Advice thread for Novice Woodturners.

delaney001 · 08-12-2016 11:18am

kadman wrote: »

Car body filler for the cracks.

I,ve seen different coloured epoxy fillers used to emphasise the cracks.

Crystal clear resin mixed with copper, steel metallic filings to give an artistic effect.

Drill the cracks and place a different colour timber as a dowel type plug.

Carve out the cracks entirely to pierce the bowl with fretwork.

They're great ideas. Any suggestions on a type of resin? The copper one sounds like it would look really good if done well. Do you use very fine copper filings?

I've seen nice things done with leather in a bootlace style aswell, but not sure how you would tie off the end of the lace without it looking clumpy/messy

Alun · 08-12-2016 11:25am

I've used this stuff before ...

http://www.inlaceonline.com/index.html

You can get it in all kinds of colours with glitter, nuggets, flakes, pearl effect etc. etc.

I've only used it either deliberately, i.e. in grooves cut in bowl edges, or in natural features such as knot holes where the knot has fallen out, rather than cracks.

timfromtang · 08-12-2016 11:44am

delaney001 wrote: »

Anyone any thoughts here, any saving this? Rough turned it 6 weeks ago and been in a kiln since. Cracks were nearly there on day 1. It's reading about 13/14% moisture.
What's best way (or is there anyway) to finish it off?

one more thing comes to mind, you could use little double dovetail shaped pieces of wood to bridge the cracks, I've done this before on natural edge tables where cracks were incorporated and reinforced as a "feature". Cut the mortices in the bowl and inlay the double dovetail shaped pieces, fill the remaining crack with either epoxy or a sawdust and whiteglue mix, then finish turn.
tim

even if you fail completely to save this piece, you will gain on the next piece that needs "special" attention.

delaney001 · 08-12-2016 12:12pm

Alun wrote: »

I've used this stuff before ...

http://www.inlaceonline.com/index.html

You can get it in all kinds of colours with glitter, nuggets, flakes, pearl effect etc. etc.

I've only used it either deliberately, i.e. in grooves cut in bowl edges, or in natural features such as knot holes where the knot has fallen out, rather than cracks.

I see they don't deliver outside UK. Did you use parcel motel or are there Irish stockists?

Alun · 08-12-2016 12:41pm

delaney001 wrote: »

I see they don't deliver outside UK. Did you use parcel motel or are there Irish stockists?

That's a very good question, it was a while ago and I'm not 100% sure, but I think I got it at Gough's in Little Mary St. in Dublin.

The UK distributor is Turner's Retreat which is owned by Robert Sorby, and Gough's always had a good relationship with them hosting demos etc. so it seems likely that was where I got it.

tatyoman · 19-12-2016 8:08pm

What would you guys recommend as a good solid make of turning chisels?

Would you rate Robert Sorby?

Thanks

mayo.mick · 19-12-2016 8:58pm

tatyoman wrote: »

What would you guys recommend as a good solid make of turning chisels?

Would you rate Robert Sorby?

Thanks

Very highly!

tatyoman · 19-12-2016 10:25pm

mayo.mick wrote: »

Very highly!

Hey Mick,
Cheers for the reply.
What would be the basic set to get? What chisels/gouges etc would be needed?

tatyoman · 20-12-2016 12:37pm

What would anyone think of this set?

http://www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/acatalog/Robert_Sorby_Beginners_Turning_Tool_Set.html?gclid=CMeYt57VgtECFe-T7QodKYsM9A

magicbastarder · 20-12-2016 12:48pm

i think that's the set i bought with the lathe. will be more than enough for a beginner; i've added one or two since, you find that if you join a woodturning guild, you'll pick up secondhand gouges there too.
i've added a second skew and a second bowl gouge with a different grind since getting the above set.

woodturner · 20-12-2016 10:29pm

Check out Glenn Lucas' website. I think he sells a Hamlet boxed set.

delaney001 · 20-12-2016 11:18pm

tatyoman wrote: »

What would anyone think of this set?

http://www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/acatalog/Robert_Sorby_Beginners_Turning_Tool_Set.html?gclid=CMeYt57VgtECFe-T7QodKYsM9A

http://glennlucaswoodturning.com/product/glset5-spindle-turning-boxed-set-of-5/

For similar money, I'd go for these. In my mind, any of Lucas's stuff is always top quality.

magicbastarder · 20-12-2016 11:21pm

Only spindle turning capability with that though.

tatyoman · 21-12-2016 12:22pm

I like the look of that Sorby set to be honest.. I think I might go for it. Thanks!

pab_lowe · 04-01-2017 10:41pm

Hi Guys,

Some good advice here, thank you. I start turning in 2016 and would be grateful for some help. I am lucky enough to have a lathe and a nice set of chisels that I use at home. I have been doing some between centers work and also have a couple of bowls that I am very happy with. The frustrating thing for me is that I have no equipment for sharpening the chisels. I have been going to a local turner to sharpen them occasionally but it’s not ideal. I see that getting the angle correct on the gouges is particularly important and so I understand that a grinder and jig set up is probably required. I am somewhat limited on space but I wanted to see if there are any suggestions for what I should invest in. I don’t want to go cheap if it’s going to be dangerous or short term but I don’t need top of the range either.

