For those that didn’t get round to turning a miniature, you don’t have to use small tools to turn them. It can be done with full size tools although I did use a detail bit I made some time ago. The rest was done with a 3/8 spindle gouge.
Below are contributions from members during the Coronavirus Crisis for your
perusal and inspiration.
Perhaps you might be tempted to add something of your own, a comment or some
humour.
Contributions are in chronological order with the newest at the top.
(Tue
26th May) Vic Russell writes :
For those that didn’t get round to turning a miniature, you don’t have to use
small tools to turn them. It can be done with full size tools although I did use
a detail bit I made some time ago. The rest was done with a 3/8 spindle gouge.
(Sat 23rd May)
Paul Reeves has written :
The wood store hasn't been this empty
for years !
(Sat 23rd May)
Mark Codling has written :
Hi. Hope you are all okay in this stressful time ...
I’ve been quite busy. I got a load of beach, ash and oak recently and like to
turn green wood for Treen. I’d rather the bowls are used than sat on a shelf
(also I hate sanding)
Got to get that pole lathe sorted as I feel it’s slightly cheating turning Treen
on a powered lathe ...
Some had split but I think they improve with a bit of copper wire (very Japanese
in spirit).
(Mon 18th May) Vic Russell writes :
"I don’t have any wall space for these
types of tools so I used to keep stuff like this under the lathe. They used to
get covered in shavings and dust though so I finally ended up putting them in a
plastic tray. The tray soon got filled though and I’d “lose” stuff at the
bottom. I then remembered I had a tote tray that was bigger so I transferred all
the tools over. I still lost stuff though so then thought of adding a piece of
ply with some holes drilled in it for the tools to sit upright and this is
working out well."
(Mon 11th May)
John Bolt has submitted a home-made Sphere-turning jig made from Corian,
with 3 examples of the finished work (all 80mm diameter) :
(Thu 7th May)
Paul Reeves has written :
Below is a photo of a Prisoner
of War turned apple with tiny cups, plates and goblets etc. Turned in about
1946-7 and given to my grandparents as a thank you for their kindness. They
arranged for several prisoners to leave the camp at Weekley and visit families
in the Kettering , Northants area on Sundays so that they could attend church
and then go for lunch and tea. My Father corresponded with and visited one
man's family from near Stuttgart until he died in 2004. All the turning
was probably done with a sharp nail and the wood held in a hand drill. A two man
operation! They are made from boxwood (maybe from the Duke of Buccleugh's estate
nearby as some of the men worked on the estate growing food etc.)
(Wed
6th May) David Game has submitted something
for the kitchen and something to wave on
Thursday Nights to support the NHS.
(Thu 30th Apr)
'Problems with my lathe' by Rick Patrick:
I had found the speed control lever on my Axminster SL900 lathe was becoming progressively more difficult to move.
While searching
Google for suggestions, I came across an Axminster 1998 publication stating that,
"The motor and drive shafts should be periodically checked for build up of wood dust. We recommend that you remove the belt cover every six months in order to vacuum dust from the area and to lubricate the pulley system ... after removing the belt."
Whoops! I've owned this lathe for over 10 years after buying it from another Member. I would be most surprised if the belt cover had ever been removed in the past 14 years!
"Stop the machine on the slowest speed. Unplug power supply cable. Remove belt cover. Move speed selection lever to fast position. Remove the belt from the headstock shaft pulley, then slip the belt from the motor pulley. This pulley will now close together. If you wish to lubricate the headstock shaft pulley, now is the best time to do it. All that is required is to spray a PTFE dry lubricant BETWEEN the pulley halves. Move speed selection lever to “slow” position and spray the headstock shaft between the pulley and headstock casing."
Whoops again! That dust encrusted drive shaft had obviously absorbed moisture over the years and had corroded the metal
shaft such that the speed selector had now become stuck rigid it in its fast
position.
No alternative but to unscrew various circlips & grub screws and 'persuade' the individual halves of the pulleys off their slightly rusty shafts with a combination of a handmade U-shaped wedge of hardwood & an extractor.
Once I had worked out that the right hand pulley of the headstock was affixed to the shifting lever bracket so wouldn't comply with my misplaced encouragement of aforesaid wedge, the
spindles swiftly became clean & smooth with some wire wool and elbow grease.
Assembly was a straight retrace of the above (although I managed to miss a grub screw and had to back step when the speed control would only move towards faster).
"To fit a new belt you will need to prise open the motor pulley, either with your finger tips or with a pair of medium flat bladed screwdrivers held on opposite sides of the pulley."
Having easily got the belt over the headstock pulleys in their 'fast' position, I found the spring on the motor shaft too strong for my fingertips, so opted for the screwdrivers. I just needed the pulleys a little more apart so just wiggled the screwdriver to move down towards the shaft when there was a 'ding' from a stressed &
now broken pulley.
