Thread: Any suggestions for a newbie on how to stop...

WHAT CHISEL DO YOU USE AND WHAT TYPE OF WOOD and what speed, where abouts in brisy are you ?..........bob

Originally Posted by robyn2839

WHAT CHISEL DO YOU USE AND WHAT TYPE OF WOOD and what speed, where abouts in brisy are you ?..........bob

All very good questions Bob.

Speed - at the moment, whatever the lathe is set at. I have a mini Jet and I haven't adjusted the speed. I was told that it's set somewhere in the middle of it's range and that for what I'm doing I probably won't need to change it much - so I haven't!

Tools - do you mean brand? They aren't marked except for HSS on the blade itself. I got the set from Dave at South East Qld Woodworking and they came in a red case.

I use the roughing gouge and the skew mostly, with the spindle gouge to make the knobly bits.

Wood - silky oak, red cedar, qld maple, campher laurel and silver ash - the ash doesn't seem to do it (yet)

I'm in Norman Park

I know that there is the club at Greenslopes, and I went once. But I'm agoraphobic and I have a medical alert dog and I'm not able to take her with me (one of the few places she isn't allowed to go is construction sites) and I was very uncomfortable. I have thought about trying to go regularly, but I don't think it will happen.

Hi Eliza, as for the chip outs. if you can find the piece glue it back in no hassle done that with many pens and most time you can't see it.

What tool are you using with the chip outs? The Skew?? She can be a meanie if is she gets a catch and more than 1/3 of the blade is uses she will dig in and bits will go flying. For me is when I get the tip jabed and away she flys. Sometimes it is the timber particular crappy pine will do it anyway
bye Toni

OK, I think I've found something else out.

Yes, mostly it's the skew. But I just turned some of the maple - no problems. Ash - no problems. Put a piece of the camper laurel in - oops!

Problem areas with the campher - where there is a pattern in the grain be careful, where there is a knot - forget it! Probably fine for bowls (I never had problems turning bowls or goblets that I can remember from last time I turned) but for this stuff (less then 5mm) it just cracks and that's the end of it.

So - what's the difference between campher laurel and ash/maple? are they harder woods? closer grained (looks closer to me, but what do I know!)

Eliza...seeing as how your new to turning, that old adage "practice, practice, practice" is very appropriate!

However, mastering the fundamentals is key, then practice takes over...and no, practice is not only for newbies, experienced turners also keep their skills honed by practicing. Back in the early 80's, one of the "guru's" of turning, Del Stubbs showed me the proper way to use a gouge and skew, which, when you break it down to the absolute basics, just amounts to keeping the bevel rubbing on the wood, then advised me to get 200 pieces of scrap wood, chuck between centers, and "practice" doing just that - bevel rubbing, ease the cutting edge in slowly, cut....tell you what, after about the 100th or so piece it was almost second nature when it came to getting a clean, non-splintering cut...and that is a nice feeling to be in control of the tool and knowing that you've done good! To this day I still waste wood just practicing.

Have seen the pictures of the hair sticks you've posted...you certainly have a talent for turning and this is not about reining in your enthusiasm for turning. I think with time and experience you'll be doing some awesome turnings.

Keeping your anxiety issue in mind (there are lots of us that don't do well in crowds), perhaps someone in the forum would be willing to give you private lessons. Also you might want to check out a couple of videos that Richard Raffan has out...and the book "The Fundamentals of Woodturning" by Mike Darlow.

OK..."go get 'em"

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

All very good questions Bob.

Speed - at the moment, whatever the lathe is set at. I have a mini Jet and I haven't adjusted the speed. I was told that it's set somewhere in the middle of it's range and that for what I'm doing I probably won't need to change it much - so I haven't!

Tools - do you mean brand? They aren't marked except for HSS on the blade itself. I got the set from Dave at South East Qld Woodworking and they came in a red case.

I use the roughing gouge and the skew mostly, with the spindle gouge to make the knobly bits.

