My First Non Pen Turning

[Corey Hallagan]

Well, I finally did it! I turned something besides a pen. No it isn't a bowl, it's not a bonker, it's not a goblet ( could be i guess ) I intended it to be a tooth pick holder :) That is what I set out to do and it pretty much turned out like the vision that I had in my head. At least the second try did!!

First try was kind of ugly cause I got to experience something flying out of my chuck! Scarey. I just couldn't get the piece to stay in the chuck when I went to touch a bowl or spindle gouge in order to start hollowing it. It would catch like right now, no matter how sensitive I was with it. Don't know, it wasn't fun.

So I started over. Got to this part again and the same thing happened only no damage. I then took it out of the chuck, drilled a 1 3/8 inch hole with a forstener bit to the desired depth. Chucked it back up and used my round scraper. I worked find that way. Then I finished shaping it sanded and finished it with Woodturners polish. It is a piece of popular and it is about 2 " round and 3 3/4 inches tall. What yah all think?

Any sugestions on the gouge and why it would cause the thing to rip right out of the chuck? I tried both a spindle and bowl gouge and was very gingerly working it from the center to outside and tried the outside to center. Neither worked. Glad that I got a finished project out of it but bummed out because I couldn't get it hollered out with a gouge. Also, I turned a nice dovetail on the spigot and it was in there tight!

Corey

[Chris Barton]

Hi Corey,

That looks great and since I am a big time tooth pick user I will have to make one of those. You were probably having trouble with the gouge because of getting a catch. Coring with a bowl gouge takes a little practice or someone to show you the "way" so to speak. While rubbing the bevel is important is all turning it is especially important with bowls. Also, with narrow deep vessels it is probably easier to pull the gouge from the bottom of the vessel toward the rim using a srcaping action and light cuts. Wish we lived closer, I would be happy to help.

Chris

PS: very nice first bowl/hollow form

[Scott Donley]

Looks good Corey ! You have to admit life gets a bit more exciting at this point. I didn't have a bowl gouge so had to use a spindle gouge. As far as the catches go I found turning up the music and closing my eyes a big help :)

[Don Baer]

Good job Cory. Heck I've sent so many flying across the Garage/Shop LOML quite comming out to see what is the matter when she hears the noise.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cory........Excellent toothpick holder! Excellent.

I'm trying to figure how to tell you how I'd work the inside of this.
It'd be the same as making a box, goblet or a vase.

First off what you are doing is working on endgrain initially. The way I make the initial hole is to take a piece of masking tape and measure up my spindle gouge the depth I want and wrap a piece of masking tape at that distance. Then, I line my tool rest across the bed of the lathe just below center of the work piece....using the tool rest, I plunge my spindle gouge into the center of the rotating work piece to the depth marked with the masking tape. The spinning wood makes it really difficult to make the hole off center or at an incorrect angle. It's surpisingly easy once you have the courage to do it. Raffan does it in his videos without using the support. I like the added security.

Then using my spindle gouge I work from this hole, roll the flute towards me, using very light scraping cuts wth the edge of the flute and work from the center hole you made out to the rim. Use a pencil to mark the inside rim and just keep taking light cuts from the center hole out to the edge. I make the final cuts using my scraper to smooth things out. You can use a scraper to do the whole project on the inside.

Once you have made the initial hole as described in the first paragraph, you are attacking the endgrain by cutting sidegrain using the center hole as a starting place.....Make sense?

[Bob Noles]

Corey,

I am not about to give any advice or attempt to answer your questions as I haven't a clue :eek: :eek: :rolleyes: :D

I just wanted to jump and and say GREAT JOB and came out looking good.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Corey, I like it and I really like the finish. About the catching I would check to ensure my tools were sharp, very sharp. Outside of that I would revert to my wide parting tool until I got past the catch then go back to the gouge. Probably someone will scold me for it being a "No-No" but it worked for me in that instance.

[Andy Hoyt]

Corey - I've done a fair amount of end grain things of a similar size; and I too had trouble keeping them chucked. Eventually, I learned that my trouble was that I was not turning a shoulder (next to the tenon) for the distal ends of the jaws to seat against. When I started doing shoulders my launch rate dropped significantly.

