Denise Walsh
Member
- Messages
- 114
- Location
- Georgia
Well with the help of the LOML and Bill Grumbines video I took my first trip down spinny lane...
My trip actually began almost two years ago...
While we were clearing the land for the shop... er um I mean Studio... we uncovered some large cherry logs that had been tucked under some old brush and dirt for over 3 years.
They were originally targeted for a burn pile but when Marty cut through one of them he felt the logs would be great to keep for a possible project down the road. Little did he know...
Monday, Marty unveiled that he brought home the Jet JWL-1220.
I think all those hints I kept dropping finally worked.. thank you Marty!! Yesterday while I was at work he put the lathe together and mounted it on the work bench. He also took the chainsaw and cut some of the old cherry logs and made some bowl blanks (now am "I" lucky or what?? ) and sharpened the turning chisels to help me prepare for an evening I thoroughly enjoyed.
I got off work last night around 5:30 and made my way out to the shop. Marty suggested I grab my laptop and Bill Grumbine’s video to review before I got started. I had watched it before but felt I needed a refresher course. The only turning I had ever done before was a “spindle” when we had the Shop Smith set up in VA.
This first picture will show you not only the mess of curls that I made but also shows the platform Marty made for me to stand on. The bench is a little too high. But that’s ok, I’ll just have Marty build me a stand for the lathe
..........
And here is my first attempt at a bowl (thanks again Bill). It’s hard to believe that it once was as large as the blank that it is resting on. The cherry blank was almost 12” wide to begin with and now it’s about 6” wide.
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...........
I’ve learned some very valuable lessons during this “first turn”.
#1-Sharp tools – We have a Tormek in the shop and as soon as the tools would become noticeably dull we would take care of them. It generally meant just running them over the leather wheel but what a huge difference even that would make.
#2-Make sure your hand is against the tool rest with the tool firmly gripped before hitting the wood. When I accidentally didn’t do that it scared the heck out of me…
#3-There is no “instant gratification” when turning a dried hard wood. The wood Bill worked with in his video was green wood and the curls would just fly like cotton. Curls flew from the cherry as well but not fluffy like his.
#4-This gives your arms a total workout!!
I would have posted this last night however as the clock shows by the time we got through sanding and putting a coat of Watco on it, it was pretty late.
Well.. even though the critics will say it resembles a flower pot (actually that was my own thought as well) it is my very first bowl!! There are a couple of checks through the bowl and the bugs played in the wood a bit too but all in all I think it turned out alright. My first little bowl has four screw holes on the bottom, and hollowing it out was.. well interesting. Marty tells me this bowl process will be much easier once we get a chuck.
Be looking for more projects up and coming…
Denise
My trip actually began almost two years ago...
While we were clearing the land for the shop... er um I mean Studio... we uncovered some large cherry logs that had been tucked under some old brush and dirt for over 3 years.
They were originally targeted for a burn pile but when Marty cut through one of them he felt the logs would be great to keep for a possible project down the road. Little did he know...
Monday, Marty unveiled that he brought home the Jet JWL-1220.
I think all those hints I kept dropping finally worked.. thank you Marty!! Yesterday while I was at work he put the lathe together and mounted it on the work bench. He also took the chainsaw and cut some of the old cherry logs and made some bowl blanks (now am "I" lucky or what?? ) and sharpened the turning chisels to help me prepare for an evening I thoroughly enjoyed.
I got off work last night around 5:30 and made my way out to the shop. Marty suggested I grab my laptop and Bill Grumbine’s video to review before I got started. I had watched it before but felt I needed a refresher course. The only turning I had ever done before was a “spindle” when we had the Shop Smith set up in VA.
This first picture will show you not only the mess of curls that I made but also shows the platform Marty made for me to stand on. The bench is a little too high. But that’s ok, I’ll just have Marty build me a stand for the lathe
..........
And here is my first attempt at a bowl (thanks again Bill). It’s hard to believe that it once was as large as the blank that it is resting on. The cherry blank was almost 12” wide to begin with and now it’s about 6” wide.
..........
...........
I’ve learned some very valuable lessons during this “first turn”.
#1-Sharp tools – We have a Tormek in the shop and as soon as the tools would become noticeably dull we would take care of them. It generally meant just running them over the leather wheel but what a huge difference even that would make.
#2-Make sure your hand is against the tool rest with the tool firmly gripped before hitting the wood. When I accidentally didn’t do that it scared the heck out of me…
#3-There is no “instant gratification” when turning a dried hard wood. The wood Bill worked with in his video was green wood and the curls would just fly like cotton. Curls flew from the cherry as well but not fluffy like his.
#4-This gives your arms a total workout!!
I would have posted this last night however as the clock shows by the time we got through sanding and putting a coat of Watco on it, it was pretty late.
Well.. even though the critics will say it resembles a flower pot (actually that was my own thought as well) it is my very first bowl!! There are a couple of checks through the bowl and the bugs played in the wood a bit too but all in all I think it turned out alright. My first little bowl has four screw holes on the bottom, and hollowing it out was.. well interesting. Marty tells me this bowl process will be much easier once we get a chuck.
Be looking for more projects up and coming…
Denise