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From the album: Walnut Night Stand
Back view, showing the armrests, and the slats for the back. Back rung is a store-bought 7/8" dowel. Finish is two coats of Witch's Brew ( Pumpkin Pine?). The "bench" in the background is my Saw Bench, now over 2 years old. -
When I was kid, there was a toy that just fascinated me. The problem was I could never figure out how to play with it and make it work. I must've had 4 or 5 different versions and it was always the same. I would read the directions, try, fail, re-read the directions, try, fail until eventually I'd give up and forget about it. I did forget about it for almost 60 years. Today, for the first time ever, I made this amazing toy work after making my first version of it. I'm talking about a throw top, try as I might as a child I just couldn't make one work. Recently, I stumbled on to a video and the guy said something, it clicked and I thought, can it be that simple? It was, As a child I was reading the directions for a right handed person and never considered that it would be backwards for a lefty. Sure enough, the first time I started to use this one today it would've been backwards again. I know that might be hard to believe but I've never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. Here is my very crude first throw top, didn't even really sand it, just wanted to see if I could make it work. spin.mp4
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So last weekend we worked on the boat and spent time with our grandsons. I delivered the top made last week to one and returned the toy F1 car to the other. Silly me. There is no reasoning with three year olds. I didn’t get the manual that says definitely don’t give one grandson a top and not the other ! What a circus. So we are returning this weekend to continue working on the boat and deliver another top. Walnut and maple again. I gave this one a brass tip to make it a little different. I will turn the launcher tomorrow and quell the uprising this weekend. Paul
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Walked down to the garden this morning and I see the garlic is starting to poke through the leaf mulch. I guess spring can't be too far away. Don't forget to turn your clocks forward this Saturday night or you will be late to Sunday School! Our Patriot Turners- @Gerald took some time to rearrange his turning area. No easy feat and he will probably looking for where he put stuff for some time to come! Our members all sympathized with the amount of work required to do this. You can see their comments in Gerald's post- @Masonsailor Took a break from his media room redo and played on the lathe. Paul decided to turn a Top and it's a beauty. Our turners had lots of questions and comments about how the hardware and his processes. Check out Paul's post, here- A couple of weeks ago @Bob Hodge was asking about wet sanding techniques and products. Well, Bob made the leap and he tells us about his results. We appreciate Bob's follow-up and giving us his findings- @RustyFN Tried his hand at segmented turning. He said it was his first time at this but judging from the results, I have to wonder . As you might expect, the kudos were flying for this beauty! Rusty also gave us an insight into some of his processes for cutting the segments- In one of our other forums, Rusty shared his lumber score. You know some guys can fall in "it" and come out smelling like a rose. That's our Rusty!! Just look at what he picked up! He already has it broken down into turning blanks! A little more on his good luck here- @AndrewB is working on another pepper grinder. He is turning this one from Bhilwara. It is a beautiful wood and should look awesome on the table! In his post, Andrew also describes a new parting tool he purchased- More about the turning and the new tool here- What’s Coming Up- Click on the above image for the link to more information and registration Click on the above image for the link to registration and other demonstrators. For The Newbies- Several videos on sharpening and using bowl gouges and skew chisels- Expand Your Horizons- Rusty showed us his segmented bowl. Here's a recent video, posted by Woodworker's Journal, on some of the process that can be used to get you started. Resin casting and turning still remains popular. Our sponsor, Woodcraft, posted a tutorial covering products, procedures and safety. Here's the link to the web post- https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/cast-resin-turning?trk_msg=TIMUEHUKAFJ4HB9QSEB8OHLPNG&trk_contact=GSF9RJJ1I54ES16EDIULIN24MG&trk_sid=SJ2JKIDH3D265LJPCLOE09EL80&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=WCMAG+Cast+Resin+Turning+-+Free+Article&utm_campaign=Catalog Here is the PDF file- 76_ft_Resin-Turning_FINAL.pdf New Turning Items- It's been difficult to find any new and unique turning products. I guess everyone has scaled back due to the restrictions. The folks at Woodturners Wonders are having a Saint Patrick's Day sale. If you need sandpaper, might be wort looking into- https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/sales Everything Else- Rick Turns YouTube woodturning videos from last week- Well, my Psychedelic Psteady Rest is finished. I used LED in-line skate wheels and the material seems like it won't mar the turnings and yet is firm enough to keep the turning in place. Right now I am finishing up the Sketchup drawings that I used as plans. Probably not necessary but I need the Sketchup practice. A short video of the first test run. Not quite finished here but you get the idea- IMG_0977.mp4 Safe turning and stay well
