Trying out the new Lathe

[DaveL]

Well I have had some time using the perform, to prove it I have taken a few pictures of the stuff I have made.

I have already posted about the cup and ball toy, I shortened the string, it was supposed to make it easier to do, well I still can't do it but most of my work colleagues can, but hand eye coordination has never been my strong point. :roll:

While these look the same, one is a pill box, birthday present for my mum, the other is an ash tray for the LOML, both were pleased with them. \/

This is my first try at an end grain box, beech, not a bad match on the grain but I burned the joint while trying to finish the lid. It is now on LOML's desk at work holding the cartridges for one of the pens I made for her.

Next a new set of handles for the hand fork and trowel, they were suposed to be the same!

Must remember to measure the first one when marking the second blank. #-o

An oak bowl, not the same as the one I make at Richards, I put a recess on the base as I had complaints the other on rolled about.

I tried to turn an egg.

Not very good are they? Must try this again some time.

And finally an oak plate this fought back, but then I did pick the knottiest bit of the board to use. :twisted:

And of course everyone knows you cannot make anything new without some new tools.

So here are my new tools, a second hand roughing gouge and a new bowl gouge, not reground them, but I think the bowl gouge needs the grind a bit longer as it is straight across.

I have also bought a second hand skew, it needs a handle which I have turned but am having problems fitting, more about that latter.

 

[wizer]

Nice work Dave. Shame about the eggs. The last one I did, I made a template. Printed out a picture of an egg, cut it out and used it to check my shape. It came out well. I got that advise from someone here.

I like the box too. I had a go at one the other day and completely ballsed it up

 

[thomvic]

Dave

The grind on your roughing out gouge lookright to me. Straight accross is normal - grind at approx 45 degree angle

Richard

 

[CHJ]

Performing well Dave, unless you have acess to a bowl gouge with a grind you prefer (find easier to use) I suggest you just take a little extra off the wings each time you sharpen it to get a feel for the change in presentation, that way you should arrive at a shape you find easier to use without going too far and wondering if it's you or the tool that ain't quite right.

 

[TEP]

Jeez! just as well those eggs are wood. Wouldn't fancy being that chicken! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just a small suggestion when copying those handles Dave, if you cut the two ends of the lower one they WILL be much the same. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


Joking aside, well done. Nice to see how a beginner is coming on, especially as I still remember the posts when you first started. Top work mate.

With Chas. on the grinds of your bowl gouge. Little and often will set you up. Don't know if it is the angle of the photo but the Roughing gouge looks as if the edge is a bit messy. The tips look as if they are rounded over a little. If they are, don't try to straighten the whole edge in one go, (you'll waste steel). Each time you sharpen it just try and take a little more of the high spots until the edge is straight across. Then keep it like that.

 

[SVB]

Dave,

Well done - some really nice items.

I wouldn't be too disappointed about the eggs. I think they are one of the hardest things to turn of all.

Two curves, constantly changing radii, must meet and transition smoothly and also everyone knows what it should look like in the end!

Well done and happy turning!

Simon.

 

[Bodrighy]

I find that turning anything that exists in real life asuch as eggs, fruit etc is really difficult as you ave a preconcieved idea of what they look like. Different birds lay different shaped eggs apparently sop what you need to do is find an ornithologist and suss out what bird lays eggs like those. Look for one with a crossed beak or a look of pain :lol:

The rest of the stuff is excellent (I refuse to stoop to Chas and Old Sokes level and say eggsellent :roll: ) The platter especially for me.

Pete

 

[stewart]

A very productive spell, Dave - like the small box for ink cartridges.

 

[Lightweeder]

Dave - on the box, I should burn them all in future :lol: looks great :lol:

 

[DaveL]

Performing well Dave, unless you have acess to a bowl gouge with a grind you prefer (find easier to use) I suggest you just take a little extra off the wings each time you sharpen it to get a feel for the change in presentation, that way you should arrive at a shape you find easier to use without going too far and wondering if it's you or the tool that ain't quite right.

Chas,

This is one I have used quite a lot,

it looks odd as it is not ground symmetrical, when I got it I thought it as wrong but it works. I have since found this type of grind in a booklet on sharpening I got from Peter Child.

I was thinking of just swinging the new gouge a bit when I grind it to take the corners back a little bit. :-k

 

[DaveL]

I have also bought a second hand skew, it needs a handle which I have turned but am having problems fitting, more about that latter.

Well its now later, :roll: here is the skew.

Never heard of the maker (MOULSON BROTHERS) but then I am not well up on that sort of thing.

It is roughly 1.5" wide and the edges are rounded, this was a bonus, the seller on ebay had not mentioned that, but its what I was looking for after using Richards skew and loving it. I turned a long beech handle.