By the way, its amazing how the outlook on your surrounding changes. When I’m out for a run I’m spotting fallen trees that go back for. One of our normal forest walking areas, I bring a bushman and bag to bring home some nice pieces. Even the firewood I got delivered for the woodburning stove, I’m picking out all the nice bits, lovely dry oak and ash. Also, I realise that the shavings from the lathe make a great means to start the fire!
many thanks
Pab

kadman · 04-01-2017 11:59pm

Simplest space saving option is to mount a grindwheel on an arbour to suit your chuck setup, possibly.

What way are you chucking up the bowls.??

pab_lowe · 05-01-2017 10:07am

Hi Kadman, I use a faceplate and a nova chuck for bowls. What is an arbour?

kadman · 05-01-2017 11:53pm

An arbour is a shaft that can have a grindwheel attached to it, and placed in
a chuck.

You could probably make some attachment of the wheel to the output shaft of the
lathe, when the chuck is removed.

Whats the TPI of the shaft??

pab_lowe · 17-01-2017 3:12pm

Hello again. What is TPI?
Is there anywhere between Limerick city and Ennis where one could get tools sharpened

bonzodog2 · 17-01-2017 5:19pm

pab_lowe wrote: »

Hello again. What is TPI?

Threads per inch. A measure of how coarse/fine the screw threads are on the shaft the faceplate mounts on.

edit: for metric threads, the pitch in mm measures the same thing.

kadman · 18-01-2017 12:57am

pab_lowe wrote: »

Hello again. What is TPI?
Is there anywhere between Limerick city and Ennis where one could get tools sharpened

What tools exactly??

If its woodturning chisels, then you are best to learn to sharpen them yourself. Depending
on what you are turning, you could be sending them off every couple of days.

And as you will most likely be using them straight from the grinder, its not rocket science.

Its about care and attention mostly.

delaney001 · 22-01-2017 4:19pm

Anyone water down PVA for sealing end grain on green bowls? What ratio of water to glue is the norm?

magicbastarder · 16-02-2017 11:18pm

i've tried using wax, but find the wax often pops off as the grain shifts.

recently been doing some finish turning of some bowls i roughed out about 8 months ago; including some myrtle a friend gave me. an interesting wood; easy to turn but with a weird yellow blotchiness at times which almost looks like light staining. warped a hell of a lot as it dried.

mayo.mick · 16-02-2017 11:24pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've tried using wax, but find the wax often pops off as the grain shifts.

recently been doing some finish turning of some bowls i roughed out about 8 months ago; including some myrtle a friend gave me. an interesting wood; easy to turn but with a weird yellow blotchiness at times which almost looks like light staining. warped a hell of a lot as it dried.

I'm not long back at the turning myself. I used always only use beeswax for finishing. I'm now started using shellac sanding sealer first, 2 maybe 3 coats and then a couple of coats of wax. Nice bowl by the way!

delaney001 · 17-02-2017 12:00pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've tried using wax, but find the wax often pops off as the grain shifts.

recently been doing some finish turning of some bowls i roughed out about 8 months ago; including some myrtle a friend gave me. an interesting wood; easy to turn but with a weird yellow blotchiness at times which almost looks like light staining. warped a hell of a lot as it dried.

Lovely stuff. Any idea what kind of moisture content you went from, or roughly what it was at at finish turning point?

woodturner · 18-02-2017 9:04pm

delaney001 wrote: »

Anyone water down PVA for sealing end grain on green bowls? What ratio of water to glue is the norm?

50/50

magicbastarder · 18-02-2017 9:47pm

delaney001 wrote: »

Lovely stuff. Any idea what kind of moisture content you went from, or roughly what it was at at finish turning point?

don't know what it was at finish, but not as low as i'd like, i reckon.

it was completely wet to begin with; here's a photo of one which warped the least:

magicbastarder · 18-02-2017 9:51pm

have been playing with danish oil as a finish the last couple of days. can't beat it for ease of application anyway; one issue i have with beeswax and other waxes is inconsistent finishes as you get near the centre of a bowl, as it's obviously not spinning as fast near the centre.

magicbastarder · 23-02-2017 10:53am

has anyone here ever tried turning cedar? one just came down in my parents-in-laws' garden, and i'll undoubtedly be offered some.

i'd say woodturners will be stalking around the country this morning looking for fallen trees.

Br5d · 26-02-2017 10:32am

delaney001 wrote: »

Anyone water down PVA for sealing end grain on green bowls? What ratio of water to glue is the norm?

I use it without thinning and find it does a great job. I've also used candle wax in the past on smaller rounds and blanks to good effect.

Advice thread for Novice Woodturners.

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