lathe tooling concepts, help

Re: lathe tooling concepts, help

TDaniel

>Unfortunately, you will be cutting a lot of endgrain when turning; not on spindles but pretty much on everything else. Do you have a plane that does a satisfactory job on endgrain? The best you can do is a shearing cut obtained by keeping the cutting edge at a 45 degree angle and riding the bevel of the tool. Beyond that, learn all the grits of sandpaper and, if possible, sand with oil. Others have more tricks but this is how I do it.

TD

Welcome Dave

Bob Hackett

>Nice to see you here.Lyn and Mike S. also hang out here too so you`re in good company.

When you`re planing difficult wood you skew the plane to present a more steeply angled blade to the wood fibers which help to shear the fibers more cleanly.This approach usually(but not always)works in turning too.The steeper the angle of the skew or wing of the gouge the more cleanly the wood can be sliced.

I`ve learned more about wood and it`s idiosyncracies from turning than I have any other aspect of WWing.I`ve come to look at air dried wood as the only REAL wood.I`ve learned volumns about wood cuttin,drying,wood movement,alternate species,and grain orientation from other turners.I have yet to find a group that`s more open and willing to share and push the edge of the envelope(outside of the neanderthal forum).

I think you`ll find that the more you turn,the more you get to know wood on a personal level.The skills you learn here will all have a direct impact on your flatwork and the way you approach wood.And you thought handtools was located on a slippery slope.

You notice Mike has been absent from the neander side lately,you`re about to find out why.BTW-if you thought his flatwork was impressive,take a look at his turning.You can start further down with his vase made from an ash knee.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Welcome Dave

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Aw shucks Bob!

You're right, I haven't been much to the neander side since these guys kidnapped me! Already on lathe number 2.

I really like it here. I absolutely LOVE harvesting my own wood and think I appreciate the creativity involved in turning more than I do finding the exact measurements and 90 degree angles of flat woodworking.

HOWEVER, everybody keeps asking me to make some more furniture, but I'm having so much fun turning I just can't seem to uncover the table saw. It has become my "anchorsealing" table.

My mother in law even offered to pay to send me to the Windsor Institute - she wants chairs.

I hope you enjoy turning as much as I have. Wax and store those handplanes, you're not gonna need'm for a while. I still use curved scrapers but thats about it!

Re: Welcome Dave

dave jeske

>Thanks guys. It is kind of refreshing to just pop some wood on/in the lathe and go at it and be totally creative. I still find that I do not yet have total control of the outcome and have to "re-create" my origonal creation. I checked out some of the attached pics of projects and am blown away. I have no idea how some of them are even done let alone the balance and form that some of them have. "I do not need another hobby, I do not need another hobby, I do not...." Oh forget it; where's the lathe? :)

skew approach?

dave jeske

>So, in theory, if I was turning a straight, smooth cylinder, would I achieve the best finish posible by using a skew at a very steep angle? The skew cutting edge would be almost perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder with the bevel rubbing on the cylinder? And the bevel would be rubbing to control the depth of cut to just a few thousandths for the final finish cut?

Or are there other techniques that I should try? Can you get similar results with a gouge? do you roll it on it's side to get a similar cutting action?

thanks,

dave

Re: skew approach?

Loose Tenon

>Dave,

I re-read your first post about the finish on maple and walnut. The skew leaves the best possible finish of all the lathe tools, BUT not on all woods. Figure, curly grain etc will often lift up and be plucked out using a planing cut. I'm surprised you havn't run across a piece of figured cocobolo, it'll do the same thing. As for the angle, if I understand your question correctly,the best angle is 45 degrees to the oncoming wood with the tool rest a little higher to keep the "toe" of the skew clear of the wood. I also prefer using a 1" skew.

HTH Loose Tenon

Re: skew approach?

dave jeske

>Thanks for the input. You mention that a skew with a planing cut may not be the best tool for some figured woods. How would you approach this situaton differently?

thanks,

dave

Re: skew approach?

Loose Tenon

>Dave,

I've had good luck with a freshly sharpened spindle gouge with a straight across grind and take light cuts from both ways and see which is the best. Or, with a spindle gouge ground with a finger nail profile shear cutting. Again using light cuts and freshly sharpened. Another trick that works for me is to soften the wood fibers with whatever your going to use as a finish, e.g. a soft paste that doesn't dry too fast or mineral oil.

HTh Loose Tenon

Re: skew approach?

dave jeske

>Thanks LT, I will do some experimenting now!

dave