Category: WoodTurners

Great woodturners. These are woodturners that can teach you how to turn wood on your wood lathe. They share woodturning tools and techniques, They share the type of wood they use and how to mount it one the lathe. These are the best woodturners that I have found online!

How To Turn a Mallet On Your Wood Lathe

Learn How To Turn a Mallet On Your Wood Lathe

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
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 gouge would 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 *******

Thanks Mike, great video and very nice project!

#woodturningproject #mallet #deadblowmallet

How to Turn a Basic Wood Bowl with Richard Raffan

Learn how to turn a basic bowl with woodturning expert Richard Raffin, learn what tools he uses and how he uses them. Also consider purchasing any of the books he has written on woodturning!

How to Turn a Basic Wood Bowl with Richard Raffan

Since this blog is about woodturning, and the basics of woodturning I am always looking for good articles, blogs and videos about wood turning basics.

Richard Raffan Shares Basic
Wood Bowl Turning

Once you start turning wood for a while and watching videos you will sooner or latter run across a woodturner by the name of Richard Raffan. He is an older woodturner but very experienced. Richard Raffan has books and video courses out where he teaches various basic and advanced woodturning techniques.

Richard Raffin Turns Basic Bowl
Richard Raffin shows how to turn a basic wood bowl

You can find an entire selection of Richard Raffan’s books and video courses, just click on Richard Raffan Woodturning Books

Basic Bowl Turning Techniques
with Great Photography

One problem is that he makes woodturning look so simple. But if you pay attention to his writings and his videos you will began to understand how a tool must be held. How to approach your work safely and how to accomplish your final outcome.

A Two Video Tutorial on Basic Wood Bowl Turning

Looks like Richard did a couple of basic woodturning videos for FineWoodworking:

  1. How to Turn a Basic Bowl-Part I
  2. How to Turn a Basic Bowl-Part II

Are You New to Woodturning….
Watch These Videos and Try to Duplicate Richard Raffan’s Efforts

You should watch these videos and take note of every move he makes, every tool that Richard Raffan uses as well as the instructions he gives. One problem with being an excellent and professional wood turner is that the things you take for grant it are new and unusual for the new woodturner. So you need to pay attention and se if you can pick up a tip of two to help you with your wood turning, whether you are an advanced woodturner or a beginner woodturner.

I hope you like the 2 videos. Better yet, I hope they help you become a better wood turner!

This comment puts a little perspective of the videos and the woodturner.

For the new turners out there – this is more of a Master Class than a how-to for new turners. Mr. Raffan is so skilled that he makes difficult (and catch-worthy) cuts look easy; Those shearing and pull-cuts with the spindle gouge on the outside of the bowl are (and I know from experience) very difficult to emulate. The man is amazing, but there are less demanding – less “fast and furious” – approaches to bowl-turning. (And he knew that bowl was perfect before he went to the bandsaw – he’s that good. Wish I was.) As the youngsters say – Respect.

You’ll see Richard use some hefty round nose scrapers. These are easy to use once you learn how to use them and will give you some great results. They are hefty tools and carry some mass so a newbie can control them, or a more experienced woodturner can extend further off the tool rest and get deep into your bowl, cut or other project. Richard Raffan is using a couple of Sorby scrapers, you can find them here:

I have a set of Hurricane scrapers. One is a round nose, the other two are a right and left curved scrapers. These, like the Sorby tools are 1-1/2″ wide and almost 1/2″ thick, they are massive and help you to control a situation when needed. The stell in the Hurricane Scrapers is not as good as the Sorby Scrapers but that just means you need to sharpen them more often. If you have the budget ….got for the Sorby scrapers. If money is tight, get the Hurricane Scarpers …..I really do love my Hurricane scrapers!

Guil Turns A Yellow Box ….Very Quickly

Guil Turns A Round Wooden
Box With A Lid

One of the guys in our facebook woodturning group is Guil from Austrailia, calls himself Guil the Bearded Woodturner! He is quite the character and his videos are fun to watch and very informative. Worse case the get your imagination started for your next project.

woodturning how to turn a round box
Learn how to use your wood lathe to turn a yellow round wood box done by Guil the Bearded Woodturner

Turning A Round Wooden Box

Today Guil turns a round box. Made of some type of yellow wood, he isn’t talking much because he just had his tonsils removed ….poor guy, he uses his voice to make a living and now he’s out of commission for the next year. I really hope and pray he recovers and gets his voice back!

woodturning how to turn a round box
Starting with a round wood blank

woodturning how to turn a round box taught by Guil
Making the round blank true and then cutting off a section that will be the top.

woodturning how to turn a round box taught by Guil
Bottom half of round box finished

I usually watch all youtube videos on 1.25x you might want to try that because most of the time you can get the gist of what is being said or taught. I really hate to was my time watching videos when I could be woodturning 🙂

Guil The Bearded Woodturner

Keep an eye on Guil, you will learn a lot and if you think you already know everything about woodturning then you will definitely be entertained.

Al Furtado Attacks An Olive Root Ball!

