The Essential Woodturner (PREVIEW)

THE

E S S E N T I A L

WOODTURNER Classic Projects & Smart Techniques Every Turner Needs to Know

E D I T E D BY

TIM SNYDER

CONTENTS Small Projects & Gifts

PAGE 24

Pen Turning 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Pen Presentation Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Spiral Turned Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Inside-Out Ornament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Lady’s Purse Mirror. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Tree Ornament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Pen Turning Made Easy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Bowls Stylish Salad Bowl Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Turning a Calabash Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Live-Edge Bowls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hollow Turned Vessel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

50 58 64 70

PAGE 50

Furniture & Home

PAGE 90

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Classic Candlestick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Shop-Made Shaker Knobs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Turn a Showy Finial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Turn & Weave a Shaker Stool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Golden-Glow Oil Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Pencil-Post Bookshelf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Turned Bookends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Bamboo-Style Stool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Kitchen

PAGE 162

Turned Bottle Stoppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pepper Grinder & Salt Cellar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Woodturner’s Travel Mug. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Graceful Pepper & Salt Mills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rockin’ Rolling Pin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Big-Wheel Pizza Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Classic Cake Stand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

127 132 142 146 153 159 162

Sports & Outdoors Shop-Made Baseball Bat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Picnic-Perfect Croquet Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quick & Easy Duck Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Garden Tool Handles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

168 174 182 187

PAGE 182

Tools & Shop Shop-Made Collet Helps You Get a Grip. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Shop-Made Mallets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lathe Dust Collector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 Tips for Turning Tricky Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Six Finishes for Woodturners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

193 199 205 210 216

PAGE 199

Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

T HE E S S EN T I AL WO O D T U R NE R

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SM A LL PROJECTS & GIFTS

Pen Turning 101

SMALL PROJECTS & GIFTS

PEN TURNING 101

An overview of the right tools, materials, and techniques

BY JOE HURST-WA JSZCZUK

I

n this day of text-messaging and emails, one

a few products that can save time,

might assume that handwritten notes are a

stock, and frustration for beginner and

thing of the past, yet custom pens are more popular than ever, and they’re super easy

For this exercise, I used an attractive,

to make. With a lathe, a few scraps of wood,

inexpensive, and easy-to-turn olivewood

and a pen kit, any woodworker possessing

blank. I paired it with a pen-turning kit

basic turning skills can create a writing

designed specifically for ball point pens—

implement that’s useful and unique. With a

you can find several similar options online

little practice, you’ll soon be turning out pens

or at your local woodworking store. The

in less time than it takes to read this article.

same techniques can be applied to any of the

In the next few pages, I’ll show you what

6

experienced turners alike.

other styles, but you may need to purchase

you’ll need to get started, walk you through

additional drill bits, mills, and bushings to

the pen-making process, and then suggest

match the kit.

T H E E S SE N T I A L WOOD T UR NER

Pen Turning 101

SM A LL PROJECTS & GIFTS

Pen Anatomy Blank Brass tube (long)

Twist holder

Nib adaptor Ring

Refill/ink cartridge

Nib

Finial Clip bushing

Blank Brass tube (short)

Ring Center band Twist mechanism

Getting started

Pen blanks: You can buy ready-made

As the figure above illustrates, pen turning

blanks, or saw your own. Advanced turners

boils down to turning a cylinder. The body,

can make pens out of plastic, metal, and

consisting of one or more blanks, is bored

even bone, but when starting out, stick with

and fitted with a brass cylinder, mounted

less-exotic woods that are stable and easier

to a lathe, and then turned, finished, and

to work, such as cherry, maple, or walnut.

assembled. A particular pen kit may have

Drill bits: The blanks must be drilled to

more or fewer parts than those shown

fit the kit. You can use a good brad-point

here. The instructions included with the kit

bit, but pen maker’s bits are ground to drill

will explain the exact assembly sequence.

straight, deep holes without clogging. Make

Tooling up Entire catalogs are dedicated to pen-making

sure your bit matches your pen kit. (For the cigar pen, you’ll need a 10mm bit.)

