Originally written by Ed for Craftsy as “Bowl Turning Tips & Tricks” The title works for this one, so I kept it.
Turning a bowl can be a challenge no matter what your level of expertise, but as long as you set reasonable goals, you will gain skills and achieve that sense of satisfaction your are seeking rather than a great sense of frustration. Let’s look at some ways of keeping your goals reasonable but still challenging so that your skills improve each time you step up to the lathe.
Design impacts difficulty
After many years in two guilds, I have watched a lot of new turners start out on their journey. It’s safe to say that to a person, their first design is usually the hardest you can imagine: flat bottom, large base and straight sides, just like the turning blank they started with. This shape appears very heavy but worst of all, the sharp turn at the bottom and the flat bottom spell disaster right away. The shank of the tool binds on the rim when turning the tight corner at the bottom, causing the bevel to come off the work and catch. And flat bottoms are just pain hard to do. Instead of maximizing the volume, you will gradually learn to maximize the form within, as in the simple yet elegant bowl below.
When teaching, I always start students off with smaller bowls with a shallow arc, not much deeper than a platter. The curve is easier to turn than a flat bottom and by its nature, has a light, satisfying appearance. As you gain tool control and confidence, make your bowls gradually deeper and deeper.
It’s a personal choice, but bowls with re-curved sides are the most pleasing to me. The rim casts a shadow on the inside, giving it a deeper appearance and also prompting the viewer to look inside the bowl. It’s also a bear to turn without a very steep angle on the gouge to facilitate the turn from side to bottom. Your confidence level will tell you know when it’s time to tackle something like this.
A tips on bowl turning to help you on your way:
Start by considering the foot to be about 1/3 of the overall diameter — that gives it a light look but if you need a bit more for stability, go for a bit wider foot, remembering that at some point it will look “clunky.”
The curve of the bowl should appear to converge above or just below the table surface to make it appear light. Steeper sides that appear to converge well below the table give the bowl a very heavy look. They’re also hard top pick up.
The rim can take any form, but if undecided, a flattish rim often looks nice if it is about 90 degrees to the inside curve at the rim.
Less is usually more. Use the K.I.S.S approach when considering decoration. Features like lines or beads look nice with one or two only. If more, stick to odd numbers.
A thicker wall near the bottom adds stability and heft in the right place. There is no rule that says the wall thickness has to be exactly the same all the way, nor does it have to be whisper thin. Other woodturners are the only ones who might be impressed by that. A bowl should feel “right.” Too light can make it feel too fragile.
A few tips and tricks to make things easier
ALWAYS uses sharp tools and tools adequate for the job. A 1/2″ gouge is too small for the reach needed for deep bowls. Bigger bowls need bigger gouges.
Drill a 1/4″ hole to the finished depth before starting the inside. This is your “bottom indicator” and also removes the wood in the very center, which is difficult to turn.
When turning the inside of a larger bowl, it’s a good idea to turn it in stages for stability (usually 2 or 3). Rather than hollowing the whole bowl, do the top half or third, leaving wood in the center to support the bowl. Once finished that portion, move on to the rest. Do not go back once you’ve moved on because the bowl will no longer be round in the first section. Clean up any “steps” with a light shear scrape.
Always sharpen or hone your gouge before you make your finish cut. Make that a slow, fine cut to avoid tear out.
The path of your gouge does not have to go from rim to center in a straight line. Often by sweeping the gouge up above center then tracking it back down to end at the center you can get around a tough transition from side to bottom if you don’t have a second gouge with a steeper grind.
This is possibly the most valuable tip: When starting your hollowing cuts, the flute of the gouge must face the center of the bowl. If the cutting edge at the tip of the gouge is not perpendicular, it will run in the direction of the angle of the cutting edge — typically toward the outside, ruining the rim. Once it has entered the cut, you can rotate it to the ideal cutting angle.
Originally written for Craftsy by Ed titled: How to Turn Stair Spindles Step by Step.
My last post talked about the basic concepts behind turning multiple pieces between centers on a lathe. I just completed a set of 42 spindles for the Kaslo City Hall restoration so what better time to follow the process step by step?
Follow along to learn how to turn spindles.
Since there are several pieces to be turned, the time-consuming process of simply marking the centers would be a good place to find a time saver.
Step 1.
A “box” slightly larger than the size of the stock will cause the stock to center itself when inserted and twisted tightly against all four sides of the box. A screw inserted at absolute dead center (remember there are 84 ends that have to be dead on) will clearly mark the center when the stock is struck with a dead blow hammer on the opposite end. Make sure there are no “feathers” from trimming to cause an error in setting in the jig. They can actually cause a significant error, marking off center.
The floor is a good spot for long stock and the bed of the lathe is a good spot for short stock, basically somewhere with a solid base.
Step 2.
In the case of these stair spindles, the turned portion is in the center leaving square stock (pommels) at each end for fixing to the stair runners and railing. Always measure from the same end, marking the turned portion and the end of the pommel cut. These marks will appear as a solid lines when the stock is spinning.
Step 3.
Make a relief or clearance cut with a skew or spindle gouge to allow the tool room to make the pommel cut — in this case a half bead. There are many shapes used for pommel cuts, which are simply a transition between square and round portions of a spindle. The relief cut should be as deep as the major diameter of the stock and does not have to be measured because that is the point at which the stock becomes round.
As you can see in the photo below, the relief cut allows the skew to make the cut while the waste easily clears the cut. Not seen in the photo is my index finger locked under the tool rest for absolute position control.
Step 4.
Cut the pommel cut with the toe of the skew. The heel can also be used for this cut, this just happened to be my preference with this particular skew.
Once both pommel cuts are made, defining the ends of the turned portion, the stock can be rough turned then the major diameter sized with a parting tool and caliper as in the photo below. The caliper used on this project is a “direct read” caliper showing the diameter as it is being cut. It’s very handy and fast but a bit expensive and limited to a range between about 3/4″ and 2 3/4″, which is fine for most work.
