All woodturners need to wear some sort of face mask or face shield. I was dumb enough to start turning wood without a facemask and thank God I never got hit in the face. But as time went on, watching videos and learning about safety I realized I was gambling with fate because sooner or latter you will experience a piece flying off the lathe and hitting you in the face! I purchased my face shield a couple of years ago but just recently ran into a video on how to make your own woodturning face shield and you know how much I like to make my own woodturning tools!
Face Shield I Use
First I should mention that I use the UVEX by Honeywell Bionic Face Shield with Clear Polycarbonate Visor (S8500) It cost less than $25, however, at times they are hard to get! We are going through the covid 19 pandemic at the time of this writing and some places in the world will not allow you to buy a face shield. So, we are going to make our our faceshield or facemask.
You might be interested in a discussion on how to remove scratches from your woodturning face shield in our facebook woodturning group. Apparently some members have been able to clean, clear and refurbish their faceshields using some of the automotive plastic lense cleaner and restorers. I haven’t tried any yet but plan to ….check out the FaceShield Post on Woodturning Basics.
Making Your Own Face Shield
So I thought in a time of need, whether you are financially strapped or because of the covid virus and you just can’t get a protective faceshield for woodturning this video will show you how to simply make a woodturning faceshield yourself that will get you by or could last forever!
I thought it was pretty cool way to make your own face shield. You can watch the make your own face shield video and use it as a template to fashion your own. I can think of a few enhancements you might like to make but if you just followed his plan exactly you would have something that would adequately protect your face and head from the next flying bowl 🙂 .
I’ve got a great woodturning project for new and old woodturners alike!
Did you ever need to beat on something in the shop and know that a metal hammer would just damage and rip up your project. You need a rubber hammer maybe? … or how about a wood mallet?
Making Some Wood Mallets
of Different Design
I enjoy making my own woodturning tools. I’ve been in the process of making some wood mallets for myself and to sell. I just never got around to finishing the video! I made my mallet heads from a branch and the handles from different wood species. I wanted to see how I could mass produce hard, indestructable wood mallets. I got sick and just never finished putting the project together so the pieces are finished the video is in pieces and has to be edited and all I have to do is put them together …..which I hope to do soon. But until then….I have a great video that shows how you can turn a basic wood mallet for you to watch.
Although my wood mallets are of a more traditional shape and prove very helpful around the shop. You can beat on most anything in the shop and not ruin whatever you are hitting. Heck, you could use my model to make tenderloins in the kitchen!
However, I just ran into a video from Mike Peace on making a wood mallet on your lathe that can be used for just about anything like carving, tool persuation, loosening that locked chuck …etc.
How To Turn A Mallet On Your Wood Lathe
Mike Peace of Mike Peace Woodturing produced a video on “How To Turn A Mallet On Your Wood Lathe”
It is perfect for a beginner woodturning project or if you just need a wood mallet around the shop. So if you don’t have one, make one because they really come in handy. Mike goes over design, wood selection and how to use your tools to get the desired shape.
What I Used Before I Had A Wood Mallet
You won’t believe this……
Before I had a wood mallet I would use a branch, pipe or anything laying around the shop ….since I made a few wood mallets I find I am always using it! In fact, I have placed a couple wood mallets around the shop in designated holders so I always know where to find one …..problem is I just do not put things back where I found them 🙂
Easy Turn Making A Wood Mallet As A
Beginner Woodturning Project
wood mallet woodturning project
As I said, turning a wood mallet is a good beginner project. Mike Peace gives you some plans to go by, he even shows you how to convert or create a dead blow mallet with lead shot or BB’s. You’ll enjoy turning this woodturning project and will find it something that you can give away as gifts to your fellow woodworkers or even sell them.
What You Will Need For This Woodturning Project
The best part is all you need is a 12 or 14 inch log, he gives you the profile and all you need to do is put it between centers. You need a spindle roughing gouge , maybe a parting tool *******, and a spindle gougewould come in handy *********. When waking this is the type of tool you really do not need to apply a finish to it but if you wanted to a coat or two of mineral oil works well ….I think I put OB shine juice on my mallets *******
Have you ever had to drill down the center of a wood blank on your wood lathe?
Most of us figure out that it is fairly easi to get a drill chuck on a morse taper and install it in the tailstock of your wood lathe and then push it into the piece of wood you are turning to drill a hole. That almost always works and gives the best results. However when you want to drill longer holes or larger holes it becomes a problem on the lathe ….especially if you are turning into endgrain.
But there comes a time when you would like to stick your project on the drill press and just drill down that piece and get it over with. I don’t know if you ever tried that with ash or oak and using a 2″ or 3″ forstner bit but chances are you will get smacked in the head, hand, arm or body because those things can be wild. The piece you are drilling has to be properly anchored and you won’t be able to do that with one hand while the other hand is cranking down on the drill bit…….. guaranteed to take flight!
Verticle Drilling on Your Drill Press for Your Woodturning Projects
I thought I would post this video for those of you looking to do some vertical drilling. I know normally we chuck up the piece on the lathe and on the tailstock install a drill chuck and do our drilling that way.
At times it would be easier to do this on drill press. Or maybe you don’t have a MT mounted drill chuck for your tailstock.
Vertical Drilling for Forming
A Woodturning Chuck Recess
One of my favorite connections for my lathe chuck is the recess. I can drill a recess and leave it in the finished project if I want. I can chuck it back up if it moves too much, cracks or checks and refinish it. It is also a good area to put your logo or signature of some sort.
Recess in wood bowl bottom for scroll chuck
So when I first get a piece of wood ready to put on the wood lathe I will find centers on both ends and use a forstner bit that fits my jaws to drill a 1/2″ to 3/8″ hole on one end. I then simply chuck it up on the lathe and most times pull the tailstock up and I am turning in less than 5 minutes. So a jig that would hold my piece verticle could really come in handy when getting a piece of wood ready to turn with a recess.
