Replies

1. 
   SawdustSteve | Mar 05, 2005 04:26am | #1

   Hi Dovetail and welcome to the board. I'd stay away from pieces of tree branch. As you found out, they are hard to start, not being able to find the center. They are also wet, and as you turn them,the moisture spits out all over the place. If you leave them on the lathe overnight they will check (crack) like mad. The best way to REDUCE the cracking is to put the wood into a paper bag along with the shavings. This will slow down the rate of moisture loss and will usually prevent MOST checking. Do not leave it in the bag for more than a day or two, as the mold that is present in in the wood will turn the whole thing into a green fuzzy mess. Pick up a length of UNTREATED 4 x 4... cut them into 8 or 10 inch sections and try turning it. Where are you located?? Have you 'googled' for wood turning clubs or woodworking clubs in your area? SawdustSteve

1. 
   dovetail3 | Mar 05, 2005 05:35am | #2

   Thanks steve. I'm in Palm Desert Ca. A small group
   recently started the Coachella Valley Woodworkers ####.
   A small membership so far and not many turners. If available
   would I be better off with redwood 4X4's or pine?
   Ken

1. 
   SawdustSteve | Mar 05, 2005 06:07am | #4

   Hi Ken... I'd go with pine. The grain is much tighter than redwood. Almost any hardwood will turn easier than softwood. The cutting tool is less likely to grab into the hardwood. Yes, hardwood is more expensive, but the final results will be easily seen. There are two different types of cuts. Skew cutting, where the handle of the turning tool is held on a tangent to the wood and scraping where the tool is held parallel to the ground and is fed straight into the wood. Both techniques require sharp tools, but scraping type cutters do not need the 'real sharp' edge that a skew cutter does. PLEASE remember several safety rules... NEVER touch a spinning piece of wood with your hands unless you LOVE the feel of splinters being power-driven into your fingers. Keep your tool rest as close to the wood as possible. The bigger the gap, the more likely your cutter will dig into the wood. Safety glasses, or better yet, a face shield AND a dust mask. I've seen some turners wearing gloves. Stay away from gloves. It scares me to think of what would happen if a splinter catches and grabs the glove. Many beginners like the wood to REALLY spin. Slow speed is safer. If you're sanding on the lathe, get the tool post / rest completely out of the way. Sorry to run on so long but the lathe is a tool that requires a lot of safety.
   SawdustSteve

1. 
   dovetail3 | Mar 05, 2005 06:39am | #5

   Thanks. I think part of the problem so far was
   that I didn't find center on either the headstock
   or tailstock ends. Is there an appropriate tool that
   can find center easily? And, if I can't find 4X4
   pine would it be as good to glue two 2X4's together?
   Appreciate the help
   Ken

2. 
   patternmaker | Mar 05, 2005 05:43am | #3

   As a beginner,I think that you will find the catalog most interesting.
   http://www.packardwoodworks.com They will send you a catalog with books on every imaginable turning subject. Work safely ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

   Thank you,Mr.Croney,where ever you may be.

   Work safely ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

3. 
   UncleDunc | Mar 05, 2005 08:04am | #6

   I recommend a center finder, something with an inside angle and a straightedge that bisects the angle. Here are two examples at the high and low ends of the cost scale.

   http://www.gswagner.com/shoptools/centersqr.jpg
   http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/ProductImages/markingmeasuring/067201.jpg

   If the piece you're contemplating turning isn't approximately round, you need to take an axe or a bandsaw to it and make it approximately round. At this stage in your adventure, taking the bark off would also be a good idea. Then use your center finder to mark the center on both ends.

   I would not expect firewood to be green. Certainly if I were buying it for burning, I would not buy from a vendor who sold green firewood.

   Gluing up blanks is certainly a possibility, but you might be better off starting with a smaller solid piece. A 2x2, for instance, would require no gluing and it would be very easy to find the center of it.

4. 
   SawdustSteve | Mar 05, 2005 05:28pm | #7

   There are lots of commercial center-finders out there. They're available at Home Despot or Lowies and other 'big box' stores. Glueing up two pieces of 2x4 will work IF you have two FLAT surfaces to glue together. The problem is that 2x4 stock usually is filled with knots and they will give you trouble. I'd almost prefer a chunk of wood from an old pallet. You've GOT TO check them carefully for nails, but the price is right. You never know what sort of wood they are made from, but the ones out here in NY seem to be a fairly hard white wood, similar to ash. In the past I've picked up this wood from a local motorcycle importer, a glass shop and just cruising around the local industrial area. Again... YOU MUST check the wood carefully for nails, as they will wreck your cutters. Try to salvage sections that look clean, burn or throw out the rest. Steve

5. 
   Routerman | Mar 05, 2005 05:32pm | #8

   Some differentiation here.