In the photo below you can see the left hand used as a traveling steady rest to support the cut. This is often required in long and/or slender spindles to prevent or at least reduce vibration. The spindle roughing gouge is held securely against the body, along the forearm and guided by the bevel, freeing up the left hand for support.
Normally gloves are listed as one of those things NOT to wear when turning. This glove is fingerless for proper control in other operations and thick to prevent being wrapped in the work and resist wear. Note that the hand resists the thrust of the tool on the opposite side but but does not wrap the work.
An alternative to the direct reading caliper used on this project is a separate spring caliper for each size (usually two or three at most). In this case it is wise to turn a cylinder with the “master” diameters to regularly check the calipers since vibration can slowly change the setting. Using a single spring caliper for all settings is very time consuming, frustrating and typically introduces a lot of errors.
Sometimes for a short job I will use my vernier caliper because it is fast to set and reset, very accurate, but awkward to use.
Note the polished surface of the glove after much use. I doubt the palm of my hand would fare as well. It is imperative that the fingers do not come into play, wrapping the cylinder. Wrapping the cylinder could cause your hand to be drawn into the work and cause significant injury. Not to worry, once your fingers start to burn, you quickly get the hint to keep them free of the work.
Step 5.
Once the main diameter is turned, it is possible to use the story stick to mark all the major linear dimensions. The shading on the stock in this photo indicates which side of the lines the sizing cut will be made. After a few pieces, these shading marks are not required.
Note the “V” cuts in the story stick to ensure the pencil point is put in the same place every time. Even a 1/16″ error in the height of the elements can be picked up by the eye from a distance. The “X” marks which side the sizing cut is made and the diameters are noted. Once the “beta” piece was turned a couple of the dimensions were changed.
Step 6.
Once the dimensions are marked, sizing can be done and waste removed. In the photo below, the cove’s major diameter is cleared between sizing cuts and a relief cut has been made on each side of the two large beads. The depth of the cuts is measured by the consistent depth of the tool in the cut. Practice and experience will allow you to make these cuts very accurately and the same every time.
Step 7.
After making a few pieces you begin to alter your procedure as required. In this case, I started working from right to left but quickly determined that if I cut the top end of the cylinder first, working left to right, the skew could be run against the waste wood of the bead rather than running into and marring the completed bead. Always be on the lookout for ways to reduce time by making the work flow better.
Note the heel of the edge is used for making this cut. Rather than a simple straight planing cut using the center of the cutting edge, this is more like cutting a bead (note the shape at the top of the cylinder in the next photo) so as the depth of cut increases, the heel of the edge comes into play.
Step 8.
The beads are next, using the heel of the skew again to cut the bead from larger diameter to smaller, both ways from center. This allows you to cut with the grain rather than against it.
For smaller beads the cut is made with the gouge square to the work and rolling the wrist only. For broader beads like these the tool is angled slightly away from center before rolling, angling farther for broader beads. I keep my thumb on the top of the tool handle at the start of the cut allowing a comfortable grip through the roll. If the cut is made with anything but the heel, you will cut a straight taper rather than a curve.
A rough cut and finish cut were made on each side of center. By making this cut the same way every time the shape of the beads will all be the same. After making a few, the eye will know the shape and any necessary adjustments are easily made.
Another change in procedure: I typically cut a cove then trim the sizing cuts with a slight taper using a very small skew reserved for just that job. I found that I had room to make the trimming taper with the skew immediately after cutting the beads with the larger skew I was using, thus avoiding picking up a second tool for the job. Cutting the cove after this operation was backwards to my normal routine but everything worked just fine.
Like beads, coves are always cut from larger diameter to smaller diameter from each side. Note that the cove is first roughed out for relief with either a scraping or peeling cut with the nose of the gouge.
Like the bead, the cut is made with the gouge square to the work and rolling the wrist only, starting with the flute completely closed (facing toward the center of the cove) and ending up completely open (facing up). In this case, I keep my rear thumb on the side of the handle at the start and end up with it on the top. The cut is made only with the sides of the very nose of the gouge (say, 11 and 1 o’clock).
Once the cut is complete, there is often a small raised line left at the bottom of the cove. I always try not to have one, but it is easily sanded away. If it is present and you try to cut it away, you end up chasing from one side to the other, eventually cutting the cove far too deep. By making this cut the same way every time, they will always have the same shape and depth, so they won’t require measurement.
Step 9.
Note the small tapered flats on both sides of the cove and at the pommel cut in the photo below. Cutting this taper is a better and quicker way to eliminate the torn wood from the sizing cut than sanding such a small space. Not only that, the taper highlights the separation in a far more appealing way than a simple straight flat. Sandpaper never touches this completed surface. It may be a matter of taste, but I think you will find it not only far easier but visually superior. A crisp line at the junction of the bead and cove visually separates the two. If not accomplished at the completion of the cut, just a touch with the point of the skew (or completely closed gouge) does the job.
The pencil line on the cylinder to the left in the photo below is the point at which it tapers both ways. It is easily sanded away.
Step 10.
The photo below shows the sizing cut for the minor diameter of the tapered cylinder. The shaping was done with a roughing gouge then finished with a skew planing cut on the long taper and a planing cut with the roughing gouge on the large half cove. It is very important that your tool rest is not only clean and smooth, but also waxed for most of this work but for long cuts in particular. Wax completely removes the tendency of tools to grab as they slide along the tool rest. This momentary hesitation shows up drastically on the turning. This is a great trick for all your turning.
Step 11.
It’s time to sand. Sandpaper can be the enemy. Make sure you don’t eliminate the crisp edges in your elements. Those crisp edges are what make the turning so attractive. Note the shaped block for the cove below and folded edge for sanding into the line between the bead and cylinder in the next photo. The use of both helps prevent any crisp edges from being sanded away. The tool rest is absent in this operation.
Carefully sand the center of the cove to maintain crisp detail.
Carefully sand the cylinder next to the bead to maintain crisp lines.
