First turning project - Leatherwood bowl.

[Coldamus]

I bought a Jet mini lathe a week ago and have been itching to try it out. So when I saw some turning blanks in Carbatec on Saturday I grabbed a couple plus a jar of Shellawax cream.

Here is my first result. I've never touched a lathe before so made some bad mistakes. Still, I was happy to be able to salvage something from the exercise. The bowl is a little shallower than intended (ahem!). The reason for the watch in the photo is to give the camera's auto-focus something to lock onto. It doesn't always focus well on the bowl alone.

The wood used is Leatherwood. It seemed a bit wet and subject to tear-out on the cross-grain but that is probably just my lack of technique.

FIrst impression of woodturning: I can hardly believe the amount of sawdust from one little piece of wood - a couple of buckets full - I kept losing things under the mess.

Loved the Shellawax Cream! So easy to use and such an instant result - I'm definitely a convert.

regards
Coldamus

[Kev Y.]

excellent job Coldamus, welcome to the fold ;) , I think there is something addictive in the shellawax mix, once you have used it, you always yearn for more :)

[Ian007]

nice, well done, use much sandpaper :D :D

Cheers Ian :)

[Wes Paas]

One question - where do you get leatherwood? I live in Tasmania, supposedly THE state where leatherwood grows. I have asked everywhere, but have not been able to find a supplyer.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've never touched a lathe before so made some bad mistakes.

Your worst one was touching the lathe. Now you're on the never-ending slipperyside to financial destitution.

Let's see... there'll be the chainsaw, the curing shed out the back to store your rough's, the newer, bigger, faster lathe, a set of shelves to display your new works of art, the drying cabinet, a bandsaw to cut your blanks, a dust collector to keep your lathe & BS clean, the other shed out the back for what won't fit in the first,a new workshop to put your tools in, a new display cabinet to fit the best of your works of art, a wall-to-wall and treetop tall set of shelves in your old workshop to store the stuff that won't fit in either of the sheds out the back, a table saw 'cos you can see that you're gonna need a lot of shelves so why not make 'em yourself, a timber rack to store all the timber while you build your shelves, a jointer-thicknesser once you realise stored boards just won't stay flat, a new workshop so you once more have somewhere to stand while you play with your toys, fitted cabinets for your toys so you can make the shop look less cluttered...

[pause for a breath of air]

a new kitchen table (with turned legs) to show SWMBO how necessary all the above is, a set of bedside table 'cos the kitchen table idea didn't quite work, a gifkin jig when you realise drawers just aren't as simple as they look, an even better lathe because with all this work your old new one just isn't enough, a new house 'cos there just isn't enough room for a new shed... etc, etc.

Somewhere in there is all the little stuff: new chisels, chucks, chuck-jaws, handsaws, planes, finishes, sand-paper, orbital sanders, hospital bills. :)

If you're lucky a new Missus isn't in there somewhere. But no psychiatric bills at least. Any hassles? Go to the shed! Come to that, a psychiatrist is probably cheaper in the long run... but not as much fun! :D


BTW, welcome to the madhouse! http://members.optusnet.com.au/%7Eamcardle60/Smilies/propeller.gif

[Coldamus]

One question - where do you get leatherwood?
In this case it was pure chance. I was in Carbatec at Auburn in Sydney and they had a box full of bowl blanks. They were square blanks, not round. I picked the smallest ones because of the limited swing on the mini lathe. My only other means of knocking off the corners would have been a hand saw. They were Leatherwood and Sassafras.

regards
Coldamus

[Coldamus]

Thanks for the encouragement, Guys. Yes, I realise it is a slippery slope. I'm already thinking about a bandsaw.

Yes, Ian, I did use quite a bit of sandpaper, especially on the inside. Now I know why they call it the 80-grit gouge. At least it doesn't dig in. I managed the outside fairly easily and it only required light sanding.

The question is what to do next? A rolling pin seems too much like tempting fate. Something lighter on the noggin might be more prudent. Perhaps salt and pepper mills?

I also bought some pen blanks so will give those a try in the meantime.

regards
Coldamus

[Baz]

Wes Pass, I got some Leatherwood earlier this year from Geeveston, not Island Specialty Timbers but he did put me onto him. I can't rember his name or address so I suggest you contact IST and ask him.
Cheers
Barry

[Utuk_Xul]

Helluva bowl for first effort. Well done. I have yet to try the Shellawax cream. I either make my own beeswax polishing paste or use Briwax friction polish as it's in my price range. Was planning on getting some of that Shellawax cream soon though. Very nice finish.

[KevM]

Wes,
You can get turning blanks of leatherwood from a number of suppliers here in Tasmania.

In the South try Sue at Enchanted Woods, Castle Forbes Bay and in the North West, Chris Searle, Cockatoo Timbers at Stanley.

My stocks are currently very limited.

Kev M

[tonysa]

Excellent first attempt !
I've been going for a couple of months now and haven't attempted anything like that yet. Still practising with the chisels on scrap wood, well that was until this weekend and this evening when I tried some Mulga - i love the colours in mulga, and it turns ok. Comes up real good !

Welcome to a very addictive hobby.


Cheers
Tony

PS You'll need a bandsaw pretty soon now, and all the other necessities Skewie listed.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

The question is what to do next? A rolling pin seems too much like tempting fate. Something lighter on the noggin might be more prudent. Perhaps salt and pepper mills?

I also bought some pen blanks so will give those a try in the meantime.

A nice thing about turning pens is that it doesn't take much to start turning out good-looking ones and they're a relatively cheap gift to impress the rellies. :)

For a small lathe S&P mills are another good choice, but my favourite items are goblets. They take a bit more practice to master but make a nice change to bowls, bowls and more bowls.

When I first started, I simply salvaged old redgum stumps and fenceposts, as well as old pallet bearers, etc. So the wood was cheap and no great loss when I screwed up. Oddly enough, I still turn the majority of my goblets from redgum stumps, 'cos they look so damned good! Especially from very old, age-darkened stumps.

Most of the expensive blanks I've bought over the years are still sitting on my shelf waiting for that spark of inspiration...