A wooden family portrait

[Steve Paxman]

300444

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLiYo9Y1AiU

Quick video where I make a little wooden family, to match my family (click the youtube link, above) - Dad, Mom, and 2 girls and a boy. A fun project, my kids love the results, but I use wood from a tree in my back yard, dead for a while, and it was horrible for turning. Just crumbled apart. Results are okay, but I'm not sure I'd try to turn that wood again. I just gave up on getting a "perfect" surface and just went with "serviceable." Maybe further down into the main trunk I'd find better quality wood, or something. I'll try out a bowl from there some day, but without any real expectations!

Comments welcome.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Steve - watched your video and it looks like you had fun and that is all that really matters!

On the wood tear-out issue, couldn't help but notice that you turned against the grain a lot of the time. Not a problem when roughing out but that does cause tear-out. If you have a spindle gouge, try doing some final cuts the next time - going from the large diameter to the smaller diameter only and I believe you will get much closer to that "perfect' surface you were looking for.

Have fun!

[Steve Paxman]

Steve - watched your video and it looks like you had fun and that is all that really matters!

On the wood tear-out issue, couldn't help but notice that you turned against the grain a lot of the time. Not a problem when roughing out but that does cause tear-out. If you have a spindle gouge, try doing some final cuts the next time - going from the large diameter to the smaller diameter only and I believe you will get much closer to that "perfect' surface you were looking for.

Have fun!

Good advice, Steve. Thanks.