A mini pretend weed pot

[ElizaLeahy]

I think the emphasis is on "weed", or "pretend"

OK, I turned this. After I worked out that cutting in one direction just chewed up the wood I turned it all in the other direction. So it's somewhat smaller then it was at the start.

Now - HOW DO I GET THE END BITS OFF??? LOL!!!

I had it in my bowl chuck - I even used my drill endy bit to try out drilling a hole (which is way too small because I only have one drill bit.

But how do you get the foot off?

I feel so ignorant - but at least I turned something that isn't a broken stick!

[ElizaLeahy]

Oh - you want to see it?

[thefixer]

Put it back into the chuck using the tailstock and live centre to make sure it is balanced. Turn the lathe by hand to double check the balance. Reposition it in the chuck if necessary. Turn the top part off almost to the centre with the parting tool. Slide the tailstock away and remove the last bit carefully with the parting tool on slow speed.You get ten bonus points if you catch itbefore it hits the floor. It helps to hold the chisel with one hand and the piece which is about to be removed with the other hand. Then use the parting tool again to remove the finished piece away from the tenon. The tenon is the bit that is in the chuck.
Hope this helps.


Cheers
Shorty

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

:yes:

For chuck mounted pieces you should leave a cm or so of "waste" between the end of the chuck and the bottom of the piece you want to seperate, so you have room to work.

Mounting between centres will work for this piece, though.


Also, when using the parting tool don't just plunge it straight in all the way. Chances are that it will jam on the sides and cause you grief. Instead, cut in perhaps 5mm and then move the tool over half it's width and cut another trench 5mm deeper than the first. Move back to the original cut and cut 5mm, than back to the second. Keep alternating until almost all the way through.

Then you can finish the job with the parting tool (if you feel comfortable catching the piece as it spins off) or taking it off the lathe and using a sharp knife or chisel or whatever to cut that last li'l bit. :)

(Then sand to remove any evidence of how you did what you did. :D).

[Bill Travel]

Once you get the top and bottom waste off you'll have a very nice looking weed pot. The form is interesting and the wood has nice color and figure.

[ElizaLeahy]

Thank you, I'll try that.

Can I use a thin blade like a jig saw? I seem to remember doing something with a jigsaw on the lathe. (rather then the parting tool)

It's a pretty little piece of campher - my favourite wood!

[munruben]

I'm rather new at turning so far from it for me to advise you on wood turning but I would think that the parting tool would be your best and safest bet to cut off the ends. I know one guy who cuts off the ends of his work with a saw so guess there is more than one way to skin a cat.
I think the shape of your piece is nice and once you remove the ends, it will look really nice.

[Paul39]

That is a lovely shape, and nicely finished.

The advise above, taking little wider cuts with the parting tool is a good way to work.

I have used a hacksaw blade for parting off. I wrap half with tape with the teeth pointing toward me, and part off the piece by putting the blade under the piece so it pulls rather than pushes. This would work on shallow cuts. It might jam on a deep one and jerk the blade out of your hand and the part out of the lathe.

You are progressing nicely. Keep turning.

I have Richard Raffan's bowl turning book, It is wonderful. He is one of my heros.

Paul

[Gil Jones]

Eliza,
Well, you seem to have plenty of good advice....so, go after it.
As for the weed vase, the wood being Camphor is beautiful, and I like the finish you have given it. The form flows nicely, and you should be proud of it :2tsup:
A small thought, as you are parting off the top, you might consider cutting a bit of a taper into top where the hole is drilled...sort of like a small funnel. You could also sand and finish the top before you part off the tenon at the bottom.
Well done, keep at it. :)

[ElizaLeahy]

Thanks everyone, I'll try removing it with the parting tool.

