Hello to the group,
I am new here and have been turning (just a self taught hacker) for a
few years with an old POS harbor freight lathe. Sheet metal a square
tube bed rails and the like.
I am looking into a better lathe, leaning towards the Jet JW-1236. I am
however looking to make some last minute holiday gifts as tacky as that
sounds and due to some shop constraints I am thinking of picking up one
of the small mini lathes (JML-1014) to get me through a year or so.
We own a band mill so I have tons of wood kicking around, walnut,
cherry, red (slippery) elm, hackberry, sassafrass, sycamore, poplar,
basswood, ash, loads of many major oaks, and some others. Most are small
rounds (8"-10" dia.) that were cut offs saved for firewood. I also have
a lot of wild cherry peices that I have saved for a year or two for
turning. Lastly I have a 24" diameter wild cherry stump from a tree that
fell in an ice storm two years ago. I cleaned the stump and saved it for
turning in the event I ever followed through with the initial ambition.
Anyway, I am also a potter and have an affinity for lidded forms and
have been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts
for friends however given the one month deadline I am wondering if there
is anything I can make that will stay in tact after I give it to the
individual with only a month between turning and the holidays. I am also
very partial to nesting bowls.
I have been reading these threads about microwave drying but we dont
have a microwave. Is there any species (preferably something from the
inventory mentioned) that would handle some sort of accelerated drying?
Are there any that would allow me a single turning on the lathe? i.e.
not a rough and finish turning? Any other ideas?
I realize the lidded forms may be tough with regards to a single
turning and tolerances but any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

Mark:

I bought a small microwave from WalMart for $29 when they were on sale,
and it only does two things: dry wood, and heat my coffee when I am at
the last (cold) cup from the pot. The $30-$40 bucks you spend on a
small micro is well worth it.

On the other hand, you can experiment and see what happens. Try your
thinnest (smallest) oldest wood that you have for turning. Raid your
firewood pile.

If you have to turn something that is a little green, the turn as much
as you can on it and then immediately seal it with something like
shellac which will stick to green wood. It may not dry, but it will
provide some kind of coating.

Some green woods will crack so fast that you will sent cracks after a
bathroom break or a quick phone call. Some will crack from the heat
generated from sanding. Some will reject any kind of finish as long as
they are green.

I cut an oil lamp out of a piece of black walnut that was about one
month old from cutting. It shrank so much in the next year that the
lamp wouldn't fit anymore.

I made some really nice tool handles out of some finely grained red oak
that stayed sticky for about 3 months after I finished them.

So you take your chances with green wood. Not many of the species are
forgiving enough for you to count on final turning, sanding and
finishing, all in one session without problems.

Get the micro. Raid last year's the firewood pile. I think these are
your best bets.

Robert

wrote:
Mark:

I bought a small microwave from WalMart for $29 when they were on sale,
and it only does two things: dry wood, and heat my coffee when I am at
the last (cold) cup from the pot. The $30-$40 bucks you spend on a
small micro is well worth it.

On the other hand, you can experiment and see what happens. Try your
thinnest (smallest) oldest wood that you have for turning. Raid your
firewood pile.

If you have to turn something that is a little green, the turn as much
as you can on it and then immediately seal it with something like
shellac which will stick to green wood. It may not dry, but it will
provide some kind of coating.

Some green woods will crack so fast that you will sent cracks after a
bathroom break or a quick phone call. Some will crack from the heat
generated from sanding. Some will reject any kind of finish as long as
they are green.

I cut an oil lamp out of a piece of black walnut that was about one
month old from cutting. It shrank so much in the next year that the
lamp wouldn't fit anymore.

I made some really nice tool handles out of some finely grained red oak
that stayed sticky for about 3 months after I finished them.

So you take your chances with green wood. Not many of the species are
forgiving enough for you to count on final turning, sanding and
finishing, all in one session without problems.

Get the micro. Raid last year's the firewood pile. I think these are
your best bets.

