Carving mallet a great First spindle projects

[hockenbery]

am new to woodturning, so on my lathe is currently 2x2x18 maple that I am practicing the basics. I joined a local group for some pointers and I commonly heard that I should practice spindle turning before I delve into bowl turning. So, I am heeding the advice of the more experienced and have been practicing all kind of spindle turns.

Excellent advice. Spindle projects projects let you develop tool control you need for bowl turning.
You can use a bowl gouge for some of the spindle work so you can practice that.

A great early project is a carving mallet.
You can turn it all between centers and for extra credit hollow rage stricking end a bit so you can stand it on end.
The one on the top is the one I’ve been using for 30+ years. It was turned from green cherry


Something else to try
A slightly more advance spindle project is a multi-center turning.
This gives some experience with the interrupted cut plus a whole set of napkin rings.

Demo video of three center Napkin Rings -

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys4tMzwh7jE

 

[Asher Langton]

This mallet was fun but perhaps not the most practical. (The miniature chisels are from Lee Valley/Veritas.)

 

[Nick Piergrossi]

Excellent advice. Spindle projects projects let you develop tool control you need for bowl turning.
You can use a bowl gouge for some of the spindle work so you can practice that.

A great early project is a carving mallet.
You can turn it all between centers and for extra credit hollow rage stricking end a bit so you can stand it on end.
The one on the top is the one I’ve been using for 30+ years. It was turned from green cherry
View attachment 64074

Something else to try
A slightly more advance spindle project is a multi-center turning.
This gives some experience with the interrupted cut plus a whole set of napkin rings.

Demo video of three center Napkin Rings -

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys4tMzwh7jE

Thank you for the ideas. I had some time after work and tried a no-frills wooden mallet.

 

[Gregg Zank]

I agree this is a great first or even refresher project. Great practice with a skew as well! I made one a while back and never liked the weight for its intended use, so i drilled out the end of the head and glued in a brass disk to weight the head a bit more, now I it is my go to when I need a mallet.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

Turning eggs is one of the best practice/warm-up projects. It teaches you a lot about making beautiful and consistent curve shapes and requires good tool control for both left and right side curves with either skew or gouge. What's better is that people seem to really like them. I never seem to have a problem selling or giving away eggs, people enjoy holding them.

I drilled out my last mallet and filled the end with molten lead, then plugged the end with a contrasting wood. Turned it in to quite the persuader! Works very well with my big carving chisels.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Thank you for the ideas. I had some time after work and tried a no-frills wooden mallet.

Make sure you keep it even if you don't use it. The other day I took the mallet that was one of the first things I made and put it back on the lathe and dressed it up some with what I know now. Looks completely different now. (still probably won't use much)

 

[Nick Piergrossi]

Make sure you keep it even if you don't use it. The other day I took the mallet that was one of the first things I made and put it back on the lathe and dressed it up some with what I know now. Looks completely different now. (still probably won't use much)

I am more afraid of my wife using it if I buy another lathe tool. She was eyeing it up yesterday.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I am more afraid of my wife using it if I buy another lathe tool. She was eyeing it up yesterday.

Remember the mantra......... "I am one tool away from greatness" just keep repeating that and it will all be alright.

 

[Nick Piergrossi]

That is great! I will certainly try to remember that...and not just for tools.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Here's my first one, made about 18 months ago. Dogwood. It's beat up pretty bad now, as it should be. I have two of these. One is on my workbench and the other next to the lathe for knocking out the spur center.