enough practice for now

[ElizaLeahy]

I think I have the general idea. I think I also have an sad lot of campher laurel, it keeps cracking.

In order of making, from left to right.

Spanish cedar with Jarrah finial

Camphor laurel with odd bits painted black

Black Heart Sassy - the finish on this is lovely, not happy with the shape, but didn't catch the bowl anyway and it has a chip and a gouge out of it. Zoe has a bowl for her chips, and a lid to stop Licorice from helping herself!

Camphor laurel and red cedar - I like the shape of this one

Huon pine and red cedar - this is my favourite - the egg :)

Camphor Laurel and huon - I probably should have used a darker wood for the finial, but it was already made, so I just stuck it on.

What I'll have to do for the challenge...

1. plan the shape first and don't deviate too much

2. end grain - get it smooth!

3. I might have to buy some wood so that the finials are right for the piece.

4. don't use cracked camphor laurel!!!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Nice finials! You've certainly got them down pat... :2tsup:

[wheelinround]

Finial practice yeh right like whats the difference between finials and hair sticks :rolleyes: the name and how and where they are used

They all look great :2tsup::2tsup: roll on warmer weather in the back of garage I'll be making finial's

[ElizaLeahy]

I've been practicing finials since Jan 29th - the day I got my lathe!!! I must have turned a couple of hundred by now ;)

They are a bit smaller then a hair stick, half the size or less. And pointier! Do an eye out with one of them if you weren't careful!

Talking about careful I dropped a lump of wood on my bare foot today, my tonail is an interesting shade of blue. I thought "great, next I'll have to buy steel cap boots!!!"

[ElizaLeahy]

They all look great :2tsup::2tsup: roll on warmer weather in the back of garage I'll be making finial's

We could have a finial competition if you like - what would the aim be? Thinest (how do you spell that?) in a specified type of timber? Just not queen ebony!!! lol

[wheelinround]

We could have a finial competition if you like - what would the aim be? Thinest (how do you spell that?) in a specified type of timber? Just not queen ebony!!! lol

:B you win

[thefixer]

Talking about careful I dropped a lump of wood on my bare foot today, my tonail is an interesting shade of blue. I thought "great, next I'll have to buy steel cap boots!!!"

Or learn the art of catching the lump of with the foot raised so as to avoid damaging the toe or, god forbid, the wood:D Takes years of practice. still got 11 good toes to prove it.

Cheers
Shorty

[orificiam]

Nice turnings there Eliza :2tsup::2tsup:
Cheers Tony.:)

[ElizaLeahy]

Thanks!

Shorty, does that really work? Raising the foot? I saw it happening, didn't have time to move it out of the way, I might have had time to lift it a little.

11, really?

[Ed Reiss]

...you've been a busy gal...takin' any time for play???

[ElizaLeahy]

Isn't this play?


:?

[artme]

:2tsup::2tsup:Nice work all round Eliza!

I too like the Sassy, both for its colour and the great finish it gives.

[KenW]

I've been practicing finials since Jan 29th - the day I got my lathe!!! I must have turned a couple of hundred by now ;)

They are a bit smaller then a hair stick, half the size or less. And pointier! Do an eye out with one of them if you weren't careful!

Talking about careful I dropped a lump of wood on my bare foot today, my tonail is an interesting shade of blue. I thought "great, next I'll have to buy steel cap boots!!!"
Eliza, you need to try and make your finials a lot thinner, and the decorations need to be a lot crisper.
This box is just about all finial, should give you an idea what I am talking about.

[ElizaLeahy]

Ken, one of the problems I have is neat beads. I need more practice with them - they aren't really "round". I bought a beading tool, but anytime I try to use it on something fine, I end up with the round bit broken.

Any suggestions, or is it just practice?

[ElizaLeahy]

:2tsup::2tsup:Nice work all round Eliza!

I too like the Sassy, both for its colour and the great finish it gives.


I've been very lucky with a wonderful friend who sent me this blank, and others. I love Black Heart Sassy - I'd have to say it's my favourite timber.

I saw a grand paino on TV the other day that was made from it! It was amazing.

[RETIRED]

Ken, one of the problems I have is neat beads. I need more practice with them - they aren't really "round". I bought a beading tool, but anytime I try to use it on something fine, I end up with the round bit broken.

Any suggestions, or is it just practice?Learn to use a detail gouge or a small skew. Most beading tools have to be very very very sharp and a gentle touch to work successfully.

Hard dense timber helps too.:D

[RETIRED]

PS lots of practise helps too.

[jefferson]

Eliza, you need to try and make your finials a lot thinner, and the decorations need to be a lot crisper.
This box is just about all finial, should give you an idea what I am talking about.

Ken, you've only told Eliza half the story. The hard part (from what I can gather) is for mere mortals to do the ten degrees of separation (without the piece separating! :rolleyes:)

If you get that far, then and only then can you start on the box and finials.

And, BTW, your base seems indistinct. Or is it just the photo? I just can't see that little step on the base that makes your bases work so well. :D:D

And Eliza, don't feel threatened by Ken W. in any way. He still splits 20cm of firewood by hand.....

[ElizaLeahy]

What's the 10 deg of seperation?

I have some harder wood, but I've been using huon and red cedar. I'll try the harder woods tomorrow see if that helps with the lumps and bumps!

[jefferson]

Learn to use a detail gouge or a small skew. Most beading tools have to be very very very sharp and a gentle touch to work successfully.

Hard dense timber helps too.:D

Eliza, in my limited experience, very few people can claim to have mastered the skew for rolling beads. is one.... and I am not at all happy about it. :((:((:(( I humbly suggest that you get a 6mm gouge and start from there.... Less nasty catches.


