• January Turning Challenge: Thin-Stemmed Something! (click here for details)
  • Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Gabriel Hoff for "Spalted Beech Round Bottom Box" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 6, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Help wanted

P

Peter Hawkins

Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
32
Likes
1
Location
Marion texas
I have long admired the hollow form objects that appear to be carved, the last one was "solar wind" in the members gallery which I thought was awesome.

Can anyone advise me on any books/dvd/"how to" to cover this sort of work and what special tools would be required, being a newby to turning I tend to be a bit ignorant, or have not come across so many facets of turning.

In anticipation, and good wishes to all , peter
 
Peter - Go to his gallery and look at the comments for "The Fury". About half way down he posts a link to his webpage where he has a video on how he made "The Phoenix". It will give you an idea of the process he uses. Actually doing it yourself is another matter altogether.

You might also find the book "The basics of turning spirals" by Bill Bowers interesting.

Ed
 
I would recommend Techniques of Spiral work by Stewart Mortimer. He spends a lot of time on laying out the spirals which is the basic necessity. Then you use whatever tools you have at hand to carve them. I tend to use a saw, followed by cabinet makers rasp and then the foredom with various cutters.
 
That's a very cool video on jeffsturnedwood.com. Looks like he has a rig to rotate the spindle while moving router in the axial direction to cut the spirals. Could be wrong, but it has a "shop-made" look. Does anyone have plans for a similar rig that they would be willing to show us? I have a dandy piece of pecan that Peter generously shared with me a while back that might look good as a spiral carving.
 
Texian Router Magic by Bill Hylton has plans to make a spiral cutting router lathe. It's all made from off the shelf bicycle parts and wood so it's well within the skills of most woodworkers.
Another option for those willing to work with plexiglass it to make a bent plexiglass form with a slot for the router bushings. Then you make your wooden vessel the shape of the plexiglass form and lock it into place with an index head. Route a section, move the index pin and route another. You should hollow the vessel first. We had a demo by a club member who did this. He formed the plexiglass by heating it in the oven until it was soft.
 
thanks

Thank you everyone for your guidance and advice, will try and get a copy of the book also , tried borders bookstore who say its out of print.

Incidently I have already made a router lathe some 3 years ago, like you said primarily bike gearings, chains and lumber, used to do spindles with it , but has been left under one of the benches and ignored since then.

Again thank you all and have some great turning, regards peter
 
Thanks John. Saved your message. Kind of a toss-up whether to hollow first or second. Intuitively kind of seems like hollowing first might be better, so not trying to hollow amongst relatively fragile, narrow pieces. Guess it depends upon the variables of the specific piece.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top