Finishing
This is the finished product in the photo below. Two places you will not sand are the tapered flats between the beads and coves and the shoulders of the pommel cuts. At this point, your cuts should be clean enough that the objective is to eliminate minor tool marks and burnishing from the bevel, giving all the large surfaces a uniform texture. If you are trying to clean up tear out, you’ve been scraping instead of cutting. The polished, clean cuts from the skew on the very narrow flats and pommel cuts are not noticeable, therefore it’s not necessary to sand them.
It usually takes me between six and 10 of something for me to hit my stride. By then I’ve ironed out the kinks, found the best way to proceed through the process, found the best place to lay my tools and calipers, memorized the sizes of the various diameters and their location, then the time drops dramatically. These took me about 20 minutes each because the stock was green and very long. As a result, there was a lot of vibration if I made heavy cuts. The first few took me over half an hour each as I plodded through my discoveries, so don’t be discouraged if you attempt a few of something and it takes you what seems an eternity to turn each piece.
People often comment that production turning must be boring. I find it anything but boring. In fact, I find it meditative. Focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else is exactly what meditation is. If I have a significantly large number of pieces to do I will break it down into manageable chunks. Because I had the time, I did these in three sets of 14 and even though I was tired at the end of each session, I felt satisfied. I then did something else with the rest of my day rather than plunging in to the next set. That being said, because the wood was tough to work with, I was glad to see number 42 on the third day.
Stacked with the original, these spindles are ready to be put back on the pallet on which they came. Each one will differ minutely from the next but as my dad used to say, “A blind man running for his life would never notice.”
I’d like to think the differences — if noticeable — would indicate that they are hand crafted but crafted well.
Interested in learning more? Check out Ed’s Interactive Remote Demonstration (IRD) for Replication Made Simple, and others.
Originally written for Crafty’s website by Ed, titled “The ABCs of Woodturning: The Basics”
ABC. What topic doesn’t have its “ABCs”? Following the A, B and C of woodturning basics will give you the ability to control any tool to get the direction and depth of cut that you want to produce the form that you want. Tool control is everything in woodturning.
A is for anchor
Your objective is to hold the tool so that it is stable without having a death grip that will tire you and actually prevent the fluid movement that you need.
Anchor the tool by placing it on the tool rest and securing it with your body by keeping your elbows against your body, the tool handle (such as a long-handled bowl gouge) on your hip, and your feet about shoulder-width apart. There are times (i.e. start of a cut when hollowing a bowl) where you aren’t able to keep your arms close to your body. In that case, hold the end of the handle to increase your leverage on the tool.
B is for bevel
Keeping the whole bevel rather than just the cutting edge in contact with the wood is the secret to controlling your cut. Place the heel (opposite the cutting edge) of the bevel against the wood first as in the photo on the left above. While resting the heel on the wood, bring the tip (cutting edge) up to the wood until you see light dust coming off the edge as in the photo on the right. The bevel is now completely supported on the wood and the tool is stable. In this position you are using the bevel as a guide to “point the way.” Test your new skill by slowly tracing the surface of a round piece with the tool “in cut” (dust coming off the cutting edge) but not actually removing wood.
A dull tool will cause you to lift the bevel off the wood to make it cut, which makes the cut unsupported. Use only sharp tools.
C is for cut
Changing the angle of the bevel to the wood at this point will allow you to start the cut. Do so by rotating your body very slightly or rotating the tool in your hands. Once you move forward in the cut, the bevel will continue along the line described by the bevel. You are now controlling your cut. The hallmark of a controlled cut is a smooth surface rather than a “rutted” surface where the tool moves in and out. This is much like a bulldozer traveling on its tracks controlling the path of the blade on the front.
When cutting a curved shape (almost every shape you cut will be a curve), simply rotate your body in that direction. Do not move your feet (remember: anchor). Instead, shift weight from one to the other by moving only at your ankles, knees and hips. Prior to making the cut, place yourself in a comfortable position at the end of the cut, then without moving your feet, move the tool to the start of the cut. It stands to reason that the more off-balance you get, the less stable the tool becomes. Better to be less comfortable at the start, becoming more comfortable as the cut progresses.
The acid test
The skew is the great equalizer. If you follow the ABC of tool control you, too, will be able to tame the dreaded beast.
Remember, keeping the bevel in contact with the wood will not let the edge dig in, thus causing that spectacular “catch” for which the skew has become so maligned. The instant you either lift the heel off the wood or present the edge to the wood before the heel, the edge digs in. This forces the tool to twist and dig in even deeper, supercharging the catch. Always present any tool heel first. If starting from the end of a piece, turn a small portion (1” or so) from the opposite direction to make a clean flat at the end as a starting point wide enough for the bevel of the tool.
Practice any cut by turning the wood by hand and holding the tool against the wood as described. Watch the action of the tool and get used to keeping the bevel on the wood in that controlled manner. With experience, the action of heel-then-toe will morph into one fluid motion.
Interested in learning more? Check out Ed’s Interactive Remote Demonstration called Beyond ABC. Click here for more information.
Originally written by Ed for Craftsy as “Things to Consider When Designing Turned Furniture Legs”>
There are so many considerations when designing a piece of furniture. Does it have to match other pieces? Is it to conform to a particular genre? Ornately carved? Simple, yet elegant? In any of these, turned legs may be part of the picture. If the design includes turned furniture legs, let’s take a look at a few things you should consider.
Though not a hand made piece, this bed incorporates several turned elements including the legs.
Basic elements of a turned spindle or leg
There are only three elements that make up a piece turned between centers: beads, coves and straights (cylinders). Even at that, straight lines are rare and usually in the form of a cone rather than a pure cylinder. If you look closely at what appear to be cylinders or cones, they will most likely have a deft curve to them. Your brain will tell you right away: “Straight lines are boring!”
By combining a very few beads, coves and sweeping curves in various combinations, the result is very often something that appears far more complex than it really is.
