When Good Wood Cracks – Demonstration # 1
It's a curse and an opportunity when wood cracks. The demonstration presents a series of techniques that take the curse of a crack and turn it into an artistic opportunity. This presentation flows from the article I wrote for the AAW's American Woodturner in the August 2015 edition. The article was a survey of techniques used by woodturners across the country to deal with a crack.
This demonstration appeals to woodturners of all skill levels.
There are two key themes in the demonstration. The first theme is to demonstrate a safe way to use each technique. The second is unleashing the creativity of each turner to resolve cracks in their own unique way.
Techniques will be from the following list:
Dutchman and Butterflies – How to safely create a butterfly patch in a bowl. Stabilizing the wall with the repair, and the use of contrasting colors are discussed.
Splines - This is a repair technique suitable for wider flaws than the Dutchman technique. The creation of a custom spline with matching slot across the flaw will be shown.
Lacing – It sounds simple, but it is not. I will discuss the technical issues and how to solve walking drill bits, misaligned holes and other problems. The key decisions in lacing will be illustrated with a sample board that shows a variety of lacing materials and patterns.
Staples – An alternative to lacing is the use of staples. Staples can go through the wall or be hidden in the wall. Both techniques will be shown.
Cut it Out – This is the third choice for flaws. We can leave it, highlight it, or cut it out. I will show how to create a mountain range rim, a wave rim and the wrapped vase. The idea of using common items, such as a zipper, or a button, as an insert will be demonstrated.
Brass Plating – Demonstration will include making the template, cutting the plate, and forming the plate to the curved surface, and creating hand formed rivets.
Rope it Up – This technique uses actual rope to bind the crack in a unique way with a rope.
Cable it Together - Holding things together with steel cable and springs.
Art Theory. - How you can use a repair to make your pieces look more appealing. The point of turning a flaw into a design element is illustrated with actual examples.
Group Discussion – The demonstration concludes with a group discussion of how to repair flaws on actual pieces. Each individual’s creativity is encouraged.
This presentation in its entirety will run approximately 2 1/2 -3 hours of speaking time. The length can be shortened by removing topics or lengthened by adding techniques.
Handouts for the demonstration are under the “Demonstrations” Tab on my website. Step by step instructions for each of the techniques, the specifics of the materials and tools used during the demo and a copy of my article “When Good Wood Cracks” from the American Woodturner, August 2015 can be downloaded from the site.
It's a curse and an opportunity when wood cracks. The demonstration presents a series of techniques that take the curse of a crack and turn it into an artistic opportunity. This presentation flows from the article I wrote for the AAW's American Woodturner in the August 2015 edition. The article was a survey of techniques used by woodturners across the country to deal with a crack.
This demonstration appeals to woodturners of all skill levels.
There are two key themes in the demonstration. The first theme is to demonstrate a safe way to use each technique. The second is unleashing the creativity of each turner to resolve cracks in their own unique way.
Techniques will be from the following list:
Dutchman and Butterflies – How to safely create a butterfly patch in a bowl. Stabilizing the wall with the repair, and the use of contrasting colors are discussed.
Splines - This is a repair technique suitable for wider flaws than the Dutchman technique. The creation of a custom spline with matching slot across the flaw will be shown.
Lacing – It sounds simple, but it is not. I will discuss the technical issues and how to solve walking drill bits, misaligned holes and other problems. The key decisions in lacing will be illustrated with a sample board that shows a variety of lacing materials and patterns.
Staples – An alternative to lacing is the use of staples. Staples can go through the wall or be hidden in the wall. Both techniques will be shown.
Cut it Out – This is the third choice for flaws. We can leave it, highlight it, or cut it out. I will show how to create a mountain range rim, a wave rim and the wrapped vase. The idea of using common items, such as a zipper, or a button, as an insert will be demonstrated.
Brass Plating – Demonstration will include making the template, cutting the plate, and forming the plate to the curved surface, and creating hand formed rivets.
Rope it Up – This technique uses actual rope to bind the crack in a unique way with a rope.
Cable it Together - Holding things together with steel cable and springs.
Art Theory. - How you can use a repair to make your pieces look more appealing. The point of turning a flaw into a design element is illustrated with actual examples.
Group Discussion – The demonstration concludes with a group discussion of how to repair flaws on actual pieces. Each individual’s creativity is encouraged.
This presentation in its entirety will run approximately 2 1/2 -3 hours of speaking time. The length can be shortened by removing topics or lengthened by adding techniques.
Handouts for the demonstration are under the “Demonstrations” Tab on my website. Step by step instructions for each of the techniques, the specifics of the materials and tools used during the demo and a copy of my article “When Good Wood Cracks” from the American Woodturner, August 2015 can be downloaded from the site.
MultiAxis Flower Disc – Demonstration # 2
There are several key themes woven into the presentation.
- Woodturning is a journey, not just making a thing.
- The journey starts with a simple horizontal disc then progresses to a vertical disc that becomes a canvas for a multitude of coloring, texturing, and carving techniques.
- Breaking the pattern of jumping from one form to the next. Doing them all, but not mastering any of them.
