Turning between centers

[Curt George]

Hello
I am New here, but I have been playing with the lathe for some 40+ years now.
I am a hobbyist only. But My question comes from Why do I not see any spindle turnings posted anywhere?
Bowls, Boxes, and platters are all that anyone is posting.
Where I make chair and staircase parts, walking sticks, handles, finals and re-production work.
here are a few photos of things that I like to turn.
C.A.G.

 

[R Henrickson]

I am a hobbyist only. But My question comes from Why do I not see any spindle turnings posted anywhere?
Bowls, Boxes, and platters are all that anyone is posting.

I would have to agree -- bowls, hollow forms, and platters are the overwhelming turnings posted. I do a lot of spindle turning and multiaxis work but don't post much of what I do. It's good to see some spindles.

 

[hockenbery]

Hello
I am New here, but I have been playing with the lathe for some 40+ years now.
I am a hobbyist only. But My question comes from Why do I not see any spindle turnings posted anywhere?
Bowls, Boxes, and platters are all that anyone is posting.
Where I make chair and staircase parts, walking sticks, handles, finals and re-production work.
here are a few photos of things that I like to turn.
C.A.G.

Welcome. There are a few spindles turners here. Also quite a few who use spindle turning in their work.
You should post in the gallery.

I turn some spindles. There are quite a few posts of finials.
A few of treenware and pepper mills. A few posts of balusters

bowls are popular, boxes many of which use spindle skills are popular

There are many pieces posted that combine spindle turning with other skills.
I do spheres, suspended spherical forms, napkin rings, ornaments to name a few that have a lot of spindle turning in them.

This ornament is all spindle turning when the holes are drilled before it goes on the lathe

All the turning on these napkin rings is spindle turning

Goblets after hollowing the cup are all spindle turning

All the outside of this form is spindle turning

 

[Michael Anderson]

Hi Curt! Glad you joined. I think that there are periods in the gallery where there are a lot of spindle pieces posted, and then times where there are primarily bowls or hollowforms. Like Al said, a lot of folks use spindle work in their pieces (but maybe not exclusively). I’ve been making a lot of multi-axis hearts lately which are about half spindle work:




I also do a lot of egg pieces.




That said, I don’t have very many traditional spindle projects posted, but all of these require spindle turning skills. I will admit that I do find a different type of satisfaction with bowls, and they fit some of my current embellishment interests well. Like Bob (R) said above, I also enjoy seeing spindle pieces posted to the gallery. Yours look very very nice in your intro post. I hope you post to the gallery whenever you make your next one/batch!

 

[robo hippy]

Many do suggest that for beginners, they should learn spindles first. Me, I turned maybe 3 spindles, and then went straight to bowls. I do turn a fair number of lidded boxes though.

robo hippy

 

[Curt George]

Wow!
Hello Everyone.
Thank you for the reply's.
Those pix's are very nice (Huckenbery).
Michael A. the multi axis harts are also very nice. (I would like to see more on how you do those.)
Robo. I'm not a beginner to wood turning, but I too am not into Bowl turning. even though I have done a fair share of boxes in the past.

Today my passion is turning Bone.
Here are a few pix's of what I am doing today.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Those are great Curt. I’ve become increasingly interested in turning/carving bone. Can I ask where you source it? And if there is a preferred animal? Antler vs other bone?

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I have not done many pure spindle turnings for a long time but in the past I did several baluster jobs plus restoration projects.
This one combines spindle turning and cabinetry.

Turning the legs for the table.

Four fluted balusters with the original in the middle.

 

[Curt George]

Those are great Curt. I’ve become increasingly interested in turning/carving bone. Can I ask where you source it? And if there is a preferred animal? Antler vs other bone?

Hello
Its my own design/processing method of making bone into something more useable, for larger things like these bone handles.
I use cow bone. sold as pet/choose (dog bone's) sold at most pet food supply stores.
I have 4 videos on the process. called Bone turning 101, Its on a Australian web site. the original videos were made as a supplement material for people in the Legacy Ornamental Mills users group.
who wanted to try the process.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ7gn-shVYA&t=15s

there are 4 parts and a stand alone video on turning with my home made copy mill/lathe.
If you have any questions, Please ask. Over the last few years, I and this process has gotten much better.
Turning Bone has become my passion. I like the way it look and feel in my hands, as well as how it works. The hardest part is the processing of the bone, The turning is very rewarding.
On the good side for most handles it only takes appx. 2 bones to make a handle. (depending on the quality of the bone being processes.) In the videos I show the processing and what to
look out for.

