• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Update from a new turner

Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
158
Likes
293
Location
San Antonio, TX
Website
www.instagram.com
Here is an update from a few of my latest woodturning adventures.
I’ve slowed down a lot in May due to a strained shoulder (probably tool related from lugging around a 45 lb air compressor). I still managed to prep some logs from an ash tree and some from a hackberry.

I only am turning green wood so it takes time for the moisture content of the wood to equalize. Patience is one of my new skills that I need to continue to practice. There are a lot of lessons in these pieces too. How to minimize radial cracking on pieces turned with the pith (mostly don’t turn pieces with the pith). How to process the wood. What finishes to use on the dry pieces. I’m continuing to add tools that I make to my collection also.

The air compressor will be used with an autobody reciprocating saw to carve pieces that I’ve turned. I also will use die grinders with it at some point. And it is very useful for blowing out the shavings from hollow forms. I’ve found that the shavings get compacted in the vessel very quickly AND they are hot so they dry out the form from the inside and this can lead to more cracking.

I am still experimenting with Renaissance Wax which is a microcrystaline wax. And today I tried using a parafin/synthetic wax blend called Enkaustikos Slick Wax (used for Encaustic painting).

Also also tried Howard’s Feed and Wax and really like this beeswax/orange oil combination.

Some of these pieces only have thinned shellac followed by Renaissance Wax.

Here are some pics…

20210526_193741.jpg20210526_193727.jpg20210526_193759.jpg

Some of these are pecan with Renaissance Wax buffed out (tall one). The globe/bowl has a seal coat of shellac and the Enkaustikos Slick Wax buffed out.
These two products may be very similar in composition.

The following two are ash or hackberry (I think) They had some spalting but it was so wet that it began to mold more after I turned them and placed them in a paper bag with moist shavings. The bowl was spalting unevenly so I sprayed it once or twice with water to encourage the mold on the less affected side.
20210526_193911.jpg20210526_193859.jpg

Again, the shorter bowl has the Renaissance Wax and the tri-corner bowl has the Slick Wax applied to it.20210526_193951.jpg20210526_194020.jpg

These last three are unfinished at this point. Since I am very new to turning (6 months) Everything I try is a new challenge. The piece on the right with the collars/rings is still drying and will be the first carved piece I try. I intend to cut the rings/collars into fringe or petal like shapes. All three of these include the pith and had extreme radial cracking. That means that I will have no remorse when it come to carving or trying other texturing techniques on them. I will mostly cut the pith out of my blanks in the future though it seems like this ash is especially prone to cracking more than other woods I've turned. 20210504_145832.jpg
This pic is of a couple of the lathe tools I've made recently. The Alan Lacer style skew is fantastic to use.
And here is the amazon link the hss tool blank I bought to make it.
This is a link to a great article on how to shape your own skew in this style.

I've made a few other tools and a log processing bench.
I've also made a few other hollow forms but these are all from the last month.
Thanks for looking.
Comments and criticisms welcome.
Al in Texas
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 4, 2010
Messages
2,432
Likes
1,850
Location
Bozeman, MT
Those first pictures show some really difficult shapes. You're doing well to even attempts them. Looks lie some really nice pieces there.
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
148
Likes
64
Location
Portland, OR
What's the tool with the little carbide inserts? Texturing? I like the heart/sap combo on the wonky lipped vessel in the back of the top pic. Nice work all around.
 
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
158
Likes
293
Location
San Antonio, TX
Website
www.instagram.com
Thanks Everyone!
Yes.. I am definitely having fun.

Tom, that is a texturing tool. It uses bearings and a magnet stacked inside the copper shaft and works pretty well. I saw a Mike Peace video and in the description of the video there are links for the parts (cheap) and a pdf on the construction. Thanks Mike!

The Heart/Sap Combo Wonky Lipped Vessel was fun ( I might name it that =P ). I had thoughts about leveling out the lip but it reminds me of a figure with a necklace and a long thin neck. A friend saw it and said it reminded him of Cycladic Figurines and I'm happy with the wonky lipped neck.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Al
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
169
Likes
228
Location
Ambridge, PA
Nice work Al. Is that chainsaw the CS1500 with the self sharpening stone? I have one and really like it mostly because of the 18" bar so it works for 90% of my chainsaw needs. I found the self sharpening to be so-so. I took mine off and put a low profile Stihl chain and found it rips bowl blanks much better.
 
Back
Top