Sharpening Mistake With Oneway Wolverine Grinding Jig

Wolverine Sharpening Jig Mistake

I just made a really stupid mistake when using the oneway wolverine grinding jig to sharpen my round nose scraper.

I wanted to change the angle to 20 dregrees, something that Thompson recommends, not problem I thought. Some turners showed sharpening their scraper on the platform that comes with the oneway sharpening jig.

I had not put the platform together yet, only had a couple minutes tonight to see if the change in angle makes much of a difference in the scraper. I had the scraper at 40 degrees and it was giving me some grabs in a hard piece of oak burl, I thought maybe the 20 degrees would make a difference. I’ve since come to understand that some scrapers are at 10 degrees, thus lessening the chance for a grab.

Used the Single Cup of the Wolverine Jig to Sharpen The Scraper

So I just used the long arm of the oneway jig with the cup on it and I placed the scraper on the wheel, I would need to cut more from the top of the scraper to change the angle to 20 degrees…..so I slid the arm out until it looked like it would take a good piece of the top off, then I would check the angle of the scraper.

I turned on the grinder and lowered the scraper onto the grinding wheel and it happened. I thought my little shop exploded and it felt like I lost a finger!

Well, I see why you should use the platform to sharpen a tool with a smaller angle. You can see in the pictures, the tool was almost horizontal and when I turned on the grinder the tip caught the wheel, dug a hole in the Norton 8″ 120 grit wheel and broke the top of the scraper. I don’t know what else happened, all I know is that I have a gouge in my finger and hand, the grinding wheel might be ruined and it scared the crap out of me.

WoodTurning Tool Sharpening Lesson Learned

Lesson learned…. when sharpening be careful! Pay attention to the angle that you are sharpening, use the platform when necessary and always introduct the woodturning tool slowly into the wheel. I don’t know, maybe I pushed to hard, too fast but I now am much more careful when sharpening ….I pay attention to all the details when resharpening my woodturning tools or trying to reshape my woodturning tools.

It was late, I was in a hurry, I wanted to try some new grinds I had studied over the last couple of days and I was not paying attention to detail.

I’ve worked with powertools for almost 50 years…yes, I did start young but you should never allow yourself to get so comfortable when working with power tools that you are not taking proper precautions to safety rules. I’m afraid I let the familiarity of working with power tools get the best of me, need to pay more attention to the task at hand….. always!

Should Have Checked My Setup Before Turning the Grinder On!

If I would have stood back and looked at the setup I made, I would have immediately noticed the dangerous situation. I’m thankful that nothing worse happened, I could have easily been injured severely since the scraping gouge went sailing and the grinding wheel took a beating and could have boke up sending pieces of the wheel everywhere.

WoodTurning Tool
Sharpening Lesson Learned!

Slow down, and if you can’t ….do the task another day.

The Oneway Wolverine Grinding Jig is an awesome set up for sharpening your woodturining tools and you should not be afraid of it, but you should be careful, think, use some logic and be careful with each setup and each sharpening situation.

Take a minute to analyze each set up before you push the “ON” button.

Be careful friends, although wood turning is addicting the tools we work with are extremely dangerous if used incorrectly! We tend to focus on the wood lathe and the project in the chuck….. its a good idea to be aware and be careful all around the shop. This week I bound up a bandsaw blade, the wood kicked back and the blade threw off the wheels ….. I tried making a new scraper and the unshielded wheel caught my arm ….not a good week for me and I definitely will pay more attention to what I am doing and not approach my work in such a lackidasical way!

Epoxy Finish for Wood Turned Bowls

I always wondered about using an expoxy finish on my wood turning projects. Epoxy creates a hard glossy finish that is almost impervious to just about anything.

Check out the video that Simon made about using expoxy finish, he purchased a gallon of each ingredient for the epoxy ….he shoots video of his progress on a bowl he made.

Woodturning A Wood Sink with Expoxy Finish

Did you ever think you might want a wood sink, that is a wooden sink in your bathroom or kitchen? Wooden sinks seem to be the rage these days and as wood turners, if you have a big enough lathe you can make your own wood sink!

Most wood sinks will set on top of a vanity, although with a little bit of thought and engineering you could drop them in a top by simply turning an edge on the top of the sink that would hold it up.

Simon from SG Art Turning does an excellent job at turning a sink from a big piece of maple, it was somewhat spalted and as usual you never know what a piece of wood is going to look like until you open it up. This one was beautiful

Simon takes you from turning this piece of wood to finishing and installing a pop up drain …..ready for a sink. He is using a Laguna 18|36 Wood Lathe and is waiting for his new Laguna Revo 24|36 Lathe ….and I can say I am jealous and coveting my neighbor because that is one awesome lathe, they both are but he will be able to turn 24″ projects with ease on the new Laguna Lathe!

Watch the video below, I know you’ll enjoy it. Just one more idea for your woodturing projects.

Watch in full screen by “double clicking the video” or try “Ctrl F” and you can watch it in full screen!

Reviewing The Laguna Revo 18|36 Woodturning Lathe

It’s time to step up. That is, I need or want a more powerful wood lathe!

I wish I could win the lottery …but that would mean I would have to play it and I don’t think they payout in Illiois because the state is so corrupt and broke 🙁

I think you could spend up to $10,000 or more on a super wood lathe. I won’t be doing that! I had no idea they could cost that much. I was originally thinking maybe $1,500 to $2,500, but then I saw some very nice machines in the $4,000 dollar range.

A New Wood Lathe for More Power

I’m only dreaming right now but my little harbor freight lathe really can’t handle very big bowls and if I try to get a little aggressive on my cuts it will slow down or stop.

