How to turn a bowl without a chuck

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Tormek T8 Sharpening System

Tormek Woodturner’s Kit

Flexcut starter carving set

In this video I use the technique of a jam chuck to turn a deep bowl. This is a simple method of turning a bowl without a chuck. In the video I used poplar wood and went for a shape close to a noodle bowl.

I first turned the exterior of the bowl between centres using mostly the bowl gouge. 

At the bottom of the bowl I made a tenon that had a slight taper about 1 degree. 

To make the jam chuck I mounted a piece on a face plate and turned it true. Using a spindle gouge I hollowed it. I made the hole slightly tapered again. I made it so the tenon of the bowl fit snuggly. 

I then pushed the bowl in the jam chuck. I used the centre mark on the front to push the tailstock straight. This way it fit nice and straight in the chuck. 

Then I started hollowing with the bowl gouge. 

To clean the bottom I shaped  a cone on the jam chuck. Then I pushed the bottom of the bowl against the tailstock in order to mount it straight again. With a spindle gouge I shaped the bottom. I left a small piece which i removed with a carving gouge. With the bottom concave bowls sit nicely on flat surfaces. 

And my little bowl was ready. It is really useful to be able to make and use a jam chuck. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to make a wooden bracelet - Woodturning

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Tormek T8 Sharpening System

Tormek Woodturner’s Kit

Bandsaw

Buffing kit

Compass Circle Cutter

In this video I show you my method of making wooden bracelets on the lathe.

I begun by making a paper template using a compass cutter. 

I then roughly cut my blank on the bandsaw. 

After turning the blank between centres I created a tenon for my chuck. 

I then chucked the piece and started hollowing it with a bowl gouge. 

You can use bowl gouges all the way. But I like to use the hook tool to clean the bottom. 

After sanding the piece I parted it off. 

With the wood that remained on the chuck I made a cone which I will use later on the process. 

Using another scrap piece I made a jam chuck. The tenon on the chuck was slightly tapered at one degree or maybe a hair less. 

Next I centred the cone on  my tailstock and then I pushed it against the bracelet to fit it on the jam chuck as centered as possible. 

Now, I can easily sand and shape the other side of the bracelet. 

Once I finished sanding I buffed the piece on the wheel with carnauba wax.

And that was it. My bracelet was ready. It’s an easy project if you follow the right steps. See you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to make a DIY carver's vise for woodturners

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Stick welder

Lathe

Drill press

Angle grinder

Foredom Woodcarving Kit

Flexcut starter carving set

In this video I make a metal base on which you can mount your turning chuck. The base itself is mounted on your lathe's tool rest position. This way you can remove your turned item, carve it and then remount it on the lathe without losing centre. It is also pretty expensive to buy something like that ready made.

First of all I found a screw that matched the female threads of my chuck.

I then cut the screw to size with my grinder. I chamfered the threads by mounting the piece on my lathe and using the grinder. 

I then cut a piece of tubing. I also made it a bit smaller so the screw fit nicely. 

I then welded a nut on top of it. When I weld and have gaps I use a broken electrode or another piece of metal to fill the gap. 

I then made a knob using a threaded rod. 

Next I cut and welded the rest of the parts. 

I primed and painted the parts and my vise was ready. 

It worked better than I expected and it actually saved me a lot of money. 

But that was it. See you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Woodturning the eyeball bowl out of poplar

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Tormek T8 Sharpening System

Tormek Woodturner’s Kit

Bandsaw

Flexcut starter carving set

Circular saw

Pyrography Wood Burning Tips

Pyrography Pen Wood Burning Kit

Alcohol based markers

Buffing kit

In this video I make a box with a cap out of poplar. I decorated the cap with my dot shading wood burning technique.

I begun with an 8cm block of poplar which I cut on the bandsaw. 

I then turned it true between centres and then created a tenon for my chuck. 

I then chucked it and started hollowing it with the bowl gouge. 

To clean the bottom I used my bowl bottom cleaning jaws. 

I then used a carving gouge to create the texture on the outer surface of the bowl.

Then I turned the cap. I used my woodburner to decorate it with my dot shading technique. 

I then applied a coat of sealer. I lightly sanded it and then added color with alcohol based markers. 

Finally I buffed the top with carnauba wax. I left the bottom a bit rough to highlight it’s texture. 

It was a really interesting project, but that was it. See you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Metal casting in cuttlefish bone and DIY fishing weight

 

Tools and materials I propose:

Lead shot balls

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Tormek T8 Sharpening System

Tormek Woodturner’s Kit

In this video I demonstrate a pretty ancient jewellery technique used to cast metal. 

I heard about this technique from the jeweller Mr. Stelios Fotakopoylos. You can check his channel here.

I begun by cutting the bone in half. 

Then I used a sanding block to flatten one side of each piece. 

I used two screws as registration marks. 

Next I turned a wooden fishing weight model on my lathe. 

The bone is pretty soft. You can gently press anything into it to make your mold. 

I pressed my model and my registration screws in one side and then pressed the other bone on top. 

I then used a knife to carve the funnel and a few air release tubes. 

I then removed the model and clamped the two sides of the mold.

I melted some lead balls and casted it into the mold.

It worked really nicely. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.