Woodshavings (general woodworking chat thread)

MickeyShtyles · 02-01-2021 12:25am

magicbastarder wrote: »

i am waiting to hear. my mother is hesitant to chase her for details, it has been a tough year for the woman (we're talking way worse than covid territory).

Well, if it was me, I’d be weighing up the cost of getting it milled versus trying to source and buy Elm.

magicbastarder · 17-01-2021 4:32pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd0vt5v37B0

the chap he references in the video also wrote this book: https://www.easons.com/the-man-who-made-things-out-of-trees-rob-penn-9780141977515

kadman · 23-01-2021 12:03am

magicbastarder wrote: »

my mother's friend who lives in cavan recently had a tree felled, and it's still there. it's an elm, but i'm surprised this wasn't (seemingly - i'm getting all this secondhand) remarked on by the tree surgeons she paid a lot of money to, to fell it. apparently i have an open invitation to go up and take as much as i want when restrictions lift, but i only have a 16 inch bar on the chainsaw and do not have the skills to tackle it. especially something as hard as elm.

could be a wych elm for all i know.

Without doubt, Wych Elm is the most beautiful of all timbers. Even Yew.

It has a strikingly beautiful grain, showing green and yellow and red streaks.
I turned an awful lot of it years ago, and its my favourite.

I remember 40+ years ago when I was a nipper, I was offered an elm to take away. All I had to do was fell it. Off i went with my trusty 20" Echo ( which was a ringing b...stard to start) sharpened chain, and my dad.

We found the location off in the boonies, across afew fields, and found the tree.A towering 15'+ straight butt, and way bigger than my saw could handle , probably 30+" if i recall correctly. Anyway, started the saw and started to cut. Took a short wedge on the face of the tree, checked for a safe escape
route, and started the back cut, saw started to bog down abit which I couldn't figure out. Next thing I knew, I was yanked back so hard I never knew what was happening, and then i heard the tree crash down, where it was supposed to go:eek:.

I was laying backwards in the ditch. My dad had thought the tree was going, and he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck to pull me out of the way, and into the ditch. The tree fell where i wanted it, and there was no danger, so I laughed at it afterwards.

And the saw bogging down was caused by about 45 gallons of honey that was in the tree centre, that flowed out at the bottom:D

29-01-2021 11:08pm

Found a good deal on a TS55 REBQ-Plus-FS kit today, for €550 including VAT. So I did what I've mentioned doing before, I bought it, came home from work this evening and advertised my 6 year old one for €475 and sold it in under an hour. €75 'spend' after 6 years leaves me again with a brand new saw with 3 years warranty, a new blade and a new guide rail. I wasn't looking, but I keep an eye out now and then, usually at the end of January each year and at the end of each quarter during the year for specials and sales campaigns.

While I was working that out I noticed the second generation CTL Midi I (which I have) was reduced to €465 including VAT, so I picked up one of those too. I'll gladly replace my bargain find CTL-SYS with that one and shouldn't be unreasonably out of pocket for the difference when I consider the extra capacity, the bluetooth switching and the fact I can just keep one type of bag and filter in spares now.

I'm saving the guts of 500 a month since March on commuting costs, so I'm still scratching around for a few deals while I have a few quid to spare before things hopefully get back to normal. If anyone's looking for a good price on power tools you really should be looking to Germany via eBay or Amazon and putting in the search terms in German. Use Google translate to help you find the right words.

02-02-2021 9:36pm

Good deals on Festool track saws are like the old 75 bus route in Dublin. You'd wait ages and ages, then 2 come along almost at the same time.

Festool authorised dealer, campaign pricing at €599 including VAT with fast charger and two 5.2a Bluetooth batteries, systainer etc. No track but I have enough of those already.

And as if I wasn't delighted with that, I realised the TS55 referenced in the last post didn't cost me €550. It cost me €499. I was nearly squint eyed by the time I'd finished searching and comparing, but went to register warranties and spotted my happy mistake.