Light and shade
Artists use light and shade to create drama and depth. A woodturner can create those same effects by combining beads and coves. This is the same effect as the shadow lines created by the shapes in a crown molding or casing. Similarly, sweeping curves add depth with the more subtle shadows they cast upon themselves. If this is taken into consideration when designing a turned leg, a very attractive piece can be created that is actually very simple in execution. “Less is more” applies here.
The secret is in the execution. The crisp line that defines the edge of a bead or cove is key in producing a shadow line cast over the gentleness of the curve of the bead or cove. The significance is that beads and coves, for example, should never appear beside one another without a small step between to create that crisp delineation between the two. The enemy: sandpaper. Even the slightest rounding of an edge can kill the effect. The line of a sweeping curve should have uninterrupted transitions without even a hint of a flat. If there is a tiny flat, the eye may not see, but the brain will know that something is amiss.
While the photo above is of newel posts rather than legs, they exhibit beads, coves, sweeping curves and the light and shade they create upon themselves very nicely. Once a finish is applied the effect is even more dramatic.
The human form
If you look carefully at examples of table and chair legs and other similar forms you will notice that the shape is sometimes reminiscent of the human form. We are attracted to that form by nature, therefore making it a good choice when considering a design.
Noted furniture designer Mark Sfirri turns the simile into a metaphor by employing abstract human forms he creates using multi-axis turning as part of his work to produce award-winning pieces.
Because our hips are more or less 5/8 of our full height, it is therefore no accident that the golden mean applies in this case. The golden mean is the ratio between the overall length (in this case) in relation to the lengths of the major portions of the piece. Usually stated as 1 to 1.6, 5/8 is a reasonable approximation.
Structural considerations
Structural stability and process cannot be ignored when designing turned furniture legs. Rails are more easily mortised into a leg at a flat section and the flat surface offers a reasonable thrust face to increase resistance to lateral forces when required. Square sections are left at the top and often near the bottom of a leg to accommodate rails for this lateral support. These square sections are called “pommels.” The transition between square and round is called a “pommel cut” (clever terminology don’t you think?). The execution of the pommel cut can create a very attractive and flowing ogee (“bird mouth” or “lamb’s tongue”) or a very simple half bead (curiously dubbed “half bead”) depending on the overall design of the piece.
Clearly the load bearing requirements and the use to which the piece will be put could require either a hefty, squat leg on a large dining table or a finer, more delicate leg on a hall table. Both are attractive in that they are appropriate for their intended use. Switching rolls would cause your brain to recoil in abject horror, never mind the dinner table crumpling under the weight of a light lunch.
Originally written by Ed for Crafsty as “Turn Better Bowls: How to Make a Bowl with Legs”
In my last post I pointed out a few design considerations for turned forms. One primary consideration was that bowls will appear much lighter if the curve profile appeared to complete itself above, on or slightly below the surface upon which it sits. The bowl will have a lighter appearance if it does not have an overly wide base relative to the diameter of the bowl. I turn a series of forms which I call “Zen Candles” that present a problem as far as the required diameter of the base.
In the photo above, the profile of the bowl form appears quite graceful and light, yet the piece is physically very heavy because it is filled with rock. Considering that the rock makes the bowl top heavy it cries out for a wide foot, at least as wide as the inside diameter in this case, to maintain its stability. A foot that wide would hide the elegant curve of the bowl and dominate the design to the point where it would take away from the intended feel of the piece. The answer then, is to make the footprint or stance as wide as needed for stability but in some way allow the line of the bowl to show.
Feet! Feet provide the width of stance but also allow a visual insight into the line from rim to center. You can add separately turned feet – which I have done – but you can also make them an integral part of the piece. How slick is that? A feature like this can really showcase your craftsmanship. Let’s find out how we put feet on a bowl that appear to “sprout” from the piece.
The obvious answer to the question is to turn a ring then carve away the wood that you don’t want (which is what turning is all about anyway – getting rid of the wood you don’t want). The tough part is making the curve of the bowl on both side of the ring appear as one.
Turning a bowl with legs tutorial
Step 1:
I used a jam chuck with a soft foam face to support the piece in these photos so the tail stock is required to keep it in place. A vacuum chuck would be suitable as well as any other method that you care to use as long as the piece is held firmly while you work.
Three feet are ideal because the piece will always sit level on a surface without rocking but you can make as many as you want. After turning a ring that blends nicely into the form of the bowl, mark the location of the boundary between the feet and the bowl form with a line on both sides of the intended foot. Your rough cuts will stay above the lines and finish cuts will go to the lines. If a cut is made below the line it will interrupt the line of the curve.
Mark out the centers of the feet in equal thirds around the circumference using the index head on your lathe or by setting a compass at the radius of the ring and step it off around the circumference. This is your opportunity to cut away any unattractive flaws like bark inclusions but be mindful of grain direction for strength. Mark the width of the feet, then using a template, draw a pleasing arc from the bottom of the feet to the line. I’ve done this often enough now that I draw these arcs freehand – so will you after a few bowls.
Cut a trench through the ring in an area where the wood will be removed between the feet. I used to cut a cardboard profile placed in this trench to determine when the profile inside matched the profile outside but now I use a profile gauge seen in the photo at the end of the post. It is wise to leave more wood than necessary on the inside and gradually turn that away to match a pleasing curve with the outside, using either the cardboard pattern or profile gauge as a guide. Above all, make sure the curve completes at a point where the bottom of the bowl is above the feet (in relation to the support surface) so that when the feet rest on the table, they hold the bottom of the bowl above the table.
Step 2:
Now it’s time to make the rough cuts to remove the wood you don’t want. In the photos I used a coping saw and rasp. This is quite time consuming but it gets the job done with less danger of cutting too deeply. Now I use a “Lancelot” cutter on an angle grinder and a small belt sander but great care must be taken not to remove too much wood.
