PLATTERS

Mark Sanger looks at

colour and texture
on platters

PROJECTS Bird box • Banksia pod • Wall mirror

• Pizza cutter TECHNICAL Colour theory
• Pepper mill assembly • Pole lathe bowl turning
The Coronet Herald represents the culmination of decades of expertise in
the manufacture and supply of superior woodturning lathes.
Developed with the help of professional woodturners and keen
hobbyists, we believe we have produced a world-class lathe
for woodturners of all levels. Thanks to a number of innovative
design solutions the capabilities, features and performance of
the Coronet Herald far exceed anything a machine of this size
has been capable of before - it brings top-end professional
performance at a fraction of the size and cost of comparable
heavy duty lathes.

Heavy-duty spindle lock

and 24 point indexing

Video Available

youtube.com/RecordPowerTV
Features the latest motor
technology to deliver
huge amounts of torque
from the 750 W
output motor Shown with optional tubular leg stand.

ONLY
£999.95
Inc. VAT

16015 Tubular Stand £129.99 Save £20.00

16011 Cast Iron Bed Extension £149.99 Save £30.00
Rotating headstock 16013 Cast Iron Outrigger £39.99 Save £10.00
features accurate angle 16012 Bench Feet £59.99 Save £10.00
stops and can swivel 360º
Prices valid until 31.10.2020. E&OE.

Specifications Optional Fitments

Maximum bowl diameter: 533 mm

Maximum between centres: 508 mm
Maximum swing over bed: 355 mm
Spindle speeds: 96-3890 rpm
Motor input P1: 1000 W
Motor output P2: 750 W 16011 Cast Iron 16013 Cast Iron 16015 Tubular 16012 Bench Feet 16208 In-Line
Thread: M33 x 3.5 Bed Extension Outrigger Stand RRP £69.99 Emergency Stop
Taper: 2 Morse taper RRP £179.99 RRP £49.99 RRP £149.99 RRP £39.99
Weight: 48 kg
Size: W870 x D290 x H252 mm
 Coronet Herald Heavy Duty Cast Iron
Electronic Variable Speed Lathe
“I found the lathe a delight to use. Functionality wise, it did everything I asked of it without fuss and components stayed put
when locked in place...I think it is a great midi-lathe which will suit many turners’ needs, capacity and space wise.”
Woodturning 317

“With large blanks mounted you can use the variable speed
control to keep the machine stable and vibration free...Would I
recommend this lathe? Yes without a doubt, it’s well designed
and built to a high standard.”
Online Review
“The new Herald - Sets a new standard
It surpasses my expectations by a country mile! The size
is ideal for the turner with limited space, has outstanding
capacity for its footprint and is very quiet indeed... Record
Power most certainly have a winner.”
Online Review

members
by of
d
e

th
Us

e
R e gis

rs
rne
Tu
te

of l
r

Pro na
f e s si o

Incorporating some of the most famous

brands in woodworking, Record Power’s

www.recordpower.co.uk Tel: 01246 571 020 roots stretch back over 100 years.
Features you’ll love about
Robust Lathes
Heavy duty
Pre-hardened banjos that
spindles with heavy slide freely and Stainless steel
lock securely ways and a
rugged bed that
lets the chips fall
away

Industrial
grade motors,
drives and
switches.
Add a Tilt-Away
for the American
eauty and
agnetic backed urable Powder Sweet 16
controls Scout is oating Silvervein
½\IH[MXLWXSTFEV and lack

Adjustable
Height

The American Beauty

Beauty, a premium bowl
and vessel lathe setting a new standard for
woodturners around the world. Available with
a standard bed (as shown) or long bed. Either
way it’s hard to outgrow.
In the EU, please see In the UK, please see Phil Irons
All Robust lathes are made in Barneveld, Ronald Kanne in The Netherlands: Tel: 01789 751284
Tel: +31 653 173 580 phil@philironswoodturning.co.uk
Wisconsin where our skilled craftsman earn a Email: info@dehoutdraaierij.nl www.philirons.com
living wage. Our work ethic and commitment to www.dehoutdraaierij.nl
quality is reflected in the products you receive.
That’s why we back our lathes with a
complete 7-year warranty.
®Better by design.
Enjoyed for a lifetime!
E m ail: in fo@ t u r n ro bu st .co m • Ph on e : 608.924.1133 • www.t u r n rob u st .com

