I'm Back To Turning - Finally!!!!

[Dick Wilson]

I have been out of the shop for a month with chest crud. The dust really put me down. And just what lump of wood did I select to restart my turning fun? Eucalyptus Red Gum Burl!!!!!!!!!!!!! A really smart choice. I have turned a lot of dry Aromatic Red Cedar and always thought it is the nastiest wood on the planet. WRONGGGGGGGG!!!! This stuff is by far the nastiest. It is harder than a rock and dense. The "shavings" come off the tool as either fine red dust or granules the size of coffee grounds. A dust mask and vacuum hood are mandatory!

I bought this piece when I was at the Ohio Valley symposium and because have never turned it I asked Richard Raffan about it. He said that if I have never turned it before that he strongly recommended that I not try to turn it thin. Sooo, I turned the outside profile I wanted and before hollowing it I duct taped the entire outside. The entire piece is nothing but crevasses. Safety first.....I didn't want a spinning hand gernade while hollowing. Yup, I am cowardly;):D
Anyway, the piece is approx 8" wide x 6" high with a 1/2" wall thickness. Finished with Deft rattle can lacquer.

C & C welcome as always.213564

[Scott Hackler]

Welcome back Dick! I like that vessel. The black top really works well with the cracks. I grabbed a piece of that wood off the clearance rack at Woodcraft once. I turned it thin and even though it was riddled with cracks and holes is are hard as a rock and super stable. If Woodcraft wasn't 2 1/2 hours away I would have driven back there and boughten the other 3 blocks they had. It is a wonderful looking wood.

[Jim Burr]

I would have been scared to death!! The reuslts were worth it. Superior dust protection isn't an option!!!

[Hayes Rutherford]

Very cool piece and well worth the effort.

[John Keeton]

Dick, like Scott, I turned my piece very thin and it held well - until it bounced off the lathe and across the shop floor!! It is exceptionally strong.

Nice work and a very good compliment with the top. Glad to see you back at it.

[steven carter]

Glad you are feeling better, beautiful HF, I'm sure the purcker factor was way up there.

[Rusty Smith]

Welcome back Dick! I like that vessel. The black top really works well with the cracks. I grabbed a piece of that wood off the clearance rack at Woodcraft once. I turned it thin and even though it was riddled with cracks and holes is are hard as a rock and super stable. If Woodcraft wasn't 2 1/2 hours away I would have driven back there and boughten the other 3 blocks they had. It is a wonderful looking wood.

Scott, what Woodcraft store do you use, Tulsa? I am lucky enough to be close to KC so I use that one. Wichita is big enough to have one, I'm suprised someone has not gotten a franchise up there.

P.S. sorry for the thread hijack.

[Baxter Smith]

Beautiful work Dick! Glad you are feeling better. Hope you have improved your dust collection so you stay that way!

[Scott Hackler]

Scott, what Woodcraft store do you use, Tulsa? I am lucky enough to be close to KC so I use that one. Wichita is big enough to have one, I'm suprised someone has not gotten a franchise up there.

P.S. sorry for the thread hijack.

Rusty, I go to the Lenexa (KC) Woodcraft. Tulsa is about the same distance, but we like to hit the BBQ in KC and a few other places so we always stop at that one. I looked at buying a franchise for a store in Wichita, but a couple things have me cold on the idea. The take a 5% cut off the top for a fee, its around $650,000 to get one going and you get ZERO of the catalog sales and with a little research, I found 8-9 Woodcraft stores that had closed in the last 5-6 years. Bad economy for such tight margins. :(

[David Cramer]

You got that right Scott!

Like franchises go, every transaction in or out corporate gets a piece of. If someone buys a $1000 bandsaw with a "credit card" and returns it, the owner pays 7-8% of the cost. 3.5% approximately (depending on the credit card) when the customer buys it and the same fee if they return it. Those kind of fees really add up. That's what I was told anyways, several times actually, and with that knowledge I am amazed how they stay open.

David

[David E Keller]

Welcome back, Dick! I think that's a fantastic looking piece of wood, and the collar treatment works for me. I'd probably amputate the foot on this one, but that's a common impulse for me!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Dick glad to see ya back. That piece is a beauty. Didn't take me long to remedy things after my 3rd bronchial infection. Haven't had one now for 9 months.

[Harry Robinette]

Dick
Glad to hear things are better, you might look at a Air helmet or respirator to help keep the guuk away. I remember we talked about our breathing at Cincinnati.

[Paul Merrill]

Hey Dick, It turned out pretty nice. Glad your felling better!