If using a Lancelot, be absolutely certain the piece is anchored by a spindle lock or similar. Use both hands on the grinder – not one on the grinder and one holding the piece. This tool is extremely dangerous and you must maintain full control. I place a steel shaft in the banjo in place of the regular tool rest, making a vertical tool rest to help guide the grinder. Typically I can work on about a 2″ stretch of the ring at a time this way. Leave enough material for a finish cut.
At this point you can use a rasp and bench chisel as in the photos or the small belt sander. If you have some other wood removal tool that is suitable, then by all means use that. Using your hand to feel the curve will tell you far more about your progress than anything else. Be sure to blend the sides of the feet into the curve as well. The masking tape helps to protect the finished surface to some degree.
Step 3:
Once you have a fair curve and a nice blending of the feet, block and hand sand until there are no discernible steps anywhere. In the photo below a profile sander is being used to sand the sides of the feet. This helps keep their shape uniform.
Once the legs are done the piece can be removed from the lathe and the center spot carved away and sanded. This whole process could be done on the bench if you desire but I find it far easier to use the lathe for a clamp. If you are using a Lancelot or similar cutting tool it is imperative that you clamp the piece securely.
This whole process can take as long or longer than turning the actual bowl, but the effect is well worth it.
The photo below shows the three tools that I use now that I didn’t have at the time of these photos. The profile gauge is very handy and quite inexpensive. The power carver speeds the process immensely as does the small belt sander, however it is very easy with both to take too much wood away, ruining the effect.
One last time, if you are using an angle grinder with a Lancelot type cutter, I can’t stress enough that you should use both hands on the grinder and have the piece held securely with clamps or in the lathe with the spindle locked.
Originally written by Ed for Craftsy as “All About Turning Blanks: The Starting Point for Every Woodturning Project”
Anything turned on a lathe started out as a “blank.” Turning blanks come in various forms, but either way you cut the pie, they are the raw material that become your things of beauty or things of absolute necessity. Sometimes it is purchased from a supplier in quite civilized square or round stock with a lot of milling to get it to that point, but sometimes it fell in the back yard during last night’s storm. Let’s look at “blanks” and discuss all the things you might consider.
Milled spindle blanks, dried and milled bowl blank (both purchased) and a blank cut with a chainsaw in the back yard (free).
Safety
Safety may not be the first thing you look for in a blank, but it is the most important. Certainly dimension, species and cost might come first, but once you find your perfect blank is structurally unsound, you’ll have to start your hunt all over. Cracks are sometimes obvious, but sometimes not. Be thorough in your inspection before starting and while you are turning. If a crack is desirable from an artistic standpoint, weigh the benefit against the risk. Lynn Yamaguchi, one of the world’s most talented turning artists, has been sidelined by an intentional cracked blank that exploded. She’s lucky to be alive.
These cracks seem small but will penetrate deeply into the blank and will be present even after removing some material. They will extend past what appears to be the end of the crack.
Knots are always suspect, particularly if they are “loose” (a dead branch surrounded by bark). Large knots may be stable, but can make turning very difficult because of the change in density.
This is a classic loose knot. Note the dark line between the knot and clear wood. That is the bark around a dead branch engulfedby the growing tree. This knot did not show on the surface of the blank.
If there is bark on your blank, ensure that it won’t come off while turning. Bark is every bit as dangerous as solid wood when it flies off. The bark on winter-cut wood is the most stable, but the best solution is to take all the bark off every time before turning.
This bark is obviously loose and can be removed easily. Not all loose bark is this obvious.
Poorly balanced blanks can throw themselves right out of the lathe. Always start at the lowest speed and increase slowly. If you have step pulleys, “bump” the start button a few times until you are certain vibration won’t be a problem. If possible, bring the piece back into balance with counter weights or remove wood as required prior to turning.
The piece above is intentionally off-balance for multi-axis turning. Using lead attached on the outboard end is one way of bringing a piece into balance, however, it is better to balance the piece by removing wood as required prior to turning.
Although this is a very large natural edge blank, the piece was in balance. Some of the wood was removed evenly prior to turning. The piece was harvested in the winter and the bark in this case is very secure. It is mounted very securely on a faceplate.
Grain direction is significant in spindle blanks. If the grain angles across the piece rather than parallel to the axis, it is possible the piece may break in the lathe or during its intended use.
Appearance
In a face-turned piece it is nice to have the grain centered, but you may have a reason to have it shifted to one side. Either way, this is a consideration when choosing your blank that shouldn’t be left to chance. The orientation of the growth rings in a flat-grained piece will greatly affect the final appearance, yielding either an hourglass shape or a series of ovals in the grain pattern in the bottom of the bowl or platter.
The grain in the piece at the top was intentionally shifted to the front to frame a turned stone ink well. The grain in the bottom piece was intentionally centered to visually balance the piece. Subtle, yet important considerations.
Figured grain adds excitement to a piece, but can be quite difficult to turn because it is often prone to tear out. If chosen for a spindle, the change in grain direction may be severe enough to cause the piece to break at the smaller diameters.
Spalted wood can have wonderful, exciting patterns but it can be a nightmare or even impossible to turn and finish due to the tear out. Spalt on the surface may seem sound, but often is complete punk a half inch under the surface.
Green or dry
Both green and dry wood have their advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs. Do you want a piece to stay round after turning? Do you want it to be warped? Do you have time to rough turn a piece then dry it before finish turning? Describing all the options is enough for a whole other post, so certainly is a major consideration when choosing your blank.
The qualities of green arbutus (madrone), dry black walnut and the natural edge of a quilted maple were used to create this illusion.
Cost
This may be the first or the last consideration, depending on your needs and point of view, and of course “expensive” is a relative term. The term “cost” should also apply to your safety and the effort that you put into the piece. Will you be safe while you are turning and will you be happy with the result in the end? What you paid for it – a lot or a little – may have little or no bearing on the outcome.
Originally written for Craftsy by Ed titled: A Small Woodturning Project you Can Whip Up This Weekend.
When describing woodturning to someone “browsing around” for a new hobby, one of the first points I like to make is that it is possible to create a finished piece in an evening or Saturday.
