Questions tagged [turning]
Using a lathe to create items. Spindle work, bowls and goblets, pens and pendants. And so much more.
41
questions
8
votes
0answers
121 views
What are these white fibers emanating from the inside of my lignum vitae lidded box?
Several months ago I turned this lignum vitae lidded box. The first thing I noticed after completing it was how quickly the wood changed color in the sunlight, going from a just-turned honey brown to ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
What's this substance that was found fully-enclosed in a eucalyptus blank?
This glassy, opaque item was deep inside a eucalyptus blank. There was no indication from the outside of the wood that there was anything inside, so it must have been grown over while the tree was ...
8
votes
2answers
169 views
How can I determine when a linseed oil finish has cured?
I have only recently begun experimenting with linseed oil and walnut oil finishes, after mainly using mineral oil. Today I read this question and realized that my process may be flawed, because I am ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
I'm looking for a good finish for goblets and shot glasses [duplicate]
So I have started turning some goblets and shot glasses, and I'm trying to find a good finish for them that can be nice and glossy, but doesn't need constant reapplication. I'm pretty sure that ...
4
votes
1answer
74 views
Turning chisel handle templates?
I'm new to turning and I'm looking to turn some chisel handles, but I want them all to look the same.
Are there any printable online templates that anyone knows of? Is there anyway I can create my ...
2
votes
1answer
116 views
Most durable foodsafe finish to highlight chatoyancy
My favorite lumberyard (where I get most of my bowl blanks) specializes in curly/fiddleback/birdseye maple, all of which I love for their holographic/chatoyant qualities.
Because I'm a beginner, I've ...
3
votes
1answer
136 views
How are these toolmarks happening, and how to prevent / get rid of them?
I'm noticing that when I turn really hard woods, even with brand-new and very sharp carbide bits, sometimes I'll see these long scratches on the surface.
Often they'll only become apparent once I've ...
1
vote
3answers
157 views
Morse taper #2 to #1 converter
I have a wood lathe with a #1 morse taper. Most of the accessories that I can get locally have an #2 taper. I need an adapter that will let me -for example- use a MT#2 pen mandrel in a MT#1 lathe. Is ...
1
vote
2answers
393 views
Carving a wood bowl or cut without a lathe
My son wants to make my wife a wooden bowl or cup out of a section of a log. I don't have a lathe and was wondering if its possible to hollow it out using some type of drill bit or sanding disc on a ...
1
vote
0answers
93 views
Why is my wood screw getting stuck in my bowl when turning with my lathe chuck?
I'm starting wood turning, I'm currently doing my second bowl. For some reason, my wood screw is getting stuck in my bowl. (both times) Whenever I try to remove my bowl, it simply does not move. It ...
1
vote
0answers
178 views
Best method for making segmented rings for wood turning?
I am a wood turner, and like to do larger bowls. For segmented bowls, where you glue of rings of say 10 or 12 segments, then stack and glue segments to make the rough bowl blank, what is the best ...
0
votes
2answers
207 views
How to use this type of chuck without grooves/teeth?
This chuck here is the chuck I have with my lathe. It doesn't have any teeth or grooves to bite the wood. Just smooth surfaces.
Does anyone know how to use it?
2
votes
1answer
104 views
How can I control the “reddening” of Red Alder as it dries?
On the top is a freshly turned Red Alder bowl.
As it dries, the alder bowl turns splotchy red. Different bowl redden different amounts. How can I control the amount the bowl turns red? Ideally it ...
3
votes
3answers
227 views
Recommended tools for a lathe
I am making a homemade lathe with a drill. I have previously done some wood carving and looking to get into some lathe / turning work. I have a few chisels from some wood carving and wondering what ...
3
votes
1answer
694 views
What are recommended angles for different wood-turning tools
I am going to make a jig for sharpening my lathe tools and I want to mark on the jig where each tool should be sharpened to. Like the roughing gouge to the skew and stuff. So for each of these ...
1
vote
1answer
255 views
What finish can I apply to mixed end-grain/cross-grain bowl that's sanded to 7000?
I'm new to woodturning. I've made a small bowl from layered woods. I don't know what these woods are as they're reclaimed, but it's a red-coloured wood sandwiching some pale wood. I think the red-ish ...
1
vote
0answers
133 views
Turning a convex arc
How can I turn a convex arc in wood? I want the arc to be perfectly symmetrical.
I have looked at various turning tutorials and they do not explain how to do this kind of operation.
5
votes
2answers
170 views
Lathe Semi-Automation
I don't know enough to even google.
Basically, you see those cnc laths; the cutter on those. What are those called?
My goal is to craft or purchase a cutter that can be held in place at set ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I use sculptor chisels with a lathe?
I got a tiny (almost "toy") lathe, for turning wood. The problem is the chisel I got with it was totally a toy; total crap made of some bendy, soft iron I ruined on the first try. The lathe, tiny as ...
6
votes
1answer
2k views
Large hole filler products, what is available
Now and then when turning I get holes and voids in my project. The pictures below had a branch going through the blank and popped out leaving a large hole to deal with. The hole is ~1" in diameter.
