• Congratulations to Alex Bradley winner of the December 2024 Turning Challenge (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.

need segmented turning tutorial

Matt Meadows

Matt Meadows

Joined
May 13, 2005
Messages
171
Likes
111
Location
Charleston SC
Tried a search on this site and the search engine told me to go away.
Anyhow, I have two questions. I'm a yearling in the turning and can turn bowls and goblets, I'm wanting to soon do a simple segmented vase for the church (guessing 10-12 inch diameter and 12-15" tall, a good size).

1) I need info on turning vases (ie, flower vases large enough to hold a pretty big floral arrangement), as I don't know if I can hollow out something that deep, with a bottleneck, with my bowl gouge (5/8" bar stock). Is there a different tool to use? Are uniform wall thicknesses considered standard as is on bowls, or are they left a bit thick for "ballast"?

2) I need info on how to cut, glue, and turn such a work. I work a 40 in a cabinet shop so we have some pretty schnazzy equimepment-- Unisaw, Incra sliding miter square, planer, jointer, plethora of clamps. I'm shooting for the basic segmented look, not trying to make any sort of zigzags or whatnot.

Will likely use wood we have in the cabinet shop, thinking ash and walnut or alder and maple.
 
Red:

I'd refer you Kevin Neely's website, www.turnedwood.com . There's a wealth of information there. Also you might want to get one or two segmented turning software packages. I'd recommend Woodturner Pro at www.woodturnerpro.com, which has a 30 trial. Lloyd Johnson can be a big help and gives great customer service and advice. Also, look at Woodturner Studio by Jerry Bennett which is available through www.woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=141-476&DF=141-476 as well as other sites.
 
The search feature within the forum software works. If you get more ambitious with segmented stuff or just want to learn more I would recommend the book by Malcolm Tibbetts. I bought it just to look thru it, and ended up reading most of the book. (alright, I looked at all the pictures too)
 
Thanks all! Lots of great info out there, I just couldn't find it.

George, your site was particularly helpful. Nice work, I hope to produce some stuff like that one day.
 
As far as hollowing goes, you need a laser guided hollowing tool. Lyle Jamieson make a nice one, so do I (but not in production at this time) and there is the Sorby set. Don't go for the mass thing, just be reasonable and leave a base to offset the top heavy weight. There a re several hollowing videos out there with laser guiding. I started with my Ellsworth tool and a home made rig to hold a laser. Worked for me.
 
Eddie,

What do you mean by "Don't go for the mass thing"?
 
You wondered if you should leave some weight, only at the base. Don't leave a lot of mass at the sides or top of any vessel.
 
Another source for learning segmentation is our esteemed AW Journal. There are lots of past articles. Also in the last issue and the current issue is a two part series "Segmented Turning School" by Jim Rodgers. I don't know how many parts total it will be, but there will be Part 3 in the next issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top