What’s on your lathe?

[Marc Banka]

Marc-I've got a nice ash bowl I plan to use India Ink on. Thanks for the tutorial here! I will probably also finish over that with multiple coats of TruOil, and buff with silver embellishing wax, as I'm going for a kind of radical design that looks stunning in my head. We'll see...

As a quick follow-up question, I got a 160z. bottle of the Speedball ink. If I want an even glossy jet black, what might be my best steps? Do I thin with DNA and build coats? What is the best application method? Old rags? Foam craft brush? Any advice on this is appreciated, as I've never done it before. Aaron

Aaron, After my difficulty with ink I tried a simple method which worked so much better AND is also much easier. This is a smaller Ash bowl, 8 x 3.
I thinned the ink (speedball) with alcohol. I didn’t measure, but maybe 1/4 alcohol. Used a 1 1/2“ foam brush. The important thing, I found, is to make a single wipe with enough on the brush to cover, which it easily does. Try hard not to go over an area. Do Not brush it in. Make it all black and step away.

Once dry, I used a bit of 0000 steel wool to cut the nibs. Then finish with whatever you like. The ink is a shellac base, so is compatible with anything except alcohol.

This bowl has a first coat of tried and true. The plan is to add more coats for depth and slick.

 

[Phil Hamel]

Not on the lathe yet but I scored another box of wood scraps. Here is a pic of the mound that is just dumped on the ground. I believe it is at least 20x20 feet and 4 or 5 feet thick! I was told they dump a load sporadically. I was also told it's birch or beech waste from making chairs.

 

[Marc Banka]

Don't complain Marc, it is still a beautiful bowl, engrain always (almost) will take more of anything than side grain, trying to take some off is pretty hard, as it will just go deeper into the wood, especially in open grain or the open early wood as in Ash.
Filling the wood first with shellac will help with some, but a finish with alcohol will make a mess, maybe lacquer would work better, I don't know, as I never have done any of this.

Thank you @Leo Van Der Loo
I didn’t mean to sound like complaints. Although my route was circuitous, I’m not unhappy with the result. The difference between end grain and side grain absorption is pretty cool. Together with the early/late wood contrast there is a lot for the viewer to explore. I’m curious as to how this will be received at this weekend‘s Art walk.

I appreciate your insights and vast experience!

 

[Aaron Harris]

Aaron, After my difficulty with ink I tried a simple method which worked so much better AND is also much easier. This is a smaller Ash bowl, 8 x 3.
I thinned the ink (speedball) with alcohol. I didn’t measure, but maybe 1/4 alcohol. Used a 1 1/2“ foam brush. The important thing, I found, is to make a single wipe with enough on the brush to cover, which it easily does. Try hard not to go over an area. Do Not brush it in. Make it all black and step away.

Once dry, I used a bit of 0000 steel wool to cut the nibs. Then finish with whatever you like. The ink is a shellac base, so is compatible with anything except alcohol.

This bowl has a first coat of tried and true. The plan is to add more coats for depth and slick.

View attachment 57418View attachment 57419View attachment 57420

Thank you, Marc-This is exactly what I needed! I'll report my results when I actually do it.

 

[Phil Hamel]

Chunk of Walnut and a chunk of Ash.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Rough turning a couple of Mimosa bowls. I managed to salvage some very large logs (for Mimosa) a week ago, and am finally getting to turn some of it. This is my first time working with this species, though I’ve been wanting to for quite a while. It was sopping wet, and seems to be just as high in tannins as any Oak I’ve turned. That is unexpected, but has me excited. The timber is very beautiful, and the sapwood/heartwood contrast is dramatic.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I see lots of epoxy design opportunities in this hard maple 15 x 4.75 if it survives the next few months.

I think it holds my record for most tearout in that punky spot. Looks almost 1/4 inch!

 

[Barry Larson]

Rough turning a couple of Mimosa bowls. I managed to salvage some very large logs (for Mimosa) a week ago, and am finally getting to turn some of it. This is my first time working with this species, though I’ve been wanting to for quite a while. It was sopping wet, and seems to be just as high in tannins as any Oak I’ve turned. That is unexpected, but has me excited. The timber is very beautiful, and the sapwood/heartwood contrast is dramatic.

View attachment 57463

Michael:
I see some carving opportunities....!
Cheers.
Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!

 

[Phil Hamel]

Finished up the last project.