...
7
votes
2answers
559 views
How heavy a piece of wood can my lathe handle?
I have the Jet 1642 EVS. One of the nice features that I bought it for is offbed turning, the head stock moves and I can turn bowls and platters greater than the 16" diameter bed limit.
However, I ...
1
vote
1answer
70 views
What does a torn fiber look like compared to a cut fiber?
I've read many references to tear out and want to understand this better. In paragraph five of this answer to a tear out question, Bowlturner says:
"Sharper gouges are more likely to cut the fibers ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
What type of lathe do I need for duplicating parts
I've worked with a lathe maybe a few dozen times, making things like wooden salad bowls, goblets, baseball bats, and some other relatively simple items.
I'm looking to buy a lathe, and one of the ...
12
votes
1answer
485 views
What are these blemishes called and how do I avoid them?
I'm just beginning bowl turning and can't seem to avoid these deep blemishes in the exterior and interior of the bowl. Are these pockets naturally occurring in the wood or am I causing them through ...
4
votes
2answers
933 views
What kind of wood blanks should a beginner use for bowl turning?
I recently took a bowl turning class and want to build experience in a frugal way. From a quick online search, I see bowl blanks cost around $10 ~ $30, depending on the wood.
What kind of wood blanks ...
6
votes
1answer
4k views
Wood Stabilization on the Cheap
I have a couple of burls I've harvested from some trees on my family's property that will make nice turnings and knife scales. There are probably some voids in there and the wood is probably a little ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How do you use a 2D template with a lathe?
I was watching another Roy Underhill video where he showed us making a Shaker round stand. He explains the original table was built by the Shakers and how he has been wanting to replicate one. He ...
11
votes
3answers
453 views
What should one consider when purchasing an intro turning chisel set?
I'm a total beginner when it comes to turning, but am interested in doing more of it both to help augment my woodworking (e.g. everything from custom button plugs to chair legs etc) as well as to do ...
12
votes
6answers
18k views
Why are metal lathes not used for woodturning?
I'm an engineer and have designed several parts that are made on metal lathes. I'm wondering why metal lathes aren't used for turning. In particular I'm wondering why woodturners don't use a tool ...
6
votes
1answer
414 views
Filling pores on a turned bowl while remaining foodsafe/organic?
I recently received some really helpful answers to a previous question I had that exposed a big gap in my understanding of turning.
This answer mentions "filling the pores" of a walnut bowl as a ...
12
votes
5answers
2k views
How do I know when my lathe speed is wrong or could be better?
I'm about a year into learning to turn on an inexpensive mini-lathe. I mostly turn small lidded boxes or bowls. With both boxes and bowls, I like them big, so I'm often within an inch or two of the ...
13
votes
9answers
30k views
How to cut the centre out of a large round of wood
I have a large round of wood (horizontal slice of a tree) which is about 20 inches across (circle diameter) and 8-9 inches deep.
I want to take the centre out of the wood, either by cutting a circle ...
10
votes
6answers
1k views
What do I need to know for basic lathe safety?
I am a complete beginner to turning, I have a set of tools arriving in a week or so, and want to make sure I'm not going to make a mistake and injure myself.
What are basic safety precautions when ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
How do you turn the bottom of the bowl?
How do you turn the bottom of the bowl? Do you have to leave a rabbet or tenon? What if I don't want to leave a tenon as a foot? or the chuck damaged the foot and I want to clean it up/remove it?
11
votes
3answers
700 views
Which first gouges to get for a beginning turner
My father no longer uses his shop (for the most part) and the tools are going to me.
Over time and disuse some of his turning tools have disappeared or fallen into disrepair. I would like to start ...
9
votes
2answers
926 views
How do I use this hollowing tool?
I bought this Sorby hollowing tool (I just looked it up 2 years ago!) and I've never figured out how to use the dang thing.
There wasn't ANY instructions that came with it, not even how to put the ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
How do you make nesting bowls from a single piece of wood?
I've seen matching sets of turned bowls that fit inside each other almost like Russian dolls. I've also heard turners actually say the bowls were cut out from the same piece so they didn't waste a ...
13
votes
2answers
3k views
What minimum amount of equipment is required to start turning bowls?
I'm curious to know what is the simplest set-up to start bowl turning? Which tools should be high-quality and which can I skimp on? I'm not interested in being able to turn a large variety of bowls, I'...
17
votes
3answers
2k views
Is this table saw lathe jig safe?
I recently saw a video on how to build a jig for turning stock on a table saw. It seemed unsafe to me, as the motorized jig was advancing stock sideways into the rotating saw blade.
This seems like a ...
19
votes
5answers
4k views
How can you stabilize green wood after turning it on a lathe?
I've turned a few things green on a lathe and I expected them to to do odd things, and they warped and/or cracked.
But what useful techniques are out there that this could be minimized or even ...
11
votes
1answer
270 views
What are the main categories of wood-turning tools?
For example, you have the spindle gouge:
A parting tool:
And several more. Walk into any wood-working store, and you'll probably see many of these sorts of tools, among others, that come in a great ...
