Nautical Pen kit

Nautical pen kit from Penn state industry.
I used a teak wood blank from the battleship deck, USS  North Carolina. I bought the blank from woodcraft.

Turn lidded boxes on the lathe

This blog is about turning lidded boxes on the lathe.

I mounted a 3 X 3, 6 inch long pieces of spalted maple. I turned this round to about 2 1/2 inch diameter. Turned round using a roughing gouge. The block is held in place by a spur center and a live center on the other end.

At his point, I start to shape the lid and mark the lid location.

I use a parting to to cut a grove, where my lid will later be cut off.

Here the lid is being shaped. I used a skew to do most of this shaping, You can also see, I have made a indented grove on the top to be held in place using my four jaw chuck.

I use a four jaw chuck from Teknatool.

I have remounted the lid after cutting it off using a parting tool.

I am using the mini sorby hollowing tool for hollowing out the lid.

This is a great little tool and the handle is inter changable to use a skew and a spindle gouge.

Here is where I hollow out the body and size the opening for the lip to fit just right. I use both a caliper and trail and error to get the perfect snug fit on the lid.

I latter turn an ebony knob and glue into the top. This a nice little afternoon project. I use semi green wood. My lathe is a teknatool Nova. Most of my tools are sorby.

Sedona Pen Kit made with Gemstone Blank

Sedona Rollerball Pen Kit

This is a silver plated rollerball pen kit. I used a Turquoise with black web Gemstone blank. I am please with how it turn

ed out. The Gemstome black was easy to drill and easy to turn. There are a little on the expensive side $8.99 per blank, but in this case well worth the

money. The blank was finished using micro mesh sanding pads up to 32000 grit. I then used a light coat of wax. This makes a great pen.
Please visit my web site : http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Pen Blank Drilling Jig Basic Homemade

Here is a basic homemade pen blank drilling jig I made. Its not fancy but it gets the job done.

I took two pieces of 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" wood 8" long. I joined them using a 1"X 1" hinge. To form a vise. I then marked two sets of vee notches in the wood. Using my bandsaw I cut out the notches.

The 1st vee notch is slightly smaller than 5/8" and the 2nd is slightly smaller than 3/4". These are the normal size for pen blanks. Using the notched to center and the vise like hinge to hold, I can drill a pen blank in no time at all and it will be straight and square. You can buy pen blanks and pen kits at woodcraft by clicking on the link to the right.

Please visit my web site for more information and tips on pen making, bowl turning and woodworking in general. http://nokeswoodworks.com

Bowl Turning , Turning a green Pecan wood bowl

BOWL TURNING BASICS

This morning I rough turned a bowl from a green pecan bowl blank. This is how I turn a bowl blank. This blank is made of Pecan, it is green and waxed sealed. I mount the bowl using 1" screws.

This bowl blank is 8"X 3"

The bowl blank is then mounted to the lathe. I used a 3/8" bowl gouge to turn the bowl to a true round.

Once the bowl is round, I then square up the face. I have more pictures on my web site that also shows how I hold a bowl gouge.

Once everything is square. I use my Teknatool dovetail scraper to cut a dovetail recess in the bottom of the blank. This will be used to hold the blank using my Nova dovetail chuck. The recess is cut to about 2 1/2" circle. At this point I switch and mount my bowl on the Nova expanding dovetail chuck.

This picture show how I have used my bowl gouge to cut away the inside of the bowl. The lathe speed I used during this entire process was 684 RPM's. Now that the bowl has been roughed out to about a 3/4-1" thickness, I will date it and write pecan on the bottom. The bowl will be set aside for 4-6 months or until dry. Once it is dry, I will finish turn the bowl.

You can find more pictures and more information on my web site.

http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Basic Wood Turning Tools for Spindles and Bowls

I have been asked a couple of times what tools should I buy. The answer depends on what you want to turn. I have put together a list for bowls, spindle turning, pens turns and a couple of extras.

The picture to the right are my basic tools for bowl turning.
I use a 3/8" Deep fluted bowl gouge, a 3/4" Bowl scraper and a 1/16" parting tool. These are the basic tools I use to turn bowls.
Some people use a 1/2 bowl gouge but I find the a 3/8" gouge is easier to control and works better in tight places.

Spindle turning and pen turning almost the same. I use spindle gouges in the 1/4" and 3/8" size.

These are the main tools used in spindle turning, also in pen turning. Spindle gouges can be used on the outside of bowls but not on the inside. I also have a 3/4" roughing gouge use to rough pieces to the round. Another good tool to have is the skew chisel , I use a 1/2" chisel the most but also have a 1"chisel I have the oval design, I get better control with it. Last but not least is the 1/8" diamond parting tool. I use the 1/4" gouge and the skew for pen making and sometimes I need the parting tool.

