Metal Spinning class

[john lucas]

Just got back from the Class at Marc Adams school. We had a great time. If you get a chance to take a class from Micheal Mocho do it. He's a good instructor and a lot of fun. This was just a 2 day class and you can see by the group photo how much we were able to do.
I had been interested in metal spinning for about 15 years and collected a fair amount of literature on it. Made my own tools and then took this class. It was great. They furnished the tools. comparing theirs to mine and using them I see some modifications and some new tools I want to make.
Mike explained the process very cleary and most everone was successful to some degree or another. Some blew up a few pieces but we all learned from the failures.
I look forward to seeing where I can take this medium.

 

[hockenbery]

John,
Sounds like a fun learning experience.

I have met michael a couple of times. Hard to find a a more enthusiastic and knowledgeable instructror.
Just a great guy to be around.

A long time ago John Brewer now deceased was in the Chesapeake Woodturners.
John Brewer was an accomplished metal spinner having made high end silver tea sets and many bowls with silver rims. He did spinning demos for our club several times.

I once made a sad little pewter bowl.

Have fun,
Al

 

[Bill Boehme]

Looks like great fun. We have had a couple demos in our club on metal spinning, but it has been a long time since the last one and I have forgotten most of what I saw. What kind of lubricant did you use in the class and does it depend on the metal?

 

[john lucas]

Bill we used Nutrigena Glycerine soap. I also read in one of my books that Dove soap will also work. Also a mixture of a Wax toilet bowl ring and some chain saw oil was another formula. Of course if you do some research you can find commercial spinning lubricant.

 

[John Torchick]

Wax toilet bowl ring

New would be the way to go. 😉 I found a spinning DVD on my desk after shoveling off all the junk that has accumulated over the weeks. Now, John, you have motivated me to take a close look at it. Keep us informed on what tools you make or have made for spinning and their function. Good turning!

 

[john lucas]

Guess I should have posted the photo of the tools I made before the class.
Here they are. After taking the class and looking at other tools I think I should have made the bullet tipped one a little more pointed and a slightly longer taper. Not much more pointed as the point isn't very useful but I had trouble reaching into the space near the pressure block.
My Plannishing tool was too large for the size bowls we were doing but will come in handy when I start doing larger work. The cutoff tool worked well. The lip rolling tool didn't work that well but I think it was me and not the tool. Gotta work on rolling a lip more.

 

[Dale Miner]

Guess I should have posted the photo of the tools I made before the class.
Here they are. After taking the class and looking at other tools I think I should have made the bullet tipped one a little more pointed and a slightly longer taper. Not much more pointed as the point isn't very useful but I had trouble reaching into the space near the pressure block.
My Plannishing tool was too large for the size bowls we were doing but will come in handy when I start doing larger work. The cutoff tool worked well. The lip rolling tool didn't work that well but I think it was me and not the tool. Gotta work on rolling a lip more.

John,

Your lip rolling tool or aka beading tool is best used to finish the bead. Use a wooden stick to do about 3/4 of the bead, and the tool to finish the shape. For larger beads that are left 'open', the stick alone is enough.

If the edge of the form is not running true, beading is almost impossible. Try making a light pass to put the metal tight to the form right at the start of the material left for beading, then trim true before using the stick to start the shape. Try to keep the material as near to original thickness at the OD of the blank to help in making a good bead. If the material is thin at the edge and thickens just in from the edge, a good looking bead is very elusive.

 

[john lucas]

Thanks for the tips Dale. Since I've only done 5 bowls I know I have a long way to go.

 

[underdog]

Neat! I've been wishing to see a demonstration on this subject for quite some time.

Is there anyone reasonably close to Athens GA that could do a demo for our club?

 

[Bill Boehme]

Bill we used Nutrigena Glycerine soap. I also read in one of my books that Dove soap will also work. Also a mixture of a Wax toilet bowl ring and some chain saw oil was another formula. Of course if you do some research you can find commercial spinning lubricant.

Thanks for the good information, John.

I wonder how somebody came up with that last one.

 

[john lucas]

I would be glad to come down to Athens and to a metal spinning demo. I just did a demo for their club this summer and it's only about an hour or so from my parents house in Atlanta. I will be practicing a lot for the next few months so hopefully I will be able to do a decent demo even though I'm not an expert.