Round She Were

[Mark Mandell]

Charlie asked me to post an update on my sycamore.

Actually got it into a basic round at about 15-1/2 " and started hollowing through a 3" hole.

Didn't take long for two things to happen.

First, it came about 1/2" out of round in 1 day. I expected movement as it dries, but not an inch a day!!

Second, thar be buried treasure thar mates. Har har har!

Treasure, say ye? Whut sorda treasure?

Magnetic treasure for sure, 3 at about 12d, deep in this tree.

Guess I gonna find out just how tough those cobalt alloy tool bits are. Just take it slow and let the tool cut through the nails 'cause I sure can't pull'em out.

hisssssssssss, BANG!, found another one.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

sphere

thanks for the update 😀

First, it came about 1/2" out of round in 1 day. I expected movement as it dries, but not an inch a day!!

do you reround every day????

any idea why so much metal in this chunk????????

 

[Mark Mandell]

any idea why so much metal in this chunk????????

I didn't harvest the tree, a friend snagged a few sections. This appears to have been one of those unfortunate trees whose location made it ideal for use as a billboard, and my chunk must have been in the first 5-6' off the bole. In addition to that huge piece of iron, I pulled 3 nails out as I was getting it round. It was too much to assume those would be the only ones I'd find. When they're on the outside surface, you hear that "tic" from the gouge and can stop and pull them out. Hollowing I can't get to them with a pulling tool so I put a tough edge on a short tool bit and cut through them. Makes things a bit tedious.

No, not recutting the exterior, I planned on the piece coming out of round. Just need to get the hollowing done so that the wall thickness is within reasonable limits of eveness.

 

[dbonertz]

Bummer about the iron. Pretty hunk of wood. Keep us posted and show us the finished piece.

Dale

 

[Jake Debski]

Impressive Mark, also a great test of your tool steel, as well as your patience.

 

[GeorgeH]

While I suspect the gauge pictured above your partly turned piece is actually a vacuum gauge for a vacuum chuck, when I first saw it I imagined you might be using a dial indicator for run-out control on this piece of work. I then imagined you might be somewhat obsessive about wood turning accuracy. The imagination went wild after that. Please tell us that it is not a dial indicator...😀

 

[Mark Mandell]

While I suspect the gauge pictured above your partly turned piece is actually a vacuum gauge for a vacuum chuck, when I first saw it I imagined you might be using a dial indicator for run-out control on this piece of work. I then imagined you might be somewhat obsessive about wood turning accuracy. The imagination went wild after that. Please tell us that it is not a dial indicator...😀

Vacuum gauge 😀😀😀

This piece never did get balanced all ways nor perfectly [or even precisely] round. Wet sycamore moves as it dries!!

 

[Mark Mandell]

Poll: Who's Got The Guts

Okay, I reversed the piece, put the chuck in expansion mode, got it fixed and recentered with the tailstock, and the mounting area is rounded 🙄

In the second pic you can see both the punk quality of this wood and the size of the "nubbie" remaining to take off.

Now, keeping in mind that the chuck in expansion mode on the other end will easily pull out of the hollowing hole taking some wood with it, do I call it quits on the lathe trimming and carve off the remainer or do I sneak up on a little nubbie with the detail gouge and gamble that the whole thing doesn't just bust loose and go bouncing across the shop?

decisions decisions . . . . . . .

 

[Charlie Knighton]

decisions

Now, keeping in mind that the chuck in expansion mode on the other end will easily pull out of the hollowing hole taking some wood with it, do I call it quits on the lathe trimming and carve off the remainer or do I sneak up on a little nubbie with the detail gouge and gamble that the whole thing doesn't just bust loose and go bouncing across the shop?

with no experiece with this large of work, but the orginal post title of "2nd attempt" i vote call it quits on the lathe trimming 🙂

 

[Mark Mandell]

"2nd Attempt"

Charlie,

I was referring to my other thread re the dancing lathe. I figured if anything would have the Stubby up and moving around the shop it would be this thing. Oddly, while I never got the piece turned true in any direction, and the lathe wiggled, it didn't come close to dancing like it did with that piece of walnut that was less than 1/4 this size. Go figure😎

Yeah, I cut & ran. Took the final piece off with the sander. I had put the cone-point on the TS center and with the pressure holding the thing in the chuck, it certaily would have split out anything smaller.

Now to wait and watch the thing dry . . . .😉

 

[American & Proud]

Looking good so far be CAREFUL with those nails.

Could I see a picture of your PVC tool rack?

Been trying to decide what to make myself, I bought PVC pipe and started cutting it to length with a 30 degree bevel at the top of each. Still looking for ideas to hold alot of chisels in a small space.

Thanks.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Could I see a picture of your PVC tool rack?

Here you go. Angle is arbitrary, but you need to leave space under the tubes for the chips to fall out.

 

[American & Proud]

COOL, Thanks that was fast.