The turned box below is a good example of one of many small woodturning projects that can be completed in just one session. This project is admittedly more suitable for a turner capable of using the bevel as a guide when making interrupted cuts, but it is worthy project for a novice turner who’s up for a challenge. Creating job-specific jamb chucks for final steps defies detection of any means of work holding to the casual viewer.
Turned box with lines inspired by Oriental architecture.
Inspiration
In the above example, my inspiration was informed by classic Oriental architecture. I have an affinity for the sweeping roof lines seen in many older buildings as well as the often solitary gates seen in gardens or entrances to enclosures. I enjoy contrasts and surprises, so chose to make the body with black walnut then ebonize it to make it almost black. The black walnut contrasts nicely with the very light yellow cedar lid. The gold leaf in the bowl form offers a surprise when you open the lid. The body and handle compliment one another and reflect the sweeping lines of roofs and gates to work together to imply a feeling of comfort.
How to make a turned box
Step 1: The body
The body is turned from a rectangular blank with the sides relieved at 15 degrees. I find that is an appealing angle that can be cut on a table or band saw, then sanded to completion at that point. When turning the curved top of the body, the sides will automatically generate sweeping lines on the sides and ends.
Mount the blank in the lathe on a small faceplate or screw chuck so that you can turn a tenon on the bottom to mount in a chuck. If using a faceplate, be careful to use screws only where wood will be turned away later.
Turning the tenon on the bottom. Blank mounted on a screw chuck
With the bottom tenon mounted in a chuck, you can now turn the curved top surface and the bowl of the box.
Turning the top surface. Note the blank area for the bowl portion and the tape on the tool rest indicating the finger “no go zone.”
The bowl form is simply a bowl, so standard bowl turning technique is required. I chose to create a rabbet in the top of the bowl form to receive the lid, but you can leave it flat and have a rabbet only in the lid. If you chose the second option, the sides of the bowl should be as close to, if not completely vertical, to allow the lid to fit well.
Turning the bowl of the box.
Turning the piece around and mounting in a suitable jamb chuck allows you to turn the bottom of the body to match or compliment the top curved surface. Once complete, carve away the center left by the tail stock by hand.
Turning the bottom surface using a jamb chuck and tail stock.
Even better, the use of a vacuum chuck allows you to turn the bottom completely.
Using a vacuum chuck allows you to turn the bottom completely.
Turning the two curved surfaces of the rectangle is unlike turning a fully round project. When turning the wings of the body, it’s better to keep the speed quite high, making light cuts with a slow, steady feed using the bevel as a guide since less than 50% of each revolution presents wood to the tool. The rest of the time the tool is unsupported in the air. Be as steady as you can and use only a very sharp bowl gouge. Do not attempt to sand this portion on the lathe. Sand the wings only by hand.
Turning the bottom reveals a sweeping line from end to end, but since it is a rectangle the cut either does not penetrate the ends or penetrates only minimally. You can leave this flat so the box has two wide legs or cut an arc in the ends later, creating four legs. The whole body will require quite a bit of hand sanding.
Step 2: The lid
Cut a blank for the lid and mount it in a chuck so that you can turn the inside first. Turn a rabbet to fit the body using the body itself as a gauge before turning the inside shape. The lid should not be tight, yet it should not be a sloppy fit. In other words, just right. A very slight taper in the rabbet will allow the lid to fit on easily yet still seat without too much play.
The inside shape is your choice but I prefer a concave form that reflects the shape of the outside of the lid. Sand the inside shape. Turn the outside diameter and at least a small portion of the outside shape at this point — this prevents chipping of the edge of the lid when turning the outside shape.
Turning the inside of the lid.
Create a jamb chuck for the lid, then turn and sand the outside shape of the lid. Note that in this case, there is a channel cut in the chuck to allow you to easily pry the lid from the chuck or blow it off with air pressure. The latter works well and leaves no marks on the wood — as long as you’re a good catch!
Turn the outside of the lid in a jamb chuck.
Step 3: The handle
My objective in the handle was to reflect both the color and theme of the body so used ebonized black walnut. The uprights are turned on the lathe but the cross beams are carved and sanded. Rather than drilling holes I used a power carver with a small bit to shape the holes in the beams and lid because they are tapered and mounted at an angle rather than vertical, requiring tapered holes at an angle.
By applying masking tape to the lid, it is possible to mark the holes out without marking the lid. By leaving the tape on during the glue up, any squeeze out is removed with the tape. With a linear handle such is this, take care to align the handle with the grain of the lid. If you do not, this final step could totally distract the eye from all your good work up to that point.
Originally written for Craftsy by Ed, titled: “Working Under Pressure: Vacuum Chucking on the Lathe.”
Chucks are commonly regarded in the woodworking world as the go-to method of holding work on a lathe when creating a bowl or platter. Typically they are four-jaw, self-centering devices that grasp the work by a tenon or recess. They hold the work very securely and are quick to use, however they mar the work in some way that must be repaired, usually requiring a jam chuck.
Jam chucks offer the ability to hold work without marking it, but they take yet another piece of wood and require sometimes a fair bit of time to create. The best of both worlds, vacuum chucks hold the work without marring it and the work can be set up as quickly as a normal chuck.
Better yet, can you imagine how the natural-edge bowl in the photos below could be held by any other means while working on the foot?
I know of at least one woodturning artist who uses vacuum chucks exclusively for his multi-centered pieces, not just for holding a piece to finish the foot, switching rapidly between placements. Vacuum chucks are capable of holding work that requires serious wood removal. Creating a jam chuck to hold this bowl to finish turn the foot would be very involved and probably take longer to create than the bowl itself.
Putting the pressure on
Vacuum chucks hold the work by using atmospheric pressure to force the work against the face of the chuck by creating a vacuum inside the chuck. The face of the chuck is covered in a soft, closed-cell foam that conforms to the surface of the piece and provides friction to help drive the piece.