Wood - silky oak, red cedar, qld maple, campher laurel and silver ash - the ash doesn't seem to do it (yet)

I'm in Norman Park

I know that there is the club at Greenslopes, and I went once. But I'm agoraphobic and I have a medical alert dog and I'm not able to take her with me (one of the few places she isn't allowed to go is construction sites) and I was very uncomfortable. I have thought about trying to go regularly, but I don't think it will happen.

Hi Eliza,

I didn't think that a wood-turning club, was categorized as a "construction site" for various reasons, I thing a little to harsh if that is the case...!:

Like others have suggested, your location will maybe allow someone (forumate) to visit you, for a "mano to mano" turning "exercises", and at the same time hope that they bring some "playing samples, freebies" timbers with them, huh...?

My Mum always said "you ain't going to get it, unless you ask!"

Cheers
RBTCO

Thanks for the replies

I'm sure it would be a construction site because of the machinery - and anyway, she is a Papillon, can you imaging her coat? LOL

I keep her away when I'm turning or I'd have a saw dust carrier

Ed, don't worry, I'm not getting frustrated and I consider everything I do practice. I just happen to be practicing on hair stick shapes because that's the wood I have, that's the shape I'm after - and just in case one works out, I have a hair stick!


Tad nervous about anyone coming here... because I'd have to clean up.

They would also see the mess I make of sharpening my tools!

(hides under the bench)

Eliza the guys I have had at my place see the mess I make on tool with sharpening. Most of them never criticise just get in and give you a hand. I even had a one visitor on this board sharpened all my tools. that was an added bonus for the visit. No one has ever criticised my mess and that at times can be a mess. I keep a house clean with 5 kids so the lathe area is my mess and hubby whinge but I tell him it my mess and I be the one that cleans it up when I want to not because I have too..LOL
bye toni

Yes, English Ash if that's what you meant is harder than CL. Also Mountain Ash at a guess.

You're going thin so you'll get whipping; try a finger over the top of the toolrest and round the back of the piece to steady it opposite your cutting point.

Originally Posted by rsser

Yes, English Ash if that's what you meant is harder than CL. Also Mountain Ash at a guess.

You're going thin so you'll get whipping; try a finger over the top of the toolrest and round the back of the piece to steady it opposite your cutting point.

And if I slip and cut off my finger - that would be awful! I'd get BLOOD on the wood!!!

Very hard to get it out of the grain...

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

And if I slip and cut off my finger - that would be awful! I'd get BLOOD on the wood!!!

Very hard to get it out of the grain...

Yep. You think we haven't already discovered this?

However, Ern's advice is correct. When turning long, thin spindles with a skew, I rest the "heel" of my left hand on the toolrest and curl my fingers over the top of the spindle to help steady it.

Holding the skew with my right hand, I place it on the toolrest but before touching it to the work I pinch the tip between my LH thumb and index finger. That way I won't cut myself and it gives me fine control of the skew while also preventing the work from flexing.

This works for me, although others find it uncomfortable. The point is that there are ways to manage similar, provided you look for 'em.



Oh... and you'll probably find that for small diameter turning (under 1/2" dia) you're running the lathe too slowly for best effect. It's only moving relatively slowly at the circumference compared to, say a 6" bowl. Maximum RPM! Full steam ahead!

But you need to back the speed down a pulley or two for sanding, else it clogs the paper too quickly and overheats the work... then ramp it back up to full speed if you apply friction polishes.

Which is probably why they suggest that mid-range is an appropriate compromise... it does neither job particularly well but saves you the hassles of constantly changing the belt around.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

that mid-range is an appropriate compromise... it does neither job particularly well

That's me to a T

Good advice from Skew as always.

Just to add, get your tools as sharp as possible.

Fine diamond hone to dress the skew edge is helpful.

It also helps if you round the blank down first, then start shaping from the tailstock end and work towards the headstock.

That way you always have the thickest part of the wood being driven. I've broken all too many goblet stems from working t'other way around for some stupid reason or another.

As best results are obtained by working "downhill" on the grain, this means that for a tapered spindle like a hat pin, you're always cutting from the right to left, towards the steadying fingers. This is another reason I like to hold the tip of the skew with my left hand. (I don't like bleeding anymore than anybody else. )