Woodturning Two Bowls, One Disaster, Two Final Results
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I’m extremely disappointed (to say the least) when a bowl cracks. It’s bad enough if it cracks while drying. But it is even worse if it cracks while I’m working on it. In this case, it cracked during sanding.
In my period of despair, I turned another identical bowl from the same sequoia. I had time to think about the broken bowl. After weighing alternatives, I decided to cut it up to make flower petals then reassemble it into a flower bowl.
After cutting the bowl into five petals, I temporarily screwed each petal to a cylinder base while I dabbed quick epoxy into the middle. After three applications, the petals were secure and I removed the screws. What them remained was to turn and fit a center to cover the epoxy and a new base to cover the ugly poplar I used for the glue up.
Both bowls are about 8 inches in diameter of sequoia and padauk. The solid bowl is finished with walnut oil. The flower bowl is finished with rattle can lacquer.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Threaded Cherry Pod From Green Wood
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I rough turned this cherry five years ago. At that time, it was freshly harvested. I turned the cylinder, cut tenons on both ends, and parted it in half. Then I had some good hollowing practice as I hollowed both pieces way too much. I then sealed the wood and taped the two pieces end to end and put them away to dry. The tape was supposed to keep the two pieces together over the years. It did not otherwise help the drying process.
Now the wood is dry and distorted. I have to refresh the tenons and true up both the interior and exterior. Since I recently completed my threading setup, I decided to thread this box. For threading, please watch this video.
Years ago, I made a mistake when I hollowed the wood. I cut the hollows way too deep. I left too little wood at the base for a good top and base. So for this, I decided to make a pod. A pod does not have to stand up. It can lie on its side. Since the box is threaded, the two pieces will not come apart.
My 5 x 2 inch pod is finished with lacquer buffed to a nice shine.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Figured Maple Rough to Finished Bowl
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I rough turned this bowl in April of this year. I had intended to show the video for the rough turning. Alas, when the time came, the video could not be found.
That aside, this maple was green or wet last April. After rough turning, I coated it with Tree Saver a green wood sealer and put it away. A few weeks ago, I felt it was a lot lighter and brought it into the house. Then every week or two, I weighed it and recorded the weight. It actually gained a few grams after coming inside. Yep – it is dry.
This wood came from our club wood raffle. I was told it was silver maple. It is beautiful with a lot of figure. Finished, it is about 6 x 3 and finished with walnut oil with no buffing.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Cable Keeper – Simple Look – ?? Execution
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I had an idea to make a cable keeper – the doodad that manages computer cables. But what is a wood turned cable keeper?
First decision is to make the hole big enough for an electrical plug – so how about 1.75 inches. Then, is the hole offset from center – a multi-axis turning? If not, how to mount it since there are no disctinct corners to hang on to.
My cable keeper is ash about 4 inches in diameter finished with walnut oil.
Is it simple? Is it difficult? How to mount this wood? Is this worth a video?
Enjoy!
Sphere Challenge of 2018 – Final
I challenged woodturners to turn a sphere by the end of July. Why? Because spheres are an essential skill. I received some training years ago that just did not work. It took me years of false starts to turn my first good sphere. Since then I’ve learned and shared the techniques and process that works for me and for anyone wanting to turn a sphere. As a plus, no expensive jig is required.
Here are the results of the challenge. This is great work that I find inspirational to me. I trust you will find inspiration also.
Resource for you to review:
Woodturning Essentials – Octagon Method For Perfect Spheres
Woodturning A Perfect Sphere Into A Strata-Sphere
Enjoy!
Woodturning Ring Holder – A Perfect Wedding Gift
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My nephew is getting married. What better wedding gift than a beautiful place to put wedding rings? They’ll always know where they are when not on a finger. However, I suspect my nephew’s wife with have most use for the ring holder.
As a woodturning project, this has two components: a small bowl and a simple spindle. The bowl has a hump in the center for two purposes: First to allow jewelry to not accumulate in one pile in the center. Instead loose jewelry distributes in a ring near the rim. Second, to have a little more wall thickness to support the center spindle.
The spindle is not cluttered with a lot of beads and coves. Instead it is a smooth taper to receive any size of wedding ring. Beads and coves would get in the way.
My bowl is about 4.5 inches diameter; the spindle is about 6 inches tall. The walnut is finished with lacquer and buffed to a nice shine.
Just make sure you take project pictures before you give it away.
Enjoy!
DIY Threading Jig For Common Wood
This video is also posted to YouTube, Vimeo, and FaceBook. Same video – best right here.
