Woodworkers Journal - Fall 2013

FALL

2013SETTING UP A TURNING SHOP

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WOODTURNINGPROJECTS & TECHNIQUES

Display Until December 3, 2013

• Choosing a Lathe

• Turning Green Wood

• Jam Chuck Turning

• Textures and Patterns

• How to Turn Pens

• Friction Polish

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The Ultimate Guide to

Woodturning!

© 2 0 1 3 W a l t e r M e i e r ( M a n u f a c t u r i n g ) I n c . A l l R i g h t s R e s e r v e d . T h e c o l o r G O L D i s a r e g i s t e r e d t r a d e m a r k o f W a l t e r M e i e r ( M a n u f a c t u r i n g ) I n c .

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T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s4

Table of Contents

Getting Started in Woodturning . . . .8-12

Guide to Choosing a Lathe . . . . . . .14-18

Hollowing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-23

Common Misunderstandings . . . . .24-26

Friction Polish — Fast & Friendly . . . .28

As with most aspects of woodworking,

woodturning requires some hardware. If you’re

new to turning, this section’s articles will

present you with a “soup to nuts” overview of

what you need to get started. Whether you’re

choosing your first lathe or sorting out your

“must-have” list of cutting tools and personal

safety equipment, our authors share their

tried-and-true, practical advice.

How to Turn the Write Stuff . . . . . .32-36

Jam Chuck Turning . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38-41

Sharpening Curved Edges . . . . . . . . . .42

Turning Green Wood . . . . . . . . . . . .44-46

Carving Textures into Bowls . . . . . .48-51

Spinning a piece of wood and shaping it with a

sharp tool can yield a rich variety of projects.

But, there’s much more finesse to the turning

process than applying sharp blades to chunks

and billets. In this section, you’ll learn the

nuances of turning tiny pen spindles, shaping

green wood into bowls and even turning a ball

perfectly round. We’ll also show you how to

keep your turning tools keen and ready.


Chris Marshall Special Projects Editor

Larry N. Stoiaken Publisher

Rob Johnstone Editor in Chief

Joanna Werch Takes Senior Editor

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Woodturning: Projects & Techniques

is published by Rockler Press Inc.,

4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340.

Single copy price, $9.99. Reproduction without

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©2013 Rockler Press Inc., Printed in USA.

Questions & Answers . . . . . . . . . . .94-96

Tricks of the Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Woodturning: Fall 2013

Q&A andReaders’ Tricks

Zestful Turnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54-56

Turned Fishing Lures . . . . . . . . . . . .58-61

Japanese Kendama Game . . . . . . .62-67

Mastering Turned Eggs . . . . . . . . . .68-71

“Counter Cat” Holiday Gifts . . . . . .72-74

Shaker Candlestand . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-80

Longworth Bowl Chuck . . . . . . . . . .82-84

Coming-of-Age Bottle Opener . . . .86-88

6


TURNING

Woodturning requires three primary investments: a lathe,

some turning tools and a method for keeping their edges

sharp. This section’s articles will address aspects of all three

of these “action items,” plus give you a short course on the

latest hollowing tools and woodturning’s fastest finish:

friction polish.

Woodturning might just

be the perfect baby-

boomer woodworking

niche. It’s fun and relatively easy,

doesn’t take a bunch of room, and

you don’t need a big pile of

money to get started. And here is

the kicker: you can turn a project,

from start to finish (you know,

the kind you wipe on) in an

evening! Even more complex

turning projects don’t take as

long to make as a big piece of fur-

niture does. Think of it as “instant

gratification” woodworking.

We here at Woodworker’s

Journal know that there are

many woodworkers who are

interested in woodturning, but

they have yet to make the move

(or more likely, moves) to begin

turning. While there are

probably lots of good reasons

why you may not be ready to

jump into the turning orbit just

yet, don’t let the “big three” road-

blocks keep you from joining the

ranks of satisfied woodturners.

8 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d i n W o o d t u r n i n g

w o o d t u r n i n g i s e a s y t o l e a r n a n d f a s t

t o d o . S o , w h a t ’ s k e e p i n g y o u f r o m

t a k i n g i t u p ? P r o b a b l y o n e o f t h e s e

t h r e e c o m m o n r o a d b l o c k s .

Getting Started in Woodturning

Start out with a benchtop lathe. It will cost you less than a full-size machine while

providing a very capable lathe for general turning. This JET JWL-1220, for example,

will allow you to turn a vessel up to 12" in diameter. It sells for around $550.

Three Major StoppersAt its heart, woodturning is very

simple. You really only need

three major components to do

remarkable work: something to

spin the wood — a lathe; some-

thing to cut the wood — gouges

of sufficient quality for the

task; and here is perhaps the

biggest stopper for some folks ...

something to sharpen those

curved gouges — a super-easy

sharpening system.

On these pages, you will find

our recommendations for simple

solutions to meet those three

basic turning needs. There are,

of course, many other high

This five-piece turning set from Crown comes pre-sharpened, so they’re ready to use

right out of the box. It is a very serviceable group of tools that will get a beginner

turning in no time and allow your skills and craft to grow. Rockler Woodworking and

Hardware sells the five-piece set for around $228.

9w w w . w o o d w o r k e r s j o u r n a l . c o m

quality options for these compo-nents. But the three we suggesthere will get you across the turning threshold at a minimumof out-of-pocket expense andwith the opportunity to growyour skills and the scope of yourturning challenges.

There is a Season:

Turn, Turn, Turn!

As with any shop upgrade, you canapproach it in a variety of ways Ñbuy new, buy used, try out yourbuddy’s lathe to get the feel ofturning ... it’s up to you. But if youare going to start turning wood,you need a lathe, and it doesn’thave to be a big one. The JETJWL-1220 Wood Lathe, for example, is a mini-lathe with a3/4hp motor and 12" capacity.That means you can turn bowlsand other objects up to 12" indiameter. Small lathes are greatfor turning pens, spindles, duckcalls, bowls, flat turning Ñ all thestuff you can do on a big lathe, justin smaller scale. You can buy itnew for about $550. If you fall inlove with woodturning, it will likely not be the last lathe youbuy. But you will probably keepthe mini-lathe around the shopanyway, even if you step up to afull-size lathe later on.

The Work Sharp WS3000 is one of the easiest

systems we’ve found to sharpen those tricky

curved-edge gouges. It also does a great job with

flat surfaces. Keep it close to your lathe so you

can sharpen as you turn, just like the pros do it.


The Cutting EdgeNow that you have your woodspinning, you’ll need somethingto change its shape. The CrownFive-piece Turning Set (item27754) from Rockler is a goodchoice if you are starting out. Itcontains full-sized roughing andspindle gouges, as well as a part-ing tool, skew and a round-nosescraper — really all the cuttingtools you need to get into wood-turning in a big way. The steel isof very good quality and the han-dles are sufficient; they could belonger, but at around $228 forthe set, this is a very good deal.An added bonus is that the toolscome properly ground and wellhoned. Not only can you startturning with them right out ofthe box, but you also get a goodidea of what a sharp turningedge looks and feels like.

As you progress in woodturn-ing, this is one collection of toolsthat will likely grow. While thevariety of different turning toolsis not endless, it is vast, and turn-ers seem to develop strong pref-erences regarding grind, gougeshape, handle length ... youname it. But you’ve got to startsomewhere, and this set is justright to get you up and running.

Honing In On a Sharp ToolEven if your turning tools aresharp right out of the box, soon-er or later they will get dull — allcutting tools do. Then you haveto sharpen them. The challengewith sharpening turning tools isthat many of them are not a simple flat edge (like a benchchisel or a plane iron). Bowl,spindle and roughing gouges arecurved. Sharpening those

curved edges has long been oneof the roadblocks for folks look-ing to become woodturners. Andwhile it is not impossible to learnto sharpen those edges on traditional grinding-wheel stylesystems, they can be tricky forbeginners. The main reason isthat on a grinding wheel system,the edge you are sharpening is turned down, where it’s harder to see. For that reason we recommend the Work Sharp®

WS3000 Wood Tool Sharpenerfor start-up turners. It is an abra-sive-paper based system asopposed to a grinding-wheel typesystem. By using the see-throughslotted wheel you can actuallyview the surface you are grind-ing (see photos, above). Thisfunction allows immediate visualfeedback and enhanced controlas you sharpen a gouge. If you

It is easier to gauge how the sharpening

process is going if you can see it

happening. That’s the concept behind

the slotted-wheel feature on the

Work Sharp WS3000 Wood Tool

Sharpener. Beginning sharpeners often

find this system especially useful when

it comes to sharpening curved-edge

tools like spindle and bowl gouges.

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“black out” the grinding surfacebefore you start, using a blackmarker, you can see the metalrevealed as you lightly grind thesurface. When the black is allgone, your gouge is sharp andready to take back to the lathe.It’s that simple.

If you turn a lot of wood, youare going to need to get good atsharpening your cutting tools.Turners sharpen their tools allthe time. In fact, many experi-enced turners keep their sharp-ening systems right next to thelathe. Often they don’t even turnoff the lathe as they turn to thegrinder and put a new edge ontheir tools. One obstacle thatnew turners often put in front ofthemselves is that they over-think the sharpening component

Compared to the entire continuum ofwoodworking power tools, lathes(and by extension, woodturning) aregenerally considered fairly safe.With that said, one important pieceof safety equipment everywoodturner should own is a faceshield. While it may seem tooobvious to mention, the goal is to

protect not only your eyes, but alsothe rest of your face from flyingchips, chunks and even entire bowlsthat may come loose from the lathefrom time to time. Shields come in awide range of cost and quality. Thebasic shield, shown on the benchabove, is sold by RocklerWoodworking and Hardware for

around $15. On the other end of thespectrum is the Trend® Airshield Pro,a top-of-the line, power-ventilatedand padded face protection system,that sells for around $350 (see insetphoto above). Whichever face shieldyou buy, don’t take chances withsafety. Wear it whenever you areworking at the lathe.

Saving Face: Don’t Forget the Face Shield!

of turning. They are concernedabout not getting the tools sharpenough, or maybe too sharp. Dothey need to raise a “wire edge”on their tools that they’ve readabout? The quandaries go on.Perhaps that’s because, as IanKirby is fond of pointing out,sharpening is not woodworking... it is metalworking. So it’s logi-cal why we woodworkers are abit uncomfortable with the task.The curious thing is that whenyou talk to experienced turners,they don’t get worked up aboutsharpening. It’s something theyjust have to do. Priced at $200,the WS3000 is a user-friendlysystem that can get a newbie tothat “no big deal” sharpeningmindset quickly, which is a goodgoal. Remember, the less time

you spend sharpening, the moretime you’ll spend turning.

Knock Down the Roadblocks

and Have Fun!

Getting started in woodturningis easier than it seems. Once youget past the three roadblocksidentified here, you will be spin-ning stock and making shavingsin no time. As with any new skill,it is good to learn the basics andunderstand the safety concerns.One great thing about turning isthat it is a forgiving hobby andlends itself well to trial-and-errorlearning at no great expense.The most important thing tokeep in mind is the adviceoffered by turning expert, BettyScarpino: “Don’t forget to havesome fun!”

14 A n E x p e r t ’ s G u i d e t o C h o o s i n g a L a t h e

As turning grows in popularity,

the options for lathes continues

to increase. You can certainly

invest in a new machine, but

don’t dismiss the option of buying

used — a well-cared-for machine

could be an excellent bargain.


For those of you who don’tyet own a lathe, this guidewill help to answer ques-

tions you may not even knowyou have. The main point toremember is to go ahead andbuy a lathe. Don’t be afraid totake the plunge: your first lathewill train you. Besides, most ofus will own more than one lathe in our lifetimes. The first lathe is often a “starter” lathe; the second is the one you won’twant to share with others!

Counting the CostLathes are priced from a fewhundred dollars to more thanseven thousand dollars.Generally speaking, you getwhat you pay for. More expen-sive lathes are heavier, they runtrue, and they are machined sothat the parts work and moveeasily. They are equipped with alarger spindle size, whichmeans they can handle largechunks of wood with relativeease. Within your price range,try out different brands. It’s sortof like deciding whether youlike to drive a Ford or a Chevy.My guess is whatever you get,you will be thrilled to have.

My current lathe cost morethan the car I owned at thetime. Ten years ago, followingmy own advice, I bought thebest lathe I could afford. The$6,000 I paid has been worthevery penny in enjoyment andsatisfaction. It fits my needs, ithas abundant capacity for me toincrease the size of my turn-ings, and it’s a top qualitymachine. Twenty-two yearsbefore that, the $1,500 I paid formy first lathe seemed expen-sive. I used it extensively andhappily. At the time it was agood lathe for me.

Needs, Abilities and InterestsLathes are fairly straightfor-ward machines. There’s notmuch that can go wrong withthem, and what does wear outor break is easy to fix or replace.If you are handy with fixing andrestoring machines, considerbuying a used lathe. Provided it hasn’t been abused, a well-cared-for used lathe can offerexcellent value and the opportu-nity to “trade up” in quality orfeatures over what you’d get bybuying new.

S h o p p i n g f o r a l a t h e s h o u l d n ’ t b e

s t r e s s f u l , e s p e c i a l l y i f i t ’ s k e e p i n g y o u

f r o m t u r n i n g . O u r a u t h o r ’ s t r i e d - a n d - t r u e

a d v i c e w i l l h e l p .

An Expert’s Guide to Choosing a Lathe

Before you purchase a lathe, it helps to

know what sort of turning you plan to

do most. For tiny work, a mini-lathe may

be all you need. Bowl-turning and

general spindle work will require a full-

sized lathe. Either way, dive in! Your first

lathe probably won’t be your last.

As turning has grown in popularity over the lastdecade, manufacturers have responded by creating awhole new class of machines. Dubbed “mini-lathes” byturners, some of these small machines are surprisingly

capable critters. Many are priced to sell as entry-leveltools for around $300 to $350, and yet are well designed.They are, of course, limited by such factors as bed length,swing diameter, speeds and horsepower. But within theselimits, they can do a good job. Their advantages areapparent: they are low-cost, they require little space, andthey can do many of the jobs for which their big brothersare designed. They are also, to some degree, portable,which can be a real benefit for the small shop. They’reideal if you’re a beginner wanting to turn smaller projectslike pens, bottle stoppers or small vessels.

If you’re planning on making four-poster beds for theentire family, this is NOT the way to go. There are bedextensions available for many models, and you can do theoccasional 40" turning. However, little lathes lack themuscle for a steady diet of furniture turning. Likewise,trying a lot of bowl turning on these small machineswould quickly become frustrating due to limitedhorsepower, speeds and swing. But for the occasionalsmall vessel or box, the very high speed ranges (3,000rpm plus) incorporated into their design are perfect.They’re also great for making miniatures.

If pens, ornaments or small bowls are your goal, consider

buying a mini-lathe instead of a full-sized machine. You’ll save

considerably on the initial purchase but still get a tool that’s

sturdy, precise and built for many years of reliable service.

Though small in stature, mini-lathes are definitely not toys.


Mini Lathes: Great Things from Small Packages

Electronic variable speed is a helpful

feature for turning. You can dial in low

speeds for initial roughing work, then

progressively higher speeds for shaping

and sanding stages.

If you are going to turn only

small items, consider buying a

miniature lathe (see sidebar,

below). Some turners prefer to

make only bowls. If this is the

case for you, buy a bowl-turning

lathe. One large-capacity bowl-

turning lathe has a 2"-diameter

spindle. That’s heavy-duty for

sure! If spindles are what you

will be making, you will want to

make sure that the point of the

live center in the tailstock lines

up with the point that’s in the

drive center. If it doesn’t, your

turnings will be compromised.

While you are in the woodwork-

ing supply store, check out the

quality of different models of

lathes by lining up the tailstock

center with the drive center.

That’s often a sign of the quality

of manufacturing.

Most of us want a lathe that

will turn bowls and spindles.

Fortunately, most lathes on the

market are designed to do both

quite nicely. Consider the size

of work you want to make, then

shop around accordingly. It

may be that a midi-lathe —

larger than a mini-lathe and

smaller than a regular size — is

right for you.

If you can afford it, buy a lathe

with a variable-speed control. I

had to change speeds on my first

lathe by moving the belt on the

pulley. The range of speeds was

limited. As a result, I could turn

only smaller-scale bowls; the

slowest speed available was 800

rpm. If you are going to turn

large bowls, you will definitely

need infinite control of the

speed, as you will sometimes

need to start out at very few rpm.

You may be able to convert an

older lathe to variable speed,

depending on the model.

For woodturners with bad

backs, several lathes on the mar-

ket have swivel heads. This

allows a person to turn the inside

of a bowl without leaning over

the bed of the lathe. This feature

won’t provide enough support to

keep the lathe balanced with

large turnings, but for medium-

and small-scale work, it’s fine.

Another option for someone who

has back problems is to buy a

bowl lathe. The beds of these are


Betty Scarpino served as a contributing

editor to Woodworker’s Journal.

short, so the turner can stand at

the end of the lathe bed and turn

from there. No twisting required.

Quality ConsiderationsFor handling big chucks of

wood, you’ll need stability. Look

for a lathe that has at least a 1"-

diameter spindle. The spindle

shaft is where most of the

vibration gets transferred to

other parts of the lathe. A lathe

with a 3/4"-diameter spindle is

fine for smaller work, but if you

are making large bowls, a

thicker spindle will keep things

spinning smoothly.

The stand for the lathe is also

important. A lightweight stand

will allow more vibration. Up to a

point, weight can be added to

these lighter-weight models. The

limiting factor is the weight of

the material the stand is made

from. Lightweight metal stands

are intended for smaller-size

turnings. They will twist with

heavy, out-of-round turnings,

even if weighted down. Your

better bet is to invest in a lathe

stand made of cast iron.

AccessoriesMost lathes come with a face-

plate, a tool-rest, a drive center, a

tailstock center and whatever

wrenches and implements you

need for removing the drive

center and faceplates. To begin

with, that’s all you will need, so

stop there. After turning for a

while, you will figure out what

other accessories would be

helpful. Some lathes come with

a control panel that you can

move Ñ a handy thing. But a

word of caution: those of us with

short memories might have a

problem reaching for the Off

switch in a hurry!

Setting Up Your LatheWhen you set up your new lathe,

try to put it in an area of your

shop where there is plenty of

light. Add light fixtures if you are

in a dark corner. It amazes me

that so many turners I meet work

in poor light! I believe it must

have been a gradual event. Their

younger eyes didn’t need as

much light, but as they aged and

required more light, somehow

they haven’t added the wattage. I

use full-spectrum fluorescent

light bulbs, which offer even

lighting and minimal shadow.

For both safe and accurate

operation, it’s important to stabi-

lize your lathe as much as possi-

ble. If yours has leveler feet, they

can help provide a solid platform

on uneven floors. Even better,

choose a location where your

lathe can stay put permanently,

and bolt it directly to the floor.

For small shops you may have

no choice but to move your lathe

around. In that case, mount it on

a heavy and sturdy wooden

stand with locking casters.

When you’re ready to buy,

shop around. Most woodwork-

ing stores have demonstration

lathes. Try them out. When you

buy a new car, I’ll bet you test

drive it before you buy it. Do the

same with a lathe to see how it

fits you. Have fun turning!