On the things I was making (see pic below) I was drilling all the way through the piece and then hollowing exclusively with a 3/8" Irish.
36066

[Barry Stratton]

Well done Corey!!! I like it. given the shape, all you need is a stem for the goblet contest. Heck, you should enter it in the goblet contest.

Great job!!!!!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Corey that is a great job. I like the shape and finish. Ken pretty well hit the nail on the head Corey. Make sure the tool is sharp and ride the bevel. Once you find riding the bevel it will come a lot easier. I also found if you put a slight dovetail on the tenon that will keep things from fly and make sure you cinch it down pretty good.

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks All! I was happy with it even though I did have to drill it then finish the last 1/2 inch with the scraper. I think some guys do all there items like this that way. I will definitely be turning more small items like this.

Chris, thanks! It would help having some one show you that is for sure.

Ken, thanks. When I first tried the gouges I didn't drill into it like you say. I was touching it in the center and drawing it out or from the edge in. You think if I first drilled a hole with the gouge it won't be so prone to catch? I will have to try the drilling in, but the pucker factor is definitely up!!

Chris thanks, my tools were definitely sharp. My son thought the same thing until he cut himself dinking around on one of my gouges :)

Andy, thanks. When you say a shoulder next to a dove tail, you mean the end to go into the chuck first should have a squared shoulder and then next to it turn the dove tail? So you might have as much as a quarter inch in the chuck with the shoulder and dove tail?

Thanks again all for the kind words and the help!!

Corey

P.S. the brother inlaw loved the pen. My dad expressed his interest, guess he is getting one for his birthday!

[Andy Hoyt]

Corey - Perhaps this high quality and heavily detail schematic will explain what I meant.
36075

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Andy! And your an artist too! I had the tennon just as you show in the photo. Turned down the tennon in two passes with my 1/8 parting tool and then put a slight dove tail on them. The wood on the tennon fit the chucks dove tail perfectly. I had only about a quarter inch of wood in the chuck and had a good shoulder on it. So not sure. It is the same Grizzly chuck that John Hart has and he says he hasnt launched anything in a long while but as far as I can see I am geting a good dovetail and square shoulder on it.
Thanks again,
Corey

[Andy Hoyt]

Glad it helped. In terms of tenon length, I shoot for a snoodge less than 7/16" which results in the shoulder hard up against the jaws and about 1/16" of nothing between the bottom of the tenon and the face of the chuck body.

The other thing I have trouble with is over tightening the chuck. I'm a firm believer in reefing down hard, but I'm beginning to learn that "reefer madness" :eek: is not neccessarily a good thing. There's a balance to be found and I'm still looking for it. Of course, with all this mushy hickory I've got it gets really tricky.

[Curt Fuller]

Corey, don't be afeared to cinch the jaws down tighter either. I crank mine down until they leave some pretty deep bite marks. Also, if the jaws are numbered on the grizzly chuck, they are on a talon, mark your wood at the #1 jaw so that if it does come out of the jaws you can get it lined back up with the original bite marks and still have it relatively centered.

And keep practicing at it. That's a fine looking toothpick dispenser!

[Ernie Nyvall]

Nice tooth pick holder Corey. Form and finish all good.

Ernie

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Corey.......as you stated in your reply.......Yes it's a lot easier if you start a hole first......drill it to nearly the finished depth......then with your spindle gouge on the tool rest.....roll the flute to about the 9:00 position and use a light scraping cut....work from the drilled hole out to the edge.

When you drill the hole with your spindle gouge...it will try to kick out initially if you try to start it somewhere other than the exact center....once started ......and you can not start it other than EXACTLY in the center..(think about it....if you try to start it someplace other than the exact center....that point will come around and push..kick the gouge...once centered the force will be equal on the entire surface of the gouge).......it won't kick out and it's just a matter of pushing into the wood endgrain with a gentle even force....once in a while remove your gouge to clear the shavings....after clearing the shavings...ride the bevel back into the hole to continue boring the hole

BTW I stole your idea last night....Worked in the shop way too late and made an oak toothpick holder for the LOML. She loves oak and I had a glued up block of red oak to work with.......She hasn't seen it yet as she was asleep when I came in at 11:30 last night. I know she'll like it....

Note....the techniques you used to make your toothpick holder can be used to make boxes.....goblets......