Considering that atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi at sea level, it’s not hard to calculate the holding force available. The chuck in the photo has a 4.5″ inside diameter and therefore has a frontal area of almost 16 square inches. Using 14 psi as a round number (it’s tough to get a pure vacuum), 16 x 14 psi = 224 pounds of force over the entire area holding the bowl to the chuck. That’s like me with heavy boots sitting on the bowl to hold it in place. I could make some pretty serious cuts if required.
Extrapolating that, if a 10″ chuck is used, a mighty 1,100 pounds of force will be holding the work in place. That’s like parking one wheel of a loaded pickup on the piece, so some restraint must be used if it’s a thin platter. Not to worry, we can do that. It goes without saying that you folks in Colorado will have to use a smaller number for atmospheric pressure than us folks on the coast, but you still have to be pretty tough to haul that bowl off the chuck.
Working down the line
We know our vacuum chuck has the oomph to hold the work. Working our way back from the chuck, the next thing that is required is a means of transmitting the vacuum through the rotating spindle. Stubby is at least one brand of lathe that has a connection already provided in the headstock, but for the rest of us, a rotating connector must be added to the outboard end of the spindle to connect the vacuum hose. Oneway Manufacturing provides one for their lathes that can be adapted to any others with outboard threads.
Another type uses the vacuum itself to hold the rotating adapter to the end of any spindles that only have a metal hand wheel. The hose doesn’t have to have an internal metal helix, but it has to be stout enough to prevent air pressure from flattening it like a macaroni noodle. I use a fairly heavy duty air pressure hose and it seems to be fine. Again, it’s all about the surface area.
That leaves the pump. A pump is required to produce a vacuum. These are available online or you can make one yourself.
Too much of a good thing
I mentioned that in some cases the force applied by a vacuum on a piece can be great enough to cause damage, either deflecting the piece or actually breaking it.
In the case of deflection, if the piece is thin enough that it deflects inward during turning, the shape created will distort outward when the vacuum is released. Typically, a bulge in the finished bottom is the result. To eliminate this and the danger of breaking the piece, a valve in the vacuum line is necessary to regulate the amount of suction. Almost always, there is enough leakage through the end grain in the wood itself to help, but the valve allows you to control the level of suction. In the picture below, there is a filter to prevent any gritty bits from reaching the pump. A vacuum gauge in the system is very useful to indicate how much suction is present and when a seal is failing while turning.
Below you can see a valve, filter, gauge and rotating adapter used to transmit and control the vacuum for the chuck.
Plugging the leaks
Leaks are detrimental to the success of the whole operation, but it is possible to deal with them. Leaks in the system itself will be limited to connections, and of course the rotating adapter that connects the system to the lathe. All of these are simple to identify and repair as required.
Sometimes the wood is porous enough that there are significant loses through the end grain areas. Leaks in the wood are easy enough to limit by applying masking tape to the piece wherever air is leaking through. It is easy to feel because it actually feels sticky, to the point that sanding dust adheres to the surface. Sometimes the dust will improve the seal. A gauge will indicate the effectiveness of any taping or other jury rigging.
Below is a vacuum reading before taping the end grain. Note that the gauge reads in both inches of mercury and kilopascals. Normal atmospheric pressure is about 30 inches of mercury (30 in. Hg)
Below is the gauge reading after taping the end grain, effectively doubling the vacuum. This reading indicates a holding force of about 175 pounds.
Vacuum chucking can be a very worthwhile addition to your arsenal. Full systems are available but can be very expensive. Remember: the lathe is the cheap part.
If you are unable to manage the cost of a system, but are at least a little handy, it is possible to make the essentials using basic plumbing and air handling hardware and material from your shop. Stay tuned for posts on making a pump, assembling the necessary piping and the chucks themselves.
Originally written for Craftsy by Ed, titled “How to Make Amazing Scrap Art: Turning a Multi Axis Vessel”
Typically things turned on a lathe are round because they are shaped while they rotate around a single center. While I always have enjoyed the shapes that are produced on a lathe, I also find using a single center constraining. Why limit yourself to something that is purely round when you can incorporate many circular elements in your design by using multiple sets of centers? I enjoy creating shapes that look like they were made on anything BUT a lathe. Let’s have a look at one method of creating such a form.
The pieces above were the first in a series I call “Another Man’s Treasure” (because I found the blanks in the “dollar bin” at a local wood supplier… one man’s junk is another man’s treasure). Clearly they are a success because they are now part of my wife’s “that’s not leaving the house” collection.
They had wonderful grain but the orientation was such that if I turned a bowl from them the beauty would be gone. They sat in my shop for months before I figured out how I was going to make something that would present the grain in the best way and also have an interesting shape. Ideally it would also be nice to keep the natural edge of the burl. Minus the pencil line, this is what I had.
Turning a multi axis vessel
I knew I wanted to present the piece vertically to show off the grain but to do so meant that I would lose most of the wood if I turned a small round cylinder. Make three or four small cylinders? Not appealing. Lay it flat in a bowl form? It wouldn’t look much different than any other bowl and the natural edge would be gone. The answer was presenting the broad face vertically by orienting centers in a different plane and using more than one set of centers.
Step 1:
Keeping the natural edge meant placing a center on that edge. To do so on such a convoluted surface meant placing a spot face with a Forstner bit large enough for the drive center I would use. Turning the piece on these centers allowed me to create any form I wanted. I wanted a small foot for a lighter look and to keep as much of the natural edge as possible. Joining the two with a curved line seemed a good choice.
I wanted to eventually hollow the piece a bit from the top to remove some weight to make it more stable and also to remove the spot face and marks from the drive center. To do so I created a tenon to hold the piece with a chuck, hence the chunky bit on the bottom. Within that ugly tenon lies an elegant little foot. Notice that the bottom of the blank at the tail stock end has been trued up square to the axis. This is needed for determining the next set of centers.
Step 2:
With the basic vertical profile established I needed to turn the the vertical faces. On the first piece I finish turned the faces with a simple, lens-like curve but that looked kind of bland. To correct that in this piece, I opted to incorporate a circular element to add interest. I oriented the center so the circle would be interrupted by the natural edge to avoid to creating a “bull’s-eye” look.
