A couple of questions for the brush makers

First up: I worked with envirotex for scales and liked it, but I'm shopping for the best price on a similar product. I can get envirotex for $36 shipped for a 1/2 gallon. I'd buy a gallon or more if I knew I could get a deal on something of similar quality. Anyone use similar, but less expensive products?

And then I'm clueless about my lathe I just bought. I know this end here holds something called a chuck:
Attachment 153983

Maybe that's some kind of chuck I attached to it, but I'm thinking about the kind of chuck that has teeth or arms like this. Should I back order that from Harbor Freight (It's expected to come in around late February) since I can get it for about 30 shipped and it's MT1 sized, which fits my lathe? Seems like it would be handy to have a chuck that could grip like that and all the other chucks I've seen are 2 or 3 times the price.

I may be able to get started without that type of chuck. After watching several you tube videos, I liked Charlie Lewis's the mostShaving Brush Turning Demonstration - YouTube since he made due without one. But, I would like to make a handle with a flat base and his technique in the vid seems better suited for the rounded base he makes. Having a chuck that grips would make it much easier to finish a flat base, yes?

Last questions for now: Where can I find a U shaped chisel and may I just sharpen it on my dmt on it's outside edge the way I would sharpen anything else, or do I need some sort of diamond rod to sharpen the inside? Edit: OK, what I really want to know, now that I know I'm talking about a gouge, is what is a good value gouge for turning handles?

Well I wont be able to help much here. I make all my own tooling and use a metal lathe.
Maybe Pixel will chime in. Sorry!!
You may try the Woodworkers Guild website for some of your info.

Ray

Quote:

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Originally Posted by walleyeman

Well I wont be able to help much here. I make all my own tooling and use a metal lathe.
Maybe Pixel will chime in. Sorry!!
You may try the Woodworkers Guild website for some of your info.

Ray

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Thanks for the response. I'll check out the Woodworkers Guild. It sounds like I can use acrylic/micarta just like wood, but I'll need sharper tools.

I've got some scrap cedar I can practice on, so I'll probably pick up a cheap set of chisels at harbor freight, sharpen them up and see how it goes.

Your main concerns at this point is your work holding capibiltys ( how to chuck materials).
In Charlies excellant vids he is turning between centers as I do most of the time.
Some handles I use a 3 jaw Chuck.
Practice on your cedar,be carefull.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...Ivtoday001.jpg

I turn between centers mount of the time as well, but I learned a trick that is quite helpful. If you go to a shoe repair shop you can buy heel material that is quite tough and can be glued with leather or rubber cement to the base of your stock. This is where you tap in your center on the base of your brush and it will come off easily when you are through and leave no marks on the bottom of your handle to have to work out.

I have found this safe and have never had one come loose while working any material. You can get any type of chisel / gouge / tool that you would ever want from Highland Hardware. They are in Atlanta and have acquired a ton of my money over the years, and I highly recommend them.

Never rush your work or try to hog out too much material too fast, that is where bad things happen. Stabilized wood for example is very hard and cannot be rushed, and watch some video to get the angle of your gouge just right for your work.

Will N.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Your main concerns at this point is your work holding capibiltys ( how to chuck materials).
In Charlies excellant vids he is turning between centers as I do most of the time.
Some handles I use a 3 jaw Chuck.
Practice on your cedar,be carefull.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...Ivtoday001.jpg

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by WillN

I turn between centers mount of the time as well, but I learned a trick that is quite helpful. If you go to a shoe repair shop you can buy heel material that is quite tough and can be glued with leather or rubber cement to the base of your stock. This is where you tap in your center on the base of your brush and it will come off easily when you are through and leave no marks on the bottom of your handle to have to work out.

I have found this safe and have never had one come loose while working any material. You can get any type of chisel / gouge / tool that you would ever want from Highland Hardware. They are in Atlanta and have acquired a ton of my money over the years, and I highly recommend them.

Never rush your work or try to hog out too much material too fast, that is where bad things happen. Stabilized wood for example is very hard and cannot be rushed, and watch some video to get the angle of your gouge just right for your work.

Will N.

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Thanks for the replies. Here's where I'm at so far. Time for the family trip to Costco, so I'll have to pick up later.
Attachment 154066
Attachment 154067
Attachment 154068

Thats a pce of cedar that could possibly come apart,also move the tool post a bit farthur away from the wood.JMO

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Thats a pce of cedar that could possibly come apart,also move the tool post a bit farthur away from the wood.JMO

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Yes! What he said, good advice

Will N.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Thats a pce of cedar that could possibly come apart,also move the tool post a bit farthur away from the wood.JMO

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by WillN

Yes! What he said, good advice

Will N.

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Will do.

What do ya'll think about the safety of that chuck. It felt like it was in there pretty good to me and I'm not overly concerned, but what do I know? How deep should I set it?