Most lathes are outfitted with the basic set

of accessories you will need to get started.

Acquire more as your skill increases.

One measure of lathe quality is the

ability of the drive and live centers to

line up accurately. If the two center

points don’t meet in the middle, it will

be difficult to turn on a single axis.

A beefy, cast-iron stand with a wide

stance will absorb vibration and

overcome instability much better than

one made of thin lightweight steel.

http://www.piercedtin.com

20 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d w i t h H o l l o w i n g T o o l s

Getting Started with Hollowing ToolsT u r n i n g h o l l o w f o r m s i s e a s y o n c e y o u

g e t t h e h a n g o f i t , b u t y o u ’ l l n e e d a

f e w s p e c i a l i z e d t o o l s a n d s o m e p r a c t i c e .

The secret, it turns out, was the

combination of specialized tools

and techniques that David had

devised — straight tools for

plunging into the center of a

vessel and bent tools of various

curvatures for excavating the

rest of the interior.

As I discovered for myself, the

actual hollowing process is not as

difficult as it might seem. There’s

definitely a learning curve,

though, and you can count on

some occasionally dramatic fail-

ures, so don’t forget to wear eye

protection when you work. Once

you’ve hollowed a few pieces,

you’ll begin to get a feel for the

tools and techniques. The results

are worth the investment.

The Beauty of HollowformsThe outward appearance of any

turned object depends on the

character of the wood itself, its

shape and any decorative treat-

About 35 years ago, a

young turner named

David Ellsworth moved to

our Pennsylvania neighborhood.

He was a rising star in the

woodturning world, known for

his delicate “hollowform” vessels

— as light as a feather, with walls

as thin as 1/8" and just one small

hole at the top.

I was mystified as to how any-

one could remove all that wood

through such a small entry hole.

Several hollow turningscreated by the author

21F a l l 2 0 1 3

ments you care to add. On an

open bowl, the inside is the

most visible part, though if you

lower your point of view, you can

see the outside shape and the

figure of the wood as well.

Hollowforms, on the other hand,

are visible everywhere but the

inside, so you can really show-

case a dramatic piece of wood.

They also provide an excellent

canvas for further decoration,

such as piercing, carving or

woodburning. Segmented ves-

sels, stack-laminated from sever-

al species of wood and hollow-

turned, are also very popular.

Types of Hollowing ToolsAs hollow turning has become

more popular, quite a few manu-

facturers — including several

well-known turners — are serv-

ing up a bewildering array of

tools for hollowing. Despite the

variety, they all hark back to the

same basic principles: straight

tools for turning the center

and bottom of a form, bent

tools for the sides and

shoulders, and shanks

of varying lengths and diameters

depending on the depth of the

vessel being turned. Where they

differ is in the design of their cut-

ting tips, which fall into three

general categories depending on

their shape and cutting action:

Scrapers come in a variety of

shapes and sizes, many with

interchangeable or replaceable

tips. (See photo, right.)

Typically, scrapers are flat on top

and have relatively blunt relief

angles. They cut by a scraping

action against the inside wall of

the workpiece, leaving a rough-

ened texture on most woods.

Scrapers are generally presented

dead horizontal to the center of

the workpiece. The straight

scraper is always held horizontal

during cutting, while the bent

scraper can be dipped downward

a few degrees on finish cuts to

give a shearing action.

Carbide insert tools have a

razor-sharp, cup-shaped cutter

screwed to the tip of the

tool shank. (See photo,

next page, top left.)

Turning wood over a moving lathe to shape

it into various designs has existed since at

least the time of the ancient Egyptians.

—Association of Woodturners: Great Britain

Scrapers

22 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d w i t h H o l l o w i n g T o o l s

and apt to dig in and catch if you

aren’t careful. For this reason,

many of the tools in this category

come with adjustable shields over

the cutter to limit the depth of cut.

The Hollowing ProcessWhichever tools you use, the

basic approach for creating a hol-

lowed vessel is straightforward:

Turn the outside shape of your

vessel first, then hollow out the

inside until you’ve reached the

desired wall thickness. There

are other factors involved,

of course, and some turning

experience is a must, but here

are some general pointers to get

you started:

Mount the Workpiece: Mount

the piece securely on a faceplate,

screw chuck or scroll chuck. It’s

a good idea to use a live center in

the tailstock to help support the

piece as you turn the outside

shape, usually with bowl gouges.

I prefer to turn green wood,

because it cuts a lot easier and

generates less heat than dry

wood, but plenty of people turn

dry. You can orient the work-

piece with the grain either

parallel or perpendicular to the

axis of the lathe. Most turners

prefer perpendicular, or “bowl,”

orientation, with or without the

pith included. Green wood that

is turned from “green to fin-

ished” in one session tends to

shrink to a slightly irregular or

ovoid shape after you’ve hol-

lowed it, which can be quite

interesting. Dry blanks, of

course, will stay more circular

after they’re turned.

Open the Center: Begin the

hollowing process by creating a

hole in the center of the work-

piece, either with a drill bit

mounted in a chuck in the tail-

stock or with a straight scraper

tool plunged in from the end.

You don’t need to bore all the

way to the bottom until after

you’ve hollowed the upper areas

of the form.

The replaceable cutter tip may

be rotated to expose a fresh edge

when needed. These tools are

usually tilted at an angle to the

surface being cut to create a

shearing action that leaves a

smooth surface, even on stringy

or difficult wood.

Insert cutters should never be

presented in a level orientation

because their aggressive cutting

edges will almost certainly

catch, sometimes dramatically.

Instead, the tip is cocked or

skewed downward and then

brought up gradually into the

work until the edge begins to

engage, so the cutting is always a

shearing action.

Ring and hook tools are the

most aggressive of the cutters,

with edges that are more acute

than the other styles of tips (see

photo, top right). The acute cut-

ting edge makes them best suited

to slicing endgrain and less

appropriate for cross-grain work.

It also makes these tools grabby

CarbideInsert Tools

Captured Hollowing Systems

Ring andHook Tools

Hollowing with handheld tools has its limitations,

because the leverage exerted on the tool gets stronger

the farther you cantilever the cutting tip out over the

tool-rest. A less intimidating, more controlled

alternative, especially if the piece is deeper than 6” or

so, is to use a “captured” hollowing system.

These systems have a second tool support that

prevents the back of the tool from lifting up in the event

of a catch and ruining your work. You can add longer and

heavier boring bars to extend the cutter for deeper

hollowing. At the business end, captured systems use

the same types of tips that you find on handheld tools,

and replacement cutters are often interchangeable.

Another advantage of captured hollowing systems is

that most of them offer a laser attachment that shows

you exactly where the cutting edge of your tool is at any

given moment. The laser pointer is attached to an arm

mounted on the tool shank, with the beam aimed either

directly at the cutting edge or offset by some known

distance, so you can gauge the wall thickness precisely.

With a heavy-duty additional tool support and a laser that exactly

locates where your cutter is, a captured hollowing system has its

advantages. (Note ... the lathe is not turned on for this demo photo.)


reduces vibration and chatter and

provides the best support for the

delicate walls of your vessel as

you approach final wall thickness.

It’s a good idea to check that

wall thickness frequently, especial-

ly when you get close to your tar-

get thickness. A piece of stiff wire

bent into a rudimentary caliper

works fine for this, although more

elaborate gauges are available.

Once the inside of the piece has

been more-or-less cleared out,

you can clean up the inside walls

of the vessel with very light and

careful passes until you reach the

uniformity you want. Then,

reverse-chuck the piece in a

vacuum or jam chuck to finish-

turn the bottom.

Ellis Walentine is the originator and host

of WoodCentral.com and a long-time

compulsive woodturner.

Work Your Way Down: Hollow

the inside of your vessel with a

combination of straight tools

near the bottom and bent tools

on the sides and in the shoulder

area. Begin near the top and con-

tinue downward in increments,

working the tip of the tool in

whichever direction works best

for you. (See Drawing, right.)

You’ll have to stop frequently to

clear the chips that accumulate

inside the vessel; otherwise they

will eventually seize up around

your hollowing tool and could

result in damage to your vessel or

worse. I stop the lathe whenever

the chips need clearing, and then

blow them out with a long-nosed

air gun attached to my compressor.

Many turners like to hollow the

upper neck and shoulder areas

before continuing to the lower

sections of a piece. This method

The basic steps in hollowing a vessel are

laid out in this diagram. As always, practice

is the key to mastering any new technique.

Faceplate

2. Bore outthe center.

4. Removethe nib in

the centerand refine

the sidewalls.

1. Turnoutsidefirst.

3. Remove bulk ofwaste, working

from top to bottom.

Hollowing

a Vessel

http://WoodCentral.com

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com

24 C o m m o n M i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s

Common MisunderstandingsI t h a p p e n s t o o o f t e n : y o u l e a r n

s o m e t h i n g n e w, m i s a p p l y t h e

k n o w l e d g e , a n d b a d t h i n g s h a p p e n .

Faceshields and GogglesI wish I could decree that no

lathe would start until the opera-

tor is wearing a face shield!

Goggles are for preventing

splinters from entering some-

one’s eye. A 9" bowl, spinning at

2,000 rpm, is much larger than a

splinter. If it, or some portion of

it, flies off the lathe, it will smash

your face. Enough said?

Tool-rest Height ConfusionThe most common question I get

when I demonstrate spindle

turning is, “At what height do I

set the tool-rest?” My answer: set

your tool-rest height so that the

cutting happens at or above the

center line of the spindle. If it’s

too high, the tool won’t cut but

it’ll still be safe, and all you need

to do is lower the tool-rest. If it’s

too low, that’s when it’s unsafe. If

the tool-rest is positioned at or

above center, there’s resistance

between the wood and the tool’s

cutting edge. If the tool-rest is

too low and the cutting action

happens below center, there’s no

Fortunately, I’ve survived

my “misapplied knowl-

edge” events, mostly

intact. I would like to share some

easily misunderstood woodturn-

ing concepts with the hope of

decreasing confusion and adding

to your enjoyment and safety.

Some of these misunderstand-

ings result from the plethora of

new turning items currently

available. Many new gadgets are

excellent, but if you don’t take

time to understand their proper

use, they’ll cause problems.

Safety glasses and goggles are not

sufficient when turning wood. You

must use a face shield of some sort

to protect your face.

25F a l l 2 0 1 3

resistance, and in fact, the rota-

tion of the wood pulls the tool

away from the tool-rest. If a catch

happens, the tool could be pulled

away and flung at an innocent

bystander.

A word about those “S” curved

tool-rests. Well, two words: bad

design. They don’t work for their

intended purpose, so don’t waste

your money. Instead, buy that

chunk of figured wood you’ve

been coveting.

Gouges Galore!There are so many new turning

tools on the market, even I’m some-

times confused — and I haven’t

even mentioned different grinds!

Let me offer this to help you get a

handle on the differences:

Spindle gouges have a profile

that is flatter than bowl gouges,

and they have a flute that is more

shallow. Conversely, the profile

of a bowl gouge is round and the

flute is deeper. A combination

gouge is somewhere in the mid-

dle, and depending on how you

grind the bevel, it can be used

for turning spindles or bowls.

Roughing gouges are only for

spindle turning. Their tang is

generally narrow, yet the size of

the cutting edge is large. This

disparity between tang and

cutting edge puts a lot of torque

on that tang. That’s fine for

spindle turning; however, for

bowl turning, with diameters

much larger, that downward

pressure is greater, and those

tangs can break.

Here’s where beginners get

confused: instructors use the

phrase “rough out a bowl.” Not

knowing about torque and tang

size, a student grabs his rough-

ing gouge to attack a large bowl

blank. Bad things happen. For

bowl turning, use a large, sturdy

bowl gouge.

Variable-speed ChallengesHere’s another example of new

technology causing a potential

hazard. With variable-speed

dials, it’s easy to crank up the

speed and forget it was set for

spindle turning. Imagine what

happens when a large bowl is

subsequently attached to the

lathe and the operator doesn’t

Spindle gouges (left) have

a profile that is flatter

than bowl gouges (right).

They have a round

profile, allowing for a

deeper flute. Don’t use

spindle gouges on bowls.

A combination gouge

(not shown) has a profile

somewhere between the

two and can be used for

spindle or bowl turning.

Occasionally clean and check

the chuck jaws for wear and

tear. Those jaws do loosen over

time, and that slippage can

cause problems.

remember to reduce the speed

setting? If he’s quick enough, he

can reach for the dial or the

power plug and avoid disaster,

but if not, he’s in the way and

becomes target practice.

Always check the speed dial,

especially before mounting any-

thing to your lathe.

Chuck EnvyHere’s my theory of why there

are so many chucks on the

market: when woodturning first

became popular, demonstrators

toured around, stopping at

various local clubs. Each club

had a different make and model

lathe. In order to be able to easi-

ly attach wood to those lathes,

the demonstrator invested in a

chuck that had a good variety of

spindle adapters.

The demonstrator attaches a

hunk of wood to the lathe to

show different cuts, and at some

point during his demo, someone

asks, “What kind of chuck are

you using?” The demonstrator

answers the question but doesn’t

think to tell the attendee why

he’s using a chuck or that a

chuck isn’t necessarily the best

solution for bowl turning.

The rookie turner ends up

thinking he needs that particular

chuck, so he orders one. His

friend, not wanting to be without

the latest toy, also buys one.

Manufacturers see growing

interest in chucks, so they begin

manufacturing new and

better ones. And so it goes ... we

now have plenty to choose from.

w w w . w o o d w o r k e r s j o u r n a l . c o m


26 C o m m o n M i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s

Some chucks are excellent.

Some are more useful as paper-

weights! You can figure out

which one you like best by

taking a class where chucks

are used.

Personally, I find that chucks

are excellent for roughing out

and re-turning green bowls.

They’re also useful for spindle

turning, especially when turning

boxes and production items.

There are large- and small-capac-

ity chucks — select accordingly.

Occasionally clean and check

the jaws for wear and tear. Those

jaws do loosen over time, and that

slippage can cause problems.

Remember to keep the speed

of your lathe reasonable —

chucks aren’t designed for 100

percent secure holding, especial-

ly with large-diameter bowls.

Drive and Live Centers

Recently, a student sent me a

message asking why the piece of

wood he’d attached to the lathe

between centers wouldn’t stop

spinning when he was trying to

make a cut, no matter how much

he tightened the tailstock. After

a series of messages back and

forth, I finally figured out the

problem. He was using a live

center in the headstock instead

of a drive center.

A drive center directs a lathe’s

power to spin the wood. They

are inserted into the spindle of

the headstock and have two pur-

poses: 1) they hold the wood

onto the lathe, and 2) they grip

the end of the wood so that the

lathe’s power can turn it.

For turning between centers, it’s

a good idea to use a live center in

the tailstock (instead of old-fash-

ioned dead centers). Live centers

rotate because they are equipped

with bearings. This allows the

center to rotate as the wood spins,

preventing it from burning, yet

still holding it onto the lathe.

With the now widespread use

of live centers for the tailstock,

manufacturers turned their

attention to centers for the head-

stock: what could be invented

that would not only be useful but

generate sales? I’d have to say

that the spur drive center is on

its way out — safety drive cen-

ters are the current favored

gadget. The problem: some of

these new drive centers look a lot

like the live centers. It’s confus-

ing for beginners and for most

woodworking stores. They are

not yet savvy about the new safe-

ty drive centers. When my stu-

dent went into his local wood-

working store to ask for a drive

center and came home with a

live center, the mistake was

understandable.

Spur drive centers are certain-

ly all right to use, but they can

hold the wood so securely that

when a catch happens, the “give”

could be the tool instead of the

wood. Safety drive centers also

hold the wood securely (and

rotate it properly), but allow for

the wood to release its spinning

motion when a catch happens.

They also teach students to use a

more controlled cut while keep-

ing them out of trouble.

Skill Versus Technique

If what you are doing while turn-

ing isn’t working well, step back

and analyze things. Perhaps the

solution isn’t that you aren’t

skilled enough. It could simply

be that you are misapplying a

technique or using the wrong

tool. Be safe and have fun!



Old School

New School

Safety Drive Center

Use in headstock

Use in tailstock

Use in headstock

Use in tailstock

Live Center

Spur Drive Center

Dead Center

The author applies his

liquid friction polish to a

spinning maple bowl. As

the friction spreads and

polishes the product, a

smooth, shiny finish

begins to appear.

28 F r i c t i o n P o l i s h — F a s t a n d F r i e n d l y

Friction Polish — Fast and FriendlyA r a g a n d a f e w m i n u t e s i s

a l l y o u n e e d t o c r e a t e a

f i n i s h w i t h f r i c t i o n p o l i s h .

For that reason, friction polish is

a real favorite for turners.

Common formulas for friction

polish feature a combination of

shellac and a wax of some type.

They can be formulated in a

liquid or found in bar form Ñ

like the widely used HUT©

Products Bar.

Just Do It

There are a couple of ways to

apply a liquid friction polish. You

can wipe on a light coat while the

piece is stationary on the lathe

(or off of the tool), then spin the

piece and use a cloth dampened

with the polish to smooth out

and flow the finish evenly across

the piece. This is an instance

where light applications are

better than heavy coats.

As a Òplunge right in thereÓ

type, I prefer the second method:

applying the finish with a soft

Ijust can’t deny it Ñ I am an

instant gratification sort of

woodworker. So, when I am

looking for a clear finish on my

turned pieces Ñ and I predomi-

nantly turn bowls Ñ I almost

always reach for a friction polish.

They are easy to apply, build up

quickly and look great.

What’s a Friction Polish?

A friction polish is designed to

be applied to wood and then bur-

nished to make the product flow

Ñ to be smoothed out over the

prepared surface. Burnishing

(rubbing vigorously with a cloth

or piece of ultra-fine steel wool)

can be hard work on a flat piece

of wood. But it’s pretty easy if

the wood is spinning on a lathe.

Friction polishes are a

woodturner’s secret

weapon when it comes to a

fast, beautiful finish. They

work well on natural (clear

finish) or stained wood.

Rob Johnstone is the editor in chief

of Woodworker’s Journal.

cloth right to the spinning bowl. I

use a moderately fast speed and

just wipe it on. I like to have a

strong directional light aimed at

the piece, so I can see the change

as I apply the product.

Different brands of friction

polish vary a bit as to the

proper mode of application Ñ so

read their instructions and

experiment in order to get your

best results.

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http://www.nortonconsumer.com

30


TURNING

Pens and “green” bowls are two categories of projects

woodturners pursue with relish. Both require their own set of

techniques to be learned, and we’ll cover the basics on pages

32-36 and 44-46. You’ll also discover how to incorporate a jam

chuck into your projects, sharpen curved-edge turning tools

easily and embellish your bowls in this section.


32 H o w t o T u r n t h e W r i t e S t u f f

How to Turn the Write Stuff

H e r e ’ s a s i m p l e s t e p - b y - s t e p g u i d e

t o p e r f e c t p e n s .