A more powerful wood lathe is actually safer. You can safely turn larger bowls and other projects. You can have more control of the speed. There are more accessories available. Your woodturning tools will work better because you have more control over the speed at which the project turns.

So, I thought as I do some research I would post the information here on the wood lathe upgrades I’ve come across. The first one is a Laguna Revo 18|36 Woodturning Lathe. I have some Laguna equipment and tools, the 14″ SUV bandsaw is outstanding in quality and performance …so I was thinking about staying with Laguna.

Laguna Revo 18|36 Woodturning Lathe

A couple woodturners I know have the Revo 18|36 and they love the machine. They have so much good to say that I almost decided I would save for this Laguna model and not do anymore research. When talking wood turning tools, Laguna fits in with all the old timers. At the time the 18|36 was the largest model that Laguna produced.

Much to my surprise as I was researching the Laguna Revo 18×36 I discovered that Laguna has come out with a new wood lathe called the Laguna Revo 24-36 Wood Lathe W502131 MLAREVO 24-0180 and is 3hp as opposed to the 18-36 which is 2hp. Of course I would rather have the newer and bigger one but at $1000 to $1500 more I will probably be lucky to get the 18-36 …and I’m not complaining. One nice thing about getting the Revo 18-36 is that it’s been around for a while and all the kinks have been worked out …..making it a beautiful machine!

But I can still hope and pray that a Laguna Revo 24-36 Wood Lathe W502131 MLAREVO 24-0180 someday lands in my shop 🙂

Check out this video on the Laguna Revo 18-36 and below the video you’ll find some specs.

The newly redesigned Laguna Revo 18|36 lathe is a serious contender in the professional grade woodturning lathe market. From it’s user-friendly ergonomic design, cast iron and steel construction, and beautifully machined components to the blue hue of the illuminated control panel, it’s clear that the Laguna Revo 18|36 is a serious competitor that’s here to win over even the most discriminating woodturner.

If you’re looking for a well-built, premium quality lathe with all the features you’d expect to find on lathes costing much more, give the Laguna 18|36 a serious look today, you’ll be glad you did.

• Electronic variable speed from 50-3,500 RPM
• Easy to read digital RPM readout
• Premium quality electronic controls
• 100% accurate center alignment guaranteed
• Automatic knock out tailstock
• Cast iron & steel construction
• Dual work light mounts
• Swing away tailstock bracket (optional)

If you think you might like to get Laguna Revo 18|36 you can get a very good price and free shipping at Rockler.com

Woodturning Tool Recommendations for the Beginner

Woodturning Tool Recommendations for
the Beginner

So you decided to get into woodturning.

You purchased a lathe, a good wood lathe like a Laguna Lathe ….you’re stoked and ready to turn.

Oh, Oh!

Need some woodturning tools!

I think that’s the scenario that many of us go through. Maybe we don’t buy the lathe yet but we do the research and figure out which one we are ready to get ….in other words, you are ready to pull the trigger on a woodlathe.

My friend, you’re just starting out and you are going to learn that there is a lot more to woodturning. There are a lot of wood turning tools and supplies you are going to need. And, you are going to have to learn how to use these new tools.

Each new wood turning project will require different techniques, differnt tools and different wood. It will require a different plan of attack. Even if you decide to turn a couple of wood bowls, chances are you will need some different tools and each one ….and maybe even a different finish on each one. It all depends on the type of wood and style of bowl.

I’m not going to talk about all the different accessories in this article, but I do want to talke about what is probably one of the most important considerations when entering into the world of wood turning. I want to talk about your woodturning tools.

First you are going to find out that the same type of tool from one vendor is 10 times the cost with another vender or manufacturer. In this case, you usually get what you pay for, but should you buy expensive turning tools to start off with?

Expensive WoodTurning Tools

If you have the cash, go for it!

If you are like most wood turners, that is, always frugal and a good steward of your money you are going to want to purchase tools with the best value to start with.

After fighting through pages and pages, videos and videos about wood turning tools I have come to understand one of the most important things is the type of steel. A wood turning bowl gouge made with less expensive steel will not perform as good as the same woodturning tool made with the best steel. Not only that, it will not hold an edge and you will always be sharpening it.

This could be a double edge sword. It’s important to learn how to sharpen your wood turning gouges, skews and the like because ….number one, it will cost a fortune to pay someone to sharpen your tools and with a cheap tool you might have to sharpen it 2 or 3 times during the project …so you will have to learn how to use something like the Wolverine Oneway Sharpening Jig …you’ll need this regardless of the type of tool you have along with a decent 8″ grinder. So the lesson is, with a cheap tool you will learn sharpening faster and that’s a good thing because when you buy a good expensive Sorby Bowl gouge you don’t want to grind it away honing your sharpening skills with the grinder and oneway sharpening jig!

Don’t Buy A Set of Woodturning Tools

The other mistake most newbie wood turners make is that they buy a set of woodturning tools. A set might have 5 to 10 wood turning tools in it. You might find you only really use 2 or 3 of those tools and you really don’t need the rest at this point.

It’s better to purchase 2 or 3 seperate wood turning tools of better quality and learn how to use those tools and how to maintain and/or sharpen them. And then as you do more research and your scope of woodturning expands you can grab another medium to high quality tool and learn how to use it.

If we consider the last paragraph, then the question would be….. what tool should I start with? A very good question. I would suggest a spindle gouge, a bowl gouge and a scraper. I don’t hear too many woodturners talk about scrapers, but a good scraper has saved my butt on many occaision and it’s a tool that can build your confidence. Spindle gouges and Bowl Gouges come in many shapes and sizes along with different grinds on each …..unless you are a natural they require some effort to learn but with these three wood turning tools you can do just about anything. The only other one I would suggest to begin with is a parting tool.

