A friend had this toy truck but it came with one of the metal wheels missing. So I turned another out of maple.
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What’s on your lathe?
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
Working on a lamp for a customer. She had this odd metal roller and a couple pottery pieces that she wanted made into a floor lamp. I'll finish this base and turn a couple spacers and put it all together. This maple has some nice figure. (I wet it with alcohol to see grain better)
LOL, people are shocked when they find out I do electrical work. 😛😵
LOL, people are shocked when they find out I do electrical work. 😛😵
Tiny little Sycamore calabash, just a bit over 1” diameter. Haven’t been able to get to the shop much the last week, so this was a fun one to make.
Working on a piece of Leopard wood. Pretty hard stuff but the figure in one piece is awesome!
Rosewood—round blank was 8 x 4 inches, from Woodturning blanks 4 U, third time ordering there, nice product and service. Like that it was delivered round and not square. Turned easily. Sanded to 1000. One coat PTO. Sopping wet in these pictures.
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Turned and sanded a large ambrosia maple natural edge bowl, finished with Lee Valley Polymerized Tung Oil that Leo suggested. (first coat). This is one of a set of 5 that I am currently working on. Wanted to max out may laguna 18/36 to see what it could handle. Approx. dia. 16.5" x 7"h 3/8" wall. Also incorporated for the first time 3 feet for foot of bowl. Took the entire day up but was well worth it I think. Quite the challenge.
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nice. Let’s see the feet! @Norm Marentette.
Looks good! I just wish I could turn outside like you are able to.
It's a balmy 29 right now with a predicted high of -2 by Sunday..
trade you for your inside spot. I can’t turn when it’s too cold or rainy or windy or dark . . .
If you saw my spot you'd get claustrophobic. I was going to post a picture in the shop thread since I've re arranged for the band saw but I forgot.
15 x 20 I think roughly. Dad called it a family room when he added on that part of the house. concrete floor, 60's paneling. cold. great place for kids to hang out! lol
Leo, here’s a stupid question. There’s probably an obvious answer, but I’m not thinking of it. How do you get to the oil under the water when you’re ready for your next application? Does the water pour off first when you tip the bottle? I’d think they’d both come out somewhat together.
Oil is on top. Just pour.
You can also pour some into a fat separator if you want—a cooking tool: https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cooking/best-right-now/the-best-fat-separators
Oh (dope slap!) of course! So follow-up question: why do people spend money on stop loss bags?
Just buy wine bags much cheaper and less mess when you pour off.
Yet another turning tool handle. I just received a 3/4" hollowing rig from Trent Bosch, and it didn't occur to me until it arrived that I don't have any handles for 3/4" shafts.
This is a 10 inch diameter blank of monkeypod, crazy wet. Reminded me that even humans are 70% water—I bet trees beat that. 
got my little Cole jaw yesterday—used it today on a 4 x 4 x 4 blank and it worked great. Thanks @Asher Langton.
got my little Cole jaw yesterday—used it today on a 4 x 4 x 4 blank and it worked great. Thanks @Asher Langton.
Yesterdays band saw blank.
ended up 9.5 x 4.75. Catalpa
This is an example of when to just throw in the towel. So much tear out, was out of balance despite the fact of being a fairly round blank. Had a lot of stress in it. Seemed to move after every cut almost. The epoxy was chipping out like glass and you can see it didn't fill all the ant warrens either.
I'll give this to my buddy whose yard it came out of with instructions of some assembly required. I stopped sanding after I run a piece of 180 around it. He can sand it to his hearts content after the DO cures.
ended up 9.5 x 4.75. Catalpa
This is an example of when to just throw in the towel. So much tear out, was out of balance despite the fact of being a fairly round blank. Had a lot of stress in it. Seemed to move after every cut almost. The epoxy was chipping out like glass and you can see it didn't fill all the ant warrens either.
I'll give this to my buddy whose yard it came out of with instructions of some assembly required. I stopped sanding after I run a piece of 180 around it. He can sand it to his hearts content after the DO cures.
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I think after 2,000+ posts, 53 pages, countless photos, ideas, behind the scenes, and stories, Rusty has created the most unique and longest lasting thread this Forum will ever see!! I just wanted to take a moment and recognize that!!
