ok, here is the continuation of this thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=17382
at the end of the pictures i will post some observations and lessons learned.
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ok, here is the continuation of this thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=17382
at the end of the pictures i will post some observations and lessons learned.
ok, here is the purpleheart ready to go on the shopsmith, followed by a shot of the purpleheart's fantastic grain after being sawn.
next we have me lathing and the messy side effects.
starting to be rounded off; marking for different sections with a sharpie. also, the final form begins to take shape!
Hey...nice MARPAT kilt.
(Marine Pattern)
Where did you get that thing?
strip sanding; thumbpad sanding (this can be dangerous, don't try it at home); thumbnail sanding; edge sanding in the grooves. all done with 220 grit.
macro shot of polished grain thus far.
sectioning the 3 handles (aren't shopsmith's cool?); cleaning up the ends; evening the end; final cut
polishing the ends (is there anything a shopsmith can't do?); making a bevel
brushes thus far; macro of grain
drilling the handles (yeah, that's smoke, even at 700 rpm); testing the fit; what it might look like when done
redneck clamping jig for brush 2 (using shopsmith as drill press); for brush 3; done drilling (dark purple is burn marks :( )
using a drill press this way is dangerous and stupid. don't ever do it. i warned you :)
looking good!
why I got chased out of the garage with a broom; part 2; my forstner bit is now VERY broken in
handle 1, the classic style. tried to make this one like a normal shaving brush.
handle 2, the sci fi look. got the idea for this one from a gun in a sci fi film.
handle 3, the long reacher. for using with a deep scuttle. as you can see, i used my fingers as a guide for the swells. !@#$%^ jig slipped, hole is not centered right :(
I would take anyone of the three!! Good Work.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1) purpleheart has beautiful grain and smooths up really well
2) purpleheart is !@#$%^ hard, and will dull tools and catch fire if you work it at too high a speed
3) I am evidently allergic to purpleheart sawdust :(
4) drilling non square, non flat, unclampable things is very tricky. need to think of a solution for this before the next batch.
5) the shopsmith is the most useful tool ever made by man. the one pictured is my dad's, and I was astonished at how many different ways it can be used. (that I used: disc sander, bandsaw, lathe, drill press)
next step is to varnish and polish the handles, and then glue bristles into one, then see about getting more bristles.
comments and questions eagerly awaited!
I definitley love the wood. I'm interested in what it will look like after stained/finished/varnished or whatever. The standard one is my favorite, followed by the long one. They are all awesome though. Great job!
looks good, nice pic's tell us how they work in the end!
btw, that kilt were nice
Please wear a mask of some sort. Purpleheart dust is VERY dangerous. I'm surprised that you didn't get sick.
Folks who have worked with Purpleheart told me to take precautions.
I'm just passing it on.
Wonderful work.
I even like the offset centered head...It helps make it UNIQUE..
I love purpleheart...It is LOVELY
I think they look great so far - I'd certainly be interested in purchasing one if you pursue production.......:D
This is the 3rd time I've tried to reply to this and I keep losing my post.
Readers digest version is to look at my attached picture. By spinning down to a 1/2" dowel, you can sand the bottom and sides in the drill press up to 400 grit with no cross grain scratches. Then seal it with your finish (many coats) put it back on the drill press and buff it to a high gloss. Cut the dowel off with a coping saw while spinning slowly and you end up with and automatic center for you forstner bit. The inside of the hole gets sealed up with epoxy or in my case I use Plumbers GOOP.
I'll post some more pictures of some bowls and brushes I just recently done in another thread.
Kilowattkid
Nice photo stand. I trade you a nice cigar box for it and its contents.:rolleyes:
Easy now. At least I don't have it open showing off the contents :)
They look great and I would definitely be interested in one when you are ready. To bad about the purpleheart allergy however, the stuff is full of oils. I have some Escrima sticks made out of the stuff and it is really hard, and beautiful.
Let me know when you are ready to sell one.
Kurt
That's some nice wood. I can't wait to see the final products!
I would also be interested in who supplies your knots. I have an uncle who does some real nice woodwork, and if I could get a few knots he might make me some handles to go with.
Shoot me a PM if you care to share your supplier info.
Jockeys, if you want, cut the pieces a bit long and slap them on a single screw faceplate. Then you can use the tailstock for the lathe (does a shopsmith have one?) to drill the hole for the brush. Not only will this give you the smoothest hole you've ever drilled, it will be easier because it is FAR more concentric. Now, you can chuck or use any other creative mounting technique in the brush blank hole to part and finish off the back side. Let me know if you have any questions about these techniques and I'll see if I can answer them for you.
Good advice Shotwell. I have pre-drilled a block then used a compression type fixture in the hole and chucked it up.
Very nice brushes....you still have all 10 fingers I assume?
When are we going to get to see the finished product? The finish should be dry by now.
Excellent thread.
Those handles look great! Good job! The pics just reminded me how much fun I used to have in the Design & Technology classes at school, we had a forge and everything..! Wish I'd been into straight shaving then so I could have made use of the tools to make my own kit.. Oh well, guess I`ll have to buy my own now..! :) I made an oversize baseball bat out of solid mahogany on the lathe at school, I could hit a ball about 17 miles with that...!
I have a possible solution to your problem! Mark up the end of the wood as you do to centre the lathe bits, but instead of mounting the wood on the lathe first drill the hole for the knot using the centering marks you drew as a guide for where to put the drill bit. You'll then have the dip right in the centre of the drilled hole (from the little guide spike "pre-drill" on the drill bit) as a reference point to centre the lathe bit. Its a little hard to explain without pics but hopefully I explained it ok?
The only small snag is that you would need to turn each handle separately. You'd also need to be very careful not to break any of the wood off around the drilled hole, as it will get pretty thin by the end.
Are you planning on selling any of your brushes when they are done?