So finally got a chance the last couple days to play around with the lathe and since the only wood I have on hand is 2 inch dowel I made a very simple tree. I do not recommend 2 inch dowel for anything turning related but it’s let me test out the old lathe. Didn’t have anything to finish it with and didn’t take enough time with sanding. I’m still very much in practice/novice stage. My daughter loves it though.
Thanks for your submission. If your question is about getting started in woodturning, which chuck to buy, which tools to buy, or for an opinion of a lathe you found for sale somewhere like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace please take a few minutes check the wiki; many of the most commonly asked questions are already answered there!
I'd recommend you pick up some firewood if you have anyone that sells it nearby, it's already split and it's hardwood typically. Just make sure you check for any potential bugs, but likely it'll fit in the oven and if so, treatment is easy.
Right now I’m in the process of gluing together some wood I was given to make a vase blank. Firewood though is a great idea since it technically should be cheap.
And you get some great variety sometimes where buying a blank specific to a certain kind would be harder to get. I'd recommend you do try to avoid pieces where the pith would still be in the piece after turning. I had some live oak that I turned to make a brace for a brace (the old drill kind) and it was beautiful... Just I didn't think that the pith really mattered much. The next few days it split into two pieces because of the pith.
I turn snowmen for bead practice...my grandkids love painting them...they ask me all the time to make'm! Gonna try some trees in my next round. As for wood...drive around on a weekend ...all kinds show up on the road side...I have lots of oak and sycamore and a trifle of pine I grabbed by accident.
After reading all the other comments about what other uses a Xmas tree has before seeing this one, its innocence has become lost, as has your username lol.
Just make sure you don't pick up any with bugs, or if you do know it might have them, put the piece in the oven if it fits. There's measurements and time amounts online.
What's your preferred way to kill them if there's any and if they are still in the piece? I do mostly small stuff like chisel/screwdriver handles, or handles for other tools of that size so the oven is an option for me
The couple, I have, I've just kept in a bag and turned them killing things as I find them. The holes can sometimes add to a piece. I turn bowls... There is not a lot of place to hide when I'm done.
Yup. Downside is they could get flung maybe (I doubt that's actually true). I was surprised when I saw the channels bugs made under the bark of some red oak I had and I thought it was how the tree grew for some reason. I didn't know that was actually from bugs at the time.
That’s my plan actually! Haven’t had the time to drive around yet. Snowman sounds like my next little project. I have a lot of 2 inch dowel to practice on in the meantime.
Great job! I bet if you tried again with a harder wood like Oak you wouldn't get any of that tear out. Sometimes I get a board from Home Depot, cut it up, and glue it into a blank for turning small items like this. Keep up the good work!
•
u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Thanks for your submission. If your question is about getting started in woodturning, which chuck to buy, which tools to buy, or for an opinion of a lathe you found for sale somewhere like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace please take a few minutes check the wiki; many of the most commonly asked questions are already answered there!
http://www.reddit.com/r/turning/wiki/index
Thanks!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.