Sweet Chestnut, Japanese Larch and Birch

[big soft moose]

wizer , be aware that green birch can be sappy and wet - very wet ! you might want to wear a cheap waterproof and a face shield is an absolute must.

 

[wizer]

Thanks Pete. I'm not sure what to do with it atm. I'm without a chuck for at least a couple of months unless I manage to find a bargain on eBay. I'm going to have a go at rough turning them on a faceplace. As this is all free wood I've got nothing to loose. I'll make sure the revs are low and I keep the tailstop up, visor etc.

 

[CHJ]

Tom you can get round the lack of a chuck for some tasks that you might not have considered such as boxes or goblets, although you might want to leave deep vases for a while.

If you turn a spindle up between centres, like I do the vases, you can turn a straight spigot on the end instead of a chuck dovetail.

Then mount some scrap wood on the faceplate, bore a hole in the centre for a push fit of you spigot and glue it in, use tailstock to apply pressure, there's a wait for glue to dry but then you can treat the piece as being mounted in a chuck.

 

[wizer]

That's great Chas thanks. I knew I'd read something like that somewhere but couldn't work it out in my head. I might have a go at boxes. Can't say I'm really interested in goblets. Not yet anyway. Could I do bowls the same way?

 

[big soft moose]

your best bet with bowls would be to do the outside on a face plate as per , then hot melt glue a bit of scrap to the underneath , screw your faceplate to that , do the inside and then part off

you can either then clean up the foot by hand , or reverse it against an MDF disc held on a face plate and suported with the tail centre while you turn the waste away.

 

[wizer]

Cheers Pete, sounds like a plan.

Can I rough turn all the logs I have and then seal them up and remount them on a chuck when I get one? Or is that a difficult way to do it?

 

[big soft moose]

Cheers Pete, sounds like a plan.

Can I rough turn all the logs I have and then seal them up and remount them on a chuck when I get one? Or is that a difficult way to do it?

you can do that - though i'd leave cutting the chuck recess until you have a chuck as they are different sizes. Also hot melt glue doesnt bond to green wood that well. Also expect to lose some through cracking and for some to go oval so you want an even thickness of about 1" to allow for returning.

i'd be inclined to rough turn some and leave some en log to dry out naturally.

Also you can try turning some very thin and allowing them to distort (birch works well for this) so you wind up with pretzel shaped bowls - and finally you can turn some thin , then microwave them and distort them yourself (wearing gloves as they will be flipping hot) - all sorts of fun to be had with green wood.

NB: unless you have a very understanding swimbo its best to get an old microwave off freecycle for 'shop use rather than using the one in the kitchen.

For more info on green wood - check out "turning green wood" by michael odonnel

 

[CHJ]

...Could I do bowls the same way?

Yes just leave sufficient scrap wood at the spigot end to give yourself room to work round the bulk of the outer curve and part or saw it off when hollowed and finished.

Then make yourself a donut chuck to finish outer curve and base.

Slower process but all good learning material.

Don't try anything too grand to start with something 100 -150mm dia should be a good start.


Edit NOTE there are a couple of links for examples of bowls without a chuck in the sticky for newbies at the top.

 

[Bodrighy]

If your wood is green don't bother trying boxes as they move enough to stop being a fit.If you have a drill stand you can do weed pots and the bud vases that Chas is doing at the moment.lightpulls, keyrings. Between centres you can do bobbins (good practice for spindle work and delicate cuts), dibbers and with that lathe you should have a hollow tailstock so lamps are a possibility as well. If you have a faceplate then you could do bowls and clean them up later.

Remember that chucks that we can't do without have only come into being for wood lathes since the war.

Oh yes. A useful bit of kit and a lot cheaper is a Jacobs Chuck. Basically the same as for a drill but with a morse taper on it. This can also be used for smaller things. Have a look at Laymar Crafts which I linked on anther post for all sorts of projects.

Hope this helps

Pete

 

[wizer]

ok I fancied a play when I got in. I took a piece of chestnut branch and mounted it on the lathe.

I slowed it right down, pulled out my freshly sharpened roughing gouge and...

Well turning green is fun! I had to stop my self from clearing up the shaving every few seconds :roll: It was dripping wet.

All I had time to do was make it round. I might make a candle holder or something. I'm wondering if I should continue to make it as is, or let it dry for a bit?

 

[Bodrighy]

Why did you slow it right down? that monster that you have coped with the whole tree Tom :lol: Keep your speed as high as it will go with as little vibration as possible. If, as I think you have variable speed, start it off slow but move the speed up until it stops feeling safe and comnfortable thank back it down. Silly as it sounds, catches are less likely at a higher speed than at a lower one as there is less time for the digg in to happen

Pete

 

[wizer]

Thanks Pete, that's actually what I did. I just started it slow because I was..............SCARED :shock: :lol:

Really I need a bigger rouging gouge, but I got there in the end. The skew didn't work too well but that might be my dodgy grind.

 

[Bodrighy]

Thanks Pete, that's actually what I did. I just started it slow because I was..............SCARED :shock: :lol:

Really I need a bigger rouging gouge, but I got there in the end. The skew didn't work too well but that might be my dodgy grind.

Sorry, I thought you meant you turned the whole thing slowly

Skews are really awkward to use at first. I would end up with about 2/3rds of the wood on the floor tring to remove the dig damage when I tried using it at first and gave up until someone showed me how to do it and now it's one of my favourite tools. I was told to paint the edge with a felt tip and focus on only using the centre when planing with it. Helped me

pete