Robert


Robert,
Thanks for the reply and great information. We are in a bit of a unique
situation with regards to the microwave in that we live in an off-grid
home (solar) and while we could easily run a microwave on our system it
is just something we never used even when we lived on the grid. I could
surely pick one up on the cheap or even for free from one of the
neighbors getting rid of one for a new.
It seems that may be the route to go given the time constraints if I
want to make this happen. One thing I dont want to do is make a bunch of
gifts that fall apart or look like sh*t in a week/month/year. That would
be worse than giving nothing at all.
Thanks again for the good info, its greatly appreciated.

Mark

"M&S" wrote in message
ink.net...
We own a band mill so I have tons of wood kicking around, walnut, cherry,
red (slippery) elm, hackberry, sassafrass, sycamore, poplar, basswood,
ash, loads of many major oaks, and some others.

Anyway, I am also a potter and have an affinity for lidded forms and have
been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts for
friends however given the one month deadline I am wondering if there is
anything I can make that will stay in tact after I give it to the
individual with only a month between turning and the holidays. I am also
very partial to nesting bowls.

Well, the natural suggestion, if you have a desire to hollow a bit, is
ornaments. I give them as "aunt Maude" gifts to those who need nothing, but
deserve something.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/50ce955c.jpg

Then there any number of ways to do warp-and-go turnings. At 1/4" they're
final sand and finish at two weeks easy, one week possible.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/0f24664e.jpg

Our other aunt Maude gift is a plate of fudge or butter cookies. Normally
they come from the wide scrap pile, though I suppose you might purposely cut
the odd board to get something special. They're already dry, but you have
to make the fudge.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/9c45af12.jpg

Don't neglect some of that mostly dry 2x stock. Rough, micro on interrupted
(low) power for a 4 minute cycle, check for evolved moisture. Repeat if
it's still got a lot after it cools.

CAREFUL - thick or dense (knots) areas can ignite!

George wrote:

"M&S" wrote in message
ink.net...

We own a band mill so I have tons of wood kicking around, walnut, cherry,
red (slippery) elm, hackberry, sassafrass, sycamore, poplar, basswood,
ash, loads of many major oaks, and some others.


Anyway, I am also a potter and have an affinity for lidded forms and have
been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts for
friends however given the one month deadline I am wondering if there is
anything I can make that will stay in tact after I give it to the
individual with only a month between turning and the holidays. I am also
very partial to nesting bowls.


Well, the natural suggestion, if you have a desire to hollow a bit, is
ornaments. I give them as "aunt Maude" gifts to those who need nothing, but
deserve something.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/50ce955c.jpg

Then there any number of ways to do warp-and-go turnings. At 1/4" they're
final sand and finish at two weeks easy, one week possible.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/0f24664e.jpg

Our other aunt Maude gift is a plate of fudge or butter cookies. Normally
they come from the wide scrap pile, though I suppose you might purposely cut
the odd board to get something special. They're already dry, but you have
to make the fudge.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/9c45af12.jpg

Don't neglect some of that mostly dry 2x stock. Rough, micro on interrupted
(low) power for a 4 minute cycle, check for evolved moisture. Repeat if
it's still got a lot after it cools.

CAREFUL - thick or dense (knots) areas can ignite!



George,
Thanks for some fantastic ideas. Are those ornaments you showed made in
a single turning from dry stock? They are truley beautiful. I am very
interested in the warp-and-go bowls you posted. They are also very
beautiful.
If you could point me to a bit more information on the two I would
appreciate it. Looking at the ornaments I am sure I can cobble together
a lot of dry full cut rough 2x stock to turn. Am I incorrect in assuming
those are made from 2-3 turnings? Top/bottom/body?

Thanks for a great reply,
Mark

"M&S" wrote in message
. net...
Are those ornaments you showed made in
a single turning from dry stock? They are truley beautiful. I am very
interested in the warp-and-go bowls you posted. They are also very
beautiful.

Ornaments can be made from 20% stuff - firewood - because they are made thin
enough so they can be controlled by their dry finials. Reason for dry
finials is that they can warp out of line as they dry, and look dumb. A bit
of out-of-round in the globe is unnoticeable. Also tightens the joint
between them of you use a tenon.

You can make them continuous by marking for grain orientation, parting,
hollowing and reassembling, or you can make them with odd wood caps and
icecicles. Had a mess of spalted birch that made for interesting stuff a
couple years ago, but the remainder has gone up the chimney.

http://www.woodturningonline.com/Tur..._projects.html
http://www.fholder.com/Woodturning/ideas.htm
http://www.hiltonhandcraft.com/Artic...beOrnament.asp
Among many others.