Here’s a good video that talks about what type of woodturing tools to begin with….good stuff, excellent photography since you can actually see how the tools cut. For instance a bowl gouge with a fingernail grind can make 3 or 4 different cuts and it could do your entire project if used correctly.

Check out Beginners Woodturning Tools

Turning Handles for Your WoodTurning Tools

I know you want to see how to make your own woodturning handles but first I need to rant!

Well, my garage roof still isn’t on, first problems with the insurance….never use State Farm, next is problems with the county for the building permit. Seems as though you need more detail and info these days and if you are in a flood plain….. you are screwed…. I’m in a flood plain ….looks like I am getting screwed!

Woodturning Handle Videos

I still work in my garage/shop but its a mess and I’m pretty embarassed the way it looks. So, I don’t shoot too many videos from my shop, although I wanted to do a video on making your own woodturning handle. Maybe I will until then, watch these videos on how to make your own woodturning handles from a piece of scrap wood, or your favorite wood on your own lathe with a little glue and ingenuity.

Metal for Making Your
Own WoodTurning Tools

Most woodturners make their own scrapers, skews and parting tools. If you don’t have the metal to do that, consider Online Metals…. I found them to be very helpful, fast and affordable.

Anyway, in my journey of learning woodturning I have stumbled upon guys making their own tools. Even if I had more money than I could spend I still would like to make my own tools!

I don’t have more money than I can spend, in fact, sickness has left me pretty destitute…. that is broke. So I pay attention when someone shows me how to build efficient and effective tools for cheap.

Cap’n Eddie Shows Us How to Turn
Our Own WoodTurning Tool Handles

Cap’n Eddie is one of the guys I have learned so much from over the last year. How to build carbide tools, how to make scrapers, how to make a handfull of different jigs that would cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Help Out Captain Eddie…Buy His WoodTurning Supplies and Tools

You might already know that Cap’n Eddie had some health problems, a brain tumor I believe and it seemed as though he was coming back quickly, but recently it looks like the poor boy is having a tough time. I can emphathize with him because I’ve been sick so long myself. Good health is something you never appreciate until you become sick and can’t do what you have all your life….it’s a terrible thing. But Cap’n Eddie seems like a fighter …he keeps pluging along ….so buy his stuff if you can and more importantly pray and ask the Lord to heal him and let Eddie teach us for a few more years!

Visit his site at: www.eddiecastelin.com

Anyway…. if you need some carbide cutters and some of the other tools he sells I would ask you to visit his site and buy stuff from him…. let’s help the guy out …he has given so much to the woodturning commnity especially on youtube.

Below you will find 2 videos on how to turn a handle for the tools you make. Both videos will give you some great tips and ideas so that you can make your own. These are 5 years or more old, the video quality is not that good but you can still get the idea and learn from Eddie how he does things.

Check how to build handles for your woodturing tools.

I found a great article on building handles, if you are going to make your own woodturning handles you would be wise to check out Learn How To Make Your Own Handles for Wood Turning Tools http://woodturninglearn.net/articles/forgottenhandle.htm

And one more quick video on how to make a handle for your woodturning tools.

I’m going to have to do another post on making handles for your woodturning tools. There are many methods to consider and you might want to take a piece from all these methods and create your own woodturning handle. Until then, you have enough information on how to make a woodturning handle!

More On Making Woodturning Handles

I watched another tutorial on how to make woodturning handles and was blown away. I had to include it today instead of another post. Watch this video all the way thru and then check out the notes below. I know you’ll pick up some awesome tips and design ideas for your tools. I really enjoy this teaching from The Sonoran Woodshop

Here are some comments and important links he mentions from the tutorial. This guy has done great camera work, great woodturning handle design and construction.

At this point I had enought info to scrap together some scrapers first, and you can bet they will have some awesome handles. Maybe I’ll do a video of my maiden attemp at turning and fittng my first handle …..should be a learning experience for us all!

Here’s some useful links from his handle turning video description:

A great way to save a few dollars on your next turning tool purchase is to buy your tools un-handled and make your own. I came up with a design that works really well. It includes set screws which allow you to remove the tool from the handle if needed.

PARTS:
Ferrule: I use 1″ copper pipe (which is the inside diameter) for all of my turning tools. The only exception is my Spindle Roughing Gouge (SRG) which uses 1-1/8″ copper pipe.
Set Screws: I use 5/16-24 set screws for all of my tool handles. The lengths vary based on the tool handle wall thickness.

TOOLS WITHOUT HANDLES:
Please keep in mind I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I posted the tool steel used by each company for reference, but the reality is that they are essentially the same.

I currently use Thompson Lathe Tools. They use CPM10V (A-11) a powder metal tool steel.

http://thompsonlathetools.com

Peachtree Woodworking Supply sells Robert Sorby unhandled tools. They use M2 tool steel.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/turning_tools…

Carter and Son sells unhanded tools. They use M42 tool steel.

http://carterandsontoolworks.com

D-Way Tools also sells unhanded tools. They use M42 tool steel.

http://d-waytools.com

I thought it important to add some of the comments from his video on turning wood handles for your woodturning tools. Some great comments along with good ideas.