To find the vertical center I had to mark the horizontal center on both faces. I chose to align these squarely across the original center but you could make them independent of each other. To keep the centers the same height, it’s a simple matter to measure from the squared bottom to find the centers on both sides. If you chose to vary the height of these centers it would begin to get quite complicated to turn, however, it would result in a very interesting design. I opted to keep the centers at one height, keeping the axis horizontal at this point because I wanted the faces to be parallel to one another.
Place the piece in the lathe using these centers as in the photo below and turn the face with whatever design you like. As I noted earlier, in this case I chose to incorporate a circle that was interrupted by the natural edge. The center mark has to be carved away later by hand, so enough wood was left to do that.
Because I wanted to have the same shape on the other side I marked a center line on the profile surface by rotating the piece by hand and measuring off the tool rest set square to the bed of the lathe (I’m sorry I have no photo of this). Using sharp dividers I measured from that center to the edge of the turned face then stepped off each point on the opposite, unturned side. I then connected these “dots” to create the finished shape as a guide.
Turn the piece around on the same axis and turn the second side. By turning the second face so that the edge of the cut matches the line drawn through the dots you will replicate the first face. This is far easier than you might think. If you make light cuts, stopping the lathe to check your progress after each cut you will have no trouble matching the shape. Alternately, you may choose to have different shapes on each face.
Step 3:
Now you have the main profile (except for that ugly tenon) and the two opposing faces finish-turned. It’s time to get rid of the ugly spot face on top and hollow the inside of the form. This is where the only rule of woodturning comes into play: The inside diameter must not exceed the outside diameter. Remember that the inside diameter must be smaller than the narrowest width of the piece, so the hollow inside shape cannot reflect the outside shape of the piece as in a normal hollowform. Then again, a hollowed inside form that interferes with the outside form, creating a hole in the face, will create yet another design alternative. Something worth exploring in a piece of wood where the figured grain isn’t the highlight.
Note that the width of the tenon is much less that the width of even a single jaw. Engaging a single jaw on each side would be equally as strong as the method on the photo. I chose to engage two jaws on each side of the tenon because it was easier to keep it on center than if I tried to find the center of a single jaw.
Use normal hollowing techniques in this step, however, be cautious and use light cuts. It is safe, but you can see that the mounting of the piece is not as stable as in most hollowing situations.
Step 4:
Now to get rid of the tenon and create a clean foot for the piece. Mounting is shown in the photo below. I made an arbor for the express purpose of mounting thin-walled hollowforms to finish-turn the bottom. It has a Morse taper to fit the spindle, long enough to engage the bottom of the hollowform and a sliding tapered collar to center the hole in the top. Although not visible in the photo, a split collar holds the taper tightly in place. You may not have have such a device but because this is a robust piece, it is a simple matter to mount a piece of waste wood in the chuck and turn a taper as a jam chuck to fit the top hole. Bring up the tail stock to secure the piece.
Remove the wood that was the tenon, completing the shape of the profile.
I prefer to have a slightly hollowed bottom creating a little shadow line at the foot with two feet rather than simply leaving a flat bottom. The slightest shadow line gives the piece a light look, as if it’s floating off the table. The nub left by the tail stock is easily carved away.
Also in the photo you can see the center left on each face. This is easily carved away as well. In this case, remember to leave enough wood so that the center point doesn’t leave a hole in the face.
This is a photo of the completed piece with a finish and a bit of gold leaf. Not bad considering that the material for this cost a buck.
It’s safe to say that all woodturning Interactive Remote Demonstrations (IRD) are carried out using Zoom “Meeting” or “Webinar” formats (see www.zoom.us). When presenting my demonstrations, I do so via Zoom in their Meeting format. When I schedule a Zoom meeting, Zoom assigns a unique meeting number and password to that meeting for security reasons. Both the meeting number and password are contained in a link that will allow anyone with that link to join the meeting. Please do not share that link with anyone.
The day before the demonstration I email everyone a Zoom invitation that contains that link as well as the actual meeting number and password. The invitation shows the start time of the meeting one hour earlier than the actual start time. I do that so that I can be ready and waiting for people to sign in, preferably 15 to 30 minutes before the start time. Usually we get to visit a bit, talk about your expectations; things like that.
When you go to Zoom’s website for the first time it will download a program that allows you to join meetings. That download usually take less than a minute and only happens the first time. On their home page you will see a “Join Meeting” tab at the top of the page. Clicking on that tab brings up a box that has a space for “Meeting ID or Personal Link Name”. Enter the meeting link in that box then click “Join Meeting”.
Before entering the meeting you will be in a “waiting room” but will be admitted momentarily. You may be shown how to change your name if you show up as “Linda’s Laptop” or “B&GW”. From that point on it’s pretty much like being at any ordinary meeting. Take the time to explore the task bar at the bottom and the small icons at the top right and left of the screen.
Step 4.
Note the polished surface of the glove after much use. I doubt the palm of my hand would fare as well. It is imperative that the fingers do not come into play, wrapping the cylinder. Wrapping the cylinder could cause your hand to be drawn into the work and cause significant injury. Not to worry, once your fingers start to burn, you quickly get the hint to keep them free of the work.
Step 5.
Step 7.
Step 8.
Another change in procedure: I typically cut a cove then trim the sizing cuts with a slight taper using a very small skew reserved for just that job. I found that I had room to make the trimming taper with the skew immediately after cutting the beads with the larger skew I was using, thus avoiding picking up a second tool for the job. Cutting the cove after this operation was backwards to my normal routine but everything worked just fine.
Step 9.
Step 10.
Step 11.
Carefully sand the center of the cove to maintain crisp detail.
Stacked with the original, these spindles are ready to be put back on the pallet on which they came. Each one will differ minutely from the next but as my dad used to say, “A blind man running for his life would never notice.”