You're going to make gifts, so time's not factor, but if you're trying to
sell them you have to get in and get out quickly to make a profit. I find
that especially difficult to do, because they are easily the most creative
things I turn.

Spalted beech with cherry. Normally I use cotter pins as hangers, this is
brass.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/26749816.jpg

For warp-and-go, just choose your favorite piece of firewood. I've actually
reached back into the furnace for something that looked unusual. You're
limited only by your imagination, only turn them to 1/4 or less to ensure
even drying, and don't put them under a heater duct!

No, I burned the top on this one, it didn't happen in the furnace. Finished
it with shellac, and it sold first outing.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/216695ce.jpg

http://groups.msn.com/NovaOwners/georgesalbum.msnw A short series on a
bowl/dish.

Enjoy!

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:16 +0000, M&S wrote:

Hello to the group,

Don't neglect the possibility of boiling the pieces or using the L

W Canaday wrote:
On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:16 +0000, M&S wrote:


Hello to the group,


Don't neglect the possibility of boiling the pieces or using the L

I dont know what "the L" is. I had read a long time ago about turning
large bowls and treating them with PEG however I am not sure what the L
is? Linseed Oil?

Mark

I think it would refer to LDD (liquid dishwashing detergent)
Some people soak the wood in there to prevent the wood splitting, and
others soak in alcohol for the same reason.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

M&S wrote:



W Canaday wrote:

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:16 +0000, M&S wrote:


Hello to the group,



Don't neglect the possibility of boiling the pieces or using the L


I dont know what "the L" is. I had read a long time ago about turning
large bowls and treating them with PEG however I am not sure what the L
is? Linseed Oil?

Mark

That is it - Poly ethylene Glycol PEG.
The Glycol replaces the water and deposits Poly ethylene- a.k.a. plastic -
where the water was.

Main Entry: poly·eth·yl·ene
Pronunciation: "päl-E-'eth-&-"lEn
Function: noun
: a polymer of ethylene; especially : any of various lightweight thermoplastics (CH2CH2)x that are resistant to chemicals and
moisture and are used especially in packaging, insulation, surgical implants, prostheses, and tubing


Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



M&S wrote:


W Canaday wrote:

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:16 +0000, M&S wrote:


Hello to the group,



Don't neglect the possibility of boiling the pieces or using the L


I dont know what "the L" is. I had read a long time ago about turning
large bowls and treating them with PEG however I am not sure what the L
is? Linseed Oil?

Mark


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"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
That is it - Poly ethylene Glycol PEG.
The Glycol replaces the water and deposits Poly ethylene- a.k.a. plastic -
where the water was.


Sort of. Try http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/anth605/File6.htm for a good
run-down.

What's bad about PEG is that it is strongly hygroscopic, something which
comes in handy when I soak mallets in it - gives a great elbow-easing dead
blow with the softened wood - but is a liability when it comes time to try
and get a finish to work on it.

Good points -

Suggest save the wood and then low bake for a while - then seal with a good sealer.
Low temp might be 150 degrees or 100 degrees F. Caution - check the temp specs
of the final product of PEG.

Also - PEG is hygroscopic - but once it converts and drys out it should be good.


Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder


George wrote:
"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...

That is it - Poly ethylene Glycol PEG.
The Glycol replaces the water and deposits Poly ethylene- a.k.a. plastic -
where the water was.



Sort of. Try http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/anth605/File6.htm for a good
run-down.

What's bad about PEG is that it is strongly hygroscopic, something which
comes in handy when I soak mallets in it - gives a great elbow-easing dead
blow with the softened wood - but is a liability when it comes time to try
and get a finish to work on it.



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On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 17:48:34 -0500, W Canaday
wrote:

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:16 +0000, M&S wrote:

Hello to the group,

Don't neglect the possibility of boiling the pieces or using the L

I'm sorry I didn't see this before. I've got a heap of apple wood that
needs drying. Does the Chicago Mass Transit system have some
exceptional wood drying capabilities? I live on the east coast, would
it be possible for me to zip over to Boston and use the T instead?


