What’s on your lathe?

[Lou Jacobs]

The ash blank that I just turned this bowl from has been on the shelf drying for about two years. I wish it didn’t have the bug tunnels, but some folks seem to actually prefer the “character” they impart to a piece of Un-buggy wood. Go figure! The bowl is 11 1/2” diameter by 4” tall.

 

[Dave Hulett]

Is that a USC Trojan logo?

Michigan State Spartans!!!!!

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

I'm now turning a tankard for my son

 

[Michael Anderson]

Finished the exterior and hollowing the interior of the Torreya calabash. Tomorrow I’ll sand the interior and work on fixing some cracks and other things. The light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible. Whew!

 

[Phil Hamel]

Trying another off center turning. Will also be breaking out the airbrush to try to get back into that.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Finished the exterior and hollowing the interior of the Torreya calabash. Tomorrow I’ll sand the interior and work on fixing some cracks and other things. The light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible. Whew!
View attachment 52185

Hopefully you have some of the bark left to pulverize and fill the crotch and bark inclusions that are missing some of it, a blender would make quick work of a small chunk of bark, CA soak will keep it in place, so far so good

 

[Michael Anderson]

Hopefully you have some of the bark left to pulverize and fill the crotch and bark inclusions that are missing some of it, a blender would make quick work of a small chunk of bark, CA soak will keep it in place, so far so good View attachment 52195

Thank you! That’s a great idea about the pulverized bark. Didn’t even cross my mind.

 

[Monty Ivy]

Yet another pecan bowl into the kiln. ~10x6

 

[Phil Hamel]

Well............................two things.

I'm in no way ever going to be confused with a painter!
Plus if you get to close to a spinning chunk of wood with a sharp object you just may take a big chunk out of your work and have to start over!!
My humble 3rd rendition of a light house. Tried to make it look old and weathered.

 

[Odie]

Padauk last night.....(D.O. still wet!)

-----odie-----

 

[Mike Novak]

Mike,
Also from your pic, you have the machine feet sitting on blocks of wood. Can't see if that block is recessed for the foot to sit into or not but even if it is, don't believe it's the best set-up especially if you plan on doing big out of round pieces alot. If one of those feet ever vibrates out, you’re going to be trying to catch 700+ pounds of machine from tipping over........don't ask how I know. Here's what I did to a previous machine that I needed to jack up in the air.

Dave

I took your observation to heart. I used an old landscape timber, cut it to size, and bolted it between the leg and the PM riser using 3/8 x 7 bolts. Not only is it safer but it’s more stable too.

I was surprised to find that the bolts PM uses for the feet and leg extension is an oddball size 1/-12. That’s why I used 3/8 thru bolts instead.

 

[James Seyfried]

a blender would make quick work of a small chunk of bark

I use a small coffee grinder for that and wood chips.

 

[Michael Anderson]

I use a small coffee grinder for that and wood chips.

That’s what I ended up doing. I added a few coffee beans to the bark to darken the filler a bit.

 

[Dave Delo]

Dave

I took your observation to heart. I used an old landscape timber, cut it to size, and bolted it between the leg and the PM riser using 3/8 x 7 bolts. Not only is it safer but it’s more stable too.

I was surprised to find that the bolts PM uses for the feet and leg extension is an oddball size 1/-12. That’s why I used 3/8 thru bolts instead.

Very nice modification Mike.

 

[Doug Agee]

That’s what I ended up doing. I added a few coffee beans to the bark to darken the fill a bit.
View attachment 52211

My wife drinks tea that she buys in bulk. I have tried some used tea leaves from the strainer in a grinder. I like that there are a variety of colors and it is natural. I would imagine that adding a bit of the bark would create a very nice filler matieral.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Todays task on this never ending Torreya project is to repair and/or mitigate the cracks. I’m using a variety of techniques. In this case, pewa/butterflies/dutchmen for the more serious/cluttered areas. Other areas are getting other types of repairs.



Apologies if it seems like I’m spamming this thread with my progress photos. It’s an effective way to keep me motivated during this bowl project.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Todays task on this never ending Torreya project is to repair and/or mitigate the cracks. I’m using a variety of techniques. In this case, pewa/butterflies/dutchmen for the more serious/cluttered areas. Other areas are getting other types of repairs.

View attachment 52213

Apologies if it seems like I’m spamming this thread with my progress photos. It’s an effective way to keep me motivated during this bowl project.

Michael, we/I like pictures of what different turners do with/on their pieces, it also keeps the forum "alive", I have used staples that I made, to keep splits from opening more, or preventing from happening.

Some of the staples got relocated after finish turning in a obscure location, but the important part is that they do work well.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Thanks, Leo. I always appreciate the example photos. I’ve used staples a handful of times, salvaged from copper wire or coat hanger wire. Here’s the most recent:

Very effective method for keeping cracks from opening. For this one I wanted to stick with wooden repairs. Partly for the challenge, partly for practice, partly for tradition, and partly just for fun

 

[Dave Hulett]

Is that a USC Trojan logo?

