LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

My lathe journeys.

108K views 477 replies 74 participants last post by  wormil 
#1 ·
New lathe and first bowl

I'm thinking I really like working with the lathe, and I wanted to have a way to keep track of what and when I post "stuff" that I turn. I wish I had done my first bowl as a blog, but I didn't. So to keep some semblance of order for my own purposes, I'll start this blog for my lathe work.

The first bowl I made was posted as a forum listing, and no sense repeating everything again. So here's the link.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/107851

Now I'll add to this blog starting with my 2nd bowl, which in my opinion, is WAAAYYY NICER than the 1st one!
 
#198 ·
... Get served lemons? Make lemonade!

This one started out to be an 11" bowl. I glued together 3 layers of 4/4 maple. Unfortunately when I was turning it the dang tool caught it BIG TIME and threw it on the floor. Took a chunk out of the bottom too deep to fix. I wasn't taking pictures at that time so there's no evidence it even happened.

My first reaction was to toss it into the burn pile, but I set it on a shelf and over a few days I pondered it's fate. I knew there was no way it could ever be a bowl. That damage was too deep. One evening the wife and I were watching the cooking channel and it came to me…. Maybe I could turn it into a cake platter.

So I filled the gapping gash and re-mounted it on the lathe. In order to fix that big tear-out I had to mount it on what was at first gong to be the "bowl", so unfortunately it has some (patched) screw holes that show on top of the platter. I also turned a pecan base to set it on and to cover the ugly scar on the bottom.

I sent this one to a friend who I've known for over 15 years thru our motorcycling community, but I've never met her in person. She does a LOT of "Paying It Forward" I'm pretty sure this will be used to serve cakes to senor citizens.
.
.
Tableware Dishware Natural material Wood Serveware

.
Tableware Natural material Dishware Serveware Wood

.
Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

.
Furniture Natural material Wood Varnish Tints and shades

.
Wood Natural material Varnish Hardwood Wood stain

.
Natural material Wood Wood stain Creative arts Varnish

.
Wood Natural material Table Varnish Hardwood

.
Ingredient Wood Dishware Tableware Cuisine

.
.
At the end of the day, I'm glad I didn't throw this one in the burn pile. It came out rather nice after all.

Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcomed.
 

Attachments

#199 ·
... Get served lemons? Make lemonade!

This one started out to be an 11" bowl. I glued together 3 layers of 4/4 maple. Unfortunately when I was turning it the dang tool caught it BIG TIME and threw it on the floor. Took a chunk out of the bottom too deep to fix. I wasn't taking pictures at that time so there's no evidence it even happened.

My first reaction was to toss it into the burn pile, but I set it on a shelf and over a few days I pondered it's fate. I knew there was no way it could ever be a bowl. That damage was too deep. One evening the wife and I were watching the cooking channel and it came to me…. Maybe I could turn it into a cake platter.

So I filled the gapping gash and re-mounted it on the lathe. In order to fix that big tear-out I had to mount it on what was at first gong to be the "bowl", so unfortunately it has some (patched) screw holes that show on top of the platter. I also turned a pecan base to set it on and to cover the ugly scar on the bottom.

I sent this one to a friend who I've known for over 15 years thru our motorcycling community, but I've never met her in person. She does a LOT of "Paying It Forward" I'm pretty sure this will be used to serve cakes to senor citizens.
.
.
Tableware Dishware Natural material Wood Serveware

.
Tableware Natural material Dishware Serveware Wood

.
Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

.
Furniture Natural material Wood Varnish Tints and shades

.
Wood Natural material Varnish Hardwood Wood stain

.
Natural material Wood Wood stain Creative arts Varnish

.
Wood Natural material Table Varnish Hardwood

.
Ingredient Wood Dishware Tableware Cuisine

.
.
At the end of the day, I'm glad I didn't throw this one in the burn pile. It came out rather nice after all.

Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcomed.
I turned out OK after all. Reminds me of a big button. I think the pecan blended in with the maple nicely. Nice save.
 

Attachments

#206 ·
... made new carbide tools, now with handles :)

A few weeks ago I posted that I had ordered some carbide cutters from Capt. Eddie and made a cutter bar using 5/8" aluminum barstock. For the grips, I used some sports wrap that I found At Wally World.
.
Wood Rim Bicycle part Tints and shades Electric blue

.
.

The tool does what it's supposed to, enough to see that I did like using the carbide cutters. So I decided to make a couple new ones and this time I made wood handles. These pieces of walnut and mahogany came from an old entertainment center I broke down. The pieces were already glued up and I drew a rough circle in one end to see that the size was pretty perfect for what I wanted to do.
.
Wood Cutting board Rectangle Wood stain Flooring

.
.
I originally cut the piece in half, but unfortunately back when the unit was originally made, they must have had a knot that fell out and they glued a piece of white-wood dowel in it as a filler piece. So I started shaving the end bit-by-bit till that dowel was gone. As you can see, that made one of the handles shorter than the other. Oh well, I can make do with that.
.
Table Wood Rectangle Stairs Outdoor bench

.
.
Now my HF clone lathe isn't the best piece of machinery in the world, but until I can save up for a better lathe it's what I have while I'm going thru this learning process. One of the issues I have is that the tailstock will NOT line up perfectly with the headstock, no matter what I do to adjust it. Every time I've tried to turn any kind of spindle, it's always been off balance. But I mounted the wood up and decided to just do the best I can with what I have.
.
Wood Musical instrument Musical instrument accessory Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
Setting the handles aside for the moment, I turned my attention to the barstock. Once I had the basic shape for the cutters to fit, I decided that I'd grind about 5" of the end and drill the handles to accept it. Using a piece of scrap I first drilled a 3/4" hole thinking I'd somehow glue the tool into the handle. But there was way too much play in the hole. So I ground the handles down till it would fit in a 11/16" hole. When I inserted the tool into that hole I could see there would be a lot of the round hole showing around the tool. So I ground the handle some more and found that with a 5/8" hole, the square shank would pretty much cover the hole.
.
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Audio equipment Wood stain

.
Wood Rectangle Wooden block Hardwood Wood stain

.
.
I decided to add maple ends to the handles so I cut some round blanks using the drill press and a hole saw. Glued one to the end and clamped it to dry.
.
Wood Hardwood Gas Wood stain Chair

.
.
I didn't take a pic, but I drilled the end out of the handle with a spade bit on the drill press. I know I'm going to hear from all you "Safety Experts" but I'll tell you anyway… I had to hold the handle with my HAND while I drilled it out because I couldn't come up with a better way! The process went fine, there was no blood shed :)

Next it was time to assemble the handles to the barstock. I mixed up about 1/2 a tube of JB Weld and scooped it into a big plastic syringe I used to use for oil. Using the syringe meant that I wouldn't get so much as a smudge on that maple end by trying to force the JB Weld into that small hole on the handle. It worked like a charm and I used a Jorgy to clamp it overnight.
.
Wood Flooring Tool Floor Hand tool

.
Wood Office ruler Ruler Art Flooring

.
.
And after several coats of Danish oil and about 5 coats of rattle-can lacquer … here's the finished tools.
.
Musical instrument Wood Wood stain Hardwood Art

.
Wood Luggage and bags Bag Hardwood Cylinder

.
Wood Varnish Hardwood Musical instrument Wood stain

.
Wood Tool Office supplies Varnish Hardwood

.
.
.
Now that these are done, I have some planks of maple and oak clamped up so I can try them out. Once again, Thanks for following along.
Comments and critiques are always welcomed
.
.
 

Attachments

#207 ·
... made new carbide tools, now with handles :)

A few weeks ago I posted that I had ordered some carbide cutters from Capt. Eddie and made a cutter bar using 5/8" aluminum barstock. For the grips, I used some sports wrap that I found At Wally World.
.
Wood Rim Bicycle part Tints and shades Electric blue

.
.

