Some new pieces - style pointers welcomed

[Bodrighy]

Depending where you live of course but hedgerows often have loads of dead wood in them. Any branch can become a spindle blank. Old chair legs, table legs, fence posts, (watch out for nails in them mind) anything that is long basically.

pete

 

[PeterSk]

Sounds like I need to get out of the workshop and back into the real world away from the lathe :lol:

 

[Blister]

Thanks for the comments guys, they are all appreciated! I'm pretty thick skinned and fully recognise my place as a beginner turner, so I'm looking to pull myself forwards with this stuff as well as I can

My biggest problem with doing spindle work at the moment is a source of suitable blanks to work on, what I've done so far has been done on cheap bits I've bought myself, however bowl blanks are relatively a lot cheaper than spindle blanks, I'm currently on the search for a source of spindly bits that are cheap enough to make shavings from, until then I'm practicing with what I have (the sycamore and oak shown above cost a sum total of £1.20, I've yet to find anywhere that'll sell a foot of sensible spindle material for that price)

I'm fully aware that I'm diving in at the deeper end of turning, but it's certainly been fun so far, and I'm definitely coming back for more

Go to your local timber yard and see if you can get some 3x3 or 4x4 anything cheap pine , softwood seconds , tell them its just for practice , even have a look around the local industrial estate for old packing case frames , but check to make sure there is no nails :wink:

 

[PeterSk]

I'll have a nose around. I got some studding from Wickes for another project that I tried turning a bit of on the short-lived Clarke lathe, I'll have another go with that stuff as it was cheap enough

 

[Bodrighy]

Pine is good for practicing getting a good finish off the tool. Not easy but it can be done. (easier with a skew but that's a different level for a lot of people)

pete

 

[PeterSk]

The biggest issue is that it's 2x4, so you've got a long way to go before it's even close to round :lol:

 

[wizer]

Peter, I have a great deal of spindle blanks which are for sale. You will have to add the cost of a courier (No More than a tenner), but I'm not looking at earning millions. PM me if you want to discuss.

 

[loz]

The biggest issue is that it's 2x4, so you've got a long way to go before it's even close to round :lol:

own a saw ?

You dont need anything too long, 3 or 4 inches is long enough, you could rip 2x4 into lenghts that long with ease.

Have you ready any book on the topic ? - most would recommend the late Keith Rowelys book - there are alos logs of online help

eg

http://www.turningtools.co.uk/wtintro/wtintro.html

 

[NikNak]

Pete....

good to see you've banged out a few bits since the other Saturday...


going on from what others here are saying, start simple e.g. dibbers etc

here's the very first thing i made....

closely followed by this effort...

the thing i tried to do while jumping to even reach the lowest rung of the learning ladder was to try and make something which would have an end use and would be used.... rather than just 'doodle', if you know what i mean...??


as for only having 4 x 2....... no problems, cut off a 4" piece, so you now have a 4 x 4 x 2" thick piece, drill a small centre hole (i'm assuming you have a chuck..?) and have a go at making some of these....

actually these are 4 x 4 x 1" thick.....


simple shapes, nothing complicated, and (using interesting wood) i can sell these all day long to the ladies at work which in turn goes towards the next lump of wood or chisel....




Nick

 

[big soft moose]

Peter if you want some green wood I can sort you out with some oak logs no problem - then you just billet them with a hand axe et voila spindle blanks or split them down the middle v to get bowl blanks

course they' might split or warp as they dry but if its just for practice then thats no problem

I'll see about dropping some off next week - also Ive got my keith rowley back from olly if you want to borrow it as previously agreed

That said I tend to disagree with some of the advice given - pine is not a good wood for a beginner to learn on as it is very difficult to get a good finish which can be disheartening (it is a good wood for practicing getting a good finish because of the difficulty, and requires fine tool control but not necessarily the best if you are just starting out)

I also tend to disagre about not making bowls early - its really about what you want to make, when i started turning (about 10 years ago) I did nothing but bowls and forms for about 6 years - and it was only recently that ive got any good at spindle work - its horses for courses really.

Ive also got some kiln dried hard wood offcuts you can have if you want to practice small (3-4" dia) face plate work - ie night light holders, small bowls etc - these are oddshapes but could be cut round on that little bandsaw miles gave you.

Cheers

P

 

[guyandzoe]

Ive never done any spindle work. The idea, without hurting anyones feelings, that spindle work comes first comes, I believe, from the early writers of turning books who were themselves spindle turners turned bowl makers, and some very odd legends were thus born, like rubbing the bevel to make it shine behind the tool and that you cant be a bowl turner unless you know how to cut a spindle.

The catches that folk worry about with bowls comes, again, my belief, from the use of horrid gouges sharpened straight across. Of course the top corner catches. Why these folk didnt grind it off is beyond me. I can honestly say catches were never a problem for me. And its not put Pete off Im glad to say.

 

[PeterSk]

cornucopia rather kindly shaped my bowl gouge for me to be nice and swept back. I think I've ruined the profile now, but after a couple of days thinking about it I'm pretty sure I know what to try next