C.A.G.

 

[Curt George]

I have not done many pure spindle turnings for a long time but in the past I did several baluster jobs plus restoration projects.
View attachment 58042 This one combines spindle turning and cabinetry.
View attachment 58043 View attachment 58045
Turning the legs for the table.
View attachment 58046
Four fluted balusters with the original in the middle.

Don very nice work.
Thank you for sharing.

C.A.G.

 

[Dean Center]

Curt and R Hendrickson, if you want to see some spindle work in the gallery, you should post some pictures of your work there. I'd be interested in seeing some of what you're making. It's not like there is a rule against it, all pictures that are family friendly are welcome. What you see is what users feel like uploading.

 

[Michael Anderson]

all pictures that are family friendly are welcome

Err, I kind of want to see some spindle turning photos that are not family friendly now

 

[Michael Anderson]

@Curt George thanks a lot for the information and resources. I’m looking forward to the deep dive. Cheers!

 

[Curt George]

@Curt George thanks a lot for the information and resources. I’m looking forward to the deep dive. Cheers!

You can e-mail me any time. curt.george@yahoo.com I should also be here for at least a while. ;-) As I said bone is my passion at this time.
It doesn't take a lot to get me talking about something I truly enjoy. Any turning/ lathe work, will do the trick.
Have a good night.

C.A.G.

 

[Michael Anderson]

I hear you on that one!

 

[Brian Gustin]

Err, I kind of want to see some spindle turning photos that are not family friendly now

LOL.. I used to make Garden Dibbles (for bulb planting) and 8 times out of 10, even with the explanation printed out on the price tag on it, people got the wrong (x-rated) idea for what it was for, either that or my lathe skills were not sufficiently good at matching the pattern I had printed out for it...

Edit: Somehow my reply picked up the wrong response, edited to quote the correct one.

 

[Larry Copas]

You mean one can turn a bowl on the lathe? How clever is that!


I was just getting started and the the program said I could only attach 4 pictures.

 

[Curt George]

You mean one can turn a bowl on the lathe? How clever is that!

View attachment 58061View attachment 58062View attachment 58063View attachment 58064
I was just getting started and the the program said I could only attach 4 pictures.

Beautiful craftsmanship there! Awesome work.
Here are some photo's of my stuff.
Keep up the good work. and Thanks for sharing .

C.A.G.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Welcome. I do lots of handles but for true spindle work I did a four poster bed. Used pine to replace one lost in a flood.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

@Curt George thanks a lot for the information and resources. I’m looking forward to the deep dive. Cheers!

Gonna bone up on the subject, Michael?

 

[Curt George]

Wow that's a lot nicer that any of the ones that Ive made. Awesome work.
Thank you.

C.A.G.

 

[Curt George]

Gonna bone up on the subject, Michael?

I really hope so. I will be all to glad to show people how I do what I do. My hope is that Others can take on what I've done, and move forward.
As I see it, its not competition, it's called Growth. Bone looks like Ivory, and feels good in the hand. and the truth is NO ONE uses bone anymore.
its both challenging and rewarding.
and I find it a LOT of Fun.

C.A.G.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

I really hope so. I will be all to glad to show people how I do what I do. My hope is that Others can take on what I've done, and move forward.
As I see it, its not competition, it's called Growth. Bone looks like Ivory, and feels good in the hand. and the truth is NO ONE uses bone anymore.
its both challenging and rewarding.
and I find it a LOT of Fun.

C.A.G.

Curt, I think if you would like to show people how to do the type of turning and projects you do you should do a follow along in the projects threads. I think it would be interesting from what you have posted above. I watched your video and it looks interesting. I have made knife handles from deer antler, I agree nice to work with but the dust isn't nice.

