2017- more of the same I suspect

[Dalboy]

I like these simple design with the added benefit of the different wood colours

 

[CHJ]

Looking for ease of assembly and holding as much as anything Derek, think I've narrowed the actual turning down to four phases, thinking about cutting a couple of templates to match on the next pair to remove all needs for measuring, in case they become a regular repeater item.

 

[Dalboy]

Looking for ease of assembly and holding as much as anything Derek, think I've narrowed the actual turning down to four phases, thinking about cutting a couple of templates to match on the next pair to remove all needs for measuring, in case they become a regular repeater item.

If they are not repeaters I would be very much surprised. Now i need to get back and turn some more bird houses they just seem to fly and also make a bigger display stand for them

 

[CHJ]

OK, just to prove the method, now know what to do with some of the other off-cuts.

Walnut & Beech, 100mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

A max shavings episode this morning, a 'Can you do me a largish Salad Bowl for next weekend' from a 'friend' on Sunday caused a bit of a dig around for a blank big enough.

Beech, 245mm dia.

A couple of hours this afternoon was spent trimming down the assembly and finishing time on a couple more Candle Holders, this time with a little twist thrown in.

Walnut & Beech, 100mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

If they are not repeaters I would be very much surprised.

Well they have started leaving the comfort zone of the 'these may be of interest' rack, so it seems we must keep adding some to the end of the queue.

Sumac & Ash, 100mm dia.

Totally against the resolve to reduce the stocks if possible, now started looking at the home cured stocks and worked out that for a given volume, individual item output can be multiplied by a significant factor if sliced and diced, the above are a case in point, one small bowl log looks like it will provide at least 70% of the material for 6 items.

 

[Dalboy]

The sumac really goes well with the inserts shame the candles will hide most of them

 

[CHJ]

Not a great deal of finished output this weekend I'm afraid despite the weather enforcing some shed time.
Did managed to knock up a handle for a small diameter Ashley Iles gouge that I acquired at Yandles,
Wood is Yellow Damson if I remember correctly, it's about 6 yrs. since it found its way into the store, beautiful dense wood to turn, wish I'd saved a lot more of the thin branches. Brass ferule came curtesy of an old water connector.

Just finished with sanding Sealer and a quick rub over with Chestnuts Cut,n Polish.

 

[CHJ]

The rest of the day today has been spent building up some stock part blanks, these tend to collect until the bins overflow and I can get an uninterrupted session to completed next turning stage for glue-ups in batches or final assembly.

Rough cut some more segments and bases for candle holders to join some of the stuff already in the bin.

 

[CHJ]

Somewhere else I mentioned that using simple size guides/templates can be a big boon if making repeat items.
The Candle Holders for instance don't involve any finite measurements on the lathe, they are just marked out with items in the kit that look about right for scale.

I use the chuck socket marking gage to define the base holding socket and outer diameter.

Then turn to the pencil lines.

To improve tool selection/pick up I group just those needed for the project.

Means you can quickly batch turn ready for the next phase without changing chuck, moving tool rest etc. unnecessarily.

Then they can all be rough finished on the other side, to aid in dimensioning the base top diameter and spigot for fixing holder skirt.
To facilitate this I use a disc (aprox.50mm) held by the tailstock to give an aiming point.

Likewise the height of the bases is marked as the width of my small rule (aprox.20mm)

This then gives me the guide to part down to the required top diameter, undercutting the resultant spigot along the top face with a thin parting tool.

Then it's a case of blending the curve between spigot diameter and base diameter.

Followed by taking the spigot down to near the socket hole in the base of the skirt, easiest way to judge this is to bring up the forstner bit used to drill the sockets (think it's 30mm).

And you just keep on repeating the sequence, well that is until the large spigot guide disappears up the extraction because you didn't bother to fit the mesh grill. So its a case of turning up a new one during the next item, not totally a waste of time because it shows up better against the pale wood.

And then they can join the bin of ready-to-use bits when for when time and circumstance dictates.

