Pine Practice

[Richard Baker]

Previously posted a while back, but seeing new questions so hope this is relevant. Here's a cheap way to practice and improve some turning and segmenting skills. It's "southern yellow pine" (which includes several species), free scraps from home-building sites. Challenging and good practice to turn, due to extreme disparity in hardness between winter and summer wood. It's 15-1/4" dia. at the top and 25" tall, about 1/2" wall thickness, 18 rings of 16 segments each plus the bottom, unfinished in this picture. The nearby adult beverage is shown for scale only, as all beverages are usually kept across the room away from shiny metal tool surfaces.

Edit: Well I can't tell much about it from the picture, but the idea is to practice with cheap wood and improve one's skills.

 

[underdog]

OOOOhhh nice Longworth chuck. And the vase ain't bad either...

 

[dkulze]

Dang, Richard. That's making me want to go out and score some scrap pine.

The contrasts make for a lovely design on the vase. Gives thought to learning to identify how each grain will curve and incorporating it in the design process.

I think you have a winner there.

dietrich

 

[john lucas]

Texian exactly what I do. My latest article in Woodturning Design was done with off cuts from 2x4's. They are great for spindle turning practice. Don't have any photos of that project on this computer, maybe I can run one tonight.

 

[PapaDoc]

One of the members of Ga. A WT, Mark Sallay, recently did a demo on how pine can teach you how to cut the fibers rather than scrape. His point is that pine is unforgiving and will give immediate feedback. He uses this wood in teaching how to do spindle work. He made a believer out of me.

 

[Jake Debski]

No wonder that Jet has a rattle in it. That is a big vase, did you turn the inside? If so, what did you use?
Well done.

 

[john lucas]

here are some of the birdhouse pieces I made from pine 2x4's. A few were made from some mahagony I had. I had a lot of fun trying out different paint schemes.

 

[Richard Baker]

Thanks for Your Response

John, Cool birdhouses and looking forward to seeing the pictures.

Jake, After many wasted hours of telephone tag, etc., my Jet was officially (by service personnel) diagnosed with a motor vibration, defective MT2 in the spindle, etc. Parts on order, and am cautiously optimistic that in the fullness of time it will be restored to better than new condition under warranty. So far, so good. Meanwhile it continues to function well up to at least 750 rpm, so need to get to work on that oak log in the morning.

Dietrich, This was the first piece I did on the new lathe to check out the 16 and 42. Ran out of 16 before even approaching the 42. Had I known it would be this good, I should have searched out some more free lumber to "grain match' the whole thing. The segment joints are virtually perfect, as required, and attested by 3 rings still in a pile somewhere that didn't make the grade. Good practice.

Jim, Glad you noticed the Longworth. I used it to turn and sand "side one" of the rings flat, gripping small rings outside, and large rings inside. Also used a home-made 4-wheel steady rest as the thing got bigger and longer. Think it has been posted here somewhere. Jake, the inside is indeed turned, using home-made tools with "tool steel" tool bits ground at 75-80 degree included angle. I think of them as "scraper grind".

The outside is almost perfectly straight (this is harder than it looks), except for a little curvature at the top. The inside wavers a bunch, probably + and - 1/32" or more. Still haven't learned to use a gouge on the inside. Working on a curved tool rest for bowl insides, but need a bigger torch to heat/bend the metal.

Thanks again for your comments! Am kind of isolated in the boonys, and appreciate your help and support.

 

[MichaelMouse]

here are some of the birdhouse pieces I made from pine 2x4's. A few were made from some mahagony I had. I had a lot of fun trying out different paint schemes.

Probably the place to mention that all that's called pine isn't, and that even when it is, pines have an broad spectrum of working characteristics. The construction grade stuff at the yard is labeled SPF, for Spruce/Pine/Fir, and can be any of the above. Spruce is pretty brittle, fir is pretty resinous, and pine is a lot of different things depending on where you are, from dense and brittle to light as a feather and liable to bruise from the slightest heel touch.

SYP refers to those hard-as-nails yellow pines, as opposed to the softer, lighter whites or resin-oozing, finishing-rejecting reds. Lots of variation. Then there's the matter of rate of growth. Larger areas of softer earlywood call for different techniques to minimize dive and crush, and can be a perfect b***h to sand without turning the surface into ripples. Lots of latewood cuts with hardwood angles, sands pretty much the same.

