Metal Spinning Start

[Steve Mathews]

I don't know if this belongs in the Turners or Metalworking forum but I have a desire to try my hand at metal spinning. I just purchased a metal spinning toolrest from Oneway but haven't found a good source for the other tools needed to get started. Any suggestions on a source for good quality metal spinning tools?

[Dale Miner]

You will likely have to make your own.

[John K Jordan]

I don't know if this belongs in the Turners or Metalworking forum but I have a desire to try my hand at metal spinning. I just purchased a metal spinning toolrest from Oneway but haven't found a good source for the other tools needed to get started. Any suggestions on a source for good quality metal spinning tools?

A club member here had all of his metal spinning tools up for sale a few months ago. I can try to reach him and see if he sold them. He always bought top-of-the-line.

Did you try Google? This came up: http://newproductllc.com/metal-spinning/

JKJ

[Steve Mathews]

A club member here had all of his metal spinning tools up for sale a few months ago. I can try to reach him and see if he sold them. He always bought top-of-the-line.

Did you try Google? This came up: http://newproductllc.com/metal-spinning/

JKJ

Actually, that was one of the few sources I was able to find online. I was hoping to gather more info. and possibly a recommendation before making a purchase. Recognized metal spinner Terry Tynan also has a website with a collection of tools for sale. I'm surprised more woodturners haven't entered or discussed the craft. It seems like a logical extension to woodturning.

Edit: John - Yes, please contact the club member you mentioned that had the tools. I am interested in them.

[Dale Miner]

If you get a set of Terry's 1st dvd's, he has instructions on making a couple tools in the dad's. The tools he outlines how to make will start you out with the tools you need to do 90% of most jobs.

I started out making and using those tools, and when the need for a different tool arose, making it was not a problem.

[John K Jordan]

I was hoping to gather more info. and possibly a recommendation before making a purchase. ...

Maybe you can attend a demo by a metal spinner. We once had a local metal spinner come to the Knoxville turning club and demonstrated and shared a wealth of information - making forms, annealing copper, what tools he liked best for different uses. He said he made a good income making mutes for brass instruments, mostly trumpets. He makes them in two parts.

I'll try to find the guy's phone number. I'll also ask John Lucas; I believe he has done some metal spinning (and has done almost everything you can possibly do with a lathe, and he is good at all of it!)

JKJ

[Keith Outten]

PennState Industries has a metal spinning starter kit that has the tools, blanks, a couple forms and other items you need to get started.
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[Steve Schlumpf]

I haven't done any metal spinning but I did attend a demo by Dale Miner a couple of years ago at the 2013 Ohio symposium. If you have any questions about spinning metal - he is the guy to contact!

[Steve Lansing]

I have 45 years of professional spinning experience.

1. Watch every youtube video you can find
2. make a wood mandrel.
3. Clamp a circle of soft metal (copper, 1100 aluminum etc.) to the mandrel with your tailstock.
4. Spin it with a wood stick.
5. Be Safe!!!
Now you have the feel of it and advance from there - Don't over think it - Just get started.

[John K Jordan]

I have 45 years of professional spinning experience.

1. Watch every youtube video you can find
2. make a wood mandrel.
3. Clamp a circle of soft metal (copper, 1100 aluminum etc.) to the mandrel with your tailstock.
4. Spin it with a wood stick.
5. Be Safe!!!
Now you have the feel of it and advance from there - Don't over think it - Just get started.

I asked a friend who said basically the same thing. No need to buy tools to get started, you can make everything.

JKJ

[Steve Mathews]

I have 45 years of professional spinning experience.

1. Watch every youtube video you can find
2. make a wood mandrel.
3. Clamp a circle of soft metal (copper, 1100 aluminum etc.) to the mandrel with your tailstock.
4. Spin it with a wood stick.
5. Be Safe!!!
Now you have the feel of it and advance from there - Don't over think it - Just get started.

I'm still waiting on the Oneway toolrest but after that arrives that's what I plan to do. There's one guy on YouTube that started with simple wood sticks and that's what he still uses. Here another video that I thought was instructive and funny at the same time. Not all of us find success at their first attempts at something new.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j22pDYX2Mvo

[Steve Lansing]

I love seeing the interest in metal spinning, I never thought I would see the day that so many would want to try it.
I still have two spinning lathes and you guys make me want to cut some circles and spin something.

[Brice Rogers]

When I watched the video, it seemed like the fellow was doing fine when he was spinning "uphill" and stretching the material to his left. But it seemed when he went down-hill (that is from a larger diameter to a smaller diameter that had already been formed that he got in trouble. So my take is that it may be smarter to always go from the initial end to the far end and make each stroke in the same direction (towards the far/larger end).

