A humbling experience!

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I volunteered to turn 12 bubinga knobs for a fellow woodworkers project. What a humbling experience! I practiced for 3 weeks using up about 5' of 3" by 3" poplar. I started with 3 12" x 2" x2" bubinga. I could get 5 - 2" x 2" x 2" pieces out of each of the 3 pieces of bubinga. The 6th piece was to small to be held in the jaws I have for my chuck.

Trying to make 12 identical knobs was a challenge. It proved to me how well honed my turning skills really are...or are not! I called and was talking with John Hart about it and he said.....You remember what NAVY stands for don't you?....NO......Never Again Volunteer Yourself!.....I'd forgotten......:eek:

So here they are for your display and scrutiny.....15 bubinga knobs...I hope the guy can find 12 he can use!

For you beginner turners....the last photo is the remnants of the blanks. Look at the "shoulders" or "tenons"....the jaws of the chuck grasp the tenon but the pressures exerted during turning are actually supported on the shoulders where the tenon meets the body of the wood. Some of the tenons were only 1/8 long.

knob1.jpg

knobs2.jpg

tenon1.jpg
 
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Despite your trials and tribulations, they came out looking very nice, Ken. I try real hard to not make the same thing twice...I'll bet you can see why now. :p
 
Great Job Ken!

Hello Ken,

I feel your pain... My first production run was a real eye opener.:eek: Looks like a very nice production run you have there, congrats! Bubinga is a nice wood to work with. I've had an 18" x 18" x 5" thick bowl blank of Bubinga for a few years and have yet to turn it. Love those exotics!:D :D :D Take care and best wishes to you and yours!
 
Ken, I already said this once on that "other forum" - ya dun good on these knobs. Unless they are going to be put side by side on a piece, no one will ever know that they aren't "production run" pieces (except you), and you are soon going to have people knocking on your door to do more. Are you ready???

Nancy
 
A fellow contacted me about reproducing about 40 finials for an antique he was restoring. These were large things, over 4" tall and pretty fancy. I gave him a quote of $35.00 each. He really flipped and said he could buy a lathe for that kind of money and do it himself. I politely as possible suggested that was exactly what he should do. Last I heard, he still needed his finials. You did well, and I'm sure it was a learning experience.
 
Ken, like with table legs, the thing is to turn 12 "Similar" knobs, if they really need/want 12 "Identical" ones, they should buy them ready made, cut on some CNC machine.

The hand turned "Similar" knobs will give life and character to the piece of furniture that no CNC "Identical" knobs ever will.

You done good, DARN GOOD!! :clap: :thumb:
 
Nice job Ken. I'm a sucker for knobs. They're my passion. I would be using all 15 knobs. They look really great. :D It had to be hard trying to make each one as close as possible to the others. They would look great on my kitchen cabinets....hint hint.
 
...They would look great on my kitchen cabinets....hint hint.
Git yer lathe fired up, lady...hint hint. :rofl: :D

When you get going, you can even make different knobs for different times of the year and swap them out occasionally. ;) Or use your cabinets as a "gallery" of all the different knobs you turn. :)
 
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