Shopping List

• Pen mandrel with bushings

• Pen blank you cut or buy

• 7mm carbide brad-point drill bit

• 7mm pen kit

• CA (cyanoacrylate) adhesive

• Finishing supplies

get started: check out theShopping List, previous page.Key among the products is apen turning mandrel. It is a steelbar with a Morris taper on oneend; the other end is threaded,holding a knurled nut. The penblanks are turned on the man-drel. If you buy just the basicpen-specific items and cut yourown wooden blanks, you’llspend about $40 to get going.For one-stop shopping, Rocklersells a nice starter package thatincludes the mandrel and drillbit, CA glue and three pen kits

with blanks.You’ll need a few basic shop

tools: a handsaw or band saw forcutting the blanks to length, a drill press for drilling the holes in the blanks, a bit of sand-paper and, of course, a lathe fordoing the turning. A 3/8" or 1/2" spindle gouge is sufficient totake a pen from roughing to completion.

The pen kits include two brasstubes called barrels, a pen mech-anism, a pocket clip and variousbrass rings used to connect thebrass barrels for final assembly.

33F a l l 2 0 1 3

Iturned my first pen abouteight years ago when I tookthe very pen turning class I

now teach. I’ve been hooked onturning ever since. Making pensis a great introduction to basicspindle turning. Turning yourown pens results in beautiful,custom, no-two-alike master-pieces that make great gifts,each having their own characterand charm. What a great excuseto sneak out to the shop for a little fun.

There are a few specializedpen-turning tools you’ll need to

TIP: Not all kits come

with directions or use

the same length brass

barrels. So, when you’re

just getting started, stick

with one brand of kit to

make things easier.

Pen Blank Options

Pen blanks can be made from just about anything you can turn ...from antlers to synthetics to wood salvaged from your favoritetree. Once you start turning pens, you’ll probably find suitablepen blanks every place you look. Since the blanks are so small,they’re good projects for using the tiny scraps you can’t bear tothrow out. I collect those small-but-precious scraps in a bin in my shop. Once I’ve accumulated a pile, I cut them to pen size (3/4" x 3/4" x 6" works well).

If you want to take a shortcut, you can purchase pen blanks from a variety of places (see Sources on page 37). I’ve also picked up some great blanks on eBay. Pre-cut blanks are a nice convenience for getting pens turned in a hurry, and they are also a good way to get cool materials you wouldn’t otherwise use for woodworking. They can cost as little as 50 cents each or as much as $25 for really exotic blanks such as prairie rattlesnake. Some pre-cut blanks even come drilled and already round.However, here’s a word to the wise: Be careful when trying a new tropical hardwood for the first time. Some speciescan cause allergic reactions, especially members of the rosewood family. Always wear a dust respirator, safety glassesor a face shield and long sleeves to protect yourself from the dust you create during the sanding stage.




Pen Turning ProcessPages 36 and 37 cover the basicsof pen turning. There are fourmain steps: preparing theblanks, mounting and shapingon the lathe, applying finish andassembling the parts.

Once you complete your pen,it’s time to find it a suitablehome. After all your hard work,it would be a shame to store it in a plastic bag. There are a number of different pen boxesand plastic cases available fordisplaying or gifting your pens.The companies mentioned in theSources box on page 37 offersome options.

In addition to a nice box, Isometimes customize my pensby having the recipient’s namelaser-engraved on the pen. Costvaries, but I can usually get itdone for $5 to $10 per pen.

Pens First, then the Sky is the LimitMastering the technique ofusing a brass barrel and mandrelis the gateway to numerousgreat small projects that are well-suited for everything from amini-lathe to a full-size rig. Thenumber of projects that fall intothis category is nearly endless:key rings and bottle stoppers toplumb bobs and scratch awlsawait you. One of the things Ilove most about pens and othersmall turning projects is how little time it takes to create them.From start to finish, most can becompleted in less than 30 minutes. Gotta love that kind ofinstant gratification!

More Specialized Tools

Tim Nyberg wrote this article for

Woodworker’s Journal. Turn to

pages 36 and 37 for step-by-step

photos of the complete pen

turning process.

EEE-Ultra Shine Paste WaxNot a necessary part of your finishingprocess, but EEE-Ultra Shine adds avery nice luster to your pen projects.It’s a wax polish containing fineabrasives that bring your 400-gritsanding job to the equivalent of a2,000-grit sandpaper finish.

There are countless gadgets that can simplify turning pens. If you get ashooked on pen turning as I have, you may find yourself turning many morepens. I often turn as many as five to 10 pens at a time. Here are a few thingsthat can speed up this production process a bit. You can find them at the pensupply sources listed in the Sources box on page 37.

Pen PressWhile a clamp will work for assemblingyour pens, a dedicated pen press appliesmore even and consistent pressure. It willhelp prevent pressing your tip advancemechanism too far into the barrel.

7mm Barrel TrimmerOccasionally, you may need to trim thebrass barrels shorter, and nothing worksbetter than this barrel trimming tool.With carbide cutters and a 7mm shaftholding the cutters perpendicular to theblank, you’ll get perfectly flush endsevery time. It also cleans out glue thatmay have ended up inside the barrel. Youdon’t have to own a barrel trimmer toturn a few pens, but it would be one ofmy first pick-ups if I were going to makemore than a couple of pens.

Sorby 3/8" Spindlemaster GougeI prefer to use gouges to do as muchwork as possible before I switch tosandpaper. This little time-saver fromSorby will allow you to make nice beadsor coves, and it cuts a smooth finish. Igenerally use it as the last gouge I runover the piece before sanding.

Rockler Pen Blank Drilling JigAlthough I prefer using a hand screwclamp for holding my blanks on the drillpress, there are a variety of great shop-made and commercial solutions forholding the tiny blanks straight. Rocklersells a helpful drilling jig for pen blanks.

For a store near you or free catalog:

Rockler.com 1-877-ROCKLER

There are many ways to finish a woodworking

project, and our new Bench Cookie® Bridges rise

above the rest. These handy supports snap onto

Bench Cookie® Work Grippers to provide sturdy

work holding with minimal surface contact, so

you can finish all sides of your project without

damaging the finish when you turn it over.

Now you can finish with confidence!

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Use a band saw or hand miter saw to cut the blanks to length.

The blanks should be 1/16" longer than the final barrel length.

The ends don’t have to be perfect; you’ll trim them later.

First, Prepare the Pen BlanksDrill 7mm-diameter

centered holes through

the blanks. Hold them

firmly with a handscrew

clamp. If both the blank

and the clamp are flat

against the drill press

table and the table is

square to the chuck,

your holes will be

straight. TIP: A carbide-

tipped brad point bit is

preferable, although any

7mm bit will do. The

carbide will stay sharp

much longer, especially if

you graduate to more

abrasive pen materials.

The brad-point tip keeps

the bit from wandering.

1 2

Before applying finish, clean off the bushings with denatured

alcohol. This removes the abrasive dust that may have

accumulated while sanding. The dust can stain your pen blank

during finishing. Now, apply your finish. Use a small piece of

folded paper towel, wetted with finish and held against the

back of the turning. Any finish, from furniture oil to shellac or

lacquer, will work on pens. The author prefers to use lacquer

turner’s finish, known as padding lacquer. It dries almost

instantly so you can move right into assembly. Avoid using

cloth applicators: a paper towel will tear if it catches on

anything spinning — a good safety feature. A rag could pull

your fingers into the turning. Work in a well-ventilated area

and wear eye protection when applying finish.

Third, Apply A Finish To the Turning

Glue the brass barrels into the blanks with CA glue. Before

applying glue to the barrels, rough them up with 120-grit

sandpaper. Twist the barrel while quickly pushing it completely

into the blank. Don’t dawdle, or you can get stuck with a barrel

glued halfway in.

3

Clean out excess glue from inside the barrel using a 15/64" drill

bit or a barrel trimming tool. Bring the ends of the blank flush

to the barrels by rubbing them against a piece of sandpaper on

a flat surface.

4


Slip the blanks onto the threaded

mandrel, and start by separating them

with a bushing. Install the other two

bushings on the opposite ends of the

blanks. These bushings are the same

diameter as the pen parts, so they’ll

serve as guides for arriving at the final

diameter of your turning. Lock the

blanks and bushings onto the mandrel

using the threaded nut supplied with

the mandrel. Chuck the mandrel

between your lathe centers, and

you’re ready to start turning.

Second, Mount and Shape the Blanks

Sand the pen. With your first couple

of pens, there’s no shame in sanding

the blank to its finished diameter

instead of turning it. This more

conservative approach will guarantee

you don’t cut through the wood.

Start with 150-grit sandpaper to

remove gouge marks. Progress to

220- and then 400-grit paper.

1

Turn the blanks by making light passes

with a sharp gouge. (A 3/8" spindle

gouge works well.) Start at 1,200 rpm

and ramp up to 2,200 rpm as the

blanks become round. Turn the ends of

the blanks to match the diameter of

the bushings. Leave the middle of each

blank fatter than the ends, at least on

your first pen or two. If you cut too

aggressively, or your gouge is dull, it’s

possible to go through the wood and

expose the brass barrel. There isn’t

much you can do at that point. Don’t

cut into the bushings; if you reduce

their diameter, you won’t have

accurate guides for the pen blanks.

32

Assemble your pen parts in this order:

pen tip first, pocket clip second and

then the pen twist mechanism (see

photo 1). Insert the twist mechanism

until the indented ring on it is nearly

even with the end of the barrel, then

Finally, Assemble The Pen Parts

1 32

test the fit of the ink cartridge. The

pen tip should come out far enough

to write, while still retracting fully

back into the pen when the

mechanism is twisted closed. If the

pen tip doesn’t come out far enough,

remove the ink cartridge and press the

twist mechanism a little farther into the

brass barrel. Now add the center ring

(see photo 2), which simply slips on, and

press the top and bottom halves of the

pen together (see photo 3).

SOURCES


38 J a m C h u c k T u r n i n g

Jam Chuck TurningO u r a u t h o r p u l l s a n o l d t e c h n i q u e o u t o f

h i s b a g o f t r i c k s t o s o l v e t h e c h a l l e n g e

p r e s e n t e d b y t h i s p r o j e c t . V e r s a t i l e a n d

e c o n o m i c a l , h i s t e c h n i q u e i s t h e p e r f e c t

s o l u t i o n f o r h a r d - t o - h o l d p i e c e s .

PVC pipe for this project’s plastic

cylinder will be easy to find at your

local hardware store. The wood for the

top and base is probably already lying

around your shop.

While building this simple project, you’ll learn how to use a

jam chuck — a technique turners have been using for ages.

When it comes to finishing the

wood for this project, choose a

nontoxic, oil-based product like

Salad Bowl Finish or even

mineral oil. A coat of food-safe

paraffin wax will help to seal the

wood and keep hamburger from

sticking to it. Clean your press

with mild soap and hot water

after use, and reapply finish if

needed. Or, you can leave it with-

out a finish. A curious but impor-

tant fact to note is that wood has

been proven to have a natural

resistance to growing bacteria,

making it a good material for

cutting boards or, in this case, a

patty press.

Getting Started The steps to making your patty

press are as follows.

Find and then mark the cen-

ters of two 6" x 6" x 15∕8" blanks.

Mark the centers on both sides.

These will become the top and

base pieces of your press.

Cut one blank — the base — to

a circle about 51∕2" in diameter.

Cut the other — the top — to

about 41∕2" in diameter. If your

plastic cylinder pipe has an inner

diameter other than 4", you will

have to adjust the blank sizes

accordingly.

Mount the base blank between

centers (Figure 1). If you use a

serrated Stebcenter for the drive

and live center, there will be less

damage to the surfaces that will

39F a l l 2 0 1 3

Whether it is a summer

barbecue or a tailgate

party in the fall, you

need to convert your masterful

hamburger mixture into patties

to put on the grill. This patty

press will help you create per-

fectly formed patties that stay

together better while grilling and

fit nicely on those buns. You can

make this press in an evening

using materials you probably

have lying around in your shop.

Find and purchase the PVC pipe

that makes the plastic cylinder at

a local hardware store or a big

box type store. It’s important to

get the PVC before you start

turning so you can fit the other

wooden parts to it.

Selecting the WoodChoosing a wood species for this

patty press is limited by only a

couple of considerations. Because

it will be used in food preparation,

it is better to be safe than sorry.

Some people have extreme aller-

gies to nuts. These allergies can

actually be life-threatening.

Although unlikely, nut woods like

walnut, hickory or pecan may

transfer some oils that could

spark an allergic reaction. I rec-

ommend using a close-grained

non-nut wood: cherry, maple or

even yellow poplar would be good

choices. The press you see here

was made from alder, another

good species choice.


4

3

2

1

Using the Patty Press

1. Prepare your ground meat mixture using your favorite recipe. 2. Place the cylinder loosely onto the tenon on the base.3. Spoon meat mixture into cylinder. You may need to adjust the amount

to achieve desired patty thickness.4. Using a twisting motion with the top, compress the meat into the press.5. Using a twisting motion to break surface tension, lift and remove the top.6. Remove the cylinder from the base, leaving the patty in place.7. The patty will usually adhere to the base, which will allow you to move

it to the platter. Turn the base over and use a knife to break the tension, thereby dropping the patty.

8. Use wax paper or equivalent to separate the patties.9. Repeat steps 2 through 8 until the meat mixture is gone.

10. Put ‘em on the grill and enjoy.Base


40 J a m C h u c k T u r n i n g

9

8

7

6

5

Cylinder

Note: a jam chuck is a piece of

wood attached to a faceplate.

The wood is machined to allow a

friction fit on another piece of

wood (or, in this case, the PVC

cylinder) that will hold the work-

piece tightly enough to turn. You

“jam” the workpiece into or onto

the wooden chuck — hence, the

term, jam chuck.

If you overshoot the mark and

make your tenon just a little too

small, place one or two layers of

paper towel over the tenon and

then mount (jam) the cylinder

onto the tenon.

Now that the cylinder is held

securely by the base, use a

scraper to smooth and round

over the exposed end. Reverse

the cylinder and reduce its

height to about 11∕4". Shape the

exposed end as you did before.

Scrape a small cove into the side

of the cylinder so it will be easier

to handle when in use (Figure

8); the cove acts as finger grip.

Next, remove the cylinder and

trim the tenon on the base to

achieve just a light friction fit

when the cylinder is placed over

it. Shape the outside edge of

the base as desired (Figure 9).

Sand the base up to 320-grit,

then set the base and cylinder

aside for now.

Starting the TopGrab the top blank you marked

earlier and mount and turn it

need fixing later. Using a bowl

gouge, rough the blank down to

round (Figure 2, previous page).

Remember, this is not spindle

turning. You will need to cut in

from the sides just like turning

a bowl.

Smooth the surface toward the

tailstock and make a dovetail

tenon (Figure 3, previous page)

sized to fit in your scroll chuck.

Reverse the blank and mount it

into your scroll chuck, grasping

the dovetail tenon. Move the tail-

stock out of the way. Turn the

face of the blank flat and smooth

(Figure 4, previous page).

Measure the inside diameter of

your plastic cylinder (Figure 5)

using a pair of dividers. Transfer

this measurement onto the face

of the base blank, marking it.

This circle should be exactly the

same diameter as the inside of

your PVC cylinder.

Cutting in from the edge of the

blank, form a tenon slightly larg-

er than the marked circle (Figure

6). The height of the tenon

should be about 1/4". Leave the

side of the tenon very slightly

tapered. By trial and error, care-

fully reduce the diameter of the

tenon until the cylinder fits tight-

ly onto the tenon (Figure 7). In

effect, you are using the base as

a jam chuck to mount the cylin-

der for shaping. The tenon must

fit tightly in order to securely

hold the cylinder.


John Giem is a long-time woodworker

living in Fort Collins, Colorado.

15

Learning to tightly fit these parts to

one another is a skill that will serve

when fitting lids, stoppers or other

turned components.

Top

14

13

12

11

10

13). Do the final finish sanding

and set the top aside.

Take a moment to carefully

enlarge the recess in the jam

chuck to fit the tenon on the face

of the base that you had set aside

earlier (Figure 14). Turn off the

dovetail tenon that was used for

mounting in the scroll chuck,

leaving the surface flat (Figure

15). Finish-sand the base and

unmount it from the chuck.

You can leave the surface of

the wood bare or use an oil finish

as mentioned earlier. Don’t use

vegetable or salad oil since they

will likely turn rancid with time.

Now that you have mastered

using a jam chuck by making

this simple project, you can take

your turning to the next level

by using the technique in a

variety of turning situations.

Happy turning!

between centers as you did with

the base blank. After you raise

the dovetailed tenon, mount the

top in your scroll chuck. Now

turn the top down so it fits

smoothly within the cylinder

(Figure 10). It should move

freely. Sand the face and sides

of the top and set it aside for

the moment.

Mount some wood to be used

as a jam chuck onto your scroll

chuck or on a faceplate and turn

its face flat. With your calipers,

measure the diameter of the top

and mark the face of the jam

chuck. Cut a recess in the jam

chuck so that the top fits tightly

in place (Figure 11, top right,

and Figure 12).

With the top mounted in the

jam chuck, turn a tenon, forming

it into a shape that can be easily

grasped and handled (Figure


42 S h a r p e n i n g C u r v e d E d g e s : T h r e e S o l u t i o n s

Sharpening Curved EdgesS h a r p e n i n g t h o s e c u r v e d e d g e s o n y o u r

t u r n i n g t o o l s i s c r i t i c a l f o r s u c c e s s . A

g o o d s h a r p e n i n g s y s t e m w i l l m a k e i t e a s y .

Three Basic Options

There are three general types of

machines and/or accessories to

help sharpen those curved

edges. Dedicated sharpening

machines divide into two cate-

gories: wet grinding and dry-

abrasive sharpening — those

categories are represented here

by the Tormek® and the Work

Sharp®, respectively. The third

general option is a jig attached to

a standard grinder; a good exam-

ple of that is ONEWAY’s

Wolverine Jig.

Any of these options will get

you past the roadblock of sharp-

ening curved edges — but each

has pros and cons.

The Tormek will give you the

sharpest and best edge, hands-

down. It is very versatile and has

a long track record of quality.

But it is also expensive, and its

complexity demands a moderate

learning curve.

The Work Sharp is also

versatile, certainly less expen-

sive and, many think, a bit more

intuitive to use. But you need to

keep a supply of the abrasive

discs on hand, and they cost

money to replace.

The Wolverine Jig works with

a standard grinder, but for best

results you’ll also need a preci-

sion balanced grinding wheel

from ONEWAY and a grinder

that has variable speed.

“Just grab a piece of black

pipe, take it to the grinder

and practice putting an

edge on it!” is the advice a turning

expert gave to his new-to-turning

daughter. He said it to address

one of the issues a person must

confront when they begin turn-

ing. Sharpening a flat edge like a

chisel (or a skew) is not difficult

to master, but when it comes to

sharpening curved edges, like

the ones you find on the gouges

and scrapers, it’s a different story.

And, while some folks can master

the “freehand” method, others,

like yours truly, need a bit of an

assist. The good news is there is

plenty of help out there.

Rob Johnstone is the editor in chief

of Woodworker’s Journal.

Is Your Grinding Wheel

Well-Dressed?

