Post a photo of the last thing you made

[NickVanBeest]

How are the clamps (mid right)?

Working well on the few tests I've done, not used them in anger yet

 

[__jvc26]

Working well on the few tests I've done, not used them in anger yet

Thanks

 

[Jameshow]

Started another piece on the lathe today, it's a piece of the cherry I've had for about while, if it turns out well enough it will be an Xmas gift for a friend.
View attachment 122399

I've stick a sheet of ply onto a block of oak!

Ready to turn!!!

Presume you turn side grain across the bowel?

Cheers James

 

[Stigmorgan]

I've stick a sheet of ply onto a block of oak!

Ready to turn!!!

Presume you turn side grain across the bowel?

Cheers James

Actually no, this piece is end grain, its a little more work intensive to hollow out but the grain figure in this cherry is absolutely beautiful and worth the extra effort, I do have another piece that I started turning side grain, once rounded off its very slim so will likely be a vase of some form.
All my cherry blanks are from one trunk cut into sections.

The 2 pieces of spalted birch on the left are so far gone that I can't cut them no matter how sharp my gouge is so gonna have to get them stabilised before I use them.

 

[Krisskross]

@Yorkieguy those are beautiful. From the roughing gouge my blanks are very rough and almost abrasive, so much so that it caught the meat of my hand and bit me as I was pulling along the tool rest and dragged a chunk of the loose skin in between the wood and the rest.
View attachment 122194
Looks worse than it feels but it certainly woke me up

Oooooooo ouch, I caught my right hand ring finger while sanding, gave a shock, bit of a scrape nowt bad, darnt tell hubby in case he took power tools off me lol

 

[Jameshow]

Actually no, this piece is end grain, its a little more work intensive to hollow out but the grain figure in this cherry is absolutely beautiful and worth the extra effort, I do have another piece that I started turning side grain, once rounded off its very slim so will likely be a vase of some form.
All my cherry blanks are from one trunk cut into sections.
View attachment 122455
The 2 pieces of spalted birch on the left are so far gone that I can't cut them no matter how sharp my gouge is so gonna have to get them stabilised before I use them.

I tried turning some oak not a disaster but a wake up call not to run before you can walk!

Chips like anything and blunts the chisel like nothing else!

I'm going to stick to softer woods I think!

Cheers James

 

[Krisskross]

Another whirligig - love making them

 

[Stigmorgan]

I tried turning some oak not a disaster but a wake up call not to run before you can walk!

Chips like anything and blunts the chisel like nothing else!

I'm going to stick to softer woods I think!

Cheers James

There's a reason it has the nickname of Ironwood , i think the key to it all is having your gouge as sharp as possible. I have mountains of oak here and a ton of silver birch too, will soon have more, I have 53 trees on site that need crown reduction, 4 silver birch and 1 oak to be completely felled . I've not tried any oak yet but silver birch is nice to turn when it's green, it goes punky very quickly if not stored.properly though.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm going to stick to softer woods I think!

Don't. Hard, even, fine grained woods are easier. Wood doesn't come much harder than African Blackwood and box and they are a joy to turn. Laburnum and yew are hard but excellent to turn.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... silver birch is nice to turn when it's green, it goes punky very quickly if not stored.properly though.

It spalts beautifully.

 

[Stigmorgan]

It spalts beautifully.

Yeah it's stunning, I have quite a few pieces but they have gone too far so now I need to look into stabilising so I can cut them rather than tear them apart. I even have a couple that I've left completely natural on the outside, hollowed out by hand and lined with resin to turn into plant pots for my huge spider plants

 

[Orraloon]

I tried turning some oak not a disaster but a wake up call not to run before you can walk!

Chips like anything and blunts the chisel like nothing else!

I'm going to stick to softer woods I think!

Cheers James

As Phil said hard woods are most times better to turn than soft woods. Oak is not particularly hard either. The chipping sounds like you are not sharpening often enough. If you have to sharpen every couple of minutes so be it. Thats just how turning goes.
Regards
John

 

[Cooper]

I tried turning some oak not a disaster but a wake up call not to run before you can walk!

Chips like anything and blunts the chisel like nothing else!

I'm going to stick to softer woods I think!

I'm no expert but I must agree with the comment from Orraloon. I use seasoned and green Oak along with anything else that comes my way and I don't find problems with tools blunting particularly quickly with Oak and I get a much nicer surface from the Oak than soft woods. I am rather reluctant to sharpen the gouges too soon, as I'm worse at sharpening than turning but that's another thread.
Martin

 

[Jameshow]

Oh great perhaps i had the rest too far from the wood? 1"??

Felt dangerous when it caught!

Cheers James

 

[blackteaonesugar]

Catching up on this thread with a few bits I've been whittling lately.

Steam bent-laminated Oak refectory type table.

A refurbishment of some existing old built in wardrobes with fresh Birch Ply doors and birch-edge trims.

Some hedgehog boxes modelled by Harold

Oak bookcases with curved doors

Cheers.
Oli

 

[Jameshow]

I'm starting to feel inadequate!!!

Cheers James

 

[Droogs]

I really do like the lines of the refectory table. For me , I would have included either an ABW or a fumed Ash inlay to accentuate the flow of the curves.

 

[Adam W.]

I'm starting to feel inadequate!!!

Cheers James

Join the club.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Oh great perhaps i had the rest too far from the wood? 1"??

Felt dangerous when it caught!

Cheers James

Yes. Way to far. Obviously with a shaped piece sometimes it'll be that far (and further) away, but it should be as close as possible.

 

[Stigmorgan]

@blackteaonesugar that's some amazing work, absolutely in love with that table though gave me a little woodgasm