Turning Techniques and Projects You Can Make (Wood) 0696000296, 9780696000294

Citation preview

•

Better HOIIles and Gardens®

®

AND PROJECTS YOU CAN MAKE

•

•

,

•

All of us at Meredith® Books are dedicated to giving you the information and ideas you need to create beautiful and useful woodworking projects. We guarantee your satisfaction with this book for as long as you own it. We also welcome your comments and suggestions. Please write us at Meredith® Books, RW-240, 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, lA 50309-3023.

© Copyright 1993 by Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. First Edition. Printing

umber and Year: 5 4 3 2

9796 95 94

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 93-78106. ISBN: 0-696-00029-6.

A

...A.: 0 0 0

®

BOOK

Published by Meredith@ Books

MEREDITH ® BOOKS President, Book Group: joseph J. Ward Vic

President and Editorial Director: Elizabeth P. Rice

Executive Editor: Connie Schrader

Art Director: Erne r Shelton

Pre press Production Manager: Randall Yontz

WOOD® MAGAZI

E

President, Magazine Group: William T. Kerr Editor: Larry Clayton G TECHNIQUES AND PROJECTS YOU CAN MAKE

Produced by Roundtable Press, Inc.

Directors: Susan E. Meyer, Marsha Melnick Senior Editor: Marisa Bulzone Managing Editor: Ross L. Horowitz Graphic Designer: Leah Lococo Design Assistant: Leslie Goldman Art Assistant: Ahmad Mallah Copy Assistant: Amy Handy

For Meredith® Books

Editorial Project Manager!Assistant Art Director: Tom Wegner

Contributing How-To Editors: Marlen Kemmet, Charles E. Sommers Contributing Techniques Editor: Bill Krier Contributing Tool Editor: Larry johnston Contributing Outline Editor: David A. Kirchner Special thanks to Khri ty Benoit

Meredith Corporation Corporate Officers: Chairman of the Executive Committee: E. T. Meredith I I I Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer: jack D. Rehm Group Presidents: joseph J. Ward, Books; William T. Kerr, Magazine; Philip A. jones, Broadcasting; Allen L. Sabbag, Real Estate Vice Presidents: Leo R. Armatis, Corporate Relations; Thomas G. Fisher, General Coun el and Secretaty; Larry D. Hartsook, Finance; Michael A. Sell, Treasurer; Kathleen J. Zehr, Controller and As istant

ecr talY

•

TURNI

ING JIGS AND TOOLS 4 6

CONSTRUCT-A-CHUCK

TUR I

5

G JIG FOR BETTER BOTTOMS

G TOOLS: WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY 8

HOW TO SHARPE

TURNI G AND CARVING TOOLS

11

ING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES 16 17

GREEN-WOOD TURNING

ZAP! DRY GREE

20

BOWLS IN MINUTES

TURNING BETWEEN CENTERS

24

30

BASIC STAVE-BOWL CONSTRUCTION

A SUREFIRE TECH IQUE FOR PLEASING BOWL DESIGN 36 40

FACEPLATE TURNING

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO TURNING WEED POTS 46 50

STACK-LAMIN ATED BOWLS

'fURNING PROJECTS 56

57

MASTERPIECE MUSIC BOX

59

TURN SCRAPS INTO PINCUSHIONS DECORATOR OIL

LAMPS 60

SPLIT-TURNED VASE

62

65

CANDLE HOLDERS WITH A FLARE

TURNED ROLLING PIN AND STORAGE R ACK

69

EXOTIC WOOD NAPKIN RINGS

TURN A BERNSON SHOWCASE VASE

71

TURNED MORTAR AND PESTLE LATHE-LAID EGGS

74

70

SPIRITED FOURSOME OF YULETIDE TURNINGS

78

ABEVYOFBO

SOUTHWEST-INSPIRED BOWL

79

PEWTER-TOPPED POTPOURRI BOWL G ALLERY-QUALITY QUILTED STACK 'EM

66

83

76

MAP LE BOWL 84

UP LAMINATED BOWLS 86

DANDY SASS AFRAS FRUIT BOWL •

CLASSY COVERED CANDY CADDY TERRIFIC TURNED TRIO

92

88

90

The right tools make the difference in any turning project. Here are tips on buying and caring for your turning tools and make-your-own equipment that will add a professional touch to work produced in any home shop. 4

,

hen people stop to admire your plates or bowls, do they peek at the bottoms to see if you've left any tell-tale screw holes? If so, then add this jig to your turning arsenal, and you'll be able to turn bottoms as well as the pros. 1. Th j ig ho n h re as built to fit our lath e , w hich ha a %;" en ing d i tan e from the center of the head t k p i ndle to the b d ) . The outside diameter of the jig you build ' i l l d pend on our parti­ cular lath e . Provide at l e a t %;" clearance between the jig and bed . The diameter of the opening i n the coll ar and the l e ngth of the machine cre w i l l ary depending o n the ize of your turnings . We use everal col la r a l l with different-size openings. 2. After attaching a 6"-diameter auxiliary faceplate and a l a rge disc to your 6" metal faceplate start the lathe and u e a craper to true u p the out ide face of the l a rge d i c. The outside d isc a lways eems to have a l ittle wobble. 3. Start the l athe again, and use a penci l or fel t-tipped marker to mark concentric circles o n the face of the l a rge wood d i c about %;" apart . These circles w i l l make it easier when centering turnings on the d isc l ater. Using an outside cal i per , measure the thickness of the bowl bottom. This w i l l come in handy when turn i ng the bottom to shape, so you don't turn too deep and go through the base.

Note: We

4. 10unt your plat> or howl, I ottom sid' out, w h 're shown in t he ection iew Irawing. Use tT10unt i n g screws that stick out tll back sid or th ' h rge disc by onl W' or W'. Tight n t h e th re e mounting crews, turn t he lathe o n and obsetve t h e I' tar i ng bottom. Cha nces ar you' l l h ave to sto p t h e l a t he, l oose n t he crews sl ightly, adj ust the turning's position , and retighten the screws. Repeat this process until the turning is perfectly centered (it a lway ta kes us about tlu·ee or four tries). Tu rn the bottom to shape.

huiLt Ibe projecl using Ibe lools Ii sled . You may he ahle to slIhslilule otber lools or equipment for listed ilems you don't bave. Addilional common band tools and clal'nps may he required to complete I be project. -

L

,

SECTION VIEW

Project Tool list Bandsaw Scro l l saw or j igsaw Lathe Square-end scraper Dri l l press or portable dril l 316" bit Router %" rou nd-over bit

,

Put a V4" T-nut behind each hole 5/16" hole

•

R=7� •

0/

, ,

,

Space holes 1 V2" apart '-..

"­

1 20·

"-

EXPLODED VIEW

V4 " flat washer

1;4" machine screw

"

R=

�/

R=6V4 " X

-

2"

311 4.

