I'm warning you now, Jeffrey Svoboda - looking inside your firewood can become a real expensive habit. I'm glad I didn't burn this piece though, cause I ended up using it in my sister's birthday present.
That's mainly what I'm looking for, is woods to do small projects with for birthdays and holidays and such. I was thinking I was going to save money. Lol. As long as I don't get too crazy I wouldn't think it could get outta hand but I do like some chainsaws!!!!
Turn in into cool stuff then! I just bought a lathe from cragslist for $80, all tools included! It's exactly like the one my dad has, an older craftsman but it looks as though it has 10-12 hours use! The belt and pullies look brand new! With a lathe you can make all kinds of cool stuff.
Finally went and got the lathe from my dad. Here it is. now to practice some before since of this ash. If anyone knows anything about this lathe or some good tips for beginners please chime in. I've been reading for the past few days researching bowl turning so I have an idea where to start but I'm always open to new info.
Kewl! Sharp tools are key. Being a newb myself, I can't give much advice. I've been watching a bunch of videos on youtube to learn.
Yeah that's what I've been doing too and reading allot. I looked up my local woodturning club. Check out woodturner.org and see if there's a club near you. I haven't been to a meeting yet but read it's a good place to start.
I'm new to turning as well. I've been watching some old episodes of "The Woodwright's Shop" that I had recorded on my DVR, and there's a lot of good stuff in there. Home | The Woodwright's Shop with Roy Underhill | PBS
Well this isn't curly but it is ash. First time turning on the lathe. I ask the girlfriend what she would like. Only thing she could come up with was a bad. So I thought for a sec and realized I had the perfect wood and it was an easy project. Well it was slow going to start but then I sharpened the gouge. Then it went faster. This is what I ended up with tonight. It's not finished but still had to show it off. Lol
It sure is a fun hobby. I just built a new stand after having it taken apart for some work in the shop. I went through the lathe completely to make sure there were no worn parts or safety issues. Having a piece of mind on that end let's me focus on the work. My tips are have sharp tools, know the tools limits, use safety gear, and no loose clothing. I've had a handful of blocks jump off including one today. I snapped a tool rest last year when a block jumped off the pin. So between the jumping block, the chisel that kicked and the snapped cast iron arm, it was a lot to happen in an instant.
I had to laugh when I saw the pic because I don't know how many people create the same thing on their firs attempt on the lathe! I did and then I ran into a buddy who works for someone that has a complete workshop (by my standards). Of course, it had a wood lathe also and he admitted to making a bat the first time he used it!
Well, errr, I don't use the lathe and put it back into storage since that time. Originally, I wanted to start turning bowls and platters but this lathe was more like an introductory model..... Rolling pin?
Do you have a faceplate? I've recently turned my first bowl. Only about 5". Another idea is file handles.
The Wood Wolverine. File handles were the one thing I forgot!!! Yes I have a faceplate and a chuck. My original plan was to turn bowls for mother's day but figured I'd start simple and see how everything worked out first. I like your bowl. I'm thinking that's the size I'm gonna start out with to. How was it turning and what kinda wood. Was it dry or green? Did you have any tear out? Sry for all the questions.
Bowls are challenging when you have no experience or anyone to show you how it's done. Remember to "work downhill". Go from the "fat" toward skinny, which is going down grain helping to prevent catches. Check out this explanation: I'm finding, as a beginner, having the right tool is key. I do not yet have the right tool but I'm making do and it's not ideal. When I can afford it, I will get a bowl gouge. I did/do get a bit of tear out, but with really sharp tooling and the right technique, I'm learning to minimize it. After roughing out the shape, use a scraper to shave the piece smooth, then going through the rest with sanding, lots of sanding. My pieces are very dry, seasoned firewood chunks. That first bowl did develop 2 small cracks, which I filled with sanding dust and wood glue. Lesson learned to not let it sit unfinished(mid project) for a few days. The lathe is @ my dads house and I don't get there every day. The wood moves and gets out of round pretty quick.
