Spinning Through the Wood Pile

[CHJ]

A word of warning if you are ever lucky enough to come across some Ivy with a significant diameter, turn it green or while it is relatively new.

Way back in 2008 I had some Reasonably sized Ivy donated, I turned one small bowl from it and was very impressed with its fine grain, ease of turning and its almost pure white appearance.

Today I unearthed the two remaining pieces whilst sorting stocks and was surprised to find they weighed less than 300 gram the pair.
On inspection and cutting off the sealed ends and bark removal the reason was obvious, they are now as porous as blotting paper, show signs of spalting and considerable surface rot under the bark, so that's 11 years worth of poor quality firewood generation.

 

[CHJ]

The last bit worked in June was this Yew.

This afternoon sees two more pieces out of the way that came to light whilst sorting stocks earlier.

Can't believe that's a month without any significant turning shed output.

 

[Dalboy]

Shame about the Ivy. Like the yew bowls.

If I don't get into the shed for a time I start getting withdrawal symptoms either that or I end up with so many ideas I just don't know where to start

 

[CHJ]

Another angle on Segmented pots.

 

[Dalboy]

I like that Chas a different slant on plain segmented pieces

 

[CHJ]

Thanks Derek, have 5 possibly 6 more glue ups awaiting turning shop time some time next week. Trying to make inroads to yet another box of off-cuts with at least a small variation on a simple theme.

Clamping of the two/three way tapered pieces proved a challenge, talk about slippery escape candidates, finding a simple clamping solution was the main task for yesterday afternoon.

 

[Dalboy]

I am getting some done but it is taking a couple of days to finish a single piece. One of my recent pieces I had to hand rub down and recoat as I found the finish not up to scratch.

I can imagine the fun clamping slanting pieces without them moving

 

[CHJ]

I can imagine the fun clamping slanting pieces without them moving

It's the solving of the 'mechanics' of constructing such blanks that I find the most satisfying.
I'm too impatient to assemble 'as you go'
The turning becomes secondary apart from the aim to achieve a decent finish.

 

[RickG]

Nice segment work, Chas. The walnut looks really nice. Please can you tell me, do you use a thicknesser on the wood when you're making the blank?
To some degree, you can't answer this with accuracy, but if you don't use a thicknesser and only bandsaw the wood and sand it flat, would you get good results?

 

[CHJ]

On my basic segmented pieces (haven't done any for some time) I do use a thicknesser to provide a datum surface across the pieces.
For these current pieces however surfaces are machine planed, using my thicknesser to provide best glue joint fits and reference surfaces where needed, the multi way tapers are hand planed and flattened to glue joint accuracy on an abrasive flat reference surface. (A 300mm disc sander sheet on a flat work surface)

 

[RickG]

Many thanks Chas.

 

[CHJ]

Just managed a few minutes to turn out one after the veg. garden work this afternoon, intention was to batch all the set of blanks together if possible to save setup time but it seems it just ain't going to happen for the next few days.

 

[Dalboy]

Wish I could get and do the garden again it seems the older I get the more my body complains.

Anyway another one which I am sure will not be long finding a new home. Nice clean lines and joints

 

[CHJ]

Wish I could get and do the garden again it seems the older I get the more my body complains.

Anno Domini is telling here too on the gardening front, as the restrictions of strength and mobility take their toll it's more a case of 'If that's where & when it wants to grow, let it' and enjoy the show of colour or resultant produce as and when; major layout or crop continuity planning has gone by the board these days.

Anyway another one which I am sure will not be long finding a new home. Nice clean lines and joints

Thanks, the challenge of decent glue lines on closed segments is one of my fetishes.

 

[Dalboy]

Thanks, the challenge of decent glue lines on closed segments is one of my fetishes.

It is so easy to spoil a nice piece of segmented work by not paying attention to the joints which you don't have that problem, paying that little more attention at the cutting and sanding of each joint pays off as your work also shows.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I have all the equipment I need to turn wood, except the lathe needs a new belt. (Well, I say lathe, but I mean a Clarke "lathe"). For some reason I don't understand, I am not able to order a belt yet - must be a subconscious issue, as I have found them on the internet.. However, I find your posts fabulously encouraging - one day I will make a start, and learn how to lose fingers in new and exciting ways. In the meantime, I will just admire your work from afar. Thank you for the encouragement.

 

[CHJ]

Four more just to confirm that the glue up sequence works

Cutting of interrupted endgrain portions on the internals is a challenge if torn grain is to be avoided.
Had to sharpen my 'go to' Tungsten Tip cutter for final internal clean ups, to be honest it was long overdue anyway.

 

[CHJ]

Variations on the angle theme.

 

[Dalboy]

Nice bowl and I prefer the pot this shape with the addition of the lid

 

[CHJ]

No turning today, after a morning trip to the local recycling centre with 19 X 25 kilo feed bags full of hedge trimmings from a session a couple of days ago someone suggested that the hedge really was not contributing anything these days and might as well be trimmed out to save the hassle of the twice annual trimming of this small section.

What they did not appreciate was that a six metre Beech section in amongst the conifers was down to a horizontal run of branches from this little sapling.

Will the turning log store ever empty.

The car will soon be navigating to the recycling centre on its own.