Dressing a grinding wheel

refers to the process of

removing the top layer of

the wheel to expose a

fresh and sharp layer.

No machine will give you a sharper edge

than the Tormek system. Among the

wide variety of add-on jigs and

accessories is a top-notch jig system for

sharpening curved turning tools.

One advantage to the Work Sharp system

is that you can see the edge of your curved

tool as you sharpen. The slotted wheel

allows you to see through it as it spins.

You can sharpen curved tool edges by

adding a special sharpening wheel and

a Wolverine Jig to a grinder.

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44

Turning Green WoodT o o l s c u t g r e e n w o o d f i b e r s l i k e h o t

k n i v e s t h r o u g h b u t t e r ! H e r e ’ s h o w t o

t r a n s f o r m a c h u n k o f w e t w o o d i n t o a n

e l e g a n t b o w l i n a m a t t e r o f m i n u t e s .

Turning green wood is a wet

and wild adventure, but

there are pitfalls to be

avoided when working with or

acquiring it. In this article, I will

provide background information

about preparing, storing and

working with freshly cut wood so

that you will have better success

with nature’s bounty.

Green wood is wood that has

not yet been dried. It’s actually

not green in color, but rather not

yet seasoned by either kiln-dry-

ing or air-drying. It can range in

wetness from dripping wet (cut

in springtime) to only slightly

wet (cut in fall or winter). This

“free” wood can come your way

throughout the year, so it’s best

to understand how to effectively

deal with what ends up littering

your driveway or overtaking

your shop.

As the cracked, rotting logs in the author’s

yard show (above), painting the ends is only a

stopgap measure before correctly processing a

turner’s stock of “well-managed” green wood.

Air-dried wood is much nicer

to work with than kiln-dried

wood. It cuts more smoothly and

cleanly; the color is often more

vivid; and, for us woodturners,

grain patterns are more

varied. I have become more

selective when acquiring “free”

wood. Everyone has a prefer-

ence. My favorite species are

persimmon, dogwood and Osage

orange. These woods are not

available commercially, and per-

simmon and Osage are difficult

to successfully air-dry without

cracking, but they are lovely to

work with, so worth the effort!

Whatever you prefer, however,

make sure the wood you acquire

is sound. Even experienced

woodturners have been hurt by

a chunk of wood flying off the

lathe. This happens for two main

reasons: either the wood has a

large, barely visible crack

and/or the speed of the lathe

was set too fast. Be careful when

using found wood.

Before you bring fresh-cut

wood into your workshop, be

aware that it might contain small

critters, which, if left to their own

devices, will infest your entire

life. Leave the wood outside until

you are sure it is free from pests.

I generally debark pieces that

will be air-dried. If you’re

interested in making green-

turned, natural-edge bowls,

leave the bark on.

Most species of wood will

begin to crack right after being

cut, so attend to your logs as

soon as possible. Keep them out

of direct sunlight — cover them

with a tarp or haul them to a

shady spot. Some species, such

as persimmon and ash, immedi-

ately begin to attract insects. On

the other hand, perhaps you like

wormy ash or persimmon?

Some turners have a large

freezer in which they deposit

choice turning blanks. Freezing

the wood keeps it from cracking,

retards the growth of mold and

protects from insects. And, it’s

immediately available for green-

turning. If you have only a few

chunks, you could place them in

large plastic garbage bags, but

make sure you turn the bags

inside out every few days. You’ll

be surprised at the amount of

45F a l l 2 0 1 3

moisture early in the drying

stage! Turning the bags helps

prevent mold from growing,

which can cause the wood to

become spalted. Dark lines of

mold create beautiful patterns in

many species, particularly maple.

A word of caution, however. This

mold can have active spores,

which will be released during

the turning process. If you are

not wearing proper dust protec-

tion, they can get into your

lungs. Personally, I avoid using

spalted wood; some turners

grow it on purpose.

To make the best use of a log

for bowl blanks, cut each section

several inches longer than the

diameter of the log to provide a

bit of trim wood on the ends. If

not possible, don’t worry: you

can use short and thick sections

for a different style of bowl or for

other projects.

When you’re ready to process

a log into bowl blanks, the first

step is to mark where to make

your initial cut. This decision is

as individual as your preferences

and the grain and configuration

of each log. Cutting each log will


Cut each log into two sections, lengthwise, for bowl blanks. For best results, remove a small slab down the middle, making sure it

contains the entire pith and the small surrounding cracks. After cutting to remove any early cracks, paint each end with end grain

wood sealer. Some turners like to date and label the wood they save.


46 T u r n i n g G r e e n W o o d



require two cuts with a chainsaw

or a band saw. After halving each

log section, look for checks and

cracks. Paint each end with end

grain wood sealer — it’s an emul-

sified, water-based wax, easy to

apply with a paintbrush. Set

aside the prepared sections,

somewhere out of the elements.

Depending on where the wood

is stored, the size of the sections,

the species and the crook of your

nose, these sections will take

anywhere from a year to five

years to lose all their moisture.

To speed up the process, I

remove the bark and, if the blank

isn’t too large, I cut it into a round

shape using my band saw. Then I

apply end grain sealer.

For an even speedier process,

cut the half-log into a round

shape, then mount it on your

lathe to rough-turn a bowl. Screw

the top side of the bowl to a face-

plate and rough-turn the bottom

and the outside form of the bowl.

On the bottom, turn a recess to

accept a chuck, or make it flat to

glue to an auxiliary block.

Remove it from the screws.

Mount it to a chuck or glue it to

an auxiliary block, using medium

or thick cyanoacrylate glue.

Turn your bowl blank. Leave it

fairly thick, but uniformly so. It

will warp, so you need plenty of

wall thickness for turning after

the blank dries. Remove it from

the chuck or turn it off the auxil-

iary block, then set it aside. I

have had good results letting the

blank dry on its own. Some

people place them in paper bags

or in shavings or coat them

entirely with end grain sealer.

The quickest, most satisfying

way to use green wood is to turn

it into a completed bowl while

it’s wet (see photo, left). Your

bowl will warp as it dries, so make

sure you have time to finish the

project in one session. Let it dry

completely before finishing.

The quickest way to use green wood:

turn a bowl while wet. Mount the bowl

blank; take care with turning the outside

and bottom to achieve a pleasing shape.

Turn the inside and let the shavings fly!

You can use a cardboard

circle template to cut a round

turning blank from a half log

on your band saw.

Preparing wood for successful

air-drying is a delightful

challenge. You will make new

discoveries, like three persim-

mon logs in the back of an

unheated, dirt-floor garage. I

heaved them there three years

ago, totally unprocessed. To my

amazement and delight, there

was sound wood in all of them.

Start collecting now, and have

fun experimenting!

47F a l l 2 0 1 3

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48 C a r v i n g T e x t u r e a n d P a t t e r n s i n t o B o w l s

Carving Texture and Patterns into BowlsT r a n s f o r m o r d i n a r y b o w l s i n t o

e y e - c a t c h i n g k e e p s a k e s b y a d d i n g

c a r v e d s h a p e a n d t e x t u r e .

In their drive for the perfect art

form, bowl turners are con-

stantly experimenting with

shape. This can range from

entirely functional to pure art

that is not very usable at all. An

artistic technique that I really

like is carving designs into the

outside or rim of a bowl. You do

not have to be an “artist” to do

this sort of carving, you just need

to be able to lay out a pencil grid

and to tap a gouge with a mallet.

Carving breaks the absolutely

circular nature of a turning, lend-

ing pattern, texture and beauty

to the finished vessel. It does not

require many fancy tools, carv-

ing patterns or textures; all you

need is a gouge or two, a veining

tool and a mallet. (The mallet

you can spindle turn yourself

from a piece of firewood!)

In general, I get by mostly with

a #8 x 25mm (1") gouge and a

veining tool.

Likely the first contemporary

turner to work with carving as a

design element was David Pye,

professor of furniture design at

The Royal College of Art (1948-

1974). He developed a machine

called the "fluting engine."

49F a l l 2 0 1 3

I learned the techniques I out-

line in this article from Al Stirt of

Enosburg, Vermont. Al pioneered

the use of carving and texture to

accent bowls. If you ever have the

chance to take a workshop class

with him — do so! His website is

http://alstirt.com

For successful carving, you

have to think about shape.

Traditional half-round bowls do

not lend themselves as well to

carving, for you have to have a

low viewing angle to see the out-

side wall. Bowls that form a cone

have steep, nearly vertical walls

or are closed forms (the rim is

smaller than the interior), which

will display carving much better.

Here, I will demonstrate on a

closed form, which has a raised

doughnut look. The interior

under the rim must be scraped,

for you cannot get in this area

with a bowl gouge. Scraping the

area found just under the rim

(down to the largest diameter) to

a constant wall thickness is

challenging. Most beginners

leave the wall too thick in this

area, giving the bowl a clunky

feeling. The wall should be at

least 3/8" thick, with 1/2" being

better for deep carved flutes.

Sand the bowl to about 120-grit.

Although you can carve dry

wood, it is much easier to tap a

gouge through green wood.

Luckily, many bowl turners start

with green wood. Carving green

wood means that you can even

carve rock-hard maple with

ease. Do not complete the bot-

tom of the bowl; rather, leave the

chucking recess or glue block

and faceplate you turned it on in

place. If your lathe has indexing,

draw as many pencil lines verti-


The author finds that he does the lion’s

share of his bowl carving with a #8 x 1”

gouge and a veining tool.

When the grid pattern is completed, use the pattern to form

S-shaped curves onto the side of the bowl. Don’t worry about

perfect curves — you’ll adjust them as you carve.

Mark the upper and lower limits of your carving space as well

as a center line (above). Then use the indexing stop on your

lathe’s headstock to help draw a grid pattern.

cally up the wall of the bowl as

you can. I do this by using the

tool-rest as a straightedge at

each index point. If your lathe

only has 12 index positions, you

can lay out more lines by raising

or lowering the tool-rest. Next,

draw a band by spinning the

bowl against a pencil to delineate

the point above the base where

the carving will start. I also draw

a band at the largest diameter

(bottom left photo) and just

under the rim. Then use the

grid marks to draw an “S” curve

(bottom right photo). Draw them

freehand, and do not worry if

things are not perfect. Carving

will fix everything.

Shop-made Bowl Vise

Holding a bowl during carving is

always a challenge. These days I

have a patternmaker’s vise at the

end of my bench that is well-suit-

ed to the task. I cut a board to go

against the rim of the bowl and

interpose a piece of leather

http://alstirt.com


50 C a r v i n g T e x t u r e a n d P a t t e r n s i n t o B o w l s

between them before tightening

the vise. Previously, I used a

right-angle plate built out of

veneer-core plywood and held

the bowl against it with a wood

strip secured by threaded rod

and wing nuts. You can see that

setup in the top photo. Notice

that I leave the faceplate and

glue block on the bowl until after

the carving is done.

Carving gouges are sold by

sweep and width with #1 being

straight and a number 10 being a

highly dished gouge. As I said

earlier, a #8 by 25mm does about

90% of my carving. I make most of

my flutes about 3/4" wide

(“about” is the key word here),

but don’t be afraid to experiment

with other flute widths and gouge

sweeps. There is as much room

for artistic expression in carving

as in the turning process itself!

Carving is pretty straightfor-

ward, as long as the tools are

razor-sharp. Do not try to take

too much material with any pass.

Cut a shallow trough up the cen-

ter of your layout, then deepen

and widen it gradually. Final

passes may have to be on oppo-

site sides and in opposite direc-

tions to get crisp, smooth carv-

ing. You must pay careful atten-

tion to grain direction, for as you

carve around a bowl, you alter-

nate from pure end grain to pure

face grain and every combina-

This simple setup for holding your bowl while carving is made from a plywood piece with threaded rods going through it, and a

smaller board drilled for the rods, as shown above. Squeeze the bowl between the pieces. The plywood extends below the

circumference of the bowl so that it can be captured in a vise, securing it for carving.

Sometimes refining the shape requires you to carve on the

opposite edges of the same trough from different directions

to get a clean cut.

Keep track of grain direction as you carve. Carve “uphill” and

don’t try to take too much wood off with each cut, refining

the shape as you go.

Veining AlternativeIf this sort of carving daunts you,

try creating simple texture with

a veining tool. Simply take paral-

lel straight cuts to create texture,

as shown in the photos at right.

Start it close to the edge and

then continue down for any dis-

tance below the rim to create an

interesting look. You can even

cut across the rim if you wish.

Carving pleasing shapes onto a

bowl is a great way to take your

pieces to the next level. As with

almost all aspects of woodwork-

ing, practice will improve your

results. Take your time and start

with simple forms and experi-

ment. Who knows where you

might end up?Adding a simple repetitive texture around

the rim of a bowl is an easy thing to do

and can be a great first step into the

technique of carving turned bowls.


tion in between. Carving direc-

tion is usually the same as out-

side faceplate turning: from less-

er diameters to greater diame-

ters. That being said, once a flute

is to almost final size, you often

have to make a final pass on one

side of the flute in one direction

and a final pass on the other side

of the flute in the opposite direc-

tion to get clean cuts (bottom

photos, previous page). Think of

it as shaping the opposite sides

of a U-shaped trough. To get the

best results, you carve one direc-

tion on one side of the trough

and the other direction on its

mate. Stopping the carving just

shy of the rim looks nice and is

an effective beginner’s approach.

Ernie Conover is the author of The Lathe Book, Turn a Bowl with Ernie Conover

and The Frugal Woodturner.

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52


TURNING

While woodturning offers its own rewards in terms of

relaxation and artistic expression, it also delivers a lot of bang

for the buck in the way of project options. This collection will

have you making everything from kitchen helpers to games,

and from holiday gifts to an heirloom for the den, plus much

more — all from wood you may already have on hand.


54 Z e s t f u l T u r n i n g s

Zestful TurningsS t a r t w i t h a d a s h o f s c r a p c h e r r y a n d

m a p l e , s t i r w e l l o n y o u r l a t h e a n d t r i m

o f f t h e e x c e s s t o p r o d u c e t h i s c l a s s i c

s a l t a n d p e p p e r s e t .

Like recipes, turning projects

have an organic quality to

them. Most are best present-

ed as ideas so each turner can

make changes to suit a project to

his or her own tastes. Our salt

and pepper set is a good exam-

ple. If you enjoy contemporary

tableware, these shapes will

blend right in with that look. You

can follow the Full-size Drawings

on page 56 to make exact dupli-

cates, or take off with your own

ideas to create a unique style.

The construction of the salt

shaker includes a useful ring

joint that you may want to try out

on other sectional designs

like candlestick holders, vases

or vessels that are made with

separate pieces of wood.

Making the Pepper MillThe first thing you should take

care of before starting this proj-

ect is purchasing the salt and pep-

per mechanisms, available from

Rockler and other turning supply

sources. Having the hardware in

hand when you begin cutting will

save you from possible mistakes.

Cut your pepper mill wood

blanks slightly oversize, and

begin working on the cherry top

first. Drill a 3/4"-diameter by

1/4"-deep hole in one end of the

cherry block, then mount it on

the lathe with the hole facing the

tail stock. Turn the block into a

cylinder with a roughing gouge,

then use a parting tool to form

the neck. Continue with the

gouge to round over the top, and

smooth the surface with a skew.

Increase your lathe speed to

sand the cherry to 220-grit, then

dismount the top and drill a 1/4"-

diameter hole through the wood.

55F a l l 2 0 1 3

Now put the maple between

centers on the lathe and turn it

to shape with the roughing

gouge. Again, use a skew and

sandpaper to refine the surface.

Part off the maple piece from the

lathe and drill three holes into

the mill: First, a 11∕2"-diameter by

1/2"-deep hole in the bottom of

the piece, then a 11∕4"-diameter by

3/8"-deep hole in the top end.

Use the indents from the lathe

drives to find the drilling centers

for these two holes. The third

hole is 1" in diameter and passes

from the top end all the way to

the bottom. To get greater


Essential Spindle-Turning Tools

Roughing Gouges are heavy-duty tools, manufactured to withstand the impactinvolved with the four rotating corners of square stock. If you’ve never used one,you’re missing out on a splendid way to go from square to round. Simply hold thegouge on the tool-rest and advance the cutting edge into the wood near the end ofthe stock, cutting gradually toward that end. Reduce the diameter of the wooduntil you achieve the desired dimension.

Spindle Gouges work great when they’re sharpened with a long, steep bevel anda more pointed end in comparison to a bowl gouge. This type of edge profileallows for a clean cut and also enables you to get into tight areas betweenelements of the turned object. But, I’ll confess that I sometimes get lazy and use abowl gouge when I ought to use a spindle gouge. It’s perfectly safe, but the bevelon a bowl gouge is at a shorter angle, which makes for a less grabby cut.

Skew Chisels: If what you are making requires an abrupt division betweensquare stock and round stock, here’s where a skew chisel is a necessity. Use eitherthe heel or the toe of the skew to cut into the square stock. Arch the tool into thewood and begin with light, small cuts. When using the skew chisel, remember thatthere are potentially four cutting edges and four bevels. When you are using oneedge, stay away from the other three or you’ll surely catch the wood!

Parting Tools are actually not for parting the wood off the lathe but for partingthrough the wood to mark a specific diameter. They are often used in conjunctionwith calipers, preset to measure a correct diameter. Parting tools arestraightforward to use. Simply arch them into the wood and push gently. They dothe cutting work almost automatically.

RoughingGouge

SkewChisel

SpindleGouge

PartingTool

This salt and pepper set is a greatopportunity to practice your spindle-turning skills. Turning a spindle isn’tdifficult, and it requires only four differentlathe tools. Here’s woodturning expertBetty Scarpino’s advice about each one.


56 Z e s t f u l T u r n i n g s

Craig Lossing is a woodturner based

in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

control and accuracy while

drilling this hole, clamp a wood-

en handscrew to the mill (see

right photo).

Once these holes are drilled,

insert the grinding mechanism in

the mill, drill pilot holes for the

screws and secure the retaining

plates. The top should turn freely

when you loosen the nut, which,

by the way, also allows the pep-

percorns to slip into the teeth of

the gears so they can be ground.

Turning the Salt ShakerMount your curly maple salt

shaker blank into the lathe and

rough it with a gouge into a 2"

cylinder. Next, make the ring

joint by turning one end of the

cylinder down to a 11∕2" diameter

with a parting tool. Take your

cherry block over to the drill

press and drill a 11∕2" hole

through it. Remove the maple

from the lathe and use yellow

glue to secure its ringed end

inside the cherry block.

Once the glue dries, remount

the shaker on the lathe and turn it

to final shape. Sand the piece to

220-grit, then part off the top end.

Take the shaker back to the drill

press to bore the holes, making

sure to use the handscrew clamp

again to control the turning. Drill

a 1"-diameter hole 1/2" deep in

the bottom of the shaker, then

turn the piece over and drill a

3/4"-diameter hole through the

full length of the body.

Finishing UpDismantle the pepper mill to give

it and the salt shaker a final bur-

nishing with fine steel wool. Apply

three coats of tung oil to the out-

side of the set to really bring out

the curly pattern in the maple. Let

the finish dry for two days before

reassembling the mechanism in

the pepper mill and adding the top

to the salt shaker. Once this is

done, pour in your salt and your

peppercorns, and cap off the

openings. Your salt and pepper set

is now ready for your next

culinary project. Bon appetit!