Glue and discs together

3/4

,

,

..( wood screw

3/4 x 6" dia. plywood disc lo\-A (auxiliary

· •

# 1 0 X 1 " F. H. wood screw .( 6" metal faceplate "- �"'" #8 x 1 V4" F. H .

o

\

I I

,

•

1 4" dia. plywood disc 3/S" round-over (inside edge only) --

Staples Innertube cut in a 3" dia. round disc

3/4 X 1 4" dia. plywood collar

5

TL1HNJNG JIGS ANI) TOOLS

q u i p ping a h�igh-school wood shop on a limited bud­ get can be tough _ And, buy ing lathe chucks, often costing as much as

$200,

is a lmost out of

t he question. To solve t h is p roblelll, Dave Hout, an indus­ t r i a l a rts teacher at CoventqT H i g h School in Akron, O h io, decided to make h is own c huck.

Note: To pre/'ellt tbe cOl l1pleted cbllck'/;"()II/ distort ill!!, ((Irer til m illg it to./i'/l{/I sbope. select {{ piece (?/ killl-dried. dense bmdll'ood slicb as cbenT or lJIople. For added boldill!!, strell!!,tb ill

securillg tbe {{'ood cb llck t o tbe metalfaceplate, YOII may want to drill tbree additiollol 11701lllti17g screu's tbl'Ougb tbe 3"faceplate and into tbe cbllck. Theil. secure witb an additional tbree screws. And fil7a/�)I. to ensure tbat tbe

faceplate remains centered on tbe clnlck, Dave recolnmends leaving tbe cbuck perma nent(y attacbed to tbe 117etalfaceplate.

Here's how to make your hardwood chuck

1. To make the chuck, you'll

need a 3l1"-square laminated or solid hardwood block that mea­ sure

4" long. Crosscut the end of

the block square. Draw diagonal from corner to corner on each

nel

of the block, anel mount it between centers on your l athe.

2. At a speed of about 800 rpm,

turn the block round to a diamet r

5.

sing th e d i mensions on the

full-sized End View d rawing, penc i l

to a 3" faceplate (we us d 1 " sh eet

in the locat i ons of t h e tw r esses. I, turn the Th n, with a parting t rece ses W'-d ep in t he 'nd f the cylinder as shown in Drawing B oppo ite . Wh n making the final cuts to form the �II-thick inner-jaw wall, h Id t h parting t 01 quare to the end of the cy l i nd e r. For a s ure

metal ·crews).

grip on turning proje 't

of 3%" (we u ed a W gouge). Using

a parting tool, turn the tailstock end flat (square to the cylinder) wh re shown on Drawing A oppo ite.

3.

Remove the c ylinder from

the lathe, and chisel off the nub. Center and fasten the

quar d end

4. Mount the faceplate/cylinder assembly to the headstock.

tart the

lathe and turn the cylinder to a 3);;" diameter. Turn the tailstock end flat for a 3" finished length.

6

later, the

inner-jaw wall mu t be pef( endi ular to the end of the

ylinder.

6. Remove the faceplate/ huck

assembly from the lathe, and clamI

i t into a wo dw rk r' shown in Dra \ ing . I acksa

\

i e

'lS

se a

to cut three X"-deep kerf

at 60-d gree inter val

thr ugh the

center of the chu k s end whe r shown on the End iew drawing.

th

7. Remove a 1"-long , cti n in

outer wall for later acce to the ho e-c1amp adjustment nut. (T do thi

'we

ecur Iy fastened the assembly in a large hanelscrew

clam p

ch u c

ke d a %" For tner bit

into our drill press, and drilled away 1" of the �II outer wall Qn

one side of a kerf. Then, clean the drilled edge wi th a chis I.)

®

8. For L';lse in r('mO\'in� turninl!s

•

--

-

-

.-

-

rr

_

......

-

---

-

-

--

.

Chisel 0« nub later

-

,

frorn the chuck I:lter with :1 knock-

\\'ith :1 screwdriver ()r hex:lgon:1i nut

out h:lr, drill :1 hole through tlK'

driver, tighten the hose ci:lmp to

•

cenl 'I' or your 1':1 'epl:ll ' :1 III I through

the turning from c()ming out or the

h:lr :lIlo\\'s you to push the turning

chu 'k, ukL' light Cllls wilh your

Iwi,..;t

:l

or

proj 'ct out or the chuck 1ll:IY

l':IUSe the lurnin� 10 hn'ak. (Our

-

..

,

Parting tool-

•

knockoul h:lr m ':lsurl'S X" in li:ll1iL'tL'r, so \\'(' drill 'd

:1

-Ii,"

turning tool. As with :lI1y chuck, t:lking brge CUIS

pressing too

h:lrci with :1 scr:lper can dislodge the turning from the chuck.

hole.) Lith,

T i ps on how to use you r c huck 1. l\!ount your workpiece be­

Facepl:tte

('ween centers, and turn a l/':!"-di:l­

meter tenon X" to /':!" long t

.'111118/)' in

/':!" srindle gouge

fit

Parting tool Drill press

the chuck. Stor the lathe

l3its: X" Forstner, 1Ir,"

frequently to check the fit of rhe

tenon in the recess. Square the surfa 'e of the workpiece thaI' fits against the end of the chuck.

Optimllll1 gnp is ohtained witb a tigbt/it of tbe tenon ill tbe cb1lck and }lmb mating su'faces. 2. ext, slip on a #28 hose clamp.

Ins rr the tenoned end of the work-

Note: HIre huilt tbe project usillg tbe tools listed. You may be ahle to substitute otber tools or equipment for listed items you don't bave. Additional common band tools and cLamps may be required to complete tbe project.

For ease in removing pieces from the chuck, drill a knockout hole through the center of your faceplate and through / the chuck

1"F.H, sheetmetal screws (6 total)

"'-64----'

EXPLODED VIEW

/ 5/a"

/

or

P,·o;ect Tool List

©

o

....

SL'cure tlK' workpien:. To rrevent

Ihe centLT or th' 'huck. A knockoul OUI or Ih ' chuck. Trying 10 pull

-

pie 'e into the intnior recess. Now,

'

/

/'

/"

For extra holding power, drill three additional mounting holes through the faceplate and into the chuck,

------ 3" faceptate

./" -"V4" dia, by 3" long

Remove section for access to hose-clamp adjustment nut

,

�-1�'�'-+----4----

Turn recesses 5/a " deep

Hole for knockout bar

# 28 hose clamp

Kerf locations ...._ .. at 60· intervals

-

--,...­

END VIEW (FULL SIZED) ..

7

TURNI G JIGS AND TOOLS • •

crapers and cutters, carbon steel, high-speed steel, bevels

Some tool makers offer too ls w

it hou t hand le s (tho u gh you can

tools does a beginning turner

some experienced turners prefer to tu rn their own. Ferrules u�u a l ly a re hrass or steel. teel is s om ewh at stronger, hut th cho i c e here is

really need? Actually, once you

ha ically decorative.

and flutes

today's array of

tunling tools seems to offer more choices than you can shake a skew at! Which of these

huy them separately) becau e

�

learn turning tool ter min ology and understand just what each tool does, you can easily assem­ ble a basic starter set for less than

$100.

So before you spend

a bundle on tools you might not need, study the guidelines in this article. We've also included our suggestions for a starter set you can round out as your turning skills develop.