Up until now I have held on to the piece with my hands …..doesn’t always work too well. I have used big wood clamps to hold the wood piece to be turned but then have to clamp down the clamp to the drill press table. …….so, I’m hoping I can come up with some sort of variation of the method that is explained in this video …..hope it can help you too!
Hickory firewood piece gets drilled for recess for Nova Chuck 2″ jaws
Vertical drilling on a drill press can get pretty hairy …not to mention not very accurate. The guy in this video came up with an easy solution for vertical drilling a dowel and I thought we might be able to apply it to some of our projects in some form.
This gives me some ideas on how to take cylinders I have turned and need to drill a hole down the center for a rod ….lets say for making rolling pins. Or even for wood turning tools I’m making and forgot to drill the hole before turning the tool……ALWAYS REMEMBER TO DRILL THE TOOL HOLE FIRST 🙂
Or if I am making a coffee cup and want to start the hollowing process with a forstner bit. Although I do that now on the lathe, I think it might be easier if I had a dedicated station for drilling down the center of the cut or vase while it was in the verticle postion. Gravity, plumbness (verticle postion) could all be checked easily.
If drilling a turned piece on the drill press I would leave the tennon on. I would make the tennon larger than usual and clamp it into the piece of wood.
I’m gonna have to give this a try and see how stable it would be and how big a hole I could drill.
Modify the Holding Jig to Hold the Bottom of the Piece and New the Top to Keep it Stable and in Control
Short pieces like the dowel in the video should work fine but if you were doing a 6″ cut or 12″ vase you might want to set up the jig to hold the bottom and someplace in the middle to the top.
Also remember that most drill presses have a hole in the center of the drill press table which would allow you to drill center holes in 3′, 4′ or larger pieces.
Sorry for lack of details, but I wanted to throw this out for you guys to see if you could use any part of the jig or process or have it be a source of some creative juices for something you might build or need.
Reuse Old Food/Condiment Bottles For All Your Woodturning Finishes
Maybe you have already thought of the ideas I will share regarding using emptied food or utility containers for your woodturning projects. That is, these can help you get organized, they don’t cost anything and you can make them a one time use or they might last for months or even years. One of my favorite is the Catsup bottle, mustard bottles and salad dressing bottles. I particularly like the clean bottles so I know the condition of the finish or glue that is inside the bottle.
Storing woodturning finishes in catsup bottles. The top screws on tight and the flip top snaps tight eliminating evaporation of the finsh.
I was mixing up some special finishing mixes for my woodturning projects when I thought it might help others to know how and where I store these finishes. It might seem like a simple thought and for the most part when we buy a finish it comes in a can or bottle.
When you mix your own finishes you need to store it in something and hopefully it can also be a container that you can use to apply your finish …..I mean like, squirt it out onto a rag or the project or a paint brush.
Although this isn’t game changing information …it is practical information that you can use to help store and apply your finishes.
Ketchup and Mustard Bottles for Storing Woodturning Finishes
And make use of food jars and bottles when emptied. I’m on a low budget so I’m always thinking how I might be able to use this bottle or the next bottle or can. Some work out pretty good, others ….not so good, so in the long run you just need to experiment with different containers.
I can tell you I prefer glass containers. One big downside to glass is that it cracks to pieces when hitting the concrete floor 🙂 I use mason jars of various sizes for a lot of things and I break a lot of mason jars because they were left too close to the edge of the bench and hit the floor.
Use Big Plastic Bottles to
Keep Paint Brushes Clean
I keep my cheap paint brushes in a big plastic bottle with some lacquer thinner, the brush hangs in the thinner and is always clean and ready to use when apply different sanding sealers and woodturning finishes.
I found some big pretzel bottles that were perfect for hanging paint brushes in with a little lacquer thinner on the bottom. I drilled a couple holes in the top and hot glued a dowel that I hang paint brushes on. I just use some baling wire to make some S-hooks and hang the brush into the lacquer thinner …..or course you could use whatever thinner you want…..I found lacuqer thinner cleans just about anything,
Capn Eddie’s Thoughts On finish Storage
I remember watching some Captn Eddie Castelin videos on how to mix OB Shine Juice and then apply it. He also was just as interested in how to store the finish you just made up and how to keep it in the right proportions since some of the ingredients will evaporate over a period of time, thru use or just through the plastic storage bottle itself.
Capn Eddie recommended using some squeeze bottles from Harbor Freight for storing and applying his finish but made the distinction that the DA (Denatured Alcohol) will evaporate over a period of time and you will then not have the proper amount of separate ingredients in the OB Shine Juice formula.
The long and short of it is that the alcohol evaporates from the bottle through the bottle and through the snap on top. Over time, you then need to calculate how much alcohol has evaporated and add the necessary Denatured Alcohol to get the formula back to the original recipe.
Capn Eddie recommended some plastic squeeze bottles from Harbor Freight, I purchased some and they didn’t last long. I found a good variety of Plastic Squeeze Bottles to store your finishes and other solutions….pretty cheap, Click Here.
Storing Your Custom Made Woodturning Finishes
So, over the last couple of years I have been using a variety of different food or condiment containers to store and apply woodturning finishes, glue and keep paint brushes on hand.
Reuse Old Plastic Squeeze Mustard Bottles
Mustard bottles make excellent glue storage and applicators. Buy your wood glue by the gallon and fill your old mustard bottles with the glue, the cap stays pretty tight and you can use it over and over. I use several types of wood glue so I ended up with about 3 mustard bottles filled with food safe woodglue …..works great . Mustard bottles are not the greatest for finishes because most do not seal very well. You have a screw down cap and a snap cap. The snap cap often times is loose fitting and will allow finish to evaporate …..but they are excellent for wood glue like the different formulas of titebond and other woodglues you can easily have 4 or 5 bottles of glue laying around the shop for easy use or easy to get to.