I’ve been on a quest to thread wood for many, many years. I even purchased a Beall tap and die set for simple nut and bolt projects. Very NOT satisfied.
I’ve even tried to design and built my own threading jig. My problem was how to connect commercial all thread to a chuck. By the time I hired a machinist to make one, I could buy an expensive threading jig directly.
I gave up and purchase hand chase tools. However, they’re best used on expensive exotic wood that don’t quite fit my budget.
Until Dennis Paullus presented at the Utah Woodturning Symposium. His diagram included the missing link. A commercial adapter from 3/4-16tpi to 1-8tpi. I had to order the parts. This project is to successfully thread a project in gum wood.
My process:
- Prepare the box top and bottom.
- Drill out the box top. Saturate with thin CA
- Thread the female threads. Multiple light passes required until the threads are consistently peaked. If the wood is brittle and chipping, treat with with CA with each pass.
- When threads are acceptable, again treat with thin CA and make one more pass.
- Lightly sand off the threads, chamfer the front corner. Lubricate the threads.
- Estimate the size of the base tenon. From the inner diameter of the female threads, add an ample amount as the estimate.
- Prepare the tenon to this size and chamfer the leading corner. Cut a shallow valley about the width of the cutter at the base of the tenon with depth about the depth of threads. Don’t sweat it, it can be cut or refined later.
- Saturate the wood with CA as above.
- To thread, take very light passes, testing the fit with each pass until the top fits the bottom. Make one last application of CA, and take another threading pass as the same settings.
- Clean up the male threads by lightly sanding, chamfering the leading edge, and recutting the valley at the base of the tenon until the top threads completely to the bottom. Lubricate the threads
- Adjust the grain orientation if desired.
My Parts List:
- 12 Inches Allthread 3/4″-16tpi Zinc Plated – any bolt/nut supplier
- 5 3/4″ – 16 tpi Nut Zinc – any bolt/nut supplier
- 9 Inches Allthread 3/8″-16 tpi – any bolt/nut supplier
- 1 Steel Threaded Insert 1″-8tpi outside 3/4″-16tpi inside – McMaster Carr pn: 90248A088 $13.88 for 5 pack OR
- OR 1 Internal Spindle Adapter 1″-8tpi outside 3/4″-16tpi inside – Penn State pn: LA3418X $9.95
- 1 3/4″ x 3/16″ 60 Degree HSS Double Angle Cutter – MSC Direct.com pn: 03196052
- 1 Collet, 2MT, 3/8″ – Little Machine Shop.com pn: 1749
- 1 3/8″ T-nut
- 6 in. Cross Slide Vise – Harbor Freight pn: 32997
Optional
- 2 magnetic clamps – Mag Switch
- A denture brush makes a great thread cleaning tool.
Use the lathe banjo as a stop to reposition the jig between passes.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Sphere Topped Multi Axis Box
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To contribute my part to the sphere challenge and exercise a new technique, I decided to turn a multi-axis box with a sphere to serve as a lid.
The wood is gum. The box is finished with lacquer; the sphere is finished with beeswax and mineral oil mix.
For the multi-axis box, I offset both ends about 3/8 inch about 120 degrees apart. To put it in more detail, I marked lines 120 degrees apart numbering each and extending the lines across the end grain. Then I shifted the axis about 3/8 inch along line 1 at the headstock and line 2 at the tail stock. After cutting a shallow cove, I offset the wood at line 2 at the headstock and line 3 at the tail stock. Again after cutting a shallow cove, I shifted to the final numbers.
The rest is standard box making except for the lid. But for the lid, just watch my octagon video for more detail.
This is a link to the sphere challenge entry – open to everyone.
Enjoy!
Sphere Challenge of 2018 Update #1
Sphere pictures so far in the 2018 challenge. Get yours in by July 31, 2018 at www.AsWoodTurns.com/Challenges.
Rules – turn a sphere (by 7/31/18) Send it in.
Resource for you to review:
Woodturning Essentials – Octagon Method For Perfect Spheres
Woodturning A Perfect Sphere Into A Strata-Sphere
Enjoy!
Woodturning My 5 Minute Challenge Goblet With Whoopsy
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“Le PicBois” has a challenge to turn a goblet within five minutes. While I don’t like to turn as a race, I do like challenges. This one reminds me of the egg cup race at the Utah Woodturning Symposium. I’ve participated for several years. But really, I cannot do good work with a speed challenge. Yet, here I go.
My goblet is from gum from a tree cut down from my yard. In the end, the surviving goblet is about two inches in diameter and about two and a half inches tall.
Don’t delay your entry to the sphere challenge. No speed test in the sphere challenge. Enter Here.
Enjoy!