What Amazes Me...

Re: What Amazes Me...

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Wow, for once, a controvery I totally missed! I must be getting slow. No need for a recap but I wonder what stirred the pot so.

some people don't like to post

Andy in Raleigh

>I have received email when I posted questions. Often it is a simple non controversial answer that might have helped others if posted, but I figure some people don't like the public eye.

In this particular post, it would be quite intimidating to post if you weren't in total agreement. Disagreeing with a well respected turner of Russ' stature (I'm only 5'9", so it is much easier to disagree with me :) who is also a forum admin doesn't seem too wise.

The things I would hate to see come out of this is to have people be afraid to post techniques just because there is some risk or have others afraid to point out safety related issues for others to think about. I absolutely don't think the board should be censored to the degree that postings like that get erased.

Re: some people don't like to post

Barbara Gill, Remlik VA

>So I have been told; but this is an internet forum; we communicate by posting ideas in a thread for all to share. There are ways to disagree without disagreeing. For instance, if you posted a picture of you at the lathe with long unsecured hair I could handle my concern in several ways. Instead of accusing you of suggesting by example that long loose hair is appropriate at the lathe, I could post "Are you not concerned about having your hair caught and ripped from your head?". LOL

I too have exchanged e-mails with people on the forum about a subject especially if I think what I have to say is not necessarily of interest to others. What happened when Russ posted a technique commonly used by spindle turners was just wrong. Being a Walter Middy is not a good excuse for invading his personal space with complaints.

The complaining, and subsequent deletion...

BubbaBob

>...I think, actually hurt safety. Now there are folks like me who know there is something wrong with mixing fingers and spindles, but who don't have a clue what is allegedly unsafe, and don't have an opportunity to be adults and decide for themselves, because they missed the whole thing...now I wonder just what it is I am not supposed to do, and why?

I hardly turn a spindle except small ones like pens, bottle stoppers, etc, and would like to have seen the picture, along with the give-and-take on safety regarding that picture, so I could MAKE UP MY OWN MIND.

Russ, from what little I have read and heard, I don't see where you did anything wrong in posting the pic. If you want to email it to me, I'd appreciate seeing what all the whoopala was about.

BubbaBob

Re: some people don't like to post

Andy in Raleigh

>FWIW, I am NOT one of the people who emailed. I publicly posted a reply indicating that I was concerned about a couple of possible things that could if happen if I (or someone else with my humble level of experience) tried that technique. To some degree, I was fishing for someone to clarify and maybe set some parameters. What Russ was doing appeared to be quite safe; putting your hand on a rough 4x4 is probably not (OK, I can personally verify that it is not :). Somewhere in between is where it starts to be reasonable. I was hoping for a reply that talked about diameter, smoothness, "grabiness", limberness, etc.

I guess I am now feeling a little defensive even though Russ indicated that it was the private replies that made him reach the decision.

I also don't want to discourage people from emailing instead of posting if that is what they are more comfortable with. I got really good specific instructions on removing nibs from goblet interiors using the scraper via email. Not sure why that response wasn't posted as the technique works quite well for me.

Ditto!

Carole in VA

>I agree BB!

Re: some people don't like to post

Barbara Gill, Remlik VA

>Andy, I didn't think you were. My comments were not directd at you at all, except to use you in my long hair example. :-) It is just that twice recently we have had this situation occurr with negative e-mail to a poster plus the telephone call to Russ.

Re: some people don't like to post

Carole in VA

>Sure would have been nice the person who told you their technique to remove the nibs had posted so all of us could have had the benefit! Perhaps they use email because then they can pass on the knowledge only to those they deem intelligent enough to safely take advantage of that knowledge? I, for one, need all the help I can get on technigue. I also have a pretty logical little voice that lets me know when something might not be a safe operation for ME at MY experience level and I have never been one to blindly accept everything I read. Perhaps you would like to pass on the tip?

that tip...

Andy in Raleigh

>OK, here is the email without the sender's info. I tried the first suggestion with the round nose scraper and it works for me!

Hi Andy

I was going to answer your question on Wood Central, as it seemed nobody really answered your "how to take the nib out" I have two ways that I normally use, they are very similar and it mostly depends on the amount of room I have and also the tool I happen to be using, If I have my round nose scraper, I will take the nib out by holding the scraper at a 35 to 50 degree angle, but the scraper facing to the right, instead of the normal way of shear scraping the bottom, when you would hold the scraper facing to the left, I start just left and below the nib, scrape to the right and up, in a direction from say 7 o'clock to 2 o'clock, and I make sure that my scraper is sharp and I don't force the cut.

Now if I have a flat bottom and am using a square end scraper I will do basically the same as before but use the right hand corner of the scraper.

If You have the Termite or a ring hollowing tool, you can use them the same way from left to right, at or just below centerline and cutting towards center.

You don't have to believe me, just stick a piece of wood in your chuck turn a nib and take it off the way I describe, it works for me any day.

Re: some people don't like to post, NOT SO!!

Leo Van Der Loo

>Sorry Carol but that is not fair, as I read the Question from Andy and saw that several people had already answered him and nobody really gave him good advice (in my opinion), I did not want to come in as "the know it all" and tell Andy how he should use his tools to take the nib out of the bottom of a turning, I have always been free giving with my experience and knowledge, I have no hidden agenda and no connection to any business or financial interest in any of this, I do however like turning wood, I started turning wood more than 40 years ago, in my native Holland, never saw anyone else do this, had no books tools or pictures of turnings.We also had no school with woodworking tools or anything like that, also remember this was shortly after WW II, there was not much of anything, however I was the 6 or 7th generation Blacksmith and we did have a large metal work engine lathe in our shop, on that monster with scrapers made out of files, because that was the best and cheapest steel for that, I made my round wood, and yes this was done after work in the weekend, the only time off was saturday late and sunday you were not allowed to work in the shop,(I still did that sometimes though), anyway I have lots of experience using a scraper, roughing out big chunks of tropical hardwood and hollowing boxes, bowls, platters, candle holders etc., and everyone in the whole family of me and of my wife have turnings I made, I brought some along when I came to Canada in 1967.

Got myself a lathe again some years ago and have fun still making round wood.

So that is the reason I like to help out turners when they ask for some help, if I am able to help, I know it is not always easy learning to turn wood, but some help from others does make it easier, and now its time to go and close the shop and turn down the heat.

To all have fun and take care

Leo Van Der Loo