Thread: New design oval turning device

A nice challenge you've set yourself there Ad.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Ad I am following your interest in oval turning as I have often thought about doing the same. Except to make a bit more interesting to make a device that has a variable oval set up say 20mm to 75mm or maybe more

Its interesting, oval turning really has not been explored much, except by a few. I think it has potential. I see a few of them around from time to time for sale, I think Teknatool had one for around $2,500 some time back.


and for the curious. http://www.volmer---ovaldrehen.de/englisch.htm

Originally Posted by hughie

Ad I am following your interest in oval turning as I have often thought about doing the same. Except to make a bit more interesting to make a device that has a variable oval set up say 20mm to 75mm or maybe more

Its interesting, oval turning really has not been explored much, except by a few. I think it has potential. I see a few of them around from time to time for sale, I think Teknatool had one for around $2,500 some time back.


and for the curious. http://www.volmer---ovaldrehen.de/englisch.htm

Hughie, it's from of the first oval turning I saw, that I'm interested in this technic.
But only for small low profiled objects, like lidded oval shaped lidded boxes, and such kind of stuff. The device I'm busy with has a adjustable excenter in the range from zero till 17,5mm. This means an oval with a different in the axes of max.35mm. So for smaller objects just fine, anyway I find.
Had for a half year ago contact with a German, about this issue. He made a device for oval objects made out of metal, promised me to share with me his experience, got only a note from him with the message that he made a big mistake, and after that I heard nothing from him. Actually a pity, because there is not much to find on the internet about this subject. The Vicmarc, Steiner, Volmer and Bollenger are to complicated, so nothing for a do it yourself guy like me. If I'm able to make a couple of small oval objects a year, I'm satisfied.
Teknatool? Have to take a look to see if they have something.
Thanks Hughie.

Very complicated

Originally Posted by Daniel.

Very complicated

...for those of us that are mathematically challenged, that would be a definite YES


Really neat Ad...I'm impressed.

Originally Posted by rsser

A nice challenge you've set yourself there Ad.

Keep us posted on your progress.

I'll do that Ern
Ad

Ad,
I have always wondered about doing oval hollow vessels and have played around with a simple device design. But the list of things to have a go at grows and I have noticed I am not immortal.

So aged based selection takes over, although your post caused me to haul out some old ideas and sketches.

Ad the Ornamental Turners here have their own design, Tom makes and sell them a simple attachment for the lathe $390.00. I don't have a photo got to take one but have video one day I hope to upload it somewhere.

It does an excellent job.

I guess this is why retired engineers don't take up golf. Who has time to chase a pebble around a cow pasture, when the ideas come so thick and fast?

Something like this is depicted in "Lathes and Turning Techniques - The Best of Fine Woodworking," ISBN 1-56158-021-X, pp. 52 ff., regarding the Old Schwamb Mill in Massachusetts, with diagrams of the innards.

One thing that makes this kind of turning "interesting," is the varying angle of presentment as the workpiece rotates past the toolrest (See the envelope cartoon on Volmer's website). Roughly half the time cutting downhill, and half uphill.

Your perseverance is legendary, Ad.

All the best,
Joe

In 2002 David Springett gave a demonstration, of an oval chuck, at our club.
He published the details of how to make one in "Adventures in Woodturning"

The book is out of print but there are some copies available on Amazon.co.uk

He can be contacted at http://www.davidspringett.fws1.com/

Hope this may be of some interest.

Fred

Originally Posted by Happy amateur

In 2002 David Springett gave a demonstration, of an oval chuck, at our club.
He published the details of how to make one in "Adventures in Woodturning"

The book is out of print but there are some copies available on Amazon.co.uk

He can be contacted at http://www.davidspringett.fws1.com/

Hope this may be of some interest.

Fred

Thanks Fred for pointing me on that.
I have a drawing of David's device, so I know how his device works.
What I not knew is that he did some turnings on his device, probably he did when I read that he gaves a demonstration at your club.
In fact my new design is based more or less on his device, it's in fact very simple, with the less thinkable parts, the less parts, the better.
Thanks again, Ad

Interesting Ad. A couple of years ago I played with oval turning. The concept intrigued me. I bought a copy of David's book and began the journey. I built a chuck based on David's design using cooktown hardwood. The first one wore badly after only two jobs and didn't have a ny means of adjusting as a result of wear. The second model I built in adjustment on the slides as well as soaking them in lanolin oil. The second chuck stood up much better. The third model was made incorporating a ball bearing, that one is still in use now. I have a fourth prototype, but lately I have been spending a lot of time laminating. I will have to get back to oval turning.
Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

Interesting Ad. A couple of years ago I played with oval turning. The concept intrigued me. I bought a copy of David's book and began the journey. I built a chuck based on David's design using cooktown hardwood. The first one wore badly after only two jobs and didn't have a ny means of adjusting as a result of wear. The second model I built in adjustment on the slides as well as soaking them in lanolin oil. The second chuck stood up much better. The third model was made incorporating a ball bearing, that one is still in use now. I have a fourth prototype, but lately I have been spending a lot of time laminating. I will have to get back to oval turning.
Jim

Very nice oval objects Jim. Is it a low profile lidded box, probably it is.
This is just my second try, after the first prototype based on a rockin headstock principle. Well this concept intrigued me too, still I have to build up my own experience
Ad

Yes Ad it is a low profile box. I found that it is important to have cutting height of the tool, or the point of contact if you like, consistent throughout the job. Otherwise you will get a "twisting" of the pattern. If you look closely at the inside of the lid (on the right of the photo) you will see what I mean.
Jim