Finishes like OB Shine Juice require air tight bottles. First I want a clear bottle so I can see how the individual components of the OB Shine juice seperate. Next I want to find a bottle that has an “air tight” seal at the screw in top and the snap on top. It becomes a trial an error method ….some work, some do not. I found Catsup bottles pretty good, salad dressing bottles are also good.
Remember you are looking for a bottle that is clear, the top is easy to screw on and seals tight (no leaks) and a flip top that seals tightly ….again, no leaks!
Recycled Plastic Food Bottles
for Temporary Storage
Once again, I try to reuse things before they hit the trash!
Cottage cheese containers come in handy when woodturning, whether storing parts and pieces, finishes, or filling up with coffee grounds they help you stay organized.
Large cottage cheese containers are perfect for holding parts while working on a project. They can also be used to clean paint brushes or glue brushes ….I also use them for mixing up special finishes in small batches. We go through at least one container a week ….when you are done using it, just toss it, doesn’t get any easier!
With any of these containers you can use them for long term storage if needed, with or without a lid. For instance I have a lot of 2″ sanding disks, they get used or the backing breaks off. I just keep one container for each grit. I’ll also throw in small square sandpaper sheets that aren’t completely used up.
You can use yogurt food containers for casting small resin woodturning projects
Yogurt and Cottage Cheese
Containers for Resin Molds
Plastic food containers make excellent resin molds. Anything from the size of a gallon plastic milk or water bottle to small yogurt containers. One serving size yogurt containers are perfect to experiment with casting turning wood and resin projects.
Storing and Using CA
Glue For Woodturning
Since most woodturners use CA glue in some form, whether it be thin or thick CA …you often get it in bigger bottles that the top gets clogged or the cap is lost causing all kinds of problems. Some CA’s come with very thin and long applicator tips ….these get lost, clogged and eventually have nothing left. Once you start using those applications you realize how handy they are.
CA by the way refers to Cyanoacrylate Glue or Superglue.
What to Use CA for When Woodturning
I use CA mostly for gluing purposes when woodturning. I will use it to fill cracks or crevices. You can pack a crack with sawdust, coffee grounds, shavings and then apply some CA to it, usually you will want to use thin CA because it will soak into the material you packed in the crack and it will bond with all material it touches ….there fore helping to keep the bowl or turning project together and not flying apart.
Use a small amount of mica to fill holes, cracks and crevices in your woodturing projects
You can also mix a little mica color with the CA, in this case you would want to use the medium thick to thick CA to give the crack a color that either blends with the wood or is in start contrast with the wood. I also use a 5 minute epoxy for this, you get more time to work the material and most times it looks better.
CA For A Finish On Your Woodturning Projects
It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention the fact that CA is a very popular finish for many woodturners. Many wood pen turners use CA for a glossy finish on their pens. Although CA isn’t used on bigger projects much, smaller stuff like handles, eggs, wands, billy bats etc look great with a CA finish…..some turners will use CA on bowls and cups but I’m not so sure that it is food safe even after it cures.
Although I do not use a lot of CA for finishes some turners do and will buy larger bottles of thin CA. This is where you would want to keep most of it in the freezer and split it up into smaller bottles for your use. Like I mentioned, some say you can keep it in the freezer for 2 years or more.
Storing Your CA
Depending on how much woodturning you do, your CA could go bad if not used in a reasonable period of time and kept in the right conditions. Therefore if is advisable to store your CA in a refrigerator/freezer until you use it. I know of some woodturners who use a lot of CA for their projects (CA can be used to give a bright glossy finish) and they purchase larger amounts of CA and by keeping it refrigerated it will last up to three years.
Kit for storing and using your CA glue more efficiently
I mention CA, storage and application because you can purchase kits that contain smaller dispensing bottles, a couple hundred applicator tips and other pieces to help make the most of your CA.
I purchased this CA Accessory Kit and am very happy with it. I did it mostly for the CA applicator tips but ended up using the smaller bottles and refrigerating my thin CA, Medium Thick CA and Thick Ca. Something you should consider if you use any CA at all, the applicator tips are golden. They help direct the CA into cracks and crevices and keep the CA from bleeding into the surrounding wood which cause discoloration.
Final Woodturning Storage Thoughts
Coffee cans are good for one time use or storage of parts and pieces ….good to a few at hand!
I hope I might have opened up your eyes to finding new and unthought of methods of storing your glues, finishes and other woodturning related products. Just keep your eye out for empty spray bottles, coffee cans, condiment bottles and other disposable food containers and you just might get a little more organized in your woodturning shop!
I have a couple of garbage bags filled with empty plastic and metal containers. Some I probably will never use but others can really make life easy in the shop….. and coffee cans, whether metal or plastic are always of use and can be easy one time containers that you’ll be glad you had around 🙂
Plastic Bottles for Vase Inserts
As I write I keep thinking I should mention other purposes for used containers. One of the most important ones for me is using a plastic water bottle for a vase insert. It holds water, won’t leak and is easy for a client to replace. Smaller vases can use medicine bottles or other pill bottles.
Empty drinking water bottles provide excellent inserts for woodturned vases and are easily replaced.
Wood vases are really cool, I enjoy turning them but it becomes expensive to epoxy the inside to make it water proof so you simply have to make it big enough to hold a drinking water bottle that has had the top cut off. When turning a wood vase with a water bottle insert in mind I usually make it at least 1/4″ wider than the plastic bottle ….sometimes even a 1/2″ bigger. You want to make it bigger because the hole will either shrink or get deformed if water is dropped into the untreated vase interior.