- The importance of working out the sequence of operations before you start.
- And oh yes, the bulk of the time is spent actually making a functional multi-axis, vertical flower disc.
The primary handout is my article from the June 2017 issue of the American Woodturner which can be downloaded from DennisBelcher.com, the Demonstrations Tab. This is supplemented with a Sequence of Operations Handout and information on the coloring techniques that I use. My article on Water Soluble Dye is scheduled to be published 2021.
Board to a Vase - Demonstration #3
All woodturners have limitations. Those constraints can be equipment or our body. An attraction of this project is that it does not require a chain saw, heavy lifting, an extensive shop, deep hollowing tools, a truck, or a strong back. Only a lathe and a basic set of turning tools are required.
The idea is to glue up a vase blank rather than turning it from a solid block of wood. A glass tube insert allows you to use the vase with water. No need to hollow. While the completed vase will be 8”, this technique permits scaling up or down. Regardless of the size, no hollowing is required.
Instructions will be given on the proper use of a spindle roughing gouge, a bowl gouge, and drilling in a safe manner. The group will also be exposed to variation in design, and we will work on training the eye to see good form.
Variations in finishing techniques will be explored.
Most woodturners start life as wood workers. This is an excellent transition project for the change.
This project was one of the featured articles in the February 2021 issue of the American Woodturner. That article details each step in the creation of the finished vase. Demonstration runs about 1 ½ hours and is typically paired with Tuning your Lathe, or Drilling on the Lathe.
All woodturners have limitations. Those constraints can be equipment or our body. An attraction of this project is that it does not require a chain saw, heavy lifting, an extensive shop, deep hollowing tools, a truck, or a strong back. Only a lathe and a basic set of turning tools are required.
The idea is to glue up a vase blank rather than turning it from a solid block of wood. A glass tube insert allows you to use the vase with water. No need to hollow. While the completed vase will be 8”, this technique permits scaling up or down. Regardless of the size, no hollowing is required.
Instructions will be given on the proper use of a spindle roughing gouge, a bowl gouge, and drilling in a safe manner. The group will also be exposed to variation in design, and we will work on training the eye to see good form.
Variations in finishing techniques will be explored.
Most woodturners start life as wood workers. This is an excellent transition project for the change.
This project was one of the featured articles in the February 2021 issue of the American Woodturner. That article details each step in the creation of the finished vase. Demonstration runs about 1 ½ hours and is typically paired with Tuning your Lathe, or Drilling on the Lathe.
Tuning your Lathe - Demonstration #4
Your lathe should be a tool that supports your creations, not be something that causes stumbles. The demonstration walks the audience through each component of a lathe and explains how they should be maintained for smooth running.
The demonstration will address:
Your lathe should be a tool that supports your creations, not be something that causes stumbles. The demonstration walks the audience through each component of a lathe and explains how they should be maintained for smooth running.
The demonstration will address:
- Which parts of the ways should not be lubricated?
- What is a dry lubricant and where should it be used?
- What to do if your tailstock slips.
- How to care for your quill.
- What is galling and why do we care.
- What you should do if your drill chuck slips in the tailstock
- How to have your banjo strum musically (just joking really it is the proper care of a banjo).
- Why is the locking plate so important.
- Sources of vibration and wobble and their cure.
Drilling on the Lathe - Demonstration #4
Drilling on the lathe is a basic operation that is ignored in woodturning training. Much has been written about the use of a bowl gouge or a spindle gouge, but little information is available about how to drill safely.
This demonstration covers why turners experience “nasties” when drilling and what steps need to be taken to prevent them. Information about a Morse-Taper is presented, how to repair a damaged arbor, how to change out an arbor for a new one, the importance of cleaning the quills, and how to repair a damaged quill. Once the groundwork is laid, various drilling techniques are demonstrated with a discussion of the pros and cons of each.
Drilling to set depth of a turning, drilling small diameter pilot holes and using a chip clear gun drill round out the discussion of drilling.
Hand out is my article, “A Primer for Drilling on the Lathe”, published in the August 2019 Edition of the American Woodturner.
The typical comment I hear from people who have heard this demonstration is “I wish I had heard this years back”.
Drilling On the Lathe demonstration runs about 45 minutes.
Drilling on the lathe is a basic operation that is ignored in woodturning training. Much has been written about the use of a bowl gouge or a spindle gouge, but little information is available about how to drill safely.
This demonstration covers why turners experience “nasties” when drilling and what steps need to be taken to prevent them. Information about a Morse-Taper is presented, how to repair a damaged arbor, how to change out an arbor for a new one, the importance of cleaning the quills, and how to repair a damaged quill. Once the groundwork is laid, various drilling techniques are demonstrated with a discussion of the pros and cons of each.
Drilling to set depth of a turning, drilling small diameter pilot holes and using a chip clear gun drill round out the discussion of drilling.
Hand out is my article, “A Primer for Drilling on the Lathe”, published in the August 2019 Edition of the American Woodturner.
The typical comment I hear from people who have heard this demonstration is “I wish I had heard this years back”.
Drilling On the Lathe demonstration runs about 45 minutes.