Epoxy: You’ll need a sure-fire means of

accessories, but if you own a lathe and a

attaching the brass to the blank. Epoxy

few turning tools, you won’t need to spend

isn’t as quick-setting as cyanoacrylate glue

a lot of money to start. Check your arsenal

(CA), but until you master the art of fitting

against the Pen Turner’s Start-Up Kit,

the tube, you will appreciate a few extra

shown on page 8. A few of these items don’t

minutes of working time.

need any introduction; you may have some

Pen mill: This two-part cutter helps

of them sitting around your shop. A few of

ensure easy-to-assemble barrels and

the specialty items deserve explanation.

gap-free pens. The shaft slides into the

T HE E S S EN T I AL WO O D T U R NE R

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SM A LL PROJECTS & GIFTS

Pen Turning 101

5

6 cut. Rotate the handle so that the flute faces

6 Paying attention to the grain orientation

in the direction of your cut.

of the finished pen, arrange both blanks

Once you’ve turned a smooth cylinder,

10

onto the mandrel. Remove the tool rest and

set the lathe to 1,500 to 2,000 rpm and

set the speed to 500 rpm. Starting with

continue shaping the blank. You have some

small strips of 150-grit sandpaper, remove

leeway here, but be careful not to cut into

tool marks and shape the ends of the blanks

the bushing or brass tubes. (Leave the

flush to the adjacent bushings. Continue

ends of the blanks a hair larger than the

sanding both blanks through 600 grit.

bushings.) Repeat the turning process with

(Pinch the strips of sandpaper, as shown,

the second blank.

so that if the abrasive catches the work,

T H E E S SE N T I A L WOOD T UR NER

Pen Turning 101

SM A LL PROJECTS & GIFTS

the paper will slip from your grip without pulling your fingers in.)

7 Turn the lathe off and apply a small amount of finish to a small piece of cloth or paper towel. Spread the polish onto the barrels. Now turn on the lathe and adjust the speed to 1,000 rpm. Working from beneath, apply even pressure with the still-damp pad. Move the applicator from side to side until the solvent evaporates and the surface begins to build a finish.

Apply additional coats until you achieve the desired sheen.

8 Inspect the brass tubes to make certain 7

that they’re free from any clogs that might prevent assembly. Arrange the rings and bands as shown in the figure on page 7, or according to the instructions included with your kit. Now assemble your pen.

To prevent cracks or splits when pressing parts together, apply smooth, steady pressure. (If using a metal-faced vise, attach wood or MDF pads to both faces to protect the pen’s metal parts.)

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11

SM A LL PROJECTS & GIFTS

Pen Presentation Box

Overall Dimension: 7 1/8"w × 1 1/2"d × 1 1/4"h

SMALL PROJECTS & GIFTS

PEN PRESENTATION BOX Elevate the turned pens you give away with this fetching container

BY MARLEN KEMMET

A

finely crafted turned pen deserves an

(For safety when routing the coves, we

equally impressive presentation box.

started with a blank 1" extra in length.

This easy-to-build scrap project requires

You’ll crosscut it to final length after routing

minimal stock but yields spectacular

the coves.) Now, resaw a 3/4"-thick piece

results. The key is to use a 5/8" core box bit

from the blank for the box bottom (A) so

and a pair of stops at the router table to

that the grain in the box top (B) and bottom

form the pen-holding coves. For thick pens

match nicely.

or those longer than 5 1/2", see the note in

2 Fit your table-mounted router with a

figure 1 to make any needed adjustment.

5/8"-diameter core box bit. Raise it to full

Start with the box blank 1 Mill and cut a piece of straight-grained stock to 1 3/8 × 1 1/2 × 7 3/4".

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height. Position the back fence 7/16" from the bit’s cutter. Clamp a pair of stops on the fence at 3 9/16" from the bit’s cutter with one on each side of the bit. The goal is to

SM A LL PROJECTS & GIFTS

Pen Presentation Box

B Use a pushblock to move the taped-together bottom and top pieces along the fence and through the blade.

increments in softer woods. Start with a

top, where shown in figure 1 and as shown

blank against the right-hand stop. Then,

in photo B. Clamp a stopblock in a mitersaw

lower the left end onto the spinning bit

extension fence, and cut exactly 1/2" from

using a notched pullstick. Move the blank to

each end of the assembly. Do not separate

the left, switching to a shoe-style pushstick

the pieces at this time.

or pushpad to apply downward pressure.