Gil, there is a funnel already there, although it probably doesn't show. Part of the problem was that I couldn't get closer wtih the tail stock there with the funnel - I'll try doing it without the tail stock. I'll show you when it's done.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

One "trick" to get around that is to slip a bit of dowel down the bore, and cut it off so that about an inch is still sticking out. You can put the tailstock onto that instead of the vase itself, which gives you a bit of elbow room for working the funnel.

Just make sure that the dowel is of a size where you can easily slip it back out of the hole afterwards... (especially if it breaks off and you need to use a pair of pliers to extract it. Ben there, done that. :-)

I prefer the dowel to be slightly undersized and packed out with a few wraps of sticky tape at the very end and near the lip of the bowl.

[ElizaLeahy]

Good hint with the dowel.

here it is finished. I can't even see that dratted chip on the lip except in the photo! Shows up there like a sore thumb!

You will notice that most of the bottom has gone, and some of the top as well! Next time I'll plan better :)

[artme]

Lovely grain, nice finish.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

What happened to that nicely shaped bottom?:?:?:?

[ElizaLeahy]

Lovely grain, nice finish.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

What happened to that nicely shaped bottom?:?:?:?

I ate too much pasta.

OH! You mean on the pot! How embarrising!

;)

I had to cut the bottom off - I hadn't allowed room for the tool.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Nicely done! :2tsup: What finish did you use on it?

Do you have a set of pin-jaws for the chuck? Or perhaps a jacob's chuck?

If so, you could have used that dowel-trick I mentioned earlier, but held the dowel in the chuck with the tailstock up against the "bottom" of the vase.

Then you could've gotten away without losing so much of the piece.

Ya gotta get creative with these things! :D

[ElizaLeahy]

Nicely done! :2tsup: What finish did you use on it?

Do you have a set of pin-jaws for the chuck? Or perhaps a jacob's chuck?

If so, you could have used that dowel-trick I mentioned earlier, but held the dowel in the chuck with the tailstock up against the "bottom" of the vase.

Then you could've gotten away without losing so much of the piece.

Ya gotta get creative with these things! :D

I have a drill chuck for the tail end and a normal bowl type for the other end as well as normal spindle things. I really can't afford anything new yet!!! Have to use these a bit to justify buying them :)

Finish - shellawax - love it. I remember buying shellac in bags and having to mix it up and apply with steel wool. This stuff is such an improvement!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I have a drill chuck for the tail end and a normal bowl type for the other end as well as normal spindle things. I really can't afford anything new yet!!! Have to use these a bit to justify buying them :)

The jacob's chuck (drill chuck) will do the job in the headstock almost as well as the normal chuck, provided you use the tailstock... otherwise it'll tend to fall out of the headstock. :rolleyes:


Finish - shellawax - love it. I remember buying shellac in bags and having to mix it up and apply with steel wool. This stuff is such an improvement!

You'll get no argument from me there. :)

[joe greiner]

Fine recovery, Eliza. And a great learning opportunity, too.:2tsup:

Cheers,
Joe

[Ed Reiss]

Nicely done Eliza:2tsup:

[Lutefisk]

On your next one, keep the pot chucked on the bottom and drill out your hole. Use the dowel as suggested above and finish turning the top to shape. Chuck up a piece of scrap wood and turn youself a jamb chuck that will give you a snug fit in the hole. It doesn't have to bottom out in the hole, but should be in more that half way. Reverse the weed pot on to the jamb chuck and slide up the tail stock. Turn the bottom waste away until you just have a small bit holding. Cut the rest away with a saw and use a sharp chisel or knife to get rid of the little nub that will be left. Hope this wasn't too confusing.
Dale

[Paul39]

I too miss the nicely rounded bottom on the piece.

BUT:

You learned how to extricate yourself from a difficult situation and did finish the piece.

It did not jump out of the lathe and hit you in the mouth, so you have learned how to mount and turn successfully.

Put the piece on the shelf with the chip on the back side. Later when you have developed a bit more skill and confidence you may want to remount it and tidy things up a bit.

Every time we turn something different, we learn.

Keep turning,

Paul