Handle

The big four turning tool types

Though they come in many si z es with l ots of ariati n , tu rning tool fal l into just four d iffe rent cla ifi ations illustrated lower Left. Each type doe be t at a pa rt i c u l a r ta 'k, and some do several job wel l. Let's ummariz th i r prin ipa l us : Gouges a re fluted workhor e that remove lots of mater i a l in a h urry such a when you h a pe square tock into a cyl i n der or remove materi a l from the in ide of a bow l . Skew chisels so-ca l led beca use the bevel i skewed at a 20-25° angle to the ide of the blade do gen ra l sha ping and fin i h cutting on spindle turning a n d on the outs i de surfaces of faceplate proJect . Parting tools make na rrow recesse or groo e . The tool g ts its name beca use you can a l 0 use it to cut a l l the ay through the stock I a ing it in two " parts .' Scrapers ha a elY h a l l ow beve l a nd ome in a ide a riety of shap . Th fla t be I sets crap ers apart from the othe r three type s of t u rnin g t 01 beca use s rape rs perform a n ent i rely differe nt rol e . To det erm ine how man y scra per you hou ld buy i f any you nee d to know j ust wh at s rap ing too l can a nd can t do . ,

,

1--- Ferrule

ANATOMY OFA TU TOOL

--

Blade

Check our i l l ustration at left and you 'll see that a turning tool has fou r or five el ements, depending on the job i t does . All tool consist of either flat or round steel bar stock , with a beveled blade at one end and a handle a t the other. The bevel or bevel s ( some tools have more than one) form the edge that does the cutting. Besides being beveled, tools k nown as gouges a re a lso fluted with a concave center that helps throw off shavi ngs . The other end of the tool ha a wood handle, with a je1'7'Ule that keeps the handle from spl itting.

Scraping tools and cutting tools what's the difference?

-Flute Gouge

8

•

Ske w chisel

Parting tool

Scraper

Wh at ex act ly ha ppen s wh en yo u pre ss a tur nin g too l i n to a sp ' n i ng pie ce of wo od ? De pe nd i ng on the too l yo u ch oo se an d the a ng le a t

•

hich you hold it. you'l l eithe r '/II u'll scrape it. th wo cI o r To cur ( a l ' o kn wn as s h e a r i ng), you hold the tool a t a n a n g le tc the rotating stock, hi rl h ig b at o\' its centerline, with rh han 11 sl ightly down, a s h ow n in t11 clr:1'Iving below. Th tool's e dge be ele I -5 to 45° from the nd of t h e bladehea rs a ay wo d. Y u'lI know ou're uning proper! when curly ha i ng b gin t pile u p on the b d of o u r lathe. To crape, ou hold the ( 01 a l mo 't perpendi u l a r t o the stock , with the handle a lway l ightly up a sho n in the drawing a t batt 117. '

�

CUTIING

R:ll her th:ln she:l ring the wood. scra p i ng WL'ars it :IW:l Y, m a k ing d u st, not shavings. Tool.-- design ' I

.--t rie l l y for sera pi ng h:1 ve sh::ll lowcr,

1 ,}-20° h e v el s :l I 1 d :l h u rr pu rpos 'Iy

left on after rhe edge is ground to pro ide the abrasion.

ou us' ir in the way just described, any cutting tool will a l so scra pe, b u t beca use of the shal low be el and b u rr, scr a pers won't cut. If

L

0

why buy scra pers a t a l l ? Actu­

a l l y, if your l athe work will be

l i mited to t u rn ing between centers, y u need n't invest in scrapers. If, however, you'd like to t ry you r h and at faceplate turn ing, you ' l l fi nd that scrapers are m u h better than cu tters for some tasks, such as removing ridge from su rfaces and fi nishing the inside bonom of a bowl where a gouge can't make a clean cut . Many beginning t u rners start out by craping their first projects, regardl e 's of whether they're u sing a c u tt ing or a scra ping tool . Though easier than cutti ng, scra ping takes more time and leaves a rougher s u rface that requires l ots of sand­ ing. We strongly recommend that you t i p a cu tting tool 's hand le down right from the start and mas­ ter t he cu tting tech niqu e. Once you learn how to cut, qual ity turnings take shape in a hUrly . Tool steel--today, you have several options

As if you don 't a l read y hav e eno ugh dec isio ns to mak e abo ut wh ich t u rn ing too ls to buy, man u fact u rers also offe r a cho ice of too l stee l s . On ce aga in, you hav e four options: Carbon steel was the nor m for

SCRAPING

yea rs, and it cos ts the lea t . I t also com es i n the wid est var iety of sha pes and size s. Yo u can q u ick ly harpe n car bo n ste el, bu t it d u l l s mo re rea dil y tha n oth er ste el s,

turning h l ue in th

lL'sS gr i ndi ng

process. Care­

>

som et h i ng w:-" l ock i n g t h e h e i g h t , : l I l d rou t i ng t h e h l :l n k

�IS

s h o w n 1)e/()lI '.

Th e n , C l l t

:1

Y." p l y 'vv oocl � l l l x i k l r)'

f: l ce p l a t e �" 1 : l rge r t k l n t h e o U l :-, i de

c. 1 i : 1 1 1 1 ('ter or t h . s t a ved r i n g . : l n d s 'rL'W a f : t c e p l a t e to t h e L

e n t ' I'

: l u x i l i : l ry fa c e p b t e t h e n t u rn t h e ,

a u x i l i : l ry f:l c e p l a l e t o t h o u t s i c. l L' e.! i a m ' t e l' of t h e r i n g . Ca refu l l y >

ce n t e r t h e hoyv l

) ll

t h e a u x i l i a ry

fa ce p l a t e , a n e. ! g l u e ;t n e.! c l a m p r h e tw

t oge t h e r as s h o w n i n r h e

p h o t og ra p h a t right.

Center t he bowl on the auxi liary faceplate, and clamp a

band cla mps t o apply even pressu re a l l a ro u n d . Allow t he gl u e t o d lY.

shown.

To make minor fitting adjustments, sand each end of one or two staves. Work carefully; it won't take much

Sand the top of the bowl smooth.

stock removal to make things right.

It's a breeze using the setup shown.

Note: Woodworker' glue works

ow comes t h creati e p art ! T u rn t h bowl rou nd with a spindle goug , using the lowe t sp ed n y u r lath . (We l i k to r m v materi a l slowly to red uce the cha nces of tearou t . ) Th n , with a parting too l , tru u p the bottom of the bowl a shown right cen ter. Now, reposition your t 1 r t , and cut a rabb t into the b trom of t he bowl with a part i ng t 01 ( ee phot at righ t). Note: At the joint lines between staves, you wan t the rabbet to be 'k" to '4/1 wide. How deep? 77Jat depends. Ifyou don 't wa n t the bottom to show from the outside, cut the rabbet as deep as the bottom is thick. But ifyou 'd rather

weLL in most situation , but we Like 5-m inute epoxy when we 're in a h u rry or when working exotic woods. A lso, for maxim u m adhesion with exotics, wipe mating edges with alcohol before glu ing,

Apply glue to both end surfaces of each stave. Then, band-clamp, making sure the tops remain flush.

34

After turning the bowl round with a spindle gouge true up the bottom us ing a parting tooL.

