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I also sometimes eat the berries. They're wonderfully tasty, kind of like a sweet raspberry but not quite. They have a strange gelatinous texture but not unpleasant and well worth trying. Just don't swallow the seed.

From your post asking about tools for large bowls and platters I got the impression that you didn't have any tools at all and were just starting out. I would suggest that a vacuum chuck, whilst undoubtedly a useful piece of kit, is something that a beginner really doesn't need. The vast majority...

Any of the tool manufacturers mentioned above do good tools as long as they're high speed steel (HSS). I would avoid Axminster's Perfom branded bowl gouge (the one with the pale handle) as it has a shallow flute which is more like a spindle gouge. I like Ashley Iles tools as it's easy to buy...

I went into the workshop yesterday to inspect the blades (those already fitted to the saws and the spares, which were in Bacho logo'd packaging). I didn't have much in the way of measuring equipment but placed a ruler across the points of the teeth. The rakers appeared to be approx. 0.5mm...

A quick search seems to indicate that all bowsaw blades for green timber look the same, with raker teeth shorter than the regular teeth. Have a look at this which I just found from the US Forestry Service. The picture part way down shows the rakers as shorter. I guess that makes sense - if the...

And if you do buy a chainsaw make sure that you also buy protective leg wear, footwear, gloves, ear and eye protection (usually fastened to a helmet). Given that you're likely to be untrained I'd say that these are essential. Unfortunately they're likely to cost more than a basic electric saw...

I regularly use a diamond hone to refresh the edge on my gouges as it saves me putting the tool in a jig, switching on the grinder and grinding away my expensive tool. For the final cut I usually use a freshly ground tool.

I have several rare earth magnets at various places around the lathe and when I've finished with an allen key I just stick it to the magnet. I also have a set of allen keys fixed into a plastic handle (think similar action to a pen knife - just fold out the one you need) and that's pretty hard...

I wouldn't get hung up on honing the tool. I suspect that most people don't bother and get along just fine. The steel rods I use are regular HSS, about 10mm diameter. The handle I made has a ferrule made from plumbers fittings and I've threaded it to take a grub screw. This lets me have a point...

1) Bigger may be better but if you get a catch with a larger tool it could be a bigger catch. The skew I use the most is about 20mm. Smaller is also easier to shallow curves and coves. I have a large one that's maybe 40mm for long planing cuts. In addition to my regular skews I also have some...

Why not try contacting your local woodturning club. There are plenty spread across the country and they're usually run by helpful individuals who may be able to come round and suggest a price. Our club regularly has adverts on our notice board for either job lot sales or sale of individual items...

The red flesh of yew berries is delicious. The texture's a bit gelatinous but they taste good. Just make sure you remove all traces of the seed first

We use them regularly at work, usually leaving them out for about a week at a time. Bushnell I think. No problems with water or battery life. No real problems with them, although you sometimes need to turn the sensitivity down as sun reflecting on water/vegetation can trigger the motion sensor.

I have one of the Aldi electric chainsaws. Bought it earlier this year (or maybe the end of last year) for trimming bits of out of balance wood off blocks which were already mounted on the lathe (don't really want to use petrol in the shed!). I've ended up using it quite a bit for cutting up...

The jaws I use the most (in my Nova chucks) are probably the Powergrip which can hold a large dovetail/spigot (I think I usually use 80mm) and a spigot of maybe 40mm length. It's great for large vases/vessels (I've done some over 45cm tall) and can easily hold logs over 30cm diameter. These days...

When I make rattles I only use standard turning tools. No need for any fancy hollowing tools. Pretty much all the work is done with a spindle gouge, with a parting tool used for the joint. I don't have any work in progress shots but I'll hunt out some photos of finished rattles

To protect the wood from marks when held in pin jaws etc you could use plastic pipe around it. If depending on the size you could either just put a single slit down the length of pipe so the when the chuck tightens onto it it grips the wood tightly or cut the pipe into 2 lengthways. Version one...

Might be ok with the pith in the middle, might not - some species it works ok to leave it. I've never used poplar so couldn't say. If you have enough of it just give it a go and see what happens. You could leave some hole and leave the pith in and cut some up into blanks. I think the poplars are...

[urlhttp://www.hopewoodturning.co.uk/discs_20.html]Simon Hope[/url] sells 600 grit discs. I can't remember where I got it but I also have a supply of Rhynogrip 800 and 1200 grits. I tend to use them for lightly sanding back between coats of oil and sometimes use them to apply the oil itself...

I can't remember who it was, but one demonstrator suggested that unless there's excessive rust he tends not to lubricate the bed and do much maintenance on it. The thinking is that the banjo will lock better when there's a slightly rough surface for it to sit against. Kind of makes sense as long...