6 Mill and plane a 12"-long piece of

Turn off the router after each pass and

contrasting stock to 3/16" thick. From it, cut

allow the bit to stop before lifting the blank

a pair of slightly oversized ends (C) to the

with the pullstick from the router table, as

shape in figure 1. Tape them to the ends

shown in photo A.

of the taped-together bottom (A) and top

4 Rip a chamfer along the back edge of the bottom (A), where shown in figure 1,

bottom of the assembly.

end view. The chamfer creates clearance,

7 Carefully mark and lightly indent the hole

allowing the top (B) to open and close.

center points on each end of the taped-

5 Adhere the bottom (A) and top (B)

16

(B), making them flush with the back and

together assembly, where shown in figure

together with double-faced tape. Rip a 45ยบ

1. (Note: For a smooth opening and closing

chamfer across the top front edge of the box

action, the holes must be perfectly aligned

T H E E S SE N T I A L WOOD T UR NER

BOWLS

Turning a Calabash Bowl

B OWLS

TURNING A CALABASH BOWL Master the tricks for working green wood

BY MIKE MAHONEY

M

58

any people ask me if the wood I make

green blank, rough it into a bowl shape that

bowls from is green wood. The answer

is 10% as thick as the diameter, seal it with

is always “yes.” However, there’s more to

an appropriate sealer, and store it away for

the story. In order to make large bowls,

slow drying. Later, after the rough bowl has

you have to start with a green piece of

fully seasoned, you turn it to final shape and

wood. That's because it would be rare to

wall thickness. The downside here is the

find a dry piece, say, 5" thick × 12" wide

painfully long wait; rough-turned bowls take

that does not have a crack in it. (Such

from months to over a year of drying time.

cracks in salad bowls make them filler for

However, there’s another way to

the rubbish bin.) So the trick is to take the

work with green wood and make very

T H E E S SE N T I A L WOOD T UR NER

BOWLS

Turning a Calabash Bowl

A

B

Template

Nail

C

2 Chainsaw the log almost in half where

5 Rest the log half on the bandsaw table and

marked (photo A), splitting it through the

cut out the blank, running the blade along

pith. That way, the log still sits firmly on the

the edge of the template as you rotate the

ground for cut 2. If uncomfortable using a

blank (photo C). Note: For the best results,

chainsaw, split the log at a bandsaw using a

I use a 1/2" × 3 TPI (teeth/inch) blade.

right-angle sled.

3 Cut a flat on the bottom of the log (cut

6 Remove the template, and, using a drill, bore a 3/8" hole 1 3/4" deep into the blank’s

2) so the blank will sit flat on the bandsaw

nail hole to accept a screw center (photo

(photo B). Finish cutting the log in half.

D). Work to keep the bit at a right angle to

4 Make a round hardboard or plywood

template the diameter of the desired bowl.

the blank’s face.

size, this one is 6" high and 14" across).

Mount the blank & turn the outside 1 Install a four-jaw chuck onto your lathe’s

Mark the template's center and the center of

headstock, and tighten a screw center into

the half log’s top face. Secure the template

it. Install a live cup center into the tailstock.

by driving a nail through its center and into

Now, screw the blank onto the screw center,

the log’s center.

and bring up the tailstock to secure the blank.

(While every bowl blank will be a different

60

D

T H E E S SE N T I A L WOOD T UR NER

BOWLS

Turning a Calabash Bowl

H

J

interior of the bowl with the gouge (photo H).

bottom. I make that judgment by eying the

Start near the center of the blank, and take

outside shape and determining where the

a series of cuts, working from left to right in

outside bottom will be. Since I am shooting

the order in figure 2. Make deeper and deeper

for a 3/16" wall thickness, I make the inside

cuts until most of the bulk is removed. I

3/16" from my perceived exterior’s bottom. I

carefully leave more bulk at the bottom of my

also want a continuous flowing curve on the

piece so I can make cuts on the upper portion

inside that mimics the exterior shape. This

of the bowl without losing structure to make

takes patience and thoughtful measuring with

those cuts.

a caliper throughout the process (photo J).

the wall thickness. Since this is a greenfinished bowl, aim to cut the walls evenly

Sand and complete the calabash 1 With the tool work done for now, it’s time

and relatively thin to help with the drying

to sand your calabash. I use 3"-diameter

process. Uneven walls and thick wood

Mirka Abranet mesh sanding discs attached

invites cracking during the drying process.

to a 3" foam pad accessory for a portable

2 Note: At this point, you want to establish

Using a 3/8" bowl gouge, establish a wall

drill. (I prefer Abranet over traditional

thickness of 3/16" as shown in photo I. To do

sandpapers because the mesh abrades green

this, I cut down from the rim one third of the

wood faster and smoother.) I also protect

depth of my bowl and stop. Now, make sure

myself from sanding dust with a respirator.

you are cutting the wood evenly and cleanly.

