Newbie Turning Advice

[wizer]

I am coming to the end of my woodworking night classes and will have about 3 weeks free (6hrs) after I have finished my project. The class has a very old Jubilee Lath and i'd like to have a go at turning.

There is a tool cupboard associated with the Lath. In it are an extensive array of chisel/gauges. I found what the tutor agreed was a bowl turning chuck. It is a flat circular plate which screws in to the end of the lath. The plate has a series of holes which I assume are for screwing into the wood.

What I want to make is a Salt and Pepper 'bowl' (pig?). Basically, it is a wooden cube with a bowl gauged into it. The sides remain square as apposed to tapering like a bowl.

So a few questions:

1. Will I be able to do this in 6hrs? Bearing in mind I have never turned anything before.

2. Can I use this chuck and if so.... how?

3. What wood is best and where would I get it from?

 

[cd]

Hi Wizer,

Sounds like the "chuck" your talking about is probably a faceplate something like this maybe :?:

I'll try and answer your questions.

6hrs, I don't see why not might be worth seeing if you can find a video or book to look at beforehand to get an idea of what to do.

Yes you can use the faceplate. I did try to type an explanation for using a faceplate but it was harder than I thought :shock: A google search came up with this http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/archive ... y_tips.htm I know its not a square bowl but it seems to give a reasonable idea of using a faceplate, Better than I could anyway.

What wood. Most woods will turn ok I've found Yew a very nice wood for begginers it cuts cleanly and easily and finished nicely. On the other hand this might be the opportunity to try something a bit different. i'd stay clear of burrs and some of the harder exotic woods for a first piece though .

hope some of this helps

cd

 

[Alf]

might be worth seeing if you can find a video or book to look at beforehand to get an idea of what to do.

That's a good idea. "Woodturning; a foundation course" by Keith Rowley is just about the best, and you should be able to borrow a copy from the library if you don't want to splash out. Although if you did, it's always worth checking Craft Supplies first as they often have a good offer on the book/video package. No affiliation, and - alas - no commission either. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Cutting Crew]

Wizer,

Whatever you do, please don't forget that the combination of sharp tools and blocks of wood spinning at high revolutions can be a recipe for disaster.

If you're going to use the faceplate make sure the timber is firmly screwed down.

I'm not trying to dampen your enthusiasm but do take care, most of all enjoy yourself.

Regards....Mike

 

[Taffy Turner]

Be very careful!

A square block is a bit hazardous for a beginner - just be aware that you won't see the corners when the thing is spinning, so make sure you keep your fingers well out of the way, otherwise you could easily be looking at a couple of broken digits.

Good luck.

Gary

 

[wizer]

yes it is similar to that cd, however that one looks very modern compared to the one I have. It is completely flat and round with about 6 holes for screws. Talking to my tutor he suggested a method where by you glue the blank to a scrap block of wood with paper in between. Then screw the scrap blank to the plate. I take it this means no screw holes in the finished wood. Is this sensible advice? ...... oops, after writing this I went off to read cd's link and it explains just that method!

With regards to the wood. What exactly would I order? and where from? Would I go to a specialist wood turning supply company? Yew seems like a nice enough wood. The cube that I am thinking would be roughly as follows:

I will probably make 2 of them for salt and pepper.

 

[wizer]

PS: Alf I will have a look for that book. They have it for £19.95 on Craft Supplies with the video. But I assume this is VHS which means I can't play it (No VCR).

PPS: thanks all for the safety advice, I will be super-cautios!

 

[mudman]

With regards to the wood. What exactly would I order? and where from? Would I go to a specialist wood turning supply company? Yew seems like a nice enough wood. The cube that I am thinking would be roughly as follows:

I will probably make 2 of them for salt and pepper.

You would be wise to avoid Yew for food applications due to its poisonous nature.
I would suggest something like Ash which is a nice wood to turn.

As others have said, be careful of those cormers.

 

[cd]

You would be wise to avoid Yew for food applications due to its poisonous nature.
I would suggest something like Ash which is a nice wood to turn.

Thx for that mudman, something else I've learnt today


cd

who wasn't trying to poison anyone ...honest

 

[mudman]

Knew it was poisonous, but not how poisonous. :shock:

Check out: http://www.the-tree.org.uk/BritishTrees/yew.htm

Loads of interesting stuff on the Yew and quite a scary section on the tree as a poisonous plant.