Attachment 154081

I wasn't thinking of actually using this cedar, but I made a bench out of it and it'd be kind of neat to use the same material. Is there any way for me to use this since it's not stabilized?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RADisorder

Will do.

What do ya'll think about the safety of that chuck. It felt like it was in there pretty good to me and I'm not overly concerned, but what do I know? How deep should I set it?

Attachment 154081

I wasn't thinking of actually using this cedar, but I made a bench out of it and it'd be kind of neat to use the same material. Is there any way for me to use this since it's not stabilized?

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Not quite understang your question, if what you are showing is for the spur, is plenty deep enough.
My concern is the the workpiece is cracked and when turning anything alot of torque is applied,it could come apart.
WhenI use a spur I drill nothing except a 60deg guide hole for the very point

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Not quite understang your question, if what you are showing is for the spur, is plenty deep enough.
My concern is the the workpiece is cracked and when turning anything alot of torque is applied,it could come apart.
WhenI use a spur I drill nothing except a 60deg guide hole for the very point

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Yes that was my question. Charlie drilled a deeper hole, but he used a smaller spur. I guess I'll need something smaller if I want to set the spur in any knot hole smaller than 25mm or so, or I can just tap the spur in a guide hole, as you mention, to save the material and drill a hole later.

I got the part about catching the crack in the cedar and it unravelling into the tool rest. How far back should I move it?

Try say 3/8-1/2 inch.Is a huge amt of info on the web about woodturning.tools, techniques etc.Ck it out.
One thing I really want to stress to you as a beginner.Running a lathe can be dangerous,be carefull.

You ever hear of a dummy block? I use to use one all the time, like in this photo.Attachment 154141

That's just a scrap piece of wood that I glued my African blackwood to. Allowing me to use a basic face plate secured with wood screws into the dummy block. Bring the tail stock up into the piece until you have it shaped. Then remove it to bore the desired size hole for your knot to go into. Just take your time with turning the knot hole though. The glue I used is a CA glue with a spray activator, so it sets up instantly. Hot glue also works. Sand it going through your grits, and cut it off with a parting tool. I like to leave a few milometers of scrap wood on the end and sand it off until flush.

As for some other tips, keep your RPMs low until you have it round, then increase it to a level you feel comfortable with once it is round.

Always keep your tool rest close to the work piece, but not too close. I like a 3/8 space for example. This means you'll have to constantly adjust as you work. Keep the height of the tool rest so that your tool is at the equator of the work piece, or slightly higher.

Keep your tools sharp. If you have to press the tool against the work piece for it to cut, your tool is dull and needs sharpening.

Make sure all the leaver locks are snugged tight before you turn on the machine. I've forgot to tighten my tool rest completely before and it hit the work piece and destroyed it.

Watch the dust from those exotic woods, they can cause lung problems. Wear a mask.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by walleyeman

Well I wont be able to help much here. I make all my own tooling and use a metal lathe.
Maybe Pixel will chime in. Sorry!!
You may try the Woodworkers Guild website for some of your info.

Ray

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Woodworkers Guild is a nice site with some good videos.

I found this epoxy for only $54 for a gallon, shipped. I'm wondering if anyone has tried one of these marine epoxies to make micarta/acrylic handles that's 2 parts to 1? I know all the micarta making material will be much harder than wood, but I'd really like to use this stuff for both handles and scales. Just looking from some comments about what to expect from anyone who has used that type of material or acrylic.

I liked seeing the tabletop sharpening wheels on the woodworker's guild. I sharpened my gouge on the side of a small grinder, but I'm sure I'd do better with one of those tabletop models.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RADisorder

Woodworkers Guild is a nice site with some good videos.

I found this epoxy for only $54 for a gallon, shipped. I'm wondering if anyone has tried one of these marine epoxies to make micarta/acrylic handles that's 2 parts to 1? I know all the micarta making material will be much harder than wood, but I'd really like to use this stuff for both handles and scales. Just looking from some comments about what to expect from anyone who has used that type of material or acrylic.

I liked seeing the tabletop sharpening wheels on the woodworker's guild. I sharpened my gouge on the side of a small grinder, but I'm sure I'd do better with one of those tabletop models.

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Epoxy has a shelf life,a gallon is alot of epoxy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Epoxy has a shelf life,a gallon is alot of epoxy

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Ah, I knew it is temperature sensitive, but didn't know it had a shelf life. I got a small envirotex kit last time for scales and burnt through it so fast I wished I'd had more. I might go with the half gallon of envirotex from Amazon then - it's not that much more.

Have you used the stuff for handles much, did you like it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Try say 3/8-1/2 inch.Is a huge amt of info on the web about woodturning.tools, techniques etc.Ck it out.
One thing I really want to stress to you as a beginner.Running a lathe can be dangerous,be carefull.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Thats a pce of cedar that could possibly come apart,also move the tool post a bit farthur away from the wood.JMO

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WillN

Yes! What he said, good advice

Will N.