3/4"

1"

1/2"

Full-Size Drawings

When you’re ready to drill the cores,

a wooden handscrew clamp will help

keep the mill from spinning during

drilling as well as align the workpiece

for an accurate through hole.

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58 T u r n i n g F i s h i n g L u r e s

Turning Fishing LuresW h y p a y t a c k l e s t o r e p r i c e s f o r

s t o r e - b o u g h t l u r e s ? T u r n y o u r

o w n c u s t o m l u r e s f r o m s c r a p .

Shape and Design FactorsCheck your local tackle shops

for one of the two massive vol-

umes of “Fishing Lure

Collectibles” by Beany and

Dudley Murphy, and you’ll see

that there are few new plug

shapes. For that reason, you’ll

need to decide which lures suit

your fishing needs best. Short,

subsurface plugs with wiggling

scoops oscillate faster than long,

skinny plugs; streamlined long

minnow plugs create less sur-

face noise and splash than blunt-

nose models. Note that lure size

is often the most critical factor

where gamefish prey on schools

of bait. Remember to vary lure

length to match the growth of

baitfish over the season.

Prior to World War II, most

fishing plugs were made of

wood, and even today most

consider the wooden Rapala the

world’s most effective lure. But

can an average woodworker

make wooden lures and thus

combine two hobbies? The

answer is yes! With minimal

turning skills and an eye on

design, you can make your own

topwater, floating and sinking

plugs at pennies on the dollar

and in sizes from 1/2" fly rod

plugs and poppers up to 10" surf

and saltwater or even muskie

plugs. Add to those advantages

that your finely crafted plugs can

be hand-tuned and

tested to maximize

your catch.

Buoyant Wood ChoiceThe more buoyant the wood, the

faster the action, so balsa is

tough to beat for fat plugs. Plan

to finish your plugs in durable

epoxy and use sharp tools with a

light touch. Otherwise, pine,

cedar and easy-to-turn woods

with reasonably tight grain are

your best choices. For “one-off”

designs, shop scraps do the job,

so keep an eye out for wood with

contrasting heartwood and

sapwood, as lures with natural

lighter bellies are effective with

only a clear sealer and top coats.

Basswood is wonderful if you

plan to carve details such as

gills. Note that dense woods

improve casting distance and

stand up to pike and other

“toothy” species. They also sink

faster when weighted.

59F a l l 2 0 1 3

Spindle Turning PracticePlugs offer excellent spindle-

turning practice. To get going,

square up your material, cut it to

21∕2 times the plug length, mount

it on the lathe, and shape it at

high speed with a small gouge or

even a scraper. Eliminate the

cylinder stage and turn plugs

two at a time for faster results.

Poppers and most other shapes

can be turned as a single unit

and split after shaping on the

band saw — see the upper

Drawing on the next page.

While templates produce con-

sistent shapes, it’s more fun, and

better practice, to turn freehand.

Just leave the square section in

the chuck until the first plug tail

is shaped. The hole from the tail-

stock will provide both support

for the nail used as a handle


when finishing and a centered

starter hole for the rear hook

eye. So advance the tailstock

after the first plug is parted off.

It’s possible to drill these holes

on the lathe, too.

Finish the shaping by sanding

the body down to 400-grit, and

part off the head. Leave a small

flat nose section that can be eas-

ily drilled (you’ll sand the nose to

shape later). Repeat on the sec-

ond plug. When splitting dished

plugs, cut diagonally and then

use a spindle sander to shape the

lip. Belt or other sanders can

also be used to flatten the sides

of minnow plugs for a more

realistic minnow shape on plugs

that imitate shad and shuck.

Then drill any remaining holes

for the nose, eyes or hook hangers

and remove the plug for finishing.

This is a great mini-lathe project, requiring a minimumof turning tools ... just a small gouge or even a scraper. Iuse an oscillating spindle sander to shape the ends of mypoppers, but you could carve those shapes using chiselsand a shaped sanding block just as easily.

Optional but important supplies include plastic skirtsof various colors, wiggling scoops and lead weights.

Epoxy and super glues are very helpful and, moreimportantly, waterproof. Painting the

lures will require dipping containers,hobby paints, small brushes andwaterproof sealers. A hobbyistairbrush is really useful, but optional.

Sources for

Lure Parts and Paints:

Jann’s Netcraft:

(www.jannsnetcraft.com)

free catalog, 800-346-6590

Barlow’s Tackle:

(www.barlowstackle.com)

free catalog, 800-707-0208

Lure Components:

(www.lurecomponents.com)

[email protected]

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com

http://www.barlowstackle.com

http://www.lurecomponents.com



60 T u r n i n g F i s h i n g L u r e s

Turn at high speed to shape the blank.

Here the author is using a skew to

shape the plug.

To make painting easier, sand the plugs

all the way up to 400-grit.

Begin with an appropriate blank

between centers. You may be able to

turn several at a time from one blank.

Hooks, Hangers and Screw EyesIf you live in an area where

Òsingle barbless hooksÓ are the

law of the land, I would go with

Siwash open eye single hooks.

(And by the way, in Òside-by-

sideÓ trolling tests, they produce

the same strike-to-hookup

ratios.) Just remember to use a

single thatÕs two sizes larger

than the usual treble. Double

hooks are an easy-to-add or

change alternative worth consid-

ering on some designs. Quality

treble hooks from Gamatsu,

Mustad or Eagle Claw sized to

match the hooks on commercial

plugs work, too.

While commercial plugs use

hook hangers, good lure design,

which spaces hooks far enough

apart so they canÕt snag each

other, allows screw eyes super-

glued into place at big savings.

Open screw eyes let you crimp

hooks on Òpoint downÓ for gener-

al use or Òpoint upÓ for weedy

fishing spots.

Some folks attach hooks to

eyes with split-ring hook hold-

ers. I prefer a direct connection

with a smaller than usual screw

eye for less hook swing and

fewer line snags. Moving the

screw eye towards the plug top

makes lures run deeper; moving

it down on a flat or slanted-face

popping plug increases noise.

Wiggling Scoops, Hardwareand SkirtsA variety of wiggling scoops can

be screwed into wooden lures

Separate the two poppers with a band saw.

Shape the curves with a spindle sander or carve them with chisels.

Full-size

Equatorial-skirted

Vertical Popper

Pattern

This blank makes two

poppers. See the photo

sequence above.

Equatorial-skirt

groove

Use these patterns as a starting point.

Be creative and develop your own “secret” lure.

Full-size Topwater

Minnow Pattern

If you plan to use your lure in salt water,

stainless-steel hardware is a must.


Finally, add two

clear coats for protection

and eye appeal. Epoxy outer

coats will foil pike for a bit, too.

Finish up with a “tank test” at a

full tub. Tie the lure to a short

stick with a couple of feet of four-

pound test line. Add strips of

very light lead to the hooks for

fore-and-aft balance. Take notice

of the most effective speed for

top-action lures, and if it runs off-

line, bend the forward eye side-

ways to adjust. Note: offline

lures are effective under docks

and weed beds.

jammed into the back of the lure

and dip or spray before the

screw eyes are installed. Dry

lures by inserting the nails into

holes on a block of wood. Two

base coats are recommended.

Color coats offer contrasting

heads and bodies. For example,

dip lures in white paint and, after

drying, dip red heads. You can

also dip a second, darker coat on

the lure back or add a red gill

stripe, etc. Paint kits with

one- ounce bottles will increase

your color options. Spraying

through mesh (top right) adds

fish-scale details, increasing fish

and sales appeal.

Spraying allows the use of tulle

and other materials to produce

desirable patterns. As a rule,

dark backs and light bottoms are

typical of baitfish that fall broad-

ly into silver and gold divisions.

Adding eyes will also improve

your luck. To apply painted eyes,

cut the point off a large-diameter

nail and use it to apply a white or

yellow spot on each side of the

head. After this dries, use a

smaller nail to add a black pupil.

Like most procedures, this is

best done a dozen lures at a time.

Louis Bignami wrote this article for

Woodworker’s Journal.

and then bent to change the plug

action. Sometimes, however, it’s

cheaper and faster to just cut a

slot and epoxy in a flat scoop

(clear acrylic, polycarbonate,

metal or wooden) for subsurface

action. Tongue depressors or

plastic sheets from the model

shop work well. Just remember

that waterproof glue is a must.

Surface lures generally do not

require scoops. Action is provid-

ed by their design and/or rod

manipulation. The classic “verti-

cal popper” (see facing page)

uses an “equatorial” rubber skirt

and sits and pops in place, tempt-

ing bass and other species.

You can also dress rear hooks

with skirts, add propeller or spin-

ner blades fore and aft, or, for

superior spins, add a bead.

Rubber skirts and tails or soft

“jewelry box” plush skins on

mouse-type lures will improve

craft fair sales, too.

Small strips of lead glued to

the lure bottom create “zero

buoyancy” so lures will suspend

when you stop a retrieve — tank

test in the bathtub.

Paint, Eyes and Other OddmentsA coat of waterproof sealer or

white waterproof finish thinned

20% is basic. Hold lures by a nail

Cut the popper blanks apart on the

diagonal using a band saw or scroll saw.

The author uses his spindle sander to

shape the front scooped curve of the

poppers. Painting creates the

details that catch

the fish’s and the

fisherman’s eyes!

One easy trick is

to use a mesh

material to create

a “scale pattern.”


62 J a p a n e s e K e n d a m a G a m e

Japanese

Kendama Game

M a k e t h i s c h a l l e n g i n g g a m e , a n d

w h i l e y o u ’ r e a t i t , l e a r n h o w

t o m a k e a n d u s e a j a m c h u c k .

Our editor in chief, Rob Johnstone, suggested to me

that an article on turning a Japanese kendama game

would be fun for all. This child’s game is pure spin-

dle turning (“child” being defined as anyone from nine to 92

years of age in the case of this addicting game). A variation

on the age-old ball-and-cup toy, the player uses the ken

(handle) to capture the wood dama (ball) attached to it by a

string in one of four ways. There are two cups, one larger

and one smaller, attached to the ken at right angles. There

is a third cup in the base of the ken that is still smaller.

Finally, the ball may be captured on the spike at the busi-

ness end of the ken. The ball has a hole in it, which is flared

at the mouth, to facilitate this most difficult of captures.

A kendama game is mostly straightforward spindle turn-

ing, but turning the ball and scraping the cups to the correct

radius to catch the ball is a small challenge for most. You

will need some firm, durable wood to make your kendama

set. I chose hard maple for price and durability, but oak, ash,

hickory and walnut are other good choices. You do not need

much wood for this project, but large-diameter stock is nec-

essary for the ball if it is to be done without gluing up. I was

able to make mine from cutoff scraps I had squirreled away.

I will not elaborate on the turning of the handle and the set

of cups that mount on the spike at the end of it in a “T” fash-

ion, for they are straight spindle turning. The only tip I will

give is that it is best to drill the cross-hole for mounting the

cups on the handle before turning. Drill a 7/16"-diameter

cross-hole in the exact center of the 13∕4" by 23∕4" billet. The

turning of a perfect ball might seem to be impossible, but it

A spiked handle, three cups of varying sizes

and a tethered wooden ball are the total of the

parts to a kendama game — but the variations

of kendama “tricks” go on and on.

is actually well within the capa-

bilities of any competent spindle

turner. The method I am going

to describe was used to turn bil-

liard balls from ivory up until the

1920s. I gleaned this information

from an original volume in my

library: The Lathe & Its Uses by

Claud Lukin, published by John

Wiley & Son in 1868.

The trick of

turning a ball is in

the chucking. You

must use a jam chuck, which is

no more than a piece of wood

screwed to a faceplate. For

strength, the piece of wood you

construct your jam chuck out of

needs to be at least one-and-a-

half times the diameter of the

work (it can also be larger). Like

the kendama itself, the jam

chuck needs to be made from

durable wood of one of the

species I’ve previously men-

tioned. The grain of the chuck

63F a l l 2 0 1 3w w w . w o o d w o r k e r s j o u r n a l . c o m

needs to run between the

centers of the lathe (spindle

turning), so the screws to hold it

on a faceplate need to go into the

end grain of the billet. It is possi-

ble to generate a perfect ball by

how you manipulate the work in

your jam chuck. The photoessay

you will find on pages 66 and 67

will explain the process for

making the jam chuck and

turning the ball.

The Top 10 Kendama Tricks

Moves you can perform with a kendama are called “tricks.” A Japanese Kendama Associationbook lists 101 tricks, but new ones are constantly being invented, as are variations. Forcompetition purposes, there are 11 required tricks for a “kyu” ranking (rated at 10 kyu to 1 kyu,with one the highest); plus about 10 additional for a “dan” rating (also rated at 10 dan to 1dan). Here are some of the "kyu" tricks (you also need “moshikame” — see page 65).

Oozara (Big Cup): Start from a still, vertical position and land the ball in the big cup.

Kozara (Small Cup): Same as above, except land the ball in the small cup.

Chuzara (Middle Cup): Catch the ball in the middle cup on the end of the ken.

Rosoku (Candle): Same as above, but different grip: hold the ken by the point.

Tomeken (Spike Catch or Pull Up/In): Start the ball from a still, hanging position and catch

it by the hole on the ken’s spike.

Hikoki (Airplane): Hold the ball and flip the ken to impale the ball

with the spike.

Furiken (Swinging Spike Catch): Similar to Spike Catch, but

you swing the ball up instead of starting from a dead hang.

Nihon Isshu (Trip Around Japan): Catch the ball

in the small cup, toss it to the big cup, then spike it.

Sekai Isshu (Trip Around the World):

Like above, with the

addition of a toss to the

center cup after the large

cup and before the spike.

Toudai (Lighthouse):

Grip the ball; jerk ken from

a dead hang and balance

it by the center cup on the

ball, keeping it stationary.

Spike

Center Cup Kendama tricks involve

combinations of catching,

spiking, juggling and balancing.Small Cup

Crosspiece

Ken (Sword)Big Cup

Dama(Ball)


the other end of the cup, then

jam chuck the handle to make

the base into a cup. If you fol-

lowed the Drawings, your game

now has three progressively

smaller cups to catch the ball in,

plus a spike to spear it on. Go

ahead and glue the cups on the

spike, cross drill for the string

through the center of the

cup/spike, and connect a

sufficiently long string to have

153∕4" of string between the

handle and the ball.


Playing the Game The trick of playing kendama is

not necessarily to swing the ball

around into the cup! Rather, you

can flick the ball straight up with

a snap of the wrist, such that it

reaches its apex just above the

cup. Simultaneously, in the

version I have been playing, you

must skillfully place the cup in

the perfect alignment under the

ball. To spike, you hold the han-

dle at about a 45-degree upward

angle and then snap the ball

You will need a scraper for this

project that will allow you to

shape the depression of the cups

to a slightly smaller curve than

the 21∕4" diameter ball. (You want

the ball to seat perfectly.) I used

a shop-made scraper to help me

achieve this. You will need to jam

chuck the cup twice to hollow

each end. Scrape from the out-

side to the center in an ever-

increasing circle until you have

removed wood along the entire

edge, and there you have it. Do

Making the ken is a straightforward exercise in spindle turning. Chuck your ken blank between centers, and use a sharp spindle

gouge to turn it to a comfortable handle profile and smallest end cup. Scrape the spike end of the ken down until it fits the

7/16"-dia. hole in the opposing cup piece.

It’s best to drill the 7/16”-dia. cross-hole that facilitates mounting

the cups on the handle before turning the cups to final shape.

Scrape the cups to shape with a scraper while the work is held

in a smaller version of a jam chuck.

Crosspiece

Spike

Ken

Center Cup

Big Cup

Small Cup

You may choose to purchase a 21∕4"-dia. hardwood ball(item 29753 at rockler.com) instead of turning yourown. If you do choose to make your own, see thephotoessay on the following two pages for step-by-step instructions.


upward, smartly spiking on the

hole in the ball. Achieving this,

for me, takes driving the spike

upward, as allowing the ball to

simply settle on the spike has

not seemed to work very well, in

my experience. (There are many

videos of young people using a

kendama on the Internet.)

I can tell you that writing this

article has taken much longer

than usual because of all the

time I have spent playing with

this addicting game. When

you’re building yours, you

should make at least five to 10

of these wonderful toys, as

everyone likely will want to try it

and will be particularly slow to

relinquish it to another person.

History of the GameVarious ball-and-cup games,

including the Mexican balero,

French bilboquet and English

cup and ball, have been common

traditionally throughout the

world. One theory for the appar-

ent independent development of

such similar games in diverse

geographical areas is that it

helped develop hand-eye coordi-

nation among children in hunt-

ing cultures — some places

used animal bones (such as

rabbit skulls), animal hair or

grass for the “ball.”

The modern Japanese version

of kendama likely traces its ori-

gins to the 18th century, when it

started out as a drinking game

Material List

Item Billet Size Length

Ball 23⁄4" Square 31⁄4"

Handle 11⁄2" Square 61⁄2"

Cups 13⁄4" Square 23⁄4"

Jam Chuck 4" Square 51⁄2"

Ernie Conover is the author of The

Lathe Book, Turn a Bowl with Ernie

Conover and The Frugal Woodturner.

Dama

Full-Size

Patterns

To turn your own “dama,” see

the article on the next page.

for adults (whoever made a mis-

take had to drink more). Over

the next hundred years or so, it

morphed into a children’s game.

One basic trick, “moshikame,”

which involves juggling the ball

between two cups, is also a folk

song, based on the legend of the

tortoise and the hare, that chil-

dren have traditionally sung

while doing the trick — the

musical rhythm is supposed to

sustain their physical ability.

While kendama continues to

be a popular toy and a casual

children’s game in Japan, begin-

ning in the 1960s, some

Japanese began approaching

kendama as a more serious

sport. Issei Fujiwara founded

the Japanese Kendama

Association in 1975. For the

sport, Fujiwara established stan-

dards for the kendama itself and

groups of tricks that must be

completed for moving to certain

levels of kendama rankings.

“Freestyle” creation of tricks,

incorporating elements from

games such as juggling, contin-

ues, with interest from people of

all ages and countries. Among

the Western fans of the game

are inline skaters, who have

helped to spread its popularity.

The first European Kendama

Open was held in 2008.


http://rockler.com

9 10 11 12

5 6 7 8

ly turning the spindle by hand, adjust

the piece until the equator runs true

and is just outside the chuck face.

Using the same compass setting as

in Fig. 5, mark a line at one radius

from the equator (see Fig. 8). Cut the

work off at this new line and face it

square. Put a pencil dot on the sec-

ond pole and use a spindle gouge to

turn an arc between the equator and

the pole that is outside the sphere

(see Fig. 9). Eject the work, which

should look egg-like, from the chuck.

Now tap the work into the chuck

with the equator running exactly

between the lathe centers (see Fig.