Maybe you should take that towel back Sam, just a careful return with a sharp gouge will safe that bowl, as for the Carpenter Ants, I have used thinners to kill them, just about any bug will not survive the application, plus the thinner will evaporate and the smell is then gone.
These buggers will chew around a plugged tunnel or opening, so that is a lost battle IMO.
As for Catalpa I like that wood, it wil not split or check and turnes well, these I turned a while ago, but I do have a bunch of blanks waiting plus others, maybe for in my next life it looks like I think 🙁
Yes it has a peculiar smell, to me it reminds me of some shoe polish, not a bad smell I find, and it does go away ;- ).
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Are there different types of catalpa?
What I've turned so far has been dark and despite an interesting grain pattern in the bowls they aren't a nice color like the ones you show.
Yes Sam there are two Catalpa types, the ones I turned are the ordinary trees that grow around SW Ontario, there is at least one other that I know off. it is supposed together larger leafs and is used along driveways and in gardens I think.
Did you look at the blanks I still have ?, they do look darker in the picture, but are the same wood as the turnings IIRC.
I will have to look up the species differences. OK found this (easy, there is a lot more info in it, but this is the basics.
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An easy way to recognize Catalpa is that there is a hole in the center all the way thru.
Going to try a simple little project on this raining and windy day. Piece of Ash wood.
After being quite sick over the holidays I finally got the ‘new-to-me’ Stubby S1000 of Harvey Fein ‘rocking head lathe’ fame bolted down and wired into the shop circuits.
It took quite some time to get it leveled. First up a simple, very thin walnut platter to be sure everything was aligned properly.
It took quite some time to get it leveled. First up a simple, very thin walnut platter to be sure everything was aligned properly.
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Good stuff Pat! Love seeing the setup. Platter is pretty nice too! 🙂
nice work indeed. Beautiful, in fact.
One thing I had not thought about but I have experienced is that oil (finish or otherwise) will severely darken the soft open grain wood as it is sucked up like a sponge, Sumac will do this also as I experienced.
Sumac also has that soft open grain and turns fine as well, it just does not get very big.
Sumac roof on Magnolia body
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Nice Sumac piece, Leo. I have a small chunk that’s been sitting around for a while. I’ve been a little bit intimidated by it, but might have to give it a turn soon.
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I think I've turned 4 bowls so far out of three different trees but they all were dark before the finish.
Interesting grain just not a pleasant overall color to me anyway. I guess I just got used to all the walnut I turned being "usual" dark wood and the rest I turn is light wood. Ash, maple etc..
Alan, is that little hollow form bay laurel/myrtle? That would be my guess.
As for catalpa, the smell just does not agree with me at all. Kind of a sickly sweet smell. I only turned a bowl from it once. The tree I got the piece from did not have a hole in the center. The Paulonia/Royal Empress tree, which has similar blossoms does have a hole in the center. In 10 years, they can grow to 50+ foot tall and 12 inch diameter. I do have a catalpa box that I got at a club auction years ago, and the inside still stinks like the wood.
I don't think this thread will ever die. It is just too much fun!
robo hippy
As for catalpa, the smell just does not agree with me at all. Kind of a sickly sweet smell. I only turned a bowl from it once. The tree I got the piece from did not have a hole in the center. The Paulonia/Royal Empress tree, which has similar blossoms does have a hole in the center. In 10 years, they can grow to 50+ foot tall and 12 inch diameter. I do have a catalpa box that I got at a club auction years ago, and the inside still stinks like the wood.
I don't think this thread will ever die. It is just too much fun!
robo hippy
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I just don’t know. I have a bunch of little blanks given to me by the man who sold me my lathe, as he was quitting turning, but it’s all unknown to me. Unless it comes labeled, I’m ignorant as to species.
Took oil nicely:
We’ve seen what you can do, Michael. The wood should be intimidated by you.
Tea light holders. Waiting for color to dry. Kind of small to do anything else with. Will see how it looks with a finish later.
What's on my lathe? At this point probably frost. My heat is not keeping up with the -43 C Temps here.