1 day ago

I’m a beginner turner, about a year or so. Been a carpenter/contractor/architect all my life and I can build just about anything. I know wood inside and out…. but steel is new to me. I appreciate your list of tool providers along with the type of steel they use. Is there anyway you could rate either the provider or the steel type. I want to purchase some good tools, tired of the chinese …although they got me started. I figure if you can turn something with a chinese tool you should be able to make some great progress with good tools. I was looking at D-way, not familiar with Thompson. Would really appreciate a lesson in quality suppliers and what type of steel would be the best, second best and so on. Subscribed to your channel…. looking forward to seeing what you do. Thanks Scott

5 hours ago

I think tool steal is one of those things that if you ask 10 different turners you’ll get 11 different answers. I bought tools from each of the companies listed in the description and they all seem to perform the same. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. I have all Thompson for a couple of reasons. 1) they have a large selection compared to the other companies. 2) the length of their tools are longer so you get more steal for the same price as the other tools (check out this link and you’ll see what I’m talking about) https://www.instagram.com/p/BN5GvSthcwC/?taken-by=scottseganti&hl=en

10 months ago

Man great job on the video!! I shared it on my website too!

10 months ago

Thanks Carl… very much appreciated!

10 months ago

Awesome video dude! Nice explanations and great visuals. Can’t wait to see the next one!

10 months ago

Thanks Marc… much appreciated!

3 months ago

Great video. One new subscriber.

3 months ago

Thanks Brian.

3 months ago

Very nice. Thank you for sharing your technique Scott….!

6 months ago

Oh Yeah, please more videos.

6 months ago

Impressive… Very Impressive. On point with the whole process, and left me with no questions. You nailed it.

6 months ago

Thank you for the kind words and feedback.

6 months ago

Your approach to making videos produces a fine product. As to the content of this one, I don’t have the tapping tool or the pipe cutter or the router table, however if I was to do several handles it would be worthwhile to buy them. One advantage of your design is that the tool can be removed for sharpening which I favor. Have you taken the tool out many times? I wonder how the threading on the pipe wall or the wood holds up to frequent removal and reinsertion of the tool tang. I’m guessing you leave the handle on for your sharpening. Thanks again for a helpful video.

6 months ago

Thanks for you comments Mike. It’s rare for me to remove the tool from the handle, but I do like having the flexibility. Handles with set screws are popular for people who need to travel with their tools. Students taking a turning class or instructors teaching may want to bring their own tools, so removing the tool makes it easier to pack. Another benefit is that eventually we make enough trips to the grinding wheel that the tool steal will need to be replaced, so you can save a few dollars by not buying or remaking another handle. As far as the threads holding up with repeated use… I haven’t had any give out yet. I’ve only tapped soft maple so I can’t speak about how other wood species will hold up, but as long as it’s a hardwood… I’m sure it would be fine. I have been extremely impressed in how well tapping wood works.

7 months ago

When can I buy this On Amazon! Great job Scott

7 months ago

Thanks Jeff!

7 months ago

ya…im going to like your channel.

7 months ago

Great video. Keep ’em coming.

7 months ago

Thanks Don!

7 months ago

Nice video. Great instructional detail. Where do you get your handle-less tools?

7 months ago (edited)

Please keep in mind I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I posted the tool steel used by each company for reference, but the reality is that they are essentially the same. I currently use Thompson Lathe Tools. They use CPM10V (A-11) a powder metal tool steel. http://thompsonlathetools.com Peachtree Woodworking Supply sells Robert Sorby unhandled tools. They use M2 tool steel. http://www.ptreeusa.com/turning_tools_unhandled.htm Carter and Son sells unhanded tools. They use M42 tool steel. http://carterandsontoolworks.com D-Way Tools also sells unhanded tools. They use M42 tool steel. http://d-waytools.com

8 months ago

Nice video! Easy to understand. Looking forward to more of your work.

8 months ago

Thanks Sandra!

8 months ago

One of the best handle-making videos I’ve seen!

8 months ago

Thanks Rick!

1 day ago

Perfection! Thank you!

1 day ago

Perfect video, super clear and concise instructions, very well paced and shot. I’ve considered using set screws like this and you’ve confirmed that it’s a great feature. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

7 months ago

nice method

8 months ago

Nice work with great attention to detail. Thanks.

9 months ago

Nice work!

9 months ago

Awesome video. I made some tool handles myself, but I like how you made the optional to remove or change the tools.

9 months ago

Nice handle. Making the handles makes them pretty unique!

9 months ago

Hi Scott. I just stumbled across you channel. Nice work. I enjoyed the video. How about a few constructive suggestions. Make yourself a hardwood or aluminum blank about the size of your tool tang ( the rectangular feature in your handle blank ). Lock it in a vice and slide your new handle onto it when you drill the set screw holes. It will help with the orientation of the holes and keep the spin factor out of the equation. A thicker copper collar would also give you more metal based thread. I invite you to check out my channel if you have a minute. Take care, watch those fingers and keep up the good work.

9 months ago (edited)

Thanks for your feedback Joe. Constructive suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated. If I’m understanding what you’re saying correctly, there really isn’t a “spin factor’ that you have to contend with here… it’s more about the drill bit sliding off your mark when you start drilling. Clamping the handle in a vise as you suggested would certainly free up a hand, which could help keep the bit on its mark. As far as using a thicker copper ferrule… there really isn’t a need. The main threads are in the wood which is the intent. I have used this method on other projects… you will be extremely surprised at how well taping wood works… at least in hardwoods.

9 months ago

Hey Scott. Thanks for the reply. My suggestion was not to put the handle in the vise, but a piece of aluminum or hardwood the same size as the rectangular pocket in your handle where the tool would go. Then slide your handle onto that and drill away. You would have parallel, level and rotational all at the same time. It would probably work better if you had a bunch of parts and wanted them all the same. Forgive me, I always think of fixtures first. Nice result you got. thumbs up on this one. Take care.

