Shaving Brush Handle Attempt #1

[Randy Schaffer]

Shaving Brush Lathe Project….Attempt #1

I have been essentiall doing no project work at all since this winter....but Saturday I decided I had wasted enough time and started on my first lathe project....a shaving brush handle.

I ordered a nice badger knot recently, picked up a 12" section of 1.5x1.5 Quina wood and went forth....

This is the badger hair knot I am working with….23 x 72mm super badger, handtied in the UK.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/8523/superbadger23x722729.jpg

I want this to end up with about a 46mm loft, so a deep recess design is required.

I drilled the Quina about 1" deep for the knot, drilled and tapped a short hole to allow me to mounted it on a bottle stopper mandrel, chucked it up in my el-cheapo HF Jacobs chuck and started turning.

Roughing gouge.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5290/shavebrush13102.jpg

Smoothed with a spindle master….

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/5756/shavebrush23106.jpg

Cutting the cove…..

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8251/shavebrush33111.jpg

Parting off the base...

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/9641/shavebrush43113.jpg

At this point I decided I had cut too long of a cove and the overall handle was going to be about a half inch or so longer than I wanted….but instead of just stopping I decided to smooth things out a bit more etc….:D


Good thing I was not all that happy with the design as I had a grand catastrophic catch….that confirmed the too long design aspect….:rolleyes:


http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/487/shavebrushbroken3115.jpg

I have drilled a chunk of Bocote for the next go.....

[Kirk Miller]

I am a nebie to all this turning, but what you call a Jacobs chuck looks like what I call an Expansion chuck. If that is true I have turned quite a few bottle pourers using the same type chuck. I would reccomend not removing any wood from the base/hollow part of your trning until you have the other end formed completely and ready to part from the tailstock, and sand. Then work your way slowly and carefully towards the headstock end of the turning. I have been able to get the walls of the recessed portion close to 1/8th thick. Trust me I had quite a few experiences like yours before I figured it all out. Good luck

[John W Dixon]

Well it was looking good. But I'll bet the next one will be even better! Nice pictures.

John

[David Walser]

Randy,

I was once told that the secret to successful turning is "Never make that last cut!" Good advice, I'm just not sure how to follow it.

Have you made a full-scale drawing of the handle's profile? I find that helps to avoid making "the cove too long", which I invariably do when just "letting the wood speak to me."

Good luck and be sure to post pictures of the next handle.

[Randy Schaffer]

I have a drawing for the next on....:D

Somehow I knew I needed a cove about 1/2" or so, but let it get away from me. At that point I knew this handle was practice....I just did not expect it to go to kindling so fast.

That is not an expansion chuck as I know it anway...just a stopper mandrel in a Jacobs chuck.

I figured my biggest risk was when I used my parting tool to square off the top of this...it exploded on me when I had my spindle master working the top edge. I thought about doing that with sandpaper (as it turns out I should have).

I still have a pile of lumber stacked in the garage for my lathe stand. On my workbench this is way to high for me to work...but I could not find a suitable box to stand on without risking falling off and breaking my ankle:eek:

So I am blaming this catch on the too high bench rather than lack of tool control.....yeah right:rolleyes:

[Don Carter]

Randy:
I have made a bunch of shaving brush handles of all different sizes, styles and lengths. You were well on your way to a lovely brush handle. I don't set my knots as deep as you are and that makes the brush style much easier.
Great pictures and btw, that brush is not for you is it? ;)

[patricia stein]

sir if i may suggest moving your lathe down lower so your tool is not horizontal too your work. usaully the spindle should be at your bent elbow height. and then you can set your tool rest so your tool is at center of your work this will allow you to place tool on the rest properly. it will give you more control and less moving tool above your chest.




imho


sincerely patrick

[Randy Schaffer]

Yes, the brush is for me....however most of my face will not need it:D

This knot is 72mm long and the seller recommended a 46mm loft for it...so it really needs a deep set or apparently it will be too floppy.

If I would have restrained myself on that cove I might have been able to pull this one off. I sort of knew that last trim at the top was risky....