Also, my perception is that he overworked the material and that it work hardened on him. I have bent some metal and had to anneal or soften it at times when bending it. From logic, it would seem that if you fairly quickly/smoothly work from the center of the disk (right side of lathe) outward (left side of lathe) and don't keep going back (especially going down hill to the right) that you minimize work hardening.

But my thoughts are not based on any experience in metal spinning but is based on other experience in moving metal around and some of the classic properties of steel.

I will be following other people comments who know more.

[Steve Lansing]

His biggest mistake is learning with a big circle (of metal) in proportion to the "nose" of the mandrel. The "down-hill" (outer circle to nose) movement is called back spinning and there are reasons for a spinner to do that but he is not at that level yet.

[Steve Mathews]

The metal spinning toolrest arrived today and seemed to be typical Oneway quality, very well made. I tried to get some 1100 aluminum locally but couldn't find any so a few 8" discs were ordered from the source John Jordan mentioned earlier. They should arrive early next week. That should give some time to make the mandrel out of some scrap MDF lying around. My first project is to reproduce the part shown below. It's about 3" in diameter and seems simple enough. No doubt I'll discover all of the complexities in making it.

365875

[John Keeton]

Handcrafted America's recent episode featured a segment on an artisan that produces some beautiful metal work. Perhaps you can catch a rerun. http://www.insp.com/shows/handcrafted-america/

[Dale Miner]

The metal spinning toolrest arrived today and seemed to be typical Oneway quality, very well made. I tried to get some 1100 aluminum locally but couldn't find any so a few 8" discs were ordered from the source John Jordan mentioned earlier. They should arrive early next week. That should give some time to make the mandrel out of some scrap MDF lying around. My first project is to reproduce the part shown below. It's about 3" in diameter and seems simple enough. No doubt I'll discover all of the complexities in making it.

365875


MDF is too soft for a mandrel. For the item pictured you will be better served gluing up hard maple for the mandrel.

That item will be challenging for a first project.

[John K Jordan]

That item will be challenging for a first project.

That was my thought too. For a first projects I might consider making a shallow bowl shape or two. Maybe a nice spun aluminum lid for a lidded box.

JKJ

[Steve Mathews]

I got the idea of using MDF here ...
http://newproductllc.com/metal-spinning/hard-maple-circles/

(http://newproductllc.com/metal-spinning/hard-maple-circles/)
OK, looks I'll put that project on the back-burner and pick something simpler to start. Would any hardwood work. Hard maple is hard for me to get here in the Southwest.

[Dale Miner]

I got the idea of using MDF here ...
http://newproductllc.com/metal-spinning/hard-maple-circles/

(http://newproductllc.com/metal-spinning/hard-maple-circles/)
OK, looks I'll put that project on the back-burner and pick something simpler to start. Would any hardwood work. Hard maple is hard for me to get here in the Southwest.

The harder the wood, the better it will hold up to having metal spun over it, especially when the technique is still in the learning curve.

BUT, wood with very noticeable early wood/late wood growth rings will often leave the pattern of the growth rings in the metal on the inside of the part.

If hard maple is difficult to source in your area, use a close grain local hardwood for your practice parts.

BTW, most spinning forms are glued up from 1" to 2" thick kiln dried hard maple boards. You might be able to find hard maple at the big box stores of perhaps cabinet shops.

[Robert Edington]

Contact John Lucas on WoodCentral. He made his own tools. He was doing it a lot a few years ago. He is a good demonstrator and instructor. He'll help.

RP

[John K Jordan]

Contact John Lucas on WoodCentral. He made his own tools. He was doing it a lot a few years ago. He is a good demonstrator and instructor. He'll help.


I asked John about this a few days ago and I know he would help. In fact, knowing Sir Lucas he might even offer to make and send out some tools!

John is one of my favorite people - an incredibly skilled and creative turner/ carver/ machinist/ photographer/ teacher/ tinkerer/ inventor/ tool-maker/ demonstrator PLUS an industrious and helpful person.

JKJ

[Steve Lansing]

The metal spinning toolrest arrived today and seemed to be typical Oneway quality, very well made. I tried to get some 1100 aluminum locally but couldn't find any so a few 8" discs were ordered from the source John Jordan mentioned earlier. They should arrive early next week. That should give some time to make the mandrel out of some scrap MDF lying around. My first project is to reproduce the part shown below. It's about 3" in diameter and seems simple enough. No doubt I'll discover all of the complexities in making it.

365875

Thats not a bad one to start on but if it doesn't have at least a slight taper it can get stuck on the mandrel especially if wood. If you can't have any taper just don't spin it tight on the mandrel but that will make it harder to hold a diameter if it's critical. One of many tricks to remove a part from a mandrel is to have a small hole through your mandrel to blast some compressed air, just be careful.