Ag ain usi ng a par tin g too l, cut a rabbet in the sid ew all to acc ept the bottom of the bowl See no te at left for dim en sio ns.

b (u,hll�l!,ht th e hotl( )JJ/ ( (.' / 1 des(C!, 1 / elemel/I, ellt tbe m/)iJel

(/

bit

shallo ll'cr.

Fitting the bottom to the bowl her cut ting t h ' r:l h hl..:'t ror t he

I o t tom, remove the f:lcc pla I l.' fro m th e a u x i l i a ry face pla t e. The n, Cl l t ano the r aux ilia r

face plat e sli� hr l\' . ,

larger than t he insi de d ia mct er or the bow l. [ ( ach it t t hl..:' fa 'I b tl' a Oll did befo re, a n I ru m i t rou n d . ut a lid-\\'o ho[ ( ol11 ver i z ( \v usu a l l y use Y."-t hick mate rial , a n d gill t h e 'eore r d a u x i l ia ry fa p l ate \ er the h wi bott om. Tu rn the b [ ( m do\\'n to t h thi k ne�' , you \\'a or i t (we l i ke 1 .11 to y';"-thi k bott m ' ) . my , turn the I nom until it fi r. nugl)' into the rabbe t 'ou C ll t int th bo\\'l . I n pect the bottol11 oft n d u ri ng tu rning to he k it for . iz ho\\'n beloU'. Once YOll 've g o t it a right , o l u e the bottom into the rabb t and let the glue d ry . '

�

'

For turning the sidewall, we had good results using a bowl scraper, and we smoothed the bottom with a skew.

th icker tbe bottom and the larger tbe

bowl diameter, the greater pressllre Ihere will be on the bo wl wall. Also,

[cben app�l 'ing finish 10 YOllr project,

be sure to cover all slilfaces eve/7.�Y,

-

including the bottom, to m i n i m ize

,

,

uneven stress.

Final turning and finishing

Periodically check for a snug-fitting

bottom while turning.

Caution: Wood does move! As

you know, wood expa nds 01' contracts a dictated by existing condition s. We 've talked to several woodworkers who specialize in stave bowls, and though they acknowl­ edge this fact, they clai m good resu lts with olid-bottomed bowls. 17'Jat 's been our experience too . Keep these things in min d, though . The

Begin by parti ng off the auxil ialY faceplate frol11 the top of the bowl . Then, true up the top of the bow l , a nd turn the ou tside of the bowl to hape. Be sure to check the shape freq uently with your template as hown right. When you fi ni h tu rning the out ide of the bow l , repo ' ition your tooJ rest, and shape the bowl 's interior. We fou nd that the bowl cra per shown above yiel ded good res u l t on the wall and at the inter ection of the bottom and the idewa l l . F r th bott m , we a i l ed on a kew. From here on out, you fi nish stave bowl a you w u l d any other turning project. We and a l l su rface with a succes sion of abrasi ve grits u p to about 2 20, then chase away a l l the dust with a few blasts of air from our air comp res or. After this, you can appl y the fini h of your choice on the lathe.

Work the outside of the bowl until it matches the shape of the template. Check the shape often with your template.

Now, separate the bowl from the auxil ialY faceplate with a mal let and chisel . We made the split at the joint line of the ply close t to the bottom ( Be carefu l y 1I don 't I t the bowl drop and brea k . ) Th en, sand the plywood from the bottom on a stationary belt sander, and remove the resu lting scratches with an electric sander. I nscrib your name and the date on the bottom of the bow l , apply a little finish, and you have a one-of­ a-kind bowl that you or the l ucky recipient w i l l treasure forever. Ha ppy turning!

•

35

TURN I NG TIPS AND TEC HNIQUES

rustrated from figu ri ng out what your bowl should look like? Here's help. Dale N ish, the wel l-known woodt u rner, a u thor, and educator from Provo, Utah, says " You could paint a g od-looking, turned how l black, and it would still be attract ive . " Accord ing to Dale, that's because a bow l 's form should he a ppea l i ng enough to stand by itself, yet display the wood t its maximum potent ial . But, coming u p with great-looking bowl sha pes that meet this standard perplexes even the best wood turners. " r once attended a wood t u rn i ng sem i nar taught by Bob Stockdale " Dale note , "and someone asked him, 'Where do you get you r ideas for shapes?' He said, ' I checked out a book on oriental porcel a i n from the l ibrary one time, and found out they had been copyi ng me for 2 ,000 years!' " That tongue-in-cheek reply actually was sound advice (see textbox, opposite, for design tips from the experts). Pleasing-to-the­ eye pottery shape show u p in civil i zation after civi l i zation throughout histoly. And, most all can be adapted from the potter's wheel to the lathe. But, u n l i ke a potter, who has the l ux u ry of shaping and reshaping as l ong as the clay remains wet, a woodtu rner can seldom change his mind. I n bowltu rning, advance plann ing becomes a l l-important.

Good bowl design begins with proportton •

Some people possess a natural eye for shape and p roportion. I f you don 't, there's plenty of hope. That's because believe i t or not.­ you can mathematica l l y calcul ate p leasing-to-the-eye proportions. The a ncient Greeks perfected the " Go l den Mean , " a formu l a that

36

PROPORTIONING A BOWL WITH THE GOLDEN MEAN Bowl blank

8"

4"

4" blank thickness x 1 . 6 1 8 = 6 V2 " bowl rim diam.

4" blank thickness 7 1 .6 1 8 = 2V2" bowl base diam.

util ize the ratio 1 : 1 . 6 1 8 to fi nd the length of the long ide in re lation to the hort side of a rectangl e . Fu rnitur mak rs ha ve l ong rel ied on the form u l a . But how does the Golden Mean hel p i n bowl tu rn ing? With it you can figure o u t such troublesome rela tionships as the diameter of the rim t o the height o f the bowl or the base diameter to the height. H e re's an exampl e : Let's say you have a bowl blank 4 " thick a n d 8"

q uare. You k now the height can not exceed 4 " , but to what d ia meter hould you t u rn the bowl to main tain a pleas ing prop ort ion? i mply m u l t i p l y 4 X 1 . 6 1 8 t o fin d the dia meter, which, in t h is case equ a l s about 6�". For the d i ameter o f the base, divide the 4" bowl h e ight by 1 .6 1 8 . The resul t : about 2�" (see drawing, above). These d i me nsions give you a begin n i ng for a bowl w i t h

•

De sig n tip s fro m two top tu rn er s

oted wo dn.l rn r /a utJl or Ric hard Raffan from Au tral ia, and Dal e ish , fr m Pro 0, Ut3 h , teac h no ic turn r . H re s th i r ad ice on bow l form : ,

'

What are the most co mmo n mistakes a beginning turn er makes wit h form? Raffa n : vi t u rn rs uy r b t o ' m p l i cat d wh n i t pays t b as s i m p l as poss ible. I mad a gr at I a p fOl a rd h n r de 'id I t hat ( wa 0 ttin to in 01 d \� i t h re 1'5 ' U t s a nd

uch. W h n I 'tan d to d simp le urves , I b gan to a ppr iat fo r m. B binn rs j u m p a h ad b too fa t . Th m pI a d 'V irh a l l th hap g tt n '0 qui kl that th t nd to mak more use of t h t hniqu than th design . ish: M t b oinning n.t rn r ' make th foot � r the ba f a b w i too iarg . Th b a e , or th f ot, diam t r d n't hav to be any more dlan one­ quart r to one third of dl b wI s m: ce:-oS 1 l l : 1 ! 'ri: 1 1 rro l 1 l

t i l ' :I u \ i l i : l r

f: l ce p l : I l l' , t i t ' n .",cr ' \'y'

I

t i l . L l ce p l : l t e t ( ) t h l' i l e:1 I s t oc k o f' ext , :I pply g l u > t ( ) t he

t h e 1 : l t hL'.

