Free Source of Wood Bowl Blanks From “Slabs” Cut By Portable Sawmills

Sawmills As A Free Source of Woodturning and Bowl Blanks

I know there are a lot of people who turn wood and enjoy the hobby have a hard time finding wood.

That’s a little difficult for me to comprehend because we have so many trees that they fall on our houses, or in my case the garage/shop!

There are a lot of good posts on where and how people find different sources of wood. How they collect it and how they process it.

I have one source of wood you might find interesting. There are many sawmills around the country/world large and small. There are many portable sawmills that will come up to your home or property and mill a tree into pieces that you tell them to. You can use these for construction or in our case, get them milled into sizes that we would want for bowl blanks or whatever you happen to turn.

Here’s a source I thought you might be interested in. Portable bandsaw mills are located around the country. You just have to find them. Search for sawmill, portable sawmill or contact any of the manufacturers and ask them if they have any of their mills in your area.

A portable bandsaw mill is basically a trailer with a gasoline powered bandsaw on it. A log is loaded on the trailer and positioned. The saw head is then lowered so the bandsaw blade can make a cut down the length of the log. The sawmill operator is looking to make a flat surface across the top of the log, it is then rotated and another cut is taken. This first cut is usually called a “slab” and this slab will have varying thickness.

This first piece or “slab” is usually worthless to everyone except perhaps for firewood. For woodturners, particularly “bowl turners” this first piece could be gold. Depending on how it is cut you might end up with blanks that could be ‘platters’ up to ‘bowls’. If you were able to convince a sawyer to add an inch or two to the first cut you would end up with as many bowl blanks as you can use since it runs the length of the log.

We had a guy come out and cut up some oak, cherry and poplar logs we had. Nobody wanted the slabs, I asked him to add a couple inches to the first cut and he thought I was crazy. But I ended up with 2 slabs that were 12′ or so long of Cherry. I then cut the slabs into 14″ pieces so I ended up with about 10 or 11 bowl blanks per slab.

These ‘slabs’ as bowl blanks offer 2 types of bowls. You can turn live edge bowls or flip it around and you can cut some nice platters or bowls.

Take this one step further. One of my son’s purchased a bandsaw mill. It is a manual mill, hard work to load the load and then turn it while on the cutting rails. But….I can now cut that first piece any size I want!

Sawing wood is almost as addicting as turning wood. I suppose if I were younger and stronger I might want to a little more sawing 🙂 Keep in mind if you are interested in sawing wood, you can get a sawmill that is all hydraulic, no muscle required! But for the occaisional log here and there I can cut blanks for the next 10 years 🙂 Seriously, I started this article by talking about the first cut for bowl blanks because you can get those free from most sawyers. But if you had your own mill, or had someone come out and cut up a tree for you….. you can have the sawyer cut the log in slabs with the thickness that you desire.

I recently grabbed a cottonwood tree, actually about half the tree came down. I can now cut the slabs and then cut some middle pieces that are 6″ or more thick and then cut them in 12″ pieces that I will seal and stack for drying.

Slab Cut Into Bowl Blank Widths

The picture shows the Cherry “slab” that I cut into 13 to 14″ pieces. The slab sat outside for about a year and was 15% to 20% moisture level. I should have immediately sealed the ends of those pieces but I didn’t. I just don’t have the energy or strenght to do too much anymore …..very depressing but that’s my life. I eventually did seal the ends to keep them from checking and cracking. I think I had about 10 bowl blanks.

Turning the Cherry Bowl Blanks

When turning bowls its nice to have the option of turning live edge bowls. The problem with live edge bowls is that the bark doesn’t stick and gets ripped off. I found this piece of cherry had some decent bark adhesion and it was possible to turn some shallow live edge bowls.

If you try to turn live edge bowls and it almost never fails …..a piece of the bark will rip off and leave a space on the edge. You can sand and shape that edge or you can grab some of the bark and use some CA to glue the bark back on the edge of the bowl. Usually you need to use one of the 2″ sanding disks to shape and blend it into the existing bark …..but a little practice will make it look like it was never missing 🙂

Mounting The Slab Bowl
Blank on Your Lathe

Next would be to turn a bowl from the “slab” bowl blank by making the ‘flat’ side of the blank the top of the bowl. I usually will drill a 2-1/8″ hole with a 2-1/8 inch forstner bit for the jaws of my Super Nova 2 Chuck (click here https://amzn.to/2JUGzXq) and chuck up the flat face against the chuck with the jaws into the recess that I just drilled.

I will next shape the bottom of the bowl so that it looks like a bowl bottom. Normally the bark will fall off your bowl blank or you can pull it off easiy ….no so much with this piece. I read someplace how a turner would remove bark before putting it on the lathe, he used a small air powered chisel to pry and rip off the bark. So……first however I use a cheap harbor freight air powered chisel to take the bark off. The natural profile of the bottom is close to the profile of the bowl. So I will turn a tenon on the bottom of the bowl…..I like recesses but a tenon makes more sense since these ‘slabs’ are usually not too thick and a tenon helps to keep you from blowing through the bottom of the bowl.

I looked around for an air powered chisel and I think I found you a better deal, you get 4 or 5 chisels instead of one and it costs less than $20. You’ll find yourself using this tool a lot but for our specific purpose it and easily strip the bark off a short piece of long in no time.

You ask, “Why do I need to strip off the bark. First let me say, if you are doing a live edge bowl then you might not want to use this tool. But if you are going to turn a bowl that doesn’t have any bark inclusions on in when finished ….this is what you want to use.

Of course you can leave the bark on and use your tools to cut through the bark and get down into the good wood. Unfortunately this is going to give you one hell of a ride. Some bark is attached to your bowl blank like the mountains of the Grand Canyon and other bark might be attached like the gentle rolling hills of the great planes.

Assuming you want to get rid of the bark so you can turn some wood, the bark has to come off. Embedded in the bark are stones, sand, and metal. You never know when stripping the bark will test you patience because your tools will become useless afterwards. I mean, you’re gonna have to go and sharpen them again so they might be cutting good again.

