07-05-2011, 09:44 PM
Thanks for your kind words Colin. Actually, among woodturners, most of the stuff that I turn is fairly unambitious - I know my limitations, and I just don't have the time to raise my game any higher! The standards attained in most woodturning clubs are very high indeed. In the local club of which I'm secretary, we have a themed competition each month - on alternatate months judged by members, who have one vote for the entry they like the best - on the interveining months, judged by a panel of three judges, of whom I'm one. Entries are given points under several criteria such as sharpness of tooling, technical challenge, standard of finish, and overall appeal. I often feel a bit of a fraud knocking off marks for slight imerfections on items so challenging that I'd struggle to attain that standard myself!
You ask about turning between centres, and I haven't done a lot, but as it happens, the Club competition this month is to turn a pair of candlesticks. I'ts not so difficult to turn one candlestick, and it's not too difficult to turn two which are similar, but to turn a pair which are identical is quite another thing, though it's easier to get away with if it's a plain timber - not laminated. I've decided to enter this month, so I can't be a judge. (Entries are anonymous, except to the competiton secretary, who isn't a judge). I've deliberately set myself a challenge by choosing a design using two timbers - beech and purpleheart, laminated in strips just under 0.25" thick. Each strip must be exactly the same thickness, and the laminated blank must be accurately centred on the lathe or the finished candlestick will look different from one side to the other, as will the two candlesticks when side by side. A glance at the picture will show what I mean - when turned, you get oval shapes, and one side will turn out larger than the other. I've made the base from wider strips or I tink it would look just too fussy, but I've deliberately included features which - if not properly centred, would show up as faults.
At least if I don't win, I've tried to ensure that I won't shame myself!
I've attached pics of the basic blank, then alongside it, turned to round, then the finished candlestock, though I need to turn three small feet in purpleheart.
I've also attached a pic of a 'ship's wheel clock' that was one of my first turning projects, which involved faceplate turning, and 8 spindles, (which should be identical!). It was made from an iroko open plan stair tread which I fished out of a skip. The wheel is in four quadrants glued together with an reinforcing strip, then the outer wheel and inner circular block which holds the clock were turned from the one blank.
As to where beginners should start, and where to get equipment, most towns will have a woodturning club, and the notice-board will be full of adverts for lathes and tools for sale when people have either given up the hobby, upgraded, or gone to the 'workshop in the sky'. Quite reasonable lathes can be had for £150 - £200. Most clubs, and ours is no exception, have professional demonstrators at each meeting, explaining techniques. There are some excellent tutors who are on the Register of Professional Turners, who run one-day 1-1 tuition sessions for everyone from raw beginners who may be thinking about taking up the hobby, to more advanced turners.
As to skew chisels - I'm afraid I avoid them like the plague - too scary by far! I really ought to try to master the skew as you get an excellent finish off the tool, but you have to concetnrate so much or a dig-in is bound to happen. I figure that I'm too young to die, but too old to have a nasty accident!
Hope that's of interest, and the pics too.
David
You ask about turning between centres, and I haven't done a lot, but as it happens, the Club competition this month is to turn a pair of candlesticks. I'ts not so difficult to turn one candlestick, and it's not too difficult to turn two which are similar, but to turn a pair which are identical is quite another thing, though it's easier to get away with if it's a plain timber - not laminated. I've decided to enter this month, so I can't be a judge. (Entries are anonymous, except to the competiton secretary, who isn't a judge). I've deliberately set myself a challenge by choosing a design using two timbers - beech and purpleheart, laminated in strips just under 0.25" thick. Each strip must be exactly the same thickness, and the laminated blank must be accurately centred on the lathe or the finished candlestick will look different from one side to the other, as will the two candlesticks when side by side. A glance at the picture will show what I mean - when turned, you get oval shapes, and one side will turn out larger than the other. I've made the base from wider strips or I tink it would look just too fussy, but I've deliberately included features which - if not properly centred, would show up as faults.
At least if I don't win, I've tried to ensure that I won't shame myself!
I've attached pics of the basic blank, then alongside it, turned to round, then the finished candlestock, though I need to turn three small feet in purpleheart.
I've also attached a pic of a 'ship's wheel clock' that was one of my first turning projects, which involved faceplate turning, and 8 spindles, (which should be identical!). It was made from an iroko open plan stair tread which I fished out of a skip. The wheel is in four quadrants glued together with an reinforcing strip, then the outer wheel and inner circular block which holds the clock were turned from the one blank.
As to where beginners should start, and where to get equipment, most towns will have a woodturning club, and the notice-board will be full of adverts for lathes and tools for sale when people have either given up the hobby, upgraded, or gone to the 'workshop in the sky'. Quite reasonable lathes can be had for £150 - £200. Most clubs, and ours is no exception, have professional demonstrators at each meeting, explaining techniques. There are some excellent tutors who are on the Register of Professional Turners, who run one-day 1-1 tuition sessions for everyone from raw beginners who may be thinking about taking up the hobby, to more advanced turners.
As to skew chisels - I'm afraid I avoid them like the plague - too scary by far! I really ought to try to master the skew as you get an excellent finish off the tool, but you have to concetnrate so much or a dig-in is bound to happen. I figure that I'm too young to die, but too old to have a nasty accident!
Hope that's of interest, and the pics too.
David
