First Box from a Pen Turner

[Rick Flink]

I have been turning for about a year and half, but until recently only doing pens in all mediums which I love to do. I have successfully done a bowl without punching a hole in the side or bottom, and last night I did my first box, which was a blast. I know there is a ton of things that could have been done better, but I like it, and I gave it to my mom (78) who is visiting and of course she loves it! *LOL*

Please take a look, be gentle, and give me some good constructive criticism which is understandable for a self taught beginner. Thanks, and thanks for this fantastic forum.


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Rick (mtgrizzly52)

[George Guadiane]

The only thing I could find to suggest (which could be a photo issue) are the rings on the bottom - They LOOK like they could be sharper, more well defined.
I like the bump on the top, it's a little subtle from some perspectives, but NICE!

[Jeff Nicol]

Rick, The shape is nice the wood is a good choice and it looks to me you spent some time on the finish. If the lid fits good then you should be happy with it. The more you do the more involved they will become! I like to recess the bottoms a bit so the are not flat, but I like the rings, I see what looks like some fuzz or tearout in the rings, but that can be fixed with sharper tools and addressing the wood at a different angle. I have the same trouble some time as it is hard to sand those little buggers!

Jeff

[David Christopher]

Rick, good job on the box..I like how you got the grain to match

[Jim Kountz]

Looks like a great first from here, keep em coming!!

[Rick Flink]

Rick, good job on the box..I like how you got the grain to match

LUCK~! *LOL*

Rick

[Rick Flink]

Rick, The shape is nice the wood is a good choice and it looks to me you spent some time on the finish. If the lid fits good then you should be happy with it. The more you do the more involved they will become! I like to recess the bottoms a bit so the are not flat, but I like the rings, I see what looks like some fuzz or tearout in the rings, but that can be fixed with sharper tools and addressing the wood at a different angle. I have the same trouble some time as it is hard to sand those little buggers!

Jeff

Actually the lid is a bit loose with very little slop, but that was done that way on purpose. My mom would have never been able to open it, if I had made it a tight fit. Next one will be my attempt at a nice tight fit.

Rick

[Don Eddard]

I think you did a fine job on the box, especially for a first. They are not as easy as they look, and as you do more they will improve. If I may, I'd suggest finding a more plain background for the photo on the next one. The embroidery distracts a bit from the piece you're displaying. A plain white or beige towel or sheet will often work just fine.

[Jeff Nicol]

Rick, I know what you mean about the lids being to good a fit. I have had them shrink and get to tight and my dear wife does not like that! I have had some too where the base changes size and the lid does not. The wonders and fickle way of wood! I am sure it will be a prized possesion.

Jeff

[David Walser]

Rick,

I think you did a very nice job with this box. I like the proportions and the simple shape. It should be easy for you mother to store whatever inside with a nice easy-open lid. (For whatever reason, most non-turners seem to prefer loose fitting lids. For most things, such boxes are easier to use.)

A very minor criticisim: it appears in the 1st and 2nd photos that you have some tear out on top of the lid and inside on the side of the box. It's very minor (and might be a shadow in the picture).

All and all, a very good box.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Rick a good looking box for your first. The rings on the botton look like some tear out but a small piece of sandpaper maybe 220 folded to fit the grooves with take care of that. Lids depend on what they are for. If I make a pills box for someone that carries it you want a suction fit. Most that will put jewelry, etc. in them don't want them tight and especially if the have arthritis in their hands. Hopefully this is one of many.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Rick - Welcome to the Creek!

David and Bernie have already pointed out the possible tear-out areas but the important thing is that your Mother likes it - what more can you ask for?

On your next turning - could you please include wood species, dimensions and finish used - as it really does help us get a better idea of the turning we are looking at. Thanks... Looking forward to seeing what you turn next!

[Rick Flink]

Rick,

I think you did a very nice job with this box. I like the proportions and the simple shape. It should be easy for you mother to store whatever inside with a nice easy-open lid. (For whatever reason, most non-turners seem to prefer loose fitting lids. For most things, such boxes are easier to use.)