I know that's a good whack to lay out on saws and I don't take that for granted, but back to that same old tale now, I could use these for 3-5 years and will almost certainly get back what I paid for them. Corrected for my error, I paid €24 to swap a 6 year old saw for a brand new one with warranty. Where else would you be able to do that? These fellas with their Rolex watch investments are at a mugs game by comparison!

magicbastarder · 27-03-2021 12:18am

had a little helper in the shed this evening.

glynf · 27-03-2021 8:17pm

Brand new Trend chamfer bit gave up on me today, gouged a lump out of the piece of walnut for a sideboard I was working on. Looks like the threads were stripped on the 3mm grub screw, which went flying across the room; still haven't found the bearing. Re-cut the four panels down 20mm, did the chamfer with the table saw instead..

Bit was part of a set of 8 or so bits for about €70-ish, I know its not big money compared to higher end bits (I'm a filthy casual-hard to justify 40-50 plus per bit..), but am I wrong to have expected more? I nipped up all the bits with bearings back when I got the kit as well..

cletus · 27-03-2021 8:22pm

That's shïte. I don't think your expectations were too high. I've an even cheaper set, and I'd expect them to work. Might check any with bearings tomorrow, though...

Could be just a case of it being doa and getting passed QC.

Glad you were able to salvage the timber.

27-03-2021 9:00pm

Chinese crap. That's annoying for sure, and it's not like they cost Aliexpress prices, but the quality is no different. They're rubbish.

I was looking at some Trend router bits last week myself. Disgusted to see what was once a great brand also put their name in the toilet and hit the flush handle.

Their Pro grade cutters costs a packet. The lower priced Craft line stuff is just flogging junk with their name on it.

glynf · 27-03-2021 9:55pm

Lesson learned today-just buy decent ones as the need arises instead of sets.

magicbastarder · 02-04-2021 10:19am

have only rarely turned yew, and it's quite different from a lot of other woods.
i sanded up to 600 grit on a shallow bowl last night, and applied some BLO, and you can see patterns in how the sandpaperran up against the wood.
i used a sanding disc on a drill, because i'd have been sanding air otherwise, but didn't think i'd need to be *that* consistent with the direction i sanded.

Fiery mutant · 08-04-2021 8:01pm

Sorry to throw a question into the middle of this thread, didn’t want to c4ate one just for this. I’m finding it hard to find some ultra fine sandpaper, up to 600 grit or higher. It’s to finish some sample chessboards, has anyone got any ideas where I may find some in store or to order online, from an Irish business preferably.

kadman · 08-04-2021 8:35pm

600 grit or higher. Quin-lok in kilbeggan. Not sure if they are online.

Any motor factor will have paper up to 3000 grit.

What material are you sanding.

magicbastarder · 08-04-2021 8:45pm

Where are you based? There's a chap in d11 runs a wooddturning supply place I've bought rolls of 600 grit from before. It's backed so as to be compatible with velcro systems, but he may do plain sheets too.

Fiery mutant · 08-04-2021 9:26pm

kadman wrote: »

600 grit or higher. Quin-lok in kilbeggan. Not sure if they are online.

Any motor factor will have paper up to 3000 grit.

What material are you sanding.

Testing some different combinations, oak, Scandinavian pine, cherry, mahogany, cedar. Kilbeggan isn’t too far, might try them out. Thanks.

kadman · 08-04-2021 9:34pm

Of course when you are using 600+ grit papers, you are not really sanding just polishing.

You probably know that your items need to be blemish free before you get into superfine papers.
600+ grits will not polish out visual scratches ect.
Its just for polishing to a higher gloss.
For fine paper polishing, your timber choices need to be dense materials.

