Have you tried anything different lately?

[Brian Horais]

Turning round bowls or vases is a skill many woodturners develop early in their ‘careers’. At some point after they have mastered cylindrical shapes, many turners seek additional techniques to expand their skills and keep their creative energies alive. I created a YouTube presentation recently that summarizing three different off-center turning techniques that may serve to enlighten and inspire other woodturners. The link is included below. Have you tried any new techniques lately? Let us know how you try to expand your creative skills.

View: https://youtu.be/SGI3aDOCQ98

 

[Robert D Evans]

I've been learning segmented turning and after watching a demonstration on the basket illusion pattern, decided to try it on a small segmented vase. The basket pattern lines are burned it. I turned out ok but I need to get better with my colored marker selection. My coloring inside the lines could use a little more practice too.

 

[Kirk Amidon]

I'm still at the point where just about everything is new. That said, recently turned a number of various bowls, more recently I've been trying some goblets, with captive rings. For a lark, I tried a test of multi axis turning which conceptually worked great, but there is a lot of refinement I'll need to do. One thing I'm thinking about with the multi axis turning is to turn 3 sided tapered legs for a table. Anyone try this before? A 28" leg about 1 1/2" in diameter at the top, tapering to 3/4" at foot. The only one I've done so far was a non tapered cylinder.

Just bought a book on Segmented Turning, which I'll venture into later this year when it is a bit warmer in the garage. Also on the list is some inside out turning. Like I said, it is all new, at this point.

 

[Ric Williams]

I've been trying different woods lately, just to see what turning them is like. Mulberry & apple are my favorites so far. That works out nicely since the power company just came through and dropped a nice size tree of each and left the wood for me. With less than 2 years under my belt, most everything about turning is still new to me, which I enjoy tremendously. Started working with a 40/40 grind gouge, just to see what it's about. So far my best results have come with a 5/8 Jamieson/Thompson bowl gouge.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

In between working on some new ideas for IRD's I have been playing with carving, piercing and airbrushing. I have a stockpile of rough turned hollow forms that are dry and need to be finished turned to play with.

 

[Brian Horais]

I've been learning segmented turning and after watching a demonstration on the basket illusion pattern, decided to try it on a small segmented vase. The basket pattern lines are burned it. I turned out ok but I need to get better with my colored marker selection. My coloring inside the lines could use a little more practice too.

View attachment 37294

Nicely done Robert! It really takes a patient hand to do these basket illusion pieces. Combining it with a segmented design is very unique. Keep these coming.

 

[Brian Horais]

I'm still at the point where just about everything is new. That said, recently turned a number of various bowls, more recently I've been trying some goblets, with captive rings. For a lark, I tried a test of multi axis turning which conceptually worked great, but there is a lot of refinement I'll need to do. One thing I'm thinking about with the multi axis turning is to turn 3 sided tapered legs for a table. Anyone try this before? A 28" leg about 1 1/2" in diameter at the top, tapering to 3/4" at foot. The only one I've done so far was a non tapered cylinder.

Just bought a book on Segmented Turning, which I'll venture into later this year when it is a bit warmer in the garage. Also on the list is some inside out turning. Like I said, it is all new, at this point.

Sounds like you are doing a fair amount of 'exploring' with different turning approaches. The multi-axis tapered legs sound interesting but there could be some challenges and shortfalls. The longer the piece, the less obvious the twist. If you are doing 120 degrees of twist (the best looking amount in my opinion), the twist will be more apparent on shorter pieces (12 inches or less. Also, longer pieces can be a challenge to turn without support in the middle - which in itself would be a challenge for multi-axis turning since the entire 'spindle' is 'wobbling' on the lathe. A different multi-axis approach for table legs is therming, which uses a barrel turning rig and allows you to turn multiple legs simultaneously. Here's an image of a three-legged chair with thermed legs that I made recently. All surfaces on the legs are curved. The smaller image in the foreground shows the legs mounted on the therming rig.

 

[Richard Aldrich]

Robert
Your segmenting looks great. Form looks great. Good work.

 

[Kirk Amidon]

Robert - nice job on the grain matching on the top row of the turning, looks great.

 

[Dave Landers]

New for me recetly: We had @Emiliano Achaval demo for our club in December, and I got turned on to pewa (butterfly) patches. I've always liked the character of wood in places where it is most likely to crack - end-grain, knots, etc. I've filled cracks with things like turquoise and colored epoxy (usually black). The pewas give me another option.

Last week, I turned a few bowls and hollow forms with the pith in, and put them aside to hopefully crack in interesting ways. Just starting to do the patches this week.

I like the philosophy of the Hawaiian and some asian cultures where a repaired bowl is more valuable, due to the care given to the piece (vs trashing it). I sorta feel like I'm cheating (turning a piece knowing/hoping it will crack so I can "repair" it. But I do like the results.

 

[John Walls]

I've been thinking about doing some cabriole legs for some tables this summer. (some demos on youtube).

