Woodturning Bobbin For Wire Weaving Jewelry
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My wife asked me to make a bobbin for her wire weaving. Of course, a small 2×3 inch bobbin should be a piece of cake. However, the bobbin requires that 5 cotter pins be set in a circle around the hole that is through the bobbin.
The question became How do I drill five perfectly spaced holes. Often I resort to my computer to draw it. This time, I decided to try to use the indexing on my Vicmarc chuck. It is there – Why not use it? Except that I’ve never seen any way how the indexing is intended to be used.
I checked Vicmarc’s web site and did not find anything there. Hmmm.
I took a couple of pieces of scrap plywood and glued them into a right angle with a little bracing. Then drilled a small hole at spindle height. A ground blunt nail goes into the hole into the indexing holes. It worked.
But, I’d still like to know how Vicmarc intended these to be used.
My bobbin is 2″ by 3″ in walnut. The cotter pins are stainless steel.
Enjoy!
Woodturning Goblet With Captive Ring
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I had yet to turn a captive ring. Similarly to any new dramatic technique, it seemed quite difficult and just a little impossible.
So, when I received this wood from Brent Ross, it screamed out “I’m a goblet”. I’m special; I can floresce. To complement the screaming, I added a captive ring.
When I can access a UV light, then I’ll test the florescence. Until then, it will be a nice goblet about 4″ tall and 2″ diameter finished with lacquer and having a captive ring to play with.
Enjoy!
Woodturning An Offset Slat Bowl – Round 2 – Not This Way!
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In round 1, I only glued the slats for this bowl to top and bottom waste blocks. That did not work so well.
This time, I thought double stick tape would be just the thing to temporarily hold the slats together. Well, the tape did exactly that – held the slats together. However, it did not easily release its hold on the slats. I damaged some edges while separating the slats.
While I like this style of bowl, there has to be another way that will hold the slats together but also release them when necessary. I’m not there yet.
In the meantime, here’s another way NOT to turn this style of bowl. I like the result but not the process.
Enjoy!
Woodturning: This Slab Bowl Nailed It
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Wood raffles can yield strange wood. Such is the case with this project.
I received a slab of wood that I would usually throw away. This time, since it was already dry, I decided to attempt to turn it into something nice.
The bark was already gone and the end grain had been sealed. I trimmed the ends slightly and sanded especially the convex side to remove dirt and any remaining bark. I sanded first to see if there was any good color to the wood. I liked what I saw so I kept on.
I mounted the wood offset from center. This made it even more difficult because it never cam close to balancing. Even with a heavy lathe, I had to keep the speed low to avoid the lathe bouncing across the floor.
Double stick tape did not want to hold this piece. I think the flat surface was not as flat as I thought. Hot melt glue came to the rescue.
The piece is finished with walnut oil. It is 7 by 10 by 2 inches.
I’m pleased how it turned out.
Enjoy!
Woodturning A Vase In Style Of A Roman Canteen
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For some time now, my project to do list has included a Roman canteen since I like multi-axis turning. Still, I like to be practical. A Roman canteen is not practical compared to any modern canteen. However, a Roman canteen does present a multi-axis challenge.
As I considered these issues, I thought to convert the Roman canteen to a vase. It can be useful and still challenging. Then as I planned how to turn it, I realized I could, very simply, remove the most challenging features by having a separate base and neck. This is the best of both worlds plus omitting the significant sanding task required by a Roman canteen.
So, here’s my process for the canteen.
- Mount the wood and round off the perimeter.
- Cut a mounting mortise on the face.
- Mark the exact center top for the neck plus a center line across the face.
- Use the center line to align the wood to the drilling path of the drill press and drill for the neck.
- Remount using the mortise and cut a mortise opposide to the first.
- Drill out the center from both sides leaving a small flat inside the mortise for insurance when hollowing.
- Hollow the body. Having access from both sides was a significant advantage.
- Sand and finish the body.
- Turn decorative medallions to cover both mortise holes. I used the Infinite Axis chuck to turn unique medallions.
- Turn a neck. I used hazelnut – same as the medallions.
- Add a base. I used the edge of a hazelnut branch, preserving the bark edge.
Much easier than a Roman canteen but is useful as a vase, has unique medallions and different wood for accent.
Enjoy!
Links:
Woodturning An Offset Slat Bowl
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I was browsing turned wood images and saw a unique bowl made of slats that seemed to protrude from the brim. My first thought – How can I turn that bowl? After pondering several alternatives, I had to go for it. Now after making one, I have to change my process.
First, here’s what I did.