2 Before sanding and with the piece

If you like what you see, cut the next one

stationary, carefully examine the surface

third down until you blend that with the first

areas that have torn grain or tool marks.

third. Proceed to blend in the bottom one

Then, with the lathe running at 500 rpm,

third. I'll use a 1/2" bowl gouge that has been

sand the bowl’s inside surface, as shown

traditionally ground to finish this task. That’s

in photo K. Once you smooth out the

because the grain direction changes from

troubled areas, spin the piece and sand

the sides to the more end-grain-like wood

over the entire surface inside and out. I

at the center, which the traditional grind

start with 120 grit and sand through 400,

handles better than a fingernail grind.

going over the inside and outside surfaces

3 Remain very conscious of the depth of the 62

I

T H E E S SE N T I A L WOOD T UR NER

within reach. Carefully clean the bowl with

Turning a Calabash Bowl

BOWLS

compressed air between sanding with

hard to dry, you need to slow the process

each grit. Don’t overheat the wood during

down at this point.

this process. Green wood can create heat-

1 Place the bowl in a thick paper sack from

checking, which can ruin your project. Apply

the grocery store and leave it in a cool dark

the sanding mesh lightly to the wood, and

place for a few days to a week. Since the

replace the discs as soon as they lose their

piece is thin-walled, it should be dry by

cutting/sanding ability.

then. If you have a sensitive scale, one way

3 Next, remove the finely sanded calabash

to know is to weigh the bowl after a day or

from the lathe and make a jamb chuck from

two and keep weighing it until it stops losing

a piece of scrapwood that you screw on to

weight. You could also use a moisture meter,

a faceplate (photo L). Using a 3/8" spindle

provided you don’t mar the surface.

gouge, cut a 3/8"-long tapered tenon on the

2 Finish the calabash once it is dry. Notice

jamb chuck that fits snugly inside the rim of

how the dried calabash has warped. It has

the completed bowl. Test-fit the bowl to get

moved into an organic shape that is very

the size just right.

pleasing to the eye. To finish the piece, first

4 Further secure the bowl by holding it in

determine how you see it being used and

place with the tailstock and live cup center.

the wood’s color. If I am making a decorative

Then, finish shaping the bottom of the bowl

calabash, I go with a tung oil or shellac. If the

(photo M). Sand as before. Remove the

wood is a light color, I avoid these finishes

tailstock and take some delicate cuts to trim

since they may go yellow over time. Gloss

off the last bit of wood at the center. Sand

polyurethane works well on a lighter wood.

the area. This approach will let you give

I see the bowl I turned here as a utility item

your baseless bowl better balance when it

and will therefore use a penetrating oil finish

rests on the table.

like walnut oil. Penetrating oils are better for

Dry the calabash and apply a finish

utility items since there is no film to harm while cleaning. Also, penetrating oils require

Note: While you dodge months of drying by

no skill to apply and can be restored by

turning a calabash, a little careful drying is

anyone. Once the finish dries completely, put

still critical. And, since oak is particularly

your calabash to work.

Jamb chuck

Tapered tenon

K

L

M T HE E S S EN T I AL WO O D T U R NE R

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CRAFTS & HOBBIES: WOODWORKING $27.95 US

PROJECTS TO BUILD Your TURNING SKILLS

Essential

There’s a lathe in your shop, stock at arm’s length, and you’re ready to spin some wood.

The Essential Woodturner features classic “go-to” projects that every woodturner should know how to make — either for themselves or as gifts. With over thirty projects ranging from pepper mills and bottle stoppers to pens, mallets, rolling pins, and duck calls, these projects are ideal for anyone looking to expand their turning knowledge and skill while creating handsome crafts — and having a lot of fun. With helpful drawings, step-by-step photos, and expert guidance, each project can be successfully completed in a few hours or a couple of days.

The Essential Woodturner includes: ■■

Over 30 classic projects that guide you through essential woodturning techniques.

■■

Expert know-how on the choosing and using the right tool for each turning.

■■

A wide-ranging selection of projects that make great gifts for family and friends.

■■

Smart and simple techniques for finishing turned work.