Looks good, Phil. I imagine the big platter was a bit of a departure from the smaller things you have been turning.
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What’s on your lathe?
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
Just finished walnut live edge #2. Both bowls are around 13".
Looks good, Phil. I imagine the big platter was a bit of a departure from the smaller things you have been turning.
Thanks. Yes quite the difference. A lot of work for my little Jet. I am in the beginning stage of looking for an upgrade.
Thanks. Yes quite the difference. A lot of work for my little Jet. I am in the beginning stage of looking for an upgrade.
Very quick set of goblets I turned at school. It's Monday, and I didn't have a plan for my two independent shop classes, so I turned some miniature goblets. The woods from left to right are Mahogany, purpleheart, hard maple, something labeled "fruitwood CA" (not sure what species, seems to be very hard, fine-grained, and gray-red), and a No. 2 Pencil. This scale is fun because it is so large compared to my usual, that I could experiment more with the shape and form. No sanding.
Grabbed another piece of cherry. This one is pretty punky in spots. Problem is that's where the good colors are! Loaded it up with varnish. Will try it tomorrow. If it still doesn't finish right I will put on some epoxy.
You could also use a 1# cut of shellac to firm it up.
Kent great looking NEB in walnut. Are they twice turned? Just wondering how to keep the bark on. I have a ton of walnut that's been sitting for a year outside in log form but finding the bark is ready to fall off. Would take a lot of CA glue in order to keep in on.
With regards to consolidating punky wood or bark, I have found System Three Resins Rotfix flows like water and does wonders.
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Logs that sit out in weather are definitely gonna lose bark any way - I find the best bark-keepers are the trees harvested while dormant (Winter time for deciduous) and then either turned immediately (or relatively so) after which you can decide to once or twice turn (I've done it both ways) Sitting outdoors, bark is going to rapidly absorb and lose moisture, and as it does so it separates from the log.
Otherwise, personally I would not bother keeping bark on (and in some cases I'll even pry it off, if the bark is excessively thick for the bowl's size, it looks disproportionate) and just go with the natural edge barkless form. (but then I'm too cheap to waste money on epoxies and CA glues to "save" bark, or knotholes, or cracks..)
It is too late to keep the bark on, like you say you can,t put enough CA to hold it plus you could never get it to stay on to turn it. The best way I have found is turn it before it gets a chance to start drying then you will not need any CA.
The first picture is a bowl turned from fresh cut healthy tree, which means that the bark is still naturally attached and the sap wood will also stay whiter.
The second one from the same tree had a small area where the bark had not loosened and the sap wood was still white. The remaining 3/4ths of the edge the bark was falling off long before the turning was complete and the sap wood was darkening.
The NE bowls are once-turned. Waiting on them to dry now. They started at about 20% MC.
As for the bark, I understand that trees cut down in the winter will hold their bark better. This one I cut down in April but the bark is pretty well attached. On the first one, I used thin CA on the bark. On the second one, I didn't use CA at all. I turn the rim from the top down, maybe 2". It's an unsupported grain cut, but it helps not to knock bark off.
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I’ve been offline for 15 days due to the hurricane but we finally had our internet and cable service returned today. Still a lot of clean up to do. I was clearing some downed trees at my son’s house and salvaged a piece of apple wood I thought would make a good hollow form with voids in it.
Since I have never turned a hollow form with voids I thought it would be a great learning experience and could fill some of the bug/worm holes with turquoise, agin something I’ve never done.
Once I started turning I decided there were too many bug holes to fill😁, so I decided to seek how thin I could go. The bow is maybe too thin now, doesn’t look that great but I will finish it soon. Great learning experience.
Since I have never turned a hollow form with voids I thought it would be a great learning experience and could fill some of the bug/worm holes with turquoise, agin something I’ve never done.
Once I started turning I decided there were too many bug holes to fill😁, so I decided to seek how thin I could go. The bow is maybe too thin now, doesn’t look that great but I will finish it soon. Great learning experience.