: l u x i l i :l ry r:l cl'p l : l t .

; 1 .'"

P h o t o C, : I l l d ; I d h l' rl'

� i l ( )\, v n i n

a

p i l'cl' of

B

sn: l p n ot 'hook p : l pe r t o i t . Tl l i .., .

p:l pl' r m a k e,-; sep:l r:l t i n g t h e fi n i s hed p roject from t h e fa ce p l : t t l' : 1 sn:l p .

4. A p p l y g i l l > t o t i l l' pa p e r . m ov e

see ph to abol 'e. ( \" e u se I " fl a t ­

t h l' ta i l s to c k L i p c l ose t o t h l'

d i a meter as t h e holes i n r he face p l a t . \Vhy brass? I f y u h i t one w i t h a la t h e t oo l , i t " eas i e r on t he tool. ) 4. O n e you h a ve d r i v e n t h e , re'NS home, y u c a n fasten t h e b l a n k to t h e l at h e The auxiliary faceplate method. W h e n you j u t don t h a v e e n o u gh m a t er i a l ro a l l ow you t o screw r h e face pl a t e d i rec t l y t o t he b l a n k , you ' l l ha e to fas h i on a n a u x i l i a lY fa e p l a t e a n d g l u e t h e tock t o i t . I f yo u ' re wo r k i n g w i t h a rough bowl b l a n k , fi r 't smooth t h e su rface t h a t w i l l contact t h e fa cep l a t e w i th a h a n d p l a n o r a b e l t sander. Th i s w i l l e n s u re

of t h e h l a n k i n co n t a ct w i t h t h e

h ead brass ",," ood s cre w s a s l a rgl' i n ­

.

'

a deq u a t e a d h e i n b tween t h e

a u x i li a lY fa e p l a t e a n d t h e b l a n k . 1 . O n t h e su rfa e t ha t w i l l face t h e t a i l s t ock o f t h e l a t h e ( g e n e ra l l y t h e open end of a project ) rna rk t h e center point of t h e b l a n k w i t h a compass a n d ' cri be t h l a rgest d es i red d i ame t e r. Then c u t away t h e exce -s materi a l , usi ng t h circu mferen ce l i ne as a g u i d e as shown i n P hoto A. D i n g t h is gets rid of m ost off-ce n te r m a teria l before you moun t t h e t u rn i ng. 2. To m a k e your a u x i l ialY faceplate ( it s h o u l d be a b i t l a rger

42

headsto c k , a n d w i t h t h e centerpo i n t

t a i lstock ce n t

1',

move t he h l a n k

i nr o c n u ct w i t h t h e a u x i l i a ry fa cep l at e .

"

Cl a m p

"

t il e s t ock to t he

fa ce p l a te as s h o w n i n P h oto D . Th i s p ro ced u re se l f-ce n ters t h e h l a n k w h i c h i n t u rn , de c re ases o ff­ c e n te r w e i g h t . Note: 7 7J is method l.l'or/"''S Icell wben .!astel l il 19 .face or edge orail7 to tbe Cll lxiliClly .!acepfate, h i l t 170t wben ),01 1 bave end g rail1 .facillg tbe bf;ac/ tock. il l the latter situatioll. tbe gil le hOlld ca l 1 't be COl l I /ted all . A /so, ([yolI 're wor /dllg ll litb g reell ( u I lsewolled) wood, ) all 'II baue 10 lise tbe direct-coll nect metbod or one of tbe cbl l ks a l l tbe marko . ,

Shaping the project 1 . W h i l e no t\ a fac e p l a t e t u rn i ngs e e r ( u rn out t h sa m e w a y t h ey a l l h 'gi n w i t h t h e rou n l i n g- c low n process. Y )U d ( h is t o t ransform o u r u t -of-r u nd stock t o a p i ece t ha t 's once n t ri c t o t h e d r i ve haft, w hich t ak es t h e t r 55 off t he ma h i n . For t he sa m e reason a n d for a f t 's a k e w 've fou n d i t good pract ic t o u pport t h t u rn i n g a t hat h t h e h ea d- a n d t a i l s tock ends u n t i l ,

,

C

\\'e 'v ' com p l e t ' I y � h : l P '(I t h e o u t ­ � i cle of t h e p ro je c t .

2 . I n [ h ' p h o t o i m me d i : l t ' I )' a t right \ye 've � l l l e m p t c d t o poi n t o u t

se\'(�ra l r h i n g� a h ) u t l"O u n d i n " ( J, '

1 0\ n , F i rst . nOl i n' t h e po� i t i o n or

t he tool rest . Y o u

\\,:l n t

it : l � c 1 o�c

to t h e h l a n k :l� possi h l e \y i t h o u t act u a l l y to u c h i ng i t . i t ' s a bit abm'

b o notl' t l l : l t

l h l' center or t he

pr jecr . t h o u g h t h i, em \' : t r \ \\' i t h t h ' b '\, I a ng l e of t he t uo l \ ' { ) l l ' rl' ,

�

using,

, n d fi n;l l l y . r a k '

,

:1

,

look a t

th e a n g l e of t h e C U l l i ng l'dge t o th l' l l a n k , I n a Cl u : t 1 pr:l ct ice. you po� i r i o n rbe h e \ ' L ' 1 tbt :lgai nst the s p i n n i ng st c k . t he n r:l isc t h e heel s l ig h t l y so t h e ' u t t i ng edge e l l l ck it' joh , 3 . ft r rou n d i ng-dO\Y n t h e bla n k , ""'h i ' h ""'e d o a t � I O\\' .. peed ( -�00-600 rpm ) . t ru e u p the face of t he I roj ct as s h O\yn i n t h e p hoto at rigbt, \Ve ha\'e ha I good res u l ts a t tacking t h e fa e from t h e si I e and pu h i ng 'tra ight aeros, t h e face with a paning too l . 4. I f you \'e had lots o f , . . expenence t u rn l l1g pr Jec ts you an p robahly p u l l out 'our g uge and begin , hapino the o u t s i d e of th e p ro j e ct o n l y occa, iona l J y referri ng t o y o u r t m p l a te for ' dir tion . But ",,' e ve f und i t helpfu l to lay the t emplat e o n t h e blank a h own i n Photo , and tran f r th marks on t h e template to the blan k . Then we ru rn on the lathe ( at m ed i u m ' peed 800- 1 000 rpm , and u e th pan i n g too] to rem e material a t tho e poi n tS t the de i rec1 diam ter. Y u l i want to check o u r progres 0 ca ion a l l y with a p a i r of out ide ca l i p rs a ho n in Ph to B . The 'e inci ion serv as reference points a you cont i n u e to ha pe the p roj e t . 5. As you r project b gins to tak hape, check i t often wiili th template a hown i n P h oto C. Hold the template perp n d i c u l ar to the tu r n i ng and make mark at a l l points where the template and th blank make contact. Remove exce material w here marked; don't do anyt h i ng to area you can see .