I can’t remember who turned me on to a small air hammer with a chisel to strip the bark from a bowl blank, or log …..but it has been a real blessing to be able to strip the bark off in a couple of minutes rather than using my hammer and chisel to clean the bark off a project whether it be bowl blank or small log. For 20 bucks you just can’t beat it and it might be one of the best wood-tuning investments you make 🙂

As I turn the tenon I will shape the bottom of the bowl/platter. Even if it is wet/green I will shape the bottom of the bowl and then take it through the progression of sanding from 80 grit to at least 240 grit or higher. This 2″ drill powered sanding disk is one of my favorites https://amzn.to/2JSk9WN

I then flip the bowl around, attach it to the tenon and began to square off the front of the bowl. I usually will figure out how deep to take the bowl. Then I will attach a drill bit or forstner bit and drill a hole in the center to the maximum depth of the bowl. This keeps me from gouging out the bottom of the bowl and making a funnel 🙂

Since the “slab” usually isn’t too thick I usually forego keeping pressure on the bowl from the tail-stock. It makes for quick gouging and shaping of the inside of the bowl without fear of the bowl flying off the lathe. That is another reason I like using a tenon on these….. you can crank down on that tenon as hard as you can without damaging the tenon and feeling confident that the bowl will stay on your chuck.

So I finish he inside of the bowl with my Big Hurricane Scrapers and then sand once again through a progression usually starting at 80 or 100 to 240 grit.

After sanding I will either finish the project or dry it. I use a couple different drying methods. If I think the water content is low I will set it on a shelf to dry. If I think it is over 20% moisture (use a moisture meter https://amzn.to/30UNIg9 or https://amzn.to/32V7xFQ ) I will put it in a bag of shavings and let it dry. Or…..my new technique is to put it in the microwave at 60 to 90 seconds. I’m still experimenting with the microwave treatment but I think I like it. You can literally and actually dry a piece within a 24 hour or less period of time and then mount it back up on the lathe ….sand it and apply your desired finish.

Wow!

All I wanted to do was tell you about portable sawmills and “slabs”. Sorry, got a little carried away but I hope you might find some if not all the info helpful.

For those of you who are having a hard time finding wood in your local area ….check out some of the local sawmill operators. Contact these guys ….they really are cool and enjoy doing what they do. If you have a relationship with one, when that tree comes down you might be able to get him to come out on the cheap. You also might be able to come out a job he is milling up ….make sure you give him a couple of bowls and you will have a source of wood for your tuning for a long time 🙂

If you haven’t checked out our facebook group, please do. Lots of good people there, lots of cool projects and if you have a question ….I’m sure you can get it answered. And if you are a woodturing pro or expert …..we can use your advice and you can help newbies out https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics

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Best Woodturning Tools and Recommended Best Tools For Turning Wood

Beginner WoodTurning Tools

So on our Woodturning Basics facebook group a new member had a question about what tools to buy. What should he get, he didn’t have a lot of money and wanted to be frugal.

So, I shared some of my experiences with him and gave him some ideas on what kind of woodturning tools to buy or consider buying.

Which Woodturning Tools Should I Get?

I don’t feel like working tonight so I think I will put a little thought into your question.

First I will assume you are either new to wood turning or you haven’t turned that much yet?

Let me tell you my story first.

My Start In Turning Wood

I don’t know why, but suddenly I had the urge to buy a lathe…maybe because I kept seeing it at Harbor Freight. So….I bought the 12×36 and the cheapest set of Chinese turning tools they had…..I think it was around $40 bucks.

Up until this point I hadn’t turned anything since high school, probably 45 years ago. I did not watch any YouTube videos, didn’t read anything online, didn’t attend a club and didn’t even read a book. This is not the approach I would recommend to anyone 🙂

I set up my lathe. Figured out there was a faceplate to use or to turn between centers.

My First Woodturning Project

I cut a piece of dead ash tree branch about 4″ wide and maybe 12″ long. Put that between centers and tried to figure out how to make it round by sticking each tool into the rotating piece. You can imagine some of the tools didn’t work so well. I did get it round, put a little design on it, coves and round overs. Then I sanded, finished and drilled a hole in the top for a candle. First project, gave it to my wife and she is so good…..encouraged me to do more ….the thing was pitiful 🙂

I share that story because I had to learn how to use traditional tools that were crap. They were unsharpened, I had no idea how to sharpen them when I started.

After a while I found YouTube and the wealth of info on all things related to woodturning.

Sharpening My First Woodturning Tools

oneway wolverine woodturing tool sharpening jig — Best way to sharpen your woodturning tools, gouges and chisels is the oneway wolverine sharpening jib

After watching enough videos I decided to try and sharpen my tools by hand. It wasn’t pretty but they were sharper than when I purchased them. It was amazing what a difference it made.

So….my first suggestion is to get a cheap set of tools and a wolverine sharpening jig along with an eight inch grinder with white oxide stone wheels. Mind you, I’m telling you the cheapest way to go, others will say get daves, thompsons and get cbn wheels before you know it you spend $1000 and all you’ll do is grind those expensive tools away to nothing. My theory is to learn with the cheap stuff unless you have deep pockets. Once you know how to sharpen your woodturning tools, go ahead and buy some good stuff.

#1 Get a Cheap Set of Turning Tools to Practice Sharpening On

-I found this set of woodturning tools for $20 and its probably the worse set you can buy, but you should buy it so you can learn sharpening https://amzn.to/2LFvuMh
-As you grow in your knowledge of woodturning tools you can reshape these tools into specialty tools if you so desire, making tools is fun!

#2 Next you need to get a Wolverine Sharpening System.

This is important because you will learn how to properly get consistent angles and sharpening on your cheap tools, once you get that figured out you will be able to sharpen you new good tools and not waste metal. The wolverine sharpening system is the first of its kind and the one everyone is copying. This is the exact one I purchased https://amzn.to/2YfAAR5

#3 You can use it with just about any grinder

But …..you will want to set up a dedicated grinder. I did a lot of looking and found one at Harbor Freight, 8″ grinder with a lamp. If you use their 20% or 25% coupon I think I got it for under $40, you can order one online if you don’t have a store near by https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-bench-grinder-with-gooseneck-lamp-62501.html

#4 You should change out
the grinding wheels.

I got an 80 grit and 120 grit POWERTEC 15505 White Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheel, 8-Inch by 1-Inch, 5/8-Inch Arbor, https://amzn.to/2LGaIfj Also look into a stone dresser, I went at least a year without properly dressing my grinding wheels, when I did, my sharpening was 100% or more better https://amzn.to/30TqnLN You can use the wheels that come with the harbor freight grinder…..they will be hard to keep true and will not do a very good job ….but better than nothing.