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Research on the strings for tops didn't yield much. All I found is that the length of the string matters. It said 60" was a good length but did not specify the thickness of the string. I have a spool of nylon sash cord for blinds and started out using it. It is made of nylon and I found it may be too slippery. I got the tops working well with it after some practice but thought the kids may not have the ability or patience for that . I went looking for some type of cotton cord but didn't find anything local thick enough. I did find balls of natural cord at Hobby Lobby that looked good but not thick enough either. I bought it anyway with the thought I may be able to spin two strands together using the same technique I used for the Yo-Yos. Gave it a shot and it worked well with a cord .140" thick. The sash cord was .100 inches thick. After the first cord was made I knew I had a winner. The tops worked easier and I attribute that not only to the thicker cord but to the fact that the cord ended up closer to the outside diameter of the top which theoretically would get the top spinning easier right off the bat when thrown. So here is how I made them. I cut a 152" length of the cord shown and tied a knot in each end. The cord is three strands and I took large paper clips and hooked a strand on each end. I hooked one end on a stationary hook and the other end on a hook inserted in my drill. I twisted the cord running the drill in forward/clockwise motion until the length shortened up 24". While spinning it with the drill I kept moderate pressure on it holding back on the drill enough to keep the slack and whip out of the cord. Once it is 24" shorter there is plenty of twist and will knot up with the speed of light if constant tension is not held on it. Now the drill end has to be removed from the drill and put on the stationary hook with the other end. The drill hook has to be holding the half way mark as you do this. My arms are long enough that I could hook the string with the drill and move the end without it knotting. It would have been easier with a second person but I found it doable. Now that the cord is hooked halfway the drill has to be switched into reverse and spun in a counterclockwise direction. For some reason the cord gets longer as it is reverse spun and after spinning it for a while it will start to shorten up again. When this happens the top string is done. Put a knot big enough in one end to catch the string when winding and a finger loop or a button for the back of the fingers which ever you prefer. Oddly enough the string wound the way it is pictured above at the suggested 60" and the tops spin well. How about two at a time?
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With the base finished, all that was left to do was trim out the top with the walnut edge trim. Glue, clamps and some pin nails. I forgot to take photos of the top to apron mounting system but this Sketchup drawing should explain what I did. These are simple wooden clips with their tabs captured in slots that run around the perimeter of the inside of the aprons. The slot is 1/4" wide by 3/8" deep. The clips are cut from 3/4" thick maple and the tabs sized of a snug fit in the slots. Screws are used to secure the clip to the top. The hole is slightly over-sized and the screws are the type used for pocket holes- nice large heads. The finished table is awaiting pickup- The church members are going to apply the finish. If they send a picture, I'll add it here. Thanks for following along and the very kind comments that have been posted along the way.
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Part 2:
lew posted a blog entry in The Pastor’s Table or I Think My Sister Is Trying To Buy My Way Into Heaven
Part 2: This build was not going to be particularly difficult. My biggest concern was the maple top. I’ve built smaller edge grain tops before so the process was not unfamiliar; however, the staggered shorter length field pieces had me scratching my head about clamping and gluing. Also, I needed to consider the size of the top versus the capabilities of my shop equipment. My Dewalt 735 planer maxes out at around 13” wide and my little shop made drum sander can only handle very small work. John Moody suggested making the top in several sections and then assembling those sections into the final width. He also suggested using biscuits to aid in aligning the pieces during glue up. Sounded good to me so that’s what I did. I started with 8/4 rough, hard maple. Milled it down into the strips I’d need to build the top. I was really worried about the amount of waste there might. Sometimes thick pieces have a lot of internal stress and can end up looking like a piper cub propeller after they are cut. I got really lucky and almost all of the pieces were nice and straight. I spent several hours sorting, moving and labeling the pieces so there would be less of a chance of a mistake during glue up (not that completely eliminated snafus). I also marked all of the biscuit locations. As John suggested, the biscuits really helped align and keep the strips in place while clamping each section. I also used biscuits on the end joints where the shorter field pieces were joined. Maybe overkill on the clamps but I didn’t want to take any chances. For the field pieces that were made up from shorter lengths, I clamped the pieces end to end. Instead of trying to completely assemble each section at once, I opted to glue on and clamp one strip at a time until the section was finished. It took longer but I had more time to make sure everything was lining up. Working by yourself forces you to think the entire assembly process through thoroughly and sometimes even do a “practice run”. Eventually, I ended up here- All the labels and notes are clearly visible and I transferred some of the markings to the edges/back for reference during the final glue up. It seems like every time I clamp up an assembly like, I end up with a little irregularity on the edges. A quick pass through the jointer trued the edges and then it was on to the planer. 2 Next, the sections were glued together and sized for length. I used a straight edge and skill saw to trim the top to length. I guess I could have used the belt sander to smooth out the sections but I’ve really become a fan of the card scraper. One of our newer member- Todd Clippinger- has a really nice and quick procedure for sharpening card scrapers so you spend more time finishing then trying to produce that elusive “hook”. Originally, the edges of the top were to be square. The minister thought a chamfered edge would look nicer. A simple design change. Router and chamfer bit took care of it. A little more sanding (through 320 grit) and the top is done (except for the oil/wax). It weighed in at around 90 pounds. -