The tool does what it's supposed to, enough to see that I did like using the carbide cutters. So I decided to make a couple new ones and this time I made wood handles. These pieces of walnut and mahogany came from an old entertainment center I broke down. The pieces were already glued up and I drew a rough circle in one end to see that the size was pretty perfect for what I wanted to do.
.
Wood Cutting board Rectangle Wood stain Flooring

.
.
I originally cut the piece in half, but unfortunately back when the unit was originally made, they must have had a knot that fell out and they glued a piece of white-wood dowel in it as a filler piece. So I started shaving the end bit-by-bit till that dowel was gone. As you can see, that made one of the handles shorter than the other. Oh well, I can make do with that.
.
Table Wood Rectangle Stairs Outdoor bench

.
.
Now my HF clone lathe isn't the best piece of machinery in the world, but until I can save up for a better lathe it's what I have while I'm going thru this learning process. One of the issues I have is that the tailstock will NOT line up perfectly with the headstock, no matter what I do to adjust it. Every time I've tried to turn any kind of spindle, it's always been off balance. But I mounted the wood up and decided to just do the best I can with what I have.
.
Wood Musical instrument Musical instrument accessory Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
Setting the handles aside for the moment, I turned my attention to the barstock. Once I had the basic shape for the cutters to fit, I decided that I'd grind about 5" of the end and drill the handles to accept it. Using a piece of scrap I first drilled a 3/4" hole thinking I'd somehow glue the tool into the handle. But there was way too much play in the hole. So I ground the handles down till it would fit in a 11/16" hole. When I inserted the tool into that hole I could see there would be a lot of the round hole showing around the tool. So I ground the handle some more and found that with a 5/8" hole, the square shank would pretty much cover the hole.
.
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Audio equipment Wood stain

.
Wood Rectangle Wooden block Hardwood Wood stain

.
.
I decided to add maple ends to the handles so I cut some round blanks using the drill press and a hole saw. Glued one to the end and clamped it to dry.
.
Wood Hardwood Gas Wood stain Chair

.
.
I didn't take a pic, but I drilled the end out of the handle with a spade bit on the drill press. I know I'm going to hear from all you "Safety Experts" but I'll tell you anyway… I had to hold the handle with my HAND while I drilled it out because I couldn't come up with a better way! The process went fine, there was no blood shed :)

Next it was time to assemble the handles to the barstock. I mixed up about 1/2 a tube of JB Weld and scooped it into a big plastic syringe I used to use for oil. Using the syringe meant that I wouldn't get so much as a smudge on that maple end by trying to force the JB Weld into that small hole on the handle. It worked like a charm and I used a Jorgy to clamp it overnight.
.
Wood Flooring Tool Floor Hand tool

.
Wood Office ruler Ruler Art Flooring

.
.
And after several coats of Danish oil and about 5 coats of rattle-can lacquer … here's the finished tools.
.
Musical instrument Wood Wood stain Hardwood Art

.
Wood Luggage and bags Bag Hardwood Cylinder

.
Wood Varnish Hardwood Musical instrument Wood stain

.
Wood Tool Office supplies Varnish Hardwood

.
.
.
Now that these are done, I have some planks of maple and oak clamped up so I can try them out. Once again, Thanks for following along.
Comments and critiques are always welcomed
.
.
Wow, great looking handles.
 

Attachments

#218 ·
.. First thing I turned with the new lathe.

New lathe, all set up and ready to go and I realize I dont have any blanks glued up to turn bowls … CRAP ! Looking around the shop to see what I can try out I spy a branch of walnut someone gave me last year. It's been in his shop for a coupe years and is good to go. I still have some of that 5/8" aluminum bar stock that I used to make carbide tools with, so why not make another and this can be a handle? So I cut off about 11" and put it between the centers.
.
Wood Automotive tire Twig Trunk Soil

.
.
It was not quite straight and the bark was flying everywhere when I started turning! Came up with this basic shape.
.
Gas Machine Machine tool Wood Engineering

.
Reptile Snake Wood Fish Scaled reptile

.
Here's a shot after the first coat of Danish oil
.
Musical instrument Wood Wind instrument Natural material Art

.
.
I ground the square aluminum bar to a 5/8" round, and cut some grooves with my Makita grinder for the glue to grab ahold of when I do the assembly.
.
Gas Engineering Machine Electric blue Cylinder

.
.
I added a maple piece to the butt, mostly for looks because I did the same on the other 2 before this one.
.
Wood Natural material Wood stain Tints and shades Hardwood

.
.
Used JB Weld and clamped it up tight and let it set overnight.
.
Wood Table Hardwood Flooring Wood stain

.
.
Here's a few pix of the final tool. I really like the grain in this walnut. I still have about 4' of it left for future use.
.
Insect Wood Amber Natural material Eyewear

.
Vision care Drinkware Eyewear Wood Musical instrument

.
Rectangle Wood Font Cuisine Wood stain

.
.
And after about 4 coats of rattle-can lacquer, here it is with it's new brothers :)
.
Wood Publication Cylinder Hardwood Musical instrument


.
.
Once again, thanks for looking. Comments welcomed! :)
.
 

Attachments

#219 ·
.. First thing I turned with the new lathe.

New lathe, all set up and ready to go and I realize I dont have any blanks glued up to turn bowls … CRAP ! Looking around the shop to see what I can try out I spy a branch of walnut someone gave me last year. It's been in his shop for a coupe years and is good to go. I still have some of that 5/8" aluminum bar stock that I used to make carbide tools with, so why not make another and this can be a handle? So I cut off about 11" and put it between the centers.
.
Wood Automotive tire Twig Trunk Soil

.
.
It was not quite straight and the bark was flying everywhere when I started turning! Came up with this basic shape.
.
Gas Machine Machine tool Wood Engineering

.
Reptile Snake Wood Fish Scaled reptile

.
Here's a shot after the first coat of Danish oil
.
Musical instrument Wood Wind instrument Natural material Art

.
.
I ground the square aluminum bar to a 5/8" round, and cut some grooves with my Makita grinder for the glue to grab ahold of when I do the assembly.
.
Gas Engineering Machine Electric blue Cylinder

.
.
I added a maple piece to the butt, mostly for looks because I did the same on the other 2 before this one.
.
Wood Natural material Wood stain Tints and shades Hardwood

.
.
Used JB Weld and clamped it up tight and let it set overnight.
.
Wood Table Hardwood Flooring Wood stain

.
.
Here's a few pix of the final tool. I really like the grain in this walnut. I still have about 4' of it left for future use.
.
Insect Wood Amber Natural material Eyewear

.
Vision care Drinkware Eyewear Wood Musical instrument

.
Rectangle Wood Font Cuisine Wood stain

.
.
And after about 4 coats of rattle-can lacquer, here it is with it's new brothers :)
.
Wood Publication Cylinder Hardwood Musical instrument


.
.
Once again, thanks for looking. Comments welcomed! :)
.
You know, I've been thinking about making some of my own turning tools out of those carbide bits. Your tools look fantastic and I bet it was a lot cheaper than the $100.00 That Rockler and others want for exactly the same thing but not nearly as nice as yours. Great Job Joe!

BTW, where do you buy your tips? I found a great website for it here, really inexpensive.
 

Attachments

#230 ·
.. "Hey buddy. How do I get to Carnagie Hall?"

... "Practice, practice, practice!"

Yup, and that's the same answer for "How do I get better on the lathe?" :)

So I been doing a lot of practicing on my new lathe. I'm really digging this bad boy, and what a DIFFERENCE from that old POS I was using! I can readily see why someone would get discouraged who was just starting out on one of those. So here's some of what I've been doing… in no particular order
.
.
Dishware Adhesive Wood Serveware Drinkware

.
Natural material Wood Wheel Wood stain Circle

.
Tableware Natural material Wood Jewellery Beige

.
Tableware Wood Varnish Wood stain Rectangle

.
Brown Wood Rectangle Natural material Hardwood

.
Tableware Natural material Dishware Serveware Rectangle

.
Dishware Natural material Wood Tableware Serveware

.
Hand Wood Beige Body jewelry Bangle

.
Wood Natural material Wood stain Jewellery Rectangle

.
Tableware Dishware Wood Serveware Helmet

.
Wood Table Serveware Pottery Wood stain

.
Dishware Wood Serveware Circle Varnish

.
Natural material Creative arts Rectangle Wood Fashion accessory

.

.
I'll put a few more on another post. Too many pictures makes it difficult to load for some folks with slow Internet speeds . And as usual, Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcomed.
 

Attachments

#231 ·
.. "Hey buddy. How do I get to Carnagie Hall?"

... "Practice, practice, practice!"

Yup, and that's the same answer for "How do I get better on the lathe?" :)

So I been doing a lot of practicing on my new lathe. I'm really digging this bad boy, and what a DIFFERENCE from that old POS I was using! I can readily see why someone would get discouraged who was just starting out on one of those. So here's some of what I've been doing… in no particular order
.
.
Dishware Adhesive Wood Serveware Drinkware

.
Natural material Wood Wheel Wood stain Circle

.
Tableware Natural material Wood Jewellery Beige

.
Tableware Wood Varnish Wood stain Rectangle

.
Brown Wood Rectangle Natural material Hardwood

.
Tableware Natural material Dishware Serveware Rectangle

.
Dishware Natural material Wood Tableware Serveware

.
Hand Wood Beige Body jewelry Bangle

.
Wood Natural material Wood stain Jewellery Rectangle

.
Tableware Dishware Wood Serveware Helmet

.
Wood Table Serveware Pottery Wood stain

.
Dishware Wood Serveware Circle Varnish

.
Natural material Creative arts Rectangle Wood Fashion accessory

.

.
I'll put a few more on another post. Too many pictures makes it difficult to load for some folks with slow Internet speeds . And as usual, Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcomed.
Looks great Joe, I guess whoever said practice make perfect was right.
Keep up the good work.
Have a blessed evening and fun making those shavings, Todd
 

Attachments

#240 ·
... More practicing, more bowls.