Mahogany and oak will finish well, softer materials like cedar and pine are too soft to get a paper polished sheen.
k.

kadman · 09-04-2021 8:30am

Plenty of vids on youtube about polishing wood with sandpaper.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=polishing+wood+with+sandpaper#kpvalbx=_rQJwYLD8LY2egQbJ_ZmgCw18

I first learnt about sandpaper polishing at the age of 14 when I spent my 3 months summer holidays working
for 2 master cabinetmakers in Dromina in Cork.Father and son. Father was 80+ years and had me hand polishing 2
chairs for the alter in the local church. I spent days with all types of paper and cabinet scrapers.

When it was finished, it looked like it had been finished in many coats of french polish, even before it was.
At 14...I thought it was magic.......and gerry's dad just smiled. He knew he had given me something I would never forget.
Which he had..

K.

magicbastarder · 15-04-2021 9:46pm

i've been given a fair heft of a slab of decades old elm burr. worms have gotten to it, but thankfully so far the good parts aren't too bad. i'm bringing it to someone more experienced than i to help with figuring out how to carve it up, it's like a reverse jigsaw puzzle doing this where you can't see a lot of the puzzle.

the_pen_turner · 15-04-2021 10:00pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've been given a fair heft of a slab of decades old elm burr. worms have gotten to it, but thankfully so far the good parts aren't too bad. i'm bringing it to someone more experienced than i to help with figuring out how to carve it up, it's like a reverse jigsaw puzzle doing this where you can't see a lot of the puzzle.

fill the holes with resin would be pritty cool

magicbastarder · 15-04-2021 10:11pm

yep, two of our chapter do a lot of work with resin, this will probably end up being split between a few turners.
three elm pieces, but the fourth piece on the right is probably cedar. which has deep bark inclusions.

these were taken down by someone twenty or so years ago who was *not* a turner, so some of the overshot chainsaw cuts are shall we say, unfortunate.
plus the pith was left in the two smaller elm pieces so they're checked (one quite badly)

magicbastarder · 15-04-2021 10:29pm

there was a long chainsaw cut into it, but i took that off, just needed a hand saw, and it looks a little better underneath. this is about a foot long top to bottom, in this photo.

magicbastarder · 22-07-2021 11:17pm

what a day to help someone assemble a lathe with a shipping weight of 165KG. i drank two pints of water in the process and sweated it all straight back out.

magicbastarder · 31-07-2021 10:25pm

i suppose i shouldn't have expected more from a cheap aldi (or lidl?) pyrography kit. this started out straight.

kadman · 01-08-2021 9:40am

Straighten it. Let it heat up first, it might prevent it from breaking

magicbastarder · 01-08-2021 10:03am

i'm not too worried about it. not the first time i've bought something there thinking 'i'm going to quickly learn that this was a false economy'.

kadman · 08-08-2021 10:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117689888#Comment_117689888

Ha Ha , part of the fun. Perfect excuse to spend loads more for the top of the range item. Thats the excuse I normally use.

magicbastarder · 09-08-2021 7:45pm

one thing i've never heard commented on before but have experienced several times when turning cherry - even when working with the gouge, rather than sanding - is that it often leaves a sour or bitter taste in your mouth. is this something anyone else has experienced?

dathi · 10-08-2021 9:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117730041#Comment_117730041

Poisonous Conditions

Wild cherry trees leaves and twigs contain prunasin, a cyanide known prussic acid that when ingested, can be fatal. Cattle and horses are the main victims of poisoning. Symptoms include gasping, weakness, excitement, dilated pupils, spasms, convulsions, coma and respiratory failure.

magicbastarder · 11-08-2021 11:00am

ooh!

magicbastarder · 09-09-2021 8:49pm

one thing prompted by the comment about getting some dead standing elm in the other thread - i collected some elm seed this year for the native woodland trust; they asked on twitter for anyone who knew of any live but old elm trees to collect seed earlier this year - the hope is that if the elm is old and has survived this long, it may have resistance, or partial resistance to dutch elm disease (or another possibility is that it's so far from other elms that the beetle simply never got to it).