From the album: Pine Chester Drawers
View at the top. This was a glue up of two 1 x 10s. More coves. -
From the album: Pine Chester Drawers
showing the top a bit, brushed Nickel handles -
The story behind this little "What is it", is that I had this 1/2 log piece that came with the lumber stash,pic1. I didn't know what kind of wood it was so I cut a about 6" off the end to clean up and see what I had. It turned out to be Maple. I didn't want to just throw away the piece so thought I would make a band saw box out of it. So I cut the bottom off, cut out the center, glued up the sides and reattached the bottom. The cut on the bottom looked ugly so I made a molding and then made some feet for it and called it a desktop pencil holder. The finish is 2 coats of spray shellac, and 6 coats of water based poly thinned 50/50 with water. I did stained the base/feet ,because it looked better next to the bark. Herb
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It's been a beautiful couple of days here in south central Pennsylvania. I took advantage of the weather forecast and got most of the plants into the garden. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so that should get them a good start. Our Patriot turners have been busy this week with projects and posts. @Charles Nicholls started a thread on a bowl he is starting to turn. Charles asked our thoughts on the integrity of the bowl blank. Please check out his post and see if you can add any suggestions- In that same thread, Charles posted a picture of a top he is making- @Smallpatch is making teapots! He explains the process in his post- @PostalTom Asked a question about Mesquite and its' turning characteristics. If you ever turned Mesquite or would like to know what our turners said, check out his post at- @Gerald showed us his super score from ebay. He won a bid on a SuperNova 2 chuck. Our turners demonstrated great restraint in not teasing him too much about such a good deal. @Smallpatch also posted a topic about where to get free wood for turning. Your town may have a similar location. If you live in New Hampshire, the New England Woodturning Symposium is being held this weekend- May 12. Click on the above image to get more information about the symposium. The latest Woodturning OnLine newsletter arrived. Some great information as always. A nice video from Mike Waldt on creating a long stemmed goblet with captive rings- Another article, from the newsletter covers different methods of reverse chucking a bowl. It is a "PDF" by John Lucas. Here's the link- http://centralillinoiswoodturners.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Reverse-Turning-Bowls.pdf The full newsletter can be read at- http://www.woodturningonline.com/index.php I was lucky enough to score some free wood myself. One of my former students- and then teaching partner, cut down some trees at his home. One of them was a flame box elder. He brought me several logs. I think I can get several bowls and maybe a couple of shallow platters. I used TiteBond to seal the ends. We'll see how that works compared to latex paint. Safe turning
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From the album: Throw Tops
Maple top that I made today. It's made with 3 1x pieces of maple that are glued together and then turned. -
Fun to do and fun to play with. Shafts are all maple, bodies are spalted beech or corian. Steve
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From the album: Throw Tops
Maple top that I am making today. It's made with 4 1x pieces of maple that are glued together on a square piece of beech for the center. -
Legs look fat, top might be a bit thin..Boss is thinking "Night Stand" Still needs a finish.....have to go and BUY a can of something....this is a side view... Lonely looking thing. This is an end view Thinking MAYBE a darker colour for the legs? Kind of blend things together? Still need to get a box organized, as it is getting a bit full.. You might look through there, and see what kind of tools this will hold.....That smaller box with yellow handles sticking up, holds a set of chisels.....I need to find out what is stashed back there in the steel tool box....
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From the album: Pepper Mills
Top of the walnut pepper mill I am trying to finish. Note the nasty tearout problem on this end grain, doesn't seem to matter what tool I use to try and stop it other than a large forstner bit. That MAY work IF I had one. -
I started a few days ago on the Kitchen Island top out of Maple. I went over to the Wood Stash and got enough maple to bring to the shop and start working on. The top has to be 41"x51"x2". I got all of the boards cuts a little over size and ready for the jointer Ran one side across the jointer and ready to run through the planer. After it was run through the planer I stacked it all and put some clamps on it to just check my size and be sure I was going to be okay to start the glue up. That is going to be one large Island top. So last night I was looking at either gluing it up in three of four glue ups and them putting those together. So those are the three panels and I am thinking I am going to do it in four just to give me more working time and make it easier to pull them tight together. I should get them glued tonight or first thing in the morning. Well it was Thursday Morning before I got the panels glued. I decided to glue them into four sections and I am so glad I did. Once the clamps were on there it was almost too heavy for me to lift off the assembly table. Also to glue up all for sections has taken almost a gallon of Titebond III glue. 1st Panel 2nd Panel 3rd and 4th Panels It will most likely be Saturday morning before I start gluing the panels together. I think I will glue two panels together and then when they are dry, glue the two sections together.
