Vessel & Vine
Posted on January 2, 2009
Vessel & Vine
We will bring in the New Year with a project I started nearly 3 months ago.
My plan was to make a lidded vessel and practice some surface treatments along with advancing my skill in the use of pre-catalyzed lacquer.
Design
The design was to be made of segments of Padauk and aspen with a fitted lid and integrated finial. This was not a project that I computer modeled, just started mak’in shavins!
Turning
Hollowed form and lid
The vessel was turned and shaped from a dried Aspen blank. The top portion of the vessel was parted off and saved for the top. A Padauk blank was glued to the top of the vessel after which the vessel was turned to final shape.
The vessel was then hollowed to about 1/8 thick.
The lid was turned from the top portion of the aspen blank including a finial.
Vines
Inlaid Vines from Black CA
The inlay was done by using a template to outline the vine. Then a piercing tool was used to relieve the outline to about a 1/8 inch depth. The relief was filled with black CA and sanded while on the lathe. The process was repeated multiple times until all pits were filled. The body remained on the chuck while carved and until the lid was finished.
Lid
Vessel Lid
The inside of the lid was turned first with a lip that fit tight into the body of the vessel. After the underside of the lid was turned and sanded the top side was turned while friction fit into the body. The finial was turned into the top (not a separate piece).
The edge of the lids turned features were enhanced with wood burned crescents. I discovered a great way to get the pattern even around the circumference of a circle without calculation and a painstaking layout.
First mark the center of the circle to be outlined with crescents.
Then draw a line across the circle splitting it exactly in half. This line is the center reference line and we will burn left and right of this line from both sides of the circle as we progress around the circumference.
I’ll see if I can explain the technique:
Starting at the reference line burn one crescent on the right of the line, then on the left of the line. Rotate the circle (180 degrees) until the reference line on the other hemisphere of the circle is in front of you. Burn a crescent on the right and left of the reference line.
Repeat this process in groups of right-left pairs followed by rotating the circle.The pattern will evenly move around each hemisphere until it reaches the equator. This leaves the very last crescents to be burned on either side of the the equator. Its likely that there will be a space that is slightly larger or smaller than the integral a crescent. At this point I make right-left adjustments as I bur the last pair of crescents. This means that the last crescents may overlap or have a small gap larger than the others. If the space is less than two crescents but larger than one I center one last crescent across the equator. I find that the error using this technique is small and if it is done evenly across the gap on both hemispheres it is not noticeable.
Look at the ring of crescents around the base of the finial in the photo above. You can see that the last crescent was burned between the previous ones but without touching them like the rest. (its the crescent that is at about 180 degrees around the ring)
Finish
Completed Vessel
The piece was finished with five coats of pre-catalyzed (precat) lacquer (Sherman Williams). Each coat only took 5 min to dry before applying the next. I found precat easy to use as it is quick drying, fills quickly, sprays predictably and polishes to a hard and deep finish. The only downside is that it has a pot life of 6 months and costs $32 a gallon.
After a week of drying the entire piece was progressively polished with Tripoli, Plastic polish and Wax.
Happy New Year,
Donnie @ Turnedoutright
Want to learn how to:
- Use free Google software to make 3D models of woodturning
- Apply a CA finish to a pen
- Turn a bowl from common boards
- Turn a functional wine glass
- Make a metal spinning tool rest
- Make a pen bushing storage cabinet, from simple parts
Then ….buy a woodturning book from Turnedoutright!!
» Filed Under Hollow Forms | Leave a Comment
A year in the webshop
Posted on December 24, 2008
As a thanks to all my subscribers here is a gift from Turnedoutright
May you have a prosperous new year and may all your 2009 projects TURNOUTRIGHT!
Download and save your free copy of “The Wine Glass Method” by clicking on the photo below.
Here are some statistics of activity at Turnedoutright over the past year.
- Turnedoutright right is visited by more than 1100-1300 visitors each month
- Visits came from 121 countries/territories using 65 languages
- Many subscribers have also bought books the most popular is “Woodturning with SketchUp“.
» Filed Under Site | Leave a Comment
Woodworking Magazine & SketchUp
Posted on December 22, 2008
Just found this link to Woodworking Magazine where you can get a few free SU furniture models.