Could I Make a Custom Woodturning Tool Rest
From Steel Pipe?
Did you ever notice how we limit ourselves to the “known” or “comfortable”? I started thinking about that and wondered if I could make a custom woodturning tool rest from materials I had laying around. I almost forgot the fact … or was imtimidated by the type and scope of the job, that I really like making my own woodturning tools.
My Cast Iron Tool Rest Broke In 2 Pieces
I broke my toolrest and posted about it. Lots of good ideas about getting a new one. One member Al Oggie is sending me one from his extra stash. Not sure when it will get here but I started thinking about making my own wood turning tool rest a long time ago….but I needed one now.
A tool rest for woodturning consists of 2 basic parts:
1. The post which fits on the bango and attaches to the horizontal tool rest
2. The horizontal tool rest that your woodturning tools glide across as it cuts and gouges the wood project you are turning and attaches to the post that is in the banjo
I needed a 25mm steel bar for the post, which was very hard to find and very expensive and a 5/8″ to 3/4″ bar for the tool rest. And I’ve been looking for the materials for the last year. I did find them online but never purchased.
Needed to Know How to Weld If I was
Going to Make a Toolrest
Wood turning tool rest made from steel pipe seems to work as well as solid bar tool rests
I’m not a good welder, just learned in the last 10 years and haven’t done much. In fact, I really do not do much with metal at all. So I kept putting it off.
Pieces of Galvanized and Black Gas
Pipe I Used to Build A
New Woodturning Tool Rest
Then I started thinking….I have some 1/2″ black steel gas pipe I could use for a post, I would need a bushing of some sort so I cut a piece of 3/4″ thin walled conduit and sliced it down the length of it.
I did not know if very many woodturners had used pipe for a tool rest for their wood lathe.
I had some old galvanized 3/4″ steel water pipe I could use for tool rest bar. All I needed to do was weld the post to the bar. (Caution when welding galvanized pipe, do it outside, wear a mask ….not sure if it made a difference but I cleaned up the galvanized pipe …sanding and grinding down to shiney steel)
Started to Make My Own Custom
Tool Rest for Woodturning
Then I decided to use my pipe/tube notcher to drill a 7/8″ hole in the middle of the 3/4″ bar to stick the 1/2″ gas pipe post into and weld those two together. Next I cut some 1/4″ flat steel in triangle shapes to act as braces along the bar and down the post.
I cleaned everything up, ground down my welds because they were embarassing 🙂
I slipped the conduit bushing over the gas pipe post and mounted it in the bango and tightened everything up and gave it a whirl.
Much to my surprise its better than the one that came with it.
I installed the tool rest in the banjo, it was as solid as the old cast iron tool rest
Planning on Making More Specific
Special Use Tool Rests for Woodturning!
I’ve got a hydraulic pipe bender and now I’m thinking about seeing if I can make some S-shaped tool rests for the inside and outside of bowls.
Every tool rest I always saw or read about was made from solid steel or the cast iron. I always thought a piece of pipe would not be strong enough. I made the 3/4″ pipe 12″ long, turned a couple bowls ….did some deliberate catches and there was no movement at all…….maybe I’m coming to conclusions too quickly but it seems to work. And the 3/4″ steel tool rest allows me to rest my hand on it as I push or pull my bowl gouge across it!
When I think about it, I watched videos of turners in 3rd world countries using just about anything from 2×4’s to a straight piece of steel or angle iron for tool rests. In fact, I saw some local guys making tool rests from steel pipe with the base embedded in a 5 gallon bucket of concrete for a toolrest when turning outboard…..they did not have problems with it.
Got Some Skills…..Cheap Option for a Few Custom Tool Rests for Your Wood Turning Needs!
I know solid steel is better but if you are in a tight spot and you have some skills or you’re not afraid to try something new ……it is possible to make a tool rest with steel pipe because I did it.
I’m sure I will get comments on how this isn’t safe. If so, tell me why! I think the only danger would be my poor welds (gonna practice since I am liking this project) but I put the diagonal steel triangular bracing pieces that should help keep it together.
Tools I Used For Making Custom Woodturning Tool Rests
I used the following:
Tube & Pipe Notcher—> https://amzn.to/2CrGTMa
Super Deal PRO Commercial MIG 130 AC Flux Core Wire Automatic Feed
I used this tube notcher for drilling a hole for the tool rest post, you could probably use a drill bit in a vice
Welder Welding Machine —> https://amzn.to/2Zmta2h
3/4″ steel pipe (galvanized or black (gas) pipe) —-> Local Hardware store
1/2″ steel gas pipe (for post) —> local hardware store
3/16″ steel plate (scrap from local supply house)
3/4″ thin wall elec conduit —> get piece from local hardware store
I used a cheap 4-1/2″ angle grinder https://amzn.to/3iUDCG8 with a thin metal cutting wheel https://amzn.to/3iWyFwv and I used some sanding flap disks to clean the metal and the grinds (also use these on bowls and turned items for live edge or just clean up) https://amzn.to/2DzbOqy
Why Buy Tools For Woodturning Jigs and Projects
I’ve had most of these tools for a long time, however, all come in handy when making different jigs and other projects around the shop. Best thing is I can now make 5 or 10 special use wood turning tool rests without paying big bucks for them ….besides not wanting to spend the money …simply because I don’t have it, I really enjoy thinking out of the box and making my own tools.
Where to Buy Woodturning Tool Rests for Wood Lathes
It would be remiss of me if I did not tell you where you can get tool rests for your woodturning lathe. Not everyone wants to take the time or has the time to make their own wood lathe toolrest. Many online woodturning stores offer toolrests of different shapes and purposes. You can go to the manufacturer of your lathe to see what they offer for toolrests, but you will find more diversity in toolrests from 2nd and 3rd party vendors. Or you can click on toolrests for wood lathes to see what is available and what you might need. You can see the sizes, shapes and purposes of different tool rests for woodturning and then either make a purchase or do more exploring.