A very minor criticisim: it appears in the 1st and 2nd photos that you have some tear out on top of the lid and inside on the side of the box. It's very minor (and might be a shadow in the picture).

All and all, a very good box.

I did have some tear out in those areas, and in spite of both sanding with the lathe spinning and by hand, I finally gave up. Any suggestions on how to deal with tear out would be appreciated.

Rick

[Rick Flink]

I think you did a fine job on the box, especially for a first. They are not as easy as they look, and as you do more they will improve. If I may, I'd suggest finding a more plain background for the photo on the next one. The embroidery distracts a bit from the piece you're displaying. A plain white or beige towel or sheet will often work just fine.

Thanks for that suggestion. If you think I am an amateur at turning (and I am), my photography skills are much worse. Any suggestions to make my projects look good in a photo are definitely appreciated!

Rick

[Rick Flink]

Rick - Welcome to the Creek!

David and Bernie have already pointed out the possible tear-out areas but the important thing is that your Mother likes it - what more can you ask for?

On your next turning - could you please include wood species, dimensions and finish used - as it really does help us get a better idea of the turning we are looking at. Thanks... Looking forward to seeing what you turn next!

Thanks for the comments Steve. I love the work you do, and really aspire to get a product even half as good as what I see you do.

As far as the wood, I believe that it was Mexican rosewood (I think?). The finish was sanded to 600 grit with regular sandpaper, and then applied two coats of simple Tru Oil. As far as dimensions, I never thought about that, and the box is now 150 miles away. I can tell you that I started out with a piece that about 5" around, and about 5" long. I will pay more attention to the details in the future.

Rick

[Mark Norman]

Nice!

I also gave my first bowl to my mom. It will be cherished I am sure!

The pics look great and show off the piece nicely. Keep em comming!

[alex carey]

Looking pretty good, not really too much to say seeing how I have only made a few boxes myself. They can indeed by tricky too. Looks like you figured it all out though. Good job.

[David Walser]

I did have some tear out in those areas, and in spite of both sanding with the lathe spinning and by hand, I finally gave up. Any suggestions on how to deal with tear out would be appreciated.

It's much easier to deal with tear out with your cutting tools than it is with sandpaper. (You have to sand -- or cut -- the entire piece down to the depth of your turning to get rid of the tear out. Cutting the surface down another 1/64" or 1/32" is a lot easier than sanding away that much.) So, the first rule to learn is to avoid resorting to sandpaper until you've turned away the tear out.

How do you turn away the tear out? There are lots of things to try. In general, sharp tools and light cuts reduce or eliminate tear out. Other, "in general", approaches to try include lubricating the last cut or two with water or the finish you will be using. You can try stiffening the wood fibers with some CA glue (which risks staining the wood) or lacquer.

In this case, the inside wall of the box is fairly straight. I think I would have tried holding my skew flat on the tool rest and taken a very light pass or two with the point of the skew along the inside wall. This is using the skew as a negative rake scraper and the cut very seldom leaves any tear out behind.

On the lid of the box, the approach I would have tried would depend on whether this is an end grain box (the grain running parallel to the ways of the lathe) or a face grain box (the grain running perpendicular to the ways). If the top is essentially end grain, I think I would have tried taking another light cut with my spindle gouge going from the rim toward the center of the top. If that didn't work, I'd use a small round nosed scraper. If the top is face grain, I'd use my smallest bowl gouge (or a detail spindle gouge with the tool rest up as close as possible) -- with a push cut -- going from the center of the lid to the rim. If that didn't work, I'd use my bowl gouge as a scraper to remove the tear out. (If I didn't want to use the bowl gouge as a scraper, I'd use a small round nosed scraper. The only reason I'd use the bowl gouge instead of a "real" scraper is that I most likely already have the bowl gouge in my hand.)

HTH