Turning Projects

  While cleaning up I found some projects that were set aside and forgotten, a couple of those things were turning projects.  Wood turning makes a huge mess, even when using dust collection. Also turning requires standing to work, at different times my back has stopped me from standing long enough to complete even small turning projects.   

  Now the shop is in great shape and my back and I found a workable compromise. So here are a couple of the  latest jobs.   

poplar?

  I began with some collected wood.  I think this is poplar from behind our house.  

stylist door knob

  Our down stairs bathroom door needed  door knobs. We have managed for a couple of years without, but the new found space and time meant that is was time to get 'er done. 

  The wood was very dry, it had lived in out basement for at least two seasons.  I had no idea what the wood was going to look like when turned.  My expectation was that it would have no visual interest, so my plan was to turn the knobs and paint them white. The grain turned out to be much more fun and so I waxed the final products. They may get painted white to mtach the door one day, but not today.

  When it comes to turning I am pretty much self taught and am  confident that I have nothing useful to share by way of technique, so I don't include that type of information in my blog.  If you type 'wood turning' into any search line you will get access to a vast number of 'experts', it is for you to decide who and what to believe.  My 1st rule for wood turning is safety first, I wear a dust mask and safety glasses while working, artistic production comes 2nd.

 I talked about finding a turned handle recently.  If I'd not already made a square mallet from oak and elm I would have glued this maple together, and attached the found handle.

oak/elm mallet

box tops, mortise chisel, awl
and maple carvers mallet.

  Instead I turned the maple into a carver's mallet.  The maple is off cuts from stair treads which  really strong and straight grained.  I now have a lovely mallet, I just don't know if I need it.

  In the photo you can see the handle for my mortise chisel, and a scratch awl. Two small turnings I made while everything was set up and easily at hand.  The awl was just a curiosity, I made with my four jaw chuck, something I'd not tried before.  In the past all my turnings were either face plate or between two centres.  I now have a four jaw chuck and can try some new things.

                            

Now to Finish up.

  I think I have the cleaning part of the wood shop done.  This cupboard that was in the back corner has come down .

  The small shelf unit is gone and the brown low boy went months ago. Now the back corner looks like this.

only rotated 90 degrees. I don't know why the computer software won't work today.

 It appears  there are  several small projects that were begun and then shelved, for various reasons. As well as things to finish there are several outstanding tasks.  I have a set of doors to fix, door knobs to turn and install  and a handle for a chisel.

  I bought this un-handled mortise chisel a while ago.  It looked like the perfect tool for cleaning up and squaring hand cut mortises, several of which I had just made.  Of course once I bought the chisel I didn't need it, and it slid to the back of the cupboard and was mostly forgotten.  This morning I quickly turned a handle for the chisel on my lathe. With the correct tools it is a quick process to knock out tool handles.

  Or in this case In the rummaging around I found a mallet handle awaiting a head.  Next project, laminate another head to fit this handle, I've got some maple that should be great for this.   The round handle lends itself to a carver's maul with a round head. 

  There is a lovely elm box, with a poor lid.  I cut a slot in the lid from the wrong side when I was working on this project. I've got a real nice elm board that I will glue up and make a proper quality lid for my box.  

  I have two drawers that were part of a modular desk. The desk is long gone, the drawers will be made into a free standing unit, on wheels that will be useful in our home office. Again the pieces had drifted into a back corner and become hidden from view by dust and lumber. 

  There are a bunch of partly finished tea boxes, pencil boxes etc that were in a banker's box back in the back of the basement.  It appears that these were things I started  when I didn't really have anything pressing, and then put them aside when something came up. 

There are an equal number of wood carvings that fall into the same category as these boxes.  Also I have a plan for an artist's travelling paint pallet or two amongst the various projects on those two shelves.  

  Time to carry on and finish a whole bunch of this stuff off and find it homes.

cheers, ianw