Guess the only universal in conifers is something Texian avoids fairly well by orienting his pieces as he does, tapering and crushing of the brittle latewood into the softer early. End grain isn't quite as bad to cut as face grain, but watch the bruises.

 

[jimwtolly]

Richard, Great job, I do hope you will bring it to SWAT to show us all there?

 

[Richard Baker]

Swat?

Jimmy,
I should bring it to SWAT?? It's just a big pine pot. Still undecided about the weekend. Maybe just drive over Saturday. Is it too late to get reservations at the "right" place? Am not very good at long walks. If I was intended to walk, I would not have all these disfunctional body parts, nor these various motorized vehicles.

Michael,
Good post and thanks. There must be an "official" industry standard for SYP, as typically used for construction framing in this part of the country. When I say "pine", am thinking of ordinary SYP construction lumber, even though there are lots of variations on pine.

For those considering similar "practice", note that it took an absurdly large pile of scrap lumber to make this and another similar piece. Too late I realized that with a much bigger pile of lumber, I could have done something at least somewhat artistic with face grain and edge grain.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Richard,

I am very impressed. Very nice work. Did you say that 1/32" is not very smooth? I also noticed the longworth chuck and the fine workmanship that went into it.

I have found that the variety of SYP that is especially bad is the one that really is yellow. A lot of framing carpenters refuse to use it because you can't drive a nail straight even with a nail gun (too much blow out). Also, it seems to be the heaviest thing next to lignum vitae when trying to lift one up to use as a joist or rafter. By comparison some white pine varieties seem as light as balsa. I bought some stuff at Big Orange to use for spindle practice (called "white wood") and it really has a lot of fuzz if my tools are not razor sharp. I picked up a few pieces of Ponderosa pine which I believe is one of the reds. The smell of turpentine is very noticeable while turning it. The edges of my tools also got fairly gummed up with resin.

Bill

 

[John Nicholas]

Pine for Practice ???

If pine is good for practice then I'm in for plently. I've roughed two bowls and started a 3rd. There are 30 blanks left from the tree.

John

 

[Chuck Beland]

Texian exactly what I do. My latest article in Woodturning Design was done with off cuts from 2x4's. They are great for spindle turning practice. Don't have any photos of that project on this computer, maybe I can run one tonight.

John,
I Have a small bunch of 2 x 4's & i just picked up the 6 peice sorby set from woodcraft I would love to see any videos you can post on using the tools correctly & safely.

 

[DeanGThomas]

videos and tool technique

Find the Jimmy Clewes video series. You'll learn LOTS about gouge technique. I'm going to recommend that our chapter pick up a set for the library.

 

[john lucas]

I don't have any video's but I recomment the Jimmy Clewes and Alan Lacer skew video. If you should be in middle Tennessee anytime your welcome to stop in and I'll show you.

 

[John Nicholas]

Jimmy,
I should bring it to SWAT?? It's just a big pine pot. Still undecided about the weekend. Maybe just drive over Saturday. Is it too late to get reservations at the "right" place? Am not very good at long walks. If I was intended to walk, I would not have all these disfunctional body parts, nor these various motorized vehicles.

The right hotel is 5 miles from the Mayborn Center. I don't think anyone is walking. They also closed a bunch of rooms for remodeling. See the SWAT Newsletter. I just made reservations at another hotel.

John

 

[Richard Baker]

John N.,
Thanks for your response. Guess I should bring the pine "vase". At least it will be different from all the beautiful stuff others bring.

Bill B.,
Thanks for the kind words. The outside is fairly straight except for that curvature near the top, but I may have lied about the +or- 1/32" in wall thickness. The inside feels pretty wavey, so it's probably more like +or- 1/16" in wall thickness, max. total of 1/8" variation. I did try to avoid those pieces with sap pockets, but still have a couple.

Made it 7 months ago, so its quality has improved "in my mind", as it gathered dust next to the TV set in the den. Must blow off the dust and wipe on some tung oil.

 

[cjrolke]

i made this out of 1 pine 2x4

it is a nice wood to play with

take a dye very well