These woodturning notes have been compiled based on the numerous techniques and tips which have been generously shared by a wide group of Woodturners at our North East Chapter meetings, including the odd regional seminar, over the past eight years. 

 

As these notes were initially recorded as an aid to personal training and development in this craft, they may serve as a useful source of reference from time to time, and also as an opportunity to revert to basics when the need arises.  As such, no attempt has been made to accredit any of these contributions to any particular person, however, many Woodturners may recognise their own contributions to this summary.

 

Each item has been recorded using the minimum amount of description, and have been sub-divided under the following headings:-

 

1          Turning Techniques and Tips

2          Finishing Techniques

3          Cutting Tools

4          Wood Repairs

5          Sharpening

6          Bandsaw

7          Health & Safety

8          Timber Drying

9          Green Wood

10        Jigs

11        Judging

12        Photography

13        Miscellaneous

14        Words of Wisdom.

 

The full list of tips (1-14) is available by clicking here

 

Tips 1-3  

 

1                    When cutting outside of bowl – work above centre.

 

2                    When cutting inside of bowl – work below centre.

 

3                    When cutting outside of bowl – cut from base to rim.

 

4                    When cutting inside of bowl – cut from rim to base.

 

5                    The tool will cut in the direction of the bevel. One hand should be lightly holding the tool on the rest, and control the movement of the tool through the handle with the other hand.

 

6                    File the tool rest regularly to ensure a smooth surface.

 

7                    Bowl base should be .333 of bowl diameter.

 

8                    Shear scrape outside of bowl – pulling from base to rim.

 

9                    To protect lathe bearings – work towards drive.

 

10                A ring centre in tail stock avoids wander and splitting associated with point centre and improves stability.

 

11                To avoid grain tear – apply liquid paraffin or sand & sealer.

 

12                Always mark centre point when turning to facilitate tail stock centring for accurate reverse chucking.

 

13                Use high revs. for final cuts to achieve a good finish.

 

14                A good finish from the tool results in less time sanding.

 

15                Always sharpen tool before final cut.

 

16                Finish cutting inside of bowl in sections to retain wall strength.

 

17                Slow down rate of cut when approaching centre of bowl.

 

18                Ring centres will give greater accuracy for repeat mountings.

 

19                Start spindle turning from tailstock – allowing maximum strength at drive end.

 

20                Torn grain – apply Danish oil – use scraper to remove torn grain at centre height at 90*. Alternative: - Hand scrape with direction of grain.

 

21                Torn grain – sharpen tool and slow down cut.

 

22                To check thickness of turning – scratch surface with fingernail – sound changes with thickness.

 

23                Use jam chuck to remove spigot and to refine bottom of bowl.

 

24                Use a plastic straw to blow out dust from hollow form.

 

25                Shape / cut working with the grain.

 

26                Liquid Paraffin lubricates fibres and keeps dust to a minimum.

 

27                Let the tool do its own cutting rather than forcing tool.

 

28                Allow tool to take force from cut – allow the transfer of force from you to tool rest.

 

29                When remounting turning – bring up tail stock before tightening chuck – this will ensure bowl will be square in chuck.

 

30                Disguise joints with 3 rings using long point of skew.

 

31                When bead making - never touch centre line of bead to avoid loosing curve.

 

32                Box making – put convex curve on lid lip to give ‘lip click’ when closing / opening.

 

33                Cut v section out of jam chuck to give added flexibility.

 

34                Threading – Apply sanding sealer to timber before threading to strengthen threads.

 

35                Mark jaws on chuck and wood to correspond for remounting in same place.

 

36                 There should be minimum sanding when wood is cut rubbing on bevel.

 

37                Leave stool leg spigot under 100 w bulb for 20 minutes to shrink timber.

 

38                Mark edge of bowl with parting tool to avoid skid over edge.

 

39                To minimise whip on long spindle work – turn half closest to drive, then reverse spindle between centres and complete 2^nd half.

 

40                When shear scraping a bowl – operate tool at 45* - pull from base to rim.

 

41                When turning different woods together – leave rough turned woods under lamp for about an hour to avoid shrinkage at a later stage.

 

42                If a fraction too much is taken off spigot – score with skew chisel to open up fibres.

 

43                To burn groves in base or face – try corner of hardwood, bent panel pin, corner of formica, paper backed sandpaper.