Donnie
» Filed Under Models | 1 Comment
Alcohol soaking
Posted on November 22, 2008
A very useful site if you are interested in alcohol soaking methods.
http://alcoholsoaking.blogspot.com/
Also check out the new 3D model for “inside out” turnings that I have been working on.
» Filed Under Drying wood, Models | Leave a Comment
!
Posted on November 7, 2008
! from Cocobolo
Sometimes its fun to make something unique for a special purpose.
In my team (www.goeveryWare.net) we needed an award to give for exceptional customer satisfaction.
We dreamed up the “!” award. Then it was just a matter of having fun turning it ……..
Donnie
» Filed Under Instruments | Leave a Comment
Tools for solid surface
Posted on November 3, 2008
I recently got a request to share my tool designs for turning solid surface.
I used this style tool on the “Mortar Project & Video” .
I found that when turning plastics, acrylics and solid surfaces conventional gouges tend to grab. As a result you don’t get the smoothest cut. I reasoned that the flute and fine edge of a conventional gouge is to aggressive for a material that is solid, making it dig and then shatter the material. I ground these solid surface tools to have the best of both worlds with a bevel like a gouge and a cutting edge like a scraper.
I use the first tool for turning solid surface and the second tool for turning acrylic. I included the acrylic cutting tools because I soon plan to do a post on turning acrylic pens to a smooth finish.
Both are shop made. The first from 1/2″ W1 steel and the second from a set of punches I bought at HF. For information on forging your own tools visit “Heat Treating”.
Different size versions can be made by changing the diameter of steel.
Solid Surface Gouge, 1/2
Grind the tool face to a 4″ radius by holding it against the grinder in a vertical position. The bevel should be ground just like you would a bowl gouge and you can even use your grinding fixture. I grind mine to 45 degrees.
Cutting with this tool is mostly a scrape-ing action but as you get used to it you can tilt it at an angle to get a smoother cut. Cut slow and be sure to wear eye protection.
Solid surface gouge, 3/8
Grind this tool by holding the tool horizontal to the grinder and cut a horizontal radius. The tool itself can scratch acrylic therefore the face of this tool is ground back at 15 degrees and then polished to a mirror finish.More on using this tool when I post about Acrylic pens.
Want to learn how to:
- Use free Google software to make 3D models of woodturning
- Apply a CA finish to a pen
- Turn a bowl from common boards
- Turn a functional wine glass
- Make a metal spinning tool rest
- Make a pen bushing storage cabinet, from simple parts
Then ….buy a woodturning book from Turnedoutright!!
» Filed Under Tools | 2 Comments
Turning Tree into Toothpicks
Posted on October 31, 2008
While listening at the door of the Stubby users forum I found a shop “Down Under” that deserves a look.
Check out a fellow Stubby owners activities at Turning Trees into Toothpicks.
I especially like the hollowing tool for the Stubby:
Robbo hollowing tool
Want to learn how to:
- Use free Google software to make 3D models of woodturning
- Apply a CA finish to a pen
- Turn a bowl from common boards
- Turn a functional wine glass
- Make a metal spinning tool rest
- Make a pen bushing storage cabinet, from simple parts
Then ….buy a woodturning book from Turnedoutright!!
» Filed Under Collaborations, Stubby, Tools | Leave a Comment
Visit to Greg
Posted on October 12, 2008
Spent the week turning with Greg.
The weather was beautiful and Greg had some great wood and sound advise.
Thanks Greg…..
Figured Walnut
» Filed Under Bowls | Leave a Comment
Deep Boring Tool
Posted on October 7, 2008
I came up with a inexpensive and simple-to-make boring setup for deep vessels.
The shaft is a 1″ galvanized pipe reduced to fit a brass compression fitting.
The brass compression fitting holds a 5/8 boring bar (Grizzly H2718) a with a 1/4″ square cutting bit (Grizzly G1507) that as been ground for vessel cutting.
The boring bar can be extended, retracted or rotated by loosening the compression fitting.
The bit can be adjusted with a set screw.
Under testing (see video channel) the bit and bar held solid and the large diameter pipe reduced vibration when extended 12-24 inches over the tool rest.
I attached the handle from my Ryobi grinder to the main shaft using a electrical grounding clamp (Lowes).
» Filed Under Tools | Leave a Comment
Entered the contest
Posted on October 6, 2008
I entered the Eucalyptus clock in SmartFlix’x contest.
If you like it go vote for me….. if I win I can buy more tools 
» Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