Photo Cop....I'll start my own thread and post photos later.....;) :rolleyes:

[Steve Ash]

Looks very nice Corey!

My hats off to Mr. Fitzgerald as well, here is a newbie who already has techniques down and able to convey those on to others. You learned quick!

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks guys! Steve you are exactly right! Ken, I got yah. I will have to give it another shot and can't wait to see your tooth pick holder.

Thanks,
Corey

[John Hart]

Yep Corey...That's a fine toothpick holder. I made a modification to Andy's fine art work to show the dovetail in the jaws. That's the point that made all the difference for me. Just to let you know, I cinch with all my strength. I haven't launched anything since I made this discovery....but then, I doubt that it would prevent against a good catch. Catches are a fairly powerful thing.

[Ron Ainge]

First I think you did a very good job on you first endturning piece. Secondly in my learning curve I tightened the chuck down as tight as I could when I first started turning endgrain and I still had some probles until I started cutting a dove tail on it. As Andy has drawn I do leave about 1/16 inch space between the wood and the chuck, just enough that it will not bottom out in the chuck. This will allow the jaws of the chuck to fit tight against the wood so that it does not wobble in the chuck. If I understand what you have written I think that the problem you are having is that you do not have the proper presintation of the spindel gouge to the end grain. Try starting to drill a hole in the wood with the spindle gouge and then point the wings of the gouge toward you and push from the center to the outside riding the bevel all the way. Good Luck

[Tim Beauregard]

It really is a nice turning Corey!!

Nobody was a smart aleck yet, so I will start. From what I can see in the second picture, it looks like it is exactly what you intended...a (single) toothpick holder. Lot of trouble to reuse that toothpick of yours. :D

Regards,
Tim B.

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks all! John, so if I read you right, you make a longer tenon and then cut a dove tail just next to the shoulder the rest is just straight tenon. I definitely did not have that much wood in the chuck, but I did tighten it pretty good. Thanks for your help.

Ron, thanks. Part of the problem on the end grain might have been that the face was not square which probably when I think about it added to the whole scenario. I did end up parting the face off square but I didn't have the guts at the time to try the gouge thing. Your explaination of presentation helps. Thank you.

Time, I know there is one in every crowd and I am suprised no one else Said anything!! LOL. I literally could find only one toothpick in the house, I asked my wife what we need one for then!

Thanks again all for your help and kind words. I expect I have alot to learn and discover. It was fun all in all. That is what is important.

Corey

[John Hart]

Thanks all! John, so if I read you right, you make a longer tenon and then cut a dove tail just next to the shoulder the rest is just straight tenon. ...

Yepsireee....being sure that your tenon doesn't bottom out in the chuck...that's about it.:)

[Ed Scolforo]

Corey, that's a really nice holder ya got there. The form is balanced and the finish looks smooth. Good work.
Ed

[Jason Boushard]

I am working on my first bowl right now I hope it turns out as nice as your first project

[Jeff Farris]

Corey, I posted a long answer to your question about gouge shapes and grinds, then I came over here and found out that you were dealing with end grain. That is one courageous attempt for a first hollowing project. End grain just doesn't work the same as face grain, and in my opinion is not a good place to start learning the nuances of hollowing. That said, you came up with one fine looking project. It was about 15 years ago, but even at the time, I am not sure you could find a piece as big as your toothpick of my first end grain hollowing project -- it sort of disintegrated.

You've received some good advice on starting an end grain hollow. But, one thing that the folks who have recommended that you plunge your spindle gouge into the absolute center of the project forgot to mention is that the gouge needs to be a fingernail grind -- not a straight grind. Also, it needs to be a milled gouge, not a forged gouge.

If you (and others interested in end grain hollowing) are not opposed to expanding your tool collection, the Robert Sorby RS-200KT is simply one of the finest tools for this project you could ever imagine. It is the first tool that I felt that I completely mastered. It makes end grain hollowing very easy and works on face grain, too. It is a tool that hollows almost as fast as a bowl gouge, but without the drama. I sold hundreds of them when I demonstrated RS tools and my customers had a nearly perfect success rate (you do have to read the instructions and follow them).

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Jeff, I did read your response. Thanks for the reccomendation. Note that with that particular gouge it was problematic on turning and shaping of the body like I said in my other posts. Thanks Jeff!

Corey