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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Hello Mark,

One of the fastest methods of drying wet wood that I've tried is Dave Smith's
method of using Ethanol. Dave recently did a demonstration at the Seattle
Chapter of AAW and my wife and I tried it on some madrone and maple bowls
shortly afterwards. The bowls were rough turned to about 10 percent wall
thickness and soaked in the ethanol for about 24 hours, Dave says that two hours
is enough, there were no cracks and minimal warping. We final turned and
finished them in 10 days when they were completely dry.

There will be a story on our trials in the December 2005 issue of More
Woodturning, which will be in the mail about the 21st of this month.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com

In article . net, M&S says...

Hello to the group,
I am new here and have been turning (just a self taught hacker) for a
few years with an old POS harbor freight lathe. Sheet metal a square
tube bed rails and the like.
I am looking into a better lathe, leaning towards the Jet JW-1236. I am
however looking to make some last minute holiday gifts as tacky as that
sounds and due to some shop constraints I am thinking of picking up one
of the small mini lathes (JML-1014) to get me through a year or so.
We own a band mill so I have tons of wood kicking around, walnut,
cherry, red (slippery) elm, hackberry, sassafrass, sycamore, poplar,
basswood, ash, loads of many major oaks, and some others. Most are small
rounds (8"-10" dia.) that were cut offs saved for firewood. I also have
a lot of wild cherry peices that I have saved for a year or two for
turning. Lastly I have a 24" diameter wild cherry stump from a tree that
fell in an ice storm two years ago. I cleaned the stump and saved it for
turning in the event I ever followed through with the initial ambition.
Anyway, I am also a potter and have an affinity for lidded forms and
have been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts
for friends however given the one month deadline I am wondering if there
is anything I can make that will stay in tact after I give it to the
individual with only a month between turning and the holidays. I am also
very partial to nesting bowls.
I have been reading these threads about microwave drying but we dont
have a microwave. Is there any species (preferably something from the
inventory mentioned) that would handle some sort of accelerated drying?
Are there any that would allow me a single turning on the lathe? i.e.
not a rough and finish turning? Any other ideas?
I realize the lidded forms may be tough with regards to a single
turning and tolerances but any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...
Hello Mark,

One of the fastest methods of drying wet wood that I've tried is Dave
Smith's
method of using Ethanol. Dave recently did a demonstration at the Seattle
Chapter of AAW and my wife and I tried it on some madrone and maple bowls
shortly afterwards. The bowls were rough turned to about 10 percent wall
thickness and soaked in the ethanol for about 24 hours, Dave says that two
hours
is enough, there were no cracks and minimal warping. We final turned and
finished them in 10 days when they were completely dry.

There will be a story on our trials in the December 2005 issue of More
Woodturning, which will be in the mail about the 21st of this month.


Mark, there is no valid reason in physical chemistry nor wood technology to
indicate that alcohol affects drying rate or distortion. Google "Pygmalion
effect" and remember, that with and without soak as nearly identical pieces
of wood as it is possible to get dry and distort at the same rate by
physical measurement. You can try it yourself.

George,

Have you tried Dave Smith's process? Dave says that the water in the wood mixes
with the aclohol in which it is soaking. The water in the wood is displaced with
the water alcohol mixture. Then the alcohol evaporates faster than water. Thus
drying the wood more quickly. Whether there is any physical chemistry nor wood
technology reason for why this should work, it does work. Wood will not dry
completely in less than two weeks from very wet to moisture stability without
some help and the alcohol seems to give it that help.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com

In article , George says...


"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...
Hello Mark,

One of the fastest methods of drying wet wood that I've tried is Dave
Smith's
method of using Ethanol. Dave recently did a demonstration at the Seattle
Chapter of AAW and my wife and I tried it on some madrone and maple bowls
shortly afterwards. The bowls were rough turned to about 10 percent wall
thickness and soaked in the ethanol for about 24 hours, Dave says that two
hours
is enough, there were no cracks and minimal warping. We final turned and
finished them in 10 days when they were completely dry.

There will be a story on our trials in the December 2005 issue of More
Woodturning, which will be in the mail about the 21st of this month.