Extreme Woodturning
By Al Furtado

If you are new to woodturnig then you probably have discovered the many, many tutorials on youtube for woodturning. There are a handful of guys that I follow to learn the basics and new tips and tools used for woodturning.

Al Furtado Takes Woodturning
To New Horizons

Al Furtado turns olive root ballAl Furtado is one of my favorites, simply because of his down home type teaching and examples. In fact, he will take on projects that I think most woodturners would be afraid of turning.

I was just thinking that I had not heard from Al for a while and I was hoping he was OK…. he had a heart attack a while back but it certainly did not seem to slow him down …in fact, I think he has gotten a little crazier when it comes to woodturning …taking on projects  that few would.

I say “crazier” in jest. He actually has a brilliant imagination. He can look at a lop sided, deformed piece of log and imagine the most beautiful piece of art. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t ….. but Al Furtado seems to always go on the attack.

If you watch a few of his videos and you are a woodturner, you can’t help but love the guy. I have learned so much from him ….from tools to life!

Al Furtado Is One of My Favorites

Al Furtado takes on some of the most unbelievable projects. By that I mean, he will mount a piece of wood on a lathe that no sane person would attempt to turn ….and somehow he ends up with the most beautiful and unique woodturning that you have seen.

Olive Wood Root Vase by Al Furtado

Today, Al Furtado mounts an Olive Root Ball between centers, first turns a tenon and then starts to shape the massive root ball. You must watch this video to learn how you migtht take your skills to the next level. I do warn you though, be very careful, if you do not have the experience necessary ….this is not the type of project you want to consider.

Watch his video here.

Here is a comment I left on
Al Furtado’s video:

“Big Al” never disappoints when it comes to a new turning project!

Hope you are doing well my friend, awesome video. Even if I had the lathe that could handle a piece of wood like that I don’t think I have the courage to attack something like that!

I was just wondering if things were good from you since I had not seen any updates from utube. Was hoping that your health was still good. I have suffered from poor health for a long long time and I know how it can affect everything in your life. I keep you in my prayers!

Needless to say, it is a beautiful piece of work ….more of a piece of art.

You say that it is Olive wood. The piece you had left over has much potential. I was just looking at the PSI catalog and it looked like Olive wood pen blanks were a big seller. You might want to consider ripping some of those pieces for pens …either for yourself or others.

Thanks again for taking to time to record your efforts …I know from experience what that it takes much effort to record and edit a video ….when all you want to do is get out in the shop and turn a project 🙂

Al Furtado the Rebel Woodturner Turns a Piece of Maple

I have neglected my Wood Turning Basics blog somewhat, however, it doesn’t mean that I have been missing in action 🙂  Although, once again, I have gone through a very sick spell, I have always tried to do some woodturning and some learning.

When I’m really sick, I try to spend some time online watching woodturing videos, learning about tools, wood, woodturing techniques. …..and on and on…basically I try to learn anything I can about woodturning. I keep notes, bookmark pages and have an extensive youtube library of videos that I have watched.

I thought I would start a “category” on this blog of accomplished woodturners. I talk about Cap’n Eddie all the time, his videos are timeless …however the quality of the video is a little rough to look at because times have changed, HD video can show a bowl gouge actually riding on the bevel and some guys have gone through great lenghts for you to see this. So, I will create a list of accomplished turners, post their videos and point out what I have learned from their videos.

I start this category with “Al Furtado” I really enjoy watching him turn wood and explain his philosphy as he looks at a piece of wood and ultimtely mounts it on the lathe. He talks about tools, life and everything in between …he is the kind of guy you would want for a neighbor!

Here is the comment I left on his latest video….which by the way is above this paragraph….check it out because you can learn something!

==========================================

Thank you for clarifying the use of “affordable” tools, I have always enjoyed your approach to wood turning because you don’t have the best of the best, because you have a shop full of shavings ….and because you turn a piece of wood like no one I have ever seen.

I have tried to approach turning as you do and let the wood talk. However, I have been paying close attention to how you look at a piece of wood and then mount it in an attempt to make it into something you see….. my problem is, I cannot yet see complex forms from an obtuse piece of wood …but I keep trying 🙂

I wondered if you have mounted your lathe to the floor? I just have a cheap HF lathe, it has served me well …but I got sick a long time ago and find myself in the twlight years with next to nothing so I make due with what I have ….I’m really upset at myself for not grabbing a HF woodturning set that someone returned, I could have grabbed it for 20 bucks!

I started a blog on wood turning basics, kind of a diary/journey into woodturning ….I think I am going to create a “Al Furtodo” category and repost your videos with some comments from what I have learned. I don’t have the category set up yet but it will be http://www.woodturningbasics.com/category/woodturners/alfurtado/ ….it will take me a while to set things up but I would be honored if you stopped by to check it out, also I have a facebook group that I repost your videos sometimes …..so many are followers of you https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics/

Finally, I am so glad that you are up and about ….seems like your heart attack was an awakening, you certainly have not slowed down at all….in fact, I think you have stepped it up a notch or two 🙂

Thank you my friend, wish you were my next door neighbor 🙂

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