Live center, chucks and finishing !

[Bigbud78]

The Wendy house is finished now so want to start turning, cleaned my lathe up and striped down the tail stock. All clean and ready to go, Finished my grinding station and about to grind some of my tools so I can finally start doing some turning !

But I have a few questions if I could, I have a couple of live centers and bearings are rough in both. Any suggestions for replacements ? Was just going to go for http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-st ... ing-centre for now ?

Suggestions for finishes for some bowls ? Should I just use sand paper then some sort of lacquer or shalac ? I never used anything other than paint or varnish

Lastly, I had two chucks come with my lathe. A Record RP3000 and a precision combination chuck, can anyone tell me the difference between them ? Not sure which I should use TBH.

Thanks

Jim

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I would look at Chronos for centres as well. Hard wax oil (Osmo, Fiddes, Chestnut, etc.) is good and easy to start with for bowls.

 

[chipmunk]

Sorry Phil.P but I'd stick to woodturning centres from Axi or Planet as Chronos offerings are metalworking centres. The bearings get in the way of cutting close up to the point and the 60 degree parts I think are at least case hardened which'll knacker the edges of your tools if you catch them.

By far the easiest finish for bowls IMHO is foodsafe oil (http://www.axminster.co.uk/chestnut-food-safe-oil) which you can use as a sanding lubricant as you go through the sandpaper grits (80, 120, 180, 240, 320 and 400) to keep the dust down - unless you have any dust extraction yet.

Dip sandpaper into the oil, or paint it on with a paintbrush before sanding. Keep the speed quite low and beware squats of oil on your clothes and keep the paper moving. As with all sanding remove the marks of the previous grit before moving to the next finer one. Wipe off the excess at the end and if your sandpaper clogs brush the slurry off with a small wire brush - preferably brass as it's softer. This will eventually give a satin finish and will mean that you could eat off the bowl if you want to.

If you do it right, the sanding marks should be barely visible with this finish which makes it ideal for beginners and especially for bigger bowls.

HTH
Jon

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The Wendy house is finished now so want to start turning, cleaned my lathe up and striped down the tail stock. All clean and ready to go, Finished my grinding station and about to grind some of my tools so I can finally start doing some turning !

But I have a few questions if I could, I have a couple of live centers and bearings are rough in both. Any suggestions for replacements ? Was just going to go for http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-st ... ing-centre for now ?

Suggestions for finishes for some bowls ? Should I just use sand paper then some sort of lacquer or shalac ? I never used anything other than paint or varnish

Lastly, I had two chucks come with my lathe. A Record RP3000 and a precision combination chuck, can anyone tell me the difference between them ? Not sure which I should use TBH.

Thanks

Jim

As far as centres go once I had switched to steb centres I never looked back. They're quite the most versatile and easy to use I've ever come across and I use both head and tailstock steb centres 99% of the time now except for specialist items. The 7/8" ones are the most useful for a wide variety of spindle sizes. I used to use the Axy live centres before the stebs came along.
Finishes on bowls is a longer discussion and I think you should get a decent book on turning finishes and absorb more information. The two perhaps most common types of finish are either oil based or sanding sealer and wax based but within those broad churches are many different choices.

As for abrasives, the trick is to have a nice malleable abrasive that gives into the nooks and crannies. Personally I use Rhyno-grip which Richard Findley sells on here or most dedicated turning suppliers also will. It's very flexible and somehow seems to not clog anything like as fast as the cheaper paper systems from Axy. I've also found those box sets with multiple grits from Axy to be very rigid in use. Rhyno grip is streets ahead in terms of performance. For bowls, many of us power sand with circular Velcro backed abrasive discs (see Simon Hope's website) attached to a hand held drill driver with a special attachment that takes the discs held in the chuck.

Not sure about the chucks as I've used neither.

Post your work when you get going and why not enter the competition every quarter, it really helps and you'll learn lots.

 

[CHJ]

For someone starting on the finishing curve I would suggest Cellulose Sanding Sealer and a soft paste wax like Chestnuts Woodwax22.

Reasons.
Cellulose sealer dries almost instantly and provides a hardened surface that can stand being burnished for increased shine if wanted.
Cellulose Sealer can be used prior to your final cuts to stiffen up any soft spots or end grain areas that are tending to tear, any streaks can readily be sanded out or blended in with cellulose thinners instantly, works with almost all woods for same results. **

Soft paste wax is easy to apply and buff up after a few minutes as soon as solvents have dispersed and will hold a shine for months if not years for items used for display rather than those handled daily, if it dulls due to handling (bees wax melts at hand temperatures) then easily re-applied and refreshed.

