The Conservative Cave

Interests => Hobbies => Topic started by: ScubaGuy on December 13, 2013, 07:48:50 PM

Title: Wood turning
Post by: ScubaGuy on December 13, 2013, 07:48:50 PM
Wondering if any other Cavers have been bitten by the wood turning bug?

About 2 years ago I bought a used one just to make a couple spindles for a piece of bedroom furniture I was making and to see if I would like it.  Now I'm a few thousand dollars, 2 large holly trees and a quite a bit of oak that was supposed to be for firewood into it and I can't stop.

I've always enjoyed woodworking, but this is just fun.

Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: JohnnyReb on December 13, 2013, 07:59:57 PM
Wondering if any other Cavers have been bitten by the wood turning bug?

About 2 years ago I bought a used one just to make a couple spindles for a piece of bedroom furniture I was making and to see if I would like it.  Now I'm a few thousand dollars, 2 large holly trees and a quite a bit of oak that was supposed to be for firewood into it and I can't stop.

I've always enjoyed woodworking, but this is just fun.


Do you visit this site?

http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/forum/turning.pl

I turned a few pens, small bowls, boxes and plates a few years back.....but some people really get it bad and I say, "If you like your turning, you can keep on with your turning, ...period."
Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: ScubaGuy on December 13, 2013, 08:55:44 PM
Do you visit this site?

http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/forum/turning.pl

I turned a few pens, small bowls, boxes and plates a few years back.....but some people really get it bad and I say, "If you like your turning, you can keep on with your turning, ...period."

That site, sawmill creek and few others have been great for leaning what to do, and what not to do.  They also pointed me to some really good instructional videos and how to go about green wood turning.  Learning how to use a skew was kicking my butt until someone pointed me to an Alan Lancer tutorial. 

I took down a couple of holly trees for a neighbor back in February and tuned them into about 50 various size vases, bowls and a couple of dozen various size goblets. I would have gotten more from them but some powder post beetles beat me to the rest of that wood.  Did all the rough turning up through July, and have been finish turning the pieces as they dried over the last couple months.  That stuff was an absolute pleasure to turn when it's green.  Kind of like turning a raw potato. 

It the between time I took some of the better oak pieces that I should have been cutting into firewood and made some salad bowls and a couple of large planters.  By spring the big oak pieces should be dry enough to finish but I think it may be a bit colder in the house without the extra firewood.



Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: marv on December 13, 2013, 09:41:23 PM
A friend gave me a large piece of native Missouri black walnut from a tree that had been felled by a lightning strike. After making a couple of ships, a WW1 British bomber (it's up at the library on display now), and some other small things, I decided to do something different.

I made a "dead box".

It's kinda like a time capsule since it contains things personal to me with some value, including historical, and only I know what's in it. It's just a simple wooden box with some handles for decoration, but no lid. It's completely sealed and assembled with dowels and wood glue. No metal in the construction except for screws attaching the handles, but the contents rattle when it's shaken. Two items of value are over 150 years old.

Somebody will get it when I pass away. Morbid? I don't think so.
Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: Skul on December 14, 2013, 02:11:03 AM
Wondering if any other Cavers have been bitten by the wood turning bug?

About 2 years ago I bought a used one just to make a couple spindles for a piece of bedroom furniture I was making and to see if I would like it.  Now I'm a few thousand dollars, 2 large holly trees and a quite a bit of oak that was supposed to be for firewood into it and I can't stop.

I've always enjoyed woodworking, but this is just fun.
You brought back a flood of memories from decades ago.
Back when "wood shop" in school, was still available.
I still apply some of that today.
Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: ScubaGuy on December 14, 2013, 09:56:51 AM
A friend gave me a large piece of native Missouri black walnut from a tree that had been felled by a lightning strike. After making a couple of ships, a WW1 British bomber (it's up at the library on display now), and some other small things, I decided to do something different.

I made a "dead box".

It's kinda like a time capsule since it contains things personal to me with some value, including historical, and only I know what's in it. It's just a simple wooden box with some handles for decoration, but no lid. It's completely sealed and assembled with dowels and wood glue. No metal in the construction except for screws attaching the handles, but the contents rattle when it's shaken. Two items of value are over 150 years old.

Somebody will get it when I pass away. Morbid? I don't think so.

That's a really great idea.  Have to wonder how many generations that will be passed down through before it's opened.

It's a shame that wood shop is no longer part of grade school education. 
Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: marv on December 14, 2013, 10:37:20 AM
That's a really great idea.  Have to wonder how many generations that will be passed down through before it's opened.

(http://members.socket.net/~mcruzan/images/Dead%20Box.jpg)

Don't know how many generations, depends on human curiosity.

BTW, my high school had a metal shop as well as wood. I took both and learned a lot of USEFUL things.
Title: Re: Wood turning
Post by: Skul on December 14, 2013, 05:46:38 PM
(http://members.socket.net/~mcruzan/images/Dead%20Box.jpg)

Don't know how many generations, depends on human curiosity.

BTW, my high school had a metal shop as well as wood. I took both and learned a lot of USEFUL things.
Nice box.

Don't forget leather tooling, and plastic shop.
We had those along with the others in Jr. high.