# One of them days....



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

I turned 5 items today. I butchered 4 items at 90% completion today. The only thing that didn't die on me was the tool handle I made. I was rouging it out of a decent sized mesquite log and was inspired to try a tall vase. 

Well....between centers, it was fine. Boring the interior went okay. Finishing the interior was a mess. It was too tall to get chucked up straight but eventually, I got it done. Then I tried flipping it on to the cole jaw to finish the foot. Disaster. So, now my 8 year old daughter has a nice vase. 

I then took a scrap piece and made a cup. Went ok until, again, put it on the cole to turn the foot and was almost done and it took off on me, chipping the rim when it hit the concrete. 

Ok, so....lets try a bowl. Took the stumpy like end of the black walnut I have and split. Trimmed it up and made a nice little bowl. Went for a real thin profile, flipped it onto the cole jaw and cracked the heck out of it tightening it up. Crap. 

One more try with the other half. Made a bigger bowl, wood was a little punky but not too bad. Made it big enough to dovetail the cole jaw on to it to turn the foot off and....yep, cracked it at the punky bit. 

That kind of day. I burned 10 hours, made a mountain of sawdust and made two cheap, flawed gifts for my kids and one tool handle. 

I have a 10" mesquite blank chucked up and roughed out for in the morning. Hopefully it will go better. After that, keep it simple and make some little bowls. 

My classes start next Tuesday so I gotta make hay while the sunshines!


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

No pics?..... you know we like pics. 
You can't tease us. Lol
Good luck in class.


----------



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

My first experiences with Cole jaws were similar.

Lessons I learned:

1) bring the tailstock up and snug it against the bottom of the bowl

2) back the tailstock out and put a small piece of waste between the live center and the bottom of the bowl so avoid splitting the bottom of the bowl

3) don't overtighten the jaws or the tailstock

4) slowest speed -- and watch it when you stop the lathe, those big heavy jaws have a lot of inertia and *will* unscrew the chuck if you didn't screw it on tight to begin with (DAMHIKT)

5) sharp tools

6) very light cuts

7) work the bottom as much as possible with the tailstock in place, leaving just a small nub to remove as the last step when you move the tailstock out of the way

HTH


----------



## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

Bummer of a day at the lathe. I have a set of mini-coles but have never tried to use them for the reasons your mentioned. 
So far I have never split or lost one using a friction chuck.

What I have heard of a lot of people doing is using the cole jaws with tape as shown in John's write up here...but taped to the cole jaws instead of a jamb chuck. Takes a lot less pressure from the chuck jaws since the tape is adding a lot of support.
http://www.cumberlandwoodturners.com/Tips/Methods and Jigs for Reverse Turning Bowls.pdf


----------



## Bill Wyko (Feb 25, 2011)

Just remember, the worst day of turning is still better than the best day of working. Sorry to hear you had a bad day.:smile:


----------



## bond3737 (Nov 13, 2009)

It's interesting, when I read your post all I could feel was a mood. Im not trying to come off holier than though art because goodness knows Im not but your post really made me think about mood in relation to the way I turn for some reason. Im betting the house you were in a mood that translated to- STRESSED OUT. If Im wrong I apologize. All Im saying is that mood translates to product for me. When im listening to some YES in the shop lathes running great nothing squeezing my mind grapes I am able to think critically but when I'm stressed Ill DESTROY 6 or 7 pieces without a care in the world.(again this is a guess) but Im guessin it's not that you dont KNOW how to do it right but that you werent in the right head space to do so. Not trying to dog you or anything man, your verve for this stuff is what keeps people going, just a thought... also- try turning to this on blast... you wont regret it  



 happy turnin, 
Bond


----------



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

That's a fair assessment. I turn because it makes me happy. I turn because I can....because I have a little time now before school starts and I don't want to waste it. Its a strange feeling. I have a bad habit of digging a deeper hole as I go. I say, ok, I screwed that up, I'll make it up by doing something awesome this time. And deeper we go. 

In truth, I'm really not stressed about it. I'm not trying to hit a quota or make a picture perfect anything for a grade. I get a little pissed off but not foaming at the mouth angry.....Ok, I did spike a bowl like a football today......but still....

I mean, I just spent what? 5 days? building onto my shed and its ugly as hell but it works....I have alot more space and a 12" long built in workbench now, so screw it! 

That said, I like to bitch now and then.