 

[Guest]

My only advice would be to get a few of the blocks of whatever wood you choose as it is quite likely you will have some failures on your first turning attempts. Sycamore is also a nice wood to turn .

 

[Taffy Turner]

With regards to the wood. What exactly would I order? and where from? Would I go to a specialist wood turning supply company? Yew seems like a nice enough wood. The cube that I am thinking would be roughly as follows:

I will probably make 2 of them for salt and pepper.

You would be wise to avoid Yew for food applications due to its poisonous nature.
I would suggest something like Ash which is a nice wood to turn.

As others have said, be careful of those cormers.

I read somewhere that it is only the leaves and berries that are poisonous, and not the wood itself, but probably best to be safe rather than sorry! :shock:

 

[mudman]

I read somewhere that it is only the leaves and berries that are poisonous, and not the wood itself, but probably best to be safe rather than sorry! :shock:

Under medicinal properties from above link:

All parts of the yew are extremely poisonous. The only exception is the fleshy part of its arils (berries), but the seed within is deadly. This is definitely not a tree for self-medication!!!

Apparently the seeds and berries are the most poisonous, I haven't found any info. on how poisonous the wood is but it seems to be that all parts are posinous apart from the fleshy parts of the seeds.

A page on The Druid Network says:

Be aware of the dangerous aspects of the Yew if you handle the tree or work with the wood. It is one of the reasons why it is known as the death tree.

:shock:

There seem to be a few things like this around so it sounds like we should be a bit careful when using it.
I've always assumed that it probably wasn't too bad so long as you don't eat it but I might revise that assumption.
I wonder if the toxin accumulates in the body or if it is easily excreted if you don't have a fatal dose?

 

[Taffy Turner]

Barry,

That is interesting. I use Yew a lot, as it is one of my favourite woods to turn. I don't take any special precautions with it, and I haven't had any problems to date [-o<

You have a point about low levels of the toxins passing through the body - the toxin is an organic one, so there is a good chance that this is what happens, unlike non-organic poisons such as lead, mercury etc which just accumulate over time.

Yew is an extremely fast acting poison - there have been instance of cows and horses being found dead with the leaves still in their mouth. :shock:

Gary

 

[mudman]

I haven't used Yew at all yet. I do have a tiny little bit that I'm planning to make a lightpull out of.
I suppose that so long as dust masks/dust extraction are used and that the shavings aren't eaten, then it should be okay.

Apparently a concoction used to be made from the seeds that arrows would be dipped in. These would then cause death very quickly. :shock: Well all right, if the arrow didn't kill you first that is. :roll:

 

[Taffy Turner]

Barry,

Yew (sorry! ) will enjoy turning that. It cuts like butter. The end grain gets a bit fluffy when making bowls I find, but a very light shear cut with a freshly ground scraper cleans it up a treat.

Go lightly with the sanding - it is quite soft, and if you are a bit heavy, you can lose the crispness of the profile if you aren't careful.

It has a very nice contrast between the heartwood and the sapwood, which is a bonus, but I guess your bit is too small to have any sapwood in?

Regards

Gary

 

[dedee]

Is it not the poisonous nature of yew that has resulted it it being found alongside every old church gate in the country as a deterrent to cattle wandering into the churchyard?

Or were yew trees planted in chuch yards as a protected source of longbow material?

Andy

 

[Taffy Turner]

Is it not the poisonous nature of yew that has resulted it it being found alongside every old church gate in the country as a deterrent to cattle wandering into the churchyard?

Or were yew trees planted in chuch yards as a protected source of longbow material?

Andy

I believe Yew trees are planted in churchyards as they are just about the only thing that will grow there - something to do with all the dead bodies leaching out into the soil. This is also partly the reason why they are associated closely with death apparently.

Of course, the two reasons you quoted are also probably partly the reasons too, or maybe are just a happy coincidence.

Regards

Gary

 

[mudman]

I believe that quite a few yew trees pre-date the churchyards. Some are thousands of years old and were sacred to pre-christian cultures.

 

[wizer]

so when I am ordering my wood I just want a cube of wood to the rough dimensions of my work, then saw it to size? or shall I get the wood yard to cut it to exactly the dimensions I need?