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Am I to believe that.....?

Joined
Oct 5, 2005
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Am I to believe that no one turns lace bobbins?

I see only ONE topic on this subject and NO pictures despite searching SEVERAL forums for this subject.

Just wondering....
 
If you check out the 1997 Turned for Used Exhibit on the gallery page you will see a nice assortment of lace bobbins turned by Harvey Helmke.

Click Here For Harvey Helmke Lace Bobbins

I started turning lace bobbins as a skill development exercise last year. I didn't have anyone to give them to so I don't do it anymore. The skills I developed came in very handy for making Christmas ornaments though.

Ed
 
So if you made some, why not post a couple pictures?:cool2:

Oh, and thanks for the link to the photos, too bad they're so far away. I can't make out details on them. Of course, there are tons of other examples on a google image search. No shortage there..

I was just wondering why no one posts pix of them.
 
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Harvey Helmke

Harvey was one of the best bobbin turners ever. Unfortunately he passed away in the fall of ’97. He taught his nephew Michael how to turn bobbins and Michael is still turning them out the last I heard. If you Goggle Harvey’s name, you will find a link for M&H Handcrafts. This was Harvey’s business (the M is for his wife May) and Michael is carrying on with it. Before Harvey passed away he was working on a how-to video on bobbins turning, but it was not finished when he went on to the wood shop above.

I was blessed to consider Harvey one of my best friends ever and even today when I touch a piece of wood with a tool at the lathe I think of him. Every time I have a catch start and stop it before it digs, I can still hear Harvey saying “yep, you saved that one.†We used to turn together in his shop one or two days a week. He would be in the back of the shop sitting on his paint bucket (later replaced by an old office chair) turning bobbins on his “Bonnie†and I would be in the front of the shop on the big Delta or my Jet that I had there. When May would get home from teaching school it was often the case that she would find us covered in chips and hungry since we forgot to break for lunch. The days when we did beak for lunch, we often took our fly rods with us and stopped off to wet a fly or two on the way back from lunch since he lived on Canyon Lake, north of San Antonio.

One of the best days ever was the day that Bonnie stayed over after the mini symposium and out there with us to just hung out for the day. We made some chips fly, talked turning, and grilled some chicken, and just had the best day ever. (We still tear up when either of us mention his name to each other. Sorry, Bonnie) Oh, those were the days.
 
Well, Jim, I've turned a few but I never considered posting images of a utilitarian spindle. If you're interested in seeing something like that I'll dig out my digital photo machine and see if I can post one for your pleasure.
 
I've been messing with making midlands and "viking war bobbins" (SWMBO term for a large bobbin used in making a particular kind of cord)

Not much to report in progress though. One the serious problems I have is getting a catch near the end. I have determined that most of these catches are caused be the bobbin flexing, as it is under compression and getting very thin. The solution is going to be a new tail-holding device. That is a Jabob's chuck attached to a live center. This will allow me to put the bobbin under a slight amount of tension.

I also have (bought from CS-UK) a bobbin chuck (which is a MT#2 to a square drive recess)

I know a couple of guys that used to do production work, one found more lucrative turning and the other ran into wood reaction issues and had to stop doing all woodwork.

TTFN
Ralph
 
One of Harvey's tricks was to cradle the bobbin in the crook of his index finger as he controled the tool with his middle finger and his thumb.

For finishing the area of the bobbin where the "thread" goes, consider using his trick. Do the final leveling and smoothing using a fine cut mill ******* file.

To hold his blanks he had both a purpose made, bought bobbin chuck and a homemade version. Seemed to work much better than either a jacobs chuck or the very small 4 jaw machinist chuck that he had. Main problem with the 4-jaw was that it bit. I can remember many times the sound of --- Whomp..."@#%@^#@%#% that hurt!!!!" when he was using the 4-jaw and one of the jaws bit him. Always seemed to hit on the end of the thumb or the end of a finger, never on the side of one. (Only took me once doing that while turning an ornament icicle to convince me to retire my machinist chuck for a Nova.)
 
Well, Jim, I've turned a few but I never considered posting images of a utilitarian spindle. If you're interested in seeing something like that I'll dig out my digital photo machine and see if I can post one for your pleasure.

Yes please! Let us oppose this notion that the only thing you can post on the AAW forum is useless gallery art!😛

Not that I really have anything against gallery quality turning mind you, but it pains me to notice that folks just don't post their treenware or their utility items. I was pleased to note the pictures from the "Turned for Use" show.

I have only turned the one bobbin last Saturday evening, but if all goes well, will soon be batching out others for some local lacemakers.

If I get a dozen decent ones, I'll post some myself.
 
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