Some of my 2015 Challenges and Churnings.

[Dalboy]

It is great to watch you do this type of segmented work Chas. The end result is absolutely great. One day I may even try one. With the glue have you added a colourant to it

 

[CHJ]

With the glue have you added a colourant to it

Yes Derek, walnut stain, don't want any rogue glue lines showing up white.

 

[Silverbirch]

Looks like a fair bit of work was involved, but the results are definitely worth it!

 

[Woodmonkey]

Really interesting to see the process, and a great end result. Where did you get the pin-like jaws you were using on the Cole jaws? Home made?

 

[CHJ]

... Where did you get the pin-like jaws you were using on the Cole jaws? Home made?

Yes, some spare large bolts, turned down and threaded 6mm to fit Cole jaws.

They need to be used with caution, leverage and limited rigidity of Cole jaws demands consideration, hence the Jubilee strap to stop them splaying.

But even when gripping lightly, with a bit of tailstock support as deemed prudent, as used on the top and bottom blanks I find them an improvement on the rubber buttons for some jobs when handling rough blanks.

 

[CHJ]

Looks like a fair bit of work was involved, but the results are definitely worth it!

Yes there is a bit of 'off lathe' work involved with segmented bits even at this very basic level, it does however mean a very big saving in wood stock costs* as opposed to buying large blanks and I personally get as much satisfaction from achieving the needed accuracy with my limited equipment as the turning itself, which these days I must admit is only another mechanical process to machine the piece rather than any artistic aspirations.

*you can often pick up plank or slab seconds far cheaper than pre-prepared round blanks, there is of course the cost of adhesives and the all important 'personal time' but one of the biggest benefits I find is the fact that such wood stock rarely has much say in dictating the final form, something a pre-prepared wood blank can, even subliminally influence you.

 

[Silverbirch]

Good points, Chas.
As a "townie", I find getting hold of suitable raw material at a decent price isn`t always straightforward. Segmented work would certainly allow the use of a wider range of timber sources/resources and present a new challenge. I must give it a try!
(Just getting started on turning again after a longish lay off.)

 

[Dalboy]

Chas after the piece has been together for a while do you find that you get a small ridge where the different woods join. If so how do you solve it or do you leave it

 

[CHJ]

Chas after the piece has been together for a while do you find that you get a small ridge where the different woods join. If so how do you solve it or do you leave it

Not when using Cascamite Glue*, it is rigid and hard and does not creep, the reason I moved away from using PVA, even low creep PVA, although insignificant in most furniture/carpentry situations eventually leads to a join ridge you can feel if not seen in a turning surface join.

It does mean you have to be more careful about wood moisture content though, any mismatch in wood movements are likely to result in splitting.

*plays havoc with the tool cutting edge, one pass on a significant join when rough turning usually needs a redress of edge.

 

[Dalboy]

Sounds like Cascamite is on the to buy list along with some stain of some sort Thanks for the info

 

[beganasatree]

Hi Chas,
Thank you for all of the above posts and your WEB SITE,I have gained a lot from the segmented WIP .Up until now I have only made one segmented piece,a bowl ,the staves were beech flooring it was 5" deep x 10" in dia with straight sides and very bland but I am over the moon with it .Looking at your web page I was impressed with the 4 bowls from 1 blank (june 19th 2005).I love using spalted beech but hate all the waste,all that figure going to shavings( but no more).Your web page is such a source of different shapes that I will refer to for some inspiration.

Peter

I WISH THAT I HAD FOUND THIS FORUM YEARS AGO.

 

[CHJ]

Hi Chas,
Thank you for all of the above posts and your WEB SITE,..

Thank you Peter, and everyone else that has sent or passed comments, I'm no turning 'expert', just a casual potterer who hopes to pass on some of the alternate approaches I find satisfying whilst keeping myself occupied and cluttering up this world with more bits of spun wood.
I do not have the artistic talent or patience to produce the exotic, but a wealth of experience gained over the years finding solutions to obscure repair and manufacturing problems, frustrated somewhat these days by very limited basic workshop capability but left with enough active brain cells to fill the ever shorter time each day seems to provide.


PS, I only do it for the hugs and kisses forced on me from the odd female recipient, how else is one going to get them, just have to ignore the "they don't know you like I do" comments heard in the background.

 

[Paul.J]

Brilliant as always Chas

 

[CHJ]

Another piece put together mainly to keep the brain engaged having had a sparse spell of available shop time of late.

Ash & Walnut (115mm H)

 

[woodpig]

Nice, I like that. I'm guessing you ideally need a thicknesser to prepare the wood for work like this Chas?

 

[Paul.J]

Very nice Chas

 

[CHJ]

Nice, I like that. I'm guessing you ideally need a thicknesser to prepare the wood for work like this Chas?

You can get away without one but it does make things considerably easier if you are salvaging oddments of wood.
You can of course start with par planks from a wood merchants.

For cutting short segments on a chop saw or table saw you need the stock to be parallel and true square section, if it isn't then the tapers will be skewed. Absolute size is not critical just make sure the piece/s are long enough for the number of segments and handling.

If cutting longer staves on a table saw or band saw then you only need one flat face and an adjacent straight edge for starting reference.

 

[CHJ]

Ash 180mm dia.

 

[Paul.J]

Very nicely done Chas

 

[CHJ]

Thanks Paul, at least they still keep coming out when in auto mode.

Have a run of cocktail stick holders ordered which are going to take a little more thought on the turning front, must be 6-7 years since the last ones.
Busy drying out the wood for them at the moment, hope to start during this week.

Checking some of the wood put in store 2 years ago in log form and some is still at 35% moisture, think I will have to start rough turning or slabbing it to get it moving.