Norm,
You might try turning a bowl with the pith at the bottom. In that orientation you’ll find quarter saw grain on the sides, the outward slopes. That cool grain will show up.
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What’s on your lathe?
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
You might try turning a bowl with the pith at the bottom. In that orientation you’ll find quarter saw grain on the sides, the outward slopes. That cool grain will show up.
Little swamp chestnut oak bowl. 4.5" x 2". I turned it wet so it moved a lot, but an acceptable amount. Tried and True Original.
Thanks for the comment Marc I will give it a try since I still have 8 blanks of sycamore to rough out soon. Cut a hollow form today to see how big I could go. It was a lot of work. Not sure about the shape but still learning. 16 inch diameter nugget to start with. Used my Trent B. hollowing system.
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Finally felt good enough to second turn a couple of Debt Bowls today after battling a virus all week! Debt bowls are free bowls I give to anyone that gives me a log. I try to knock those out first, however after seeing the maple bowl once DO was applied I may have to pick another one for this individual 
. Black walnut 9-3/4” x 4-1/4” and maple 13” x 4-3/4”.
. Black walnut 9-3/4” x 4-1/4” and maple 13” x 4-3/4”. 
Debt bowls.... I like it!
That's what this is. Only this person irritated me. I turned 3 rough bowls out of this black locust my sisters friend gave me. She must have written the date down because I had told her it would be a year (November) and the other day she mentioned to my sister it was almost time and she would like 2 bowls.... Her name isn't Karen....But---- might as well be.
That's what this is. Only this person irritated me. I turned 3 rough bowls out of this black locust my sisters friend gave me. She must have written the date down because I had told her it would be a year (November) and the other day she mentioned to my sister it was almost time and she would like 2 bowls.... Her name isn't Karen....But---- might as well be.
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Beautiful figure in that piece of black locust
Here's its companion.
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Stunning
That curl with the ambrosia is pretty special! Nice work!Finally felt good enough to second turn a couple of Debt Bowls today after battling a virus all week! Debt bowls are free bowls I give to anyone that gives me a log. I try to knock those out first, however after seeing the maple bowl once DO was applied I may have to pick another one for this individual
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Thank you! The curl does look good thus the reason I may turn them another bowl
. I roughed around twenty plus bowls out of this log and have only second turned two and they both look like this, so fingers crossed the rest will look like this!
Reminds me of a line from Robert Service’s The Cremation of Sam McGee: “A promise made us a debt unpaid.”
Cherry natural edge crotch bowl. It's 12.5" x 10" x 2.5". Tried and True Original finish. I lost a chunk, and the tearout was too severe on that spot to try to sand it out. I just had to live with it.
What airbrush did you buy? We need some airbrush threads! I took a lesson from a turner recently and he recommended one: Iwata
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Alan, I went on the cheap. Iwata is the standard, from what I have gathered. I went with the Master Air Brush based on the price first and the positive reviews. I have yet to try it other than practicing on a sheet of plywood. If I like the airbrush process and results, I may then go for a different setup. You're a step ahead of me, I have only watched YouTube videos on airbrushing but would like to learn from someone who has knowledge on the subject. But........ I'm going to plow forward with the learning by doing.
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This thread has a lot on airbrushes.
How to airbrush???????
I have been trying to figure out how to airbrush. I have the Vega 2000 with all three needles. I have looked at YouTube, but I haven’t found what is helpful. Any info or tips is appreciated. I’m thinking my paint is not thinned correctly. I’m using Createx airbrush paint.
Super thread. Thanks so much.This thread has a lot on airbrushes.
How to airbrush???????
I have been trying to figure out how to airbrush. I have the Vega 2000 with all three needles. I have looked at YouTube, but I haven’t found what is helpful. Any info or tips is appreciated. I’m thinking my paint is not thinned correctly. I’m using Createx airbrush paint.www.aawforum.org
Not a "Hidden Toy Surprise" in this spalted hackberry just the usual surprise that needs some milliput.
I remember another thread where someone mentioned how easy hackberry spalts and that is the case with this one. It just happened on it's own. I did nothing other than stick it on my shelf to dry after rough turning last July 2023.
8 x 3
I remember another thread where someone mentioned how easy hackberry spalts and that is the case with this one. It just happened on it's own. I did nothing other than stick it on my shelf to dry after rough turning last July 2023.
8 x 3
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Another cedar log that had two crotches. This is one of them turned natural edge.
After spending a couple of weeks working on the Model A Ford, I returned to the lathe last evening to finish up this Walnut burl bowl. Good to be back in the groove, but there is plenty more work to be done on the old truck!
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Yep, it spalts very quickly. My variant is the sugarberry (southern hackberry), but pretty much the same wood. I looked over at my wood pile last night and could see 15-20 mushrooms growing out of one log. That will probably end up firewood, but I'm going to cut into it this weekend and see.
Make money on the lathe, spend it on the truck?
Hi Kent.....
Ha,ha.......unfortunately, the bowl turning is not much more than "break even", and the old truck has been a big drain on my resources over the past 4 years......pretty soon, though......I won't have to spend much more money and effort than simply maintaining it......fingers crossed!!!!!
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A piece of derecho wood from the side of the road. I'm not sure what the species is, but it is very lightweight (cottonwood?). I didn't think it was this spalted when I picked it up.
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I noticed some mushrooms growing on some persimmon I have laying around. Some spalting lines in that might be a good thing but I've never turned any before to see what it looks like.
That tip is going to put a nice mark on a wood floor.
But, really nice shape!!!
Back in the day, I used to make them with black derin tips. Just in case the kids wanted to throw them on “Momma’s” precious hardwood floor.
A couple weeks!! I could never do that, I become too desperate and need to make something!
I made a "example" box for my upcoming demo. It is not finished, as I don't want to have the finish chipped, oiled or spend too much time on making it perfect, since it will be passed around and opened during the demo. It is turned from Honduras Rosewood, a true rosewood. I have a big billet on the way from my guys over at Gilmer Wood Co. https://www.gilmerwood.com/home it should be enough for the demo. Style is the Victorian Round Bottom Box, it is the same one as I will demo. This wood cuts wonderfully and needs little to no sanding, great for a demo. I timed my session, I can turn one start to finish in 50 minutes, so I'm all set there, I just need to not be nervous 
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Ha,ha.....Yeah, I get you Gabe.......the ol' lathe was calling me, and I admit to getting a little desperate!!!!
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12” spalted maple platter. The punky parts almost got the best of this child. A tip of the hat to you folks who turn such beautiful pieces out of this stuff! One coat of simi gloss Waterlox.
Before and after
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13” x 5” maple on the lathe and with first coat of DO. This is the last “debt bowls” so the next 30 maples are mine
