New to the wood turning forum and wood turning

[Bruce Jones]

Hello everybody I'm new here and to wood turning although I have been a cabinetmaker for over 35 years.
In may I bought a HF Central Machines 33" Lathe to give it a try; Here are some photos of what i've been up to
the last one I just finished to day a 16.5" x 7.5" Walnut vase.

[Bruce Jones]

I didn't know you could only post 8 photos here are the rest.

[Roger Chandler]

Welcome to SMC, Bruce! My, you have been busy on that HF lathe! Your work looks way more advanced than a beginner, so you must have a pretty good knack for this turning game. Nice segmenting ,as well as some nice vases, etc.

[David C. Roseman]

Beautiful work, Bruce! Welcome to the forum. You're kidding about just starting in May, right? Of 2010? ;)

[Bruce Jones]

I bought the lathe the first week of may; prior to that I turned one bowl in 8th grade; but I've been building cabinets for 35 years plus many other things.

Bruce

[Doug Herzberg]

I think I'll go burn down my shop now. Would you like a bigger lathe, Bruce?

[Dok Yager]

I think I'll go burn down my shop now. Would you like a bigger lathe, Bruce? :rolleyes::D

Good one Doug! Indeed your turnings are way more than beginner. Nice work Bruce.

[Bruce Jones]

Guys all I did was watch a few Youtube vids and bought a PSI 2000 chuck, expanding face plate, live & drive centers and a basic set PSI Chisels
I made a segment bowl press and a steady rest.

Bruce

[Brian Myers]

Obviously your 35 years as a cabinet maker has given you a solid base to start with , your beginner status has been revoked sir. Nice body of work so far , keep up the good work.

[robert baccus]

Please go away--you are embaressing a lot of old, experienced expert turners to death. WOW.

[daryl moses]

Very, very nice. Just goes to show the lathe is not the most important equation when it comes to turning pieces of art, it's the person holding the chisel. An $8000.00 lathe doesn't instantly make you an accomplished turner.
I started on a lathe just like yours and still have it. It has been a great lathe and I still use it from time to time. The main reason I purchased my new lathe was for turning larger diameter bowls etc.
Thanks for sharing your work!!

[Bruce Jones]

Very, very nice. Just goes to show the lathe is not the most important equation when it comes to turning pieces of art, it's the person holding the chisel. An $8000.00 lathe doesn't instantly make you an accomplished turner.
I started on a lathe just like yours and still have it. It has been a great lathe and I still use it from time to time. The main reason I purchased my new lathe was for turning larger diameter bowls etc.
Thanks for sharing your work!!Honestly guys it was not my intention to embarrass anyone: I was looking for tips and tricks and finishing ideas.
There's one piece of equipment I'm having a hard time finding; this lathe doesn't have a hand wheel, I saw on you tube that the JET machine has the same thread for there model that this is a copy of. I'm trying to find where to buy one of these hand wheels and modify it so the knock out rod will work
Any thoughts on this?

And I want to say thank you to EVERYONE for the BIG welcome, it was way more than I expected.

Bruce

[Randy Red Bemont]

Very nice work Bruce. I hope I can pick up turning as quick as you have. I just need to find the time to get something done! Welcome to the forum.

Red

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you Red, Daryl and everyone; Today I'm turning in pommele Sapele an Octagonal Box I'll post photos later on today.
Bruce

[Doug Ladendorf]

Honestly guys it was not my intention to embarrass anyone: I was looking for tips and tricks and finishing ideas.


Welcome Bruce! You are just getting a little ribbing there. The work you are doing is beyond beginner so you are starting at a great level. Besides this forum, which is an excellent resource, you might want to look for a local turning club. Turners tend to be very friendly and generous, and there are many opportunities to learn new things. Search your area here: http://www.woodturner.org/?page=Chapters

Looking forward to seeing more of your work!
Doug

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I also have to wave the flag and give up to the "beginner". I quit.

Very nice work. WOW indeed.

[David Delo]

I also have to wave the flag and give up to the "beginner". I quit.

Very nice work. WOW indeed.

Guess I'm in this group also.......Nice work Bruce.

[Bruce Jones]

Well thank you guys; Well today I turned an octagonal Pommele Sapele Stash Box 9" x 4" this was a first for me.

I hope you guys like it,

Bruce

[Vicki Hayden]

Awesome job on all your work! I particularly love the octagon bowl. How does one make an octagon on the lathe. You have access to gorgeous wood species too. Absolutely beautiful pieces.

[Bruce Jones]

Awesome job on all your work! I particularly love the octagon bowl. How does one make an octagon on the lathe. You have access to gorgeous wood species too. Absolutely beautiful pieces.Thank you Vicki I cut and sand the Octagon shape first then mount it to the lathe; In this case it was two pieces 2.5 thick, matched and sanded together marking one flat sections so it goes back the same way once turned.

