"mac davis" wrote

Hey Mac,

Wood is just damn beautiful, ain't it!

Good work!

You guy's impacted by all the drug cartel BS? Stay safe ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Nice looking work. I also have a Jet and have not used it lately.
I think I need to change the belt? It slips when starting. I maybe just
have to tighten it? I used the Jet for Victorian turnings on a house I
built, and after that lost my touch. I do not like the sawdust problem, and
do not have a vacuum system. I really need to address that problem since it
hampers me from turning. so much dust and debris. How do you deal with the
problem?
jloomis
"mac davis" wrote in message
...

I have a vacuum system for sale. New!!!! Although it is small it is
just to big for my small hobby shop!!
On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:37:31 -0700, "jloomis"
wrote:

Nice looking work. I also have a Jet and have not used it lately.
I think I need to change the belt? It slips when starting. I maybe just
have to tighten it? I used the Jet for Victorian turnings on a house I
built, and after that lost my touch. I do not like the sawdust problem, and
do not have a vacuum system. I really need to address that problem since it
hampers me from turning. so much dust and debris. How do you deal with the
problem?
jloomis
"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:00:10 -0500, "Swingman" wrote:


"mac davis" wrote

Hey Mac,

Wood is just damn beautiful, ain't it!

Good work!

Thanks, Swing...

You guy's impacted by all the drug cartel BS? Stay safe ...

Only be the friggin' US media... they're killing tourism here..
(most of us feel that's their goal)

Just lost 3,000 Spring Break kids... Diverted them to Palm Springs for "safety
reasons"
Bunch of crap.. My Wife's folks are visiting here now and drove from N. Dakota
without even getting shot at..

OTOH, I wouldn't recommend vacationing in a border town, especially along the
Mx-Tx border..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:37:31 -0700, "jloomis" wrote:

Nice looking work. I also have a Jet and have not used it lately.
I think I need to change the belt? It slips when starting. I maybe just
have to tighten it? I used the Jet for Victorian turnings on a house I
built, and after that lost my touch. I do not like the sawdust problem, and
do not have a vacuum system. I really need to address that problem since it
hampers me from turning. so much dust and debris. How do you deal with the
problem?
jloomis
"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .

Well, both of my Jet's are used for buffing now, since I got the Nova... ;-]

Is your Jet VS or multi-pulleys?

If it's not VS, then I'd think either a loose belt of a worn/dirty belt?

Since I turn mostly ironwood, (cough), and my shop is in the house, I spend a
lot of time on dust collection and dust PREVENTION..
I find that as in all turning, sharp tools and light cuts produce more shavings
and less dust..
I have an old Harbor Freight 2hp DC and a home made cyclone/trash can setup..
One 4" hose with a swivel end is as close to the work as safe and slightly below
canter..
I have a Jet filtration system on the ceiling, which I clean OFTEN..

On days when I don't have windows open and a fan blowing to the outside, I'll
put a couple of 4 gallon buckets of water on the floor near the back of the
lathe.. they catch a surprising amount of dust..YMWV

Oh.. I also sweep the floor around the lathe often, using a plant mister to
dampen the floor a bit before I sweep..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

mac davis wrote:



Very nice as usual. The ironwood looks like it really polishes up nicely.

--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:00:10 -0500, "Swingman" wrote:


You guy's impacted by all the drug cartel BS? Stay safe ...


Bunch of crap.. My Wife's folks are visiting here now and drove from N.
Dakota
without even getting shot at..


Not even when going through Texas? LOL




OTOH, I wouldn't recommend vacationing in a border town, especially along
the
Mx-Tx border..

And that is not a recent developement.



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"mac davis" wrote in message
...

Very nice Mac!

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:24:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote:


Very nice as usual. The ironwood looks like it really polishes up nicely.
Thank you..
That's the only good thing about working it.. lol
Freakin mess with all the brown dust everywhere..

I sand most of my stuff to 600 or 800 grit before buffing on the Beall system,
but usually stop at 320 or 400 with the ironwood..
Sanding is sort of backwards from other woods because the faster the lathe speed
and more pressure on the abrasive, the better and shinier it looks..



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:14:16 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .

Very nice Mac!

Thank you, sir...
Means a lot, coming from you, Leon..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

mac davis wrote:

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:24:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:


Very nice as usual. The ironwood looks like it really polishes up
nicely.
Thank you..
That's the only good thing about working it.. lol
Freakin mess with all the brown dust everywhere..


I take it that ironwood doesn't come off in shavings then, but more as
dust or small particles?


--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:29:14 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote:

mac davis wrote:

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:24:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:


Very nice as usual. The ironwood looks like it really polishes up
nicely.
Thank you..
That's the only good thing about working it.. lol
Freakin mess with all the brown dust everywhere..


