A Learning Adventure in the Workshop

Chairs Finished

The two Adirondack chairs rolled off of the assembly line this weekend and are ready for paint.  My wife is going to take care of that part of the job...a shade of blue.

Its time to clean up the shop and get to the next project.  This week I hope to produce enough of the garden railroad trackbed in the shop that my son and I can begin laying it over the upcoming weekend in the yard.  Constuction of the track bed should go pretty fast with the jig that I made before doing the chairs.

Additionally, I am once again looking to work on my experimental "design" for a twist-milling jig for the lathe that I attempt a few months ago with limited success. The prototype that  I made had way too much wiggle in the router to make clean cuts.   I am going to disassemble the prototype #1 and try to make a second prototype that is based on John Kleinbauer's CNC design for the lathe called a "wood turtle."   I'm not sure if I am going to go the full "CNC" route as John does, or stick with the modified manual design like prototype #1 (who am I kidding, I want to play with the CNC!)  This is a low priority project that is really just for fun.  I bought John's plan over the internet and they look good.  I might not get to it for a while.

For now, the shop's main projects are:

1. garden railroad trackbed
2. two Greene & Greene desks
3. modified Wood Turtle

Baker's Pin Trick Works!

I've solved the problem of getting the diameter of my baker's pins to be consistent to within 1/16th of an inch across their entire length.  Free-hand turning was only getting me to within a 1/16th and a "sizing tool" left too much tear-out.  I could feel the 1/16th in difference with my hand, and for pastry, it was too much.

I came up with a method that gets the deviation to within one thousandth of an inch.  More than consistent enough...

Just turn the baker's pin to within a 1/16th free-hand, and then loosen the tool rest on the lathe (the longer the tool rest the better, I used a 12" rest).  Now take some coarse sandpaper (60 grit) and wrap it over the leading edge of the tool rest and attach with some spring clamps so that the entire front edge is covered.

Now, with the lathe running at about 3000 rpm and the tool rest loose(not tightened at all) push the tool rest forward into the wooden pin until it makes FLAT contact across its whole length.  Now slide the tool rest back-and-forth in a planing action until it is perfectly flat. Repeat until you see no light under a straight edge (with the lathe off!). Perfect!

Rock Maple French Baker's Pin

I turned a French Baker's Pin out of Rock Maple for my wife this weekend.  It is a simple 2" diameter rod that is 20" long.  It must be perfectly straight to function properly for rolling pastry.   I completed it with no more than 1/16 inch deviation in diameter from end-to-end.  After finishing it, I think that the tolerance should have been even tighter.  Not sure how to do that though....may take some experimentation on my part to refine the method beyond free-hand turning.  After my wife uses this prototype, I will know if the 1/16" deviation is acceptable or not.  No finish, just sanding to 400 grit on the lathe.

Otherwise, it was a simple project that has a nice heavy feel.  I like it.

Edric Florence

Attend another gallery opening (Bird-in-Hand in Sewickley, PA) by my wood turning teacher, Edric Florence.  Edric has turned out some incredible new pieces (pun intended). 

Edric has developed a new method of stabilizing green turnings that have many natural voids (not sure he would want me to post it here!).  He had several new turning done in this manner with root-stock.  Click here to view them.

Amazing!

Upgrade the NOVA DVR Lathe Handles

I love my Nova DVR lathe by Teknatool (www.teknatool.com), but like other Nova owners I found that the various handles that came with the lathe did not live up to the quality of the rest of the tool.

Luckily, this is easily fixed by replacing the handles with better ones.  Someone on the MSN Nova owners group recommended the following parts from www.reidtool.com (sorry, I can't find the post to credit the originator!). 

Just go to Reid Tool and search on these part #s.

ONE of part #KHX-60 95MM ZINC HANDLE to replace the quill-lock handle.

ONE of part #KHX-345 95MM ZINC HANDLE to replace the tool-rest handle.

TWO of part #ESP-85 PUSH-FIT SOFT HANDLES to use as soft covers for the steel tool rest base handle and the tail-stock base handles.  You will need to slightly drill out the plastic on these handle covers to make them fit, but it is easily done.

If you have the outrigger assembly on your lathe, get another of the KHX-345s so that you can replace the tool rest handle on the outrigger also.

These changes may work on the standard Nova 3000 lathe too, but I'm not sure.

This is a great upgrade to the tool and worth the $25 or so. See finished handles in photos above.

This is a collage of

This is a collage of several of the shop-built tools and jigs that I hav constructed over the past couple of years.  Note the plywood boxes in the NOVA lathe stand.  They contain about 200 lbs of sand to help to stablize the lathe.

Spalted Birch Natural Edge Bowl

Spalted Birch Natural Edge Bowl

Above picture is of a bowl that I completed while working with Edric Florence.  Its one of my favorites so far.

New Wood Turning Project Photos

Finally got around to photographing and uploading some photographs of my recent green-wood turnings.  See woodturning Photo Album at right to view them.

Notes from my first classes with Edric Florence in 2004

Below are the notes that I took during my first two classes with Edric Florence (an excellent local turner) in the fall of 2004.  They look simplistic now, but they still do me good to read from time to time.

1. don't be afraid to roll the gouge WAY over - almost past 90-degrees, leaving only about 1/32 between wood and top of gouge
2. remember, Ellsworth bowl gouge is 3-tools in one, gouge and two shear edges - gouge with the open face and tip, and shear with a closed face and wings
3. shearing should produce very fine shavings and little/no end-grain damage
4. don't bother rounding the piece when first mounted, just start cutting from the back of the bowl toward the bowl edge and it will round itself
5. keep back of gouge handle LOW and face CLOSED to shear cut - choke up on the gouge if necessary
6. Keep the rest very close to the work and move it often
7. Rest can be below center as long as cutting edge is at center
8. squaring up the blank on the lathe is very important on natural edge bowls - use the fingers on the rest to measure and align otherwise wall thickness will not be even due to the difference in edge height
9. use knock-out bar to hit piece when mounting and then re-tighten pieces after a few whacks
10. don't use the tail-stock wheel lock so that you can continually retighten
11. keep tail stock VERY tight with the wheel as you go
12. microwave on 30% power for 30 seconds about 45 minutes apart until weight does not change
13. don't run the lathe when you sand
14. WD-40 on the oils stones and lathe ways
15. SHOULDER is most important part of chuck grip, not base against chuck unless piece is large
16. Cyano glue (thin) to stabilize spalt, bark, etc...lots of it
17. Use accelerator on the cyan glue and dry with shavings
18. never get the pith in your work piece, it can be in the tenon if necessary
19. 6-parts water to 1 part dish soap soaking mixture to stabilize green wood.
20. when cutting the inside of the bowl, RUB the bevel on the bowl wall
21. don't grip too hard

Above is picture of one of my first natural edge bowls (spalted birch).

Hello (and a little background)!

This blog will be an experiment for me....I'm going to try and use it to help me absorb the lessons that I learn in the woodshop. I'm teaching myself, with occasional help from professionals, to work wood. I'm learning to be a cabinetmaker (see cherry bed above), and have recently become hooked on the lathe.

Until recently, I've been taking turning lessons from an excellent local turner named Edric Florence.  I'm taking a break from the lessons for a few months to give me some time to practice what I've learned so far.

I manage a technology consulting group during the day, and am a father and repressed woodworker by night. I finally have equipped my workshop to the point where I can no longer use it as an excuse, so here I go!

Matt