Been spending a lot of time on the new lathe. Here's some of what I've been doing.
.
.
Brown Natural material Wood Serveware Beige

.
Tableware Dishware Serveware Wood Ingredient

.
Natural material Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

.
Tableware Flowerpot Dishware Drinkware Serveware

.
Tire Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware

.
Natural material Artifact Serveware Animal product Wood

.
Dishware Tableware Serveware Wood Artifact

.
Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

.
Natural material Wood Artifact Wood stain Hardwood

.
Light Wood Hardwood Serveware Wood stain

.
Wood Ingredient Cuisine Dish Serveware

.

Light Wood Wood stain Hardwood Pedestal


.
Gas Wood Machine Auto part Cameras & optics
 

Attachments

#241 ·
... More practicing, more bowls.

Been spending a lot of time on the new lathe. Here's some of what I've been doing.
.
.
Brown Natural material Wood Serveware Beige

.
Tableware Dishware Serveware Wood Ingredient

.
Natural material Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

.
Tableware Flowerpot Dishware Drinkware Serveware

.
Tire Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware

.
Natural material Artifact Serveware Animal product Wood

.
Dishware Tableware Serveware Wood Artifact

.
Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

.
Natural material Wood Artifact Wood stain Hardwood

.
Light Wood Hardwood Serveware Wood stain

.
Wood Ingredient Cuisine Dish Serveware

.

Light Wood Wood stain Hardwood Pedestal


.
Gas Wood Machine Auto part Cameras & optics
Both posts show magnificent work on your part. But, beside an improved machine I'm quite sure fine tools also make a difference. Which set or manufacturer are you using for these fine examples?
 

Attachments

#254 ·
Just a funky little bowl

Wood Artifact Cuisine Sculpture Pottery


This one is a piece of that black gum someone gave me. I rough turned it maybe 4 or 5 months back and it warped like crazy! The bowl stayed basically round, but the top lip did anything BUT stay flat. I actually like the way it is so all I did was mount it back up and turn the sides a bit thinner and deeper.
.
It came from a small branch crotch similar to this, and you can see where the branch grew thru it on both sides.
.
Wood Natural material Hardwood Metal Twig

.
.
.
And here's a few random pix of the finished piece.
.
Wood Natural material Tree Trunk Rectangle

.
Musical instrument Natural material Wood Pottery Sculpture

.

Tableware Natural material Wood Artifact Pottery

.
Head Eye Human body Ingredient Wood

.
.
Only had a few small splits so I used superglue on them, then soaked in a coat of Teak oil and finished it up with rattle-can lacquer.
Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcomed
 

Attachments

#255 ·
Just a funky little bowl

Wood Artifact Cuisine Sculpture Pottery


This one is a piece of that black gum someone gave me. I rough turned it maybe 4 or 5 months back and it warped like crazy! The bowl stayed basically round, but the top lip did anything BUT stay flat. I actually like the way it is so all I did was mount it back up and turn the sides a bit thinner and deeper.
.
It came from a small branch crotch similar to this, and you can see where the branch grew thru it on both sides.
.

.
.
.
And here's a few random pix of the finished piece.
.
Wood Natural material Tree Trunk Rectangle

.
Musical instrument Natural material Wood Pottery Sculpture

.

Tableware Natural material Wood Artifact Pottery

.
Head Eye Human body Ingredient Wood

.
.
Only had a few small splits so I used superglue on them, then soaked in a coat of Teak oil and finished it up with rattle-can lacquer.
Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques welcomed
That is cool, Joe! Truly, one of a kind. I like the branch holes in the side. How big is it? Thanks for sharing.
 

Attachments

#261 ·
... Making new lathe tool handles.


.
.
Back when I first started turning, I bought a set of Freud turning tools from Ebay. They were cheap enough ($75) that I thought in case I decided I didn't like wood turning, I wasn't into the tools too deep. They're not anything to write home about, but at least they got me started. That said, now that I've been using them a while, they're just TOO DANG SHORT, and way too thin in my hand. They're only 16" overall.

Since I started making my own carbide tools, I'm finding that I like the feel of about 24" for comfortable turning. So a couple days ago I knocked the blade out of one of them and set out to make a better handle. The new handle was a limb from a black gum tree, and that's a copper plumbing fitting at the top.
Rather than use JB Weld, I decide to try something I've been seeing on that TV show "Forged in Fire". I drilled the hole a bit small and then heated the tang to nice and red, and burned the tang into the wood. Seems to be holding pretty dang tight. Time will tell if I need to drill and pin the handle on.
.
.
This is the Freud set I bought. (found a generic picture on the internet)
.

.
.
And here's a couple side-by-side comparison pix. The two "indents" in the handle are strictly cosmetic to break up the lines of the tool.
.

.

.

.
.
Unless Bonnie wins the lottery, these will be the tools I'll be using for a while, so I'll make a few more handles for the pieces that I do use from that set. Thanks for looking.

And as always, Comments, complaints, critiques welcomed :)
.
.
 

Attachments

#262 ·
... Making new lathe tool handles.


.
.
Back when I first started turning, I bought a set of Freud turning tools from Ebay. They were cheap enough ($75) that I thought in case I decided I didn't like wood turning, I wasn't into the tools too deep. They're not anything to write home about, but at least they got me started. That said, now that I've been using them a while, they're just TOO DANG SHORT, and way too thin in my hand. They're only 16" overall.

Since I started making my own carbide tools, I'm finding that I like the feel of about 24" for comfortable turning. So a couple days ago I knocked the blade out of one of them and set out to make a better handle. The new handle was a limb from a black gum tree, and that's a copper plumbing fitting at the top.
Rather than use JB Weld, I decide to try something I've been seeing on that TV show "Forged in Fire". I drilled the hole a bit small and then heated the tang to nice and red, and burned the tang into the wood. Seems to be holding pretty dang tight. Time will tell if I need to drill and pin the handle on.
.
.
This is the Freud set I bought. (found a generic picture on the internet)
.
Wood Hardwood Varnish Wood stain Lumber

.
.
And here's a couple side-by-side comparison pix. The two "indents" in the handle are strictly cosmetic to break up the lines of the tool.
.
Wood Tool Musical instrument accessory Wood stain Varnish

.

.
Musical instrument Wood Natural material Art Font

.
.
Unless Bonnie wins the lottery, these will be the tools I'll be using for a while, so I'll make a few more handles for the pieces that I do use from that set. Thanks for looking.

And as always, Comments, complaints, critiques welcomed :)
.
.
Really, really nice work, and I'm quite sure you'll find them extremely useful.
 

Attachments

#271 ·
... One log, three bowls



.
.
A friend gave me a cedar log that had been lying on the ground next to his barn for about 10 years. I took it home, pressure washed all the sand and CRUD off it and figured I might be able to get 4 or 5 bowls from it. Turns out, on one end the center core was rotted out almost 18" into the log. Once I started slicing it up, the rotted end was too far gone to save, but I did get three nice bowls from the rest of it. On the two that I cut into the end grain I left the outside as natural as I could. On the one I cut sideways I was able to keep just a small bit of the bark on the sides.
.
.


.
.
I used some superglue to fix a few cracks.
.

.
.
I had to fill just the center of one and used fiberglass resin to do that. You can see it in this next pic. Those 2 big gouges on the side are from the chain saw when he cut the tree down.
.

.
.

.

.

.
.
.
Those white spots are not flaws, They're the reflection from my kitchen light.
.


.

.
.
Finished with rattle-can lacquer. Even after 2 coats of Teak Oil, these things really sucked up the lacquer.

.
.
.
Thanks for looking!
.
 

Attachments

#272 ·
... One log, three bowls



.
.
A friend gave me a cedar log that had been lying on the ground next to his barn for about 10 years. I took it home, pressure washed all the sand and CRUD off it and figured I might be able to get 4 or 5 bowls from it. Turns out, on one end the center core was rotted out almost 18" into the log. Once I started slicing it up, the rotted end was too far gone to save, but I did get three nice bowls from the rest of it. On the two that I cut into the end grain I left the outside as natural as I could. On the one I cut sideways I was able to keep just a small bit of the bark on the sides.
.
.


.
.
I used some superglue to fix a few cracks.
.

.
.
I had to fill just the center of one and used fiberglass resin to do that. You can see it in this next pic. Those 2 big gouges on the side are from the chain saw when he cut the tree down.
.

.
.
Tableware Drinkware Dishware Wood Natural material

.
Tableware Ingredient Wood Cuisine Dish

.

.
.
.
Those white spots are not flaws, They're the reflection from my kitchen light.
.


.

.
.
Finished with rattle-can lacquer. Even after 2 coats of Teak Oil, these things really sucked up the lacquer.

.
.
.
Thanks for looking!
.
They sure turned out nice, good job!
 

Attachments

#287 ·
... Bean pot bowl

Wood Tableware Varnish Wood stain Drinkware

.
This is the biggest bowl I've made to date. Reminds me of a bean pot LOL! Maple and cedar.

Some interesting observations:

Gluing up the flat blanks took one day.
Turning the bowl took a total of about 4 hours.
Finishing (one coat of Tung oil and about 6 coats of rattle-can lacquer) took over a week!
.
.
Here's some more pictures.
.
Plumbing fixture Fluid Wood Drinkware Rectangle

.
Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain Hardwood

.
Drinkware Cup Tableware Wood Serveware

.
Wood Fluid Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain

.
Drinkware Cup Wood Adhesive Serveware

.
Wood Flooring Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle

.
.
It just over 9" across and about 6" tall. Thanks for looking. Comments welcomed !
.
.
 