 

[CHJ]

OK had the opportunity this morning to assemble a couple of Candle Holders.

First ensure what will be the base of the skirt mating area is flat, I scribble on the surface with a pencil to give visual aid and use a flat scraper to level off.

Then bore socket.

Repeat the above for any spare skirts available.
Change the chuck and grab a previously roughed out base.

Finish turning down spigot for a tight push fit in skirt socket and mount skirt as friction fit with tailstock clamp.

Shape bottom of Skirt.

Remove the bulk of the skirt front profile.

Apply Medium CA to spigot joint and press skirt firmly in place.

Then bore socket for metal insert at approx. insert minimum diameter.

Remember to drill pilot hole for fixing screw. and finish off insert bore to suit insert taper.

Finish of turning of top profile and sand.

Apply Sanding Sealer and check for any obvious scratches etc.

Then start the sequence all over again for as many sets as are to hand.

When set finished to this stage.

Change chucks and move on to cleaning up bases to remove dovetail socket.

Then it's just a quick show to the Buffing Wheels and a dash of microcrystalline wax and we are ready to secure the insets with a small screw.

 

[CHJ]

Then of course there's the obligatory recording of the finished items.
Sumac & Ash 100mm dia.

 

[Dalboy]

Well put together how to Chas, this should give a novice the chance to get up and make something to be proud of as well as show even the more experienced turner new techniques.
Now I have a guide how to turn :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I am experimenting again so will have something to show in a couple of days hopefully :wink:

 

[CHJ]

Thank you Derek, can only hope my ramblings provide some inspiration on different means of simplifying tasks.

I find I spend more time assessing projects these days and paring the work content to a minimum, often suddenly realising that I've been wasting time on unnecessary processes.

 

[Dalboy]

Thank you Derek, can only hope my ramblings provide some inspiration on different means of simplifying tasks.

I find I spend more time assessing projects these days and paring the work content to a minimum, often suddenly realising that I've been wasting time on unnecessary processes.

The same here last week I was making the little bird houses and worked out the best way to minimise the amount of times I changed chucks to complete them now all I have to do is remember how I did it

 

[CHJ]

Yeh, it's frustrating some times when the realisation hits that you have been wasting a lot of effort repeating a process or overcoming a regular problem that a simple change in method eliminates.

Like the swirl segments that I use, one of the jigs was wearing a bit and glue-ups often were less than perfect, kept trying to evolve a method of coping with the errors.

Then the obvious struck, rebuild the jig with better engineering principles and up the production quality control.
This lead to eliminating another often encountered error being eliminated by improving the next jig.
The glue-up stage time had other niggles at times due to a variation in segment size because I hand profiled what was in effect waste wood.
The making of another jig to ensure the 'waste wood' element was consistent for all segments in a piece has halved the glue up time messing and adjusting.
This in turn means there is no prep turning or machining to correct alignment errors before assembly turning as the pieces are good to go as glued.

All seem obvious now but it has taken several years for the thought process to evolve and sort it out.

 

[CHJ]

Took a break from other chores to spend a couple of hours in the shed assembling and finishing bits.

Walnut & Beech 100mm dia.

Walnut & Ash 100mm dia.

Sumac & Ash. 100mm dia.

 

[CHJ]

Variations on the theme, been informed there are 100 days to Christmas so I guess there may be interest.

Brazilian Mahogany and Ash. 115mm dia.

 

[Dalboy]

As I stated elsewhere I Like these ones Chas. The grain in the Ash and the direction of the cures in the segments gives then the sense of movement. Some exact cutting to make them all meet in the centre.

 

[CHJ]

... Some exact cutting to make them all meet in the centre.

Glad they hit an acceptance chord Derek, repeating what I've said elsewhere it's a high percentage of the satisfaction in using the curved segments, nothing special if using a CNC but not so easy to achieve just using abrasive profiling. So easy to get complacent and regret it during the glue up stage.
As you know with your modelling experience knowing what is needed and achieving it can involve a few hours head scratching and adjustments.