Now you have some new woodturning tools. Wolverine sharpening system and a grinder. You just need to practice. Watch some YouTube videos, the Wolverine system comes with a dvd that is pretty decent. It just takes time and it won’t matter if you grind those tools down the the wood….you will only have lost $20 🙂

#5 I pieced my tools together after I figured I needed some decent tools.

The first woodturning tool I got was a 1/2″ bowl gouge, then some scrapers, I made some tools [parting tool and carbide tool] check them out here:

The most expensive wood turning tools I have are Robert Sorby’s and the difference in the sharpening and the steel is nothing short of amazing. I have yet to have any Thompson, Carter or D-way tools, they say those are just dream tools…..maybe some day. Until then I just have to sharpen my tools more.

#6 What type of turning will you do?

Depending on what type of turning you will want to do will determine what type of tools to buy. Lets say you want to turn bowls. Then you’ll need some good bowl gouges and a couple nice scrapers.

#7 Consider Getting Some Hurricane Woodturning Tools.

If you are unsure of what to get then you won’t go wrong with getting a set of Hurricane Tools. I did not buy the set but one or two tools at a time. This Hurricane set has just about anything you would need to start out. The steel is good and I’ve found I can get them almost as sharp as the Sorby tools. Hurricane Woodturning 8 Piece Starter Set – Bowl Gouge, Scraper, Roughing Gouge, Lathe Chisel Set https://amzn.to/2YiAacO

In my opinion this PSI set PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Set, 8-Piece is a step below the Hurricane but it is half the price….around $70 but still, a good set to practice with and many turners use these as their all around turning tools, you get a nice selection and can always add to it latter https://amzn.to/2SDe9nA

#8 I found as I started turning that I had 100 catches a minute.

I thought of changing my name to “Catch” although I still get catches I have learned how to use the tools properly. But there are times when I am turning an odd shaped piece or difficult piece and I just can’t get my bowl gouge in correctly …or I’m just ripping up the fibers of the piece or I’m just uncomfortable using a gouge.

I discovered Hurricane’s big scrapers. They are 1-1/2″ wide and almost 1/2″ thick so they can take some abuse and you can control it. A scraper takes a bit to learn also, it all depends on how you hold the tool. If its 90 degrees or more to the work you are guaranteed a catch. But if you go 90 degrees to your work and pick up on your handle slightly you will get good cuts and you can easily spill any catches that might come up. I would highly recommend this set of scrapers if you are doing bowls. https://amzn.to/2JNQ9f2 you get a right side, left side and round nose scraper. They are easy to sharpen and they are pretty easy to learn how to use. The robo hippy (Reed Gray) https://www.robohippy.net/ does almost all his turning with scrapers and you can learn how to do shear scrapes and other cutting scrapes that make mirror finishes. Make sure you check out his YouTube channel

I might add for you or anyone else if they wanted to get into the “best” quality of wood turning tools Robert Sorby Woodturning Tools has a great selection and you’ll find Carter and Son with some of the best turning tools there is also D-way Tools I heard the owner sold the business so I cannot confirm the quality and Thompson lathe tools these are high end tools and the only ones I have experience with are the Robert Sorby turning tools. You can learn a lot from the other 2 sites, they have a lot of sharpening videos and how to use their tools.

#9 I would be remiss if I did
not mention carbide cutters.

I didn’t buy a complete carbide woodturning tool but made a couple for myself. I had no knowledge of how to do that, just followed some directions …YouTube again. You can buy a bar of steel, tap it and screw on a carbide cutter and of course turn a handle for it. It will service you well and you just might want to make a few for yourself. I purchased the carbide cutters in packs of 10 https://amzn.to/2yb4coa these round carbide cutters (inserts) are my go to for hollowing. I also picked up a pack of 10 square cutters (inserts) https://amzn.to/2LImmpV

The nice part of carbide cutters (inserts) is they take abuse and last forever. Also you can sharpen them with a diamond hone and they will be just like new.

When I get a little scared working a piece of wood that is odd shaped, I will go to my carbide tools ….the round cutter. It takes a beating and I’m comfortable with it. It basically is a scraper so the finish isn’t going to be great until you learn how to shear cut with it.

Also, the carbide tool (round insert) is one of the best for tough hollowing situations. The smaller the size the less you bite off and the easier it is to hollow and not gouge out, catch out the interior of whatever it is that you are hollowing.

I tried to hollow a cup with those Chinese tools I told you about. That pretty much scared the crap out of me and I almost walked away from wood turning. I had a small round edge scraper extended 4″ or more off the tool rest, the thing was catching every 10 seconds. I tried other tools to no avail, I got it done but then I had to try to sand it …..it was scary. A carbide tool with the round insert would have saved the day and gave me some confidence. I recommend anyone who is starting to turn wood to have a round and square carbide. That doesn’t mean you should not learn tradition tools! But in some cases, carbide tools keep a new woodturner turning wood ….and there is nothing wrong with that 🙂

So, if you don’t want to make your own carbide tools, pick one up. It will last you forever. Don’t go cheap, that is, don’t get the smaller size. If you are doing bowls, cups, vases and other bigger items you will want the large size carbide tool, of course if you are doing pens and small stuff the small carbides work fine. They are categorized as full size, mid size and small of mini size. Here’s a list of tools I would chose from:

Wood Turning tool Finisher YUFUTOL Carbide Tipped Wood Lathe Full Size Bar and Handle set With 18mm Round Carbide Insert，Screw，Star Key Wrench,for wood hobbyist or DIY or carpenter,Type R-18 https://amzn.to/2Yh040t

Here is about the cheapest set of carbide turning tools:
Simple Woodturning Tools – Pack of 3 Full Size Carbide Tools (Rougher, Detailer, Finisher) with Interchangeable Foam Grip Lathe Tool Handle, USA Made, Stainless Steel https://amzn.to/2LCNuqF

Understanding a Starter
Set of Lathe Chisels

This is a basic video on how to use basic woodturning tools for spindle turning. That is, a piece of wood between centers of the headstock and tailstock.