Attachments

#288 ·
... Bean pot bowl

Wood Tableware Varnish Wood stain Drinkware

.
This is the biggest bowl I've made to date. Reminds me of a bean pot LOL! Maple and cedar.

Some interesting observations:

Gluing up the flat blanks took one day.
Turning the bowl took a total of about 4 hours.
Finishing (one coat of Tung oil and about 6 coats of rattle-can lacquer) took over a week!
.
.
Here's some more pictures.
.
Plumbing fixture Fluid Wood Drinkware Rectangle

.
Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain Hardwood

.
Drinkware Cup Tableware Wood Serveware

.
Wood Fluid Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain

.
Drinkware Cup Wood Adhesive Serveware

.
Wood Flooring Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle

.
.
It just over 9" across and about 6" tall. Thanks for looking. Comments welcomed !
.
.
Wow! Impressive, Joe! Nice combination of woods.

Being that deep of a bowl, were you able to turn it as a single piece, or did you turn it as two halves, then assemble?-or perhaps turn it mounted from both ends, putting on the bottom last? I don't think I could turn something that deep. Couldn't get the angle on the tool, but then again, maybe I don't have the right tools, either.

I love seeing projects that give me ideas. This one does.
 

Attachments

#302 ·
... Dang! That was a hard "catch" !

So I'm turning my latest bowl. It'll be the biggest one yet that I've done. Everything is going along fairly well and I can only guess ( in hindsight ) that I must have shifted my weight and leaned in a bit too much, because all of a sudden … BANG! The tool catches and next thing I know I'm holding only HALF of the tool! YIKES! Made me jump when it happened.
.
Looking at the pix you can see that my glue joint actually held, it was the walnut that snapped.
.

.

.
Wood Musical instrument Tool Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
Oh well, live and learn. I thought about trying to re-glue it, but decided to use the bandsaw and cut the wood away from the shaft and I'll re-use the shaft when I turn another handle.

As always … comments welcomed
 

Attachments

#303 ·
... Dang! That was a hard "catch" !

So I'm turning my latest bowl. It'll be the biggest one yet that I've done. Everything is going along fairly well and I can only guess ( in hindsight ) that I must have shifted my weight and leaned in a bit too much, because all of a sudden … BANG! The tool catches and next thing I know I'm holding only HALF of the tool! YIKES! Made me jump when it happened.
.
Looking at the pix you can see that my glue joint actually held, it was the walnut that snapped.
.

.
Wood Burin Wood stain Hardwood Varnish

.

.
.
Oh well, live and learn. I thought about trying to re-glue it, but decided to use the bandsaw and cut the wood away from the shaft and I'll re-use the shaft when I turn another handle.

As always … comments welcomed
Joe, I gotta tell you. I started out turning, and went to box making pretty quick because I just couldn't master the skew chisel. I got it caught several times and it scared the crap out of me. Turning is tricky and things happen way too fast. Be safe my friend!
 

Attachments

#313 ·
... Salad bowl? or Bean pot?

This is the biggest bowl (size-wise) that I've made yet to date. It's just over 5" deep but it's just a bit more than 1" wider than that other "bean pot" I turned. This one is layered (top to bottom) with maple, oak, cedar, oak, and maple. Wiped a coat of BLO on it before spraying it with about 6 coats of rattle-can lacquer. Here's several angles of the finished product.
.
.

.

.
Wood Dishware Varnish Serveware Hardwood

.
Adhesive Wood Wood stain Serveware Varnish


.
.
AFTER I had glued up the slices of wood, I noticed the bottom piece of maple had a little crack in it …
DAG-NABIT! So I forced a bit of Superglue in it and used a clamp to close it up, hoping beyond all hope that just MAYBE it wouldn't show after it was done. No such luck. You gotta look close, right at the center of the bottom. It's almost not noticeable, but I can see it! Oh well. No body's perfect :)
.
Tableware Drinkware Dishware Cup Ingredient


.
.
Thanks for looking. Comments welcomed.
 

Attachments

#314 ·
... Salad bowl? or Bean pot?

This is the biggest bowl (size-wise) that I've made yet to date. It's just over 5" deep but it's just a bit more than 1" wider than that other "bean pot" I turned. This one is layered (top to bottom) with maple, oak, cedar, oak, and maple. Wiped a coat of BLO on it before spraying it with about 6 coats of rattle-can lacquer. Here's several angles of the finished product.
.
.

.

.
Wood Dishware Varnish Serveware Hardwood

.
Adhesive Wood Wood stain Serveware Varnish


.
.
AFTER I had glued up the slices of wood, I noticed the bottom piece of maple had a little crack in it …
DAG-NABIT! So I forced a bit of Superglue in it and used a clamp to close it up, hoping beyond all hope that just MAYBE it wouldn't show after it was done. No such luck. You gotta look close, right at the center of the bottom. It's almost not noticeable, but I can see it! Oh well. No body's perfect :)
.


.
.
Thanks for looking. Comments welcomed.
I wouldn't worry about that tiny crack, it's very pretty and the crack gives it character.
 

Attachments

#325 ·
... Replaced the lathe handle I broke.

I broke one of my home made lathe handles a few weeks ago. You can see that here. http://lumberjocks.com/JoeinGa/blog/64890
.
Wood Burin Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


.
I finally got around to making a replacement. I used the bandsaw and my 12" disc sander to get the broken piece off the shaft. This tool is right at 24" long. I'm not 100% sure but I THINK this is a piece of the fig tree that I cut down. Anyway, here it is.
.
Musical instrument Wood Kitchen utensil Tool String instrument

.
Musical instrument Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish

.
Wood Tool Burin Hand tool Table

.
As usual, comments welcomed. Thanks for looking.
 

Attachments

#326 ·
... Replaced the lathe handle I broke.

I broke one of my home made lathe handles a few weeks ago. You can see that here. http://lumberjocks.com/JoeinGa/blog/64890
.
Wood Burin Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


.
I finally got around to making a replacement. I used the bandsaw and my 12" disc sander to get the broken piece off the shaft. This tool is right at 24" long. I'm not 100% sure but I THINK this is a piece of the fig tree that I cut down. Anyway, here it is.
.
Musical instrument Wood Kitchen utensil Tool String instrument

.
Musical instrument Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish

.
Wood Tool Burin Hand tool Table

.
As usual, comments welcomed. Thanks for looking.
Now THAT's a handle ! looking' good !
 

Attachments

#337 ·
... Made a new lathe tool rest

I've been using the "standard" tool rest that came with the lathe, it's that basic piece of cast "pot metal". I actually have several sizes but they're all made of the same cheap crap.
.
Metal Rectangle Fashion accessory Tool Wood

.
.
I've been oogling those nice ones made from round steel stock, but Boy-howdy! are they ever proud of them things!

Well, yesterday I broke one of the cheap ones I had. This one was not actually cast from one piece, but the head is held onto the stem with a set screw. Here's a few pix of the break. You can see that there was a big void (flaw) in the casting, causing one of the ears to snap off.
.
Table Wood Tool Hardwood Wood stain

.
Wood Rectangle Composite material Electric blue Fashion accessory

.
.
I was looking for something else and ran across a nice straight piece of 5/8" steel rod, and decided to try and make myself one of the round style ones.
.
Wood Floor Flooring Rectangle Wood stain


.
.
I printed out a picture from the Interwebs so I could see approximately how the curves go and then drew a rough shape to use as a pattern.
.
Wood Rectangle Textile Sleeve Flooring

.
.
Then I used two MAPP hand-held torches to heat the rod to cherry-red and started bending. Took about 20 minutes to come up with a shape I liked.
.
Wood Automotive exterior Font Metal Composite material

.
.
I know that they say you aren't supposed to weld to that cast crap, but figured I'd give it a go anyway. And "THEY" were right. After I welded it and let it cool, I gave it a rap with a hammer and sure enough, it popped right off. .
Wood Rectangle Electric blue Hardwood Fashion accessory

.
.
So I cleaned up the rod on the grinder and set out on "Plan B". I thought that maybe I could weld it to the stem. I didn't take a pic but I actually used 3 big clamps to get the stem absolutely 90* to the bar.
.
.
Terrestrial plant Rectangle Office ruler Plant Measuring instrument

.
Yellow Office ruler Tape measure Ruler Bicycle part

.
.
My welds are not the prettiest, but like I always say "It aint gotta be pretty to be functional". You can see above that it's about 10.5" straight across, and almost 12" tip-to-tip.
.
.
Here's a comparison showing what I was using for turning the inside of the bowls. The old one is pretty "beefy" and sometimes it wouldn't even fit inside some of what I was trying to turn. This rod should be MUCH NICER to use.
.
Bicycle part Auto part Composite material Metal Tool

.
Wood Composite material Metal Tool Titanium

.
.
I decided not to paint the top edge. I figured the tools sliding along it will mess it up anyway, so I only painted the bottom side.
.
Bicycle part Bicycle frame Bicycle handlebar Bicycle fork Carbon

.
.
I haven't used it yet, the paint was still wet when I took these photos, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna LIKE IT! So more than likely if I can find some 25mm round stock to cut up for the stems, I'll be making some more of these.
.
Once again. thanks for looking. Comments always welcome
.
.
 

