Spinning Through the Wood Pile

[CHJ]

Still got a load of Yew to shift but have started on another store pile of Beech for a change to add a bit more tool control interest.
Must say there is a noticeable difference with Air dried stock, much 'softer' to the feel than kiln dried, main drawback is the tendency to wander off in the dirty grey-black spectrum as it starts to spalt.

 

[Dalboy]

As I stated elsewhere Chas I do like the textured ring around the outside of the bowl both well turned and finished as per your normal standards.

 

[CHJ]

 

[Doug B]

More lovely work Chas I particularly like the platter & boxes. =D>
Could the splits be down to poor kilning, I’ve some Oak that’s been poorly kilned & its got loads of shakes hidden inside

 

[CHJ]

Could the splits be down to poor kilning,......

Definitely not kilning, all recent pieces have been from locally harvested and air dried wood (over 3 + years).

The very nature of the woodland trees selected for thinning & storm damage specimens means that the wood is likely to incorporate various growth traumas & at increased risk from uneven drying stresses.

 

[RickG]

Love your work Chas.
Please can you tell us more about how you mount your work on the lathe?

I'm especially like the pieces with the bases that have a ring on the bottom with curved surfaces inside and out. If these have "vertical" edges these can be held in a chuck, of course. Yet with the curved sides you must be using another method.

 

[CHJ]

Love your work Chas.
Please can you tell us more about how you mount your work on the lathe?

I'm especially like the pieces with the bases that have a ring on the bottom with curved surfaces inside and out. If these have "vertical" edges these can be held in a chuck, of course. Yet with the curved sides you must be using another method.

The finished bases have nothing to do with holding methods other than that during final reverse turning of a piece any obvious holding sockets/spigots or hot melt glue support blocks are turned away and the foot area be it 'flat' or 'footed' is formed just as the rest of the piece is.

Holding methods are not exotic, basically variations of what can be seen in These two Projects

 

[CHJ]

Some days Turning jobs are just a little repetitive, finished in Acrylic sealer and lacquer.

A good case for batch processing.

 

[Dalboy]

Silly question what are they. Anything to do with bagpipes :lol:

 

[CHJ]

Silly question what are they. Anything to do with bagpipes :lol:

More exotic than that Derek, storage unit draw pull escutcheons /sleeves.

 

[CHJ]

 

[CHJ]

Working on the two small pieces this morning the thought passed that it might be worth mentioning my preferred abrasive when working on Yew.

Yew is very prone to surface micro cracks if over heated by friction when sanding, using a net abrasive gives you instant heat feedback as the dust migrates through it to your fingers encouraging you to observe the niceties of low pressure sanding with sharp stock.

How you store your ready for use abrasive can reduce working frustrations and speed up the process of finishing be it in a draw, clip or racks.

My finishing materials are all stored just off my left shoulder near the headstock of the lathe (small shed)
I keep my Net abrasive 'users' stuck on a cupboard door surface using a strip of Velcro hook tape.

Bellow which are my main user Buffing Mops.

Which are located just above my user sheet abrasives.

 

[Dalboy]

Very well organised Chas I have most of my sandpaper in an old wooden A4 pigeon hole filing system and my mops still in the original box. Looks like I may have to have a building session for the storage of them after seeing yours.

Glad to see you put a door on the mop storage. With the sanding pads are the holes along the front top surface to hold them

 

[CHJ]

Very well organised Chas I have most of my sandpaper in an old wooden A4 pigeon hole filing system and my mops still in the original box. Looks like I may have to have a building session for the storage of them after seeing yours.

Glad to see you put a door on the mop storage. With the sanding pads are the holes along the front top surface to hold them

Get frustrated if 'tools' are not readily to hand when needed, likewise ensuring working stock is fit for purpose, given a few minutes spare when no time to actually turn I go through everything and replace from store or refurbish as required so that next time I start a session it's all ready to go.


Yes the holes were intended for locating the pads, It's what I do on my finishing demo stand so that they are readily to hand. Seemed like a good idea at the time I made the rack in the shed but I find locating the pad spindles too much of a fiddle so just dump them in the sheet abrasive slots for ease.

 

[CHJ]

Yew, Rose? Bowl

 

[Dalboy]

I have everything to hand but still, need to rack it better "can do better" as I was always being told at school :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice little pot by the way

 

[Doug B]

More lovely work Chas =D>

I recently made a wall unit for my turning gouges I’ve found it encourages me to be tidy, it was inspired by a unit I made the year before for all my Sorby Pro Edge paraphernalia plus centres, chuck keys & deviders, the organisation bug is very addictive

I tend to use Rhyno grip abrasive but store it in a similar way with Velcro, very convenient having it in grit order close at hand.

 

[CHJ]

I like Rhyno grip, always very sharp, prefer the Red but the more flexible? white has its benefits.

Like most things there is a cost/life balance, that varies dependant on task at hand.
Well bonded abrasive may physically last longer but needs care that you are not tempted to keep using it after it has lost its edge.
Less expensive, marginally less well bonded brands may break up more readily but could be argued as just as effective by removing the 'blunt' use risk. I do use a lot of the latter, at least if they get contaminated with finishing residue the pocket money quotient does not hurt so much.

Never really know which I'll be using, it varies, I guess it boils down to what feels right or most effective on any given piece of wood or grain presentation, just seem to pick up or change product as I go, maybe just a personal fad for the day.

 

[CHJ]

 

[Dalboy]

I like the colour of the second beech bowl. Both are well-turned as per normal. I am now up and running again with the record so something should be appearing soon