chuck for the tailstock. A drill bit extension for the taller mills is handy along with a couple of mandrels to hold the blank between centers as you shape the body. Pepper Mill kits are inexpensive and now you have added salt and pepper mills to your arsenal for about $100. And my latest favorite, Bowls From A Board. For under $150 you can add a basic system to your collection and open a whole new world of fascinating possibilities limited only by your imagination. Think segmented turning with 90% less work. It turns out there are hundreds of YouTube videos on making “bowls from a board” so you are guaranteed a quick start. Turning wood can be daunting because there is so much to learn. Many folks claim this line, “by the yard it’s hard, by the inch it’s a cinch.” I recommend you add one skillset at a time and get the few things needed for that. Pretty soon, you will have to decide which of your passions you want to enjoy next! Safe turning
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March already! Some of the trees are starting to show signs of waking up and I have garlic greens showing through the mulch! Our Patriot Turners- @Fred W. Hargis Jr posted an inquiry about a new tool rest. He asked particularly about the curved type used for turning bowls. Several of our members offered their opinions. Maybe you could hop on over to Fred's post and provide additional insights. @HandyDan posted a link to a site for turning tool handle inserts. If you make your own handles you might want to check it out. The site is for Trent Bosch tools and there are lots of other items there. Here's the link to his site's home page- https://trentboschtools.com/ @Gerald showed us the setup for his new JaHo jig in the "Good Monday Morning" forum- There is additional information in his post- Our continuing thread on the "What's On Your Lathe" post continues to showcase new and beautiful items. This past week @teesquare, @kreisdorph and @Gerald all posted projects! Catchup on all the activity at- In addition to the ones still on the lathe, We had entries into the "What's OFF Your Lathe And Finished". @Gerald and @kreisdorph both added their finished items. The new entries and comments start here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the image for the link to more information and registration- For The Newbies- Not quite ready to make the deep bowl? here's an intermediate step from Alan Stratton. Reading a post on social media from a turner who upgraded to a larger lathe. He was lamenting that his expensive Cole Jaws were small and would not allow him to use the maximum swing of the new lathe. One person recommended this video from Alan Stratton- Expand Your Horizons- Several of our turners give back to others by participating in events such as Turning Pens For Our Troops and Beads Of Courage Boxes. This month the turners participating in the "4-Ways" turning collaboration are making Wig Stands. Anyone who has suffered the ravages of cancer and chemo would certainly appreciate one of these items. New Turning Items- Many turners tint their epoxy/acrylic work with various products. Up until now, tinting CA glue was limited due to the reaction between the glue and the tinting substance. Starbond has released an assortment of materials to tint their CA glues. Check it out at- https://starbond.com/collections/powders-inlay-supplies?utm_source=1. Starbond Newsletter Subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SB - TOTD Mica Mix (01HR9F16QNEP00ZFQF4704JB87)&_kx=UWBjOrBvGqdgxjbKJKjzdYtukO2Hko9tBjUvyv5yRmCPEYlA8GzGmWiEh-BS_64B.KAnW2a Wasn't sure where to put this but Woodturners Wonders is having a give-a-way contest- If you do that sort of things, here's the link- https://woodturnerswonders.com/pages/giveaway?_kx=gV5SF2As_3IwtBi5TrpHVQM0F3UvGVbQKzhWGippDlk.VJvU8R Everything Else- From Ron Brown's Newsletter When Size Matters What is the second major difference between a 12” swing wood lathe and a 16” swing wood lathe? The first difference is obvious, the 16” lathe can swing a 4-inch larger vessel. The second major difference is in the motor or horsepower. The smaller lathe is most likely equipped with a ¾ or 1 horsepower motor while the larger lathe will typically have 1-1/2 to 2 horsepower motor. Why does horsepower matter anyway? When all you turn are pens, wizard wands, and bottle stoppers, HP doesn’t matter. But when you are roughing out bowl blanks, plates, platters, drilling salt and pepper mills, or virtually any hollow form, the extra HP keeps the lathe from stalling. The larger the diameter, the more HP is needed because you lose the advantage of leverage. Imagine going up a steep hill with a heavy load in high gear. With the smaller HP you are forced to take lighter cuts and can’t be aggressive without stalling the lathe in its tracks; been there done that. You can turn little stuff on a big lathe, but it is much more difficult to turn big stuff on a little lathe. It can be done, of course, it’s just not as fun, safe, or easy. I have discovered recurring patterns after observing many thousands of turners over a few decades: 1) Most new turners start with a mini-lathe if they buy it new. 2) If they inherit the lathe from a relative or purchase it used, they are likely to get a larger machine to start with. 3) Although they planned to sell the smaller unit when they upgraded, they most often kept both lathes. I had 5 at one time. Now I’m down to only two. 4) These days, 2020 and later, most new turners start with carbide-tipped tools rather than the High-Speed Steel traditional tools. They are easy to use, quick to become proficient with, and they don’t require frequent sharpening or an expensive sharpening station. 5) After the new turner decides to pursue turning as a hobby, (1 to 3 years later) most will undertake learning how to use and sharpen HSS tools. They will invest in a fully equipped sharpening station including a slow speed grinder and sharpening jig. A no-fail way to introduce someone to turning wood on a lathe is to help them turn a wooden pen using a carbide-tipped tool. They treasure that pen and use it every day. They can spend the minimum amount of money and easily make lots of pens to give away or sell to their friends and associates. Their sense of accomplishment is validated often and they will have firmly joined the family of wood turners. Just like everything else in life, we all have to start somewhere. Me too. If you recognize the path each of them must walk on their journey, you will be better able to help and advise other turners who are not as experienced as you are. Experts were once beginners too. That is why we are always ready to help whenever we can and invite folks to call with their turning questions. Where are you on the path? Safe turning
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