I have seen a few made with PVC pipe, I just can't make up my mind on what I want to make.

I need to house 50 or so chisels maybe even 60.

I was thinking of a tiered lazy suzan type thing. Small footprint with each tier getting smaller as it went up.

No wall space in my shop left. Still trying to look at all the tool storage PVC ideas and come up with something that will hold everything nice and neat, and let any chips just fall through like you mentioned.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[Mark Mandell]

I tried the rotating thing. The tool I wanted was ALWAYS on the other side of the rack and the roll-around stand was ALWAYS in my way. I made room for the wall rack and am very happy. Everything in arm's reach, but everything out of the way while I'm working. Of course I have my lathe set at 90° to the wall, so that does make a difference.

mm

 

[George Guadiane]

Okay, I reversed the piece, put the chuck in expansion mode, got it fixed and recentered with the tailstock, and the mounting area is rounded 🙄

In the second pic you can see both the punk quality of this wood and the size of the "nubbie" remaining to take off.

Now, keeping in mind that the chuck in expansion mode on the other end will easily pull out of the hollowing hole taking some wood with it, do I call it quits on the lathe trimming and carve off the remainer or do I sneak up on a little nubbie with the detail gouge and gamble that the whole thing doesn't just bust loose and go bouncing across the shop?

decisions decisions . . . . . . .

This seems like a REALLY good time to have a steady rest.

 

[Hugh]

Mark,
When you started this vessel - did you bag it in a plastic bag when you left it between turnings? Moving an inch out of round is a lot. Makes it harder to get an even wall thickness.

Do we get to see the final product when it is done?

Good job on the whole thing. 😀😀😀

Hugh

 

[Mark Mandell]

Mark,
When you started this vessel - did you bag it in a plastic bag when you left it between turnings? Moving an inch out of round is a lot. Makes it harder to get an even wall thickness.

Do we get to see the final product when it is done?

Good job on the whole thing. 😀😀:

Hugh

Sycamore is noted for its ability to move. I did wrap it when I was rounding it. But work got in the way and I let it sit for several days. I then did what I could to get it finally round and then started hollowing last night. By then it had moved a good half inch. Went back at it this morning and it was further out, but since I was leaving the walls 2" thick, I just ignored the unbalance and concentrated on the hollowing and getting the nails out as I went.

If I don't blow it on the carving, you'll get to see it in the Richmond IG 😀

It's now set aside to dry, warp, crack, whatever. This was a bit scary because the wood was so soft. I had 12 #12 screws through the faceplate, but I think only 6 of them had any real holding power. 😱

 

[waltben]

I've had what I thought was dry sycamore move more than I'd ever have thought. One 16" diameter piece moved more than 3/4" to oblong. Some kiln dried didn't move at all, one about 12" dia. is still the same shape after two years. I don't know what the level of dryness has to be with this species, but it must be very low for it to stay in the shape it's turned.

 

[Mark Mandell]

This seems like a REALLY good time to have a steady rest.

Morning George,

I have a Spin-Doctor rest that would do it, but with the wood warping and coming out of round on the lathe, it wasn't possible because the diameter wouldn't remain "steady" as the thing was drying. With the amount it was moving during the turning, I'm inferring there's a lot of compression wood on one side of this trunk. The deformation will be great for carving the final piece, but it made things difficult for turning.

mm

 

[George Guadiane]

Morning George,

I have a Spin-Doctor rest that would do it, but with the wood warping and coming out of round on the lathe, it wasn't possible because the diameter wouldn't remain "steady" as the thing was drying. With the amount it was moving during the turning, I'm inferring there's a lot of compression wood on one side of this trunk. The deformation will be great for carving the final piece, but it made things difficult for turning.

mm

How about the world's largest donut chuck?😀

 

[MichaelMouse]

Didn't take long for two things to happen.

First, it came about 1/2" out of round in 1 day. I expected movement as it dries, but not an inch a day!!

With the heart running at an angle that way, you knew it wasn't going to stay symmetrical. At least I assume from similar angle and off-center distance in the fore and aft pictures that I'm looking at the heart. Radial checks point to it. Sycamores in general are not very shade-tolerant, so I would not expect too much asymmetrical growth as it curved toward the light

Other thing you might have assumed if the pieces of metal were big enough would be enough local distortion of the grain as the obstacles were overgrown, making for a bulge or two in their locations.

Are those radial checks closing now that the wood is equalizing?

 

[Mark Mandell]

Are those radial checks closing now that the wood is equalizing?

Not yet. If anything they've opened a few more in the last 24.

Meter reads 24% on the face and 29% on the endgrain so it's got a way to go.

Correct, the pith is on an axis 20° off the final "spin pole". First process was to center the pith with a ring cut in the middle of the piece for circular reference. Would have had 20" diameter if not for that damn steel rod.

mm

 

[underdog]

Hey with a steady rest, you could have given new meaning to the phrase "oval turning"!!!😀