 

[robo hippy]

I have seen some sizeable mimosa/silk trees, like 18 inch diameter Michael. It is a pretty wood, but I won't turn it any more. Last time I did, I started feeling congested and sniffly, though it doesn't have much of a smell to it. Some lovely colors in it though.

robo hippy

 

[R Henrickson]

I have seen some sizeable mimosa/silk trees, like 18 inch diameter Michael. It is a pretty wood, but I won't turn it any more. Last time I did, I started feeling congested and sniffly, though it doesn't have much of a smell to it. Some lovely colors in it though.

robo hippy

One member of our local club turned some mimosa. He was covered with red blotches and had severe breathing problems. It took at least six months for the blotches to clear. He had to avoid *any* sort of wood dust for over a year. It was at least 2 years before he was again able to turn anything. I'm not about to test my sensitivity, especially since I know that I can't tolerate walnut or cedar.

 

[Michael Anderson]

@robo hippy @R Henrickson noted, thanks guys. I had heard that about Mimosa. Pretty interesting. I’ve never had a reaction to a species of wood (yet), but preemptively I kept my mask on at all times for the Mimosa. Green, not so bad, but going back after it’s dry, I’ll take some more precautions. I can’t imagine not being able to turn for two years because of an adverse reaction. Sheesh!

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Does this look apple-ish??

Walnut dyed with TransTint Bordeaux.


Now use your imagination and put a green lid on it and consider it a representation of an apple... Just cause I can't carve leaves. Or anything for that matter.

The part sticking out on the left is the jam chuck.

Not quite seven inches diameter at the rim. Going to be a real challenge finishing the inside for me without hollowing tools. If I remember right it was only on the floor once when I green turned it. I didn't have my Big jaws back then so it has a fairly small tenon. Big catch is still on the inside that I need to turn out!

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Yep, looks like an apple.

 

[Kevin Weir]

I was roughing out an 18 inch walnut crotch bowl. I tried to take a core using the Oneway system. However, after 4 catches, I gave up. Was using the carbide cutter and the swirling grain was just too much for it. You might be able to see in the bottom pic where it was catching. So I turned the smaller bowl into shavings to save the large bowl. I still have the other half of the log to rough and not sure if I will attempt a core.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Go. for it Kevin, if it doesn't work, you know you tried, I'm thinking that higher speeds and very light cutting might do it

 

[James Seyfried]

I had this piece of cherry burl that wasn't big enough to put a tenon on to chuck it for making an ornament. So I thought I'd try a waste block. I used two sided tape and hot glue, it held well. There is probably better ways to make these but this is how I do it. After I get the shape I drill all the way through the ornament, then hollow it. I do use a homemade video system, I think it helps especially on the back side.



With more wood I use a chuck like with this spalted maple.



After I part the globe off I mount it on a jam chuck. It has a pin the size of the globe hole and a damp paper towel holds it well, along with a rubber tipped live center.



Panters tape works great for finishing off the end. I put a few pieces on horizontal and then wrap it. It holds well enough to carefully put a chamfer on the hole and sand the end. I fit the finial/icicle to the chamfers in the globe. Now I need to make some.

 

[Kevin Weir]

Go. for it Kevin, if it doesn't work, you know you tried, I'm thinking that higher speeds and very light cutting might do it View attachment 57527

I usually core at 200 rpm. Was advised by Kevin at Oneway not to go any higher. The risk is a catch at higher rpm could potentially damage the shaft. Might give it a try and go with frequent sharpening.

 

[robo hippy]

When coring, I am generally at higher speeds, like 500 to 1000 rpm. Hard to be exact on speeds since I don't have read outs on my lathes. The only time I really slow it down is when I am near the dead center with the McNaughton. With all the flex in this system, it is easy to get below center at the end of a cut, and you do not want that. This is not an issue with the Oneway coring tool, which is rock solid all the way to the end of the core. Another reason to slow down as you near the dead center is if you are cutting the piece all the way off rather than leaving a small tenon that you break off. If you are coring crotch wood or end grain, you need to cut it ALL the way off so you don't rip through the bottom of the blank on your lathe. Been there and done that , once....

robo hippy

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

I re-turned this little small bell from a small vase I had turned a couple of months ago but wasn't happy with the shape. Wood species is unknown.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Mother nature is such an amazing and miraculous thing.........

Tonight I witnessed an apple being turned into a buckeye of all things.....

Boggles the mind what happens when you aren't expecting it. or you want to get a birthday present finished faster and the apple idea turned out rotten (to the core)

All puns and sarcasm intentional.

This is a piece of the walnut from one of my early posts. https://www.aawforum.org/community/...r-old-wood-and-fresh-green.20700/#post-213205

 

[Asher Langton]

Turned a little mallet out of a scrap of mystery wood to go with my new Veritas miniature chisels.