Basic Woodturning Tools
Needed for Spindle Turning

This is undoubtedly one of the best:
Easy Wood Tools Full Size Easy Finisher Replaceable Carbide Insert Cutter Lathe Wood Turning Tool Gouge Scraper with Maple Hardwood Easy Grip Handle Model #4200 https://amzn.to/2Yjn8eU

Well, I hope I haven’t confused you but you find this info helpful. Just remember to have fun with it, be safe, ask questions. There are many guys/gals in this group that know much more than I do and I would hope they would be willing to help you along the way ….so, never be afraid to ask 🙂

Good luck, let us know how things progress and what tools you get. I always get excited when someone posts pics of their new tools and equipment …I truly am happy for them ….and a little jealous 🙂

Using Your Woodturning Skills to Make A Woodturning Clock

Make a Clock With
Your Wood Lathe

Earlier this month I was looking for some new and unique woodturner projects that I might be able to create for Christmas gifts. There are lots of kits that you basically turn handles for….you can find lots of that sort of thing on PSI, Penn State Industries …they make a huge variety of pen and pencil kits. They also have many other kits such as pizza cutters, ice cream scoops ….a lot of stuff. Check out their site at https://www.pennstateind.com/ make sure you sign up for their mailing list since they will have monthly, if not weekly promotions and discounts.

Woodturning Basics Facebook Group

Below is a post I made to our Facebook Group, Woodturning Basics …https://www.facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics ….I just wanted to throw out the idea that a woodturned clock might be a good idea for gifts this Christmas ….actually, you could make a business out of selling clocks and you could give away clocks for any type of holiday or for a gift.

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A while back I was looking for ideas for Christmas presents. I totally forgot about CLOCKS and I don’t think anyone mentioned woodturned clocks. I love clocks, did one or two a while back….but kind of forgot about them. Anyway, it’s not too late to whip up a clock or two for gifts …you can make them as simple or complicated as you want. All you need is a wood face and a battery operated clock mechanism.

How to Woodturn a Christmas Clock

As I mentioned, Rick from RickTurns did a good video on how to turn a clock as a Christmas gift. Wood turned Clocks completely slipped my mind when I was thinking what I might be able to turn as a Christmas gift. Friends almost always seem to enjoy unique woodturned projects and you could fill Santa’s sleight with woodturned clocks if you wanted to ….anyway, this should get your creative juices running

Spalted Woodturned Clock

Here’s a simple wood turned clock from spalted maple. Just turn the piece to round and add the clock mechanism.

You can do some pretty awesome clocks, just need a piece of wood and a clock movement mechanism and hands. You can turn a piece for a nice circle of just grab a piece of wood, leave it as a natural edge piece.

This clock works set seems to be really cheap and has good reviews http

s://amzn.to/2UJrYBO. But, like most parts, pieces, tools and stuff we (woodturners) use you can get them cheapest on Amazon ….check these out https://amzn.to/2rzEJ4B

Anybody doing any clocks….would love to see some pics!

RickTurns is a youtube channel I subscribe to. He’s kind of an eccentric woodturner 🙂 does some really cool projects, teaches some good techniques and what I really like about him is he doesn’t “cut” his screw ups. I don’t know about you but I learn more from other people’s mistakes ….anyway, Rick seems to always include them ….so much so that I feel sorry for him 🙁 Check him out on youtube, good for beginners and experienced turners alike. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCghK0Pjzr5YaZK2SlC2Dftw

Tips on Applying Epoxy Resin to Your Woodturnings ….the Epoxy Process

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.

epoxy drying jig by John Williams — 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.

#woodturingbasicsEpoxyResins
#EpoxyResinsforwoodturning
#MaxCLR

Harvesting An Ash Tree For Woodturning Cutting Bowl Blanks From Logs

Harvesting A Blown Over
Ash Tree for Woodturning

About a 12″ dead Ash Tree blew over from some Northeast winds the other day. Thank God, because if it were the regular Southwest winds ….my neighbor’s Gazebo would have been tooth picks!

Ash is great for turning, finding dead trees that are not rotted is tough — North winds were strong and blew down about a 12″ ash tree, been dead for a while and I was hoping it would be dry.

Looking to Start Cutting Bowl Blanks From Logs!

Been a rough week or so for me, health wise….so hard to do anything physical when you feel like crap all the time. But, I finally gathered up some strength and went down to the river (where the tree fell) to cut a few pieces off the downed ash tree. I grabbed a wagon, my small Stihl 180 chainsaw and cut up a few pieces to see if the Ash Tree was in good enough shape to turn some woodturning bowl blanks. So I was ready to start cutting bowl blanks from logs.

But first I had to began Collecting and Preparing Wood for Woodturing. And unless you are made of money, most woodturners will want to start to learn the process of collecting local woodturning wood from their area. It doesn’t matter if its a new tree that has been sawn down or a tree that has been laying around for a while. Get a chainsaw and get yourself some free woodturning wood blanks!

Turned Bowl from ash tree, thought it was dead and dry but it was not! — Thought ash tree was dead and dry so turned a bowl with some pith, big mistake because it was still wet and I got some good cracks and checks!

Chainsaws for Cutting
Woodturning Blanks From Logs

Chainsaws are important when cutting bowl blanks from logs. Just a side note ….I have up to a 660 Stihl …..so all you chainsaw experts don’t laugh at my little saw 🙂 My son, Christopher, actually purchased the 660, I told him to get the 880 but he got the 660 Stihl, monster of a saw ….in fact, he rides dirt bikes and said the engine on the 660 and 880 were like dirt bike motors! I can pick up the 660, not sure I could use it 🙂 The thing is a monster! Really, really, really, sucks being sick and getting old 🙁 Sorry for that little chainsaw rant, but all you chainsaw geeks, millers and sawyers share my passion! and I though you might appreciate the story.

Looking For 12″ Trunk Size for 12″ Bowl Blanks

Anyway when thinking about cutting bowl blanks from logs, I was looking to max out the bowl size on my lathe…that would be 12″ I would need 12″ logs for bowl blanks….turns out I’ll probably get 10 or 15 bowls around 11″ and a whole bunch of small bowls, vases, cups …etc.

Identify an ash tree that is good enough for woodturning — Ash is good for turning, keep your eyes open for a solid tree, sometimes you need to make a couple of cuts

I would say this little Ash Tree was dead for about 3 or 4 years. To my surprise, all the damage on this tree was under the bark. So far, no worm holes in the tree. It’s still wet …although I’m guessing, probably 50% or more dry. The wood is strong. The grain is not punky! No soft spots anyplace on this beautiful tree 🙂 I expect to be able to use almost all of this Ash Tree for making woodturning bowl blanks and other woodturning blanks!