 

44                Use callipers and parting tool to make required diameter. With callipers in one hand use parting tool to bring down diameter to required size – the callipers will slip into position when required diameter is reached.

 

45                When cutting inside of platter – continue each cut from outside rim to base for more consistent flow.

 

46                It is OK to sheer cut up-hill when it is necessary to cut with the grain – keep the handle well down.

 

47                Keep steb drive turning as close as possible to chuck to minimise vibration.

 

48                Slightly counter sink end of spigot to facilitate clean fit, and to facilitate sanding if required.

 

49                To centre small piece in chuck – loosely tighten chuck – straighten by putting tool between timber and tool rest – when centred tighten chuck.

 

50                When cutting fine groves – cutting tool must have sharp point to avoid pulling grain.

 

51                To get rid of ribbing – take fine cut using hand at back of spindle work for added support.

 

52                When turning thin walled items – Use a light unit in proximity of the turning to judge wall thickness. The degree of light penetrating the wall will indicate evenness of turning. 

 

53                Slow down the rate of cutting as you approach the centre of the inside of the bowl.

 

54                Use a pencil mark on the centre of each bead to ensure consistency in bead size.

 

55                Make sure to slow down cut when coming to centre of bowl.

 

56                When maximum tool support is required position the tool at the centre of the tool rest.

 

 

 

1                    Retain fine shavings for burnishing after sanding.

 

2                    Danish oil is safe for utensils used for contact with food.

 

3                    Application of Danish Oil raises grain – leave overnight and light sand next day with 400 grit. Apply 3 coats, allowing adequate drying time between coats.

 

4                    Burnish Danish oil finish very lightly with 0000 steel wool.

 

5                    Use Liquid Paraffin to lubricate the fibres of torn grain   It also deeps dust to a minimum when sanding. Start sanding with 80 grit and sand wet. Reapply liquid paraffin between each sanding.

 

6                    Using wet & dry sandpaper minimises dust.

 

7                    Brush off grit after each sanding before moving on to next sanding grade – this will help in avoiding scratch marks from previous dislodged grit.

 

8                    Better to sand at slow speed with coarse grits to avoid overheating and paper clogging. Speed can be increased for finer grits.

 

 

9                    For a quick finish – Apply Sand & Sealer, denib with purple Abranet when dry. Polish with Bri Wax using grey Abranet.

 

10                Use cork block as backing for sanding to keep crisp edges.

 

11                Application of a matt finish will help to hide finishing defects. A glossy finish can be unforgiving in highlighting scratch marks.

 

12                Colouring – use masking fluid or Vaseline to avoid colour penetrating / bleeding.

 

13                Use 600 grit wet & dry for 10 seconds to bring up sheen.

 

14                Sand by hand between every two grits.

 

15                Mix Sand & Sealer on a 60/40 or 50/50 basis with Cellulose Thinner for easier application and a deeper penetration.

 

16                After painting on Sand & Sealer – wipe off immediately and rub with very fine shavings with lathe at high speed to achieve a glass finish.

 

17                Always keep sandpaper moving to minimise continuous scratch marks.

 

18                Polish wax with tissue with lathe stopped. After 10 minutes start lathe and burnish with paper tissue.

 

19                Organ oil is a natural oil and is suitable for items that come into contact with food / fruit.

 

20                Application of Organ oil:- apply liberal coat – leave for 3 minutes, then sand with 600 grit at fast speed. Follow this with 1000 grit and 2000 grit. High speed dries the oil.

 

21                After sanding to 320 grit apply Danish oil with tissue – while still wet use 400 grit wet & dry sandpaper; the sludge will fill in the grain – dry off sludge with tissue. Apply oil again – use 1200 grit wet & dry when still wet – dry off sludge with tissue. Apply oil again with tissue and leave to dry overnight. Finally burnish to give a lustre finish.

 

22                When sanding on the lathe - sand at 7 – 9 o’clock, with your elbows tucked into your sides. Use your other hand to support your sanding wrist to achieve maximum control.

 

23                Power sand at low speed.

 

24                With the turning stationery – sand with the grain. Re-sand with lathe on to blend areas when the item was stationery.

 

25                For initial power sanding operate power sander anti-clockwise.

 

26                Remove grit dust between sanding grits.

 

27                Don’t sand beyond 180 grit until all previous sanding marks have been removed.

 

28                An interesting finishing oil mix – Gum Turpentine, Alkyd Translac and Tung Oil – mixed in equal proportions.