Final Thoughts for Woodturning Toolrests
Remember the best toolrest for woodturning is designed to get you close to your work so you don’t have to extend your woodturning tool far over the toolrest, thus inviting a nasty catch or just losing control of your gouging. That is why many woodturners will have more than one toolrest for their woodturing projects and will have a favorite toolrest for the type of woodturing they do. And that is one of the reasons I decided to build my own toolrests for my wood lathe. Once you get the concept down, you might find yourself with 5 to 10 different toolrests for your woodturning projects….. each specialized for that project, making it easy to complete along with being safer.
Good luck with your toolrest investigations …surely you will find that there are many options available to you! I plan on building a few more woodturning toolrests and hopefully will be able to include some video of the process. So stay tuned and keep watch for the new toolrests, I already have three built and they are working wonderfully for all my special needs in turning big wood bowls. I hope you might take time to leave a comment on what you like best.
Make Your Own Woodturning Tool Sharpening System Modeled After the Oneway Sharpening System
I thought I write this article about making your own sharpening system for woodturning tools because I know many new woodturnings cannot afford to go out and buy a sharpening system like the Wolverine Oneway sharpening system. It’s gonna cost you between $100 and $150 to purchase the system and you just don’t have the case. So, there are solutions and there are plans and videos that will show you how to make a sharpening system for your woodturnig tools that is similiar to the Oneway sharpening system and I thought I would put together some videos and pdf’s to help you ….then, I think I am going to set up one of these systems on an old water wheel grind I have.
I have the Wolverine Oneway sharpening jig and although its taken me some time to perfect my sharpening technique, I love this woodturning tool sharpening system.
I have my wolverine sharpening system set up on one grinder but I thought I would like to make a dedicated grinder out of an old harbor freight wet wheel grinder that is kind of a Tormek take off. The benefit is that the wet wheel turns very slow and will take off very little steel when sharpening your woodturning tools.
Using oneway type sharpening system on a Harbor Freight Wet wheel
I really didn’t want to buy another Wolverine Sharpening System ….although I would in a second if I had the cash but I don’t….. so I thought I would try making a system and tool holder since I’ve watched a handful of videos on guys making a sharpening system that essentially is a take off or duplicate of the Oneway sharpening system but made of wood ….and in some cases steel ….but, I’m going to make mine of wood.
Make Your Own
Woodturning Sharpening Tools
I have to admit, I almost enjoy making the different tools and jigs for my woodturning habit as much as I like turning wood. There is something so very satisfying in making your own wooddturing tools and jigs….at least for me.
Cap’n Eddie video on making a duplicate of the vari-grind jig was one of the first videos I was exposed to for making your own sharpening tools. He has some great videos on making the holder, the varigrind and how to use it. He also sells the components on his website for making the system yourself ….at least he did ….I’ll have to go back and see if I can dig up some of those old videos he did. Note to self, look up Eddie Castelin’s sharpening videos 🙂 You can see Capn’ Eddie’s $2 Dollar Sharpening Jig ….click on the link 🙂
Al Furtado also did at least one video on how to make a Oneway copy ….or he might have called it an Ellsworth tool or tool for grinding an Ellsworth grind …..I’ll dig up that video or post also https://youtu.be/j9Cm8kjfsVQ
New Video On Making Your
Own Oneway Sharpening Jig
One of the first things I think you should do is watch Doug Thompsons video on sharpening your woodturing tools https://youtu.be/ttYyulsM7wg
this will give you an idea of what sharpening is all about and might help you if you have problems sharpening your woodturning tools.
Make a Wood Turning/Grinder
Sharpening Jig for $12!
Here’s a video on making the sharpening jig from plywood, no need to know how to weld or work with metal ….his name is Paul Jenkins and I believe that is his youtube channel also. He walks you through a simple build for a sharpening jig base and explains the how’s and why’s ….I thought it was a pretty good video https://youtu.be/Ws_JoC4BXOQ
Here is a link to a pdf for dimensions and instructions http://stwt.org/pdf/king%20heiple%20sharp%20jig.pdf I will also put this in the “File” section of our facebook group at Wood Turng Basics. He shows a very basic but functional vari-grind jig for holding your woodturing tools.http://stwt.org/pdf/king%20heiple%20sharp%20jig.pdf
Watch this young man make a very simple version of the Wolverine Sharpening System. It’s super simple and although it is probably focuses on sharpening simple roughing gouges and parting tools ….if you use your imagination you can see how you can use it with the vari-grind tool to sharpen your bowl gouges. https://youtu.be/Ph0EwjQrurY
Copy of Vari-grind Jig
Both Cap’n Eddie and Al Furtado show us how to build a tool similar to the varigrind for next to nothing. It can work with the platform in the above paragraph.
Marius Hornbuerger shows us how to make a really nice version of the vari-grind tool holder by video https://youtu.be/sfmIv0iXjis
and also gives us a copy of of the plans he uses, actually templates that you glue to your plywood and cut out…..doesn’t get much simpler.
This guy basically copied Capn’ Eddies Ellsworth Sharpening Jig and he does give Capn’ Eddie credit in his description but it is a decent video and shows you how to make the vari-grind type jig so you can sharpen your bowl gouges https://youtu.be/ir2hlwVr84M
Make your own woodturning tool sharpening system and jig
and he has some decent tutorials with pictures at https://www.instructables.com/id/Sharpening-Jig-for-Woodturning-Gouges/
How To Sharpen a Turning Tool
Without a Grinder
Maybe you don’t have a grinder or you’re just hard core and want to keep things really simple here’s a quick lesson on sharpening without a grinder ….how to use some diamond sharpeners by hand to keep an edge on your tools. Its a little hard core for me but he does explain the basics of sharpening which can be applied to just about any type of sharpening when it comes to sharpening your woodturning tools or any woodworking tools https://youtu.be/9kkI7iHL-Nc
Wolverine Oneway Sharpening
System Setup Guides
Below you’ll find the pdf setup guides for the Oneway sharpening jig that come with the package. You’ll find these useful when trying to understand the theory and application for sharpening your woodturning tools.