Save Ash Limbs for Future Woodturning Projects

Even punky and worm hole ridden ash makes for nice pieces, do not forget to take ash limbs down to a 1-1/2″ diameter for ash tool handles, billy clubs and vases! I will cut limbs between 24″ and 30″ long. When I feel like turning but really do not want to think about starting a big project I will put a couple of these on the lathe and just turn them to round. So I might end up with a stash of ash rounds that are 1 1/2″ wide to 6″ or more wide. I store them low, and let them dry slowly. If they are wet, I will paint the ends. I might even move them up to the 4 foot level so they dry a little faster.

How To Use Your Ash (Limb) Rounds

You would be surprised what these Ash round/long blanks can be used for. I first of all use them for custom tool handles. You can make custom ash wood mallets for woodworkers, ash billy clubs, ash fish clubs, ash vases …you really are limited to your imagination. If you have a nice small clear piece, make some really cool ash ornaments. These are great pieces to make ash snowmen from. If you know any kids or young baseball players you can make some really cool custom Ash baseball bats. When I played baseball ….almost all the bats were from ash trees.

Round Blanks Not Limited to Ash Trees

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Collecting limbs for woodturning to make smaller 1-1/2″ to 6″ round blanks is not limited to Ash Trees! You can collect limbs suitable for turning from just about any tree. Most woodturners will ignore and bypass the limbs when collecting wood from a downed tree, they go for the big pieces that will give them nice bowl blanks ….and I understand that. However you are leaving a lot of good turning material behind if you do not investigate and grab some of the larger branches that might be available for future woodturning projects.

For instance, there was a boxelder tree that came down not too far from me. The owner told me I could have the whole tree but someone snuck in and ripped me off, they grabbed some of the nicer pieces. It didn’t matter, they couldn’t lift the big trunk pieces so I got those ….but they thief left some nice branches behind, 2+ inches up to 6″ or so. So, I grabbed those and threw them off the the side. I tried to turn a vase out of one of them and to my surprise it had a nice red/purple streak going through it.

I had several Oaks go down over the last 2 years. Once again, the branches….most people burn/chip or throw away were a gold mine of handles and other spindle related turnings.

It does take a bit of effort to cut up the branches, load them and then store them but once you do….. you’ll be sitting pretty for a long time. You will never be looking for a 3×3 oak blank for a stair balaster 🙂

Or, the smaller branches can be easily cut into pen blanks or …..I think they are called “scales” for the wood handles on knives.

Learn to Spot Woodturning
Gold ….Trees For Turning!

To the uneducated eye, this would be a junk tree ….worthy of being cut up and burned on the fire pile …probably not even good enough for firewood. In fact, that’s probably what I would have done with it 4 or 5 years ago. I now look at trees with a different eye 🙂 So I see behind the shredding bark, broken branches laid a perfectly fine Ash tree. Lumber from the tree would be perfect for cutting bowl blanks from logs but could be used for just about anything. A small mill could get a whole bunch of paneling or some framing beams, more importantly ….I can get all kinds of wood for turning!

Pictures of My Ash Tree Harvest
For Woodturning Projects

In the pictures you see the wagon with my chainsaw and lengths of wood as I get ready to cut some bowl blanks from the Ash tree. I used my bandsaw to split 2 of the larger logs and cut some round bowl blanks from them. I actually mounted one on the lathe and started turning the bowl, formed the ouside of the bowl and sanded it. I put it on a shelf to dry a little.

The other pieces are for tool handles. Ash makes really good tool handles. I’ll use the rest for vases, billy clubs, fish clubs, cups and some boxes. Probably could do a lamp or two ….lots of good turning wood in that downed tree. I plan on cutting it up and putting it inside the shop or garage for use latter this year as it slowly dries and is kept out of the weather!

Hoping to Help Some New Woodturners Find and Process Local Trees For Their Woodturing!

I just thought that some of the new woodturners would like to see the thought process when trying to find and harvest some turning lumber. I see questions asked on how to harvest wood for woodturing, where to get wood for woodturing and what to do with it when you find some wood for woodturning. Bottom line, grab it! Take it home and then figure out how to process it.

Quick Look At Cutting A Log For Woodturing Bowl Blanks

Let’s say you want to turn bowls with a 12″ diameter. You’ll need logs that are at least 12″ in diameter, to be on the safe side your logs should be at least 14″ wide. Then you should cut the log 14″ long plus 3″ or so to allow for damaged ends or crooked cuts. You’ll then split the log in half, you’ll then have 2 log halfs to make your bowl blanks from. At this point you can use a bandsaw to cut a circular bowl blank or use your chainsaw to nip off the ends ….making it a somewhat chainsaw circular bowl blank. Hope that makes sense. If not, check out youtube for processing logs for woodturning.

Videos Show How to Cut Bowl Blanks From Logs

Here are a few videos that will give you an idea of how to process a log for creating some bowl blanks. Remember, everybody takes a different approach, its up to you to figure out what works best for you. Remember a chainsaw is a viscous tool, accidents happen in milliseconds so please be careful.

Notice in this first video that the chainsaw creates shavings, this indicates a nice sharp chainsaw blade ….that goes a long way to helping you make your bowl blanks

Stephen Ogle is one of my favorites and he shares how he processes and cuts logs for bowl blanks. Pay attention, he is a great teacher on all things woodturning!

Brian Havens is an excellent teacher of woodturning …all aspects! Some of his stuff is a little old, I wish he would add some new things but maybe he got burned out or just did a brain dump over a couple of years and doesn’t have much new material to share.

This video he was given an apple tree. He did not record the process of cutting up the apple tree into blanks but he brought all the pieces back to his shop and put them together and then explains why he did what he did ….excellent video for the woodturner who is looking to understand how to dissect a try to get the most out of it ….pay close attention and I guarantee you will learn much 🙂

#CuttingBowlBlanksFromLogs
#PreparingBowlBlanksFromLogs
#HowToCutABowlBlank
#HowToCutABowlBlankFromALog

Cutting Bowl Blanks From A Log, Cutting Bowl Blanks From Logs, How To Cut Bowl Blanks From Logs

Making A Wood Tool Handle For A Half Inch Sorby Spindle Gouge

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!

