In re reading one of his books there is a chapter on threading. He has a really goox tip on making a lidded box. He made a sort of tube shaped box. He put what would be the bottom in a chuck. Then he practiced chasing threads on the entire outside. Be said this was to develope muscle memory. After you get comfortable with the speed the tool needs to travel tirn the male thread tenon and then chase the threads in that. Then you turn away the practice threads and finish the box. I think that would be a great way to start a thread chasing demo.
I brought 2 of his books. I finished both and took them to the car. Im sure ill get a break sometime this morning and can go back there. They are releasing my stepson sometime today after we meet with the oncologist and other people tomset up the radiation and chemo that he needs.
He has a really cool technique for matching any thread pitch on a spindle. The example he uses is matching the threads on an antique. Going to be hard to describe but ill try. imagine an L shaped support that sits on the lathe bed. On this support you have drilled a hole in a block that has been glued to that L. The hole is the same size as the spindle you are about to thread. You mount a 60 degree cutter in the headstock. Now the L block with you spindle is adjusted to give the proper thread depth. You mount a bolt with a nut of the thread you need to match so that it pushes against the spindle you are going to thread. Hot glue the bolt to the spindle. Now you just turn the bolt so it pushes against the spindle and pushes and rotates the spindle past the cutter. How cool is that. If you have trouble understanding that i will try to post a photo in the next day or so when we get home from the hospital
Darlow has to be my favorite woodturning author - he presents not only the "how" but the "why", and in incredible detail.
For those unfamiliar, Darlow is very precise and technical with well-written descriptions accompanied by excellent illustrations and amazing photos including cuts in action. He doesn't use photos as pretty filler as some I've read.
I learned woodturning from books of Darlow and Raffan but I learned more from Darlow. His coverage of tools is a great education for the beginner. He includes many well-designed exercises to build skills. Some YouTubers might not have the patience for his technical style but I believe those who like to read and think can get a lot from him. If unclear how one can possibly learn precise tool control from a book just work through his Fundamentals of Woodturning!
If you ask Mike Darlow what time it is he will tell you how to build a clock. I find his books hard to read because there is so much information in every sentence. You kind of have to read it and then ask youself, what is he trying to tell me. Really fun books. I was surprised as i re read them how many of the projects or techniques i have used
Darlow's books are quite thorough. But during a demo, if you ask him what time it is, he will tell you how to build a clock. For a demo, he was way too in the weeds for my taste. But that was 15 years ago.