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great to see you are hollowing smooth and even and not to have to stop to evacuate chips while turning.
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Here is the latest update on the box collection. (All turned and made by me)
That's an impressive collection. While I like doing boxes, I like to do other things as well. I just pulled this one off today. I made the ring holder back in August and fitted it to the base today. The base is just under 3 1/4" in diameter and 2" tall.
Attachments
Yes, I like the chips falling out of the large void, I my start cutting voids in my hollow forms😂
I volunteered to help turn a few bowls that will be auctioned off to raise money for western NC turners and artist who lost their work and equipment during the hurricane. An individual is gathering pieces of wood from downed trees and asking for help turning some bowls. I turned two maples today and will turn two chestnut bowls tomorrow. Supposed to pick up a cherry burl next week.
This will take several months for the bowls to be ready for the auction so I’m donating 20% of my gallery sales and 25% of my show sales to help local artist. I think the Asheville NC AAW Turning Club was hit pretty hard.
This will take several months for the bowls to be ready for the auction so I’m donating 20% of my gallery sales and 25% of my show sales to help local artist. I think the Asheville NC AAW Turning Club was hit pretty hard.
A once turned bowl that I did a couple weeks ago. Spent 2-3 hours sanding tonight and still have lots more to go.
3 hours sanding?? That's a long time, was there a lot of tear out or was the piece unbalanced that it could not be sanded normally? I am just asking......not judging
Just off the lathe. A little practice making an ornament. This is Maple burl and Ebony about 8 1/2" x 3". I was curious how much it weighed. I never weighed one before so don't know how it compares, but seems rather light.
Yesterday I finished turned this Cherry salad bowl. It is about 12 1/2" x 5".
Yesterday I finished turned this Cherry salad bowl. It is about 12 1/2" x 5".
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Finial is spectacular!
The walls are about an eighth inch thick and in one spot it is basically a veneer thickness. This was my first time trying a bowl like this, I usually don't turn green wood and not this thin. I don't trust putting it back on the lathe. Spent too long trying to do it by hand with too high of a grit. Ran out of 80 grit sheets so I used 120 for a while until I decided to hunt down my missing sanding discs for my drill. I knew I put them somewhere safe but haven't had to use them for a couple years.
Good but learn about how to balance a blank for these. Not always easy but doable.
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First walnut live edge bowl finished. 12" x 10" x 4", finished with Tried and True Danish Oil.
. . . and good pictures also!
I've got all the supplies to make my photo setup now. Shouldn't take me too long to set it up.
Walnut live edge #2. 12" x 10" x 3.5". Tried and True Original finish.
Walnut "color-ply" from Italy......would like to see this in a larger size, but all I've ever seen was 6" squares. It turns and sands super fast, so this is a likely candidate for a cheap bowl.
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Odie, I picked up some color ply years ago from a local wood company. I picked up 2 squares that were 12 inch squares and almost 2 inched thick. I believe the wood is poplar. I haven't used most of it.... Looking at it, it looks to be very labor intensive to make.
robo hippy
robo hippy
That turned out great!
Made a globe shape out of bass wood. Cut it in half and hollowed out the sections. Added some rings and glued back together.
One of two Chestnut bowls I’m turning to raise money for area turners and artist. First time turning Chestnut and it is a very sticky sappy wood. I had to really clean my gouges before each sharpening and took several cleanings on my face shield. This may be due to the tree coming down before winter when the sap is low. I do know I don’t want to turn any more chestnut unless it’s cut during winter😂
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Something different from me...
I have a 3 day show coming up the first week of December and need 3 more cherry, cedar, and walnut bowls to complete in the next few weeks. Second turned this 13” cherry this afternoon and put the first coat of DO on it.
It’s off the lathe but needs more sanding and a finish—not as thin as I’d like but I was afraid it would blow up—a piece of California buckeye burl. 
Trying to turn up some of this Sweet Gum I have . This hollow form about 6.5 inches tall and 5 wide. Dropped it when I took it out of kiln and it split from top to bottom. Was able to repair it .
