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Chipping Mahanoy

Kyle

Kyle

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Aug 21, 2005
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I have been turning a lot of mahonogy lately and it seems no matter how sharp my tools are it always chips the mahonogy. Then it takes forever to sand out. (faceplate turning) But you could say its inexperence (that would be true im 15) so I dont know. Any advice would be appreticed.

Also if you have any recommandations on a food safe finish that is fairly inexpensive. (I am using Varathane now and I dont like how it dampens the look of the grain.) I was thinking of using a friction polish but I dont know if that is a food safe finish. 😕

Thanks
Kyle
 
Be gentle and search

Hi Kyle,

I don't turn a lot of mahogany, but I've not had too much trouble with tearout if I don't get in a hurry and try to cut too aggressively. You might try a bit of sanding sealer to toughen up the fibers before a final cut.

As for food safe there are a number of recent threads you can find with a simple search for "food safe" There will be plenty of food for thought 😀 in a couple of them.
 
What is the best wood to turn into usable bowls.

I know that mahonogy is a very chipple wood (just called my shop teacher to make sure im not crazy..) so is walnut or oak a better wood to use?
 
Lacquer isn't listed by the FDA as food safe, but it is. It MUST be cured for a couple of weeks. If you buy a can of precatalyzed lacquer from WoodCraft (like $20 a gallon or something I think) and a can of either lacquer thinner, or better yet, lacquer retarder, you have a nice finish to apply that doesn't have a dark color. Sand your wood nice and smooth, I go to at least 320 grit, preferably higher for luster. Mix the lac and the thinner 50/50 and apply it on lathe (hand turning, not high speed turning) with a paper towel. Build it until the wood looks good to you, this will not be a thick coat of material. Your piece will look like beautiful wood, not plastic laminated wood. Honduran mahogany looks stunning with lacquer.

I recommend precat lacquer b/c it is very chemical resistant (ie, dish soap), much more so than Deft cellulose lacquer.
 
Last edited:
Its a sanding question.....

Thanks Red Fish

I do all of my sanding with a sheet of regular sandpaper. I was looking in Lee Valley and Woodcraft and I saw these sanding things that look like a pad off of a random orbit sander. I was wondering if these are worth the investment. I dont have a lot of money 😱 so if they are worth the investment, where is the best place to buy a good quality one. (I perfer one made in the U.S. or Canada)

Thanks
Kyle
 
Kyle -

Bill Grumbine informed me about a GREAT book on design. It is Turned Bowl Design by Richard Raffan. I ordered it from Amazon - and it is wonderful on design of all types of woodturnings. They only had a few of these left, and I am not sure if it is out of print or not.
 
Kyle said:
I have been turning a lot of mahonogy lately and it seems no matter how sharp my tools are it always chips the mahonogy. Then it takes forever to sand out. (faceplate turning) But you could say its inexperence (that would be true im 15) so I dont know. Any advice would be appreticed.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't happen to know which of many "mahoganies" you have, would you? Seems its more appearance than working characteristics that prompts the seller to call it mahogany. There's a perfectly dreadful wood called "Phillipine mahogany" that is brittle and open-grained, though red in color, and painful to turn. Then there's "African mahogany," which runs to grain reversals like elm or yellow birch, and is subject to pulling out small chunks of the softer early wood if a tool isn't presented properly. There's even a chance you actually have mahogany, which would behave better that the other two.

Any of the above can be cut, but you have to have that sharp tool properly positioned to sever the fibers as close to 90 degrees to their growth as possible. For shallow work, this is very difficult, but the sanding is easy. The opposite for deep work. Best advice, if your teacher is not a turner is to hit the books. If what you have is luan, the "Phillipine" mahogany, just find something else to cut, the best option being a chunk of firewood.
 
Ok.......

Thanks
Ive actually made bowls out of Phillepene, Africian, and Hurandus Mahonogy. I perfer Africian because of its grain pattern.

Would anyone know where to get one of those power sadning set-ups for a drill? Im tired to wasting a lot of regular sandpaper and I heard that "Hook & Loop" works good. Does it or would I be wasting my money.
 
