The parting tool is one of the first tools that most turners get with their lathe. The obvious purpose is to help you “part” the turning off of the lathe. However the tool is much more useful than just getting the wood off of the lathe. So let’s take a look at two different parting …
How to secure wood to your lathe
In order to turn wood on a lathe you have to secure the wood to the lathe. For spindle turning the wood is held between the head stock and the tail stock. For bowl turning I will show you how to mount a bowl blank with a face plate. These two methods lets the lathe …
5 Lessons I Learned from Mark Twain about Woodturning
I’m reading my Dad’s copy of “The Family Mark Twain” published in 1935, 25 years after the passing of Mark Twain. “Life on the Mississippi” is the story of Mark Twain being a riverboat pilot on the river. “Mark Twain” comes from the measurement of depth on the river. It means two fathoms or twelve …
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How to Turn a Lidded Box – A Woodturning Project
When presented with an empty honey jar from Pooh, Eeyore is delighted. It is a perfect place to put his present from Piglet, a deflated red balloon. Everything works out in the end. Turned lidded boxes are also perfect for storing small articles or knick knacks. The inspiration for this project was a post on …
Woodturning Introduction – What you need to get started
Welcome to the wonderful world of woodturning. If you are not sure what you need then this post will help you understand woodturning and the related woodturning equipment. At this point I need to make some simplifying assumptions. First you will need a powered lathe. The lathes come in a range of sizes from mini …
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Wooden Handle – A woodturning project
My wife is great in the kitchen. I love to turn projects that she then uses to create culinary delights that I get to eat. One day she asked if I could make a wooden handle for her tablespoon measure. The metal spoon had lasted longer than the plastic handle. I think it suffered contact …
Mounting Wood on a Lathe Without Using a Chuck
When you have just acquired your first lathe the number of accessory selections can be overwhelming. All you want to do is turn some wood. For many of the posts on this blog I use a multi-jawed chuck. While this chuck is convenient it is not necessary for your turning. Most lathes come with a …
Spile: How to Tap into Sap – A Woodturning Project
When winter is almost over, and the sap begins to run, it is the time to tap the trees and make syrup. I always thought that you needed a lot of equipment and stuff. True the boiling down of the syrup needs a fire, a big pot, and a shed to keep out the wind. …
Turning Blanks from your Table Saw
Getting wood to turn on you lathe can be a challenge. However the off cuts from a building site have great potential as practice turning blanks. Off cuts of commercial 2 x4s make good turning blanks for beginners. The wood is usually fir, spruce, or pine. These are soft woods rather than hard woods. The …