Attachments

#338 ·
... Made a new lathe tool rest

I've been using the "standard" tool rest that came with the lathe, it's that basic piece of cast "pot metal". I actually have several sizes but they're all made of the same cheap crap.
.

.
.
I've been oogling those nice ones made from round steel stock, but Boy-howdy! are they ever proud of them things!

Well, yesterday I broke one of the cheap ones I had. This one was not actually cast from one piece, but the head is held onto the stem with a set screw. Here's a few pix of the break. You can see that there was a big void (flaw) in the casting, causing one of the ears to snap off.
.

.
Wood Rectangle Composite material Electric blue Fashion accessory

.
.
I was looking for something else and ran across a nice straight piece of 5/8" steel rod, and decided to try and make myself one of the round style ones.
.


.
.
I printed out a picture from the Interwebs so I could see approximately how the curves go and then drew a rough shape to use as a pattern.
.
Wood Rectangle Textile Sleeve Flooring

.
.
Then I used two MAPP hand-held torches to heat the rod to cherry-red and started bending. Took about 20 minutes to come up with a shape I liked.
.
Wood Automotive exterior Font Metal Composite material

.
.
I know that they say you aren't supposed to weld to that cast crap, but figured I'd give it a go anyway. And "THEY" were right. After I welded it and let it cool, I gave it a rap with a hammer and sure enough, it popped right off. .
Wood Rectangle Electric blue Hardwood Fashion accessory

.
.
So I cleaned up the rod on the grinder and set out on "Plan B". I thought that maybe I could weld it to the stem. I didn't take a pic but I actually used 3 big clamps to get the stem absolutely 90* to the bar.
.
.
Terrestrial plant Rectangle Office ruler Plant Measuring instrument

.
Yellow Office ruler Tape measure Ruler Bicycle part

.
.
My welds are not the prettiest, but like I always say "It aint gotta be pretty to be functional". You can see above that it's about 10.5" straight across, and almost 12" tip-to-tip.
.
.
Here's a comparison showing what I was using for turning the inside of the bowls. The old one is pretty "beefy" and sometimes it wouldn't even fit inside some of what I was trying to turn. This rod should be MUCH NICER to use.
.
Bicycle part Auto part Composite material Metal Tool

.
Wood Composite material Metal Tool Titanium

.
.
I decided not to paint the top edge. I figured the tools sliding along it will mess it up anyway, so I only painted the bottom side.
.
Bicycle part Bicycle frame Bicycle handlebar Bicycle fork Carbon

.
.
I haven't used it yet, the paint was still wet when I took these photos, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna LIKE IT! So more than likely if I can find some 25mm round stock to cut up for the stems, I'll be making some more of these.
.
Once again. thanks for looking. Comments always welcome
.
.
Very nice. Can you actually weld using only MAP? I would have thought that you would need Oxygen too.
 

Attachments

#348 ·
... Pine? Really? THAT'S pine??

Who knew that pine might look nice as a bowl/dish/whatever?

First I glued up 2 pieces of 1"X12" shelving boards. I used a glue-block for mounting and had a couple issues when I took the mounting block off the back, had to use a bit of filler.
.
Wood Cameras & optics Gadget Output device Machine

.
.
Here's what the 1st one came out looking like. (I'll show you the bottom with the filler a bit further down)
.
Wood Dishware Tableware Serveware Natural material

.
.
Next I glued up 3 pieces of the 1X12 and decided to try to do this one as a sort of square, winged dish.
.
Wood Art Tints and shades Machine Machine tool

.
Wood Office equipment Machine Saw Composite material

.
.
These shelving boards are drier than the Sahara, so the tear-out was horrendous! This one took a BUNCH of sanding.
.
Wood Gas Art Home appliance Machine

.
.
Here it is after I put on the BLO diluted with some Watco (light walnut) Danish Oil..
.
Wood Rectangle Natural material Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
And here's both of them finished with several coats of rattle-can lacquer
.
Tableware Dishware Wood Hat Serveware

.

Wood Cuisine Circle Artifact Dish

.
Ingredient Wood Tableware Cuisine Dish

.
.
They're not too bad, pretty lightweight. Nothing too fancy about these, just turning more and more stuff to improve my work. Thanks for looking. Comments always welcome.
 

Attachments

#349 ·
... Pine? Really? THAT'S pine??

Who knew that pine might look nice as a bowl/dish/whatever?

First I glued up 2 pieces of 1"X12" shelving boards. I used a glue-block for mounting and had a couple issues when I took the mounting block off the back, had to use a bit of filler.
.
Wood Cameras & optics Gadget Output device Machine

.
.
Here's what the 1st one came out looking like. (I'll show you the bottom with the filler a bit further down)
.
Wood Dishware Tableware Serveware Natural material

.
.
Next I glued up 3 pieces of the 1X12 and decided to try to do this one as a sort of square, winged dish.
.
Wood Art Tints and shades Machine Machine tool

.
Wood Office equipment Machine Saw Composite material

.
.
These shelving boards are drier than the Sahara, so the tear-out was horrendous! This one took a BUNCH of sanding.
.
Wood Gas Art Home appliance Machine

.
.
Here it is after I put on the BLO diluted with some Watco (light walnut) Danish Oil..
.
Wood Rectangle Natural material Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
And here's both of them finished with several coats of rattle-can lacquer
.
Tableware Dishware Wood Hat Serveware

.

Wood Cuisine Circle Artifact Dish

.
Ingredient Wood Tableware Cuisine Dish

.
.
They're not too bad, pretty lightweight. Nothing too fancy about these, just turning more and more stuff to improve my work. Thanks for looking. Comments always welcome.
I really like the square dish, Joe. What are you using for filler? Thanks for sharing.
 

Attachments

#369 ·
I really HAVE been turning... here's proof :)

Ok, SO Mark Wilson called me out. He "casually mentioned" in another post that I haven't posted any of my lathe works since October. Truth be known, I hadn't realized it had been that long. I was posting so much for a while that I kinda got tired of the effort it took to do these blogs.

Side-note… kudos to you folks that do the daily blogs (lookin' at you Sheila! ) I dont think I'd have the wherewithal to do that every day. But I do enjoy reading pretty much everything that gets posted here! That said, back to the task at hand.

Here's a few of what I have been turning. I have given most of them to my daughter who is gonna be my "Sales Agent". She had signed up for several "Arts-N-Craps Fairs" over where she lives because it's much bigger towns near her and we figured there would be better traffic. So far two of the fairs she had signed up for have been cancelled because of weather. Luckily it has been the fair promoters who are canceling, so they have refunded our sign-up fees.

And without further adieu, here's some pix…
.
.

Oak, maple & cedar
.

Drinkware Wood Cup Natural material Serveware

.
Brown Wood Comfort Hardwood Wood stain

.
.

This flat one is about 10" wide and 3" hi. Cedar and pecan
.
Tableware Wood Serveware Cuisine Pottery

.
Natural material Wood Tree Hardwood Varnish

.
.

I was given a smallish (9" X 29") cedar log and was able to get 4 bowls from it. A couple of them still have the chainsaw marks, which I chose to leave on as an "accent"
.
Wood Gold Natural material Jewellery Font

.
Food Wood Cuisine Ingredient Varnish

.
Musical instrument Wood Natural material Varnish Hardwood

.
Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware Rectangle

.
Wood Tableware Cylinder Rectangle Wood stain

.
Tableware Drinkware Wood Natural material Serveware

.
Wood Natural material Plant Rectangle Wood stain

.
Wood Rectangle Cylinder Wood stain Hardwood

.
Hair Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain

.
.
And I also made a couple more of these, which I've shown before.
.
Cross Wood Religious item Rectangle Artifact

.
Cross Rectangle Wood Religious item Font

.
Brown Wood Cross Art Artifact

.
.
.
So see? even though I didn't spend too much time in the shop during the winter (heating costs skyrocketed last year when I was out there every day ) I did get to spend SOME time out there. Now that the weather is getting better, I know I'll be spending more time out there, and I hope you guys (and gals ) in the more Northern climes get to also !

Comments welcomed and encouraged. Thanks for looking at my stuff !
.
 

Attachments

#370 ·
I really HAVE been turning... here's proof :)

Ok, SO Mark Wilson called me out. He "casually mentioned" in another post that I haven't posted any of my lathe works since October. Truth be known, I hadn't realized it had been that long. I was posting so much for a while that I kinda got tired of the effort it took to do these blogs.

Side-note… kudos to you folks that do the daily blogs (lookin' at you Sheila! ) I dont think I'd have the wherewithal to do that every day. But I do enjoy reading pretty much everything that gets posted here! That said, back to the task at hand.