Mark, there is no valid reason in physical chemistry nor wood technology to
indicate that alcohol affects drying rate or distortion. Google "Pygmalion
effect" and remember, that with and without soak as nearly identical pieces
of wood as it is possible to get dry and distort at the same rate by
physical measurement. You can try it yourself.

Any problem in using ?? the plastic Poly-styrene-Glycol ?? replacement - as the 'ol' evaporates
as in the Ethan'ol' - it leaves a poly-styrene IIRC to fill the void - preventing cell crushing.
I heard Sherman Williams had it - 55 gallon drums.

And the Madrone - wow - used to have some big ones on my property - Northern Ca. - Central Coast
really. Strange wood/tree. Often a turners surprise as the wood expands from twists
grown within.

Martin

Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Fred Holder wrote:
George,

Have you tried Dave Smith's process? Dave says that the water in the wood mixes
with the aclohol in which it is soaking. The water in the wood is displaced with
the water alcohol mixture. Then the alcohol evaporates faster than water. Thus
drying the wood more quickly. Whether there is any physical chemistry nor wood
technology reason for why this should work, it does work. Wood will not dry
completely in less than two weeks from very wet to moisture stability without
some help and the alcohol seems to give it that help.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com

In article , George says...


"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...

Hello Mark,

One of the fastest methods of drying wet wood that I've tried is Dave
Smith's
method of using Ethanol. Dave recently did a demonstration at the Seattle
Chapter of AAW and my wife and I tried it on some madrone and maple bowls
shortly afterwards. The bowls were rough turned to about 10 percent wall
thickness and soaked in the ethanol for about 24 hours, Dave says that two
hours
is enough, there were no cracks and minimal warping. We final turned and
finished them in 10 days when they were completely dry.

There will be a story on our trials in the December 2005 issue of More
Woodturning, which will be in the mail about the 21st of this month.


Mark, there is no valid reason in physical chemistry nor wood technology to
indicate that alcohol affects drying rate or distortion. Google "Pygmalion
effect" and remember, that with and without soak as nearly identical pieces
of wood as it is possible to get dry and distort at the same rate by
physical measurement. You can try it yourself.





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In article ,
Fred Holder wrote:

George,

Have you tried Dave Smith's process? Dave says that the water in the wood
mixes
with the aclohol in which it is soaking. The water in the wood is displaced
with
the water alcohol mixture. Then the alcohol evaporates faster than water.
Thus
drying the wood more quickly. Whether there is any physical chemistry nor
wood
technology reason for why this should work, it does work. Wood will not dry
completely in less than two weeks from very wet to moisture stability without
some help and the alcohol seems to give it that help.


Fred, I'm trying to wrap my brain around that reported process and it
doesn't add up. It would require the alcohol to bond with the H2O, and
it just isn't adding up.
I would think the alcohol would have to displace (not mix) to work at
all.
I will talk to the phys-chem guy at work (also a wood-worker) and see
what he says.

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...
George,

Have you tried Dave Smith's process?
Why yes, I have, because I am a curious person.

Dave says that the water in the wood mixes
with the aclohol in which it is soaking. The water in the wood is
displaced with
the water alcohol mixture.

Well, not exactly. For short times and close grain, alcohol is lucky to get
much past the surface. Since the two are infinitely miscible, you get a
mutual dilution. No such thing as displacement is going on, unless you
refer to alcohol entering the intercellular spaces, displacing air.

Then the alcohol evaporates faster than water. Thus
drying the wood more quickly.

Nope, consider how they got that alcohol. Differential distillation -
Raoult's law, says alcohol leaves faster than water at the same temperature
and pressure. Water loss is not increased by evaporation of the alcohol.
Might even leave a bit more slowly, since evaporation of the alcohol cools
the medium. Fortunately, depending on the wood, there's not much alcohol in
it.

Whether there is any physical chemistry nor wood
technology reason for why this should work, it does work. Wood will not
dry
completely in less than two weeks from very wet to moisture stability
without
some help and the alcohol seems to give it that help.