10). The poles now run just outside

the chuck on a new equatorial line

(see Fig. 11). Drawing a pencil dot on

the spinning work will tell you which


Start with a piece of wood slight-

ly bigger than the ball. Since

we want a 21∕4"-diameter ball,

start with a 23∕4" square billet that is

about 31∕4" long. Mount it between

centers and turn it to a 21∕4" cylinder

(see Fig. 1).

Make a jam chuck by screwing the

4" square by 51∕2" billet to a faceplate.

Turn it to a cylinder, face the

exposed end flat and drill a 1/2"-

diameter hole through it (see Fig.

2). The hole will facilitate getting a

knockout bar through from the

headstock to eject the work.

Using a scraper, scrape a 21∕4"-diame-

ter opening that tapers inward at about

a 3-degree angle (see Figures 3 and 4).

This is about the same taper as the

Morse tapers in your lathe. I use an

ancient turning tool called an armrest

to support my scraper. It negates my

having to constantly move, and read-

just, the tool-rest each time I check the

fit. Tap the 21∕4"-diameter piece of stock

we turned in Fig. 1 into the tapered

pocket we just created. Turn the spin-

dle by hand and tap at the appropriate

edge until the billet runs true.

Face the end of the ball billet with

a scraper. It should be dead square,

and all dimples left by the spur or live

center should be removed. Chamfer

the corner 1/16". Set a compass to

the radius of the work, and mark

what I will call the equator of our

emerging ball. Put a dot at what I will

call the pole as well (see Fig. 5).

Using a spindle gouge, turn away

the area between the equator and the

pole to an arc that is outside a sphere.

You do this by starting to the right of

the equator and turning shy of the

pole (see Fig. 6).

Use a long dowel or metal bar as

an “extended” knockout bar to eject

the work from the chuck. Now flip

the piece 180 degrees and seat the

spherical end in the chuck with a

mallet again (see Fig. 7). You may

have to hollow out the chuck a good

bit to accept half the ball. While slow-

How to Turn a Perfect Ball

Turning a ball is a matter of starting with a

cylinder mounted in a jam chuck, then

turning each end of the cylinder into a

hemisphere, reversing it in the jam chuck

from one end to the other. When the ends

are spherical, rotate the elongated ball

again so its initial equator is in line with the

lathe’s centers and turn away the remaining

waste to bring the shape into perfect round.

1 2 3 4

67F a l l 2 0 1 3

way you need to rotate the work in

the chuck. The old equator will ghost

a dot if it is running between centers.

It will ghost a circle if it is not.

Because the old equator is a perfect

ring spinning between centers, it

ghosts a perfect sphere. The trick is

to now scrape away all the wood out-

side the ghost on the exposed half of

the ball. I use the same chuck-mak-

ing scraper that we made initially to

do this (see Fig. 12). Eject, turn 180

degrees and reseat the work in the

chuck. Scrape all the wood away out-

side the ghost (see Fig. 13).

Now sand thoroughly, while turn-

ing and reseating the ball randomly

(see Fig. 14). It is imperative that you

start with 80- or coarser grit paper.

Starting with finer paper will sand

face grain faster than end grain, sand-

ing the ball out of, rather than into,

round. Sand as fine as you please, but

150- to 180-grit is adequate for our

kendama game (see Fig. 15).

The jam chuck is perfect for drilling

the ball. The best time to drill is at the

end of scraping the second half of the

13 14 15 16

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ball, which puts the hole through the

face grain and in axis with the equa-

tor. Drill a 15∕8"-deep blind hole with a

1/2" drill. Drill the rest of the way

with a 1/16" or smaller drill that

matches the diameter of the string

you plan to use. The string will go

though the 1/16" hole with a stopper

knot inside the larger hole. The 1/2"

hole is for “spiking” the ball. Lastly, as

I am doing in Fig. 16, scrape a heavy

chamfer at the mouth of the hole to

make a better target for spiking.

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68 M a s t e r i n g T u r n e d E g g s

Mastering Turned EggsH e l p y o u r t u r n i n g s k i l l s s p r i n g f o r w a r d

w i t h s o m e e l e g a n t e l l i p t i c a l s h a p e s .

least an inch in length to leave

room for the holes the headstock

and tailstock centers produce.

Two Methods of Attaching WoodThere are two primary methods

of attaching a piece of wood to

the lathe in order to turn an egg:

1) the wood can be held in a

chuck or 2) it can be held

between centers. If I am making

only one or two eggs, I attach the

wood between centers. Even

though the ends need to be fin-

ished off the lathe, it requires

less time. If I am in production

mode, I will use a chuck.

To prepare the wood for hold-

ing it in a chuck, you must first

turn a cylinder between centers,

one end of which should be a

diameter small enough to fit into

the jaws of your chuck. For a

larger diameter egg, that will

require a shoulder on one end of

the cylinder, but leave the small-

er diameter as large as possible.

It will provide more stability. If

you are going to make several

eggs, you can use a cylinder

that’s long enough to make

several at the same time.

Remove the cylinder from the

lathe, attach your chuck to the

headstock, and mount the

turned cylinder in the chuck. If

it’s a long cylinder, you might

need to bring up the tailstock to

temporarily help steady the

wood. You will remove the tail-

stock later in order to finish the

first end and to part the egg off

the cylinder.

My favorite shop teacher

always cautioned that anything

larger than two inches in diame-

ter should have the corners

69F a l l 2 0 1 3

Turned eggs are a terrific

project to hone your skills

at woodturning and for

using up small pieces of wood.

Here’s how you can finally make

something special out of that

chunk of highly figured hard-

wood that’s been gathering dust

in the far corner of your shop.

A turned egg appears rather

simple to make, but getting the

curves and shape right can be a

challenge. It’s a fun challenge,

however, and once you get the

hang of it, you will discover

that other turning projects are

much easier.

Shape of an EggThe most important thing to

know when turning an egg is

that there are no flat areas. Eggs

are continuously curved. They

may be round — some owl eggs

are. Guinea hen eggs are nicely

round on one end and rather

pointy on the other, more so than

chicken eggs. I’ve been told that

eggs are the shape they are so

that they don’t roll off a cliff. I’m

not sure, though.

If you look at a dozen chicken

eggs (go ahead and check out

the ones in your refrigerator),

most likely none of them look

exactly like an egg ought to

appear. That’s the good part for a

woodturner. As long as what you

make is oval and one end is

slightly larger than the other, it

will look like an egg.

Eggs are a bit longer than they

are wide. For instance, I just

measured a chicken’s egg and it

was 21∕2" long by 13∕4" wide. Select

your wood accordingly. If you are

attaching your wood between

centers, you will need to add at


“It’s a fun

challenge, and

once you get the

hang of it, you

will discover that

other turning

projects are

much easier.”

The most important thing to keep in mind

when turning an egg, says the author, is

that “there should be no flat areas.”

The author brings the lathe’s tailstock

up to help with stability in the

beginning. She will move it back later,

when she finishes the end of the first

egg and parts it off the wood.


70 M a s t e r i n g T u r n e d E g g s

removed before attaching it to

the lathe. I’ve found that’s not

necessary if you know what you

are doing. Know your limitations.

Drive Centers and SafetyI use a safety center in my lathe.

There are several models on the

market, from companies like

ONEWAY and Sorby, and they’re a

most welcome addition in the

arena of safety. While it might

seem counterintuitive to not use

a spur drive center, it’s actually

much safer to use what looks

like a live center in your head-

stock. The newer ones have an

end on them that has a serrated

edge, similar to what a band saw

blade looks like. One model has

a point that is spring-loaded. It

sticks out quite a bit but retracts

as the tailstock is tightened.

The theory of the safety cen-

ters is that when a catch happens

— and they will happen — the

spinning motion of the wood

stops, as opposed to having the

tool fly out of your hands. After

the incident, simply tighten the

tailstock again and keep turning.

Creating the Shape of an EggIn order to achieve a somewhat

ideal egg shape, the highest

point (largest diameter) of the

egg should be located just off

center, a bit closer to the large-

end side of the center of the egg

than to the smaller end.

Beginners often make the

largest diameter area too close

to the large end of the egg. I did

and, even after hundreds of

eggs, still do, occasionally.

Both ends of the egg should be

round, but is one larger than the

other? It should be. Neither should

be pointed, nor should either of

them be flat. I’ve done both.

Sand your egg while it’s on the

lathe. Even with the wood held

in a chuck, you’ll still need to

clean up and sand the ends off

the lathe. I use a foam interface

pad for final sanding — it helps

the sanding disc conform to the

round shape of the egg, prevent-

ing flat spots. (See photo 6 in the

sidebar on the next page.)

Finishing the EggsI often make eggs in order to

practice new surface treatments

as varied as bleaching, texturing

and burning. I’ll end up with a

well finished project and haven’t

spent hours of time learning a

technique that doesn’t work.

If you are going to paint your

eggs, it helps to not have done a

lot of sanding (yay!). The paint

will stick much better to wood

that’s been sanded with 120-grit

abrasive than if you’ve achieved

a highly polished surface. I like

to use milk paint for my painted

When parting off the egg, you can make

a clean cut if the last cut is from wood

stock that remains in the chuck. If you

try to cut from the direction of the egg,

that can often cause a small hole to

form in the end of the egg.

Here, the author uses a skew chisel to

carve the small bit of wood remaining

on the end of the egg. A knife or bench

chisel will work, too.

Making one end of the egg smaller than

the other — and neither one pointed or

flat — is the key to making your effort

look like an egg.




Presentation

After making all those eggs, you’ll

need to figure out what to do with

them. I make bowls and put eggs

in them. You can see a variety of

examples on my web page at

www.bettyscarpino.com. Another

option is to make a stand for

individual eggs. A stand can be as

simple as a small piece of interest-

ingly shaped wood with a concave

area or as elaborate as a carved

stand. Let your imagination go

wild with these creations!

If you simply want to practice

turning eggs, grab a solid chunk

eggs. The finish has an eggshell

look to it, and when the milk

paint is applied with a fine

sponge, the texture also resem-

bles that of an egg.

An easy holder for painting

eggs can be made by hammering

three small nails all the way

through a small, thin piece of

plywood in a triangle shape. The

egg will sit nicely in the triangle

on the points of the nails.

I finish darker woods such as

walnut and cherry with an oil

finish. For maple I use a wipe-on

lacquer finish.

of a tree limb, attach it between

the centers of your lathe, and turn

away! Those eggs will eventually

crack, but they make for lovely

decorative firewood, especially if

you’ve turned several from a long

length of branch.

The other part of presentation is

figuring out who gets your new cre-

ations. No doubt there will be many

family members and friends who

will soon begin their own new

hobby of collecting turned eggs!

Six Steps for Beginners

Another method of holding the wood,which doesn’t involve a chuck, is tosimply mount it between centers (1). Tofind the center of the wood, make an “X”on both ends. Punch a small hole at thecenter of the “X.” At this point, you cancut the corners off of the square woodusing your band saw. Tilt the table at a45˚ angle and make the cuts. Or you canattach the wood to the lathe as is andfirst turn a cylinder, then the egg (2).For eggs that have been turned between

centers, there will be wood on both ends

that you will have to cut off (3). This iseasily removed on a band saw or using asmall handsaw. If you use a band saw, erron the side of caution and make a jig tohold the wood to keep the blade fromgrabbing and spinning it during cutting.

I made my jig using a scrap of Balticbirch plywood (4). I created a concavesurface that conformed (somewhat) tothe shape of the egg. A bit of maskingtape easily holds the egg in place,controlling the egg and letting you safelycut off the excess wood on both ends (5).

This jig can be used over and over.The next step is to sand the ends. I put

a sanding disc in my drill press and startwith 60- or 120-grit sandpaper,depending on how much wood I need toremove. Then put a foam interface pad onthe disc holder and use 220-grit paper (6).The foam pad will help you shape theends of the eggs into a nice round surfacewhile avoiding flat spots. As with anyturning technique, practice makesperfect, so grab a small chunk of wood,get over to your lathe and have some fun!

T h e r e i s m o r e t h a n o n e w a y t o t u r n a n e g g . H e r e i s

t h e s k i n n y o n h o w t o t u r n t h o s e o v o i d s b e t w e e n

c e n t e r s — i t ’ s a n e a s y w a y t o g e t s t a r t e d .

1 2 3

4 5 6

http://www.bettyscarpino.com


72 “ C o u n t e r C a t ” H o l i d a y G i f t s

“Counter Cat” Holiday GiftsF i r e u p t h e l a t h e a n d g e t

r e a d y, h e r e ’ s a s i m p l e r e c i p e

h o l d e r t h a t w i l l b e j u s t

p e r f e c t f o r y o u r m o t h e r - i n - l a w.

Aside from turning, the skills

necessary to complete one of

these projects are pretty basic.

Get started by selecting the

wood you want to use: a 2" x 2" x

6" blank for the body and a 2" x

2" x 4" scrap for the head.

Creating the BodyMount the body blank onto the

lathe, holding one end with your

scroll chuck and supporting the

other end with the tailstock. For

your chuck, it may be necessary

to turn a tenon on one end first.

Rough the blank down into

a cylinder, leaving it as

large as feasible. Remove the

tailstock and round off the ends,

leaving enough to support the

blank at the headstock. The cat’s

body should be about 41∕2" long

with a sausage-like shape slight-

ly bulging at the center. Sand

and part it off. Carefully make a

flat area on the body by sanding

or cutting. This will be the bot-

tom or belly.

Secure the body for drilling

holes (see photo at right). At the

When it comes to “quick

and easy” gifts, turn-

ers have an advantage

over most woodworkers. This

simple project can be “turned

out” in an afternoon or evening,

and it lends itself to production

work. The “Counter Cat” is a

great cook’s companion, holding

those recipes and instructions

above any spills or splatters that

hit the countertop. Once you get

all the steps set up, you’ll find

you can make a half dozen of

these gifts in a day.

The Cat’s Meow!

Stay above the grease and

splatter with this simple

recipe holder that you can

turn in an afternoon!

73F a l l 2 0 1 3

tail end, centered and close to the

top, drill a 1/4"-diameter hole

3/8" deep for the tail. At the head

end, drill a 3/8"-diameter hole

5/8" deep, centered and about

45° above the horizontal axis.

For the feet, drill two 1/2"-diame-

ter holes 3/8" deep and about

1/4" apart on the front end of the

body, sloping slightly downward

near the end of the flat area.

Round off the end of a 1/2"

dowel and color it black with a

marker or shoe dye. Cut off a

3/4" piece from the end to make

one foot, and repeat. Trial fit the

feet into the holes in the body.

When placed on a flat surface,

you want the feet to slightly raise

that end of the cat. Adjust as

needed and glue the feet into

place. After the glue is set, place

the body on sandpaper on a flat

surface and sand the feet flush

with the bottom of the body. Now

clamp the body securely against

the miter gauge of your band saw,

using the flat bottom for position-

ing. Cut five slots into the back of

the body for holding recipes or


notes. Start them about 11∕2" back

from the front, angling them

about 30° backward. Cut about

halfway through.

Turning the HeadMount the head blank in the

chuck and rough it down to a

cylinder, rounding off the end, as

shown on the next page. Turn a

sphere that is 1/8" to 1/4" small-

er than the body’s diameter.

Leave a tenon next to the chuck

that is 3/8" in diameter and 1/2"

long. The shape of the sphere is

not really critical (ever see a cat

with a perfectly round head)?

Sand well and part it off.

Test fit the head tenon in the

hole in the body. Allow clearance

between the end of the tenon and

the bottom of the hole for excess

glue. With the head in place, use

a soft pencil to mark the locations

for the eyes, nose and ears.

Remove the head and secure it

for drilling. Bore two 1/4" holes

3/8" deep for the ears, two 3/16"

holes 1/8" deep for the eyes and

one for the nose that is 3/8"

The body is secured so that the hole for

mounting the head can be drilled with a

3/8” Forstner bit.

Here, one foot is being trial fit and the

other is ready to be installed. Note that

the belly of the cat has been sanded flat.

Standing Steady:

Two feet are added to the base side of

the cat and then they, along with the

back end of the belly, get a sanding to

ensure that your recipes don’t tip over.

Our author mounts a blank into the lathe chuck and supports the opposite end with the tailstock to get it ready for turning (top left).

Once everything is secure, he roughs the body to shape with a spindle gouge or skew chisel (top right). When the body is the correct

diameter and shape, he removes the tailstock and rounds one end (bottom right), then the other end before parting it free.


Turn the head blank into a sphere, and

include a 3/8" tenon for mounting before

parting the head free from the lathe.

74 “ C o u n t e r C a t ” H o l i d a y G i f t s

John Giem wrote this article for


diameter and 3/8" deep. Using a

black marker, darken the two eye

sockets. Round off the end of a

3/8" dowel for the nose. Color it

black and cut it off to 1/2" long.

Glue it in place.

Creating Ears and TailsNow it’s time to make a paper

template for the ears, using the

Drawing shown above. Cats’ ears

are leaf-shaped and pointed. The

point of the ear should be slight-

ly offset from center. The “stem”

should be about 3/8" wide so

that the ears will be cupped

when inserted into their mount-

ing holes. Cut out the template

and label it “R” for the right ear.

Turn it over and label it “L” for

the left ear. Cut out and form the

template into an arc, placing the

template into the appropriate ear

hole in the head. The ears

should be held in a cupped shape

by the narrow ear hole with the

cupped surface toward the nose.

Be sure that “R” is toward the

nose for the right ear and the “L”

for the left ear. The points of the

ears should be toward the center

of the head. Adjust the template

until your cat “looks right.”

Find yourself some thin leather

(mine came from an old billfold)

and identify which side you want

facing the front of the cat.

Transfer the template shapes

onto the leather, and cut out both

ears using scissors or a craft

knife. Glue the ears into place.

Cut a 1/4"-wide strip of leather

for the tail. Adjust the length as

desired. Glue it into the tail hole

in the body of the cat.

Adding WhiskersNext, find some material for the

whiskers, leaving them long to

ease handling. I used a few

broom straws, which worked

great. Secure the cat in a padded

vise with the face in a conven-

ient position and lightly mark

the positions for three whiskers

on each side. Using a rotary

cutter or similar tool, cut short

grooves at each mark. Now

spritz the grooves with CA

accelerator, and drip a small

amount of glue onto one end of

each whisker. Place them into

their prepared grooves. The CA

glue will rapidly cure to hold

the whiskers in place. Repeat

for the other whiskers. Trim

the whiskers to an even and

appropriate length.

Wipe on clear lacquer or an

equivalent finish to complete

your recipe holder.

The Cat’s Right Ear

Use the Drawing above to make a

template for the cat’s right ear. Note

that its point is offset and that the

bottom tab is wider than the 1/4"

hole drilled for the ear. Form the left

ear by flipping the template over.

Turn the body

and head separately, and join

them with a tenon on the head.

Cut three small grooves on each side of

the nose for the whiskers with a rotary

tool. Attach them with accelerator and

drops of CA glue.

Once you’ve trial fit the head on the

body, sketch location lines for the nose,

eyes and ears.

In this photo, the nose and one eye have

been drilled. Be sure to adjust the hole

locations as needed as you progress.

Use a black marker to darken the holes

for the eyes and ears. Seal your wood

first, to prevent bleeding.