Here's a few of what I have been turning. I have given most of them to my daughter who is gonna be my "Sales Agent". She had signed up for several "Arts-N-Craps Fairs" over where she lives because it's much bigger towns near her and we figured there would be better traffic. So far two of the fairs she had signed up for have been cancelled because of weather. Luckily it has been the fair promoters who are canceling, so they have refunded our sign-up fees.

And without further adieu, here's some pix…
.
.

Oak, maple & cedar
.

Drinkware Wood Cup Natural material Serveware

.
Brown Wood Comfort Hardwood Wood stain

.
.

This flat one is about 10" wide and 3" hi. Cedar and pecan
.
Tableware Wood Serveware Cuisine Pottery

.
Natural material Wood Tree Hardwood Varnish

.
.

I was given a smallish (9" X 29") cedar log and was able to get 4 bowls from it. A couple of them still have the chainsaw marks, which I chose to leave on as an "accent"
.
Wood Gold Natural material Jewellery Font

.
Food Wood Cuisine Ingredient Varnish

.
Musical instrument Wood Natural material Varnish Hardwood

.
Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware Rectangle

.
Wood Tableware Cylinder Rectangle Wood stain

.
Tableware Drinkware Wood Natural material Serveware

.
Wood Natural material Plant Rectangle Wood stain

.
Wood Rectangle Cylinder Wood stain Hardwood

.
Hair Wood Natural material Rectangle Wood stain

.
.
And I also made a couple more of these, which I've shown before.
.
Cross Wood Religious item Rectangle Artifact

.
Cross Rectangle Wood Religious item Font

.
Brown Wood Cross Art Artifact

.
.
.
So see? even though I didn't spend too much time in the shop during the winter (heating costs skyrocketed last year when I was out there every day ) I did get to spend SOME time out there. Now that the weather is getting better, I know I'll be spending more time out there, and I hope you guys (and gals ) in the more Northern climes get to also !

Comments welcomed and encouraged. Thanks for looking at my stuff !
.
You've been very busy and they are all beautiful. You sure do get a great finish on them. What are you using?
 

Attachments

#381 ·
... Curved carbide tool, for gettin' in deep

A friend (and fellow turner) mentioned in church last Sunday that he'd watched a youtube vid of someone using a lathe tool with a curved end for easier access to the inside of a bowl.
I had made him a carbide tool last year and he asked me if I thought I could make a curved one. He thought that because I have been using that thick 5/8" aluminum bar stock that I might not be able to bend it.

Well, challenge accepted ! Here's the progression of how it went…
.
.

The handle (still not positive what this wood is. That's a 12" ruler with it )
.
Rolling pin Wood Musical instrument Masa Elbow

.
Food Wood Ingredient Cuisine Gas

.
.

The bar. Apply a little heat with a propane torch and used a 15" adjustable wrench to bend the tip.
.
Medical thermometer Wood Office supplies Tool Thermometer

.
.

Grinding the 5/8" square to just under 5/8" round.
.
Wood Barrel Gas Metal Pipe

.
.

Making sure I'll have enough wiggle-room so the JB Weld will fit in there too. I used hand files to square up the transition where the square meets the rounded part
.
Tableware Table Ruler Wood Dishware

.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plywood

.
.

Used a 4.5" grinder to cut a few grooves in the rounded end so the JB Weld has something to hold onto.
.
Wood Jewellery Metal Fashion accessory Nickel

.
.

Mixed up some JB Weld and clamped it tight. Leave overnight to set.
.
Wood Flooring Floor Gas Engineering

.
Tire Wood Automotive tire Wheel Gas

.
.

And here's several views of the finished product. I used my BLO mix on the handle (BLO, mineral spirits and Teak oil mixed in almost equal parts. I go heavy on the BLO.)
.
Wood Natural material Metal Hardwood

.
Wood Natural material Musical instrument Hardwood Event

.
Wood Natural material Hardwood Wood stain Flooring

.
Wood Metal Soil Pipe Grass

.
.

Here you can see how I ground the tip and how much clearance the bit will have on the sides.
.
Wood Flooring Plank Hardwood Wood stain

.
Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


.
.
.
And as Porky Pig used to say … "Th, tha, tha, That's all, folks! "

.
Thanks for takin' a peek. Comments always welcomed !

.
.
 

Attachments

#382 ·
... Curved carbide tool, for gettin' in deep

A friend (and fellow turner) mentioned in church last Sunday that he'd watched a youtube vid of someone using a lathe tool with a curved end for easier access to the inside of a bowl.
I had made him a carbide tool last year and he asked me if I thought I could make a curved one. He thought that because I have been using that thick 5/8" aluminum bar stock that I might not be able to bend it.

Well, challenge accepted ! Here's the progression of how it went…
.
.

The handle (still not positive what this wood is. That's a 12" ruler with it )
.
Rolling pin Wood Musical instrument Masa Elbow

.
Food Wood Ingredient Cuisine Gas

.
.

The bar. Apply a little heat with a propane torch and used a 15" adjustable wrench to bend the tip.
.
Medical thermometer Wood Office supplies Tool Thermometer

.
.

Grinding the 5/8" square to just under 5/8" round.
.
Wood Barrel Gas Metal Pipe

.
.

Making sure I'll have enough wiggle-room so the JB Weld will fit in there too. I used hand files to square up the transition where the square meets the rounded part
.
Tableware Table Ruler Wood Dishware

.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plywood

.
.

Used a 4.5" grinder to cut a few grooves in the rounded end so the JB Weld has something to hold onto.
.
Wood Jewellery Metal Fashion accessory Nickel

.
.

Mixed up some JB Weld and clamped it tight. Leave overnight to set.
.
Wood Flooring Floor Gas Engineering

.
Tire Wood Automotive tire Wheel Gas

.
.

And here's several views of the finished product. I used my BLO mix on the handle (BLO, mineral spirits and Teak oil mixed in almost equal parts. I go heavy on the BLO.)
.
Wood Natural material Metal Hardwood

.
Wood Natural material Musical instrument Hardwood Event

.
Wood Natural material Hardwood Wood stain Flooring

.
Wood Metal Soil Pipe Grass

.
.

Here you can see how I ground the tip and how much clearance the bit will have on the sides.
.
Wood Flooring Plank Hardwood Wood stain

.
Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


.
.
.
And as Porky Pig used to say … "Th, tha, tha, That's all, folks! "

.
Thanks for takin' a peek. Comments always welcomed !

.
.
Go get em' Joe !
 

Attachments

#395 ·
... Plywood bowl

I've been seeing some of you turning plywood. I know that most of what I've seen so far is the segmented turnings, but I haven't tried that yet. So I'm gonna start with a simple glue-up and try to not kill myself doing this.

Here's what I'm starting with, will probably take a week or so before I get it done
.
.
Wood Gas Auto part Musical instrument Electrical wiring

.
Toy Wood Gas Machine Engineering

.
Wood Gas Flooring Machine Engineering

.
.
That's 6 layers of 3/4" birch ply. I usually dont wear a face shield when I turn, but I'll wear it to start this one and see how this goes :)
.
.
 

Attachments

#396 ·
... Plywood bowl

I've been seeing some of you turning plywood. I know that most of what I've seen so far is the segmented turnings, but I haven't tried that yet. So I'm gonna start with a simple glue-up and try to not kill myself doing this.

Here's what I'm starting with, will probably take a week or so before I get it done
.
.
Wood Gas Auto part Musical instrument Electrical wiring

.
Toy Wood Gas Machine Engineering

.
Wood Gas Flooring Machine Engineering

.
.
That's 6 layers of 3/4" birch ply. I usually dont wear a face shield when I turn, but I'll wear it to start this one and see how this goes :)
.
.
Be interesting to see how this turns out.
 

Attachments

#402 ·
... Using the Cole Jaws

Here's the first thing I've tried on my new Cole Jaws. It wasn't quite centered so I had to move it a couple times till I got comfortable with it. This is a piece or cedar that I have.
.
.
Wood Saw Machine tool Tool Engineering

.

Wood Saw Machine tool Engineering Machine
Joe, have you worked with cedar before? My experience with it is that it's kind of crumbly. Be careful…
 

Attachments

#410 ·
... couple more bowls. Maple & cedar.

I really like the way the colors of the maple and cedar compliment each other. So here's a couple more that I put the final finish coat on yesterday. Each of them is approximately 9.5" across and 3" tall. I'll be sending these to my daughter and she'll take them to the "Arts & Craps" fair next weekend.
.
.
Wood Creative arts Art Serveware Natural material

.
Natural material Wood Creative arts Art Jewellery

.
Wood Amber Gas Body jewelry Jewellery

.
Natural material Wood Body jewelry Jewellery Beige

.
Natural material Wood Rectangle Art Creative arts

.
.
And I dont remember if I posted this one yet, but it REALLY came out nice. It's cedar & pecan. I left some of the chainsaw marks in the pecan and extended the cuts up into the cedar with my ROS for highlights.
.
Food Ingredient Wood Tableware Cuisine

.
Wood Ingredient Food Circle Baharat

.
Food Ingredient Tableware Cuisine Dish

.
.
Thanks for looking. Comments always welcome.
.
 