 

[Phil Hamel]

Another chunk of Ash on the lathe. This time I'm playing with inks. Started with black. Sanded that off and applied green. Quick sand on that and then applied two blues and a touch of brown. two coats of shellac and then a coat of friction polish.
Now to turn the back without breaking anything! I'm going to add a dome cover also. Not sure if I want it to fit the inner hole or set into the groove?

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Crotch bowl from what I believe to be elm. I bumped the rim and messed it up so I'll have to figure out something there.

 

[Marc Banka]

Crotch bowl from what I believe to be elm. I bumped the rim and messed it up so I'll have to figure out something there.

View attachment 57675

It’ll look great as a shorter, rimmed bowl.
What did you ‘bump’ it with?

 

[Jim McLain]

Curly Prima Vera hollow form from some wood I acquired from a club members shop auction. Not sure how old the wood is but has gotten a little brittle. I broke the tendon off twice while turning. The second time i was doing one last cut inside so I glued it back on for sanding and finishing. Many coats of Starbond CA now ready for sanding back.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

It’ll look great as a shorter, rimmed bowl.
What did you ‘bump’ it with?

The tool rest. You'd think I would learn not to adjust it when the lathe is on.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Many coats of Starbond CA

going to try my first CA finish. I’ve watched videos and read. Only question is how you finish the bottom, the parts covered by the tenon. Do you reverse the piece and finish that on the lathe and try to blend it in with what was already done?

 

[Jim McLain]

going to try my first CA finish. I’ve watched videos and read. Only question is how you finish the bottom, the parts covered by the tenon. Do you reverse the piece and finish that on the lathe and try to blend it in with what was already done?

Alan - That’s the tough part. I turn the tenon off, sand and sign then apply multiple coats over that area by hand off the lathe. You almost always have overlap and the ridges can me more significant than applying on the lathe but manageable. I then sand the bottom and any overlap ridges with a 2 inch random orbit sander to blend. If you sand through anywhere you need to reapply your coats to this area. I tend to sand through the bottom more than the overlap areas.

 

[Norm Marentette]

Once turned hickory bowl, cut from blank to finished bowl in one day. Hickory log sat for 1 year shows some great grain spalting One coat of tried and true original. Will finish next day. 14" x 5" height x 1/2 inch thick.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

A while back I posted pictures of making wooden cap screws to use to hold 2 antique guns well I am almost done the only thing left is to finish all of the pieces with Watco Danish Oil (medium Walnut) to match the wood work in my house.
The first picture is turning the head of the buttons that will be used to plug the holes for the screws used to fasten the brackets to the wall. The second picture is one of the buttons plugged into the bracket. The 3rd picture is the overall mounting of the Remington Arms Company S&S Grade 2 Ser.234103, which makes it over a hundred years old.

 

[David Shumaker]

A very wet piece of elm. Smells a bit "earthy".

 

[Dave Landers]

You'd think I would learn not to adjust it when the lathe is on.

I learned that long ago. Learning and applying learned knowledge are two separate activities!

 

[Alan Weinberg]

A very wet piece of elm. Smells a bit "earthy".View attachment 57724View attachment 57725

Well balanced and I love that tool rest . . .

 

[robo hippy]

A comment I heard a long time ago, some thing like "Don't move the tool rest while the bowl is spinning. The tool rest is a lousy scraper." I have done that more than once, and I don't turn hardly any natural edge bowls....

robo hippy

 

[Timothy White]

Maybe it’s time to learn how to safely adjust the tool rest with the lathe running?

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

A comment I heard a long time ago, some thing like "Don't move the tool rest while the bowl is spinning. The tool rest is a lousy scraper." I have done that more than once, and I don't turn hardly any natural edge bowls....

robo hippy

That's a good quote. I like the natural edge, but it's much more relaxing to turn a traditional rim bowl.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Maybe it’s time to learn how to safely adjust the tool rest with the lathe running?

True, true. Honestly, I move the banjo with the lathe running all the time. Every situation is different. In this case, the one branch of the crotch was much higher than the other two. That made it pretty much invisible to me. Lessons learned.

 

[hockenbery]

like the natural edge, but it's much more relaxing to turn a traditional rim bowl.

This may change for you over time. It did for me.
I had toyed with NE quite a few times and was ok making 10” bowls, then I took a week long class with David Ellsworth in 1995
Was really good with the NE bowls after that but always anxious.
Then in 2007 I watched David do a demo at SOFA in Chicago
Something clicked it all together
I much prefer turning a NE bowl over A traditional.
I’ve also found the wider flute of the Jamieson gouge makes the hollowing cuts I do even smoother and more effortless.

 

[odie]

Birdseye maple last evening.....still very wet with D.O. Because of flaws in the initial bowl block, I had
to reduce the diameter of the foot to less than the standard 1/3 of overall diameter.

-o-