Of course it will, and does, all the time in my basement. As you're aware,
people have been regulating the relative humidity, and therefor the drying
of their pieces by various means for years. Of course they've been saddled
with a lot of folklore, like the 10% rule and the inch per year rule, not to
mention the people who seal the inside of a bowl, which is under compression
anyway, and won't split. With face grain boards reaching EMC of 10% in an
average of four months, and end grain losing moisture at roughly 10-15 times
the rate of face grain, it's pretty easy to do the math to compute a time to
dry. Note the face-grain bowl is almost entirely endgrain.

It's easy enough to do a valid evaluation. Take some 1x1 sections from
various places in the log, so that you have differing grain orientations,
crosscut 1" consecutive pieces to go into alcohol or not, then treat them
the same afterward. I have every confidence that your results will mirror
mine, where there was no difference in time to EMC, nor was warp reduced or
modified from the direction predicted by wood technologists based on
orientation of the annual rings.

You need to determine if you indeed do have a dependent variable, and
without such comparison, you can't.

In article , "George" George@least
wrote:

"Fred Holder" wrote in message
...
George,

Have you tried Dave Smith's process?
Why yes, I have, because I am a curious person.

Dave says that the water in the wood mixes
with the aclohol in which it is soaking. The water in the wood is
displaced with
the water alcohol mixture.

Well, not exactly. For short times and close grain, alcohol is lucky to get
much past the surface. Since the two are infinitely miscible, you get a
mutual dilution. No such thing as displacement is going on, unless you
refer to alcohol entering the intercellular spaces, displacing air.

Then the alcohol evaporates faster than water. Thus
drying the wood more quickly.

Nope, consider how they got that alcohol. Differential distillation -
Raoult's law, says alcohol leaves faster than water at the same temperature
and pressure. Water loss is not increased by evaporation of the alcohol.
Might even leave a bit more slowly, since evaporation of the alcohol cools
the medium. Fortunately, depending on the wood, there's not much alcohol in
it.

The physical process is purty much what the phys-chem guy at work
thought also

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

George, good reference. Didn't Rosenthal specifically exempt LDD,
alcohol and microwaves? Not too sure about COCs.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

have you tried your oven?

I've heard of people putting pieces into the oven on low overnight maybe
with a container of water to keep the humidity up.


M&S wrote:
Hello to the group,
I am new here and have been turning (just a self taught hacker) for
a few years with an old POS harbor freight lathe. Sheet metal a
square tube bed rails and the like.
I am looking into a better lathe, leaning towards the Jet JW-1236. I
am however looking to make some last minute holiday gifts as tacky as
that sounds and due to some shop constraints I am thinking of picking up
one of the small mini lathes (JML-1014) to get me through a year or so.
We own a band mill so I have tons of wood kicking around, walnut,
cherry, red (slippery) elm, hackberry, sassafrass, sycamore, poplar,
basswood, ash, loads of many major oaks, and some others. Most are small
rounds (8"-10" dia.) that were cut offs saved for firewood. I also have
a lot of wild cherry peices that I have saved for a year or two for
turning. Lastly I have a 24" diameter wild cherry stump from a tree that
fell in an ice storm two years ago. I cleaned the stump and saved it for
turning in the event I ever followed through with the initial ambition.
Anyway, I am also a potter and have an affinity for lidded forms and
have been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts
for friends however given the one month deadline I am wondering if there
is anything I can make that will stay in tact after I give it to the
individual with only a month between turning and the holidays. I am also
very partial to nesting bowls.
I have been reading these threads about microwave drying but we dont
have a microwave. Is there any species (preferably something from the
inventory mentioned) that would handle some sort of accelerated drying?
Are there any that would allow me a single turning on the lathe? i.e.
not a rough and finish turning? Any other ideas?
I realize the lidded forms may be tough with regards to a single
turning and tolerances but any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts

Use kiln dried lumber, a couple contrasting varieties, glued up to form a
solid block the size you need for turning, and have at it. Fun, easy
first step into segmented turning. Glue it today, turn it tomorrow,
easily meets your time constraints.

best of luck,

-mike paulson, fort collins, co

Mark one of the woods that I work with (Madrone Burl) requires me to
boil it or it will tear itself apart within a few days. Try boiling 1
hour for every inch of wood and then let sit in the water until cool.
Usually over night. Be careful what pot you use or you might find
yourself in the wood shed. If you have one of the turkey deep fat
cooking pots they work great. Just remember boil them in water not oil
) Sfter boiling my Madrone or any of the other green woods that I
have boiled are ready for turning in about 4 months. And if they are
still damp I rough turn them to an inch and let them dry another
month.Tehn they are ready. Sound like you have a gold mine worth of
wood!