9 months ago

Thank you for the video. Your presentation was clear and the camera work was well done. I’ve always glued my tools into wooden tool handles. I’ll have to give using set screws a try.

9 months ago

nice work thanks for sharing, more videos please 🙂

9 months ago

NICE

9 months ago

I enjoyed the video! Very clear, nice voice over explaining the process. I am currious to know what finish you put on the handle? I look forward to seeing more videos from you!

9 months ago

Thanks Jim for your comment. I sanded the handle up to 220 grit and applied a tung oil finish. I prefer using a pure oil finish on my handles.

9 months ago

Sweet handle design. Thanks for sharing! Great video! 👌🏼

9 months ago

I really enjoy your video pal, since I prefer to make my own handles for my tools and chisels, you give me couple good tips about chisel handles,so go make some more useful videos like this, cheers

9 months ago

Outstanding attention to detail! Never saw set screws on turning tools.

9 months ago

Thanks Samuel for the comment. I have a few aftermarket metal handles with setscrews. I like having the setscrews and the ability to remove the tool from the handle, but I’m not a fan of how those tools feel in my hand. I’ve drilled and tapped wood in the past with great success, so brought that idea into my handles and it’s worked great. I’ve been overly surprised on how well it works. I haven’t seen anyone else do this either.

10 months ago

Nice Video!! Thanks for sharing!

10 months ago

What suggestions do you have for selecting the wood for the handles?

10 months ago (edited)

There are lots of different woods you can use which vary depending on the part of the world you live in and what you have access to. I prefer closed grain woods (just a personal preference) and use soft maple for all of my handles. Ash is probably the most popular wood used… I’m just not a fan of the open grain. You do want to use a ‘hardwood’ (maple, walnut, ash, hickory, etc.) and stay away from the ‘softwoods’ (fir, pine, cider, redwood, etc.) The most important thing look for when selecting a piece of hardwood is to have straight grain…. especially on the end where the tool enters the handle.

10 months ago

Nice work. It’s great to see more people making woodturning videos. Looking forward to seeing more. I’ve got to make a couple handles as well. -Todd

10 months ago

Great quality tool as well as video. very professional looking video, looking forward to more.

Handles For Woodturning Tools, Handles For Lathe Tools, Turning Handles For Lathe Tools, Turning Handles For Woodturning Tools

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D-Way Tools for Wood Turning Tools and Supplies

Wood Turning Supplies and
Products from D-Way Tools

I was listening to Cap’n Eddie talk about using and how to use bowl gouges, roughing gouges, skews, scrapers and other wood turning tools. As always the Captain is just full of knowledge and wisdom so I pay attention to suppliers he recommends and uses. In fact, I really like when he recommends a woodturning supplier.

He mentioned that he got his Elsworth Grind bowl gouge from D-waytools.com and I checked out their site.

WoodTurning Tools
for the Wood Turner

They have a solid line up of wood turning tools for the woodturner…. more high end stuff. I would love to get my hands on some of their tools. At this point I’m still using Chinese wood turning tools and I would like to find out what the difference is between cheap tools and expensive tools.

Anyway, D-Way Tools looks like a good source of wood turning related tools and supplies. I have not talked to them, nor have I purchased anything from them. They look like an American based company, which is something or someone I would like to support either with a web link or by purchasing some of their tools.

I’ll itemize the categories from D-waytools site:

Bowl Gouges
Detail Spindle Gouges
Roughing Gouges
Beading Tools
Handles
Scrapers
Negative Rake Scrapers
Skews
Parting Tools
CBN Grinding Wheels
CBN Hand Hone
Hollowing Tools
Tool Rests

I want an Elsworth Grind Bowl Gouge!

I’ve wanted an Elsworth Grid Bowl Gouge shortly after I started turning. I looked at the Elsworth site and the Sorby Site and just trying to save up the cash I need ….but have been very sick so I don’t know if I’ll ever get one. But just because I can’t have one doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

I’ve read many Amazon testimonials regarding some of the more expensive tools and high grade steel versus some of the less expensive tools….the ones I have. They all say they are amazed at the differece, they all noticed how much easier it was to turn projects and how cleaner an expensive tool cuts.

Of course you need to learn how to use your tools, I know I do.

Hope you found this post useful, hope you visit www.D-WayTools.com to see what they have. I saw a phone number across the top and I’m sure you can communicate via email.

Let me know if you get something from these guys and let me know how the whole experience goes!

Finally, there are some videos on the website and a quick view of them makes me want to spend some time watching. I think his name is Dave, the owner of d-way tools …..he did a very good video showing tool position for a couple of different bowl gouges. Really good stuff. I can see the difference in tools from mine to looking at his in the video.

Boy oh boy, I wish I weren’t so sick and broke because I would really like to get some of the awesome cutting bowl gouges that he is using. I think if I ever can come up with the cash I will invest in D-Way Tools!

Watch this video on Bowl Gouges, its a little long but it is some of the best teaching and camera work I’ve seen for woodworkers, a woodworker tutorial extrordinaire!

Make sure you view in hi def and full screen ….you will learn much!

Sealing End Grain on Your WoodTurning Blanks with AnchorSeal or Latex Paint

Sealing End Grain on
Your WoodTurning Blanks

I was out collecting some wood for turning the other day. Found a pine or fir tree about 12″ at widest end cut up in 2, 3 and 4 foot lengths. Just what I was looking for.

I got some ash and beech a couple months ago. A neighbor was cutting down some small trees and I grabbed some choice pieces. I brought them home and stuck them off to the side and forgot about them. I figured I would seal the ends when I got around to it.

Guess what, I never got around to it and it looks like the pieces will be ruined for wood turning. Very disappinted since I had some burls and other pieces that looked interesting. So reminder to self …..always seal the ends right away!