Oh
bugg
err, bother!
Fortunately, Axminster were able to supply a new pulley set via mail order so 3
days later I was back in business.
Some points to take away :
● There is a hole in the motor shaft for oil;
● Probably better to put the belt on the motor pulleys first as once in the
right position, the belt will be better able to prise open those pulleys before
passing over the headstock pulley set;
● I used a thin & wide wedge of boxwood to prise open pulleys after my mishap
with the screwdriver;
● Align the grub hole of the speed selector shaft with the speed number '6' for
getting the speed selecting lever in the right position of '1' SLOW and so
misses impeding the on/off cover;
(Thu 30th Apr)
Alan Brooks has attached a couple of
images of small bowls made from originally discarded wood: A shallow Oak dish
and bowl from an Ash branch. Also tried a winged bowl from a piece of Cherry.
(Wed
29th Apr) John Bolt has submitted 2 pens made with kits from Stiles &
Bates and with acrylic infills.
(Fri 17th Apr)
John Bolt has written :
Examples of offset spindle turning .
Hope you all are staying well.
(Tue 21st Apr)
Ian Wright commented :
I like the 'im & 'er - very novel.
Regards the wine goblet - if, after a few, your glass looks like this, it's time
to stop drinking!
(Sat
11th Apr)
Paul Reeves has written :
This morning's project was Hornbeam, some
spalted, and a bit of spalted silver birch. Two nice natural edge vase blanks as
well.
Now it's just the sawdust to tidy up.
(Sat 11th Apr) A top tip from Terry Miles :
A tip from my good friend Vic Russell:
if you need something soft to secure an odd shaped piece while sanding or
finishing, a squash training ball is just the job. They can be had for a couple
of pounds from eBay, provided you don't mind the three week wait from China.
(Thu 9th Apr)
Paul Reeves has written :
This lawn edger was broken at work a few days
ago so I brought it home for the blade to be fitted with a new shaft. The ash
used for the original handle was very brittle and soft so I found a nice solid
piece of ash for the replacement. The shaft is 30" long and turned without a
steady. Finished with a coat of hard wax oil.
(Thu 9th Apr) John Bolt has added a new cocobola mini helmet to his collection.
Paul Reeves wrote on Saturday, 4th April :
We were going to be stuck in all weekend with nothing
much to do so we have been cutting down trees today. Three self-sets that were
20' high growing in the border next to where Greta parks the TT. I meant
to take them out when they were 5' high!!!! 2 beech and an ash.
Also the big dead oak with the seat round it is no longer vertical with some to
be milled tomorrow. I don't think it would have been too long before it fell
over anyway. Let's hope that the Duster will haul it out of the hole.
(Looks like fresh supplies for the Club Wood
Sale in a year or two)
Vic Russell writes :
"Not
Woodturning I know but as some may be aware, there’s a fad on FaceBook at the
moment for making Squirrel tables from scraps of wood!
This is my attempt."
(I remember watching TV programmes with squirrels working with tight ropes, hoop jumping and pulling sticks out of a maze to release some food. How's Vic's picnic table going to test them. Oh --- hang on a minute. How high is this table off the ground?)
For info :
Below is a graph illustrating the time we spend looking at exponential graphs
(Terry Miles)
Beware...
Your webmaster has just received the following attachment in an email sent to
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Please view at least 2 metres from the screen, stay at home & stay safe.
As we started making our own Pizza’s a while back, I bought a Pizza Peel for
getting them into and out of the oven. The metal blade was ok but the
rectangular section wooden handle was useless so I turned this today. A simple
job for what is fast becoming an essential kitchen tool!
Some Members might remember the laminated stool that I made
for my granddaughter and entered into the 'spindle and faceplate' turned
competition. I had some offcuts left over from the legs and made a handle
from them.
The keyless chuck was only £6 or so from China but works really well.
This bowl was rough turned from a chunk of Plane last June
and finished last week with a decorative band using a mix of beading, pyrography
and spirit pens to achieve the result. Additionally, I've clearly got more
time on my hands than I care to admit so have a go at this Horizontal Crossword
with answers all relevant to woodturning.
Regards, Andy Ogilvie. <
CROSSWORD
>
(Send completed crossword back to the Webmaster and
I'll keep a score of who has succeeded or give you a clue if you went wrong)
More podlets from John Bolt in black, white & natural.
Following Paul's demo on offset spindle turning, I enclose
pictures of a candle holder which I started a year or so ago and just completed
as a rounded triangular spindle type.
I also made a rabbit box this month in time for Easter. David Game.
(Nice to see how you did it - RP)
I turned this on my sphere jig the other day.
5” diameter in sycamore and a couple of other hardwoods, one possibly walnut.
Lego Carpenter for scale!
... also in the picture, a new cup chuck I made to fit my OneWay live
centre to support the ball when sanding.
Vic.