Woodturner’s ….What Is Your Favorite Wood To Turn

What Is Your Favorite
Wood To Turn

A good question came up on our facebook group, a member wondered what the best wood to turn was or what is your favorite wood for woodturning.

I think once you start turning wood you really do not pay much attention to the wood that you turn. Also, we need to consider budget. Some woodturners have big budgets, money isn’t an option so they can buy from anyone who sells blanks …that might be local woodworking stores, online suppliers from amazon, ebay, craigslist and so on, along with picking up wood from the side of the road or something that has fallen in your yard. Other woodturners without a budget, in other words, those of us that really do not have 50 bucks to spend on a blank will do our due dilligence and look for local sources of free wood for woodturning…..and for us, that us the best wood to turn!

If you want to pay for a bowl blank or any other type of turning blank then I think ebay, amazon, craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are some of the best places to get good deals. Woodturning blanks that cost money can be found at your local woodworking store.

If you check out Facebook Groups you’ll find a whole bunch of groups that sell different types of wood for woodturners, burls, blanks of many different species and sizes.

From this point on, I’m thinking that the best wood I like to turn is free wood. So, let me share some free woodturning wood sources.

Free Wood For Woodturning

You’ll want to check out Tree Services, most local governments…cities, townships etc have a local dump site for free wood and chips, contractors often have land cleared for new construction, I’ve seen so much cut up and left on the side of the road this year.

Check with your local start parks or conservation areas. They are always dealing with tree maintenance and clearing. They will burn the wood simply because they do not know that woodturners like yourself will gladly take it off their hands. You just need to make an introduction and tell them what you do with the wood, it doesn’t hurt to show them a bowl or 2.

Free Bowl with Your Business Cards

Got a chainsaw dealer in your area, make a small bowl …fill it with your business cards and ask them to hand out to those buying chainsaws ….never know who might pick one up. Ask them to display the cards next to the cash register ….if all goes well, you could be buying yourself a nice new chainsaw, gas or battery!

Contact Local Sawmilling
Businesses For Free Bowl Blanks

There are more and more guys with milling businesses, portable bandsaws that mill logs. Look them up, drop and email …better yet ..give them a call. They could be your best source of free wood. You might even get them to make you a 16′ slab that is 6″ or more thick in which you can cut blanks from!

Free Wood Through The Laws of The Universe

There are a lot of firewood providers in the upper midwest. If you can make contact with some of them, let them know what you are looking for they will set aside a few logs if you ask nicely ….again, use the bribery method….give them a turned project every now and then ….you should get everything for free. Don’t be surprised if they give you a call one day and ask if you want a truck full of willow, poplar, hickory or oak ….whatever grows in your area. My fellow woodturner’s, its just common sense ….back in the day people used to treat each other as they wanted to be treated. Treat people nicely and they will repay, give of yourself freely and you will get in return ….it’s the law of the universe!

Tree Farms and Nursery’s
A Source of Good Woodturning Wood

Nursery’s and tree farms are always trimming or removing dead trees. These are really good people to leave a bowl or other turning project with. If you are looking for specific species, they will know what is available or what will soon be coming….treat them nicely. Keep in mind, people contact nurseries all the time to heal their ailing trees, these people know who will have dead trees so they are an excellent resource if you extend the effort to develop a good relationship with them.

Use Your Website Equity To
Trade for Free Woodturning Wood!

I haven’t mentioned it before before but you should have some type of website. If you don’t have a website, please contact me sparat@gmail.com and I can help you get a quick site set up. If you have a website you can put a website link that points to the tree farm or nursery that you are getting the wood from. All websites like relevant links, people will pay anywhere from $100 to $1000 a year for a good backlink that is relevant. This backlink method will work for anyone who has a business and works for wood, and has wood that you might be able to get for free to turn.

Storms Provide Free
Wood for Woodturning

Every bad storm leaves trees or limbs down. Just listen for the chainsaws or take a ride through your area after the storm. You will find more than enough free wood for woodturning if you ask and maybe even carry your chainsaw with you!

Facebook, Craigslist, Ebay for Free or Cheap Wood for Woodturning

As mentioned before, check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, type in “free wood” or “firewood” “dead tree” “free tree”

Construction Sites Provide Free Wood for Laminated Woodturning Projects

Construction Sites Provide Free Wood for Laminated Woodturning Projects. Stop by a construction site or housing development. There is almost always a pile of framing lumber cut offs of various size on the ground, in the house that’s being framed or in a dumpster. Of course you need to ask permission to salvage the pieces but you can take these and glue them up for some really interesting turning. When I was framing houses we would throw away the cut off ends of 2×4’s, 2×6, 2×8’s, 2×10’s or 2×12’s laminated beams….these make beautiful bowls ….if you are lucky you might find one.

Give A Bowl Away to Get Free Wood for Woodturning Approach

There are not a whole lot of manufactured house factories around, there are more truss and beam factories in all states. If you might be close enough to one of these facilities, take a bowl with you to give away and ask if they have any scraps you can take ….I guarantee you will find a years worth of wood to turn.

In almost all cases if you make a small bowl, 6″ or so, put some business cards in it and give it to the person or business that deals with wood in one form or another …you never know what will happen.

Buy Your Favorite Woodturning Blank

Of course you can always buy blanks. Almost all woodworking stores have blanks. Facebook has some groups specifically dealing with blanks for woodturners and there is ebay, do a search for woodturning, woodturning blanks, etc. …..but you will pay for these. The longer our Facebook Group is up and running the more I find woodturners that buy wood to turn. So for some, this is the most viable option.

Free Wood for Woodturners

As a woodturner there are many woods I would like to turn, unfortunately, I am a poor woodturner so I am always looking for free wood. I have a chainsaw and trailer so I can grab wood on the side of the road, in someones yard, at a municipal wood dump or anywhere free wood might be offered.

I think I must be a little ADD because I find a wood I like to turn and I’ll do that until I get tired of it, then I look for something else! Lets not forget that if you like to turn on species of wood, lets say Oak ….it will differ from species to species, tree to tree. I found some boxelder, it was awesome. Then I found another boxelder tree, totally different but just as beautiful. You might find you like to turn cherry, then you figure out there are more than 10 differnet types of cherry in your area …on top of that, maybe green cherry is what you like until you try dry cherry.