Bruce

[Robert McGowen]

I have to agree with everyone about how fast you appear to have progressed. Some very nice work.
One thing that you might want to research for your segmented turnings though, is using large cross-grain joints and making the bottom with the pie-shaped pieces. These are both recipes for disaster if the wood moves even a tiny bit.

[Lee Watermann]

Just goes to show you it's not the lathe.

[Bruce Jones]

Thank you Robert and Lee; I truly did buy the lathe the first week of may and it's just an HF lathe then I bought PSI 2000 chuck, expanding face plate,live & drive centers, bowl & rest set and there basic set of (8) chisels; and I free hand grind them on a HF 5" bench grinder.
I have a very basic shop 13" Ridget planer, Riobi 10' table saw, drill press and disc / belt sander and 10" chop saw.
Several electric hand sanders, routers, drills etc, and good old fashion hand tools.

I've been building cabinets for over 35 years but that's not all I've built Lots of custom things like this Canoe
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?233598-Scratch-Built-16-quot-Cedar-Strip-Canoe

Bruce

[Bruce Jones]

I stayed up late and started a new bowl this time I wanted to try one I saw on the web; You start w/ a square block
8" sq x 2.5" thick and cut out the bowl leaving the corners for legs it's 10.5 corner to corner.
I'll show some of my basic tools I use to do this; my HF 5" grinder and some of the tooling I bought from PSI.
The main shape of the bowl is finished but I'll do some work to it off the lathe; more on that later, Next I'll turn the top / lid for the bowl from another piece of Sapele about 7.25" sq.

Bruce

[Bob Bergstrom]

As they say " it's not the size of the tool but the skill of the craftsman". Nice work and welcome to the Creek.

[Mike Goetzke]

Great work! I'd say you missed your calling for at least 35 years. I've been trying to turn for almost two years now and still struggle with beads/coves. :D


Mike

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bruce, Welcome to the Creek!

Always great to see someone totally thrilled with the turning game! Thanks for showing us some of your work - very impressive considering how long you have been turning! Highly recommend starting new threads when posting your work. Hard to make comments on individual pieces when they get hidden in long threads.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Bruce Jones]

Great work! I'd say you missed your calling for at least 35 years. I've been trying to turn for almost two years now and still struggle with beads/coves. :D


MikeThank you Mike; I don't know how I'm able to just look at something and reproduce it or look at drawings and just make it, the best think I can tell you is don't over think the process just go with the flow of the piece and just keep trying every chance you get.

Good luck I hope to see your turnings posted here,

Bruce

[Mike Goetzke]

Thank you Mike; I don't know how I'm able to just look at something and reproduce it or look at drawings and just make it, the best think I can tell you is don't over think the process just go with the flow of the piece and just keep trying every chance you get.

Good luck I hope to see your turnings posted here,

Bruce

I wish you could explain how you got to this level so quick. I haven't even gotten to the point of worrying too much about the design and flow of the work piece. I've had to practice technique for quite a bit of time on scrap pieces and still need more. Even sharpening tools the correct way, putting the rest at the correct height, way to approach the tool to the piece, which tool to use, speed etc. seems to be a never ending process for me. I know from my work I'm getting better but wow I jealous you got from A to Z in such a short time.

Mike

[Bruce Jones]

I wish you could explain how you got to this level so quick. I haven't even gotten to the point of worrying too much about the design and flow of the work piece. I've had to practice technique for quite a bit of time on scrap pieces and still need more. Even sharpening tools the correct way, putting the rest at the correct height, way to approach the tool to the piece, which tool to use, speed etc. seems to be a never ending process for me. I know from my work I'm getting better but wow I jealous you got from A to Z in such a short time.

MikeMike when I started in May I went on You Tube and watched guys turning saw what they were using how they were holding the tools and what tools they were using for each situation; then adapted to fit me the PROS use the Swept back Bowl gouge for a lot of there applications; I don't in fact i don't have a gouge w/ the swept back grind on it, I use it the way it came.
Grinding the tools is a no brainer for me I've been hand sharping drill bits, planer, hand chisels, scrapers, knifes etc for 35 plus years.
The grind doesn't have to be perfect every time just sharp, If you ever turn Teak You had better be able to sharpen your tools, it dulls them very fast but cuts great w/ a sharp tool.
The best advice I can give you is don't be afraid to make mistakes try different tools; in one video I guy said if the tool works for you use it, I do a lot of my work w/ scrapers just remove the large amounts w/ the gouge then try the scrapers a different speeds.
I do most of my work SLOW except when cutting air you have to go faster.

Mike I'm turning a bowl right now taking step by step PHOTOS as best I can to show those of you who want to see how I do things; look for step by step Walnut bowl in a day or so maybe tonight?

Good luck and feel free to ask me any questions you may have this is what these threads are for.

Bruce