Thread: First Practice Wood Turning Project with a Few Observations and Questions

Originally Posted by Gasman

Thanks for the comments Mike. I still need to get some calipers and a center finder jig but i need to hold off for a week or two. Speed for me was around 1700 for finishing but i really didnt know what to shoot for so i will turn it up.

I went just the opisite in speed from Aaron when it came to the CA aplication. Around 700 then 200 durring the drying. Drying while spinning is great and seems to go faster than just siting. I got lots to learn and some gouges and skew to buy but the carbides are working for now and i dont have to sharpen them.

Speeds for different operations is one thing I'm still hearing a lot of different opinions on. Point is, being a babe in the woods at this, I am absolutely open to suggestions on speed and other aspects of the skill from guys like MikeB52 and others. Given a true and round, well-centered stock piece, and a sharp tool, things do seem to smooth out up towards 1800-2000 rpm for cutting and refining. I just have to get confident at those high speeds.

Funny, but turning is starting to remind me of honing razors and smoking barbecue in that, though there are some universal concepts, everyone seems to have different opinions about how to achieve them.

Isn't Northern Ash what they use for baseball bats? would be a fun project.

Originally Posted by nipper

Isn't Northern Ash what they use for baseball bats? would be a fun project.

Joe-I haven't played baseball in decades, and never was much good at it when I did, but yeah, that would be a great turning project!

One other issue I'm trying to solve is how to turn a drilled brush around and finish the bottom face. I am looking at these TeknaTools 25mm Jaws to put on my G3 chuck (which is supposed to be universal for all their jaw sets, right?). Seems like this would be a viable option for the 25mm holes I'm drilling for 24mm brushes?:

Here they are at Woodcraft: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/nova-jaw-set-25mm?via=573621bd69702d0676000002%2C573621db69702d 0676000d9d%2C5763fed669702d6582000b74
If anyone has a better option, I'm all ears.

Originally Posted by nipper

Isn't Northern Ash what they use for baseball bats? would be a fun project.

Sadly with my lathe it would be about a 12" long bat!

Ash is great for things like hammer and axe handles, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were good for bats too.

Ash is what the made my ole cars frame out of too originally. Good hard stuff.
Inside gripping chucks are a must for turning the bases of brushes. The live centre dimple goes surprisingly deep.
When I’m sanding on the lathe, speed is 800 or slower and hand pressure is light. Media always moving lengthwise back and forth quickly as it turns. Too easy to get into the radial “shoe shine grind” and score the grain deeply. Don’t lose sight of the grain direction basically.
I run through the grit progressions from 120-400 pretty quickly.
CA application and sanding around 1200 rpm. Use paper towel folded To apply as I drop the glue along the turning piece.. build up 8 coats quic5k before I start to wet sand it back.

Watch for spontaneous smoking and heat in the paper as you go!

Just saw this... Wow

https://woodworkingcrazy.net/index.p...BzaJ9Fo2PCI-pc

The chuck im waiting for in the mail has both the inside and outside jaws. If it ever shows up. It was shipped on time but then went the wrong direction. Still waiting for it to turn around and come back my way.

That egg is cool, Tom. Very nice looking piece to have on a table.

Tom, that egg is an awesome decorative piece.

Jerry...Ya got lots of time till Easter!

Pete <:-}