Hi Kyle, it's good to see young turners taking advantage of this site. I've got a couple recommendations for you regarding the mahogany. When making your final cuts make sure your gouge is very sharp. I go to the grinder just prior to making my final cut. Another trick that can help on an area prone to tearout is to put some oil on that area just before cutting. The oil makes the fibers stand out better, and makes them softer/less brittle. When I make a bowl that will be used for food I stay away from lacquer and other surface finishes and instead use oil. Oil penetrates the wood rather than sits on top. That way if the bowl is scraped when in use (like from a utensil) it won't scratch the finish leaving a scar and allow bacteria underneath the finish to grow. Three different oils come to mind. Mineral oil and canola oil won't get rancid. Stay away from regular salad/vegetable oils, because after sitting on a bowl they can get rancid and smell. The third oil, that I use the most, is filtered walnut oil. You can get this the easiest through one of the woodturning supply companies, such as Packard's (www.packardwoodworks.com). It's marketed under 'Mahoney Utility Oil Finish'. These oils are great to use both as a lubricant for your final cuts, as well as the bowl's final finish. I hope this information is helpful. Good luck with your turnings. Molly
 
I'll second the recommendation to make sure of the approach to the wood. Any cut should be "downhill" to the grain. For side grain, this will mean edge to center on concaves and center to edge on convex. For end grain, exact opposite.

I lubricate my cuts when tearout is happening also. I just gob on a bunch of paste wax and go to it while still wet. Works really well.

As to food safe, eurythane oils are food safe (but not FDA approved if that is an issue) if you let them cure out fully. Once the volitiles/solvents have outgassed, the remaining finish is inert and pretty water resistant (not proof). About a month after finishing should be fine.

Dietrich
 
Where to buy a Jet mini lathe

Thanks to a previous post, I no longer need to build a lathe for now......

But where is the cheepest place you know of to buy a Jet Mini Lathe. I have a business tax id, and at Western Tool Supply, they wanted 250.00 😱 and that seems to be the price everyone wants. Is there a catalog that sells mini-lathes cheeper then 250.00?

Thanks
 
Mini lathe prices

$250 seems to be the going price for the Jet Mini. The only price I've seen that was better was last month when Woodcraft had their 10% off everything sale day. But I don't think you want to wait until next July for the next sale.

Remember to include shipping and handling when you are comparing prices. I've found that it is often cheaper to buy things at my local Woodcraft store because the amount I save on S&H more than makes up for having to pay sales tax.
 
Kyle --- Just checked Western Tool, Rockler, Woodcraft, Packard, Craft Supplies,and Woodworkers Supply of New Mexico.

They're all selling the Jet Mini for 249.99.

Buy local.

Shipping is usually more than the local sales tax.

Added bonus with buying locally is that -should something go wrong - you'll be able to stand face to face with the guy who should make things right.
 
Or.....

My uncle has a old Delta/Rockwell lathe that he gave me but I havnt went to get yet. Its missing the tool rest, live center, and the banjo. Its a varable speed, rusty, and I think the wiring is shot 😱 . Should I go get this or go buy a mini lathe?
 
Kyle said:
My uncle has a old Delta/Rockwell lathe that he gave me but I havnt went to get yet. Its missing the tool rest, live center, and the banjo. Its a varable speed, rusty, and I think the wiring is shot 😱 . Should I go get this or go buy a mini lathe?
Click to expand...

How much would this stuff cost?
-Banjo
-Tool Rests
-Live Center (Ball berrings)
-Complete tool set (Made in USA or Canada)
 
And how much would a good tool set cost?
 
Kyle - you might want to check out some of the woodturning vendor sites for pricing. There are numerous vendors but 3 of the big ones are:

Woodcraft
Craft Supplies
Packard Woodworks

They also have great catalogs. But be forewarned, once you get one of their catalogs you might spend a whole lotta time drooling over all the neat stuff you can potentially purchase to supply your new woodturning addiction.
 
Well I wouldnt call it a "new" addiction.
I have know how to turn scence i was 5 when I got my first scroll saw and drill press. (I tried to make a lathe out of the drill press.........and there it went out the window 😱 )
So anyway.....
 
yet another question......
My school has a Powermatic Lathe forom the early 50s.
It has one of those circular lever controls like a varable speed dial. But if you turn it up too much, the control falls out and the lathe keeps going faster. It should be bolted on to the lathe because we cant pull it out at lower speeds.
Any help is needed.
 
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