I have worked on a Jet 1014 for five years and it has performed well.
And I turn a lot of boxes like you are talking about. (send me your
email address off group and I will send some pictures. I like to brag!)
I want a bigger lathe but don't have room for it. Rikon has just
started selling their tools at Woodcraft. They have a lathe that is a
1216. So it will turn a bowl 12" in diameter and a spindle 16" long. It
looks like the Jet but it is just a bit bigger. They have a 2 year
guarantee. They sell for $249.99 and the extension is $59.99. Their
website shows a stand like the Jet but Woodcraft doesn't show it
online. The Jet is 72 lbs and the Rikon is 88.5 lbs. So it is a bit
heftier. I'm going to get one of these lathes and sell my Jet.

It has an 8" tool rest and a 12 position indexing head and it also
works as a spindle lock. A feature I have often wished that Jet had.

Here are the two websites:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5508

http://rikontools.com/70-100.html

My email address is .

Good luck!

Bob

Greetings and Salutations...

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:16 GMT, M&S wrote:

Hello to the group,
I am new here and have been turning (just a self taught hacker) for a
few years with an old POS harbor freight lathe. Sheet metal a square
tube bed rails and the like.
I am looking into a better lathe, leaning towards the Jet JW-1236. I am
however looking to make some last minute holiday gifts as tacky as that
sounds and due to some shop constraints I am thinking of picking up one
of the small mini lathes (JML-1014) to get me through a year or so.

FIrst off, remember that one can NEVER have too many lathes...
A friend of mine took his (free) old Sears single-tube lathe, and by
attaching a drum to a faceplate for it, turned it into a multi-grit
honing station for his turning tools. Worked great.
Next...The Jet-1236 is not a bad lathe. As an alternative,
you might want to go to www.grizzlyindustrial.com and check out THEIR
lathes. While not "pretty", and while you have to look at them as a
kit to rebuild when you get it, the lathes they have are good, solid
pieces of cast iron and can do good work for a really attractive
price.
I would also protest (loudly) at the concept that it is tacky
to make gifts oneself. That is an annoying lie, pushed by the retail
industry and the folks out there that are "craft challenged". The
fact of the matter is that it is EASY to simply throw money at the
problem and pick up a vase or toy or bowl. It is far more meaningful
to throw time and talents at the problem to create something unique
for the recipient. (grumble, grumble, grumble).

We own a band mill so I have tons of wood kicking around, walnut,
cherry, red (slippery) elm, hackberry, sassafrass, sycamore, poplar,
basswood, ash, loads of many major oaks, and some others. Most are small
rounds (8"-10" dia.) that were cut offs saved for firewood. I also have
a lot of wild cherry peices that I have saved for a year or two for
turning. Lastly I have a 24" diameter wild cherry stump from a tree that
fell in an ice storm two years ago. I cleaned the stump and saved it for
turning in the event I ever followed through with the initial ambition.

Hum...sounds like an embarrassment of ritches to me. You
should have enough raw stock to create QUITE a collection of
interesting objects to hand out. the walnut, cherry, hackberry,
poplart, and oaks should work well. the others might be too
excitingly stringy or move too much. Hopefully you sealed the ends
of the cut-offs with wax or paint...or the checks may mean you end up
making Christmas Tree ornaments, or, fan pulls...


Anyway, I am also a potter and have an affinity for lidded forms and
have been thinking of turning several small lidded jars/boxes as gifts
for friends however given the one month deadline I am wondering if there
is anything I can make that will stay in tact after I give it to the
individual with only a month between turning and the holidays. I am also
very partial to nesting bowls.

