Thread: what do you turn at a demo?

Thought I'd post one of my quick and fun turnings for kids to take away.

I start with a small piece of wood 1cm x 1cm x 10cm (Pic 1)

Hold it in a small set of jaws, once rounded, pencil in a small space for the rotating centre point and then the remainder of the length into 5.

Turn the middle section down to size (Pic 2)

Without loosening the headstock, offset the wood against the live centre to position C (Pic 6) and turn to size again.

This is always fun when you get a machine turning in front of you - their material does not flex like wood. Through the first one to a new crowd I also do the Rolf Harris bit ' Can you tell what it is yet?'.

Repeat for position B and then reset to position D to form the head. Turn in this position until the head is cut from the rotating centre (this cuts away the point hole). (Pic 3)

Remove the tailstock and turn off the tail. (Pic 4)

two dabs of superglue and a couple of Googly eyes from the craft shop and you have a 'Wiggle Worm'.

Love that snake can we have some bigger pictures please iv'e tried to make these before but got the sequence all stuffed about .

Originally Posted by dr4g0nfly

Thought I'd post one of my quick and fun turnings for kids to take away.
......
two dabs of superglue and a couple of Googly eyes from the craft shop and you have a 'Wiggle Worm'.

DrAg0nfly, many thanks for that - not that I'm ever going to be demo-ing, but I'm going to have a go at the worm as soon as possible. It looks like a lot of fun.

Originally Posted by nz_carver

......
I have 3 3hr blocks to fill I think....

Now I know why you wanted to be on the forum stand early in the morning. To hide from the school kids.

Originally Posted by rodent

Love that snake can we have some bigger pictures please iv'e tried to make these before but got the sequence all stuffed about .

I bashed this out quite quickly last night to post in this thread, they don't take long.

Rodent, I'm busy the next few nights but I'll re-do it with several more pictures (now I've discovered the macro facility of my camera) and post it as a seperate thread.

I have got a snake project in a book on off center turning but could never get it right so more pic's and explanation would be great , Thank you .

Making small spinning tops is good, especially when they are coloured with felt tip pens.
The kids love them & of course they bring their parents to show them.
The best way to draw a crowd is to turn some timber that is heavily scented such as Camphor Laurel or if you can get it Sandalwood. The scent wafts around & people follow their noses & you know it you have a small crowd..
The other way is to turn a square block very fast, it makes a lot of noise.

Col

As can be seen in an other thread, "do not turn Lego", stick to wood.

Joevan.