---

The piece did come off eventually. I'd always been wearing goggles and a respirator, but I was wearing a new harbor freight deluxe face screen when it came off. It was running it's lowest around 700rpm, so it didn't seem to fly off too fast. It was a jolt to feel it happen through the gouge though.
Attachment 154658

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

You ever hear of a dummy block? I use to use one all the time, like in this photo.Attachment 154141

That's just a scrap piece of wood that I glued my African blackwood to. Allowing me to use a basic face plate secured with wood screws into the dummy block. Bring the tail stock up into the piece until you have it shaped. Then remove it to bore the desired size hole for your knot to go into. Just take your time with turning the knot hole though. The glue I used is a CA glue with a spray activator, so it sets up instantly. Hot glue also works. Sand it going through your grits, and cut it off with a parting tool. I like to leave a few milometers of scrap wood on the end and sand it off until flush.

As for some other tips, keep your RPMs low until you have it round, then increase it to a level you feel comfortable with once it is round.

Always keep your tool rest close to the work piece, but not too close. I like a 3/8 space for example. This means you'll have to constantly adjust as you work. Keep the height of the tool rest so that your tool is at the equator of the work piece, or slightly higher.

Keep your tools sharp. If you have to press the tool against the work piece for it to cut, your tool is dull and needs sharpening.

Make sure all the leaver locks are snugged tight before you turn on the machine. I've forgot to tighten my tool rest completely before and it hit the work piece and destroyed it.

Watch the dust from those exotic woods, they can cause lung problems. Wear a mask.

---

I will probably make a dummy block (I do have a small faceplate to attach it to). Not sure if I will use this piece, but I read that I can use the cedar without stabilizing it. Would probably soak it in linseed oil and use spar varnish and/or finish it with CA. Have about enough for two more brushes left if I want a different shape.
Attachment 154659

I was pretty happy to see slivers of wood this time, since I sharpened the chisel. My technique isn't that great yet though, because the hone has facets in it. Not sure if I'll continue with my current setup for awhile or get one of those worksharp type sharpening tools.

How long does CA finish stink? Or, can you coat it in anything that will help with the smell?

Anyway, here's the bench with the leftover wood I've been using:
Attachment 156499

And the knot I ordered finally got here. The base is about 29mm and the loft about 64mm - pur tech synthetic:
Attachment 156500

So, I fit the hole to the knot and put it back on the lathe to burn some rings and CA finish:
Attachment 156501

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Epoxy has a shelf life,a gallon is alot of epoxy

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I have epoxy (marine) from 15 years old, call the manufacturer and was told it doesn't have a shelf life for strength, but the activator may turn darker, making it darker than when fresh. The pump quit working, but the epoxy still mix good and hardens fine. This is the same epoxy I use for my brush and fishing rod building (handle).

Yes, a gallon for brush building is a lifetime supply! I usually wait till I have 3 or more knots to set, just to mix a tiny amount and still have left over. Double O

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Double0757

I have epoxy (marine) from 15 years old, call the manufacturer and was told it doesn't have a shelf life for strength, but the activator may turn darker, making it darker than when fresh. The pump quit working, but the epoxy still mix good and hardens fine. This is the same epoxy I use for my brush and fishing rod building (handle).

Yes, a gallon for brush building is a lifetime supply! I usually wait till I have 3 or more knots to set, just to mix a tiny amount and still have left over. Double O

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Oh, that's a misunderstanding. I'm not talking about buying a lot of epoxy to set knots. I did end up buying a half gallon of envirotex to mold entire handles and scales.

Finished it. 30mm Pur Tech synthetic knot, compared to a 21mm Mühle synthetic:
Attachment 156766
Attachment 156767
Attachment 156768
Attachment 156771

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RADisorder

The piece did come off eventually. I'd always been wearing goggles and a respirator, but I was wearing a new harbor freight deluxe face screen when it came off. It was running it's lowest around 700rpm, so it didn't seem to fly off too fast. It was a jolt to feel it happen through the gouge though.
Attachment 154658




I will probably make a dummy block (I do have a small faceplate to attach it to). Not sure if I will use this piece, but I read that I can use the cedar without stabilizing it. Would probably soak it in linseed oil and use spar varnish and/or finish it with CA. Have about enough for two more brushes left if I want a different shape.
Attachment 154659

I was pretty happy to see slivers of wood this time, since I sharpened the chisel. My technique isn't that great yet though, because the hone has facets in it. Not sure if I'll continue with my current setup for awhile or get one of those worksharp type sharpening tools.

---

I've got one of the Worksharp tools and it works pretty well. I also keep a slip stone at the lathe for touch-ups while I'm turning. If the tool is chattering even after you touch it up, that's when it's time to go to the wheel or worksharp. If you're using a regular grinding wheel and not a low speed be careful. It's easy to heat the tool hot enough to damage the temper. If it starts to change color, stop grinding immediately. Better yet, only make very shallow passes.