And bought a ferrule for it, but I have still managed to split the handle. ](*,)

I drilled a stepped hole, then took a couple of chisels to it, knocked the blade in and it cracked. :x I have run some super glue into the cracks and refitted the blade after heating the tang to seat it in, as I was taught to do with files.
Here is an overall shot

and here is one side of the crack.

I have decided that I made the fit of the ferrule too loose. [-X
I still have to sharpen this, but it cuts as it is.
I know the skew can be a difficult tool to use, I have been shown how to do it by a number of turners, the reason for buy what looks like a monster of a tool was a comment by Reg Slag at ali pally, when planing you can only use the bottom third of the cutting edge with complete safety, by having a big tool you therefore have more edge to play with. I have found this to be true. 8)

 

[CHJ]

Dave, yes I have seen gouges with unequal wings like that, I suspect it works better for some people, matching their natural tool approach to the work better on inner and outer cuts.

Taking the wings back certainly helps reduce the catch potential. One thing you might want to experiment with is making the front angle more acute on one of the gouges. say 55-60 , helps when you are cutting the side to middle inner curve of a bowl as the steeper bevel angle allows the tool approach to be straighter.

 

[Deejay]

I find that turning anything that exists in real life asuch as eggs, fruit etc is really difficult as you ave a preconcieved idea of what they look like. Different birds lay different shaped eggs apparently sop what you need to do is find an ornithologist and suss out what bird lays eggs like those. Look for one with a crossed beak or a look of pain :lol:

The rest of the stuff is excellent (I refuse to stoop to Chas and Old Sokes level and say eggsellent :roll: ) The platter especially for me.

Pete

Quite right about the preconceptions Pete, but the exception is onions. Loads of different varieties and shapes. Whatever shape you turn will have been grown somewhere. Great practice for spindle turning, blending beads and coves. Poke a hole through the axis and string them up on raffia.

Must get out more.

Cheers

Dave

 

[wizer]

I prefer my larger Skew

 

[tekno.mage]

I like the oak bowl, the platter and the little beech box.

I know exactly where you are coming from with the split handle for your large skew - I had a similar problem with a very similar second-hand large skew. I ended up making a second handle for mine as the beautiful yew one I made first split massively when I over-enthusiastically fitted the tool into it :-(

tekno.mage

 

[cornucopia]

a very good selection dave- if you hadnt of told me that the burn mark was accidental i wouldint have known.
Ash is always my first choice for handles but that beech one should do just fine

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Dave,

Looks like you're coming along well.

You've got a good finish on the bowl. The foot is a little wide for my taste but if your brief was for a more stable bowl then you have succeeded!!

Love the simplicity of the shape of the platter. Looks like a lovely bit of wood (to look at rather than to turn :wink: ) Looks like a small area of slightly torn grain which you'll get by once you get your sharpening perfected.

Box looks great. Nice and simple with a good finish (I like simple!!)

Don't worry too much about a tiny split like that in a skew handle. I know it's frustrating but you shouldn't get to many forces on a skew that would cause a problem. Looks like you got a good find with that little beastie!! Just remember it'll be Carbon Steel (not HSS) to go steady at the grinder with it.

Keep up the good work Dave =D>

Richard

 

[DaveL]

Ash is always my first choice for handles but that beech one should do just fine

George,

I have a small stash of beech, that's why most of the things I have tried out as spindle type turning are made from it. If I stumble across some ash I will be using that next. :lol:

 

[DaveL]

I bought an elm blank to try, what do you think?

Sorry the side view is out of focus. I found this much easier to turn than the oak, I have also reground the gouges and it has made a difference. This has two coats of lemon oil, came out well.
I passed a place with sacks of logs for sale, so as they were only £2.50 a sack I bought one hoping to be able to turn some of the timber. Unfortunately most of them had been split quite small, I did find a couple to try, I think this is ash.

Turned the outside with it mounted on a screw chuck, I was pleased with how it cut and put a recess for chucking to hollow it, which started well.

But I got a over confident, a catch and broke it off the chuck.

Nice smooth firewood now. :evil:
Not to be put off I tried a bit of oak, being some what green it cut much more nicely than the fully dried stuff I have been using.

I know it is very angular but I did not have much wood to play with, finished this with lemon oil, looks nice but I noticed tonight it is not round any more, I wonder how far it will more and if it will crack?
I bought a 1/16" parting blade and made a handle for it.

Works well and only cost £3.50 and an off cut of beech.

I had a request for an ebony pen & pencil set some here they are:

I think chrome would have been better for the kit but gun metal was requested, they went in the post today so should here soon if they are up to standard.

 

[Anonymous]

Eggs.... boil one, let it cool, touch it, feel it.....replicate it, eat the original ........but only if it matches (if you find you've just tried to eat the wooden one then give ourself a pat on the back :!:

Why isn't the parting tool in the round? (ideal opportunity to try 'split' turning)

You've had some valuable 'hands on' time......
Stop turning and go back to looking and touching .... then turn something you'd be proud of ......