Post a photo of the last thing you turned

[pat from Marck]

The cherry burl saga
During my visit to Willy Vanhoutte Belgium i picked up some fixum for the burl. Any thoughts on this product my first time using it. Had all the windows and door open after reading to use instructions on the back. Found it easy to use and love the solid screw cap tin it comes in. However the instructions on the back are not for the faint hearted. So the first turnings got a soak and it turn them all to a darker shade.

after that took a medium size piece cut off as much of the decayed parts with the bandsaw and cut into two morsels. These where then turned down to good wood then treated to a bit of fixums by now I'm falling in love with the darker shade after use.Next up i took the mid sized piece from the last three bits and went about sizing it to mount on the lathe. After having it set to were i was satisfied got turning the base and set in a tenon. All the base then got the fixum treatment and some ca into the larger cracks Thats where I'm up to at the moment leaving them all to cure for thr rest of the afternoon and over night. Almost down to the last two.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Finished the play pieces for my balance game with a good soak in teak oil (prefer Danish but don't have any at the minute) then batched out a load more sCrap wood snowmen, not sure if I like the cracks or not in some of them.

 

[pat from Marck]

Finished the play pieces for my balance game with a good soak in teak oil (prefer Danish but don't have any at the minute) then batched out a load more sCrap wood snowmen, not sure if I like the cracks or not in some of them.
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Wow lot of fiddly work with the game pieces but they they look so good and sorry I'm in the no camp for the wee men.

 

[pat from Marck]

Wow lot of fiddly work with the game pieces but they they look so good and sorry I'm in the no camp for the wee men.

For the cracks

 

[Stigmorgan]

For the cracks

Had the shavings and CA filled them fully I'd probably be happy with them, on the other hand those that make it to the shop will be at a low price point individually or as sets with a bit of paint and a brush in a box.

 

[justinpeer]

It's not much, but it's the first thing I've ever turned. The live centre arrived from Axminster this morning so onto the lathe went a length of scrap 2x2 that was in the box for the wood stove. A half inch spindle gouge was picked up and I just practiced what I'd read in the book and from watching Richard Raffan on YouTube. Turned it down to a cylinder and then just worked up and down making some simple curves.

Great fun.

I've learned that I should wear an apron, or probably more usefully a smock of some form, as the bits go everywhere. I've also realised that the home-brew dust collection system I built in the workshop from a Lidl shopvac, a cheap cyclone, some leftover guttering downpipes and 3d printed blast gates is going to be woefully inadequate for this and I'm going to have to look at upgrading it.

 

[pat from Marck]

It's not much, but it's the first thing I've ever turned. The live centre arrived from Axminster this morning so onto the lathe went a length of scrap 2x2 that was in the box for the wood stove. A half inch spindle gouge was picked up and I just practiced what I'd read in the book and from watching Richard Raffan on YouTube. Turned it down to a cylinder and then just worked up and down making some simple curves.

Great fun.

View attachment 188721

I've learned that I should wear an apron, or probably more usefully a smock of some form, as the bits go everywhere. I've also realised that the home-brew dust collection system I built in the workshop from a Lidl shopvac, a cheap cyclone, some leftover guttering downpipes and 3d printed blast gates is going to be woefully inadequate for this and I'm going to have to look at upgrading it.

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Nice little start nice clean work shop you have there

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

I like the kettle on the wood stove lol
I have a wood burner outside and I put kettle on there

 

[Stigmorgan]

It's not much, but it's the first thing I've ever turned. The live centre arrived from Axminster this morning so onto the lathe went a length of scrap 2x2 that was in the box for the wood stove. A half inch spindle gouge was picked up and I just practiced what I'd read in the book and from watching Richard Raffan on YouTube. Turned it down to a cylinder and then just worked up and down making some simple curves.

Great fun.

View attachment 188721

I've learned that I should wear an apron, or probably more usefully a smock of some form, as the bits go everywhere. I've also realised that the home-brew dust collection system I built in the workshop from a Lidl shopvac, a cheap cyclone, some leftover guttering downpipes and 3d printed blast gates is going to be woefully inadequate for this and I'm going to have to look at upgrading it.

View attachment 188722


View attachment 188725

Some advice if I may, practice with hardwoods rather than softwood, softwood like pine can be very hard to get a clean cut without tearout, resulting in a lot of sanding and possibly losing interest.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

If you do decide to use soft wood there are ways around the tear out, folk here helped me

 

[justinpeer]

Nice little start nice clean work shop you have there

Oh you could probably hear me laughing from where you are. The workshop is at the back of a barn and generally is full of stuff that needs fixing. A couple of weeks ago I had enough and decoded to do some tidying up. I can now see the surfaces for the first time in about a year and decided to clean up the lathe that’s been sitting there for far too long.