I also have two other tools I want to mention. One is the spindlemaster, it is a cross between a skew and a spindle gouge. I love this tool and use it alot. The other tool is a dovetail tool used to make the recess in the bottom of bowls, so they can be held in the chuck properly.

One last note on tools, Make sure you buy tools that are made of HSS high speed steel or better. Anything less will not hold an edge. In wood turning you will need sharp tools and tools which hold there edge longer wont have to be sharpened as much.

Please visit my web site for more information on turning and woodworking.
http://nokeswoodworks.com

Nova 1624 Lathe from Woodcraft

I got a new Nova 1624 Lathe from Woodcraft about a month ago. I have nothing but good things to say about this lathe. The 1 1/2 hp motor has more than enough power for this weekend woodworker. It came with steel legs which I am currently using. They seem to keep the lathe very stable. The motor is smooth and powerful. Belt changing is easy, which is a plus. I have already turned several projects on the lathe. I will be sharing some of these projects, here on my blog as well as my web site. The woodcraft people were very helpful went I went to the store to pick it up. I also have the Nova G3 chuck, which I used on my Jet mini lathe. I may want to pick up a bigger chuck in the future but for right now, this chuck has worked well.
This lathe is great for wooden bowls, Pens, spindles, small table parts and anything you can turn in the 16" round by 24" inches in length. You can see a picture to the right, click on the picture for more infromation.
Please visit my website http://nokeswoodworks.com

Making Wine Stopper or Bottle Stopper kits,Stainless steel

WINE or BOTTLE STOPPER KITS

I recently purchased some stainless steel bottle stoppers from Arizona Silhouette. The wine stoppers are made of stainless steel and should not corrode for any reason. These are the best kits on the market
The wood is turned in the usual way. I drilled and tapped the hole to create threads on which the stopper could be mounted. The tap was sized at 3/8" to fit the stopper.
Here are some of the pictures from my new stoppers.
Please visit my web site for more on turnings with a mini lathe
http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Father's Day Gift for the Woodworker

It's that time of year again, to think about what to get Dad for Father's day. If your Dad is a woodworker then I am sure a surprise woodworking tool will be in order. One idea could be to go to Woodcraft and get a gift certificate. A gift certificate will allow him to get anything he wants.
As a woodworker, I confess that any tool, even if I already have one, is a great gift. I have 3 drills and 3 routers and I use them all.
A new square is always needed. A set of drill bits, is always useful. Woodworking books are always a favorite for me. A new circular saw by Dewalt or Porter Cable is on my wish list.
A Bosch Colt trim router is a great idea. If your Dad is into carving, Woodcraft has just come out with a new line of Hock Knives, you can't go wrong with a new detail knife from Hock. If your Dad has a lathe, try a new Sorby spindlemaster turning tool, unless of course you want to purchase him a new lathe.
If you are not into buying tools or books, Dad's can always use a new baseball cap.
Please visit my web site http://nokeswoodworks.com/

There is a link to woodcraft in the side bar.

Pen Making The Wall Street II Pen kit

Wall Street II Pen kit from Woodcraft.

The following pictures may be helpful in understanding the steps needed to build the Wall Street pen kit that I purchased from Woodcraft. The finished pen is illustrated here to the right. These are easy pens for the beginner and fun for the experienced turner as well. I used my Jet mini lathe and Robert Sorby turning tools.

The picture to the left shows the pen kit parts, drill bit 27/64 , the wood blank and the epoxy used to make the pen kits. The first Step is to cut the blank to length. Use the brass tube to measure and mark the blank for cutting. Cut the blank a little longer than the brass tube. It will be made to length later. Mark the center of the blank on the end before drilling. Drill slowly and clean out drill bit often. If you get the blank too hot or do not clean out the bit you will get a blow out on the blank. As you can see in the picture I have a home made pen vise that I have used successfully for years.

After the pen blank is drilled. I sand the brass tube lightly before mixing epoxy to glue the tube inside the blank. I like epoxy more than CA glue, but CA glue will work fine also. After the pen blank has dried I then go to the sander to square up the ends. A picture of this process can be seen on my web site: http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Once the ends are square, It is ready to be mounted on the lathe using a bushing and a pen mandrel. The picture to the right shows the pen blank mounted to the lathe .

