There are videos of that one and some other monstrosities but I couldn't find any good ones quickly. I have a jet bench lathe I think it's rated for 10 inch swing but I don't turn usually turn anything more than 6 maybe a rough blank might get over that but I usually cut the corners down on the band saw first if it's that size.
First brush completed
- Thread starter Fat Larry
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There are videos of that one and some other monstrosities but I couldn't find any good ones quickly. I have a jet bench lathe I think it's rated for 10 inch swing but I don't turn usually turn anything more than 6 maybe a rough blank might get over that but I usually cut the corners down on the band saw first if it's that size.
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- #82
Just catching up on this thread. You’ve got some nice handles there Larry. I’ll answer a few questions I saw along the way.
Finishes - CA is king. Polyurethane can be used, as well as spray lacquer. Lacquer isn’t really that good on brushes IMO, it’s best for larger, flat surfaces like tables or even drums due to the “rubbing out” process required for a high sheen. I’m not a fan of polyurethane, but it will give you a nice finish with less work than CA. You need to lightly sand it between coats though. Waxes & friction polishes will quickly wear off, they’re not suitable for something that gets wet, lather just makes it worse.
Patchy/cloudy CA - probably moisture. Is the wood dry? Is it an oily wood? Did you apply an oil and not let it fully dry? Is it humid when you’re applying the finish? It could be something else, but 11 times out of 10 moisture is the culprit when that happens with CA. Adding a CA finish to wood that’s not below 10% moisture content can mess it up, and sometimes it comes out ok so it’s a crapshoot. Or it comes out ok and a month or 6 down the road the finish cracks or clouds up. Obviously it’s best to use air or kiln dried wood when using a CA finish.
Tearout and such. Sometimes you don’t have a sharp enough edge, improper technique (like scraping with a gouge instead of slicing) or the wrong tool altogether. Some woods respond better to a scraper than a gouge or even a skew. And then sometimes it’s just the wood. I had some chichipate that I was making an ornament from and I couldn’t get a smooth cut on it to save my life. It just wouldn’t turn well, and nothing was going to change that. Gouge, skew, carbide, scraper, it laughed at all of them. So I gave up and used a different wood. And it turned out fantastic. I could’ve done a ton of sanding starting with 80 grit, but that’s not how this guy rolls.
As for the disaster in the last pics... Sorry, it sucks when that happens. As long as you’re expanding jaws in the cup - even the pin jaws from the other thread - you’re taking your chances. That thin walled cup is just too weak to handle much force. It’s a very fine line between securely holding the cup and blowing it apart, but I think you know that by now.
Hope some of this helps and sorry I didn’t pay attention to this thread so I could respond sooner. We all have mishaps and wasted wood. It comes with the hobby.
Finishes - CA is king. Polyurethane can be used, as well as spray lacquer. Lacquer isn’t really that good on brushes IMO, it’s best for larger, flat surfaces like tables or even drums due to the “rubbing out” process required for a high sheen. I’m not a fan of polyurethane, but it will give you a nice finish with less work than CA. You need to lightly sand it between coats though. Waxes & friction polishes will quickly wear off, they’re not suitable for something that gets wet, lather just makes it worse.
Patchy/cloudy CA - probably moisture. Is the wood dry? Is it an oily wood? Did you apply an oil and not let it fully dry? Is it humid when you’re applying the finish? It could be something else, but 11 times out of 10 moisture is the culprit when that happens with CA. Adding a CA finish to wood that’s not below 10% moisture content can mess it up, and sometimes it comes out ok so it’s a crapshoot. Or it comes out ok and a month or 6 down the road the finish cracks or clouds up. Obviously it’s best to use air or kiln dried wood when using a CA finish.
Tearout and such. Sometimes you don’t have a sharp enough edge, improper technique (like scraping with a gouge instead of slicing) or the wrong tool altogether. Some woods respond better to a scraper than a gouge or even a skew. And then sometimes it’s just the wood. I had some chichipate that I was making an ornament from and I couldn’t get a smooth cut on it to save my life. It just wouldn’t turn well, and nothing was going to change that. Gouge, skew, carbide, scraper, it laughed at all of them. So I gave up and used a different wood. And it turned out fantastic. I could’ve done a ton of sanding starting with 80 grit, but that’s not how this guy rolls.