Items leaving the shed after a few minutes finishing this way are ready to use.

After a few dozen pieces so treated and you are confident with getting an acceptable finish then start looking at other products and methods.

**If you don't like using Cellulose due to solvents then use Acrylic (water based) but it's not so instant as it needs time for the water to evaporate and acrylic to harden, not always as easy to apply.

 

[Dalboy]

For someone starting on the finishing curve I would suggest Cellulose Sanding Sealer and a soft paste wax like Chestnuts Woodwax22.

Reasons.
Cellulose sealer dries almost instantly and provides a hardened surface that can stand being burnished for increased shine if wanted.
Cellulose Sealer can be used prior to your final cuts to stiffen up any soft spots or end grain areas that are tending to tear, any streaks can readily be sanded out or blended in with cellulose thinners instantly, works with almost all woods for same results. **

Soft paste wax is easy to apply and buff up after a few minutes as soon as solvents have dispersed and will hold a shine for months if not years for items used for display rather than those handled daily, if it dulls due to handling (bees wax melts at hand temperatures) then easily re-applied and refreshed.

Items leaving the shed after a few minutes finishing this way are ready to use.

After a few dozen pieces so treated and you are confident with getting an acceptable finish then start looking at other products and methods.

**If you don't like using Cellulose due to solvents then use Acrylic (water based) but it's not so instant as it needs time for the water to evaporate and acrylic to harden, not always as easy to apply.

I also started with Cellulose sander sealer but went for canuba wax for the same reasons CHJ mentioned above it is quick and easy and you can get a piece off the lathe quick.
I think most turners just wanted to get a item finished and off the lathe quickly. After a while you will soon want to experiment with different finishes and the cupboard will soon fill up,
I have a cupboard that measures 3' X 3' x18"deep which is starting to overflow with finishes and associated product like buffing system tack clothes different dyes and stains the list goes on

 

[CHJ]

I have a cupboard that measures 3' X 3' x18"deep which is starting to overflow with finishes and associated product like buffing system tack clothes different dyes and stains the list goes on

I bet like me a good proportion of those "seemed a good idea at the time" experiments have not moved off the shelf for some time, does niggle a bit though when you can't get the product out of the container, after all it was only {How Long !!} when you last used it.

 

[Bigbud78]

So much to learn ! I've got a club near by that I think I'm going to attend and see what there like, I've invested a lot of time and money and I've still not made anything yet xD

 

[Dalboy]

I have a cupboard that measures 3' X 3' x18"deep which is starting to overflow with finishes and associated product like buffing system tack clothes different dyes and stains the list goes on

I bet like me a good proportion of those "seemed a good idea at the time" experiments have not moved off the shelf for some time, does niggle a bit though when you can't get the product out of the container, after all it was only {How Long !!} when you last used it.

There are one or two like that :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[woodpig]

Chas, do you use straight sanding sealer or cut it a bit with cellulose thinners?
Is there a particular brand of wax you prefer?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

So much to learn ! I've got a club near by that I think I'm going to attend and see what there like, I've invested a lot of time and money and I've still not made anything yet xD

There is a lot to learn but its great fun. You'll pick up all the buzz words as you go so don't worry too much. I remember feeling quite overwhelmed with the avalanche of terms when I started.

I definitely agree you should join your local club because you'll get a huge amount of support and these will be people that end up coming to your workshop the odd time to show you something actually at the lathe. That's worth its weight and is a lot less expensive than constantly paying for professional training. But just at the coffee breaks you can ask umpteen questions from what you've been doing that day/week and will get excellent support from dedicated enthusiasts. I find my club to be a superb resource with absolutely delightful people and in fact I've made many friends as a consequence. The standard of turning from the masters is also quite breath taking.