How to Dry A Long Round Spindle
Turning Blank for Woodturning
I have some ideas for long round turning blanks, spindle blanks that can apply to a variety of woodturning projects. I’m basically taking a straight branch about 3 to 4 inches wide and turning off the bark and some or all of the sap wood from the piece leaving me a round blank at about 3″ plus wide ….it could be 12″ long or 30+ inches long. I will also take bigger branches and end up with a long round turning blank that is at least 5 inches plus wide.
What Are Long Round
Spindle Blanks Used For?
I can use these blanks for:
tool handles
bats
billy clubs
fish bats
rolling pins
noodle cutters
spaghetti cutters
handles
vases
cups
You get the idea, a long round rod shaped piece of wood. I turn the blanks and dry them. I store the blanks and when I’m ready for a project I select the dried blank and turn the project. Cracking and checking can be a problem depending on the wood species.
Spindle type blank for turning fish bats
Most Long Round Blanks Crack
My problem has been most of the wood I have turned has been very wet. I tried turning and setting on a shelf only to have them crack, at least one good crack. That’s OK, I just fill with epoxy and coffee grounds or just epoxy and color after it has finished drying and re-turn the piece.
Examples of dried and cracked long round woodturing spindle blanks
I’d rather not have to go through that process for each bat type blank know as a type of spindle blank. So the problem I have is how do I dry the piece and not have it crack. I realize each piece is normally a branch and has the pith through the middle so I need to do a slow, very slow dry. But I’ve even experienced the cracking in non-pith pieces.
I turned 2 vases from one oak spindle blank
How To Build A Drying Cage
I had an idea on how to dry these long round woodturning blanks.
Why not just dry them in shavings and sawdust like woodturning bowl blanks? So I laid a few of the long round turning blanks on the floor in a pile of shavings. Left them there for a week, I kept tripping over them. They were in the way of my workspace but when I uncovered them they were without cracks!
The Horizontal Long Round
Blank Drying Cage
Since I didn’t have any paper bags big enough to hold the long round spindle turning blanks I thought I would have to build something to hold the blanks and shavings but would also let air flow through so the wood blanks would dry. I thought of taking a large piece of pvc pipe and drill a bunch of small holes and fill it with shavings but that would only hold one maybe two blanks and I’d have to drill a million or so holes ….not a good idea.
Drying cage for roughed in spindle blanks made with wire and plywood
The I thought, what if I took some wire window screen and built a long horizontal cage? Simple enough, wrap the screen around a circular piece on the bottom and one on the top with a hole in it. You can make it any size. Make smaller cages for small long single round spindle blanks, make bigger cages 12″ or 16″ wide or more for multiple long round blanks.
Staple the screen to the circular bottom piece and top piece. Add 2 long horizontal stretchers to attach the screen to and hold it up. Place your blanks in the cage and fill it with shavings and sawdust. Place your vertical drying cage in an area to dry …..done deal!
It’s not rocket science 🙂 I built one with an 8″ diameter base. I wish I would have made it 12″ but I think I will make a handful of these drying cagesbecause I’m sure this will work. I did a quick video in case my words aren’t making sense.
I loaded up 3 fairly large long round spindle blanks. First I weighed each blank. Then loaded into the cage and filled with shavings and sawdust. The heat is still on in the shop and I placed the cage as high as I could ……I will re-weigh the blanks after 2 or 3 weeks and see how it works.
Should have Sealed The Ends of The Woodturning Blanks
As I think about it now …..I should have sealed the ends of each blank with wax, paint or anchor seal. I can’t believe I spaced off and didn’t do that ….maybe I will dump the cage and seal the ends of each long round woodturning spindle blank ….they’ve only been in for a couple of days!
Drying Results
I will either edit this post, do another article and/or post in the Wood Turning Basics facebook group the results of my drying cage …stay tuned!
DIY Polishing Paste Like Yourshire Grit for Woodturning Projects
Earlier in my life I purchased everything I needed. I had the money to buy stuff and that’s what I did. Nowadays I have a need to make my own and I enjoy it immensely!
Woodturning provides plenty of opportunites to make your own woodturning stuff, tools, finishes, jigs and so on.
Wanted to Make My Own
Yorkshire Grit Polishing Paste
I’ve been wanting to make my own finishing wax/paste for wooden bowls. I’ve read and watched a handful of videos on how to make the sanding paste. It really didn’t seem to hard and others seem to get some awesome results with using these types of sanding and finishing pastes. Basically it is:
1. Beeswax
2. Mineral oil
3. Diatomaceous earth
Different Methods and Techniques to
Make the Polishing Wax
It seems that each formula has something a little different and in different amounts. Even the way they put the materials together are different. One guy boils, the next uses a microwave and the one I want to show you today uses a blender to heat and mix all materials together for a perfect finishing paste.
The approach that is followed in this video is using the vitamix blender or any blender to generate the heat to melt the wax instead of doing a double boiler. Really makes it fast and simple
I stumbled on a youtube video by Kim Tippin where she explains her method of making her own sanding paste in some detail. After watching her video you will have enough info to make your own sanding/finishing paste that will take your woodturning projects to the next level.
The nice part about using a sanding paste is that you can get a super fine finish that would be ready for a final finish of your choice ….or leave it as it is and just wipe some mineral oil on it when it starts to get dry.
