Finally a platter bowl success

[Todd Trebuna]

Good morning,
So, most of my wood turning has comprised of pens and small bowls. I got a new lathe in December (Nova 1624), so I've been trying to turn some large diameter bowls. I've mostly been laminating pine, because of cost. (I'd rather ruin a 2 dollar blank)
I recognize that this may be self defeating, as the pine is soft and the laminated blank has multiple grain directions. But yesterday, I was able to turn a 10 inch bowl, from 3 inches of laminated pine, with the foot holding and a minimum number of catches. This is the fruit of my work. Considering the quality of the other pieces, this is really nothing to get excited about, but I'm pretty happy to have been able to finish it successfully.
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[Forrest Forschmiedt]

There's nothing wrong with turning pine. Every wood has its own character and properties. Pine pieces alway makes me think of rustic, western art.
Every piece you turn on every type of wood makes your next piece a little better.

A couple months back I was buying lumber for a home project and noticed a 4x4 that had particularly tight and knot-free grain so I bought it and cut it into blanks for some spindle turning. Of course, building lumber is still pretty wet so some of the pieces cracked out but it was still worth it for a few projects.
This candle stick is from that 4x4 and is friction finished with beeswax, which gives it a nice, yellowed, rustic look.
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[Dave Mount]

IMHO, success turning pine is a real accomplishment. Cutting straight across the end grain of pine is tough. Way to go (and thanks to both of you for posting some of your work!).

I have a chunk of Western red cedar 4x4 in the shop that was left behind by a framing crew. Completely clear and growth rings about a mm apart -- it took like 100 years to grow that 4x4. Still waiting for the perfect project, but there are treasures to be found even in the home center lumberyard.

Best,

Dave

[Bill Bukovec]

When I first started turning, I would turn anything and everything just to get the experience. I remember spindle turning a piece of cedar that had a crack in it. I didn't realize it was cracked until it snapped and bounced off my face shield. Keep up the good work!

[Thomas Canfield]

Todd, Nice looking platter for test. You may be surprised that it gets used as is.

I encourage turning 2x6 lumber to learn bowl turning. Additionally I will often use pine to try out a different form or application. I go dumpster diving around the new home construction in neighborhood and get "free" material. I currently have a couple of 20"D x1-1/2"T disks glued up to use for prototype of table top and made some 5x5"x20" to test turning some table legs. Nothing wrong with using pine. You will learning sharpening and tool control using the soft/hard fiber material and not getting a lot of tearout.

[Ron Smith ... Richmond, VA]

Hi Todd, All of us have probably turned our share of pine, lol. Sure there's lots of other wood that has better characteristics, but you can't beat pine for cheap' usually. The real fun starts when you can get some pieces of pine beams out of an old barn that was built in 1838! I was able to cut some box blanks and ended up with these. I gave them to the four descendants of the farmer who built the barn on their farm almost 200 years ago!432395

[Peter Blair]

Considering your choice of material and the shape of the piece you have done remarkably well. I think as soon as you move to a more lathe friendly wood and a more pleasing shape you will excel. Most of the fun for me is turning and if the wood is not fun to turn I doubt I would turn at all. In the start most of us try to use as much of the blank as possible thus similar shapes to this but as you get more confident and experience you will discover that a nice flow to the outside, matched on the inside is both more pleasing to turn as well as to the eye. Have fun and keep turning!

[Dennis Peacock]

I used to collect various pieces out of firewood piles. At times, you can get some really nice pieces of wood to practice with out of a firewood or scrap pile. Also check with local tree services. You'd be surprised how much nice wood you can get for next to free by simply turning them a bowl from a piece they give you. Just some ideas to help keep cost down while you hone your skills. I had to do that very thing when I was starting to learn how to turn because all my money was going to turning tools and more tools for my shop...so I had to find cheaper ways to get wood for turning. :)