As far as starting goes....just get going with whatever tools you currently have and build from there. I spent my first day learning how to rough out blanks and then put flowing curves on them. I messed about with finishes and in my case, as per Chas's advice I would use Chestnut Cellulose Sanding Sealer and a soft paste wax over the dried SS. As far as abrasives go, use whatever you have to hand. I think on my first day turning I had two rolls of abrasive that I'd had from helping 2nd fix my house many years ago...80 grit and 240 grit They had to do and they worked just fine. Not brilliant but I was more than happy with the result at the time. My point is don't worry about doing everything at once, it will come in time, just get started and enjoy seeing that grain pop out of a lovely piece of Laburnum or walnut or just oak, beech etc...even construction grade pine can look stunning once you start a few curves

 

[CHJ]

Chas, do you use straight sanding sealer or cut it a bit with cellulose thinners?
Is there a particular brand of wax you prefer?

-

Sanding sealer:-

My day to day use is with a brush from a jar of sealer diluted 10-20% with appropriate thinners, I tend to swab the work in it and fairly quickly wipe off the surplus without leaving streaks if possible, if this appears to have soaked into some areas more than others then I'll give it more coats.

I do use it undiluted at times and apply it as I would a button polish rubbing it into a small area at a time with a circular motion. Can't tell you why or when, it's like picking up a particular brand or type of abrasive, sometimes it seems more appropriate.
To be honest the diluted brush method suits my segmented and natural edge stuff better as it's easier to get in the nooks and crannies and matches my impatience to get the job done.


Wax:-
For years I only ever used WoodWax22 but since I've taken to buffing nearly all my output I have used either Carnauba applied with the wheel or Microcrystalline because of its better handling resistance.

(We have a large fruit bowl in daily use that had only WW22 on it in 2005 and still looks OK.)

On some woods such as Oak I now use both Carnauba and Microcrystalline as I have a perception that the carnauba fills/rounds the wood pores more and gives me a look I like.

Mind you with the buffing system who knows what percentage of Carnauba or Microcrystalline is applied as the mop has enough residual coating to gloss up small items without ever applying any new product.

 

[Bigbud78]

Yay, I cant turn :lol: Tested out the sharpening jig I made and now have a sharp roughing gouge and spindle gouges ! Made a huge difference, now to practice.

I did have a go with these two chucks and I hate them Nothing like metal work chucks, I suppose I just need to get used to them.

Thanks for all the info, really appreciate you all taking the time to write lengthy replies !

Jim

 

[Dalboy]

Yay, I cant turn :lol: Tested out the sharpening jig I made and now have a sharp roughing gouge and spindle gouges ! Made a huge difference, now to practice.

I did have a go with these two chucks and I hate them Nothing like metal work chucks, I suppose I just need to get used to them.

Thanks for all the info, really appreciate you all taking the time to write lengthy replies !

Jim

I think you would be better off with a scroll type chuck similar to this one, making sure that it is suitable for you spindle thread on the lathe.
Also look at Axminster for chucks as well

 

[Bigbud78]

Its a funny thread at 20mm x 2mm I think. Not sure if I'd get much for the two I have already

 

[Bigbud78]

Well Turns out the Record RP3000X I have doesn't even fit the lathe I have no idea why he had it unless I'm missing something stupid !? The Combination chuck fits thou so I guess thats what I'll have to try and use

I'm assuming I can't get a chuck to fit my 20mm x 2 spindle that I could then use on a different machine ? I'm asking because if I get into turning I might end up buying a much better lathe and would't want to buy another chuck.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Look for a chuck with a backplate to suit yours, then when you move on your chuck and jaws can still be used with another backplate.

 

[Bigbud78]

Had a play with the combination chuck and I think i'll be fine with it for now Sooo I decided to try a bowl but my bowl gouge is used and looked awful, I tried reshaping it on the tru grind I have. One side looks ok but I think it may be a bit long and the other side sort of clapsed ? Any suggestions or comments ? I'm using a tru grind jig with a home made base.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That's a grind for a spindle gouge - it probably wouldn't be so pointed on a spindle gouge section though. Don't use this on a bowl - you'll get an almighty catch.

 

[Rhossydd]

I'm assuming I can't get a chuck to fit my 20mm x 2 spindle that I could then use on a different machine ?

The Axminster SK114 is available to order with a 20mm x 2mm thread. I think it's possible to get replacement backplates fitted if you ever swap lathes in future, but do check with Axminster first on that. An absolutely Rolls Royce choice that will hold it's value well, but not cheap.
Toolpost's Versachuck has interchangeable backplates at a much more affordable price and you can buy one unthreaded and then get it cut to suit.