This Sanding/Finishing approach is totally food safe.
At the end of the video I show you some of the better commercial sanding pastes, you might want to buy one just to see how similar yours is to something you buy off the market. In any case, enjoy the free information and make yourself some sanding/polishing paste.
I’ll give you a list of where you can purchase the materials needed to make the paste. Keep in mind, you can add essential oils to the mixture to make it your own special blend.
Kim Tippin Calls it DIY Fast Abrasive Paste
Her Recipe
32 OZ – Mineral Oil
8 OZ – Beeswax
8 OZ – Diatomaceous Earthfew drops of essential oil (optional)
Thank you, Daniel Vilarino, for sharing your recipe. I too have come across his method of making this sanding paste and can stand for his quality.
His link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zufgDTh3fis
Of course you could go out and get some Yorkshire grit 🙂
You might want to follow Daniel Vilarino ….he has some pretty good techniques and procedures to share when turning wood. Tell him I sent you 🙂
Epoxy resin finishes are beautiful. However, it takes some time to learn how to use it. That means you will probably mess up one or more projects depending on what epoxy finish you use.
I stumbled onto a guy by the name of John Williams a while back who was using with good results epoxy resin finishes. He just came out with a video that shows how he applies epoxy finishes to his woodturnings. This is a really good video for anyone looking to get into using epoxy finishes.
I posted the below comments to our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics ….if you haven’t joined you should consider it. Lots of good information shared with new woodturners and experienced woodturners alike.
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Have any of you guys/gals worked with epoxy finishes?
If you have, you know how finicky they can be. How hard it is to get an even finish. How difficult it can be to get the bubbles out of it! ….and a variety of other problems when appling epoxy resin finishes.
John Williams created a drying jig, epoxy finish drying jig
I stumbled on a video a while back by John Williams. He was making coffee mugs or travel mugs and using epoxy for the interior and exterior finish. He showed how he slowly rotated the mug after it was finished, he promised to do a video showing how he created his turning jig ….but I never saw it and I don’t think he did the video because he moved on the bigger and better turnings!
It turns out….pun intended 🙂 ….that he is doing a lot of hollow forms, sinks and other turnings using epoxy for a finish on both inside and outside. Check out his EPOXY PROCESS video
Some good info in this video, he has a new turning jig …..but no instructions on how to build it ….but you can get a look at it and make one on your own if you are so inclined.
I definitely have this on my list of things to do because you can’t get a more high gloss and protective finish then an epoxy resin….. if you are interested this might be a place to start.
He uses an epoxy resin that I am not sure is food safe, if you need a food safe epoxy resin finish I have used this MAX CLEAR GRADE Epoxy Resin System – 48oz. Kit – Food Safe, FDA Compliant Coating, Crystal Clear, Stain Resistant, Countertop and Tabletop Coatings, Wood Coatings, Fiberglassing Resin https://amzn.to/2FkSz4j from Amazon….without all the fancy turning jigs, just need to apply multiple thin coats to prevent it from pooling. It finishes nicely and looks great on cups and bowls.
Making A Wood Tool Handle For A
Half Inch Sorby Spindle Gouge
A couple of years ago I didn’t have a clue as to how to build or make a woodturning tool. And….I didn’t know why I would want to make a woodturning tool, except for the fact that I did not have enough money to go out and purchase a whole bunch of woodturning tools !
Now, I really enjoy making different tools …almost as much as I enjoy turning wood. You save a bunch of money by making your own woodturning tools, you solve your own problems by making your own turning tools and you learn how the tool best operates when you make your own woodturning tools.
Quick Method For
Building Woodturning Tools
I really didn’t want to make this a post on how to make your own woodturning tools but it really is simple.
-turn a tool handle
-use a piece of copper pipe as a ferrule when the tool inserts into the wood handle.
-either buy a tool blank or make your own and insert and glue into the handle.
There are a lot of videos of guys showing how they make their own tools, watch them and you will get some good ideas ….then perfect a process that matches your needs and abilities. Just go to Google and type in something like “DIY Woodturning Tools” and you will start your journey down the rabbit hole. Or check out some of the articles on this site regarding making your own woodturing tools.
Making A Sorby 1/2″ Spindle Gouge
I just made this spindle gouge from a Sorby 1/2″ spindle gouge (steel only) and turned a handle from an oak branch I had laying around. I purchased the spindle gouge blank from Amazon https://amzn.to/2pBdNjK .
Today there are many different types and quality of woodturning tools. Some of us have to start with the cheapests tools, for instance, mine came from Harbor Freight …which came from China! I had a hard time getting started and I soon learned it was because of the poor quality of tools I had and …….not knowing what I was doing. After some research I found out that you can spend up to $200 for a high quality steel woodturning tool. I guess the price comes from the advanced and high quality steel that is used to make the woodturning tool.
I really did not understand that until someone bought me a Sorby bowl 1/2″ bowl gouge. This woodturing tool would cut through wood like butter and it stayed sharp at least 5x longer than the cheaper tools. So my goal is to replace the cheap tools I have with expensive tools ……and at times you can cut the cost by purchasing just the steel, that is, the tool blank. If you have the tool blank, you turn a handle and drill a hole in the end and glue the tool into the handle with some epoxy. You can make it more complicated if you wish, but that’s it in a nutshell.
I Had An Oak Wood Handle Blank Ready to Turn
I already had a round oak wood blank ready to shape into a handle, it had some cracks in it so I used some Stabond CA and glued it, the cracks were pretty large in size and I wasn’t sure if the Starbond CA would hold it ….as it turned out, there was no problem. Finally, I was really trying to figure out how I wanted to make my tool, how long the handle would be and if I would glue the tool blank in the handle or make it removable.