Is There Really Such a Thing as Favorite
Wood For Woodturners

If you have been turning for 30 or 50 years then you probably have a favorite wood to turn. If you have been turning wood less than that then you probably have a favorite wood of the month type of thing. I know that happens to me. I might turn some poplar and think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, but I turn poplar from another tree and it doesn’t impress me as much. So, the best wood for woodturning or favorite wood for woodturning is purely speculative and depends on the log, the day on how you feel that day!

Favorite Wood For Woodturners Conclusion

The question was, “What is your favorite wood to turn and where do you get it?” I hope you find some of my sources helpful and I truly do hope you find your favorite wood….which means you have turned a whole lot of wood!

Do You Make Memorial Woodturnings?

Memorial Woodturnings

After the passing of my only brother, John Parat, I wondered if any of you guys have made some sort of memorial gift turning from a piece of tree, lumber or other wood that was from their home or work?

Turning A Woodturning
As A Memorial Gift

Have you ever turned a piece of wood to give away as a memorial gift?

I know I have seen questions in different woodturning groups, forums and blogs about how to turn a wood urn, but I have never come across any discussions on turning a bowl or other object to give away as a gift to those close to the one who has passed away.

I never really thought about a memorial woodturnning until my brother passed away. His name was John and he passed away very quickly from cancer on September 14, 2018. Although we did not see much of each other over the years because of the distance between us and my own health problems …..time or distance will never negate how you feel or think of a brother or siste, you have a forever bond with your siblings and his passing still does not seem real to me.

John Heated His Home with Wood

John had a farm in Wisconsin, he raised birds and had a small hunt club. He heated his house with wood. So like anyone who has some acerage I knew I could find a few pieces of wood laying around so I could turn some memorial woodturnings.

Grabbed Some Logs After The Funeral To Make Memorial Turnings

After the funeral we stopped by the farm, I found 2 big piles of chopped wood and a couple of piles of logs that were kind of dry and I looked for some pieces that I might be able to make something out of. We came home with 3 or 4 logs, not sure what any of it is but they were big enough to make some bowls with.

I found the log that I wanted and made a turning blank when I got home.

So, I stared thinking that a nice bowl would be a perfect “memorial woodturning” for some of my family members. I was thinking mainly of my mother and my sister. A small bowl to bring back happy memories of my brother, a memorial bowl that could be placed in a corner or shelf, filled or empty but an object that, when looked at, would bring back memories of the brother and son that we had lost.

The seed was planted so I mounted up the blank and started turning a live edge bowl from a piece of walnut found on John’s farm.

Has Anyone Made
Memorial WoodTurnings?

I wondered if anyone has done this before? If so, how were they received?

I turned a small bowl….about 8 inches, it is a natural edge bowl ….surprise, surprise ….the bark stayed on! I think it is some type of walnut based on the bark and wood color and grain …but not sure. I don’t think the type of wood matters to anyone I would give it to.

memorial woodturning — Memorial Wood Bowl turned from wood found on my brother’s farm.

Need A Method To Sign My Bowls

I just really need a way to sign, label or brand my bowls. I was looking at some branding irons, I think this would be the easiest since I’ve been using almost all recesses to mount my bowls lately. I don’t think I could freehand any type of wood burning signature or logo. I found a cheap place for custom branding irons but my computer crashed and I lost my open webpages ….can’t find it again.

Life is short my friends. Make the most of it while you can. Maybe, just maybe you can use your woodturning skills to make a bowl, cup, vase, or candle holder ….some type of woodturning from a tree, log or piece of wood from someone who has passed on ….and share the gift with the departed loved one’s . It will mean a lot to the one who receives your memorial wood turned gift!

Make Your Own Dovetail Tool and Wood Scraper for Woodturning

If you are a tool freak like I am then you probably can’t wait to get your next tool. However, that can get quite expensive and if you have the budget that allows you to buy whatever wooodturning tools you want ….I’m jealous! I would love to try some expensive woodturning tools but I just don’t have the money so I sometimes will try to make my own woodturning tools.

Purchased Some Hurricane Bowl Gouges

Every now and then I can pick up some new tools, for instance I purchased a 3 pack of Hurricane bowl gouges a couple of weeks ago and I was going to do a review on them. I purchased these woodturning bowl gouges because they were cheap …yet the reviews were good for the most part. I wanted to practice sharpening bowl gouges and compare the cutting and shaping ability to a Sorby wood bowl gouge.

Use Cheap Woodturning Tools to
Practice Your Sharpening Skills

As mentioned, I actually purchased these woodturning bowl gouges because I wanted to practice on sharpening bowl gouges. In particular, I wanted to practice sharpening and using the 5/8″ bowl gouge. I reserve the time to do a complete review but for a news flash, I have found that the Hurricane 1/2 inch bowl gouge is my favorite. And yes, they have allowed me to learn how to sharpen my gouges using the oneway wolverine sharpening jig with Vari-grind attachment. Each time I get the feel of it and do a better job. However, you must get the Vari-grind Jig with the wolverine grinding system ….this ensures proper angles and shapes for your gouges. I’m using 1 inch white oxide sharpening wheels on an 8″ grinder, I got the 8 inch grinder at Harbor Freight …less than $40 and the white oxide wheels on Amazon. My next step would be to get the CBN wheels ….but they are between $100 and $200 each ….so, I don’t see those on my grinder soon 🙂

New Woodturning Tools I Made From 8mmx8mmx200mm HSS Lathe Steel

I really started this article because I wanted to show you guys a couple of new tools that I made from 8mm x 8mm x 200mm blanks of HSS steel I got on Amazon, you can also find them on ebay. They cost less than 5 dollars each.

A while back, I made one tool, a square edge scraper, by putting the edge on one side and gluing the other end in the handle with some 5 minute epoxy. I used the same 8x8x200 HSS Steel Blank but I glued it into the handle

The tool I want to show you today was made with an cutting profile on each end, I made the handle so the tool can be inserted in the handle and locked in with a couple of allen screws but can have a dual purpose by flipping the steel bar around and using the other end.