----------



## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

A bad day turning is still better than most other days. The cole jaws aren't always the best way to go depending on the shape of the piece. Here is a link to our club website tips page. I have an article called Methods of reverse turning. You may find something that will work better for some pieces. 
http://www.cumberlandwoodturners.com/htm/tips.htm


----------



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

john lucas said:


> A bad day turning is still better than most other days. The cole jaws aren't always the best way to go depending on the shape of the piece. Here is a link to our club website tips page. I have an article called Methods of reverse turning. You may find something that will work better for some pieces.
> http://www.cumberlandwoodturners.com/htm/tips.htm



That's perfect! Bookmarked and will read up more later.


----------



## Bill Wyko (Feb 25, 2011)

I have found that every time a situation arises that causes a failure, it's most important to put that in your memory banks. Keep in mind that every time in the future that the same situation comes uo, you are now a better turner because you remembered the cause and impleminted the cure. Make enough mistakes and you will become a legendary turner.:laughing:


----------



## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your problems. I just order a set of cole jaws late last week. Should be here by Friday according to Amazon. I have been doing the bottom of the bowls with a jam chuck but with my experience the tail stock gets in my way. I was hoping that the cole jaw would solve that problem. I have two chucks and plan to keep the cole jaws installed on one of them.
Tom


----------



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Are you trying to compete with me Horatio?. Do we need a thread for a friendly Horatio vs Oldmacnut turning shootout?.

Lol


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

oldmacnut said:


> Are you trying to compete with me Horatio?. Do we need a thread for a friendly Horatio vs Oldmacnut turning shootout?.
> 
> Lol


Ohhhh......lol 
He's calling you out horatio. This is good, I'm getting the pop corn. Lol


----------



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

Heh, I think you have a nice lead on me to be honest. I turned a few decent things yesterday, a couple of big mesquite bowls. Still messing with the Nogalito/BWN....I've made a few smallish bowls but can't carve out a piece big enough for a decent sized one. I'd like to piece it up for segmenting but I just don't have the tools to get it down to shape....I suppose if I got really crafty, I could pull it off and then use the miter saw.....

I honestly haven't finished the shop redo project yet. I took a break to turn some but have spent all day organizing, putting up shelves, etc. I have lots of crap to go through....5 gallon bucket of assorted hardware, plastic bins full of scraps, half empty tool boxes scattered all over. I made a nice, long workbench with lots of cubby holes and whatnot but when I went back to turning, nothing was at its home and I kept losing stuff. 

And besides, I'm headed out to the doctor in a min. This nerve deal is serious business now. I've woken up at 3 am feeling like my hand had been smashed with a sledge hammer. Nevermind the evil sunburn on my arms. It hurts when I get up and is numb most of the day. I've had a few issues from lifting weights over the past 2 years, aches and pains here and there so I'm not sure if this is connected. the dumb thing is that it hurts most when I'm inactive so 'rest' doesn't seem like the right thing to do. 

Ah hell, I forgot to take my sawchains to be sharpened. Crud, I was burning wood yesterday something fierce, they have to be taken care of or I can't cut pieces to turn or get onto the coffee table project I'm thinking about.


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

@ horatio. 
Are you accepting the challenge?


----------



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Ill get with Horatio via pm, I have a parent/teacher thing tonight, I was thinking maybe this weekend?


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

I can't wait.


----------



## bond3737 (Nov 13, 2009)

"Ohhhh......lol 
He's calling you out horatio. This is good, I'm getting the pop corn. Lol"

I support this instigation:laughing: I say we set up some ground rules. First I think we need to take into account exactly what each person has. Horatio- make a list of the stuff that youve got to be creative with. This will be our baseline for tools that can be used. I bet we can round up some judges pretty quick. Dominick- We should create some categories. Best finish, best use of wood, best finish on the bottom, difficulty of creation, use of creativity etc etc feel free to add on. This could be a bunch of fun:yes: . If yall are down for it!


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

They have to use the same species of wood to. 
I don't know much about turning so I'll judge for cleanliness. Lol


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

how the heck did i miss this conversation all day?:shifty:


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

robert421960 said:


> how the heck did i miss this conversation all day?:shifty:


Maybe day dreaming. Lol


----------



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Well as far as material goes this is what I have, oh, I'm sure y'all know what I always have in stock. LOL.