As for the disaster in the last pics... Sorry, it sucks when that happens. As long as you’re expanding jaws in the cup - even the pin jaws from the other thread - you’re taking your chances. That thin walled cup is just too weak to handle much force. It’s a very fine line between securely holding the cup and blowing it apart, but I think you know that by now.
Hope some of this helps and sorry I didn’t pay attention to this thread so I could respond sooner. We all have mishaps and wasted wood. It comes with the hobby.
- Thread starter
- #84
Thanks Cigarsmoka, appreciate the insights.
This is yesterday and today. No idea what the wood is, it was a log i'd had in my possession for some years. Turns nice. Yesterday was going so well but a small catch produced quite a split. I like that shape and will be doing more of those.
Today, slightly over turned but got an excellent finish on it, super dry wood. Took extra time between coats, came up good. Knot is 30mm for size reference.
This is yesterday and today. No idea what the wood is, it was a log i'd had in my possession for some years. Turns nice. Yesterday was going so well but a small catch produced quite a split. I like that shape and will be doing more of those.
Today, slightly over turned but got an excellent finish on it, super dry wood. Took extra time between coats, came up good. Knot is 30mm for size reference.
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Nice Larry .
Is that a Turntable and sound board in the background ?
Is that a Turntable and sound board in the background ?
- Thread starter
- #86
Ha yes it's a controller for digital DJing, turntables in the background.
- Thread starter
- #87
I did a half dozen shape studies today. Chubbies and and some shorter classic styles. These aren't finished, just roughly sanded and oiled to bring out the grain. Wood is Rimu and something i'm not sure of.
Those classic shapes feel super nice in the hand. I guess there's a reason they're classics.
Those classic shapes feel super nice in the hand. I guess there's a reason they're classics.
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Beautiful handles Larry. Lovely shapes.
Keep up the good work Larry
Are you having fun Larry
Are you having fun Larry
- Thread starter
- #90
I really amKeep up the good work Larry
Are you having fun Larry
Can't wait till i can start doing resin and stabilised stuff.
You know I choose not to go down that road Larry
I have all the stuff to do the resin stuff but there's just something about the wood
That keeps me Happy ,that and a ton of Maple
I have all the stuff to do the resin stuff but there's just something about the wood
That keeps me Happy ,that and a ton of Maple
Wow, those are gorgeous! Amazing job. [emoji846]
They look great. That wood is really nice, there's so much difference in the grain that it almost looks like multiple piece glue up.
- Thread starter
- #94
They are, I'm not sure what the lighter wood is and I didn't glue them up they were a scrap bin find.
Ha. I thought it was just the difference between heartwood and sap wood with a considerably straight line.
- Thread starter
- #96
Todays works, the two red ones below were stained and had bees wax applied. Nice finish but it's no substitute for CA. The tall one is one of the bora wood brushes that i applied CA to today as its brother has been in used and is becoming furry/losing its stain from the water.
The other two are yesterdays. I wanted to show off the figures in the wood.
Does anyone else drive themselves slightly batty trying to get proportions and curves to be as perfect as possible? Have you found that to differ depending on the user and knot?? Am i over thinking this (probably)..?
The other two are yesterdays. I wanted to show off the figures in the wood.
Does anyone else drive themselves slightly batty trying to get proportions and curves to be as perfect as possible? Have you found that to differ depending on the user and knot?? Am i over thinking this (probably)..?
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Nice handles Larry, great work.
- Thread starter
- #98
Today i learnt a valuable lesson. I wish i could learn lessons on wood i had more of and handles i didn't like.. ah well, there's a lesson in that as well.
I wanted to expand the hole of this stubby to accommodate a larger knot as i felt the handle was more suited to something bigger than the 26mm i'd drilled it for. Turns out thats not quite as straight forward as i'd assumed and this destruction was the result.
Very sad today. I was happy with that little stubby.
I wanted to expand the hole of this stubby to accommodate a larger knot as i felt the handle was more suited to something bigger than the 26mm i'd drilled it for. Turns out thats not quite as straight forward as i'd assumed and this destruction was the result.
Very sad today. I was happy with that little stubby.
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Those are some nice looking handles.
I am overly particular a lot of times and it takes me far to long to get to a finished project most of the time.
Larry how did you drill it out?