 

[Odie]

Turning round bowls or vases is a skill many woodturners develop early in their ‘careers’. At some point after they have mastered cylindrical shapes, many turners seek additional techniques to expand their skills and keep their creative energies alive. I created a YouTube presentation recently that summarizing three different off-center turning techniques that may serve to enlighten and inspire other woodturners. The link is included below. Have you tried any new techniques lately? Let us know how you try to expand your creative skills.

View: https://youtu.be/SGI3aDOCQ98

That is some beautiful off-center work you do, Brian.

I'm betting others look at my work and think I do very few new things......but, the opposite is true!

Actually, I do a number of basic shapes and details that for all outward appearances, might seem to be a constant from another's POV.....but the truth is, I'm always experimenting with new methods and adjusting my techniques accordingly as I find better ways to accomplish particular tasks. I seem to be continually finding new ways to do the same old things, and this process keeps me mentally inspired. My satisfaction is in refining my process, and not necessarily finding all new processes to challenge me.

Pretty dumb and boring some might think......but, I find my continually evolving "style" of turning to be very challenging!

-----odie-----

 

[Brian Horais]

Thanks Odie! Not dumb and boring to me. Anything that keeps you mentally inspired and continually refining your processes with new challenges is certainly an endeavor worth pursuing.

 

[Dale Lynch]

Not so much turning involved,but it is all done on a lathe.I have been keeping busy with crosswrapping with thread like they do on fishing poles.I use it to decorate pen kit bodies.

 

[Richard Aldrich]

Post some pictures of the pens please!!!!!!

 

[Dave Hulett]

ove to try different stuff. did this a few days ago. Looks easy at first but required more thought as I got further into it. It was fun . This one out of walnut and stil needs some final sanding and a finish, and I think I'll do another out of cherry. I'm thinking it will make an interesting demo for our club.

 

[Brian Horais]

Very challenging and very nicely done Dave. I tried something similar recently, but I had one core section with two attached 'legs'. Turning the entire creation as one piece is impressive.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

It is still a bowl but different than turning wood. I made a bowl from a bowling ball.

 

[Brian Horais]

Thats amazing Rusty! Did you use any special tools? I know when I have turned resin pens it takes some special care to keep the resin from chipping.

 

[Dale Lynch]

Post some pictures of the pens please!!!!!!

Well here are a few I think are cool.

Not on the same level as the artful turnings here but just as time consuming.

 

[Richard Aldrich]

They are superb. Respectfully disagree your art form is as good as anyones. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Thats amazing Rusty! Did you use any special tools? I know when I have turned resin pens it takes some special care to keep the resin from chipping.

Thank you. I used carbide tools for this one. I found it was better to leave it at 500 rpm or lower. It chipped easy so I had to go slow and take my time. I thought it would be real messy but with the lathe on low speed it wasn’t bad at all. I sanded it to 12,000 and finished with friction polish.

 

[George Kuipers]

Did some multi axis turning after reading a few articles in the English magazine woodturning. Keep getting back at it, although just about every 3rd one blows up.
Also watched a video by Art Liestman, barrel turning or therming as he calls it. Lots of fun and you end up with 3 or 4 items, depending on how many are on the barrel.

 

[R Henrickson]

Also watched a video by Art Liestman, barrel turning or therming as he calls it. Lots of fun and you end up with 3 or 4 items, depending on how many are on the barrel.

Do you have a link for the video?

 

[George Kuipers]

Do you have a link for the video?

It is a video by Trent Bosch, trentboschtools.com, look for Therming by Art Liestman, the cost is $10.00

 

[R Henrickson]

It is a video by Trent Bosch, trentboschtools.com, look for Therming by Art Liestman, the cost is $10.00

Thanks

 

[Brian Horais]

Did some multi axis turning after reading a few articles in the English magazine woodturning. Keep getting back at it, although just about every 3rd one blows up.
Also watched a video by Art Liestman, barrel turning or therming as he calls it. Lots of fun and you end up with 3 or 4 items, depending on how many are on the barrel.

Very nicely done George! Art Liestman got me started on therming when I took a class from him at Arrowmont. Art has done some amazing work in therming. I recently completed a chair/end table with thermed legs. Here's an image with a small insert showing the legs on the therming rig. Keep exploring!

 

[Brian Horais]

Do you have a link for the video?

Here's a link to a video I did recently on 'Therming a Stool'. I used a therming rig designed by Art Liestman and give some instructions on how to make the rig. Give it a try!

View: https://youtu.be/EOW8BkJNt7g

 

[Mike Brazeau]

After 20 years of what I call my born again phase of wood turning I finally made a Pepper Mill for our son and family, from a piece of an apple tree they took out a few years ago. I was not sure I was going to succeed because the blank I had prepared in 2018 had significant ring shake and associated issues. Filled the voids with epoxy and turquoise powder. Finished with Watco Danish Oil followed by Circa 1850 Polyurethane Woodturners Jelly and light buffing and wax with Conservator’s wax.

 

[Kirk Amidon]

Brian, that is a cool process, and the video did a nice job of explaining how it works. Thanks for posting.