What I learned about wood turning today

allen levine

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1. Rome wasnt built in a day
2. Spanish cedar can become very costly if you use it for firewood
3. Wood turning takes something I dont have, talent.
4. Rome wasnt built in a day
5. Spanish cedar can become very costly if you use it for firewood
6. Rome wasnt built in a day




Please laugh with me, and not at me.:(
 

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Not laughing Allen, but smiling. :)

You have probably already had this thought, but in case you haven't, I'd suggest picking up a couple or three 2 x 4 studs, cut them into 12" to 16" lengths, then rip them into 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" spindle practice blanks. Then proceed to try all sorts of different shapes and cuts and such. By the time you've turned most of those 2 x 4s into shavings, you'll have a lot better feel for what you can and cannot do for your cabinet legs. ;)
 
I ran out of 2x4s, been cutting them up and spinning shapes, figured I really need to spin what Im going to turn and see how it feels.
Im patient. Worst that will happen is that Ill just spin the legs round on the bottom for my kids cabinets, and shell have to live with it.
 
Hey Allen, i dont turn!!! yu dont need to listen to this so close your ears:) you do need to listen to vaughn, make some prototypes get one right or two parts from two legs right then add them together on one leg,,still using scrap..after yu get one that looks the way you want it on scrap then measure and transfer the measurements to your good wood and go slow, you have all day or all week to make these. get your self a caliper and use it for the diameter measuring, the pencil will give yu the start and stop lines for length of profile. then make a template of what you have outa the first good wood one and use that as a gauge to make the others cut and check and still use your measurements and caliper for the dimensioning..
 
Allen,

You're right, Rome was not built in a day (It took a whole week, & a half, if I remember correctly. But that was a long time ago. I forget now)

For someone who doesn't turn, Larry has given you good advice. Do what he and Vaughn have suggested. Practice will let you find that hidden talent for turning you say you don't have. Take it slow. Try all kinds of shapes. Learn your tools. It will come.

And, nobody is going to laugh at you. We all started there at one time.

Aloha, Tony
 
another thing you want to do, is keep your speed reasonable. not too slow, nor too fast. if you get a catch at high speed, best case is it feels like when you hit a baseball too close to your hands and you get that impact shock up your arms, worst case would be what i just mentioned, along with the possibility of very rapidly moving parts of what you were turning moving past you, while you are still wondering what happened. DAMHIK :D:thumb:
 
Ill be in there in the am, cutting down some 2x4s or ripping some down when my neighbor isnt looking, maybe out of his shed.
I think these legs might be salvagable, but I will keep practicing.
I dont give up.
 
Ummm Allen...

...none of started out as experienced turners:D It takes time to develop any skill, and maybe some instruction. Those leg samples you show are really quite good especially for some one who has only been turning for a total of a few hours :eek: You're a smart guy so I know you will figure this all out. Sharpening is an entirely separate skill set, so take your time with that too.

That whole "Rome wasn't built in a day" thing is a great way to look at this. Just like getting to Carnegie Hall-Practice, Practice, Practice:thumb:

Oh, and have fun too.
 
I discovered today I think I need a chuck. Would make turning knobs for drawers a bit easier I think. I had 3 pieces of walnut shatter on me when I tried to cut in.
I keep looking for a chuck on sale somewhere. My grinder hopefully will be here tomorrow. Im not turning anything else till I sharpen up the tools.
 
I strained my shoulder trying to get a the face plate off the lathe.
I mounted another glue block with a piece of spalted maple, a small piece, wanted to make a small plate, or something resembling small plate.
half way through, the wood cracked, not a big deal, practice is practice
Ithought getting the face plate off the maple bowl was tough, this morning it was nearly impossible.
I had to get to work, so Im sure rushing didnt help when I yanked my shoulder out trying untwist it.
I ended up using my little handheld saw and sawing a 1/4 inch slot through the glue block and put an old skinny wrench through the slot for leverage.
what a job, should not be so hard.
 
Allen,

I’ve taken a couple of turning classes recently and one thing they stressed, when screwing up a chuck or face plate, screw it up by hand, almost snug, back it off a quarter of a turn then give it a quick turn to tighten it so you hear a positive “thunk” when it bottoms out. If the plate/chuck is not tight, then when you turn the lathe on, centrifugal force will slam the chuck/plate home and jam it. Perhaps this is what happened to you?
 
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