So, I grabbed my new pine pieces. Had some old Latex paint laying around and promtly painted the ends to seal them. The theory goes like this. The ends will dry quicker while the wood in the middle of the log stays nice and wet. You’ve got some uneven movement due to the dryness and continual drying going on so something has to give …..you ususally see it right in the end of your cut logs.

If it hasn’t been too long you can still seal it or better yet, cut off an inch or two and see what it looks like, you might find that the log is still “check” free. Make sure you seal that puppy right away 🙂

What to use for sealing end
grain on wood blanks?

Basically you can use any ole paint you have laying around for end sealing, some swear by it others think a commercial end sealer is better. Put in on thick and store it outside under cover if you can. A good place to find cheap paint is your local Home Depot, Menards or Lowes ….any hardware store will have paint that someone returned or didn’t get mixed right. A gallon of paint goes a long way when sealing ends.

I’ve tried spray paint and it works, but unless you can pick up a can for $.25 or so, it really isn’t worth it.

I’m on a facebook group for sawyers, portable sawmills. These guys get 10′, 15′, 20′ or more length of trees that are 36″ or more in diameter and they still seal the ends otherwise the checking and cracking can ruin much of the log.

These guys use the same thing us woodturner’s would use, old paint …except they’re looking for 5 gallon deals! I would say 70 to 80% of these guys use latex paint on their slabs and other produced wood and stock tree trunks!

AnchorSeal Stops Logs from
Checking and Splitting

There is a commercial product made specifically for sealing the end of wet wood, wether small stuff like we use or whole tree trunks. I believe it’s called “anchorseal”. Seems as though they have several different versions of Anchor Seal now and it looks like it ranges from $25 to $35 dollars. If I was doing a project where I wanted to be absolutely sure there was not splitting, checking or cracking I would use Anchor Seal.. but for my budget and normal woodturning I do I will continue to use paint I have laying around. Maybe when the old paint is no longer available and I get rich, I’ll switch over to AnchorSeal!

Here’s a guy who did a quick video using AnchorSeal for End Grain Sealing from Peter Matthew

Using Glue to Seal Log Ends
to Prevent Splitting

Rick from RickTurns shows us another way to seal end grain on your woodturning logs using Elmers Glue. Notice the nice little jig he set up to slice his logs into slabs and other usable features. A pretty interesting video since he actually performed some tests on the best method to keep logs from splittng!

GreenWood End Sealer Stops
Splitting on Wet Wood

There are a lot of great reviews for Rockler’s Green Wood End Sealer. A product similar to AnchorSeal but cheaper. Next time they have free delivery I think I will grab a gallon to use on some of my choice wood finds. Or I could go down to the local Rockler store to get some 🙂

Check out some of these reviews.

http://shrsl.com/?if28

I have always used Rockler Green…

I have always used Rockler Green Wood end sealer or Anchorseal to seal the ends of my wood. It will seal the wood from cracking until you are ready to use it. Another advantage is, I believe it keeps bugs out of the wood. I don’t know this as fact, but it just seems so. The wood I bring in is not only crack free but bug free. I don’t know if Rockler’s product is the same as Anchorseal but it performs exactly the same. Excellent.

Ash

Had 3 trees taken down and milled into lumber. This product is great, easy to apply and clean up. I fully expect my boards to have no end-checking after they dry out.

Great end seal

I’m new to this and as you can see I bought the smaller bottle and applied using brush on the freshly cut ends on all ten of them while I wait for them to dry and eventually make them into cutting boards and or to turn them into bowls. Each one of these averages in 1′ 2″ to 1′ 5″ in diameter and I still have some left over. I notices some sap coming through later in the day and I brushed more on them. Easy clean as instructed used hot water only to clean my brush. So far so good. Thanks to one of the Rockler sales rep. who introduced me to this stuff. I am definitely going to buy more of this stuff.

You can always see what’s new at Wood Turning Basics!

Finishing A Wood Turned Bowl with CA Glue the Cap’n Eddie Way

Finishing A Wood Turned Bowl with CA glue the Cap’n Eddie Way

Before I start, I’m sure you know there are probably 100’s of ways to finish a bowl. Eddie talks about one method using CA glue, seems to be very popular and used by a lot of wood turners. However, the think to do is start a notebook with various finishing methods, experiment with differnet finishes for wood turners and then use the ones you like best. Sometimes a turned piece is just for show, then there are turned pieces that are funcional and you want them to be food safe.

Food Safe Finishes for
Wood Turning Projects

You can find all kinds of arguments and different thoughts on food safe finishes. One that makes the most sense to me is that after a certain period of time almost all finishes are food safe since they have cured or hardened and the food can no longer react to the finish.

I’ve used mineral oil since it is inert and any type of finish can be applied on top of it. Here is a list of finishes you can put on a cutting board, if it can be put on a cutting board then I’m sure it would be safe for anything you turn that comes in contact with food.

food safe finishes for wood turning projects — Mineral oil or wax for your wood turning projects are both safe for food contact

If You Can Put it On a Cutting Board ….Then Surely it Can Be Applied to a Wood Bowl

What finish to put on a cutting board?

Pure tung oil. Extracted from the nut of the china wood tree. …
Raw linseed oil. Pressed from flax seeds. …
Mineral oil. Although derived from petroleum, it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and entirely inert. …
Walnut oil. Pressed from the nuts of the walnut tree. …
Beeswax. The work of the honey bee. …
Carnauba wax. …
Shellac.