What's the 10 deg of seperation?



Ken will tell you the full story, but the idea started I think from two sources - a box that Hans Weissflog made with the box piercing into a round cube. Ken decided to complicate it further to make the box sit within ONE piece of wood. Originally, the split was at 15 degrees, but a club in SA wanted the number TEN for their 10th anniversary. So the 15 degrees became 10. Again, this is a very anal thing. The jigs to design the separation are exacting.

And I am yet to hear of anyone that has got past square one.....

Perhaps a little competion between us Elizy for the Box challenge? :D:D

[ElizaLeahy]

Eliza, in my limited experience, very few people can claim to have mastered the skew for rolling beads. is one.... and I am not at all happy about it. :((:((:(( I humbly suggest that you get a 6mm gouge and start from there.... Less nasty catches.



errr, you are going to hate me... The skew is one I "mastered" (I mean, I use it) early on. I thought I had to, Skew, , everyone said that for the hair sticks that is what i should be using, so I use it. I use it "correctly" (I think) over the top of the work, in both dirrections (either hand) and also probably "incorrectly" almost as a scraper, especially around the points of the hair sticks. That is what I mostly use for the beads I do now, but I usually end up with them rounder on one side then the other. And I never catch with the skew - so I must be doing something wrong!!! I catch all the time with a scraper on the inside of bowls (even today, after all the advice I was given!) but never with the skew.




Ken will tell you the full story, but the idea started I think from two sources - a box that Hans Weissflog made with the box piercing into a round cube. Ken decided to complicate it further to make the box sit within ONE piece of wood. Originally, the split was at 15 degrees, but a club in SA wanted the number TEN for their 10th anniversary. So the 15 degrees became 10. Again, this is a very anal thing. The jigs to design the separation are exacting.

And I am yet to hear of anyone that has got past square one.....

Perhaps a little competion between us Elizy for the Box challenge? :D:D

I did not understand that explaination at all! Too many terms I have no idea what they mean. - box piercing round cube - split - 15 degrees - why you need a jig with it...

Sure! Be fun to have someone to go up against. But - you have had Ken helping you! I'm not sure that'll be fair. hmmmm

OK

;)

[KenW]

Ken, one of the problems I have is neat beads. I need more practice with them - they aren't really "round". I bought a beading tool, but anytime I try to use it on something fine, I end up with the round bit broken.

Any suggestions, or is it just practice?
Eliza, a beading tool is a scraper, the wood you are using is too soft to scrape. You need much harder straight grain timber. Start with a piece about 6mm square, and then practice your finial turning
I use a skew to plane my finials to size, then do most of the details with a 6mm spindle gouge, with an extremely long side grind. Nothing wrong with using a skew as a scraper on small detail.
If you are not getting any catches when rolling beads with a skew, you are a very unusual novice.

[KenW]

What's the 10 deg of seperation?

I have some harder wood, but I've been using huon and red cedar. I'll try the harder woods tomorrow see if that helps with the lumps and bumps!
Jeff made the answer a lot harder than it should have been.
The box I posted to show you how to turn finials, is called ten degrees of seperation, the name came about as Jeff said.
The two rings are one piece of wood turned ten degrees of verticle and are 3mm thick. The box body is two pieces, the upper piece (the box) has a spigot that passes through ring junction onto a hole in the lower leg section, joining it all together.
I make a Vase version of this piece in an 1 3/4 hour demo.

[KenW]

Ken, you've only told Eliza half the story. The hard part (from what I can gather) is for mere mortals to do the ten degrees of separation (without the piece separating! :rolleyes:)

If you get that far, then and only then can you start on the box and finials.

And, BTW, your base seems indistinct. Or is it just the photo? I just can't see that little step on the base that makes your bases work so well. :D:D

And Eliza, don't feel threatened by Ken W. in any way. He still splits 20cm of firewood by hand.....
Jeff, the base has the step.

[ElizaLeahy]

I might try the box, leave the rings off. Would that be ok?

I was thinking it was one long piece. You are saying that the stand is seperate to the box?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I think he means that, because the two rings are actually one piece, the stand was made in two pieces and glued together at the point where it looks like it passes through where the rings connect.

[dai sensei]

Check out Cindy's finial box video here (http://www.woodworkingchannel.com/dolphin/vidego_video_library.php) (under AAW - you have to scroll across), it gives you a good idea on how to support your work whilst cutting.

[Ed Reiss]

Good find, Neil :2tsup:

[ElizaLeahy]

That's a great video! I've bookmarked it, I think I'll be watching it several times!

I like the really thin parting tool, and the pointy type detail gouge she uses. I'll put them on my "want" list (boy, it's long and getting longer!)

Now I'm watching the Mushroom box one. I think I'll make a mushroom for myself as a 6 months pressie :)

[KenW]

That's a great video! I've bookmarked it, I think I'll be watching it several times!

I like the really thin parting tool, and the pointy type detail gouge she uses. I'll put them on my "want" list (boy, it's long and getting longer!)

Now I'm watching the Mushroom box one. I think I'll make a mushroom for myself as a 6 months pressie :)
Cindy is a great turner and has a wonderful eye for shape, I have shared a lathe with her so got to see first hand. The Spindle gouge she uses is too large. Her finials are beautiful, but lack fine detail around beads and disks. The size of her tool prevents her doing finer detail. She had a close look at my tools at Turnfest, so her finials might change. Cindy turns finials without tailstock support, this also makes fine detail more difficult.