WWA Info Exchange

As you know I am a 'Square' woodworker, I make furniture and the like.



But while I have been away I have been using my lathe to make 'Round' things, like a spurtle (a thing for stirring porridge)...



...and a bowl



Then with my new-found confidence and my 3 hours 27 minutes of experience under my belt I offered to make my SIL some lace bobbins



All was fine on the lathe, I was getting on great. I managed to wreck all five blanks I had cut. So I went in and had a nice warm beer and decided that I was a 'Square' woodworker...



...a week later I ordered a new lathe and chuck - I think I am slipping!

Ralph

Edit to correct spelling - Thanks Tom

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our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
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Ralph
You have just stated why I do not do lathe. I am afraid of the addiction.

Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

I, too, am afraid that I would give up square woodworking if I had a lathe.

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Uncle Fester WWAMDAUX#3
La Plata, Maryland
Does Anyone Have A Comb?
Home Of A Beautiful DJ 20
I Say.... BUY DELTA!!
10,000 posts--Easter Sunday, 2008--7:43pm

Hey Ralph,

I always thought it was spelled, "spurtle".
That is quite a fancy one. The bobbins are intriguing too. I was never much at the lathe. I can make things round, but my highest accomplishments were a cocktail "muddler", and a fish club.

Tom

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"There is no path to peace, peace is the path."
Mohandas K. Ghandi

Ralph,
I'm a square wood worker too but, I have made some round things also......with a saw.......



See "Super Bowl"




See "Another vase"

A scrollsaw!
As far as the lace bobbins go, I would have better luck with a pocket knife.
As for the warm beer, you can keep it! I'm a "the colder the better" beer man myself.

Rog

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Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

Ralph, I'm supposed to be making some bobbins for my Mum soon - you're making me worry a bit....

on the other hand, your spurtle and bowl look great!

For the bobbins, do you have/have you considered changing the bevel on your spindle gouge? (In my quite short experience) I find that with little thin pieces I've had more success with a very (very) sharp taper on my gouge-- also known as a "fingernail grind" Most stock spindle gouges will not come with this grind on it--(of course) thougth they are beginning to sell some that do. I re-ground mine a while back and the gouge seems much more "sensitive" (I don't know how else to describe it than that) and less likely to "grab" long grain as it breaks out of a spindle. The only drawback I've encountered is that the edge is VERY thin and I've actually broken off edges/chipped edges before. (If I showed you a picture of the grind right now you would see what I'm talking about. I haven't re-ground mine since my last break)

Heck, I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but maybe it helps,
Lawrence

Hey Ralph,
Don't give up on the bobbins just yet.
The chuck is a good start to stabilize the bobbin blank, but you need something on the tailstock end besides that center point. It just causes too much wobble/flex...

Use a cup center instead. Cut your blank so that the square will just barely go in the cup center. That will be a vast improvement.

When I did my first bobbins, it took me an hour after several failed attempts to complete one. But taht was because I had the blank between two point centers. I finally wised up....

I now use the cup center that came with my Jet mini. The point center comes out, and a 5/16 blank will just fit in the cup and taper.. I can now do a bobbin every 15 minutes (I think).

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Experience - Adding to the ability to get into trouble, the ability to get out of it.

You need a steady. With delicate stuff, look to a string steady in one of its forms. http://www.scrollsaws.com/WoodLathe/woodlatheString.htm
http://www.neowta.com/Articles/stringsteady.htm http://www.hiltonhandcraft.com/Articles ... Steady.asp

For larger diameter you can make the standard Bodger's steady diagrammed in Frank Pain's The Practical Woodturner or all kinds of elaborate modern types based on inline skate wheels.

After that, a sharp chisel and a delicate touch are important, as is a mere touch on the tailstock point. Putting ANY pressure on it can flex small stuff, so be careful.

Ralph -

You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet..

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Every time I hear of another woodworker sliding down the slope to turning I put my fingers in my ears and shout LA, LA, LA, LA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. I have too many addictions already.

I dunno, Ralph. You look pretty round in that pic.

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I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

Woo!

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Experience - Adding to the ability to get into trouble, the ability to get out of it.

Who me? Round? what do you mean?

It has taken 54 years to perfect that shape

Ralph

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk

Ralph,
Step away from the lathe and repeat "flat and square, flat and square...."
A lathe is only useful to make parts for furniture!

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Dick
Member SAPFM

Feel the force ... it is sucking you into the vortex ... the round side of woodworking. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

-Joe

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... Home of the inefficient workshop.
... Specializing in designer firewood.

Welcome to the VORTEX Ralph. Just remember though, just because you enjoy round, doesn't mean you have to give up square.

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Frank
WWACOAUX#1
"I love the smell of Sawdust in the morning, it smells like, victory."
WWA'ers I've met: Popeye, Ed Avery, Stephen Wolf, Rockfish, Rodedon

hi ralph ,

first off welcome back, you have been away too long and were missed.

secondly and unrelated to your topic ; i was just wondering what kind of handsaw that is in your tool cabinet (very nice btw) pic#1 left side . i would also like to know what that jig is on the right side of the same picture , some type of tramel arm or circle cutting jig ? the hold down clamp on it caught my eye and made me look twice

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grizzly

what are you building today ???

Thanks for all the advice. I have now managed to turn my first Bobbin. I may look more like a miniature baseball bat but it is in one piece.

Here is a picture of the set up I used


Some friction polish to finish


My finished bobbin!


That's it I have officially gone round so I had better pack my bags and hang out on the turning forum

Grizz,

The saw is one of a pair. that is a panel saw and hanging next to it but out of the picture is a half-rip. both are modern saws and made by Victor here in the UK.


That jig is indeed a shop made circle/curve cutting jig for a router. The hole takes a standard 30mm guide bush and the head is adjustable to enable fine adjustment between the set holes in the trammel bar.

Ralph

_________________
...Did I mention it rains here?

our other interests:
http://ralphsworkshop.blogspot.com/
http://notinmyfridge.blogspot.co.uk
https://my-meccano.blogspot.co.uk