Attachments

#411 ·
... couple more bowls. Maple & cedar.

I really like the way the colors of the maple and cedar compliment each other. So here's a couple more that I put the final finish coat on yesterday. Each of them is approximately 9.5" across and 3" tall. I'll be sending these to my daughter and she'll take them to the "Arts & Craps" fair next weekend.
.
.
Wood Creative arts Art Serveware Natural material

.
Natural material Wood Creative arts Art Jewellery

.
Wood Amber Gas Body jewelry Jewellery

.
Natural material Wood Body jewelry Jewellery Beige

.
Natural material Wood Rectangle Art Creative arts

.
.
And I dont remember if I posted this one yet, but it REALLY came out nice. It's cedar & pecan. I left some of the chainsaw marks in the pecan and extended the cuts up into the cedar with my ROS for highlights.
.
Food Ingredient Wood Tableware Cuisine

.
Wood Ingredient Food Circle Baharat

.
Food Ingredient Tableware Cuisine Dish

.
.
Thanks for looking. Comments always welcome.
.
Those are b-e-ay-yoo-teeful, Joe. (Yeah. I''m fluent in Hillbilly.) Mebees it's the lighting, but, the Cedar in the first one sure looks an awful lot like Padauk, dunnit?
How'd ya get to #45? The last one I remember seeing was #43. Did you lose count. That's okay. You're getting into some pretty big numbers, now. I understand.
 

Attachments

#422 ·
... new rack for the lathe tools.

First off, a big LJs "THANK YOU" to David ( http://lumberjocks.com/LRS ) for the idea.

I TOLD you I was gonna steal it! :)

Here's the one David made…
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/236282
.
Wood Gas Engineering Machine Metal

.
.

This is what I did last year when I got the lathe.
.

Wood Tool Workbench Engineering Gas

.
.
But after awhile I realized the tools were a bit too close together for comfort. One or two pokes while reaching for a tool convinced me of that. So here's my version of the one David made.
.
Wood Automotive tire Wood stain Circle Hardwood

.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Art Gas

.
Wood Musical instrument Flooring Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
.
It is on a turntable, and made completely from things I already had. So Zero cost (YAY). Soon as I decided just where I want it for the best convenience for me, I'll screw that bottom plate to the floor.

Enter standard disclaimer here… comments, complaints, critiques, etc, etc.
.
.
 

Attachments

#423 ·
... new rack for the lathe tools.

First off, a big LJs "THANK YOU" to David ( http://lumberjocks.com/LRS ) for the idea.

I TOLD you I was gonna steal it! :)

Here's the one David made…
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/236282
.
Wood Gas Engineering Machine Metal

.
.

This is what I did last year when I got the lathe.
.

Wood Tool Workbench Engineering Gas

.
.
But after awhile I realized the tools were a bit too close together for comfort. One or two pokes while reaching for a tool convinced me of that. So here's my version of the one David made.
.
Wood Automotive tire Wood stain Circle Hardwood

.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Art Gas

.
Wood Musical instrument Flooring Wood stain Hardwood

.
.
.
It is on a turntable, and made completely from things I already had. So Zero cost (YAY). Soon as I decided just where I want it for the best convenience for me, I'll screw that bottom plate to the floor.

Enter standard disclaimer here… comments, complaints, critiques, etc, etc.
.
.
Woo Hoo! You go Joe!
 

Attachments

#431 ·
... few more bowls for the sale

So tomorrow I'm heading across the state to join my daughter who has got a booth at an "Arts-N-Craps" fair. I'll be bringing a few more birdhouses and 7 or 8 bowls with me to add to the inventory. These are what I've finished in the past few months.
.
.
Realized I had another piece of cedar log and I got 4 more pieces out of it.
.
Natural material Wood Rectangle Creative arts Wood stain

.
Natural material Wood Tree Varnish Tableware

.
.
This one is black gum. About 8.5" across and 5" high. Where you see the dip in the rim is almost paper thin. This piece flew off the lathe twice and the 3rd time I remounted it up it was off center a bit.
.
Natural material Wood Tableware Creative arts Rectangle

.
Tableware Wood Serveware Hat Wood stain

.
.
Somebody gave me a short hunk of eucalyptus and boy did my shop smell sweet while I was turning it!
When I hit the bark with my sander this bright orange-red color came out. It's quite pretty.
.
Shoe Wood Natural material Sandal High heels

.
Natural material Creative arts earthenware Wood Fashion accessory

.
.
And again I tried to leave some of the chainsaw wounds on the end for texture.

.
Natural material Wood Artifact Creative arts Pottery

.
Natural material Creative arts Wood Artifact earthenware

.
.
Last April fellow LJ Arlin Eastman and I did a "Wood swap". I sent him some cedar and pecan and he sent me a ginormous solid piece of black walnut. It was 12"X12"X 6". It's been sitting on the shelf for almost a year and my first thought was to try and slice it up and make several bowls. But it had some pretty deep splits in it and I was afraid if I cut it, I would lose some of it.

I finally decided to make a single large bowl from it. Over the past 6 months I have forced about 20 tubes of Superglue into the cracks and splits, even had to use some dark wood dust in a few spots as filler.

And this is what I ended up with. I tried to save as much of the piece as I could. I left the top "rim" almost square, and made "handles" at the corners. I didn't cut it as deep as I probably should have. It's a heavy sucker and I'm really proud of how it looks. I used a whole can of rattle-can spray lacquer on just this one bowl. Probably 25 or 30 coats are on it.
.

Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware Artifact

.
Serveware Wood Artifact Helmet Natural material

.
Brown Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware

.
.
The bark fell off so I just used my sander to kind of smooth over where the bark had been.

.
Brown Tableware Natural material Serveware Creative arts

.
Wood Tree Trunk Artifact Natural material

.
Brown Tableware Natural material Creative arts Serveware


.
.
Insert the usual disclaimer here. Comments, critiques always welcomed. And thank for checking out my stuff :)
.
.
 

Attachments

#432 ·
... few more bowls for the sale

So tomorrow I'm heading across the state to join my daughter who has got a booth at an "Arts-N-Craps" fair. I'll be bringing a few more birdhouses and 7 or 8 bowls with me to add to the inventory. These are what I've finished in the past few months.
.
.
Realized I had another piece of cedar log and I got 4 more pieces out of it.
.
Natural material Wood Rectangle Creative arts Wood stain

.
Natural material Wood Tree Varnish Tableware

.
.
This one is black gum. About 8.5" across and 5" high. Where you see the dip in the rim is almost paper thin. This piece flew off the lathe twice and the 3rd time I remounted it up it was off center a bit.
.
Natural material Wood Tableware Creative arts Rectangle

.
Tableware Wood Serveware Hat Wood stain

.
.
Somebody gave me a short hunk of eucalyptus and boy did my shop smell sweet while I was turning it!
When I hit the bark with my sander this bright orange-red color came out. It's quite pretty.
.
Shoe Wood Natural material Sandal High heels

.
Natural material Creative arts earthenware Wood Fashion accessory

.
.
And again I tried to leave some of the chainsaw wounds on the end for texture.

.
Natural material Wood Artifact Creative arts Pottery

.
Natural material Creative arts Wood Artifact earthenware

.
.
Last April fellow LJ Arlin Eastman and I did a "Wood swap". I sent him some cedar and pecan and he sent me a ginormous solid piece of black walnut. It was 12"X12"X 6". It's been sitting on the shelf for almost a year and my first thought was to try and slice it up and make several bowls. But it had some pretty deep splits in it and I was afraid if I cut it, I would lose some of it.

I finally decided to make a single large bowl from it. Over the past 6 months I have forced about 20 tubes of Superglue into the cracks and splits, even had to use some dark wood dust in a few spots as filler.

And this is what I ended up with. I tried to save as much of the piece as I could. I left the top "rim" almost square, and made "handles" at the corners. I didn't cut it as deep as I probably should have. It's a heavy sucker and I'm really proud of how it looks. I used a whole can of rattle-can spray lacquer on just this one bowl. Probably 25 or 30 coats are on it.
.

Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware Artifact

.
Serveware Wood Artifact Helmet Natural material

.
Brown Tableware Natural material Wood Serveware

.
.
The bark fell off so I just used my sander to kind of smooth over where the bark had been.

.
Brown Tableware Natural material Serveware Creative arts

.
Wood Tree Trunk Artifact Natural material

.
Brown Tableware Natural material Creative arts Serveware


.
.
Insert the usual disclaimer here. Comments, critiques always welcomed. And thank for checking out my stuff :)
.
.
You have some wild looking bowls there Joe. I wish for a successful selling spree. You should have no problem.
If I lived close by I would join you.
 

Attachments

#441 ·
... Results from the Arts & Craps Fair this weekend

Some of you do read my drivel, so this is a follow up to the Arts Fair I went to this past weekend. I've posted before that I really don't have much interest in sitting out in the sun for a day or two trying to sell the bowls and things I make, but my wife and daughter concocted a plan whereby my daughter would be my "Sales Agent" (for a small cut of course :) . She went to our first fair 2 weekends ago and did surprisingly well. More than once she was told that we were pricing my items "too low", so this time we adjusted the prices up just a skosh in trying to get a feel for what people will pay for bowls and bird houses.