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76 C h i p p e n d a l e - S t y l e d S h a k e r C a n d l e s t a n d

Chippendale-Styled Shaker Candlestand

T h e a u t h o r ’ s

b e a u t i f u l

c a n d l e s t a n d i s

a r e p r o d u c t i o n

o f a U n i o n

V i l l a g e o r i g i n a l .

The term Shaker is sometimes seen as

denoting a furniture period, like Queen

Anne or Chippendale, but although

Shaker furniture making is a genre built to a

set of aesthetic principles identifiably different

than those of other genres of furniture making,

the Shaker genre is not based, even loosely, on

a historical period.

Shaker furniture making existed outside

American furniture periods, running sometimes

concurrently with them, sometimes trailing well

after the fact. Nevertheless, like the country

furniture tradition in which it is most deeply

rooted, Shaker furniture making drew deeply

from the high-style period furniture made in

the American urban centers, borrowing forms

and design motifs, translating them in the light

of the Shaker aesthetic.

Shaker tables, for example, often exhibit

straight leg tapers much like Hepplewhite tables

of the late 18th century, but unlike those high-

style models, Shaker tables with tapered legs

were nearly always simple and plain. Similarly,

this little Shaker candlestand Ñ a reproduction

of one from the Union Village

community near Lebanon,

Ohio Ñ borrows heavily

from the high-style

Chippendale tables of

the 18th century. Like

those Chippendale predecessors, this stand fea-

tures three graceful cabriole legs leading to a

turned pedestal that supports a top surrounded

by a shallow turned lip. But this

somewhat stripped-down and

“Shakerized” version offers only

a smattering of the turned and

carved detail characteristic of

the American Chippendale

examples from which it evolved.

Turning the PedestalThe pedestal consists of a succes-

sion of turned beads, coves and

vases. After roughing in the

cylinder, I marked these ele-

ments by transferring them from

a story stick (see top photo for

details), then created the beads

with a skew chisel and the coves

with a 3/8" fingernail gouge. I

added a 1"-diameter, 13/16"-long

tenon at the top of the pedestal,

which you’ll later fit into a

mortise drilled into the bottom of

the top support and the top itself.

The vertical centerline of each

of the three legs is exactly 120

degrees apart from the other

two. These distances are most

easily located through the use of

an indexing head. An indexing

head is a disk centered on the

lathe’s axis of rotation with a

number of equally spaced stop


7/16"

7/16"

7/8"

3/8"

9/16"

5/16"

1/2"

1/2"

13/16" 1"

23/4"

13/16"

21/2"

27/16"

11/2"

23/4"

63/4"

71/4"

21/2"

15/8"

29/16"

23/4"

33/8"

25/16"

Pedestal and Bottom Disk Elevation Drawings

This simple marking gauge allows the author to draw marks on a turned spindle that

are perfectly parallel to its axis of rotation. To mark the locations of the leg mortises,

he stops the lathe’s rotation by engaging the locking pin on its indexing head. He

then slides the jig (pencil point pressing lightly against the object) along the bed to

scribe a straight line.

Before beginning any new piece of furniture, the author makes a set of story sticks.

This piece required two such sticks. One is a pattern for the cabriole leg profile, and

the other is the stick shown above, on which the elements of the turned pedestal

have been marked off.



Square tenon shoulders won’t mate

tightly with a rounded pedestal. To

create a tighter fit, the author bevels

the areas underneath the shoulders.

Here, he’s marking these areas.

With a wide chisel, create the bevels that

will lie under the leg shoulders. These

bring the shoulder up tight against the

pedestal base. Pare carefully to your

layout lines, checking the fit periodically.

The cabriole legs on the original candlestand have slightly crowned bevels on either

side of their top edges. The author created these bevels with a spokeshave and a rasp,

as shown above, after first freehanding some guidelines with a pencil.

holes drilled near its circumfer-

ence. It is a helpful feature now

found on most lathes. My lathe

has 36 holes, so the distance

between adjacent holes is exact-

ly 10 degrees.

To mark the 120-degree seg-

ments on the base of the

pedestal, I engaged the indexing

head’s spring-loaded locking pin,

drew a line with the marking

gauge shown in the bottom

photo, previous page, and

marked the centerline of one of

the pedestal’s legs. I then count-

ed off 12 stops on my indexing

head, engaged the locking pin,

and marked the second center-

line. I repeated this to locate the

centerline of the third leg. I also

added marks on the base of the

pedestal halfway between each

of these centerlines. These extra

marks allowed me to later create

lines on the bottom of the

pedestal that form the center-

lines of each mortise on the

bottom of the pedestal.

You can achieve the same

thing by connecting the bottom

of the centerline of each leg

mortise and the mark left by the

tailstock center. I added the

extra marks because sometimes

in cleaning up the bottom of

the pedestal, I obliterate the

tailstock’s center mark.

Making and Installing the LegsI clamped the pedestal to my

bench top using a series of U-

blocks and clamps, as shown in the

photos at left. Then I completed

the mortise marking process.

The joinery on this pedestal

stand is unlike any I’ve seen on

other Shaker pedestal stands.

Many of these pieces have slid-

ing dovetails, while others have

simple tenons with a shoulder on

each side. Each leg of this partic-

ular pedestal stand, however, has

only one shoulder on the right

side of a fat tenon.

I chopped out the mortises

with a 1/2" mortise chisel and a

wide paring chisel. I then turned

my attention to the legs. In pro-

file, these legs are much like the

legs on many Chippendale-era

pedestal stands. They don’t,

however, exhibit the carving

typical of the Chippendale

examples. The only elaboration

on the band saw leg form is a

slightly crowned bevel on the top

outside edges of each leg.

I began work on these bevels

by freehanding penciled guide-

lines to indicate the limits of the

bevels. I created the bevels with a

spokeshave, a rasp and sandpa-

per. I roughed in the one-shoul-

dered tenons with a back-

saw, hand-planing each to

final thickness one

shaving at a time.

Many years ago,

when I first began to build tripod

tables, I undercut the shoulders

on the leg tenons in order to get

a tight fit of shoulder against the

round base of the pedestal.

Otherwise, there will be a wide

gap between the shoulder and

that round base — which curves

away from the shoulder.

However, several years ago, I

began to cut a narrow bevel on

the base underneath the shoul-

der instead. This bevel allows

the shoulder to fit snugly against

the base.

Tips for Preparing the TopI turned the top while it was

mounted on a faceplate. First,

after mounting the faceplate to

what would eventually be the

upper side of the top, I cleaned up

the bottom surface of the top,

turned the filet under the lip on

the top’s edge, and then shaped

— by scraping — the bottom half

of the lip itself. I then removed

the top from the lathe, took off the

faceplate, and remounted it on the

bottom side of the top to complete

the lip turning and to dish out the

excavation. This last process

removed the material containing


the screw holes made by the first

mounting on the faceplate.

Note: After you’ve done your

shaping on the bottom surface of

the candlestand top, and before

you remove the work from the

lathe, use a pencil on your

tool-rest to create a couple of

concentric circles on the bottom

of the candlestand top. These

circles should be just a bit larger

than the diameter of your

faceplate. Then, after removing

the faceplate from the upper side

of the candlestand top, use these

concentric circles to align the

faceplate on the bottom of the

candlestand top. When you’re

mounting the faceplate on the

bottom side, it must center on

the same axis of rotation you

established with the faceplate on

the upper side.

I actually made two tops for

this candlestand. The first one,

which I turned from a blank of

kiln-dried 5/4 curly maple in one

long session at the lathe, trans-

formed itself into the buckled

shape of a potato chip after one

day in our heated home.

I took a more cautious

approach to making the second

top. First, I planed the 5/4 blank

flat, removing perhaps a 1/4" of

thickness, and placed it under

the couch in our heated living

room for a week. Next, I mount-

ed it on my lathe and removed

another 1/4" of thickness and

gave it a second week under the

couch. Then I reduced it to its

final thickness, leaving it fatter

than the first top. The combina-

tion of approaches — reducing

the thickness in stages so I could

turn away any deformation that

occurred, and leaving a greater

final thickness — resulted in a

more stable top. But I know that

nothing can completely prevent

an unsupported top like this one

from curling a bit over time.

A slow lathe speed is very

important when turning an

object with a diameter as large as

the top of this candlestand.

That’s because the rim speed —

the speed at which the work

passes the tool — is determined

not only by the lathe’s rpm, but

also by the diameter of the object

Leg: Scale Drawings(Each square equals 1/2")

Side View

Top View

Grain Direction


The author uses a shop-made beam compass to draw the outside diameter of the

candlestand top. Instead of bringing this blank to final thickness right away, he

recommends planing and flattening the top in stages to help minimize warping.


Kerry Pierce wrote this article for


5/8"

1/4"

1/4"

1/2"

63/8"

3"

C L

Top and SupportElevation Drawing

Use the point of your skew to push thin

layers of material across the outside diameter

of the candlestand top, working from right

to left (top photo). This passive style of

turning simplifies — and makes safer — the

process of working a surface spinning past a

tool at high rim speed. The author uses a

spindle gouge reground with a long tip to

hollow out the excavation inside the lip that

surrounds the top (bottom photo).

mounted in the lathe. For exam-

ple, an object two inches in diam-

eter mounted in a lathe with a

speed of 400 rpm will have a rim

speed of 209.4 feet per minute. A

12-inch object spinning at 400

rpm will have a rim speed of an

astonishing 1,256.6 feet per

minute, almost six times as fast.

And that speed has real

consequences at the work/tool

interface. A careless move with

a gouge that might be a minor

event at 200 feet per minute

could be disastrous at 1,200 feet

per minute.

That’s why I’m going to make

two recommendations in regard

to turning the top. First, turn

that top at the slowest possible

speed. A speed of 100 rpm would

not be too slow. Second, unless

you’re a great technician at the

lathe, use a timid approach to

turning the outside edge where

the speed is greatest.

I’m not a great technician on

the lathe, so I embrace the timid

approach. Although I use tools

that cut when I’m spindle

turning, when I’m turning the

outside diameter of something

mounted on a faceplate, I simply

scrape — very carefully — until

I’ve rounded the entire outside

diameter. Then I shape it by

pushing little nibbles with the tip

of my skew until I’ve created the

shape I want. It’s not an elegant

technique, but it works, and I’ve

never had an accident when

turning on a faceplate.

The actual excavation of the

top’s interior I achieved with a

spindle gouge I’ve reshaped so

that most of its tip is ground to a

bevel. I then feed the tool to the

work, from the center out, so only

one short section of the radius on

the end of that ground tip is in

contact with the work at any one

time. As you see in the bottom

photo (above), it gives me long

shavings and solid control.

Finishing TouchesThere’s a 6"-diameter support

under the candlestand top that I

turned on a faceplate. I then

attached the top support to the

underside of the top using four

11∕4" #8 drywall screws. I aligned

the grain on this support so that it

was perpendicular to the grain

direction in the top itself. That

provides a small bit of resistance

to the top’s inclination to curl

across the grain. I then bored the

1"-diameter hole that receives the

tenon at the top of the pedestal.

There is a small disk with a

radiused edge on the bottom of the

pedestal. I made the radius with a

carving gouge and a rasp, although

I could have turned it on the lathe

like the other pedestal components.

Give the project a final sand-

ing, add finish, and your

elegant candlestand is done.


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82

Make your own Longworth Bowl ChuckT h i s a u t o - a d j u s t i n g c h u c k w i l l

s u i t a r a n g e o f b o w l s i z e s f o r

f i n i s h i n g y o u r w o r k .

This is my second holiday

season as a woodturner,

and I’ve “graduated” from

making gifts of pens and bottle

openers to bowls. And, like

many woodturners, I’ve been

searching for a good way to

clean up, sand and finish the

bottoms of my bowls.

Jam chucks, Cole Jaw sets and

the strapping tape/faceplate

method may be generally accept-

ed practices, but once I ran across

this bowl chuck (also referred to

as a Longworth Chuck, after its

inventor), I knew it was just the

ticket. It is similar in concept to

a set of Cole Jaws: rubber

bumpers provide outside or inside

force to the walls of a bowl,

exposing its bottom and holding

it secure on the lathe for light

cutting, sanding and finishing.

See page 84 forrouting pattern

information.

Mill the eight short and long slots all the way through both discs using a router and trammel jig. Here, the pivot point (a casing nail)

is registered in one of the pre-drilled centerpoint holes on the pattern (left photo). Using a series of shallow cuts, form each arc

down to your Masonite backer, which prevents tearout on the back side of the bottom disc.

Band saw two discs slightly oversized, fasten them together with short screws (left), and attach your faceplate to the center. Use a scraper

or gouge to carefully true up the discs, bringing them to final size and adjusting them so they’re concentric with the faceplate (center).

Trim the template to size, and affix it to the outer disc with spray-mount adhesive. Press it flat with a J-roller or a soft cloth (right).

Instead of using a scroll chuck’s

expansion and contraction to

snug up the bumpers, this chuck

uses contrary motion of the arc

patterns on two discs to move its

bumpers, which are bolted in

place using through-hole knobs.

There are eight arcs: four short-

er and four longer. With hard-

ware in all eight arcs, the jig pro-

vides eight points of contact for

larger pieces. If your workpiece

is smaller, you can remove the

hardware from the shorter arcs

— the four remaining points of

bumper contact will be sufficient

for smaller bowls.

The trickiest part of this jig is

cutting the arcs. If you were a

geometry whiz, you could lay out

the arc pattern yourself, but I

helped you bypass all of that

math by offering a paper pattern

that can easily be glued to your

stock (see sidebar, page 84).

Since I’m more of a turner than a

router user, I enlisted the help of

senior editor Chris Marshall to

carry out the routing tasks for

making this chuck.

Getting Started To get started on the jig, secure

your two disc blanks together

with four screws driven just

inside the circle area, draw the

circle with a compass, and band

saw the assembly to rough size.

Attach a faceplate to one side,

then true up the discs on your

lathe.

Now apply your paper routing

pattern with spray-mount adhe-

sive. The pattern includes marks

for pivoting a simple trammel jig

mounted to a router, which cuts

the arcs with a 5/16"-dia. straight

bit. Rout the arcs in a series of

83F a l l 2 0 1 3

deepening cuts until the bit pass-

es through both discs. Back your

work up with scrap to prevent

damaging your work surface.

Once you are done routing the

arcs, keep the discs screwed

together. Put the jig on the lathe

and bore a 5/16"-dia. hole

through the center of the discs

using a Jacobs chuck in your tail-

stock. At this point, you can

unscrew the disks, but keep the

faceplate attached.

I also drilled four recessed

thumb holes at 90° points

around the front disc (see the

lead photo, previous page) using

a 1"-dia. Forstner bit. This makes

tightening easier when securing

a workpiece into the jig.

I obtained my rubber bumpers

from Midwest Homebrewing

Supplies (www.midwestsupplies.

com); I used solid stoppers and


http://www.midwestsupplies.com

http://www.midwestsupplies.com


84 M a k e y o u r o w n L o n g w o r t h B o w l C h u c k

Matt Becker wrote this article for


and through nuts in each of the

intersections (see Drawing

above). Align the panels so the

bolts for the bumpers go through

the same-length channel on both

the front and back discs.

Putting It to UseWith the jig now assembled,

you’re ready to put it to work.

Thread the faceplate onto your

lathe’s headstock. I found that

it’s easiest to lock the spindle

and rotate the front disc using

the thumb holes. The eight bolts

will move in tandem around your

bowl, and tightening the knobs

on the back will secure them in

place. This jig adds a significant

amount of spinning mass, so

make sure you’re wearing safety

drilled the holes for a snug fit with

the bolts. The flexibility of the rub-

ber provides extra “grip” as the

knob is tightened and the stopper

plumps out. My large discs are

made from 3/4" plywood, but

MDF could be used as well.

Before final assembly, I applied

a few coats of spray lacquer to

both discs and some paraffin

wax to the sides that will be

facing each other. This isn’t

necessary, but I found that it

reduces friction and allows for

smoother disc movement.

Flip one disc over so the two

arc patterns face opposite direc-

tions. Fasten the discs through

the center hole with a bolt, wash-

ers and locking nut and then out-

fit eight bolts, washers, bumpers

The slots must be routed clear through,

so back them up with scrap. Cut a hole

for the faceplate, which remains in

place. Fix the blank to the scrap with

double-sided tape.

Remount the routed disc assembly to

the lathe, and bore a 5/16" bolt hole

through the center. A Jacobs chuck in

the tailstock drills it easily and accurately.

11

22

3 4

5

55

6

7

Exploded View

Material List

T x W x L

1 Discs (2) 3/4" x 12" Dia.

2 Center Bolt, Washer, Nut (1) 5/16" x 21 ⁄2"

3 Rubber Stoppers (8) 11⁄4" Dia. x 1"

4 Bumper Bolts (8) 5/16" x 31 ⁄2"

5 Bumper Washers (24) 5/16"

6 Through-hole Knobs* (8) 13⁄8" Dia., 5/16"-18

7 Hex-head Screws (4) 1"

* Available at rockler.com (item 34134)

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86 C o m i n g - o f - A g e B o t t l e O p e n e r

Coming-of-Age Bottle Opener

When my son Dan

turned 21 years old, I

couldn’t buy him that

Honda Ridgeline pickup he

wanted, so I decided to do the

next best thing: I made him his

very own bottle opener in his

college team colors. What more

could a young man want?!

Supplies You Will Need

This bottle opener project can

be created in less than a day, but

first it requires the purchase of a

metal bottle opener gadget.

These can be obtained from vari-

ous turning supply companies or

through Rockler (item 44185;

rockler.com).

Wood Selection

Select a solid piece of hardwood,

with strength to the grain and

preferably with a nice grain

pattern. I hereby give you per-

mission to shop for lumber! For

Dan’s opener, I used a chunk of

ash, 6" long by 2" square (see

the full-page sidebar on page 88

for the finishing technique I

used). The maple handle, shown

in the bottom photo on the next

page, is shorter in length but

about the same diameter. The

walnut opener, shown in various

images here to outline the

turning process, is about 7" long

by 11∕2" square.

Of course, the handle of these

bottle openers can be made in

any size and length you want. A

few years ago, I made a 14"-long

one for a friend. I was defying him

N i c e l y g r a i n e d w o o d a n d s o m e p r a c t i c a l

h a r d w a r e c o m b i n e t o m a k e a q u i c k , e a s y

a n d i n f i n i t e l y c u s t o m i z a b l e g i f t .

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The author parts the walnut handle off

the lathe while it is still running (top). This

leaves just a small nib to be removed and

smoothed (bottom) before final finishing.

Before mounting the

handle on the lathe, drill

the correct-diameter hole

in the center of the blank

for the opener you

choose. This hole will

accept either a threaded

post or a threaded insert

after turning.

This shapely little

project will

provide service —

and a memory of

the maker — for

years to come.

to not lose it! (I also drilled a hole

in the end and looped a length of

leather through it so he could

hang it near his refrigerator.)

Drilling the HoleBefore you turn the body of the

handle, drill a hole in one end. In

order to ensure that the opener

part fits at 90˚ to the handle,

make sure your stock is square

so that it sits at 90˚ on the table of

your drill press. Draw an “X” on

each end, and punch a hole in

each center with an awl.

