Ellsworth on woodturning

Re: Ellsworth on woodturning

John C Lucas

That was supposed to read " a very good discussion". Don't you love typing on a phone. Wonderful book. He has a way with words. For example when talking about riding the bevel on the skew and getting a catch and I quote" while not usually dangerous to the turner,it does leave a rather deep, flowing spiral groove on the wood, the beauty of which is generally matched only by the intensity of the language that follows."

Re: Ellsworth on woodturning

John K Jordan

Yikes, a book I haven't seen! Thanks for the recommendation, I just ordered a copy. (Reminder to WCers - click on the Amazon link at the bottom and WoodCentral gets a few pennies to help keep the virtual doors open!)

I hate typing on the phone. Unlike my laptop computer, the darn phone (or iPad) forces me to actually read what I wrote before I send it. Ack...

JKJ

Learned some

John C Lucas

Re reading has been valuable. I don't guess I really understood how his well thickness gauge worked. I had the General idea but missed a fine detail. One leg points toward another so you can change it by flipping to put opposing ends inside. This makes it easier to keep the points perpidicular to the wall.

It also brought up a question on tool orientation inside the vessel. I'll have to do some draw I be to clarify my question. That will have to come later after this hospital stay which hopefully will and by Friday if we are lucky

Re: Ellsworth on woodturning *LINK*

Keith Newton

That is all you are going to say about it?

Is that in reference to trying to orient a blank to go onto the lathe, or before taking down a tree?


https://www.flickr.com/photos/7391658@N03/33253648456/in/album-72157644966697167/

Re: Ellsworth on woodturning

John C Lucas

Still in the hospital with stepson. Has doing really well. What Da is showed were rough drawings of burls on a tree with sketches of vessels and bowls inside the burl to show how it might work.

Re: Ellsworth on woodturning

Keith Newton

Thanks and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

About the pic in my question above *LINK*

Keith Newton

I got distracted and didn't finish what I intended to share.

I was thinking about what you said in the beginning about questions on this forum in the past about how best to harvest a burl. A few weeks ago I was out for a canoe paddle when I took that shot. https://www.flickr.com/photos/7391658@N03/33253648456/in/album-72157644966697167/

In it you can read through the bark what the wood is like inside. Sometimes burls can be a big wonderful cluster of bud-knots and swirls, then others can be just a big plain uninteresting bump. This shot shows both, with the plain one at the bottom, and the better one up top.

However, in between, due to the fact that the cells grow faster in the burl than surrounding wood. Not only does it grow outward, as the bulge gets larger, it pushes down and up on the area of normal grain above and below, causing that wood to deviate from normal straight vertical grain. In the photo you can see some wonderful wavy figure in the bark.

If you leave it to and arborist or tree service to cut the tree however they see fit, they'll probably cut through the best part, so if you know your going to get some wood from a tree you've ask about, and the property owner has given permission to, your probably not going to be thrilled by where they cut it.

Back when I was doing lots of natural top/edge turning, I would go out to the tree with a ring of expandable stiff wire that I could place on top of the surface, usually after debarking, to see just what would fall within the ring as I moved it around. Later with a router, I cut some concentric rings of 1/2" MDF, from about 8" up to 36". With those, when I find where I like the looks of the top, I screw it on before starting the chainsaw, so as I'm roughing out the blank, I know where the edges are, and can cut a bottom parallel to that ring. THis allows me to get rid of a lot of extra waste which allows me to lift more larger blanks onto my big bandsaw, where I can then saw just outside of the ring, giving me a fairly true circle to start turning on. I've found this to be a huge time saver.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/7391658@N03/33253648456/in/album-72157644966697167/

Ellsworth book

John K Jordan

I got the book today, looks interesting and useful - thanks for the info.

JKJ

Re: Ellsworth book

Robert Lalonde

What a fun coincidence, John. I am currently re-reading David's book now as well. I agree that the second time around is well worth it. I can't believe the stuff I missed the first time.

I also just finished reading Dale Nish's 1975 book Artistic Turning. Not only a great read but also a fun look back to see how turning has evolved.

reading and rereading

John K Jordan

>>>I can't believe the stuff I missed the first time.

That is the truth. I keep some of my favorites handy (Raffan and Darlow) and re-read sections periodically.

If we can't believe what we missed at earlier readings, just imagine what the YouTube generation will miss by never reading the book at all.

I once worked with a guy who at about 40 years old (not a woodturner) told me that he had never read an entire book in his life. I was speechless. My wife and I are both readers - she is keeping a log for the first time this year and if the first two months are any indication she will read well over 100 books this year.

I am always on the alert for books I haven't read. For woodturning, I just today got a copy of "The Frugal Woodturner" - from flipping through it at minimum it should be an interesting read. I might need to expand my library space...

JKJ

Re: reading and rereading

Robert Lalonde

John J, that's an amazing story about the man who had never finished reading a book. I can't imagine a day going by without reading at least an hour.

I haven't read The Frugal Woodturner, but Ernie's book, The Lathe Book, is the first turning book I read. Still have it; still refer to it from time to time.

Speaking of YouTube, not long ago, I ran across a bunch of woodworking videos that looked like they had been "pirated" from old VHS tapes. The New Yankee Workshop was there as were a few of David Elsworth and many others. I am assuming that all of this stuff is copyrighted material and is actually no longer there. Why am I bringing this up here? Because included were several John Jordan videos. Thought you might want to know if you were unaware.

what's in a name...

John K Jordan

>>>... a bunch of woodworking videos that looked like they had been "pirated" from old VHS tapes. ... included were several John Jordan videos. Thought you might want to know if you were unaware

Oh no, another (understandable) mixup. :-) I've shot and produced a lot of videos in my life but never one on woodturning!

The other John Jordan (the famous woodturner) might want to knock some heads together if we can find the thieves.

We both live in TN, are the same age, and are both incredibly wonderful people! :-) He's been playing with lathes a lot longer, just 15 years or so for me. Neither of us have opted for a name change to minimize the occasional confusion. So far no one has sent me any of his money! The other John does read this forum and posts occasionally so maybe he will see this.

Here's a picture at the TAW symposium from some years ago, Doug Thompson, John Jordan, John Lucas, and me, John K Jordan!

JKJ

Re: what's in a name...

Robert Lalonde

Sorry! I didn't realize that you have a twin.

Re: what's in a name...

John K Jordan

>>>Sorry! I didn't realize that you have a twin.

The things my mother never told me...

Maybe I should start a business, John K Jordan Woodturning. Nah!

JKJ