Food safe Finishes from Rockler.com

I suppose you can use just about anything to finish your woodturning projects, however, I prefer to find out what the old timers are using and have been using. Usually these guys try new things but they fail, every once in a while they find something that adds to their repertoire finishing solutions.

My Mentor and CA Glue Finishes
For Wood Turning Projects

As usual I turn to my mentor Cap’n Eddie Castelin from Big Guy Productions and you can find him at www.eddiecastelin.com.

I must be behind times. Most of my carpentry work came from home building and the standard finishes that apply to a new home. I never heard of someone apply CA glue (superglue) to their projects. But after seeing a few wood turners doing it, I became hooked! It’s easy to apply, might not be the cheapest but it is very forgiving and the finish product looks absolutely beautiful.

In this video I think Cap’n Eddie spends around a half an hour doing some sanding, applying the CA, buffing and a little more sanding and final coat of CA.

You should try his technique, make sure you do it on a spare piece you have laying around ….nothing ever comes out perfect the first time 🙂

If you watch his video you’ll find some of the below hints and highlights

first he applies 2 coats of sealer
next he cleans the spinning project with an CA accelerator first using paper towel
Eddie is very persistent in some things ….he just doesn’t want us to waste money, get hurt or ruin your project so he tells us to apply one coat of CA per application, even showing how to use a small piece of paper towl properly

Safety First…Ventilate Your
Work Area When Using the CA Finish

The cap’n advises us to make sure you have proper ventilation, I guess the CA vapors are not too good for you so keep your air system running, open some windows and doors ….keep that air moving….that is moving outside!

Finishing Points for Your
Wood Turning Project

Toward the end he shows his bowl with a beautiful fins and Eddie calculates it took 16 coats and then buff, then clean again (remember a coat is only a couple of drops of thin CA on a piece of paper towel)

At this point you need to consider the following:
-do you have some places you need more sanding on, decide if you can polish it out
He recommends sandpaper from:
-sandpaper from www.vinceswoodwonders.com
-to polish Eddie uses Meguiars PlastX
-doesn’t use a wax finish
-and please listen and watch his video because his throw out golden nuggets of information throughout his video ….I know I missed some so watch the video a couple of times until it soaks in and don’t forget to visit his website at www.eddiecastelin.com

Comments From
Other WoodTurner’s

Here are some comments I thought you might find interesting:

Hi Capt. There is another really good reason for using nitrile rather than latex gloves: I’ve worked for a long time in science laboratories where ‘latex sensitivity’ was a real problem for some staff, and latex gloves were banned. Nitrile is not so allergenic. Stick with the nitrile ever time, rather than promoting an allergic response to latex.

That is food safe, got to try this finish.

I will be doing a series of posts on finishing. I find it very interesting to see what other wood turners use to finish their projects, both those that come into contact with food and those that are merely for decoration.

Personally, I like to see my pieces used to store apples, used in the cooking process, maybe to stir soup or to roll out some pizza dough. So, I’ll keep looking and let you know what I find. But I really thought Cap’n Eddie has some of the best stuff with his OB Shine Juice and CA glue finishing.

Let me know if you have any secrets for finishing your wood turning projects! And remember, you can check out a variety of food safe finishes just click here!

Wood Turning My Second Wood Bowl

I really wish I documented my first wood turning bowl!

I grabbed a piece of willow that was laying in the river for 10 years or more, surprisingly it dried quickly and I was able to turn it. It was soft, there were many spots that were almost rotten, however, I still turned it and my wife has it on the table with some apples in it 🙂

my first wood bowl — My First Turned Wood Bowl from a Piece of a Willow Tree

I finished the bowl with mineral spirits from rockler.com, although I could have gotten the finish cheaper elsewhere, I wanted to make sure the finish was safe to put food into.

Now my second bowl was from the wood pile that was destined to be firewood. I’m almost positive it’s a piece of ash, it’s very hard and very difficult to shape…. although that could just be because I have a Harbor Freight Lathe 🙂 It had a diameter of 11″ or so, it was perfect for my harbor freight lathe.

My Second Wood Bowl with Recess for Nova Chuck

This is really the first time I started a bowl or any wood turning project and had my Nova Chuck, I wasn’t sure if I should make a tennon or make a recess. I ended up making a recess on the bottom of the bowl for the Nova chuck jaws, first I cleaned up the end of the log and then I flattened it.

I had some cracks and checks. Just mixed up some CA glue with wood shavings and also used some plain ole wood glue with wood shavings. Basically, you stuff the crack or hole with wood shaveings or sawdust and squirt some CA into it or you can use plain ole wood glue, but remember both will take on a different color when you apply a finish to the project. You just need to experiment to see what works best for you. Most wood turners seem to be using CA or an Expoxy mixed with the wood shavings. You can look up more on the subject and also search for “stablizing wood” you’ll get a good idea on how to use the different glues and expoxies on your wood turning projects. Did you know that you can use CA glue for a finsh? I need to find a good supplier for CA (superglue) glue in a larger container. I ended up getting small tubes and they always dry up or harden if not used right away.

I suppose I should tell you how I started.

I grabbed the ash log, it had a diameter of 12″ and I cut it to length of 12″. Then I cut the log in half, thru the center of the log.

I wanted to mount my face plate on the outside (bark side) of the log so I flattened that area of the log by running it through the band saw, the other bowl project I just used a chain saw. Next I flipped the log over and traced a circle from the faceplate side and cut the circle out using the band saw. It was a rough circle and I’ve watched some guys just mount the log without rounding the corners …..looked a little to dangerous that way so I wanted to round it off first.

