Thread: What I learnt today...

nice lump of red cedar you have there. any pics of the inside?

Eliza,
Do your best not to purchase any wood (for the near future), as there is a whole bunch of free wood out there just waiting for you to pick it up. A tree trimming/removal company, and a windstorm are your friends, as are nearby friends and neighbors that are trimming or cutting a tree down. Just let it be known that you would like this scrap wood, and it somehow finds its way to you (or you may need to go get it). Try to acquire fresh cut (green) wood of ANY species; you will find it much easier to turn than dry wood. Practice on the free stuff until you are ready to buy that special chunk of wood for an unusual project, and by then you will have gained enough experience that you will be able to pick the best piece of bought wood for your project.
The cracks in your bowls are just from rapid drying of the wood (before or after you got it), where the inside and outside of the wood dried at different rates, and it cracked. Cracking can happen in log form, or while you are turning. While turning, you can put a bit of water on the outer surface to help control the differential, and avoid the cracks.
You can even use those cracks to practice on, and just fill them in with ground coffee, or some other material. Then add a few drops of thin CA glue to set it in place. Or mix it with clear epoxy, fill the crack, and let it cure (takes a bit longer than CA). Then sand it smooth.
Most important part is to have fun learning, and do it in a safe manner.

red cedar will "sun crack" if not felled as soon as it dyes these cracks are typical fo this.

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

1. deep straight sides are hard to cut. Tool rest too far away in the "corners". Possibly fixed with an "S" shaped rest?

A better design is the answer

there is nothing rong with the desight if that is the look you are after.

you can stick the tool rest into the bowl as far as it will go to get in closer to the corner. i dont really like teh s shaped rest.

Originally Posted by funkychicken

A better design is the answer

Unless you want deep straight sides - which is what I need to practice to do the "cup and plate" design I want to make.

Originally Posted by Gil Jones

Eliza,
Do your best not to purchase any wood (for the near future), as there is a whole bunch of free wood out there just waiting for you to pick it up.

Gil, I don't have a saw - except a hand saw.

Inside shot - and you can see the tool problem in the "corner".

where you trying to get a sharp corner or a rounded corner?

Originally Posted by weisyboy

where you trying to get a sharp corner or a rounded corner?

A sharply rounded one

yes.

scraper

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

Gil, I don't have a saw - except a hand saw.

Yeah, well I know... that's why I said a few weeks back that at least a electric chainsaw would save you "trailers" of money! I understand that you are not comfortable with the idea of using a chainsaw but, a electric chainsaw is a very easy and quite safe machine to use. Indeed, any machine that has "cuttings parts" is a lot safer if is held by both hands, then any machine that you take the timber into the cutting parts (blades, discs, etc.), such as bandsaws, tablesaws, etc. The main secret of using a chainsaw safely is to make sure the timber is "firmly" held by one of many sorts of timber, log vices. Some of the better chainsaws (sort off), have a safety clutch that stops the chain immediately, after you release the trigger (accelerator/throttle) so the chain is not turning until you are ready, and stops as soon as you finish the cut so, when you put the chain down or on a stool/bench etc., nothing is moving. Also by being electric, they are very quite (little noise, sort off) and do not make any noise or vibrations while not in use or in between cuts. With one of these and a simple vice, you can cut the logs into various lengths, for sealing and put to dry, split/slice those small logs in halves, for marking the blank circles and then cut the half logs, round. Cutting slabs or ripping square timber strips are quite easy to achieve, after a little practice. In relation to the safety equipment require/reccomended to use with an electric chainsaw, apart from a log/timber vice, would be safety glasses or the same full face visor/shield used for turning, some working gloves and some chainsaw chaps if you can afford them. Some people don't really see the need for the chaps or even believe of their effectiveness with electric chainsaws but, I can "strongly" suggest, get a pair...!

I've got lots of info and pics of chainsaw use on this forum and on my web site, if necessary, I would be willing to give you some extra support and guidance, if you decide to give it a go!

Here are some examples;

Cheers
RBTCO

Those are a good lot of photos, your log holding thing is interesting!

I don't see it happening. I think I'm going to be one of the people who does have to buy wood. Lots of factors at work here, starting with "I can't afford a chain saw" and ending wtih "I don't want a chain saw"

I'd love a bandsaw, a scroll saw and a circular saw, however, I don't see that happening either. I have a courtyard, not a yard, and no shed. Tiny unit

I once read a true life story about someone who was cutting wood with a chainsaw, hit a nail and cut their throat (they lived) and only a short time after that I drove a motorbike through a barbwire fence and cut my throat - and remembered that story (broke my hip, was in the middle of a paddock on a 500 hectare (spelling?) property outside Ispwich and was just lucky that there was someone working there that day building a round yard. He had a chainsaw going, and as it powered down I'd yell - but he didn't hear me! But I had on a red shirt, and eventually he came to see what the red was in the paddock. Took me to hospital in a truck. By then my neck was swollen up to larger then my head and it took them awhile to realise that most of the problem was in my hip, not my neck! I was in hospital from the 6th Jan until after easter. Afterwards they took me back and made me fix the fence

Ahhh, happy memories! LOL

chainsaws can be dangerous if not used properly.

but are actualy quite safe once you understand them.

i understand you not wanting one thow some people should just not own them.