 

[Curt George]

Curt, I think if you would like to show people how to do the type of turning and projects you do you should do a follow along in the projects threads. I think it would be interesting from what you have posted above. I watched your video and it looks interesting. I have made knife handles from deer antler, I agree nice to work with but the dust isn't nice.

Well, Thank you Vincent.
I hope to have an article in print soon, and then I will do more posting of this process.
Im chomping at the bit to tell the world, but until... after I will, I honestly don't want to put the cart IN front of the horse. (so to speak.)

I will be posting other projects on this process pretty soon.
So there will be more to come.
thank you.

C.A.G.

 

[Tib G Shaw]

If you'd like to see more spindles, post them! All of the photos here would be great for the photo gallery, which is where we pull most of the images for the AAW Toolbox from. It would be a real plus to have more spindle turnings and traditional turnings to share with other turners.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Well since J L posted a 4 poster I have to retrieve the photo of the cherry bed I made for my daughter. The measured drawing that I used was for a canopy bed with a rope to support the mattress. The version I made had the dimensions adjusted to accept a twin size mattress.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Gonna bone up on the subject, Michael?

Oh yeah!

 

[Curt George]

Nice.

Thank you .

C.A.G.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Curt, very cool. Thanks for the video.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Just turned a bone roof on this mini Birdhouse with African Blackwood and a copper peg.

Problem with bone is the limited thickness and curved sizes, I have turned small finials from bone and that works well.

 

[Curt George]

Hey there Leo.
I agree that is why I started making my bone handles, by layering them together like plywood, I was able to make things that I could never have done with the bone as it is in its natural state.
I made this handle today. Not one of me best but you have to work with what you have. Over all I think its nice, the natural defects most people do not see, But Im hardest on my own work.

I like your mini bird house, thank you for sharing, If you don't mind I think I will try make one like it, I have a lot of scrap bone that I need to figure out what to do with them.

Have a good night.

C.A.G.

 

[Curt George]

Curt, very cool. Thanks for the video.

Thank you Rusty. Its all part for the learning curve, (so to speak.) Those video were done over 1-2yrs time span, for the Ornamental Mills users group (on Google.)
The more that I learn, then more that I can share.
My over all concept is by sharing we can all grow and learn form each other. My hope is someone will take what I've done and improve apron it.
If you have any question's or comments, I am always open to talk.

Have a good night.

C.A.G.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Here is another picture of some bone turning I did, that's from a while ago, but I still have a picture of it, the finial is OK, but I was not to enthused of the overall look. but it lived.

 

[Curt George]

Outstanding! What kind of wood is that? I very much like your bone finial.
Thank you.

C.A.G.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Outstanding! What kind of wood is that? I very much like your bone finial.
Thank you.

C.A.G.

Thanks Curt, that is American Elm, easy to ID by the Ziggy Zaggie's in the wood grain .

here it is without the lid.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Leo, that looks like Pecan to me. (I'm kidding!)

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Thank you Rusty. Its all part for the learning curve, (so to speak.) Those video were done over 1-2yrs time span, for the Ornamental Mills users group (on Google.)
The more that I learn, then more that I can share.
My over all concept is by sharing we can all grow and learn form each other. My hope is someone will take what I've done and improve apron it.
If you have any question's or comments, I am always open to talk.

Have a good night.

C.A.G.

I couldn’t agree more. I have a couple of friends that are instructors at our club the have helped me grow a lot over the last two years. I have started doing demos at the club myself.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

I always wonder about this myself. Being a mostly exclusive spindle turner (look in my gallery) I have wondered why not as many people have taken this skill and used it more widespread. I probably got it from my teacher, who, for four years taught me and my brother spindle work of all sorts, from boxes to ornaments even inside out turning. Of course some bowl turners are really good, many of which are on this Forum.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I do some spindle turning. End grain hollow forms, bowls, boxes are spindle turning. Here's one example, wig holder

 

[Dean Center]

Curt, I think if you would like to show people how to do the type of turning and projects you do you should do a follow along in the projects threads. I think it would be interesting from what you have posted above. I watched your video and it looks interesting. I have made knife handles from deer antler, I agree nice to work with but the dust isn't nice.

Good suggestion, but how's he going to convey the aroma of turning bone? It's an essential part of the experience and one you'll not soon forget!