Creating a wood bowl from ash log — Prepared Ash log blank to be turned into a wood bowl

I mounted the faceplate with attached log, pushed my live center into the log and started turning. You can see by the image what I had and how it was working. So far so good, I like the shape, I’ve been sharpening my tools by hand, I haven’t had the time to set up my oneway grinding/sharpening guide. I really need to do that because I want to see what these tools can do before I invest in anything expensive or I try some of the carbide tipped tools I plan on making.

All I can say is this that wood turning is a log of fun, very addicting! Already I wish I had a lathe with a little more power 🙂 The harbor freight

has turned some of the softer woods very easily, but this dry ash is really tough on the lathe. I was thinking of a Laguna or Nova Wood Lathe, several guys have these and love em!

For instance if you’re looking for a new lathe check out some of these features. I have a couple of other Laguna power tools and really like them.

The Revo 18|36 Lathe from Laguna combines power, precision and advanced features, resulting in a turning experience like no other. The lathe features a polished steel bed for the utmost in strength and stability, and the smoothest possible movement of the headstock, tailstock and tool rest. A full 18” of outboard capacity allows you to turn large bowls, while 36” of inboard capacity lets you turn long spindles, table legs and island legs. The lathe is powered by a unique motor that converts a 1-phase input to a 3-phase output. This 3-phase output delivers smooth, even power, even when the lathe is under heavy loads. It also provides infinitely variable speed within the two general speed ranges without sacrificing power or torque at lower RPMs. The anodized aluminum control panel is exquisitely designed, and angled for easy visibility and accessibility to all knobs. It features a large blue-hued digital read-out that gives you precise RPM readouts at all times, and easy adjustments with the comfortable rubber-coated knob.

Second bowl for me, a lot less tears, less gouges and a lot less tear outs! I used my Woodstock Bowl Gouge and 1″ scraper for most of it so far. I also used the skew to create the recess for the Nova Chuck.

I think I’ll make up some of Cap’n Eddie’s OB Shine Juice for a finish. One thing I didn’t think of is how do I deal with the insert hole for the Nova Chuck Jaws? I know with a tennon I can just cut it off, but not sure how to deal with a hole in the bottom of my bowl….. guess I’ll have to do a little research!

Maybe I’ll shoot some video of turning and finishing this bowl. I will post some pics of how it turns out and will try to do a sequence. My wife thinks they are beautiful, all I see are the imperfections …..I could easily throw them away. Oh…I need to tell you about the cup I made from gluing up about 5 2×6’s …. looks really cool!

keep your eyes peeled for different sources of free wood — Every township, city or county cleans up after storms, just ask if you can pick thru the wood…. free wood for wood turning projects.

And…. I have another project in mind. I was driving past a local city landfill…. organic stuff, and I found some pine with a 8 to 10 inch diameter. I have a lamp project in mind!

You gotta keep you eyes open for downed wood, cable, electric and phone line guys are always around keeping the right away clear for their lines…. an excellent place to pick up enough wood to turn for a whole year!

I did a post on how and where to find free wood for your turning projects. Not quite done with it, but I think it will help some of you guys out. Will try to get that stuff posted in the next week of so.

Until then….. happy wood turning!!!

Wolverine Sharpening Jig Mistake

Used the Single Cup of the Wolverine Jig to Sharpen The Scraper

WoodTurning Tool Sharpening Lesson Learned

Should Have Checked My Setup Before Turning the Grinder On!

WoodTurning Tool Sharpening Lesson Learned!

Reviewing The Laguna Revo 18|36 Woodturning Lathe

A New Wood Lathe for More Power

Laguna Revo 18|36 Woodturning Lathe

Woodturning Tool Recommendations for the Beginner

Expensive WoodTurning Tools

Don’t Buy A Set of Woodturning Tools

Check out Beginners Woodturning Tools

Turning Handles for Your WoodTurning Tools

Woodturning Handle Videos

Metal for Making Your Own WoodTurning Tools

Cap’n Eddie Shows Us How to Turn Our Own WoodTurning Tool Handles

More On Making Woodturning Handles

Wood Turning Supplies and Products from D-Way Tools

WoodTurning Tools for the Wood Turner

I want an Elsworth Grind Bowl Gouge!

Sealing End Grain on Your WoodTurning Blanks

What to use for sealing end grain on wood blanks?

AnchorSeal Stops Logs from Checking and Splitting

Using Glue to Seal Log Ends to Prevent Splitting

GreenWood End Sealer Stops Splitting on Wet Wood

Finishing A Wood Turned Bowl with CA glue the Cap’n Eddie Way

Food Safe Finishes for Wood Turning Projects

My Mentor and CA Glue Finishes For Wood Turning Projects

Safety First…Ventilate Your Work Area When Using the CA Finish

Finishing Points for Your Wood Turning Project

Comments From Other WoodTurner’s

That is food safe, got to try this finish.

WoodTurning Tool
Sharpening Lesson Learned!

Woodturning Tool Recommendations for
the Beginner

Metal for Making Your
Own WoodTurning Tools

Cap’n Eddie Shows Us How to Turn
Our Own WoodTurning Tool Handles

Wood Turning Supplies and
Products from D-Way Tools

WoodTurning Tools
for the Wood Turner

Sealing End Grain on
Your WoodTurning Blanks

What to use for sealing end
grain on wood blanks?

AnchorSeal Stops Logs from
Checking and Splitting

Using Glue to Seal Log Ends
to Prevent Splitting

GreenWood End Sealer Stops
Splitting on Wet Wood

Food Safe Finishes for
Wood Turning Projects

My Mentor and CA Glue Finishes
For Wood Turning Projects

Safety First…Ventilate Your
Work Area When Using the CA Finish

Finishing Points for Your
Wood Turning Project

Comments From
Other WoodTurner’s