- Milled 11 slats 0.5″ thick, 2″ wide, and about 8″ long. 6 of walnut and 5 of oak.
- Alternated the slats and clamped them together.
- Prepared a waste block for the top and bottom. In this case, I sanded some scrap OSB since I needed a perfectly smooth surface.
- Applied white glue to the waste panels and clamped them to for a sandwich. Let dry overnight.
- Mounted the sandwich to a wood faceplate with double stick tape and live center pressure.
- Turned the exterior. Here’s where I had problems. Sanded and finished.
- Split apart the sandwich. It easily pulled apart.
- Reassembled the sandwich offsetting every other slat by about 1/2″ by eye looking to reform a visual curve.
- Glued the slats together. Let dry overnight.
- Glued to a wood faceplate to the bottom.
- Hollowed the interior and applied finish.
- Parted off the bowl from the faceplate. This was scary.
- Sanded a slight hollow to the underside and applied finish.
What I learned from this project is that the slats need more support side to side. In future projects, I will glue the slats together with a paper joint or double stick tape. Something that will come apart, be easily cleaned up and re assembled.
Enjoy.
Woodturning A Small Ash Bowl
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Last woodturning club meeting, I received another piece of ash from our wood raffle. It is even the same size as the first one. What to do? How about a similar bowl but with a different rim.
I always enjoy turning a bowl. This one was no exception and follows the same process: turn the exterior; hollow the interior; refine the foot.
Not much new, just a good turning experience.
Woodturning A Double Vase – A Growth Experience
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I have seen double vases. Now it is time to turn one myself.
In preparation, I made an internal template and an external template for a circle. For the internal template, I cut a circle for my desired size from scrap vinyl flooring. Then I glued a cross piece to make a semicircle with a crossbar. The external template is made from a square of the same material. I turned a circle for the exterior size in the center. Then I sawed across the diagonal staying outside the line. Then sanded to the line. Next time, I make this I plan to revise this template to have a quarter circle and a separate 2/3 circle. This should address the problem of the center core of the project being in the way of the template.
My process:
- Rough out and cut a mortise for an expansion hold on one side.
- Reverse the poplar onto the chuck and turn a semi-circular hollow near the perimeter. I used the internal template to guide the shape and size. Aim for a perfect semi-circle and uniform wall thickness. Cut a mortise on this side.
- Reverse mount and cut the exterior. Use the exterior template to guide the shape.
- Saw the wood in half following the grain direction.
- With white glue, glue the two halves together. Sand to clean up the glue joints.
- Turn caps for the two vase necks and a small base.
- Sand a flat on the bottom of the vase.
- Glue the caps on the neck and the base to the bottom flat.
My wall thickness was not uniform. This caused the caps not to be centered to the exterior of the neck. This is where I can improve on for the next time.
Woodturning A Tai Chi Exercise Ball
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I do not currently do custom woodturning projects for others. So when a viewer approached me for an advanced Tai Chi ball, I said no. But nothing stops me from showing how it is done. He would have need it about 8″ in diameter.
So I found an oak board about 9″ wide, surfaced it, chopped it up, and glued it all together again into a big block. It’s cold right now in my shop so I brought it inside to cure for a week.
Then on to turning it. No problem here other than it is the largest ball I’ve turned to date. Still the cupped faceplate process worked just fine.
I supplemented the process by marking out and cutting an octagon first. A sphere can be inscribed into an octagon. Once the octagon was ready, I divided each side for a sixteen side block. Then it was a simple matter to round off the remaining points.
Then mount the cup centers and rotate the sphere so that the old equator line runs between centers. Whittle down the ghost image at the top but leave the equator line as much as possible. Then mark a new equator line.
Again rotate the sphere so that the new equator line runs between centers. Again whittle down the ghost image at the top leaving the equator line.
At this point, I evaluate the sphere. Is it round? If not, do another rotation pass and try again.
Once it passes, I start sanding using the same sequence for each grit. For this size of sphere, I power sanded it starting with 80 grit and going to 320 grit.
My Tai Chi ball is finished with bath in walnut oil.
I don’t practice Tai Chi, but I have an advanced ball if I ever start.
Wood? Turning A Valentine’s Vase From A Tagua Nut
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When I see a good demonstration, I have to try it myself. That is the case here for a tagua nut. The demonstrator was Clive Christiansen. He has turned hundreds of tagua nuts.
Tagua nuts used to be used for buttons as a substitute for ivory. With the advent of plastics, they have been replaced.
My little vase is a little over one inch tall and a little under one inch in diameter. No finish – only a good buffing.
Enjoy.