So the wife and I drove 4 hours across the state from our house to our daughter's in Columbus, GA. The fair was in Warm Springs, GA not too far from her house. The ONLY reason I agreed to go to this one is because Warm Springs is only 4 miles from where we used to live and we had attended a church in Warm Springs for almost 11 years, so I knew I'd see a lot of old friends there. Our booth was actually right next door to the church so I did get to visit with some folks I haven't seen in 10+ years.

We were on a concrete pad with about 16 or 18 other booths. And even though we got the LAST SPOT available, we were positioned at the end of the pad where they put the opening in the ropes for the entrance from one of the parking areas, so we actually had a real good spot. We set up the booth on a windy Saturday morning, and every once in a while the wind gusts would come thru and almost blow everybody's tents away. One couple across from us lost a number of glass items to the wind and they gave up and left after only a couple hours. I helped them take down their tent and told them "Well IF there can possibly be a good side to this, it's that you only paid $20 for booth space and not $200."

All in all. I'm pleased with the outcome. The first fair ( the one my daughter did alone) netted us just over $200, and this one we did just over $400. Not too bad for our first couple of trys. My daughter has signed up for another fair In a couple weeks not far from her house. So I need to make a few more bowls. Here's the booth we set up.
.
.
Photograph White Handwriting Light Green

.
Plant Shade Sky Tent Tree

.
.

This shot was from the entrance to the roped off concrete pad, so folks coming in saw this view of my booth. (The jackstands are what we used for "ballast" because my son-in-law didn't have any concrete blocks. )
.
Tent Sky Shade Tree Leisure

.
.

And here's the opposite view from the booth towards that entrance.
.
Table Plant Furniture Tire Outdoor furniture

.
.

I made the "A-frame" shelf from a piece of scrap plywood and it comes apart to lay flat.
.
Plant Tent Tree Shade Wood

.
.

And here's just a few random shots.
.
Table Plant Furniture Tire Outdoor furniture

.
Furniture Table Tire Wheel Plant

.
Sky Tent Plant Shade Table

.
Wheel Tire Car Food Motor vehicle

.
.

These pictures were taken at 7:30 in the morning, hence the long shadows, and it was only about 40 degrees… luckily I had brought a light jacket !
.
.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering about that huge walnut bowl I made from the blank that fellow LumberJock Arlin Eastman had sent me… It fetched $100, and that lady was SO pleased with my prices that she bought THREE PIECES!
.
Brown Tableware Natural material Creative arts Serveware

.
.
And of course .. as usual, comments welcomed. Thanks for taking a peek at my stuff.
.
 

Attachments

#442 ·
... Results from the Arts & Craps Fair this weekend

Some of you do read my drivel, so this is a follow up to the Arts Fair I went to this past weekend. I've posted before that I really don't have much interest in sitting out in the sun for a day or two trying to sell the bowls and things I make, but my wife and daughter concocted a plan whereby my daughter would be my "Sales Agent" (for a small cut of course :) . She went to our first fair 2 weekends ago and did surprisingly well. More than once she was told that we were pricing my items "too low", so this time we adjusted the prices up just a skosh in trying to get a feel for what people will pay for bowls and bird houses.

So the wife and I drove 4 hours across the state from our house to our daughter's in Columbus, GA. The fair was in Warm Springs, GA not too far from her house. The ONLY reason I agreed to go to this one is because Warm Springs is only 4 miles from where we used to live and we had attended a church in Warm Springs for almost 11 years, so I knew I'd see a lot of old friends there. Our booth was actually right next door to the church so I did get to visit with some folks I haven't seen in 10+ years.

We were on a concrete pad with about 16 or 18 other booths. And even though we got the LAST SPOT available, we were positioned at the end of the pad where they put the opening in the ropes for the entrance from one of the parking areas, so we actually had a real good spot. We set up the booth on a windy Saturday morning, and every once in a while the wind gusts would come thru and almost blow everybody's tents away. One couple across from us lost a number of glass items to the wind and they gave up and left after only a couple hours. I helped them take down their tent and told them "Well IF there can possibly be a good side to this, it's that you only paid $20 for booth space and not $200."

All in all. I'm pleased with the outcome. The first fair ( the one my daughter did alone) netted us just over $200, and this one we did just over $400. Not too bad for our first couple of trys. My daughter has signed up for another fair In a couple weeks not far from her house. So I need to make a few more bowls. Here's the booth we set up.
.
.
Photograph White Handwriting Light Green

.
Plant Shade Sky Tent Tree

.
.

This shot was from the entrance to the roped off concrete pad, so folks coming in saw this view of my booth. (The jackstands are what we used for "ballast" because my son-in-law didn't have any concrete blocks. )
.
Tent Sky Shade Tree Leisure

.
.

And here's the opposite view from the booth towards that entrance.
.
Table Plant Furniture Tire Outdoor furniture

.
.

I made the "A-frame" shelf from a piece of scrap plywood and it comes apart to lay flat.
.
Plant Tent Tree Shade Wood

.
.

And here's just a few random shots.
.
Table Plant Furniture Tire Outdoor furniture

.
Furniture Table Tire Wheel Plant

.
Sky Tent Plant Shade Table

.
Wheel Tire Car Food Motor vehicle

.
.

These pictures were taken at 7:30 in the morning, hence the long shadows, and it was only about 40 degrees… luckily I had brought a light jacket !
.
.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering about that huge walnut bowl I made from the blank that fellow LumberJock Arlin Eastman had sent me… It fetched $100, and that lady was SO pleased with my prices that she bought THREE PIECES!
.
Brown Tableware Natural material Creative arts Serveware

.
.
And of course .. as usual, comments welcomed. Thanks for taking a peek at my stuff.
.
Good news like this is always nice to hear. Carry on Joe.
 

Attachments

#455 ·
My aluminum lathe tools, how're they holding up?

I made my own lathe tools using 5/8" aluminum bar stock. You can see the previous posts about them here…
.
http://lumberjocks.com/JoeinGa/blog/54554

http://lumberjocks.com/JoeinGa/blog/52914
.
.
Several folks have asked me how the aluminum has held up as far as getting gouged or bent from banging against the tool rest. So today I took a few pictures. As you can see, there really isn't much more than surface scuffing on the tooling. I have had some pretty hard catches, but there has been no bending or deep gouges on them either.
.
Automotive tire Automotive lighting Automotive parking light Grille Rim

.
Wood Tool Kitchen utensil Metal Nickel

.
Aircraft Wood Airplane Aviation Wing

.

.
.
There was also some discussion about notching the end of the shaft to keep the bit from rotating. The first tool I made I didn't notch the end, and the bit DID move, so I added the notch and have notched all subsequent tools I've made. For the round cutter bits I figure it wont matter so I dont bother.
.
Wood Material property Communication Device Beige Gadget

.
Wood Automotive lighting Kitchen utensil Bumper Nickel

.
Rectangle Wood Flooring Hardwood Table

.

.
.
.
I also used to polish the aluminum to a chrome-like finish, but in using the tools I find that they really get scratched up, so as you can see above I used my ROS to give them a "matte" finish. And any time they get scratched or marked up I just hit 'em with the ROS and 220 grit paper.
.
Carbon Automotive exterior Rectangle Metal Aluminium
 

Attachments

#456 ·
My aluminum lathe tools, how're they holding up?

I made my own lathe tools using 5/8" aluminum bar stock. You can see the previous posts about them here…
.
http://lumberjocks.com/JoeinGa/blog/54554

http://lumberjocks.com/JoeinGa/blog/52914
.
.
Several folks have asked me how the aluminum has held up as far as getting gouged or bent from banging against the tool rest. So today I took a few pictures. As you can see, there really isn't much more than surface scuffing on the tooling. I have had some pretty hard catches, but there has been no bending or deep gouges on them either.
.
Automotive tire Automotive lighting Automotive parking light Grille Rim

.
Wood Tool Kitchen utensil Metal Nickel

.
Aircraft Wood Airplane Aviation Wing

.

.
.
There was also some discussion about notching the end of the shaft to keep the bit from rotating. The first tool I made I didn't notch the end, and the bit DID move, so I added the notch and have notched all subsequent tools I've made. For the round cutter bits I figure it wont matter so I dont bother.
.
Wood Material property Communication Device Beige Gadget

.
Wood Automotive lighting Kitchen utensil Bumper Nickel

.
Rectangle Wood Flooring Hardwood Table

.

.
.
.
I also used to polish the aluminum to a chrome-like finish, but in using the tools I find that they really get scratched up, so as you can see above I used my ROS to give them a "matte" finish. And any time they get scratched or marked up I just hit 'em with the ROS and 220 grit paper.
.
Carbon Automotive exterior Rectangle Metal Aluminium
Hi Joe. That last picture is the result you get with a ROS 220 grit? That's a awesome finish.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top