Nope. Michigan State Spartans!

 

[Mike Novak]

Another large white oak bowl roughed out.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

Doing a once turned white oak. 11" x 4" will wait a few days to sand it once it dries a little. Hey Michael, what's your wife say about using the blender for wood bark. I like the idea of using ground bark for filler.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Hey Michael, what's your wife say about using the blender for wood bark.

Ha! This is just an old coffee grinder we occasionally use to grind spices, so she was alright with it. Ask me what she thought about roasting wood in the oven though…

 

[Vincent Vogel]

I have a couple apple roughouts I froze them and now in the garage refrigerator to experiment with drying them. So far she either hasn't notice them or it doesn't bother her.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

Cut up some wood today. The top piece is pond cypress and the rest is wood oak. Unfortunately, the cypress is very punky so it's going into the fire pit.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Another large white oak bowl roughed out.

That looks a lot more like red oak.

 

[Odie]

Maple burl.....

-o-

 

[Mike Novak]

That looks a lot more like red oak.

Don

I was taking the tree guy’s opinion. I’m no expert. No leaves on it when it came down. Here is a close up of end grain. What do you think?

 

[Michael Anderson]

Mike, that is absolutely White Oak.

 

[Michael Anderson]

This will likely be the last progress photo of the Torreya calabash I’m working on. Yesterday, I managed to inlay 6 Walnut pewa. Today’s task is to add a few small Wenge pewa and a couple of Mahogany poho patches to some weak endgrain. I think that will complete all the inlays. Tomorrow, I hope to do my final sanding and start the finishing process. Here is the final layout before I start cutting into the bowl.

 

[Barry Larson]

This will likely be the last progress photo of the Torreya calabash I’m working on. Yesterday, I managed to inlay 6 Walnut pewa. Today’s task is to add a few small Wenge pewa and a couple of Mahogany poho patches to some weak endgrain. I think that will complete all the inlays. Tomorrow, I hope to do my final sanding start the finishing process. Here is the final layout before I start cutting into the bowl.

View attachment 52244

Neat idea Michael. How do you cut the pockets for the patches/Dutchman? By hand? or router with a jig?
Be safe and stay well.
Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!

 

[Michael Anderson]

Heya Barry! For a couple of the larger Dutchmen I used a router and jig from Slabstitcher. It’s meant for flatwork, so it took some finagling to get the angles right. For the other ones, I’ve been hogging out the majority with a palm router, and then use a chisel to clean up the edges and corners. The problem with this method is the router follows the contour of the bowl, which means I need to sand away the same profile in the back of each inlay. The benefit of the jig is that it cuts in one plane, so I can just inlay the patch the same way I would with flatwork.

 

[Barry Larson]

Heya Barry! For a couple of the larger Dutchmen I used a router and jig from Slabstitcher. It’s meant for flatwork, so it took some finagling to get the angles right. For the other ones, I’ve been hogging out the majority with a palm router, and then use a chisel to clean up the edges and corners. The problem with this method is the router follows the contour of the bowl, which means I need to sand away the same profile in the back of each inlay. The benefit of the jig is that it cuts in one plane, so I can just inlay the patch the same way I would with flatwork.

Thanks Michael. I like the effect, so I'll be doing some experimenting. I built a jig for flatwork some time ago; from you comment I just need to experiment in applying it to round work! If you have some pictures of your jig in use they would be appreciated.
Be safe and stay well.
Barry

 

[Michael Anderson]

I thought I had taken a photo during the process, but I guess not. Here’s a photo of the removed template that shows some shims I taped to the backside. This stabilized the jig so that it sat on a tangent to the bowl’s curve. I then taped it to the bowl itself so it wouldn’t move around during routing.

 

[Monty Ivy]

Obeche bowl from 3x6 blank. Relatively soft hardwood from western Africa. Embedded link has the details.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Nice, Monty. That form is looking great so far. I haven’t heard of Obeche before. Thanks for the link. It almost looks like a light colored Mahogany.

 

[Monty Ivy]

Nice, Monty. That form is looking great so far. I haven’t heard of Obeche before. Thanks for the link. It almost looks like a light colored Mahogany.

The wood came from English Woods in a "selection box" with some other woods that are uncommon here. Cost of the wood was reasonable and the quality was excellent, but shipping was egregious.

 

[Barry Larson]

I thought I had taken a photo during the process, but I guess not. Here’s a photo of the removed template that shows some shims I taped to the backside. This stabilized the jig so that it sat on a tangent to the bowl’s curve. I then taped it to the bowl itself so it wouldn’t move around during routing.
View attachment 52248

Perfect! Thanks Michael. Useful stuff that blue tape!
Be safe and stay well.
Barry

 

[Phil Hamel]

Another piece of fire wood for the body and a piece of Etimoe I cut and glued tor the finial.

 

[Phil Hamel]

 

[Tom Durgin]

I have one ugly Pine blank on the lathe right now, it will be beautiful if it survives turning. Fingers crossed