Chuck Rodekohr
In Memorium
- Messages
- 495
- Location
- NorCal, USA
It has been a rough week turning for me. I blew out my first attempt at making a pen. I got a disassembly kit and took it apart, turned another front and back piece and they didn’t fit because I left the wood a little proud of the bushing, thinking it would get flush with sanding, finishing and buffing.. I didn’t get it flush, so I put it back on the mandrel and took it down to the bushing. It still doesn’t fit properly so I purchased a new pen kit, and it doesn’t fit that one either. I’m taking a bowl turning class and was turning a beautiful piece spalted silver birch. I usually make bowls with straight sides, so I tried something new, making it more like the shape of an inverted Dough Boy helmet. I got the inside and outside shaped and scrapped to about 220, the best I have done so far. I thought it would look nice with a very thin burnt line on the lip edge, so when flattening the edge, I had a catch (yeah, I know - just one last cut) and the bowl exploded across the room. I took a break and decided to work on a small vase I had started. I cut a tennon to chuck up the bottom but found that it was too small for my 50 mm jaws and too large for my 25 mm jaws, so I screwed the top back on the screw chuck to turn a new tennon. Well, I must have stripped the threads because it let loose from the screw chuck and slammed into the tool rest, taking a big chunk out of the side, too big to salvage. I have another almost finished bowl, black walnut with an absolutely beautiful grain pattern that only needs the tennon removed and the base sanded and finished, but, with my bad luck this week, I passed on it until I’m fresh. I wanted to finish on a positive note so turned a small bowl from a maple burl. I have the shape completed, inside and out, but decided to put it to bed before I start scraping the inside and bottom, didn't screw this one up.
Sorry, had to vent. It's all part of learning.
Sorry, had to vent. It's all part of learning.
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