AFAIK they're hoping to put out the word again next year - might be worth keeping an eye out for elms and collecting some seed next year. if i remember, i'll post here again about it when it happens - elm sets seed very early compared to other trees, usually around the end of may.

kadman · 11-09-2021 9:03am

I think elm ranks up there with yew in beautiful timbers to turn😁

magicbastarder · 09-10-2021 10:55pm

lidl have a planer thicknesser in at the moment, if anyone has any money they'd like to waste.

https://www.lidl.ie/p/diy-tool-event/parkside-planer-thicknesser/p16235

chillyspoon · 10-10-2021 9:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117999189#Comment_117999189

Oh gotta get one of those - could pick it up from Lidl, and then drop it straight to the recycle centre to save time :D

magicbastarder · 24-11-2021 3:53pm

where do people buy abrasives? i often use 2 inch sanding discs, but paying 50c each is a little steep:

https://www.thecarpentrystore.com/p/50mm-velcro-discs---10-pack/p-50mmdiscs

magicbastarder · 10-02-2022 12:00am

is it possible to get old school paint stripper at all these days?

i agreed to refinish a dining table for a neighbour, where the finish is shot, and the modern paint stripper is pathetic - 'for best results, leave between 2 and 24 hours' - harsh words would be more effective.

magicbastarder · 16-04-2022 12:37pm

I guess most people will have seen this story by now, but if not, it's great.

https://mobile.twitter.com/rclarkie/status/1514981921411026949

magicbastarder · 10-05-2022 10:29pm

Do the Germans have a word for that nagging fear, when you've your hands inside a machine which would turn your fingertips to mincemeat, that even though you've checked six times that it's plugged out, that it might still start?

tabby aspreme · 10-05-2022 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118608589#Comment_118608589

Conservation Technologies Davitt Road, Dublin, will have what you need

magicbastarder · 13-06-2022 9:37am

there are four australian cousins coming to ireland in a couple of weeks, and my mother said she'd like to send them each home with some small turned pieces i've made. but i don't know what the law is on bringing wooden items into australia - anyone here have any experience of that?

obviously, it would be biosecurity concerns or laws i'm talking about.

dathi · 13-06-2022 10:10am

Wooden items are allowed into Australia if they are free from bark, insects and signs of insect damage (such as borer holes) or any other contamination. To check for insect damage look closely at wooden items for holes and sawdust. Wooden items must be declared and inspected on arrival.

Wooden items that do not meet these import conditions will be treated, exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

https://www.awe.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/travelling/bringing-mailing-goods#wooden-items

of course you will also have to make sure the wood is not on CITES list of endangered trees , monkey puzzle is one that grows here that is turned regularly which is banned from sale or export

magicbastarder · 13-06-2022 10:29am

thank you!

that excludes all the live edge pieces so... would mainly be native stock i use, though i do have a few laburnum bits, will have to check the list for that.

magicbastarder · 25-03-2023 11:35am

any obvious tricks to drilling a hole every so slightly larger than the bit you have?

i'm trying to make replacement volume knobs for an electric guitar - drilling a 6mm hole leaves the hole too big, and i tried a 5.5mm bit and it's too small; i forced it on to an old pot, and it pulled the shaft out of the pot when i tried to remove it. am trying to think of some way to ream out just the tiniest amount from inside the 5.5mm hole.

timfromtang · 25-03-2023 12:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120399099#Comment_120399099

A standard steel drill bit will cut oversize if one of the cutting edges is slightly longer than the other. If you can sharpen a drill bit on the grinder then sharpen it deliberately more on one side than the other and it will cut oversize for you.

Alternatively an engineering supply crowd will have letter and number drills and there will be a size very close to what you need. From this chart https://www.engineeringclicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Drill-Size-Chart-PDF-download.pdf It looks as if a number gauge 1 or number gauge 2 would suit.

hope this helps

tim

magicbastarder · 25-03-2023 1:18pm

cheers, i can try that!

Woodshavings (general woodworking chat thread)

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