Ron Bontz
12-24-2011, 8:09 PM
Well last year I turned a hollow form to put my wife's xmas present in. So this year I thought I would do something similar. I decided to turn a small box with some of the newly aquired wood I received for fellow creeker Dave Dobbs.
And the saga began. OK. So this time I actually sketched something out on the paper with all the little squares for scale.
I chucked up the wood, drew some lines, cut tenons on both ends put a chuck on both ends and used my oneway live center adapter and off I went. Eventually I parted it in half and concentrated on one half at a time. Everything was going slow but fine. 10 hours or so later I had finished the top, not real crazy about the finial but at that point I did not think I could correct it without it snapping.
I had already finished the box taking it down to about 1/4". As I began to put finish on the top I looked at the box and decided to make a small change to the base.I didn't like the ogee at the bottom so I reverse chucked it and put it back on the lathe. I only had to take off 1/4" off the bottom to change the shape. Me in my hurry promptly grabbed my HD scraper and in that last 1 1/2 of wood...CATCH,BANG. And off flew my box in 2 pieces. I was speechless and could not believe I did such a bone head thing.
Well I looked at the clock and it was 10:30PM. No way to turn another in time for X-mas morning and have it finished. Soooooooo... I broke out the 2 part epoxy. Yep I glued those two halves back together the best I could. Then left it over night. Today 24th. back to the lathe. Re chucked. Broke out the 50grit and 80 grit. Lightly reshaped. And ever so carefully using a skew this time finished trimming the base. Re-sanded again and off to the lacquer it went. So now after several coats and hours and hours I have it finished. (sort of) I am not real thrilled with it but time done run out. For better or worse it will be left on the dresser in the morning before I go to work with a little present inside. Almost forgot. 9"tall overall with a 5" dia. Finial is 3 3/4" tall. C&C welcome. 217114217115
And the saga began. OK. So this time I actually sketched something out on the paper with all the little squares for scale.
I chucked up the wood, drew some lines, cut tenons on both ends put a chuck on both ends and used my oneway live center adapter and off I went. Eventually I parted it in half and concentrated on one half at a time. Everything was going slow but fine. 10 hours or so later I had finished the top, not real crazy about the finial but at that point I did not think I could correct it without it snapping.
I had already finished the box taking it down to about 1/4". As I began to put finish on the top I looked at the box and decided to make a small change to the base.I didn't like the ogee at the bottom so I reverse chucked it and put it back on the lathe. I only had to take off 1/4" off the bottom to change the shape. Me in my hurry promptly grabbed my HD scraper and in that last 1 1/2 of wood...CATCH,BANG. And off flew my box in 2 pieces. I was speechless and could not believe I did such a bone head thing.
Well I looked at the clock and it was 10:30PM. No way to turn another in time for X-mas morning and have it finished. Soooooooo... I broke out the 2 part epoxy. Yep I glued those two halves back together the best I could. Then left it over night. Today 24th. back to the lathe. Re chucked. Broke out the 50grit and 80 grit. Lightly reshaped. And ever so carefully using a skew this time finished trimming the base. Re-sanded again and off to the lacquer it went. So now after several coats and hours and hours I have it finished. (sort of) I am not real thrilled with it but time done run out. For better or worse it will be left on the dresser in the morning before I go to work with a little present inside. Almost forgot. 9"tall overall with a 5" dia. Finial is 3 3/4" tall. C&C welcome. 217114217115