,

A " -

B

•

"

'

c

•

-

0

, I ,

,0

dayl ight between .

continued

43

TU R N I N G T I P S A N D TECl-I N I Q l l ES

CO l l l i l l / fed

E

6. You C I n do m O."; 1 or I h ' s h : l p i n g \y ork \," i l h I h ' gO U gL ' S ,

w i t h S 0 I 1 11' h e l p fro m t h L' h u l l n o:-'L'

: I n d I h l' p : l n i n g 1 ( )( )1 . W h e n you 're

s � l t i sri (' d w i t h 1 1 ll' o U I ...; i *t,.nxa> , ·

Part here

,

I

,

1

t·

I

\

•

""tJ

; /

, \

112 X 4112 X 4112"

auxiliary faceplate

- I! � ' /

I

I

, I

•

A uxiliary faceplate

58

:...-

�

,...

I

\

\

r

.!

L. ,

�-I-

•

,.J---l--j--,-

3"

I

'"'

,

I

�

-

-

'l's "

M

, 3 ). Kit

r

Ro a d . Bronx,

7.

800- 223-80

hole

'l's "

TO. W089 2 .

10 61.

or

ca l l

FULL-SIZED TEMPLATE

" r

II

II

TURNING THE TOP

'"

-

•

1I r

1 3/4"

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

.

- -

dia.

3 W'

dia.

3%"

dia.

3 W'

dia.

----

-

-

l

33/s "

... ---

.�

3%

I II I

IiI

I

,

I �\" •

-

I

J

\

\... .

,

wi "

deep

. --

3/4 " ('\

'

5/s"

I

I,

-

-

,

I

"

h ole %2" deep

r j2 X 4 4 11 X 11 2 2 " . \\tur nin g sq ua re 'Va " 5!a " If-1

1

,

,

..

23/s "

23/a"

•

L u l l a hy ,

-

i

8'--1 5 , a n d

attach the bottom witb three ;;r:4 x ;? roundhead brass wood screw .

TUR N I NG THE OPENI NG

I ,, ! \ I ' \ _ ':. ,, ' ,

, I

:!

1

I , I

-\L

.J

"

into the music-box bod y . Finally,

II II I 'I I II I 3 1/4 " I I I ' II I \1I I' I I I 1';-,--+-+-'-

I

1

faceplate

",I ,

;' �II Iti�I�� ., '

,

4"

I

I

_ _

i n l a y e x cess i ve l y . Han Isancl the

,

the groove . Cut off the overl a pping

\�

1\

I l l u s i c a l mO\'e m e n t ( B ra h m 's

as a tem p l a t e d r i l l 11'( ,1' p ilot holes

starting from one end, p ress i t i nto

I

,

and outside. Using t be bottom p i ece

1 . App l y a t h i n l a y er of g l u e to the back of tbe i nl a y strip , Tben,

: � '

i n l a y ror t op N o .

I

I

I II

\.f

Turn a tenon on auxiliary faceplate to fit recess in turning

,

,

ther new to wood­

' e x t , sl i ( \ t: t h e t � l i bt ( ) too d('ep, T he deeper tbe C I I I'l 'e, the !e l lger {be ( )[>e l l iI l8.�· i l l the cOll lpletc!c / [ '{ce, 2 . ,-' a n d t h e c U lyed :I rea smo( t h , Rcmovc t h e s t ra I p i ng La pI.:' a n d srl it t h e l a m i n a t i o n :lS shown i n t he J hot :H rip,ht,

I

Turn the outs ide to s h a pe

1.

l ut' and c l a m p ( no r a r r t h is

t i m e ) the fo u r t ur n i n g . qu a res i n t h pO i r i o n s shown on t er 3 of the l ra \\ i ng , � l a k s u r t ha t t h e u lye ,-' ta\ a l i gned \\'i t h each other \\'hen c l a m ping , L t t h e g l u d ry overnigh t . 2. i n g the o l l tside template an I a goug , t u rn t h va e lami nation t the h a pe h \\'n i n t e p 4 of t h e d ra\\'i n o, C ,' e u ed a peed of ab u t 1 , 200 to 1 , 500 rpm to m i n i m i z tool chatter cau ed by t h e opening , Lea\'e a Y,"-d iameter UTa te t n n on the top and on the b nom of the t u rn ing,

1.0,,,., ... .',..

.'

'

'

,

L

continued

,

Using a mallet and

1 " c hisel, split the lamina tion at the four paper joints. STE P 4

STEP 3

Outside Template 1 Yo"

Waste tenon

Part here

M ake sur e end s of ____ cu rve s alig n wh en clam ping

2 )1,6"

3 W'

Part here

,/,,""- Parting tool

•

63

TURN I NG PROJECTS

- j�----I I � 1 W' d ia. I

SPLIT­ VASE

/

'-..

I

I

•

con til l l / ed

%" hole _

•

�

Note: Turn tenon on � e n d , and then d ri l l %" hole through tenon and into vase

.

\ ,

1

•

3. Remove t h e tool rest , 1 n d sa n d the vase. ( We w ra p ped sa n d p a per

\\

\

\

\

,

•

a ro u n d a fel t pad t o do t h is . )

•

I

•

•

H o l d i ng you r h a n d u n der t h e t u rn i n g

-

l i ke you 'd t h row a s l o w

­

pitch softba l l s a n d t h e t u rn i n g . Don 't wra p y o u r t h u m b a ro u n d t o the top of t h e t u rn i n g . H o l d i n g t h e paper u nd e rn e'l t h t h e t u rn i n g a n d using a speed of abou t 1. 200 rpm helps prevent the sa nd pa per from catching i n t he open i n gs. 4. A lt ern a t i ng bet\¥een t h e t o p and base, m a k e pa rt in g c u t s at each tenon where shown on Step 4 of the d rawing . Angle the tool where shown so the vase bottom is slightly concave and w i l l sit flat . Do the same with the top to create the a ngled opening . 5. Remove the t u rn i n g from the lathe and u se a Ys" Forstner bit to bore a hole t h rough the top of the t u rn i ng and into the hol low middle. Sand the top of the bored ope n i ng smooth . Apply fin ish .

\

I

I

,

j

I

I I •

I 9'%"

I N S I D E TEM PLATE

I

\ \

"

I

l

�

3�" d ia.

\

I

\

I I

I

O UTS I D E TEM P LATE

F U LL-S IZED

I •

F U L L-S IZE D

I

I

Buying Guide • Turning squares. 2 pieces

j

of 2 X 2 X 24" red oak , catalog no. WD29 1 . For current prices, contact Constantine's, 2050 Eastchester Rd . , Bronx, NY 1 046 1 , or call 8002 23-8087.