Make Your ow Woodturning tool, double ended cutter — DIY woodturning tools, this has a cutting profile shaped on each end so it can be flipped in the handle

So, as I learn how to turn wood I have also learned that many woodturners make their own woodturning tools. I’ve watched woodturners make tools from lawn mower blades, old files, screw drivers, drill bits, old allen wrenches, cold bar steel with carbide inserts and HSS cutting bits …..and just about any piece of metal you can think of. Some work great, some not so great …but I have enjoyed making some very effective turning tools. These are tools I turn to …(no pun intended) almost every time I turn a piece of wood. Al Furtado will take an old and ineffective harbor freight woodturning tool and make it into a full time and favorite gouge, he does this with a variety of tools he has and even though he has some expensive woodturning tools I see him going back to his Hurricane or PSI gouges and turning tools along with those that he has made himself.

I think I learned this from Mike Peace. He used some HSS Square Cutting Tool Bits to make a couple of customized woodturning tools. I found these bits on Amazon….. CNC Lathe HSS Square Cutting Tool Bits Bar, 4 Piece, 8mm x 8mm x 200mm https://amzn.to/2M5DIZV

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All you have to do is, turn a handle, drill a hole down the center of the handle, glue a copper or brass ferrule to the end of the handle that receives the cutting tool. You can buy bowl gouges without a handle that have a 2″ or more section of steel that fits into the handle, so you can make your custom handle. But in this article we are thinking of making your own woodturning tool, steel and handle.

I have used the 8mm x 8mm x 200mm https://amzn.to/2M5DIZV bars to make a variety of different tools designed for specific tasks or just general scraping. These will cost you between $4 and 5$ each, this package comes with 4 bars allowing you to make 8 tools if you plan on putting a woodturning edge on each end.

This steel is easy to sharpen and holds an edge for a long time. I started out making a scraper with a square edge just to see how it does. You could compare this scraper to a carbide insert scraper on a square bar. Only with this scraper all you need to do is hit it with a diamond card to sharpen or take it to the grinding and lightly touch the wheel. Its really amazing how this steel cuts and how long it lasts.

I use the 8mm scrape as a parting tool when needed, it removes a lot of material fast and leaves a nice smooth finish, hold it on an angle and drag it across your piece for a shear cut and the finish will be like glass.

Today I made a handle that would accept the 8mm x 8mm x 200mm https://amzn.to/2M5DIZV bar …first I drilled a hole to handle the 8mm square bar, then the tool handle was shaped, the ferrule was glued at the end. I put sanded the handle, added a couple of burnt rings with a piece of wire and applied Capn Eddies finish XXXXXXXX .

Next I took the 8mm x 8mm x 200mm https://amzn.to/2M5DIZV bar and ground a shape that would help me to form dovetail recesses on my bowls. I used the grinder to get the shape close to what I wanted and then I took a dremel tool with a carbide disk and refined the dovetail shape into sharp precise angles. I tried the tool before putting the handle on it so that I knew I had the cutting angles correct.

I flipped the bar over and started working on grinding a round nose scraper with wings. First I ground down the top of the bar slightly and then I roughed in the front of the bar …about 30° or so. I then mounted the bar in my Vari-Grind jig for my Wolverine Oneway Grinding System https://amzn.to/2oMFKVh It was really easy to get a bowl gouge or spindle gouge shape to the 8 x 8mm bar.

At this point I had the handle made and the HSS Square Cutting Tool Bits Bar shaped on both ends. I wanted to be able to use both ends of the tool, truth is I really wanted a dedicated dovetail tool for recesses for my bowls or other wood that I would mount on the lathe. It seemed a waste to glue or epoxy the tool into the handle when I could have another useful tool on the other end. The big question will be, if I make it so I can switch the ends will it be too much of a pain in the butt to keep changing and should I just make dedicated tools.

I guess I will find out.

I drilled 2 holes in the copper ferrule and down through the ash wood into the space where the tool blank will site. I then tapped the holes for a 1/4″ x 20 3/8″ allen hex head screw. The copper ferrule will allow you to get a couple of threads in it, but you also want the wood to be threaded. So after you do the tapping you will want to take some CA glue and apply it to the wood in each hole. You can then screw the allen screw down into the hole (after the glue is dried) or you can retap it. You’ll want to apply some CA one more time and after it is dried you can retap or screw the allen screw down into the hole.

I use Starbond CA glue. It comes in various viscosities …thin through thick. Depending how you buy it, it will come with some very small applicators you can put on the end for precise placement of the glue …these worked awesome for me and then I used the accelerator which causes the glue to set up immediately. I highly recommend Starbond, it’s the choice of many woodturners for repairing, filling voids and for finishes on smaller woodturnings like pens …you can find it here XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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Now it’s just a matter of putting in the allen screws and inserting the cutting bar with the profile edges.

I probably made my handle a little too long for the dovetail application, but it works great for the spindle gouge profile. I’m just amazed at how sharp and how cleanly this tool cuts. I forms a perfect dovetail recess for my Nova Chuck and after playing around a little with the “spindle gouge” profile I found it to do hollowing very well, in fact it is very aggressive. If you are turning a bowl this profile on this bar does pull cuts very well ….I’m not sure how the bottom of the bar should be formed …it was draggin a little, I suppose I could round it a big more than I have but I guess I will have to play with it a while.

So, basically I made a tool with 2 cutting edges for around 5 bucks. I took a dead ash branch and turned it into a handle, drilled a hole, cut a piece of old 3/4″ copper water pipe for a ferrule and shaped an 8mm x 8mm x 200mm HSS Steel bar with a cutting edge of different profile on each end. I attached the bar with 2 allen screws which were drilled and tapped into the copper ferrule and wood ….a little CA glue to harden the wood and I’m good to go with a new DIY woodturning tool.

New Project Poplar or Cottonwood Bowls

Using Poplar to Turn Wood Bowls

I grabbed a poplar or cottonwood log a while back and started turning some bowls.

I was very pleased with how this wood turns, below is a picture of the log and how I laid it out. I will follow up with some videos and pictures of the finished bowls. I think I got 4 or 5 bowls out of this log.

Poplar Log Laid Out
For Turning Wood Bowls

There is an iridesence that comes off of the finished bowls. I finished all in bowls with lacquer on the outside and “salad bowl finish” on the inside.

poplar log laid out for bowl turning

The log was about 10″ or so deep (thick) so I ended up cutting some of those blanks in half…..so I ended up with 4 bowls about 3 inches deep each and one large bowl about 8″ deep.

I really liked working with this wood, not sure if it was poplar or cottonwood and I’m not sure if there is much of a difference between the two. Dense grain, turns nicely and finished nicely.