We’re about to renovate our kitchen and so the old cabinets will be coming to the workshop and finally give me some much needed storage. I might even be able to keep the workbench clear for a little while

 

[justinpeer]

I like the kettle on the wood stove lol
I have a wood burner outside and I put kettle on there

We found the wood burner covered in rust at the back of the barn when we bought this place. I cleaned it up and it’s the heating for the workshop when I want to use the place in the winter.

I slapped some celotex into the barn walls at this end and boarded over it so it doesn’t take long to heat up once the fire is going.

 

[justinpeer]

Some advice if I may, practice with hardwoods rather than softwood, softwood like pine can be very hard to get a clean cut without tearout, resulting in a lot of sanding and possibly losing interest.

Thanks, I will do. I have some pieces of hardwood in a pile waiting to play with and I have several ash trees in the wood that need to come down this winter as they’ve succumbed to dieback.

This was literally the nearest piece of wood to hand as it was in the kindling pile next to the stove.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Thanks, I will do. I have some pieces of hardwood in a pile waiting to play with and I have several ash trees in the wood that need to come down this winter as they’ve succumbed to dieback.

This was literally the nearest piece of wood to hand as it was in the kindling pile next to the stove.

Nothing wrong with softwood just don't want you to get discouraged from it's difficulties, a razor sharp edge will produce clean cuts.
Ash is beautiful to turn, when wet it turns pink as you cut it, once dry make sure your tools are sharp and sharpen often, it has a gorgeous golden chatoyance given a polished/wax finish

 

[Owd Jockey]

Hi Justin, we all had to start somewhere, keep on turning and learning. HOWEVER, my main concern is the open drive arrangement to the spindle from the motor. You definitely need to fabricate or buy some kind of guard, it could be made from wire gauge mesh or thin mild steel plate, but it needs covering. It's hard enough keeping things away from the main spindle drive , never mind other exposed turning parts.

 

[justinpeer]

Nothing wrong with softwood just don't want you to get discouraged from it's difficulties, a razor sharp edge will produce clean cuts.
Ash is beautiful to turn, when wet it turns pink as you cut it, once dry make sure your tools are sharp and sharpen often, it has a gorgeous golden chatoyance given a polished/wax finish

That does sound like lovely stuff to turn and I have plenty of it to play with in the years to come.

 

[justinpeer]

Hi Justin, we all had to start somewhere, keep on turning and learning. HOWEVER, my main concern is the open drive arrangement to the spindle from the motor. You definitely need to fabricate or buy some kind of guard, it could be made from wire gauge mesh or thin mild steel plate, but it needs covering. It's hard enough keeping things away from the main spindle drive , never mind other exposed turning parts.

You're absolutely right about needing guards. Yesterday I was talking with Derek Pyatt, the guru of Coronet machines and he's going to see if he has one that will fit, or find one from one of his sources.

 

[alex robinson]

Worked on a piece of eucalyptus for the first time this afternoon and accomplished a his and hers egg cup and egg shell bowlView attachment 187969View attachment 187970View attachment 187971the grain pattern in places are quiet nice but whilst working the wood I found small crack and holes appeared, as well as a little tear out in places. The tools were sharp and I really dont think the cracks and holes were bug infestation. Here's the Inside and bottom of the bowlView attachment 187975View attachment 187976and the side and beaneath one of the cupsView attachment 187977View attachment 187974I'm wondering wether this has occured due the the wood being very dry, or prehaps because it was a bit of a branch. What are your options, has any one experienced this with eucalyptus or other woods ?

Never had it in any other type of wood, but every piece of eucalyptus I have tried turning has done that strange honeycomb thing!

 

[pat from Marck]

The cherry burl saga
Well went back to the beginning the small plate and the large bowl. Completely re-sanded the small plate down to 600 grit ready for the finish found small pot holes in the surface so retouched with coffee granules then had to re-sand. For me this is new finishing technique I'll be applying. both the sealer and the polish are shellac based.
Applied to the side and top of the plate and the results are promising Then repeating the process again with the outside of the bowl. and before anyone mentions it the black rub mark will be sorting that out today.
After the outside returned the inside of the bowl to remove excess glue and granules, sanded again to 600 then applied the fixums solution then stopped there to allow it to cure

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Wow stunning
I have just finished my 5th bowl, trying out different methods and styles. All made from chamber joist off cuts
Bought some 8 *4 inch oak...... ruddy hell so different to work,,,, final got the ,,,,it’s nearly round stage Thursday I plan to start shaping into a bowl....let you all know how it went