•

I

I

3lij" dia.

,

•

,

Project Tool List Tablesaw Jointer Drill press Ys" bit Lathe Spur drive center Cone center 12" spindle gouge Parting tool

i

II

'\

I

I

Note: We built the project using

the tools listed. You may be able to substitute other tools or equipment for listed items you don 't have. Additional com mon hand tools and clamps may be requ ired to complete the project.

64

\

\

l 'I

I

I

I

Note : T u rn bottom slightly concave

,

I

I

I

I

,

,

\ I

,

't--

2X6" dia.

rme d with a degree in :woo dwo rkin g and furn itu re desi gn from I ndia na Univ ersity of Penn sylva nia, Mark Burha ns headed for the lathe to put his knowledge and skills to work. Now, this fuH-time ntrne r/fur ni­ turemaker markets a line of turn ed cand le hold ers and weed vases. Mark, who lives in Athens O hio prefers the local Appalachian hardwoods such as cherty and walnut, for his creations. Mount the stock and turn it to s hape Mark tal b fa tening a 3 x 3 x4!1" block to hi 3" faceplate. 'I use a 1 " pindle gouge ground to a 500 a ngle for roughing the block to a cyl inder," Mark a . All that' requ ired i a 3 x 3" turning square

,..,.....,...,..� •

•

-

- T1

II II

I

::

3" faceplate

•

-

I I I 1 1 I

Part here

1

I I

I

I

4--'- - - - - -

I 1

1

4 � "-------r­

-------

True up the end of before turning it to shape. Push turning and scrap block into blade at the same

�:> L

-

I

1

�:

•

I

sh�lrp edge .

:1

l ight t o u c h . : I nd good

l' e protc ct i )fl , " \' i t h : I nd

:1

;\

p:l rt i ng t ool

b t hl' speed or 1 , 200 rpm ,

l:uk t ru es u p t he t op ( t hl' ene!

(JP )si t e t hc I':lcepb t c ) or th c holder. The n . he s w i t ches t o a %!" spind le

gouge t o t u rn t h e exteri or t o shape .

A skew is usee! to form t h e V-cut ror the hase . ( 1 a k e a fu l l -sized te rn pla t e for h e l p if necess�I Iy. ) M a r k then m ves t h e t a i lstock a ro u n I to t he end o f the candle

j lolder a nd c a l l on a part i ng tool to form the ta pered opening, Smooth cuts l eave the Ohio t u rn r with l i ttle anding before parting the holder from the waste st ck.

Flaring the tulip top comes next Mark u p ports the neck of the candle holder with a YH"-thick piece of rock, and cuts a kerf X" i nto the center of the holder where shown i n the draw ing below left. Movi ng ro a 1 x 42" strip sander, he slips the belt in to the kerf and sands at a n a ngle to fl a re the ope ning. Although it wou ld take a bit more elbow grease, you a lso could fi l e the ope n i ng to shape, " I smooth the sanded edges and fin i h-shape the flared top with a coar e and then a fine half-rou nd file," says Mark ( ee the photo above right). " Next, I wipe on a coat of Danish oil a nd let i t dry. Finally I buff the candl e holde r with a musli n buffin g whee l loade d with tripol i (a jewe ler's polis hing com poun d) . "

Project Tool List CUTTING THE KERF cut here

o/s x 2 x 6"

�rL.l..L-+I ...L Bandsaw table

I .l

5/S "

Bandsaw Strip sander Lathe Facepl a te Roughing gouge Yzil spin dle gou ge W' skew chis el Pa rtin g roo l

Note: We built the project usi ng

the tools listed. You may be able to

Mark employs half-round f....les to smooth the belt-sanded edges of

each candle holder.

------

I

I I

I

I

1 1A1 " diam.

FULL-SIZED TEMPLATE

I I

I

....J

2V2" diam.

I

I

----

1 3/4" diam.

substitute other tools or equipment for listed items you don 't have. Additional comm on hand tools and clamps may be requi red to complete the project.

65

TU RN I NG P EO I E TS •

011 out pastries, cookies, or

read dough in high style with this hefty maple rolling pin adorned with easy-rotating walnut handles. As an added bonus, build our wall-mounted maple holder to display your lathe skills and keep the rolling pin within arm's reach.

c i rc l e . R m o v e m ost o f t h e

ou./side t h e

stock

ma rked c i rcle by bevel­

make this project. You can either laminate thinner stock to the sizes listed in the Bill of Materials or use the Buying Guide on p a ge 68. We 've called the folks at Constantine's, and they 've put together a mlling-pin kit for you . Rough-shape the barrel

1 . Cut a 3 x 311 maple turning square to l l W' l ong for the barrel ( A) . 2. M a rk diagonals o n each end of the barrel to l ocate centers . O n one end, draw a 2:XII-dia meter

66

w i t h t h e m a rk d center

poi n t , a n d d r i l l a second 2 ).1I1-de p et the ba rre l a s i d e for now.

r i p p i n g t h e e d oes u s i n g a table saw

hole.

c i rc l e drawn o n t he e n d o f t h e

Make 2 turning centers

with i t s b l a d e set a t 4 5 ° . ( U 'e t he ba rrel a

.

a g u i d e w h e n t ri mm i ng

the wast e . )

3.

R e m ov e t h e s p u r center fr m

t h e l a t h e headstoc k , a nd rep l a ce i t w i t h a c h u c k fitted w i t h a �II b rad­ poi n t b i t . F i t the t a i l stock w i t h a

Note: You 'll need thick stock to

a l ign

the tail t ck

o n e center. M

next to t h e barre l , a n d a l i g n t h e m a rk d

enter p i n t

1 . C u t two piece

of Yoll h a rd ­

wood to Yoll :qu a re by 2Yoll l on g f r

( B) . M a r k d iagona l ' o n bot h e n d of e ac h piec t o I cate ce nte rs On one end of ea h t u rn i n g cenre r c u t kerfs �II

t h e t u rn i n g cenre r

.

deep a l n o ea h marked dia g on a l

, ith a hand saw. Punch a hole

n the

n d of t h e ba rre l w i t h t h e brad-po i n t I i t .

Using a hand crew c l a m p c l a m p t h e b a rr 1 I vel a hown right. 4. W i t h t h e l a t h e set a t i t s s l ow e t sp ed , drill a 2;'?-d p hole in the barrel . Y u ' l l n e d to tu rn th l athe off pe riod i ca l ly remov the shav­ i ngs, and then re ume dril l ing. (We wrapped tape on th bit to n ure dril l i ng to a n accurate depth .) Turn the barrel-clamp as embly arou nd, and fit the hole j ust drilled onto the cone center. Check that the bit ,

Drill a W' hole 2W' deep centered in

eac h end of the ma ple barrel

•

B i l l of Materials -

@

Part

�

Finished Size·

®

BAR R E L

T

W

Mat.

Qty.