Finishing The Tool Handle
With Thin Stabond CA
Finally, I got everything done, finished the tool handle and I decided I would try to do a CA finish using some of the Thin Starbond CA glue, I don’t think I have ever done one before….this was kind of large, I did not know how much it would take and I felt like giving it a go. I’ve avoided using CA glue as a finsh because I assumed it would take a lot of product and me, being cheap, didn’t want to use up all my Starbond CA glue on one handle …..but I decided I would live on the wild side and give it a go 🙂
I ended up putting about 5 coats of Starbond Thin CA on the oak handle. It took a lot of sanding and I was surprised that it really did not use a lot of CA to get the job done, in fact, I hardly noticed the level of CA go down in the bottle and that was for 5 coats of CA on a 24″ handle. As I already mentioned, I used Starbond thin CA and you can hardly notice any missing from the bottle ….I was happly about that because I thought it would take a lot of CA to finish something this big.
Trying to Remember How Pen Turners
Applied CA and Finished The CA
I watched a lot of pen making videos that used Starbond CA glue as a finish. There was some beaufiful luster and thick gloss, but I needed to understand the sanding sequence and the method of application. I won’t go into it now but I must have gotten it right because that handle started looking like a high gloss 24″ pen 🙂 …in fact it looked like glass!
Making a Handle Finished with Starbond CA For A Sorby 1/2″ Spindle Gouge Tool Blank
I can’t remember but I think it was something like 8000 grit that I finish sanding the tool handle and then cleaned it and buffed it. It really looked great, felt good in my hand. Even though it had a high gloss finish the tool felt good in my hand, I could grip it strongly, no slipping and the shape felt good. I guess you can say I impressed myself 🙂
You Must Know This Big Mistake When Making Tool Handles!
I’ve been studying different finishing techniques for woodturning projects. Different types of finishes, such as a CA finish in this case and how to bring out further luster to the project. So I was trying to recall what else I might be able to do to make this the “slickest” tool handle I have made to date!
Then I remembered watching a video on finishing and buffing. One guy recommended applying some car or boat wax to the piece after the finish was applied. Just so happened I had some car or boat wax laying around that I used on my cast iron bandsaw and tablesaw tables. So, I thought I would give it a whirl.
Think Twice Before Applying A Car Wax Finish to a Wood Handle!
Since one of my son’s left a can of car wax, I applied a little to the handle while it was on the lathe, used the applicator pad and applied while turning. After it dried, I buffed the tool a soft cloth and buffed out the wax and WOW, the shine came through and it looked awesome! If you have been paying attention, you must realize I broke the rules ….I used a soft cloth to polish the wax …..Capn’ Eddie says, “Never use a rag or cloth anything when on the lathe ….paper towels only”
Insert Sorby Spindle Gouge Tool Into The Handle
Next, I temporarily put the steel tool portion into the wooden handle, I did not glue or CA the steel blank in yet so I shimmed it tight with some small slivers of wood….I made it tight enough that the steel tool could not be pulled out and then I tried it out.
Making a Handle Finished with Starbond CA For A Sorby 1/2″ Spindle Gouge Tool Blank
The Sorby Steel cuts just great, you really notice the difference between Sorby and a cheap tool. I can tell you how different it is when using good steel versus cheap steel tools but there is nothing like experiencing the difference. The best analogy I can think of is using a dull butter knife vs. a sharp steak knife to cut a nice big steak. You suddenly feel like you are a real woodturner and you’ve come into your own!
Oops! One Small Finishing Problem
I’m telling this story because I screwed up majorly. I suppose I could have said the same in 2 or 3 paragraphs but then you would miss all the drama in between, the products you might want to buy and my brilliant writing 🙂 I’m kidding of course, but I do like to write, I do like to explain and I hope when I take the time to document a process, procedure or tool you might find it interesting, helpful and informative. I also share my failures along with successes ….I am a humble man!
I made a major faux pas though. I screwed up royally. The handle is so slick it slips out of my hands. The wax on a handle is a bad, bad, bad idea …..don’t do it! If I would have thought about it, I might have realized that wax on an already slick finish will make it more slippery 🙂
I did like the Starbond CA finish, it was glossy, it was thick …really showed off the wood ….even though the piece I used wasn’t anything spectacular ….after applying the Starbond CA and going through the finishing grits ….the handle felt good in my hand, no slippage at all. I guess maybe the wax is for bowls or other woodturning projects that doesn’t require you to hold on for dear life 🙂
Duh!!!
The tool looks nice, still have not decided how to mount the tool blank in the handle and I’m going to have to take off the wax or wrap some duct tape on it or something. I guess I could just mount it on the wall as a trophy type thing ….or a reminder of my igornance!
Actually I am going to try to remount the handle and burnish it with sawdust and shavings. Basically that means I’ll hold a handful of shavings and sawdust up against the handle as it turns to see if I can remove some of the finish and allow my hand to hold it securely while using the new Sorby Spindle Gouge!
One More Thing
I guess there are a bunch of lessons to be learned from this project. But the most important one is for anyone who works with wood ……learn to fix your mistakes. Don’t throw out your bowl because it has some cracks …apply some Starbond CA glue or epoxy. Did your bowl explode? Find the pieces, glue them together with CA or Epoxy ….Starbond CA with Acellerator is my favorite….and the bowl, paint it and put a crackle finish on it. This saying is no longer politically correct, but “there is more than one way to skin a cat” 🙂 Once you learn to start fixing your mistakes you will advance on the woodturners/woodworkers latter of success!
Also remember that most drill presses have a hole in the center of the drill press table which would allow you to drill center holes in 3′, 4′ or larger pieces.
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The approach that is followed in this video is using the vitamix blender or any blender to generate the heat to melt the wax instead of doing a double boiler. Really makes it fast and simple
The nice part about using a 
