Roughing it

[Dalboy]

Not been in the shed for at least 4 weeks as I have been at shows on the weekends and sorting out during the week for the following one. Anyway at one of the shows I picked up two rounds of beech and gave the man a nice crisp fiver they both were a good 18" if not more around the only down side is they had been cut to about 9" long.

The first one I split with a club hammer and a small axe nearly knackered me as I only have 1/2 a heart working.

This is the results of the first one.

Anyway the wife took pity on me (she did not want to see me back in hospital) and brought me a little present.

Yesterday morning I spent making/casting pen blanks.

Then the afternoon I roughed out some of the log blanks.

onto today I completed the bigger blanks and still have some more to make some small boxes and maybe a couple of vases/hollowforms not decided yet

And both days worth with a 1foot ruler for scale

Now all I need to do is let them dry and hope I don't get too many splits normally I don't have a problem when I rough them out

 

[duncanh]

A nice amount of spalting there.

So did the wife who doesn't want to see you back in hospital also buy you some chainsaw safety gear? If you don't have any then please buy some. It'll probably cost you more than the saw but it's now probably the most dangerous tool you own.

 

[graduate_owner]

Get chainsaw gloves at the very least.

K

 

[Dalboy]

Thanks guys already had some of the gear as I owned an electric chainsaw before the clutch system went bang. I also use to service and repair chainsaws as well as demonstrate there use for 25 years, so you can imagine that I know a little about them

 

[woodfarmer]

You have more heart than I but you are getting along very speedily. I have been weeks making just the one bowl

Latest problem is I can't face off the bottom flat. It wobbles when I use either gouge or scraper ?? may have to resort to some trickery Normally a fine cut would do it but I can't get the speed above 300 rpm due to it being out of balance (natural edge). It seems to have hard and softer wood intermingled which may be part of the problem.

 

[Dalboy]

You have more heart than I but you are getting along very speedily. I have been weeks making just the one bowl

Latest problem is I can't face off the bottom flat. It wobbles when I use either gouge or scraper ?? may have to resort to some trickery Normally a fine cut would do it but I can't get the speed above 300 rpm due to it being out of balance (natural edge). It seems to have hard and softer wood intermingled which may be part of the problem.

Are you talking about removing the foot if so then when you make the tenon put a small dimple in the middle so when you reverse chuck the bowl onto a jam chuck bring up the tailstock revolving centre and place it in the dimple keep it there untill the majority of the foot is removed then the last bit can be done off of the lathe

 

[woodfarmer]

You have more heart than I but you are getting along very speedily. I have been weeks making just the one bowl

Latest problem is I can't face off the bottom flat. It wobbles when I use either gouge or scraper ?? may have to resort to some trickery Normally a fine cut would do it but I can't get the speed above 300 rpm due to it being out of balance (natural edge). It seems to have hard and softer wood intermingled which may be part of the problem.

Are you talking about removing the foot if so then when you make the tenon put a small dimple in the middle so when you reverse chuck the bowl onto a jam chuck bring up the tailstock revolving centre and place it in the dimple keep it there untill the majority of the foot is removed then the last bit can be done off of the lathe

No, just trying to make a flat true base. normally dead easy but this one wont cut straight.

 

[woodfarmer]

A further development today. Whilst coring it the tenon let go, it is in the chuck jaws but the bowl has gone free. Think I can salvage it though. There is something odd with the wood, think maybe some weakening of it.

 

[NazNomad]

I've had similar wood, the texture is half cork, half concrete. Never balance the sodding stuff. :-D

 

[woodfarmer]

I've had similar wood, the texture is half cork, half concrete. Never balance the sodding stuff. :-D

Actually that seems to be very like what I have here but is a a big 20" diameter x 8" thick piece of yew.

 

[CHJ]

...
No, just trying to make a flat true base. normally dead easy but this one wont cut straight.

Then don't, there is a very good reason for producing three legged stools, try and incorporate similar in anything that is likely to warp or difficult to work.

Start by turning a hollow foot, it only has to be a few mm recess, then if necessary hand finish/sclupt with abrasive to leave three mounting high points for it to sit on.

On really uneven bases, such as pieces with bark or burr wood left on drill base at three points and inset short turned feet (pins) of required lengths to level it off.

 

[woodfarmer]

...
No, just trying to make a flat true base. normally dead easy but this one wont cut straight.

Then don't, there is a very good reason for producing three legged stools, try and incorporate similar in anything that is likely to warp or difficult to work.

Start by turning a hollow foot, it only has to be a few mm recess, then if necessary hand finish/sclupt with abrasive to leave three mounting high points for it to sit on.

On really uneven bases, such as pieces with bark or burr wood left on drill base at three points and inset short turned feet (pins) of required lengths to level it off.

Thanks for that tip.. ATM thinking to put a big insert of known good wood in the bottom (glued) and use this to mount and turn the bowl.