Once the blank is mounted to the lathe, and everything is tightened up. The blank is then ready to be turned. Refer to my blog on lathe speeds for correct turning speed for pens or other projects. There are pictures of the actual turning process on my web site. A gouge is used to reduce the pen blank to a rough round size. A skew is then use to take the blank to proper size. I use the spindle master instead of a skew. This smooths the blank and gets it to the right size ready for sanding. I use a range of sand paper from 120 to 600 and then use micro mesh to 6000 for the sanding process. Once this is complete I use a finish of my choice. In this case I used Hut crystal coat to finish this pen. This is a friction polish and is applied with a cotton cloth and rubbed into the wood while the lathe is running. Once the finish is complete the pen blank is removed from
the lathe. It is assembled using a pen vise. Please visit my web site for more pictures and more information on pen making. http://nokeswoodworks.com/

This kit can be purchased from Woodcraft. See link to the right.

Wine Stopper or Bottle Stopper

Turning a wine or bottle stopper is similar to turning a pen. Use the same lathe, same turning tools.

Start with a blank of wood 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" X 2".
This will be placed in a drill press vise ready to drill, you may want to start with a Foster 3/4" drill bit to recess
the hole depending on type bottle stopper you are using. If you do recess the hole, then center Fostner bit on
the blank and drill down 3/8 of an inch.
Next insert a 6mm drill bit and drill down 1". This will be the first step if you decide not to recess the hole.

You will need a bottle stopper mandrel, attach the mandrel to the head stock. Then screw the stopper onto the
mandrel using the 6 mm hole just drilled. Now pull up the tail stock and tighten to secure.

Using a skew and spindle gouge turn the stopper to desired shape. Sizes and shapes may vary.
Remove tail stock and finish turning. I use a spindle master for most of my turning work.

Now sand using progressive grits of sand paper to 600 grit. Apply finish, this can be wax, sanding sealer, wood
turners wax or a CA finish.

Remove the turned piece and glue the head to the stopper with thick CA glue. I always use epoxy

There are a couple of different types of stainless steel stopper. Some people use a dowel in the hole and glue a
cork to the other end. See my web site for more on turning.

Randy
http://nokeswoodworks.com

Chisels used on the mini lathe to make pens

Which lathe tools do you use to turn pens on your mini lathe? There are four main chisels I use when turning pens.
1. A parting tool 1/8"
2. A roughing gouge 3/8"
3. A. Skew 1/2"
The 4th tool is more a choice than something you really need.
4. A spindlemaster by Robert Sorby tools.
All tools should be made of (HSS) high speed steel, they will stay sharp longer and will have less heat build up. I use a Delta slow speed grinder to sharpen my tools.
And you will need sharp tols if you every turn plastic pen blanks.
Let's go back to the spindlemaster, I have both the 1/2" version and the micro version. The micro version has become one of my favorite tool for turning pens and other small projects. The advantages over the skew are: easy of use, no sharp corners to dig in, it will plane, cut coves and beads and it is easy to sharpen.
Randy
http://www.nokeswoodworks.com

Lathe Speed, Pen Making and Bowl Turning

What speed should you set your lathe to when turning different projects.
I have guidelines that I use when selecting what lathe speed to use. The speed you use should allow the blanks to turn with little or no vibration. So if you turn the lathe on and there is vibration, shut it down and lower the speed.
I always wear a face shield, which is a good safety practice.
My guidelines for turning wood are as follows:
Pen Turning 3000 RPM or higher
Stock smaller than 2" can turn at 3000 RPM
Stock which is 3" can turn at 2000 to 2800 RPM
Stock which is 5" can turn at 1200 to 1800 RPM
Anything over 6" should be turned at less than 1000 RPM
When sanding I always slow my lathe down to 500-600 RPM
When applying finish, I set it to it's lowest speed. Which for me is 500 RPM
These guidelines are for wood, if you turn other material, these may not be right for you.
These are only guides, try different things and see what works best for you.
Always wear a face shield or at least safety glasses when turning. And if it doesn't feel right shut it down. Do not turn wood with defects, cracks or knots.
http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Bandsaw

The Bandsaw is the most overlooked tool in the shop. My bandsaw has become a do everything machine. I use it many times instead of my tablesaw. Especially for smaller projects. Its the tool of choice anytime I am cutting curves. I use it to make some cuts on dovetails. I use it to trim pen blanks to size. I also use it for Bandsaw boxes. It can resaw thick wood to give me the thin wood I need for small projects. Its great when making pen boxes or candle boxes. I have even used it to cut table legs.
My bandsaw is the Jet 12" floor model. Most people go for the 14" model but to date the 12" model has done a great job.
Any time I want to prepare wood for the lathe for bowl making my first stop is the bandsaw.
For me the bandsaw is a must have tool in the shop.
Please visit my web site for more information http://nokeswoodworks.com