# Wooden Jewerly



## audioalex (Jul 10, 2012)

Hey guys. A rookie here...

Just want to share with the group a few pics of some of the jewelry I have been working on and see what you guys think. You guys are the experts and all constructive criticism will be welcome.

About the line:
I am basically doing some woodturning with the wrong tools since I don't have money to buy a lathe.
I am creating a line of accessories (bracelets, rings, etc) with up to 3 different types of wood together. 
Let me know what you guys think...

Thanks!


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Not bad for not having a lathe. 
Welcome to wood talk.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Not bad. Your having fun. It doesn't matter what tools you use if they let you do the job. Sure some tools will make it easier of faster but I'll pick up any tool in my arsenal if it will cut the wood where I need it cut.


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## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

If you're not using a lathe, what are you using? Drill press? Drill? I've seen it done but I have to say, those are some nice looking items regardless of how you did it. 

My wife mentioned soething like this to me a while back, specifically, making some bangle bracelets or some such. There's definitely a market for that sort of thing.


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Very cool, especially since you dont have a lathe!! Theres actually a market for wooden jewelry too!!

I recently made my first bangle as well (trying to break into said market) using a stainless steel core I got from a guy in CO and a piece of stabelized black ash burl. Doing it this way requires a lathe though or an awful lot of sanding!!!

BTW, welcome to WWT!!!


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## audioalex (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you all for the feedback! I owe you an explanation. How am I doing this without a lathe?

The story goes like this... I used to have a circular saw (the type you use to cut Crown Molding with) and one day, while cutting a small piece of red oak, it went flying into the protective casing and got the blade to cut the metal of the casing. I was very lucky I didn't get hurt.

Two days later, after I stop shaking, I realized I had a damage circular saw with a broken fence, but the motor was Perfect!! I took it apart and decided to rig it to make it work as a lathe. I am adding a couple of pictures showing the unit for you to see.

I know, I know, I know... It is NOT the right tool, and it has been challenging, but now I feel more comfortable dealing with it. My goal of course is ti buy a lathe, but I am not there yet ($$$).

As you can see, I have to drill all the pieces of wood I work with to secure them to the machine, that means I cannot turn bowls, or anything like that. Everything has a hole


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## audioalex (Jul 10, 2012)

Beautifully constructed and finished BassBlaster. Nice!


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## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

That's awesome! I was thinking about this post and searched Youtube and came up with several drill rigs, drill presses and one maniac who turned the wood on a drill press while cutting on it with a circular saw, holding the guard back. 

Your's is an actual home made rig and a pretty ingenious one at that. 

Truth be told, once you get a real lathe, your experience will really pay off, I suspect.


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## michelle (Jul 1, 2012)

ingenious, but scary. Folks have turned on drill presses for years. I think PSI might still carry a kit that you could use. There are many good inexpensive lathes on the market..Rikon has a small one on sale in many places for 295.00...


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## Mississippi (Mar 23, 2012)

It is ingenious, but I would recommend AFLAC, you will probably need it with no tool rest and a high speed motor. Your pieces look great btw


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## audioalex (Jul 10, 2012)

A couple more...


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## Ken Johnson (Nov 8, 2007)

BassBlaster said:


> Very cool, especially since you dont have a lathe!! Theres actually a market for wooden jewelry too!!
> 
> I recently made my first bangle as well (trying to break into said market) using a stainless steel core I got from a guy in CO and a piece of stabelized black ash burl. Doing it this way requires a lathe though or an awful lot of sanding!!!
> 
> BTW, welcome to WWT!!!


Where did you get the metal core for that bangle? Do they make a similar kit for rings?


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

Ken Johnson said:


> Where did you get the metal core for that bangle? Do they make a similar kit for rings?


 Nope, just bangles. He has the cores in SS and copper in three different sizes and in three differnt widths. His site is http://www.bangleguy.com/page/page/8464584.htm. He sells the cores and stabelized wood blanks and has about 1000 different species. He also does stabelizing and you can send him your wood to be stabelized. He does pen blanks for me for really great rates!!