Make sure the hole is deep

enough to account for any wood

you turn away. I usually drill

somewhat deeper than neces-

sary, just to make sure I end up

with enough depth after the

object is turned. Use a wood

clamp to hold the wood securely

and horizontally while drilling.

Another way of drilling the hole

would be to put the drill bit into a

Jacobs chuck that is mounted in

your lathe’s tailstock. Put the

wood blank into a four-jaw scroll

chuck, attached to the head-

stock. Drill the hole by advancing

the tailstock while the lathe is

running at a slow speed. (Of

course, you could turn the entire

handle mounted this way after

the hole is drilled. Just make sure

you have a long enough length to

allow for holding it in the chuck.)

Mounting on the LatheNow that the hole is drilled,

mount the wood blank between

centers on your lathe. To make

sure the hole was centered on

my lathe, I drew a small circle,

centered around the hole and

positioned the rim of my safety

drive onto that circle.

Turn whatever form you

desire, but leave a bit of wood on

the butt end of the opener so that

you can clean up that area after

you’ve finished turning.

Your method and equipment

may vary from what’s shown in

the photos. If you use a spur

center, you must deal with the

prongs, at least with one end of

the wood. It’s probably best,

then, if you mount the wood with

the drilled hole at the tailstock. It

would be helpful if you had a

cone center for your tailstock. A

cone center allows you to center

the hole, which, in turn, centers

the stock. Leave a small amount

of wood at the headstock, spur

center-end, then cut it off with a

small handsaw when you’ve

finished turning.

I parted the walnut handle off

the lathe while the lathe was run-

ning, and I left only a small nub

on the butt end. This I cleaned up

with my skew chisel and sanded

quickly with a sanding pad in my

drill press.

FinishingI usually apply finish before I

attach the metal opener. For the

walnut handle, I used several coats

of oil. The maple handle received

several coats of lacquer. (See page

88 for the stained-ash finish.)

Attach the metal opener to the

handle by gently screwing the

tang or a threaded insert into the

hole. It should be a snug fit with

the threads cutting into the

wood. For a more permanent

connection, use a small amount

of epoxy as well.

Appropriate Use of the ProjectI happened to have a bottle of

IBC root beer in my refrigerator.

But if memory serves me accu-

rately, Dan enjoyed his own

brand of brew on his birthday in

an appropriately adult fashion.

See page 88 for finishing technique


88 C o m i n g - o f - A g e B o t t l e O p e n e r



The author wears gloves to apply liming

wax, a petroleum-based product that

can penetrate the skin. Steel wool

removes excess wax residue.

Spray finish seals

the wood but

leaves pores open.

If the finish runs in

one spot, use a pin

to prick open the

pore holes. Sand

with steel wool

after finish dries.

Dye and Liming Wax:

An Over-the-Top

Finishing Technique

Ioften use this stain and liming-

wax finishing technique on ash

because it takes advantage

of its bold grain pattern and makes

for a very dramatic look.

You will need some type of ring-

porous wood. Ash and oak work

the best, with ash being my

favorite. It gives consistently

good results. The more curves

you use in your project, the more

the grain shows up!

Supplies: some sort of wood dye,

spray finish, liming wax and #0000

steel wool. I used Solar-Lux™

brand (made by Behlen), blood-

red colored, alcohol-based dye.

Make sure you use a dye, not a

stain — a stain won’t work for this

type of finishing process. You

could also use leather dye or India

ink or a water-based dye.

For the spray finish, I used

Deft® brand semi-gloss lacquer.

Liming wax is a white wax that

comes in a can. I often use

Liberon’s version, but you can

buy liming wax from Briwax, too.

For Dan’s bottle opener, I used

gold powder mixed into

the white wax. You can also

experiment with using shoe

polish or acrylic paint instead of

liming wax. I’ve had mixed results

with those options, but others have

had dramatic success with acrylic

paint. Give them all a try.

For whatever project you are

making, sand the wood down to

at least 220-grit abrasive.

Everyone has discovered the

hard way that sanding scratches

show up far too vividly when dye

or stain is applied!

Apply the dye. I saturate the

wood for a deep color. Let the

dye dry for several hours.

Sand slightly with #0000 steel

wool. This leaves the surface

smooth and reduces the sanding

that’s required later. Gently wipe

the surface to clean off dust and

steel-wool debris.

Spray the object. I generally

apply two medium coats of spray

finish. The objective is to seal the

wood but still leave the open

pores open.

After the finish is dry, sand very

lightly with #0000 steel wool. Take

care not to rub hard, so you don’t

break through the lacquer. Apply

the liming wax, rubbing it gently

into the pores. Before the wax

dries too much, wipe the excess

off with a soft cloth or paper towel;

don’t rub hard. Again, use #0000

steel wool to gently remove the

remaining residue of liming wax.

The liming wax will remain imbed-

ded in the open pores, yet will be

removed from the surface of the

rest of the wood.

This finishing technique has

been around for many years. The

only drawback I’ve discovered is

that it’s somewhat difficult to refin-

ish a scratched piece. Dye, finish

and wax can create an unlimited

variety of color combinations. It

works best for smaller projects or

those that won’t be subjected to a

lot of wear. I encourage you to try

it on your next project!

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Badger Hardwoods of WI, Ltd. 91 www.badgerwood.com

Baileigh Industrial, Inc. 81 www.woodmachinery.com

Bainbridge Manufacturing, Inc. 3 www.bainbridgemfg.com

Beall Tool Company 91 www.bealltool.com

Bench Dog Tools 75 www.benchdog.com

Big Gator Tools 75 www.biggatortools.com

Carter Products Company, Inc. 43 www.carterproducts.com

CMT USA Inc. 99 www.cmtusa.com

CNC Shark 57 www.rockler.com

Cook Woods 81 www.cookwoods.com

Country Home Products 81 www.drpower.com

CU Woodshop Supply &

School of Woodworking 85 www.cuwoodshop.com

Epilog Laser 51, 85 www.epiloglaser.com/wwj

Eureka Woodworks 85 www.eureka-business.com

Franklin International 17 www.titebond.com

Freud 100 www.freudtools.com

Fuji Spray Equipment 47 www.fujispray.com

Furniture Medic 3 www.furnituremedicfranchise.com

GelPro 47 www.gelpro.com

Grex Power Tools 47 www.grexusa.com

Grizzly Industrial, Inc. 11 www.grizzly.com

Howard Products, Inc. 3 www.howardproducts.com

Legacy Woodworking Machinery 89 www.legacywoodworking.com

Lignomat 75 www.lignomat.com,

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MAG-DRO 47 www.mag-dro.com

Norton Abrasives 29 www.nortonconsumer.com

Oliver Machinery 97 www.olivermachinery.net

Osborne Wood Products, Inc. 91, 97 www.woodencomponents.com

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92


Q&A andReaders’ Tricks

Turners occasionally write in with their questions, and our

team of experts provide the answers. HereÕs a selection of

woodturning questions from past issues. There are plenty of

turning tricks to be learned, too. See page 98 for a sampling.


Q u e s t i o n s & A n s w e r s94

Questions & Answers

I am new to the art and pleas-

ures of woodturning and recent-

ly wondered about the safety of

using leather gloves while work-

ing on a lathe. This thought

came to me after my bowl gouge

got a catch on a walnut blank.

The blank shattered and a rather

large splinter sliced right

through the underside of my

hand. Afterwards, as I wondered

about what I could have done dif-

ferently to protect myself, I real-

ized that I’ve never seen anyone

marketing gloves for this pur-

pose or seen anyone who uses

gloves while turning on a lathe.

Is it a safe practice to use leather

gloves while roughing out or

turning a blank, or am I being

too much of a wuss?Rose Gehring

Beech Grove, Indiana

Your concern is well-founded.

Hazards abound when combin-

ing a swiftly moving piece of

wood with a turning tool and

your hands so close to the

action. Before I start, however,

I’m wondering if you wear a

faceshield when you are turn-

ing? Safety goggles are not suffi-

cient when turning wood. I

always wear a faceshield!

As for gloves, yes, there are

woodturners who wear a glove

while turning; however, the

glove is modified to remove the

fingers, covering just the palm

and knuckles. These gloves look

like golf gloves, and in fact, if you

golf, try one of your old gloves.

Whatever glove you wear, make

sure it fits snugly on your hand.

Any item of loose clothing can

become tangled in a spinning

piece of wood, so make sure

that what you wear is not in

jeopardy of contacting the wood.

There are specialty smocks for

woodturners. Not only are they

safe, they are also designed

to keep sawdust from your

clothing. Additional turning

information can be found at

www.woodturner.org.— Betty Scarpino

Q

A

Is it safe to wear gloves when you are using a lathe? The answer is yes, as long as

they are the right kind of gloves and fit properly.

When ordering new lathe

spindle and tailstock parts, they

are listed as #1 taper or #2 Morse

taper. Please advise what differ-

ences there are in these parts

and how I am to know which I

need for my lathe. Vern Gutz

Corry, Pennsylvania

I’m not sure who Mr. Morse

was and how he got to design the

tapers, but that is water under

the bridge. According to

diracdelta.co.uk, an online sci-

ence and engineering encyclope-

dia, a Morse taper is “A self-hold-

ing standard taper largely used on

small cutting tools such as drills,

end mills, and reamers, and on

some machine spindles …” And,

I can add, on lathes.

The difference between a #1

Morse taper and a #2 is basically

the length and the “section” of

the taper. Think of a long,

tapered rod that starts at a point

and gets larger in diameter the

farther down the rod you go. You

could cut a section out of any

place along that rod and have the

same taper. Both the #1 and

#2 have the same taper per inch,

but the #1 starts a bit closer

to the “pointy end” of our

imaginary rod.

The best way to know which

type of taper you need is to con-

sult your owner’s manual. The

other way is to take the taper out

of your lathe and measure it.

A #1 will be 21∕8" long, a #2 will

be 29∕16" long.— Rob Johnstone

Shown here are a drill chuck

and #2 Morse taper used to

mount it in a lathe’s tailstock.

#2 MorseTaper

Q

A

http://www.woodturner.org

http://diracdelta.co.uk

w w w . w o o d w o r k e r s j o u r n a l . c o m 95F a l l 2 0 1 3

I can’t seem to identify the

variables that leave me with a

reasonably smooth food-holding

vessel after use and one that is

very fuzzy. For example, hard

maple plates that looked and felt

like glass when they were made

and 2 to 3 coats of oil applied

were very fuzzy after one meal

off of them, but a black willow

salad bowl, after several usings

for food, is about as smooth as it

started — which, since it’s not a

very hard wood, is soft feeling

but not fuzzy. I’d appreciate any

help you can give!Ann Dinsmoor

Newton, Massachusetts

Let’s start with the fuzzy grain.

As you surmise, wood species

can affect grain behavior, but

maple or cherry are both excel-

lent for treenware. Dry or green

wood should make little differ-

Getting a food-safe finish on a turned

bowl is an important consideration.

Our expert has the answer.

I’m just starting to get into

lathe turning. With the multiple

speeds on the lathe, at which

speed is it best to finish sand the

project? It seems to me that at

the lower speeds, the sandpaper

doesn’t clog up as fast.Robert Cornelisse

Ozark, Missouri

Turning is truly one of the

“ancient” crafts and so there are

lots of “rules” and many experts.

One of the best rules I was ever

taught came to me from a man in

England who is the best turner I

ever met, and probably the dean of

turners in the world today, Bill

Jones. When asked which tool he

used to do a certain job, he replied,

“The one that cuts.” Take that les-

son from the master, and use it to

answer your own question. In

other words, use the speed that

works best for your sanding job. I

generally prefer to err on the slow-

er side when I work at my lathes.

Many others prefer higher rpm. In

the end, it is the quality of the work

that tells the tale, and discussions

about rpm should follow, not lead.

Different wood species, sizes,

abrasives, even operators — all

make a difference. In the end, use

the speed you like and the one that

seems to work best. Just remem-

ber that more speed means more

heat, and heat is often the enemy,

especially of sanding.— Tim Inman

Our expert

recommends that

personal experience

should guide your

choice of which

sanding speed, grit

and abrasive type

to use on a lathe.

Q

A

ence. I suspect the problem is

not starting with coarse 60- or

80-grit sandpaper and not sand-

ing long enough to get through

end-grain tear. Going to very fine

paper will not affect the issue

you describe if the initial sanding

is not aggressive. If initial sand-

ing is adequate, wet sanding with

water, mineral spirits or oil will

improve things greatly.

Oil is a great bowl finish. It is

easy to apply, easy to repair, and

it enhances the beauty of the

wood.

Commercial oil finishes

include Minwax® Antique Oil,

Watco®, Waterlox and a host of

others. These are really cat-

alyzed tung and/or linseed oil

mixed with oil-based (alkyd) var-

nish. They build to a very

durable finish, which will with-

stand sustained use and hand

washing, but these finishes are

toxic if ingested.

However, the feeling in the

woodturning community is that,

once polymerized, the heavy

metals are locked inside the

coating so will not get into food

because they are encased in fin-

ish. Since I only give my bowls to

relatives and friends, I have a

certain amount of diplomatic

immunity, so I use a drying oil

on most of my bowls. — Ernie Conover

Q

A


96 Q u e s t i o n s & A n s w e r s

I know that glue blocks

mounted to a faceplate can be

helpful for mounting work-

pieces. I tried Hot Stuff glue to

fasten my turnings to the face

plate block, but it did not bond.

Maybe I should have moistened

my wood?Phil Nesbitt

Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

First of all, it’s important to

use medium or thick consistency

cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, NOT

the thin kind. It’s also important

to have a good fit between glue

block and turning wood and

make sure there’s no sawdust in

the joint. Also, if it’s cold in your

shop, the glue won’t set up. It

sets up with heat and moisture,

but not too much moisture ... just

a hint. If it’s too wet, then the

glue glazes over and the joint

won’t hold.

Sometimes when the glue is old

or something else is wrong with

it, it just doesn’t work, but for the

most part, that’s pretty rare.

Here’s a tip: when you’ve fin-

ished using some of the glue,

leave the cap OFF until the glue

settles back into the bottle. That

will prevent the nozzle from clog-

ging up. You can put the cap

back on after the glue has

drained back. (That’s a tough

one, because we were all taught

in grade school to put the lid

back on the glue bottle, so we

have to unlearn this habit when

using CA glue.) Good luck!— Betty Scarpino

If not applied properly, cyanoacrylate glues

are not all that super for face plates.

Q

A

“with the grain” areas, reverse

sanding can cut through and

remove this matted grain faster. I

tested the technique extensively

in my early bowl turning career

and found that it is mostly over-

rated. It’s most valuable in spalt-

ed weak woods where matting is

always problematic. It does not

replace a proper sanding regime

starting with 40- to 60- grit abra-

sive and working in small steps

up to the desired smoothness. An

electric drill with a sanding pad is

of much more value than reverse

sanding. The one danger of

reverse sanding is unscrewing

the faceplate or chuck from

the spindle, so locking to the

spindle with a setscrew is imper-

ative here. — Ernie Conover

I have a Midi Delta lathe that

has the reverse feature. Does it

help to sand in both directions,

e.g., 80-grit forward spin-

ning/80-grit reverse spinning,

then 100-grit forward/100

reverse and so on? Should it give

a smoother finish?Brian Humbel

Frederick, Maryland

Reverse sanding is of no value

in spindle work where the grain

runs between the centers of the

lathe, hence you are always sand-

ing across the grain. Reverse

sanding is of some value in face-

plate work where the grain runs

across the centers of the lathe —

the most common example being

a wooden bowl. Since the grain

can be bent downward in the

Reversing the rotation of a lathe does little to improve sanding for spindle work.

Our expert recommends sanding disks and not skipping any sandpaper grits as a

better path to successful sanding.

Questions & Answers (continued...)

Q

A


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Curtain rod

T r i c k s o f t h e T r a d e98

Tricks of the Trade

Turners, like all woodworkers,

are inventive folks. Here are a

few turning tricks readers have

shared with us over the years.

Inexpensive CalipersOne reader has been successfully using the simple

homemade calipers shown above for many years now.

The calipers are made from scraps of plastic laminate.

Just lay out the required opening on a scrap piece,

then use the table saw and miter gauge to nibble away

the waste between the layout lines. The calipers are

very accurate, they keep their shape if you happen to

drop them and, being thin, they fit into the smallest

gaps on virtually any spindle turning. Best of all, your

homemade calipers donÕt cost a dime if you have a few

scraps of laminate left over from another project.

One additional note: itÕs important to make the saw

cuts deep enough so the caliper can reach past the

middle of the turning without contacting it.

Production Turning AidHereÕs a new way to gauge the accuracy of your cylinder

turnings: build a homemade reference board similar to

the one shown above. The jig is a 1/4"-thick plywood

panel with lines spaced 1" apart and parallel to the lathe

bed. The layout lines serve as visual aids for judging the

thickness and evenness of the turning. To use it, sight

over the top edge of your workpiece to compare its shape

with the lines. The lines will reveal any high or low spots

immediately. Connect the jig to your lathe bed so thereÕs

enough clearance for the tool-rest to move freely. When

not in use, the jig doubles as a convenient place to hang

a story stick or turning diagram.

Gouge Grinding JigOne reader made this jig for sharpening lathe tools Ñ

especially gouges. After screwing one end of a curtain

rod to a workbench, fasten the other end with a copper

pipe strap modified with a thumb screw and nut, to adjust

it in and out. You can buy copper strap in plumbing

supply stores and modify it as shown in the sketch

(detail). To use the jig, set the gouge in the end of the

curtain rod and find the proper angle between the tip of

the tool and the grinding wheel. Roll the gouge back and

forth against the abrasive wheel to grind a fresh edge.

These Duplicator Patterns are made to lastIf you reuse patterns with a duplicator, cover them

with a layer of plastic laminate. The reinforced

patterns will last a lot longer and keep their original

shape better, and the duplicator stylus travels along

the smooth edge of the pattern with less drag. Be sure

to glue the plastic laminate to the base material before

you cut the pattern out.

Plastic laminate

on hardboard

THE ORANGE IN ACTIONLow Noise & Anti-Vibration DesignOur unique design reduces

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superior performance.

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Sinterhip Hi-DensityIndustrial Chrome Carbide™New process called SinterHIP

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Tri-Metal brazingThe Silver-Copper-Silver brazing protects

the carbide tips when cutting harder wood

or wood composites and reduces the

chance of failed welds.

phone: 336.854.0201

toll-free: 888.268.2487

Fax: 336.854.0903

Free-Fax: 800.268.9778

[email protected]

www.cmtusa.com

CMT USA, INC.

7609 Bentley Road Suite D

Greensboro, NC 27409

210.080.10The ultimate plywood, melamine and laminate saw blade for chip-free cuts!

TM: CMT, the CMT logos, CMT ORANGE TOOLS and the orange color applied to tool surfaces are trademarks of C.M.T. UTENSILI S.P.A. © C.M.T. UTENSILI S.P.A. ITALY


http://www.cmtusa.com

Two small cutter wings shear downward for an ultra-fi ne fi nish, even when routing crossgrain in delicate materials!

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Documents

Woodworkers Journal - Fall 2013