I take it that ironwood doesn't come off in shavings then, but more as
dust or small particles?

Well, most of the stuff I get is in BIG chunks, and has been lying in the desert
for years.. Takes a lot of work with the chain saw, band saw and lathe tools to
get to any "real" wood..
Lots of sand, worm holes, fractures, etc.. The cracks and fractures are a lot
like you'd see in rock..
You'll get trucks that look normal, but have huge hollow spots and cracks all
through them..
Even when the carbide cutter is sharp and the shavings are thin enough to float,
there's dust/sand/bark bits flying into the Dc and covering the floor behind the
lathe..

You can get an idea from the attached pics of the last load... and it really
doesn't show most of the hollow parts..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On 3/17/09 1:41 AM, "mac davis" wrote:


Well, most of the stuff I get is in BIG chunks, and has been lying in the
desert
for years.. Takes a lot of work with the chain saw, band saw and lathe tools
to
get to any "real" wood..

It also takes quite a good "eye" to see the possibilities in what would
appear to be junk to most people.

Nice work.

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:14:16 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
. ..

Very nice Mac!

Thank you, sir...
Means a lot, coming from you, Leon..


Ah, you give me too much credit there Mac. You are a whiz kid on the lathe,
I am not. LOL.

I have owned a lathe since the early 80's. Up until Spring last year I
probably had less than 10 hours on a lathe. The first lathe was a prize and
cheaply made. The second was given to me by my wife in 2001. In the last
year I have become quite a bit more familiar with the lathe, turning pens.
LOL
Later this week I am taking a class to learn how to turn pepper mills,
another slippery slope, I am sure. I picture myself at the top of a snow
covered mountain, on skis, and just starting to go down the hill............

I hope to tap into you expertise in the future.

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:32:53 -0400, Bob Haar wrote:

On 3/17/09 1:41 AM, "mac davis" wrote:


Well, most of the stuff I get is in BIG chunks, and has been lying in the
desert
for years.. Takes a lot of work with the chain saw, band saw and lathe tools
to get to any "real" wood..

It also takes quite a good "eye" to see the possibilities in what would
appear to be junk to most people.

Nice work.

Thanks, Bob..
I've never failed.. Just found a lot of designs that didn't work ;-]


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:09:48 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Thank you, sir...
Means a lot, coming from you, Leon..


Ah, you give me too much credit there Mac. You are a whiz kid on the lathe,
I am not. LOL.

I have owned a lathe since the early 80's. Up until Spring last year I
probably had less than 10 hours on a lathe. The first lathe was a prize and
cheaply made. The second was given to me by my wife in 2001. In the last
year I have become quite a bit more familiar with the lathe, turning pens.
LOL
Later this week I am taking a class to learn how to turn pepper mills,
another slippery slope, I am sure. I picture myself at the top of a snow
covered mountain, on skis, and just starting to go down the hill............

I hope to tap into you expertise in the future.

It will be a short learning curve for you, Leon, because you can bring so much
of your flatwork/cabinet making skills to the lathe..

You already know machine use and safety, sharpening, finishes, are familiar with
most woods, etc... And probably most important, you have patience..
No way could I stay focused on a project long enough to do the stuff you do..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

That bent airplane wing shaped bowl is intriguing. I'm sure it was a bit
challenging finding the cutting edge. At the same time, I'm sure you were
able to keep your cool while it was spinning like a big fan blade.

Nice work Mac.. As always..


"mac davis" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:09:22 -0700, "Jim Hall"
wrote:

That bent airplane wing shaped bowl is intriguing. I'm sure it was a bit
challenging finding the cutting edge. At the same time, I'm sure you were
able to keep your cool while it was spinning like a big fan blade.

Nice work Mac.. As always..


"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .

Thank you, Jim...
I do a lot of wing/banana bowls and have lost a lot of skin on them, especially
the sanding... All thanks to our friend Mr. Feltmate:
http://aroundthewoods.com/wings.shtml


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Wow..!! I hadn't pictured in my mind mounting a branch crosswise in the
lathe to produce one..! I read about Darrell's wooden faceplates awhile
back and made about a half dozen of them and have used them over and over
again. They are really handy. Nice that he is kind and generous enough to
share his knowledge with us.. and all the other people here too..!! I've
learned a lot.. Thanks for pointing me to the site...

That ironwood you have, by the way, reminds of cocobolo.. very rich color
and varied grain.. Nice lookin stuff..

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:09:22 -0700, "Jim Hall"

wrote:

That bent airplane wing shaped bowl is intriguing. I'm sure it was a bit
challenging finding the cutting edge. At the same time, I'm sure you were
able to keep your cool while it was spinning like a big fan blade.

Nice work Mac.. As always..


"mac davis" wrote in message
. ..