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

audioalex said:


> A couple more...



That is some excellent work there, audioalex.:thumbsup: Using your saw as a lathe, is similar to what I had to do to get started turning at home. Used an old washing machine motor, drill press, etc.

Getting a new lathe is cheap, compared to the cost of the tooling.....just like metalworking.

Welcome to WWT.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I don't mean to be the killjoy here, but that rig looks like Darwinism waiting to happen. How fast does that piece rotate? How are you supporting the tool? Please tell me you're wearing a face shield? People have been killed by chunks of wood flying of a lathe, and I doubt they were spinning anywhere near the rate that saw is turning.


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## Foresta Design (Dec 26, 2011)

sawdustfactory said:


> I don't mean to be the killjoy here, but that rig looks like Darwinism waiting to happen. How fast does that piece rotate? How are you supporting the tool? Please tell me you're wearing a face shield? People have been killed by chunks of wood flying of a lathe, and I doubt they were spinning anywhere near the rate that saw is turning.


Wow, first I must ask who made you the grand pubah of safety. The USA was made on innovation. How safe was it to fly the first plane? How safe to drive the first car. I realize this rig isn't that grand however if we start talking down to people because they look for another way then our country is doomed. I say kudos for using your brain and keep thinking. To the haters out there don't bother retaliating to my comment, I don't care and you wont change my core belief.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

If I offended the original poster with the Darwinism comment I apologize, I'm just trying to keep a fellow woodworker safe. Would hate to see someone get killed trying to do something we all love. I was taught to use the diameter times rpm should fall between 6000 and 9000 formula to determine safe turning speed. Most miter saws turn a minimum of 3600rpm, with most spinning between 4100-5000rpm. Little too fast for my taste. Even turning pens and bottle stoppers, do I rarely go over 2000rpms. And this is on a machine that is intended to do the work.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I don't think anyone's talking down to you. We just want to make sure you stay alive to turn the next piece. I'm guessing the first lathes weren't very safe either, luckily we're in a much safer world today


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## Foresta Design (Dec 26, 2011)

OK I reread my post and I'm a jerk. I stand behind my statement of innovation but I could have worded that better. Safety is important but if we sacrifice trying new things for safety then we are committing social Darwinism. Sawdust I appologize for my comment to you. It was rude and I shouldn't have said it. How about a compromise? Make all the crazy innovative stuff you want but always wear safety equipment so you can make more. Anyways great looking jewelry.


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## Itchytoe (Dec 17, 2011)

Foresta Design said:


> Wow, first I must ask who made you the grand pubah of safety. The USA was made on innovation. How safe was it to fly the first plane? How safe to drive the first car. I realize this rig isn't that grand however if we start talking down to people because they look for another way then our country is doomed. I say kudos for using your brain and keep thinking. To the haters out there don't bother retaliating to my comment, I don't care and you wont change my core belief.


This forum is not exclusive to the USA. We have many members from other countries.

The USA was not made on innovation. The USA was created by self-righteous colonists who rebelled and overthrew their own government to create a safe-haven for people who felt oppressed and abused. Ask any Brit, he'll tell you so. The innovations you wrote of were born of necessity and would exist with or without the USA. They may be a little different without the USA, but they would still exist.

Dusty is right. A saw like that puts an incredible amount of energy into the work piece and a small crack or a catch can send a chunk flying through someone's head. It looks extremely unsafe and I am also concerned to the safety of the people using it. I hope he has a way to protect himself against flying debris. When I turn, the fastest I've ever turned is about 3,000 RPM and that honestly was faster than I needed to. 2,000 is as fast as I turn now, at a maximum. That's only with pens too.

Nobody is saying that the OP is doing something poorly. There are no "haters" here. I see the exact opposite. Given the very unconventional tools, he's doing extremely well. I'd rather see him using a tool intended for such work, but I'm impressed as-is. I have a lathe and I'd have a hard time turning out pieces like his.


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