A lot of the skills you have as a potter will translate
directly to turning wood, which is good. THe biggest pit seems to be
that potters tend to forget, for a bit, that with wood, once it is
gone, it is gone for good. One cannot work it back as one can with
clay.
There are a number of things that would work. Bowls, tops,
plates are easy choices. However, one can crank out a nicely done,
lidded box in an hour or two (from rough stock to ready to finish)
with sharp tools and some experience, so that should not be an issue.
As for staying intact...if you mean "unwarped", then, you need to
start out with pretty dry stock, and, get it turned and finished as
quickly as possible to seal out the humidity. Humidity is what causes
wood to move (not heat), so the smaller the change in dampness the
less movement you will see. If you want to make boxes with
tight-fitting lids, one trick is to get some of the cork used in
musical instruments, turn a lip on the lid to fit its width, and turn
the opening so it is a tight fit. The cork will compress slightly
and absorb any small irregularities from warping, and it will allow
less exacting cuts to get to that "pop" level of vacuum that is so fun
to achieve with lidded boxes. Threading the top IS an option, but,
there is enough of a learning curve there, and, some tools needed that
it might not be an option right now.


I have been reading these threads about microwave drying but we dont
have a microwave. Is there any species (preferably something from the
inventory mentioned) that would handle some sort of accelerated drying?
Are there any that would allow me a single turning on the lathe? i.e.
not a rough and finish turning? Any other ideas?
I realize the lidded forms may be tough with regards to a single
turning and tolerances but any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

The whole point of accelerated drying is to get the water out
of the cells in the wood in a short time. Now, one problem with this
is that if one does it too quickly with heat, the water will evaporate
from the outer cells first, leaving them in tension over the inner
cells, and leading to checking and cracks. THe power of the microwave
method is that it heats the water throughout the piece all at once, so
the water in the inner cells tends to steam out and pump the cells dry
more evenly. I have not tried it but, I suspect that with heat
alone, you whould have to start with a fairly low temperature, and a
lot of humidity (pan of water in the bottom of the stove) and over a
several hour period gradually raise the temperature to 150 or 200. the
ramp up would have to be slow enough that the heat had time to
penetrate through the entire item before it raised again. As a part
of this, you would REALLY have to turn the shape to near its final
form before drying (but then you need to do that with microwaves too).
As I find the microwave a generally helpful tool, I would
suggest that you make an effort to get one. There are other sources
besides retailers (which tend to be expensive). FOr example, you can
often find perfectly good microwaves at pawn shops. Remember that
the price marked is NOT necessarily the price they will sell it for.
THey are perfectly willing to haggle a bit. Also, checking out
www.craigslist.com for your city or surrounding areas could be a good
source. Finally, it is likely that there is a newspaper and
community papers in your area that have ads for cheap or free things.
THis includes the "classified ads" papers like Bargain Mart, etc.
The bottom line is that you should be able to pick up a good,
working microwave for your shop for $20 to $40 that will hold any
turned piece YOU might want to put on the lathe.
Regards
Dave Mundt

Dave Mundt wrote:
Greetings and Salutations...
snip
I would also protest (loudly) at the concept that it is tacky
to make gifts oneself. That is an annoying lie, pushed by the retail
industry and the folks out there that are "craft challenged". The
fact of the matter is that it is EASY to simply throw money at the
problem and pick up a vase or toy or bowl. It is far more meaningful
to throw time and talents at the problem to create something unique
for the recipient. (grumble, grumble, grumble).

Dave, Thanks for the great reply. For clarification, I was only saying
"tacky" in that these gifts are last minute. While we do have people in
our family who, upon opening a gift say, "oh, you made this" in a way
that it is clear they think a purchased gift is better. These are the
people we especially give hand made gifts to.
I am a homebuilder by trade and in addition to pottery and woodworking
we also have dabbled in glass blowing, stained glass, and my wife has
done numerous other things, beading, knitting, and so on. Needless to
say handmade gifts are the norm rather than the exception for us. One
year we used scraps from jobs (mahoghany decks, teak, cedar, and so on)
and made 35 dove tailed boxes with stained glass lids for gifts. We just
try to change it up each year.
My theory is, spend 400.00 on a leigh jig, another router for the
router box, and make gifts. After the holiday I get the jig, and another
router for my collection!! My theory this year was to get a new mini
lathe but I am going to try to make do with my old lathe for another year.

Thanks again for the great reply and oodles of precious information. It
is all being put to use, in addition to all the other great info in this
thread as we speak.

Mark