Thank you, Jim...
I do a lot of wing/banana bowls and have lost a lot of skin on them,
especially
the sanding... All thanks to our friend Mr. Feltmate:
http://aroundthewoods.com/wings.shtml


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:34:03 -0700, "Jim Hall"
wrote:

Wow..!! I hadn't pictured in my mind mounting a branch crosswise in the
lathe to produce one..! I read about Darrell's wooden faceplates awhile
back and made about a half dozen of them and have used them over and over
again. They are really handy. Nice that he is kind and generous enough to
share his knowledge with us.. and all the other people here too..!! I've
learned a lot.. Thanks for pointing me to the site...

Yep.. we call it "turning air"...
High rpm's and a light colored background help...

That ironwood you have, by the way, reminds of cocobolo.. very rich color
and varied grain.. Nice lookin stuff..

I love cocobolo, but seem to have developed an allergy to in.. not worth the
rash to me...



"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:09:22 -0700, "Jim Hall"

wrote:

That bent airplane wing shaped bowl is intriguing. I'm sure it was a bit
challenging finding the cutting edge. At the same time, I'm sure you were
able to keep your cool while it was spinning like a big fan blade.

Nice work Mac.. As always..


"mac davis" wrote in message
...

Thank you, Jim...
I do a lot of wing/banana bowls and have lost a lot of skin on them,
especially
the sanding... All thanks to our friend Mr. Feltmate:
http://aroundthewoods.com/wings.shtml


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:41:44 -0800, mac davis
wrote:

On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:29:14 -0700, Mark & Juanita wrote:

mac davis wrote:

On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:24:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:


Very nice as usual. The ironwood looks like it really polishes up
nicely.
Thank you..
That's the only good thing about working it.. lol
Freakin mess with all the brown dust everywhere..


I take it that ironwood doesn't come off in shavings then, but more as
dust or small particles?

Well, most of the stuff I get is in BIG chunks, and has been lying in the desert
for years.. Takes a lot of work with the chain saw, band saw and lathe tools to
get to any "real" wood..
Lots of sand, worm holes, fractures, etc.. The cracks and fractures are a lot
like you'd see in rock..
You'll get trucks that look normal, but have huge hollow spots and cracks all
through them..
Even when the carbide cutter is sharp and the shavings are thin enough to float,
there's dust/sand/bark bits flying into the Dc and covering the floor behind the
lathe..

You can get an idea from the attached pics of the last load... and it really
doesn't show most of the hollow parts..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

I've got to learn to scroll. hah
Only saw the first photo the first time I checked this post. Very nice
stuff here Mac!
Is Ironwood kind of a generic name ... depending on what area you
live? Just wondering if it is the same as what we see here in the form
of decking (IPE) or if "desert" ironwood is a different thing
entirely?

Lenny

On Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:15:06 -0400, wrote:

I've got to learn to scroll. hah
Only saw the first photo the first time I checked this post. Very nice
stuff here Mac!
Is Ironwood kind of a generic name ... depending on what area you
live? Just wondering if it is the same as what we see here in the form
of decking (IPE) or if "desert" ironwood is a different thing
entirely?

Lenny

Thanks, Lenny.. appreciate the kind words..

Desert Ironwood is a pretty specific species...
Only found in the Sonora/Sonorian desert, which covers parts of Mexico, Baja
California, Arizona and a little bit of California.. (hope I didn't leave anyone
out)

There are several trees that are CALLED "ironwood", though... The tale that I
heard was that as folks immigrated to the US and went west, any wood that was
very hard was called "ironwood"..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"mac davis" wrote in message
...

Desert Ironwood is a pretty specific species...
Only found in the Sonora/Sonorian desert, which covers parts of Mexico,
Baja
California, Arizona and a little bit of California.. (hope I didn't leave
anyone
out)

There are several trees that are CALLED "ironwood", though... The tale
that I
heard was that as folks immigrated to the US and went west, any wood that
was
very hard was called "ironwood"..

Mac, I was wondering if you have heard of and or used "Texas Ebony". In 30
plus years of working with wood I only recently noticed this stuff. As you
would expect it looks kinda like "Ebony" but may, like some Ebony, have some
white sap wood.

Have you turned Ipe?

On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:20:08 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Mac, I was wondering if you have heard of and or used "Texas Ebony". In 30
plus years of working with wood I only recently noticed this stuff. As you
would expect it looks kinda like "Ebony" but may, like some Ebony, have some
white sap wood.

Have you turned Ipe?

