The Turning Quest 2012

[paulm]

Wondered if you were using the beading tools Chas, looked more perfect beads than I could manage by hand :lol:

Might make one or two up using a couple of old cheap carbon steel scrapers I've got in a drawer somewhere. I guess a drill bit judiciously applied, or a rat tail file would give the desired result......

I'll see how I get on with the cole jaws, can't be any worse than the mdf board I was using before !

Cheers, Paul

 

[Steve Jones]

Only just caught up with this Chas,

Some really nice turning in this thread, thanks for putting the 'how to' together a few posts back, most interesting

Steve

 

[CHJ]

Thanks Steve, good to see you are able to find some personal time to show your face on UKW, pity about your turning access problems because I now have better and more useful off-cuts you could play with if you can get to shape and glue them up.

 

[Steve Jones]

I still look in occasionally Chas, I'll have to see what transpires in the future re the turning but it's certainly a no go at the moment.

Cheers

Steve

 

[CHJ]

Taper turning time.

Burr Tulip, Walnut & Oak. 180mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

......Chas, looked more perfect beads than I could manage by hand ....

Me too Paul, purchase came about after I had spent several hours practicing turning reasonable beads for a job that needed a fair quantity of identical looking beads in close proximity, decided that one lot of aggro worrying about making a slip and having to start the job again again was enough.

Now I just pick up a tool and only have to worry about the wood performance not my ability to get it wrong.

 

[CHJ]

This one may have to have a change of lid, the Yew rim is rather brash at the moment and the light angles make the Ash in the lid look rather dark. May just wait a while and see if the Yew darkens with light exposure or until an obvious colour match presents itself for a new lid.

Yew, Ash & Walnut 160mm diam.

 

[CHJ]

Another couple of hours pottering to finsh turn.

Elm, Ash & Walnut 130mm dia.

 

[Wood spoiler]

By the numbers of these you produce you make them look so easy and they are always immaculately presented. Although I havn't commented on your submissions for a while I always look at your items and find your output inspirational and instructive.

I tried a bowl with similar techniques but was not happy as I had issues with the different grains and directions, so my question is how do you overcome the conflicts of grain direction and cutting cleanly

 

[CHJ]

I tried a bowl with similar techniques but was not happy as I had issues with the different grains and directions, so my question is how do you overcome the conflicts of grain direction and cutting cleanly

On the turning/finishing front I rarely get any problems with change of grain direction across the segments, sharp tools are essential and always aim to perform a slicing cut as opposed to a chopping cut so that grain pulling is reduced to a minimum, if I get a patch of fluffy grain such as with the elm I am currently turning I wet the patch with sealer and shear cut or even shear scrape, always with a freshly tuned up cutting edge.

Also when finishing, be prepared to sand with the lathe stationary and sand with the grain in any particularly spot, should you be unfortunate to have torn a small splinter out in something like open pored side grain Oak or pulled the odd end fibre try wet sanding with sealer, often the natural filling that takes place is not obtrusive and can be let stand rather than continually chasing a lost cause.

Only you can determine if the fill is acceptable but more times than you would think the blend is undetectable when finished.

 

[CHJ]

Another bit of Elm stretched a bit further with some scraps..

Elm, Walnut & Ash, 165mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

This mornings spinney session result.

Exeter Elm, Ash & Sapele, 210mm dia.

 

[boysie39]

Chas, looking at the first two pictures I get the effect of looking into a basket, as if the dark pieces were spacers with nothing in between . beautifully made .

 

[CHJ]

Well at least in your eyes Eugene I've achieved the "Basket" shape requested, with a bit of imagination in real life the Ash with the dark dust grain infill does look a little basket weave-esqe.

 

[CHJ]

Another late morning spinney session.

Oak & Walnut 155mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

The results of the after lunch shed visit .

Oak & Walnut, 130mm dia.

 

[Hesh]

Another good day in the workshop, I particularly like the work on the bases of the last few. Always enjoy this thread so keep them coming please.

Steve

 

[CHJ]

..... I particularly like the work on the bases of the last few. Always enjoy this thread so keep them coming please.

Steve

I find the bead base ring the quickest method of finishing the bases, it's become my norm as it means that I can be lazy and not have to think about the tooling and holding methods and gives me a quick finishing session.

Brittle open grain woods like the Oak need care and sharp tools but pre-treatment just prior to cutting can overcome breakouts and in use failures.

 

[CHJ]

A little something mixed in with the odd jobs before the Telly Rugby session.

Hornbeam, Oak & Walnut 155mm diam.

 

[CHJ]

Nice sunny day with the windows open in the shed.

Walnut, Ash & Beech 152mm dia.

Exeter Elm, Sapele & Beech 156mm dia.