Thread: Turning Tools

No pics yet?

How much moonshine was involved?

Pics posted.

Only 'bout a half liter, Woodwould.

Originally Posted by OGYT

The second pic shows a Sweet Gum Bowl. Turned wet, to 6mm, Wet sanded to 320, mounted in the Longworth chuck and bottom finished. Then I put it in a refer kiln to dry.
Will this keep it from warping? I don't know. Just thought I'd give it a try.

How long will it have to be in the kiln OGYT?

Not sure. It's the first time I've put a finished bowl in the kiln this way. Usually just let 'em warp the way they want to. It'll probably dry in a couple of days or so. I checked it today, and it was still wet... but then I forgot to turn on the light and fan, too. Just another goof to keep me humble.

My money's on it not warping... until you dismount it from the chuck, whereupon *ping!*

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

My money's on it not warping... until you dismount it from the chuck, whereupon *ping!*

Not "spoing"?

Skew, was that a warning, or an omen? Whichever, it was correct.
Went out today and checked it. It had cracks in both sides at the end grain. One of them went all the way through. So. Good thing. I understand now, that that won't work on Sweet Gum.

Just a guess. Been there, done that. Several times... I'm on the look-out for drying shortcuts too.

If it'd been rough-turned to, say, 1" wall thickness I reckon it'd have had a chance of surviving the stresses. But at 6mm the end-grain fibres aren't long enough to have sufficient cohesion.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

If it'd been rough-turned to, say, 1" wall thickness I reckon it'd have had a chance of surviving the stresses. But at 6mm the end-grain fibres aren't long enough to have sufficient cohesion.

That makes sense to me. But I've rough-turned bowls to 1" thickness, and they've warped so bad that in order to make them round again, they would be down to 1/16 to 1/8" thickness. I think that's a little thin for a utility bowl.
When you rough turn to 1", do you have some sort of ritual to try to dry the blank? You know... turn around to the left twice, spit North, cough, put the bowl on the shelf....??? Just kidding. But how do you dry your rough-outs?

Originally Posted by OGYT

do you have some sort of ritual to try to dry the blank? You know... turn around to the left twice, spit North, cough, put the bowl on the shelf....???

Voodoo might work!!!

Originally Posted by OGYT

When you rough turn to 1", do you have some sort of ritual to try to dry the blank? You know... turn around to the left twice, spit North, cough, put the bowl on the shelf....??? Just kidding. But how do you dry your rough-outs?

Nah, I prefer more sensible superstitions and they're usually applied to others... "Don't walk near the drying racks." "Don't talk too loudly." "Don't touch the blanks!" "Don't annoy me."

I know they work, 'cos when someone breaks a rule I can always find a split or unusably warped blank I can point at and say "See? Now look at what you've done!"

But I haven't found any method with a higher success rate than simply slowing the drying rate and waiting until next year. It used to be the "hide 'em in a plastic-bag lined box covered with their own shavings" trick but now it's just slather 'em with Mobilcer. (the same stuff I use to seal log ends)

The movement can be minimised by placing 'em face down onto a scrap piece of ply and driving screws around the edge... much like your leaving 'em in the chuck 'cept without tying up needed bits of equipment.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

It used to be the "hide 'em in a plastic-bag lined box covered with their own shavings" trick

Hide em.. Hmmm, that would be just putting them down the back of your shed wouldn't it

I gotta admit there was the occasional surprise...

...that's how I rediscovered my long lost chaiwanese chuck and dowelling jig.