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What’s on your lathe?
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
I brought a center cut (pith) from a black cherry crotch into the shed a few weeks ago to maybe cut a few spindle blanks out of. On a whim, I just threw it up on the lathe. Not a smooth a curve as I would like on the inside as it was starting to move on me. I may go back and try and minimize a couple of the bumps I'm feeling. 21" at the largest point. Lots more sanding to do for sure.
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Edit: I believe now it's Mulberry.
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Wow, Kent-I bet you stayed out of the line of fire on this one!
Well, having survived to Spring Break, I'm ready to finish some of the turns I've started over the winter. Here's a Chinese Elm "Emerging" Bowl, and a larger Chinese Elm live edge with uneven bark. That last one is reserved for my arborist neighbor who supplies most of my local wood. I'm having to learn some tricks to keeping the bark on with CA, coffee grounds and other sorcery. I discovered on another recent one that if I have to sand the bark to keep it even with the walls, I can restore roughly the right color with a dark mahogany stain, and then finish over it. I green-turned that ambrosia maple bowl yesterday; I always enjoy turning wet wood!
Oh, and here's a big ash bowl I'm calling "farmhouse style." It's done-I'm just taking advantage of our warm, sunny, dry weekend with a nice breeze to buff in a couple more coats of Tried and True Danish Oil-I really love this stuff when marketing as food-safe. The figuring on this one is stunning, though I'm irritated at myself that I got my brand a bit off-center.😣
Anyway, Happy Easter everyone!
Anyway, Happy Easter everyone!
Blowing things up today
I think the chuck held that together.
Thanks. I’ve subsequently picked up acacia, birch and other hardwood butcher block cut offs from two guys locally who make and install butcher block countertops for the equivalent of about $4 per bowl, so now I have “bowl blanks” - disks ranging from 7” to 15” - for about 40 more of this type of bowl. I cut them out Saturday night. Here’s 30 “bowl blanks” on a tool stand. Not often you can get that many “bowl blanks” in such a small space lol!
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This is an experiment to see if I can make a lidded vessel from a green northern red oak as a once turned piece with the pith. There are no knots or wild grain to cause distortion and it shouldn't go oval because the walls follow the annual rings making the majority of the shrinkage is tangential as you can see in the photo. The wall is 1/4" thick green with a maximum diameter of 6" and a height of 11". The tenon is 2" diameter with the pith almost on center. Note: There was a current thread about the use of ROS on turnings and that method was used on this piece however I first used burred shear scrapers to remove tool marks and blend in the high and low spots.
Don, I like that form very much! Is that a shop-made tool rest? I like how low-profile it is.
Don, Please keep us informed as you proceed through this experiment.
This weekend I finished a few bowls. I broke the tripod on my laser burner so bottoms are unfinished until I can make a jig for my lathe to hold the laser.
Small hop-hornbeam crotch bowl, 4.5". The pictures don't quite do it justice.
Walnut bowl, 7"
The ever-present spalted sugarberry. 4" x 3" high.
Small hop-hornbeam crotch bowl, 4.5". The pictures don't quite do it justice.
Walnut bowl, 7"
The ever-present spalted sugarberry. 4" x 3" high.
Forgot one. Walnut, 10". This bowl gave me fits at every turn (pun intended). It's hardly worth posting. First, I hate the shape. Second, I got a lot of contamination in the sapwood. Probably it wasn't quite dry enough when I sanded. Third, it started cracking about an hour after I took it off the lathe. But each bowl is a lesson so it's all good.
This Ambrosia Maple bowl has been on the shelf for awhile. The bark seem rather solidly attached but I thought I'd try using Danish oil to help it out before I turn the inside for the second time.
Oops, I think I lied. I was convinced I had cut this off an elm tree. Now I think it's more likely mulberry.
Love the storage! I'm actually building a rack out of 2x4s for the south wall of my shop right now, or was 10 minutes ago.The Australian brown Mallee burl was finished last night, other than it's still on the waste block waiting to have the foot done. The foot will be done in about 2 weeks time. The Danish oil has just been applied in these two photos......I came in from the shop past 1am last night.....which is pretty much normal for me!
The third photo is of my current stash being seasoned and waste blocks applied.....
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-----odie-----
Yes it is just a piece of 3/4" rod welded to a 1" rod.
Hollowing a flamed box elder urn.
Can’t wait to see that oiled!
Alan, I love that thick and round bowl. Must feel great in the hands. Ever time I see a bowl like this, I'm inspired to make one. Still haven't, but some day. I'm just waiting on the right piece of wood.
Your shop looks like the dentist office it's so clean!!
That’s a beautiful piece. I am looking forward to seeing it with a finish on it.
Bob
I used the tenon for the foot so I wouldn't remove any more material than necessary. Had to reform the bottom a bit, though, to turn away the shoulder I had left.
Thanks Gabe, it’s all relative, I wish it were cleaner!
Beautiful urn and finish, Kevin! I might have to try the wipe-on poly, as I have struggled with trying to spray finishes in the past.
Kent I did tell you that it was no Elm wood, and thought it was Mulberry, I don't know where that post went to though.
The way I have always ID wood is by the grain first, color and smell also, so that's how I get to the ID of the wood.
That wood will get a nicer darker color. I've always loved turning Mulberry, but find it a difficult wood to dry.
Here is one I finish turned about a mont ago.
I didn't see it but you are absolutely correct.
Wow, David-Gorgeous cedar bowl!
Thank you, I have about 8 more to finish turn. I usually use lacquer on cedar but I like the Tried and True Danish oil look.
Yeah, I've been using a lot of that lately myself, but the last cedar bowl I did I left naked so as not to cover up the cedar aroma.
This months 4 way challenge on Youtube was to turn a fantasy styled goblet. I grabbed some apple and walnut wood and gave it a go. Decided to make his and hers. Final pic in gallery.
Makes me want to go cut a piece of cedar.
Another maple box.
Didn’t turn a thing today… yet!
Mounted a chunk of apple and then took apart the Stubby S750 I have offered for sale and fixed the reverse switch. Then I assembled the miscellaneous parts, tools, vacuum pump, vacuum chuck in one place, ready for one of the four interested parties to pick up.
Mounted a chunk of apple and then took apart the Stubby S750 I have offered for sale and fixed the reverse switch. Then I assembled the miscellaneous parts, tools, vacuum pump, vacuum chuck in one place, ready for one of the four interested parties to pick up.