Kiln dried..
Cherry
Birdseye maple
Walnut (duh)
Poplar (very little)
Paduak (very little)
Cocobola (very little)

I was thinking that say... 5 items?, y'all choose those items, start Friday (I work Friday night through Sunday non stop) judge Sunday, and this be fun, not something to get hurt over due to trying to beat the clock.

I have an old Sears mono tube lathe a few crappy chisels, 4 jaw harbor freight chuck, no reverse on lathe. No Cole jaws, nothing fancy.

I don't have much, if any solid material I'd chuck up.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Woodworking Talk


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

sounds like alot in 1 weekend to me
of course i do 1 a month:laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Sounds like a good idea. 
Just need horatio to accept.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Oldmac and Horatio, what I would really like to see the two of you do is a simple bowl, but with a continuous (or near continuous curve) both inside and out. No flat spots. Consistent wall thickness throughout. To judge, cut it in half when finished. For a reference, see firehawks recent bowl post.


----------



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

sawdustfactory said:


> Oldmac and Horatio, what I would really like to see the two of you do is a simple bowl, but with a continuous (or near continuous curve) both inside and out. No flat spots. Consistent wall thickness throughout. To judge, cut it in half when finished. For a reference, see firehawks recent bowl post.


:blink:

Cut it in half? 

LOL, hate to say it, but ive been turning stuff left and right to build up inventory for selling, wife would kick me if i cut a bowl in half.

Im off to the teacher/parent thing, heres to the teacher being cute....lol.


----------



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

sawdustfactory said:


> Oldmac and Horatio, what I would really like to see the two of you do is a simple bowl, but with a continuous (or near continuous curve) both inside and out. No flat spots. Consistent wall thickness throughout. To judge, cut it in half when finished. For a reference, see firehawks recent bowl post.


But...why cut a perfectly good bowl in half? lol

Eh, okay, I'll do it but I'm not sure how well I will fare. 

In terms of materials, I have:

Mesquite (a whole lot)
Nogalito (Texas Walnut/blk walnut) (eh, enough for a few items)
Cedar (meh...got quite a bit)
Oak (all of it really green though)
Sycamore (a few pieces left though alot of it punky)
Mystery Wood! I have an ugly little tree in my backyard my wife wants me to cut down but it supposedly has pretty nice grains to it. I may or may not hack it down. Its half dead and has some presumed spalting action going on.

I try and use continuous curves in most of my bowls. My problems are with thickness and finish. Carbide tools are great but I need to get some decent conventional tools. The ones I have are crap. 

I will probably not be able to do anything segmented beyond gluing a few chunks together. Still hunting for a band saw. Or a tale saw. I might attempt to cut and sand down a plank the old fashioned way and chop it up on the miter saw but that seems like a hell of alot of work, heh. 



Oh yeah, apparently, I have Shingles. WTF?!? I got a scrip for the good pain killers at least for the nerve deal.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Cut a bowl in half to see how consistent you actually got the thickness. Don't use a nice piece of wood. Whatever you have that's wet would be even better, cause you don't have to sand it. And NO working with tools while on pain killers:no:


----------



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Well Im getting a back procedure done tomorrow, should be good to go for friday, Horatio does solid material, im a segmented kinda guy, as far as I'm concerned I think thats fine, yeah its a bit more work on segmenting, but I dont thinks its a big deal.

either way, cherry trumps all, muhaha ha ha ha ha ha ha


----------



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

sawdustfactory said:


> Cut a bowl in half to see how consistent you actually got the thickness. :no:


You mean like THIS ? :laughing:


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Horatio (Apr 4, 2012)

Mind you, this is all in fun. I expect to get my ass whipped to be honest. We ought to get more people in on it. Like a fantasy woodturning league.


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

no i like it just the way it is:yes::yes::yes:


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

robert421960 said:


> no i like it just the way it is:yes::yes::yes:


+1 Robert. I'll sit back and watch. It's safer. Lol


----------



## bond3737 (Nov 13, 2009)

i think there has to be a height and width minimum because I can make something right now that has continuous curve, thin as can be that is 2 cm by 3 cm. :yes:. Just a thought


----------



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Horatio said:


> Mind you, this is all in fun. I expect to get my ass whipped to be honest. We ought to get more people in on it. Like a fantasy woodturning league.



I dont know, I dig the stuff your pumping out.

+1 on the league.


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

is it the weekend yet?


----------