 

29                To liven up a bowl’s appearance – put brush in headstock and buff.

 

30                To protect the inside of a bowl prior to applying crackle spray paint on the outside - paint on latex on edge of bowl before applying base coat. The latex can be peeled off afterwards.

 

31                Using EEE+ Friction Polish reduces sanding marks. It acts as a bond between the EEE and the sanding sealer, and provides base for sheen.

 

32                When power sanding – hold the drill tight to your body to avoid kick back.

 

33                After power sanding to180 grit – apply liquid paraffin and resume with 180. Re-oil before sanding with 240, and other grits.

 

34                If a turned item is to be handled regularly then seal in the friction polish with an additional application of a Carnauba Wax Stick. This is applied with the lathe at high speed exerting minimum pressure.

 

35                Starting to sand with 80 grit will result with less time using other grits.

 

36                Finish with organ oil – wipe off surplus and buff to a shine at high speed to create a low heat.

 

37                Use a cork block to support sandpaper over large areas.

 

38                Wrap shavings in sandpaper to help with contours.

 

39                Clean up groves with sandpaper in seagull wing position.

 

40                Glue can be removed from wood surface by placing in microwave for 10 seconds, and then rubbing off the glue.

 

41                Broken edge – burnish with edge of tool or tool handle, rather than trying to sand it out.

 

42                After using 120grit, burnish with a handful of shavings with a light spray of water on them.

 

43                Spend more time with finishing cuts to reduce sanding time.

 

44                Use liquid paraffin when sanding to reduce dust, especially on spalted timber.

 

45                Secure sanding drill against your body to achieve stability and control when sanding.

 

46                Dip sanding disc in Danish Oil and sand to cut back raised grain.

 

47                Prior to painting a project – dampen the surface to raise the grain. Dry with blower for one minute, and sand back raised grain.

 

48                Burn a decorative mark on the rim of a bowl with paper towel.

 

49                An alternative finish for small items: - Apply EEE finishing compound on bare timber, then seal with Speed & Eez friction polish to give a perfect finish.

 

50                Sandpaper from Motor Factor can be ideal for small sharp features.

 

51                Apply 2^nd coat of Danish Oil with fine steel wool - this will denib the previous coat.

 

52                Sandpaper can be cleaned with either synthetic cork, rubber, or a plastic bag.

 

53                Cut sandpaper with scissors to get clean edge on paper.

 

54                Using a micro bevel (secondary bevel) avoids friction marks left by a longer bevel.

 

55                Alternate forward and reverse sanding on the lathe.

 

56                For a superb gloss finish:- After applying sanding sealer, apply Tripamax Wax to a 6” stitched mop and buff. Next, apply Pure Carnauba Wax to a 6” loose leaved mop and buff .

 

 

 

 

1                    Operate roughing out gouge 1/8” below centre.

 

2                    Operate skew chisel above centre.

 

3                    Operate scraper at 45 (deg) on its side at above centre, and draw forward in a sheer scraping motion.

 

4                    When cutting inside rim of bowl use a 40 degree bevel. When cutting after half way cut with a 45 degree bevel. Finish bottom with a 54 degree bevel.

 

5                    When using a hollowing tool put liquid paraffin on tool shaft and tool rest to assist with smooth mobility.

 

6                    When using a skew – always keep your hand on top of the tool as a safety precaution in the event of a dig in.

 

7                    The smaller the tool the cleaner the cut.

 

8                    Use skew chisel slightly above centre.

 

9                    Use a hollowing tool on centre line, and work tool flat and parallel to centre.

 

10                When using a square scraper – keep handle ahead of blade to avoid a dig-in.

 

11                Roughing out gouge could have side grind, and also double bevel. The working bevel should be short – this allows the tool to cut around a curve without heel leaving marks on the wood.

 

12                When using the Spindle Master – cut with top point for very fine cuts, and cut with side for wider cuts.

 

13                Use Point Tool to create decorative groves.

 

14                To control Scraper – place handle against arm.

 

15                Use long point of skew to cut pummels.

 

16                Use short point of skew to roll beads, working slightly above centre height.

 

17                Scraping should be done with nose pointing below centre.

 

18                Skew chisel – only use the bottom half of the cutting edge, and never engage the cutting edge above its centre point.

 

19                Control skew from hips – with no movement from arms.

 

20                When using long handled tools – use your arm for extra tool control.

 

21                Use synthetic corks for protecting edge of tools.