Being on the left coast, I haven't experienced many wood types, Leon..
Only turned cherry a few times because a friend in NY sent my a couple of logs..
never heard of anything from the States even called "ebony", but it sounds
interesting..
Never seen Ipe.. had to go look it up because I thought it was an abbreviation
for something..lol


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"mac davis" wrote in message
Being on the left coast, I haven't experienced many wood types, Leon..
Only turned cherry a few times because a friend in NY sent my a couple of
logs..
never heard of anything from the States even called "ebony", but it sounds
interesting..

Here's a few samples of some exotic woods courtesy of Lee Valley.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...68&cat=51&ap=1

"mac davis" wrote in message
Being on the left coast, I haven't experienced many wood types, Leon..
Only turned cherry a few times because a friend in NY sent my a couple of
logs..
never heard of anything from the States even called "ebony", but it sounds
interesting..

Here's a few samples of some exotic woods courtesy of Lee Valley.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...68&cat=51&ap=1

"mac davis" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:20:08 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Mac, I was wondering if you have heard of and or used "Texas Ebony". In
30
plus years of working with wood I only recently noticed this stuff. As
you
would expect it looks kinda like "Ebony" but may, like some Ebony, have
some
white sap wood.

Have you turned Ipe?

Being on the left coast, I haven't experienced many wood types, Leon..
Only turned cherry a few times because a friend in NY sent my a couple of
logs..
never heard of anything from the States even called "ebony", but it sounds
interesting..
Never seen Ipe.. had to go look it up because I thought it was an
abbreviation
for something..lol


Darn the luck Mac. Ipe is pretty cool and I thought sure you would have
seen it. IIRC it is from south of the Texas border and South America. It
is very hard, 2.5 times harder than Oak. It is used a lot for decking. It
turns well and only needs to be polished like Snake wood. No finish
necessary.

"Leon" wrote in message
...
Darn the luck Mac. Ipe is pretty cool and I thought sure you would have
seen it. IIRC it is from south of the Texas border and South America. It
is very hard, 2.5 times harder than Oak. It is used a lot for decking.
It turns well and only needs to be polished like Snake wood. No finish
necessary.



Oh BTY if you ask around about it, it is pronounced E-Pay, not I-pe

On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:25:00 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Darn the luck Mac. Ipe is pretty cool and I thought sure you would have
seen it. IIRC it is from south of the Texas border and South America. It
is very hard, 2.5 times harder than Oak. It is used a lot for decking. It
turns well and only needs to be polished like Snake wood. No finish
necessary.

Well, we're a long way from Texas, here on the left coast... ;]

I'd heard of IPE decking a lot, thought it was an abbreviation for some kind of
synthetic/plastic/resin/whatever material..

Sounds like a pretty cool wood to turn, though, unless it splinters like oak..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:50:38 -0500, "Upscale" wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
Being on the left coast, I haven't experienced many wood types, Leon..
Only turned cherry a few times because a friend in NY sent my a couple of
logs..
never heard of anything from the States even called "ebony", but it sounds
interesting..

Here's a few samples of some exotic woods courtesy of Lee Valley.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...68&cat=51&ap=1

Thanks.. I usually start he
http://www.anexotichardwood.com/turning.html

They're my closest source of hardwood, if I can afford the shipping..
usually, by the time that I figure the cost of the wood and the shipping and add
labor/markup/etc., I'm losing money or pricing stuff too high to sell..
Sometimes, I get lucky and someone's on their way South and will pick it up
there and bring it across the border..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:29:29 -0800, mac davis
wrote:

On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:25:00 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

Darn the luck Mac. Ipe is pretty cool and I thought sure you would have
seen it. IIRC it is from south of the Texas border and South America. It
is very hard, 2.5 times harder than Oak. It is used a lot for decking. It
turns well and only needs to be polished like Snake wood. No finish
necessary.

Well, we're a long way from Texas, here on the left coast... ;]

I'd heard of IPE decking a lot, thought it was an abbreviation for some kind of
synthetic/plastic/resin/whatever material..

Sounds like a pretty cool wood to turn, though, unless it splinters like oak..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Well I guess I'll have to rip up some pen blanks from my decking
scraps and give it a turn. It's so gritty I hadn't really thought of
it as an ideal turning wood.... but it sure is hard!!

Lenny

"Leon" wrote in message
...

"Leon" wrote in message
...
Darn the luck Mac. Ipe is pretty cool and I thought sure you would have
seen it. IIRC it is from south of the Texas border and South America.
It is very hard, 2.5 times harder than Oak. It is used a lot for
decking. It turns well and only needs to be polished like Snake wood. No
finish necessary.



Oh BTY if you ask around about it, it is pronounced E-Pay, not I-pe


Was down to Brazil last year. Noticed all the power poles and most fence
posts were concrete. Was told most wood rots quickly. Only two types were ok
to use and they were high in cost. I will try to find out what they are
named. Where we stayed all table tops and counter tops were one inch
polished black granite. Said to be cheaper than wood. Warren