1 O�"

M

1

2�"

H

2

L

ROLLING PIN

C

A' barrel

: To fi n i sh t h e vase, t h i s cra ft s m a n t u rn s i t as smoot h as possi b l e o n t h e l a t h e , a n d h a nd-sa n ds i t u s i n g as fi ne as 600-grit pa p e r. H e t h en re mo ves t h e t u rn i ng from t h e l a t h e , u ts ff t h e do w e l l i k e project i o n s , a nd d ri l l s a ';.{(," h o l e 3" deep for a t est t u be i n t h e center of t h e top. As Bruce e x pl a i ns " I appl y a si n gl e coat of Watco D a n ish O i l to '

,

Dried n owcrs c a n be d i s p l ayed

i n l h e weed pOL a s i t is. r, for n ower b u ds, i n �ert a � X 3" test t u b e inlO rhe hole .

Project Tool List: 1 3a n ds a w D ri l l p re s '/fr," b i t La t h e '

p u r d ri ve ce nter

-

Rotati ng t a i l cen ter �"

�" ro u n d n ose

,

the vase and a l low it to dry for t h ree da ys . " St i l l not satisfied, Bruce t h en appl ies t r i p o l i to a l O"-d i a­ meter cotton p a d m o u n ted to a n a rbor, a n d hand-holds t h e vase

agai nst t h e sp i n n i ng pad to b u ff i t .

At

• ruce Bernson, a self-taught

•

woodturner, lives near the beautiful coastal city of Santa Barbara, California. He has been known to search as far as Oregon for uniquely grained woods such as wild lilac and buckeye burl for his turnings. He's even found some turning "treasures" in such unlikely spots as land­ clearing sites and along the seacoast after storms. Bru ce t u rned t h e vase shown

above from a big-leaf m a p l e b u rl d ri ed i n h is own k i l n (bu i l t from a 2 , OOO-ga l l on ga

poi n t wh ere most people

wou l d call i t q u i ts , B ru ce proceed

" I start w i t h a cu be of wood approx i m a te l y 4 %;" square . I band­ b l ock to a cyl i ndrical shape

cra per

P a n i n g to I

Note: We b1l ilt the project u i ng /be tools listed. You may be a ble to u bstitute otber lools or eqUlpn'len t for listed items you dOI l 't bave. Additional corn man band lools a n d clamps may be reqU ired to complete Ihe projecl .

to use a l a m b's-wool bonnet mou n ted to another a rbor, w h ere

w a x t o t h e b u rl vase .

FU LL-SIZED H A L F PATI E R N

" F i n a l l y , " Bru ce concl udes, " I u se w h i t e g l u e to a d h ere a p iece of

Use this h alf as template

protective leather to t h e bottom o f t h e vase . A fter t h e g l u e h a

diam .

2"

h e appl ies a coat o f p u re carn u ba

dried, I

�1

trim away t h e excess l e a t h e r w i t h a

"

diam .

s h a rp u t i l i ty ra zor b l ade. I t hen ' i g n a n d n u m ber t h e vase i n t h e wood a l ng t h e l ea t h e r base w i t h

a

, • •

woo I b u rn ing to I . "

! •

Drive center

I

9/1 6"

tank).

Here's how Bruce t u rns t h is vase:

saw t h

a

p i n d I e gouge

......

, •

,

/ ,

,

,./

"

\

,

)

I

)

hole 3" deep •

3 %' diam.

, •

and mount t h e block between centers. Next, I t u rn i t rou n d , and

•

remove stock from t he ends to form two dowel-like s upports . " 1 %"

70

diaro.

\

or tho us an ds of ye ars , co ok s have gro un d he rbs , see ds, an d sp ice s i n ute nsils lik e the one below, and then sprinkled the tasty morsels on their creations. Our mortar and pestle lets you continue the tradition, accenting your kitchen's decor and your meals. Start with the pestle 1. i ng a rh o n pap r or a ph toco py a n d , pray -on adbes i\'e. tran · f r the fu l l -si z d Pe:t le a n el Mort ar Te m p l a t e p3tte rns n pagC:. to t h i n carel b a rd . _' ing a craft s k n i fe ( \\I II ed a n T_a to knife ), ca refu l l r cut tll template t shap . t the temp l a t s a ide for now. 2 . q u a l' one nel , a nd then cro cut a �" I ength from a 2" tu rn ing q u a re . ('\' u ed mapl e . ) D ra d iagonal l i n e on each end of the t u rn i ng q u a re to fi nd the center. Mount the p iece between center on o u r l athe and t hen t u rn it round (we u ed a �" gouge a n d a l athe pe d of about 1 , 000 rp m). 3. ext increa e the l athe peed to about 1 , 2 00 to 1 , 500 rpm . ow a s hown at right, t u rn the pestl e to hape u ing a �" gouge, and the p e tie template for referenc . and the p e tie smooth . ( We u ed 1 00-, 1 50- and 2 2 0-grit sandpaper.) 4. Wipe off the dust, and apply a coat of water- re istan t fini h to the p e t l e . ( We u ed Behlen'S S a l ad Bowl Finish [ ee the B u ying G uide for a o u rce] a n d appl ied i t by hand with a p i ece of clean , u ed nylo n ho e . ) Let the fin i h dIY ( over ­ nigh t) , a n d then usin g fine teel woo l or 600- grit sand pap er, l ight ly san d the fin ish . App ly a seco nd and thir d coa t , and aga in , l ight ly and , wip ing off the dus t betw een coa ts .

5. To separate the p estle, make a p a rting c u t a t the bottom end to separate the turning from the bottom waste where shown on the Pestle B l a n k d rawing o n page 72. Using a fine-toothed saw or

bandsaw, cut the top end of the pestl e . Now, hand-sand the top and I ottom ends of the pestl e smooth and apply fi ni h to the bar ends.

Next, turn the mortar to shape

1. Make a 3"-diameter a uxil iary wooden facepl a te and fit it to your l athe' 3" faceplat . (We mad ur by bandsawing a 3"-dia meter disc out of a �"-thi k p iece of olid wood scrap, and then screwing it to the faceplate. 2. To av turning work , round off the corner on a 4 "-sq u a re, 4"-thick bowl blank. (We u sed o u r jointer and d isc sander to cut down the fc;>Uf sharp corners . ) Center and g l u e (we used 5-minute epoxy) one end of the bowl blank (we used

ash for its decora tive grain but suggest using a more commonl y available wood i f you can not buy ash loca l l y ; see the Buying G u i de for a source of native-wood bl anks) onto th a uxil iary faceplate as shown on the Mortar Blank Drawing on page 72. I f you can't buy t u rning stock l oca l ly, or don 't want to order it hy mail, you can make your own blank. Simply cut five pieces of �"-thi k stock to 4X" quare . Apply gl ue to the mating faces, a l ign the edges, and then clamp the piece . 3. Thread the faceplate assembly onto your l athe'S headstock. Sl ide the tai l tock aga i n t the mortar blan1< , and lock it in position . The tail stock offer extra stabil ity while turning the morta r exterior. 4. Fini h-turn the mortar blank round. ( We used a W' roughing gouge a nd a speed of about 700 rpm . Then, we witched to a W' gouge and tu rned the blank to 3�" diameter, check ing the diameter as we turned with a n outside cali per. )

continued

71

TURNING PROJECTS •

PESTLE cOlllin ued

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I I

'-----'

-