With summer in the rear-view mirror,
thoughts have turned to autumn and
the creation of seasonally appropriate
carvings, such as Andrew Potocnik’s
beautiful floral display using the unusual
banksia pod, and Richard Findley’s
bird box in preparation for next year’s
nesting pairs.
Andy Coates continues his tribute to
items for everyday use by turning a
cheese and biscuit platter with butter
dish. On a similar theme, new author
Stephen Long creates a pizza cutter, while
We are now on Instagram. Follow us on @woodturning__magazine and share your work with us using #woodturningmagazine
Dutch designers Marisa Klaster and Suzan
Doornbos reflect on their stylish tableware
collaboration, REPEAT.
We take a step back in time with Les
Symonds’ intricate cubic box, influenced
by Cornish Troika pottery, and Gareth
Irwin completes his bowl on the
traditional pole lathe.
Brian Horais, also new to Woodturning
magazine, begins a three-part series on
the art of multi-axis turning, and Pat
Carroll and Mark Sanger explore textures.
Repurposing offcuts can yield stunning
WELCOME
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW POTOCNIK
results, as Jason Breach shows with a
selection of wall mirrors, and Stewart
Furini brightens up the shortening days
with different hues in an exploration of
the theory of colour.
With the onset of the colder
weather, we look forward to seeing
what you are making in your cosy
workshop or frosty shed, so please
do share your projects with us at
wteditorial@ thegmcgroup.com.
Happy turning.
Woodturning 349 3
 ISSUE 349

33
COVER IMAGE: Mark Sanger (see page 66)

20 Turned bird box

Projects
6 Open cubic box
Les Symonds makes an open box,
heavily influenced by Troika pottery
26 Banksia pod project
Andrew Potocnik explores Australia’s
native treasure for the first time
33 Wall mirrors
Jason Breach shows how to turn
potential waste wood into something
useful and decorative
57 Square platter series
Pat Carroll continues his look at this
genre with a design that’s unusual
for the shape
98 Pizza cutter
Stephen Long turns the perfect pizza
cutter from beech
Techniques
13 Getting to grips with colour
A whistle-stop tour of the world of
colour theory and how to use it in
colouring your woodturning
Richard Findley accepts the Editor’s
Challenge to make this home for our
Features
feathered friends 48 Repeat collaboration
Dutch designers Marisa Klaster and
39 Domesticware Suzan Doornbos tell us about their
Andy Coates looks at more objects tableware project
intended for everyday use
104 Sharpening: A Woodworker’s
66 Introduction to platters: Guide
part three We review the latest book from
Mark Sanger looks at developing platters woodworker Randall A Maxey
further with colour and texture
112 Woodturning in history
78 How to split turn Pete Moncrieff-Jury researches
Split turning is a very useful technique for the history of the craft
producing either half or quarter mouldings
82 Kurt’s clinic
Kurt Hertzog answers some
readers’ questions
Community
3 Leader
87 Turning a multi-axis twist Welcome to the latest issue
Brian Horais shows how to create unique of Woodturning
twisted and spiral shapes on the lathe
with a multi-axis technique 64 Our contributors
Meet our authors
94 From design to a functional
item – final assembly 74 Community letters
Chris West discusses turning, finishing A selection of letters we have received
and assembling the pepper mill from readers
106 Pole lathe bowl turning: part two 80 Next issue
Gareth Irwin completes his explanation Find out what’s in store in the next issue
of bowl turning on the pole lathe

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Woodturning is an inherently dangerous pursuit. Readers should not attempt the procedures described herein without
seeking training and information on the safe use of tools and machines. All readers should observe current safety legislation
when turning and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

NEWS, LATEST PRODUCTS, MAGAZINE UPLOADS & EVENTS To subscribe

can all be found on www.woodworkersinstitute.com. These all appear on the magazine homepage
and you can see a bigger selection by scrolling down the page and clicking on the individual stories.
please turn
We also have an extensive online archive for you to browse, or see us on Facebook & Twitter. to page 72

4 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 CONTENTS

6 98

20

Woodturning 349 5
 Open cubic box
Les Symonds makes an open box, heavily influenced by Troika pottery
In this article I am going to
take you through the process
of turning circular features on to
what is effectively a cubic box with an
extended neck and this will involve some
degree of turning to each of the box’s six
faces. Perhaps the single most important
aspect of work such as this is that every
single face of the project is worked to a
finish, thus we effectively have to reverse-
turn all six of them. This will call for careful
preparation and planning of the scheme
of the work involved as once each face is
finished, we cannot return to rework or alter
any aspect of it.
The design for the box is heavily
influenced by the work of the potters at
Troika Ceramics, a now-defunct pottery
which was based at St Ives in Cornwall.
Troika had two distinct ranges of pottery,
smooth glazed ware and rough textured
ware, the latter of which will be our
influence for this article.
I will feature four examples of surface
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LES SYMONDS
decoration which typify the Troika
style. The Troika potters specialised in
a scheme of colour, form and texture
which was distinctive. Colours were
varied, but muted; form was geometric
and abstract, with occasional reflection
6 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
of known shapes, such as faces; texture
was distinctive – clay was often rolled
on to coarse fabrics and gritty surfaces
to impart a texture which would then be
given a dull base colour to make the over-
painted top colour more distinct.
In our example we will be concentrating on
solely the shapes and forms of the Troika
scheme, thereby reflecting Troika pottery
in a material that we all choose to use. We
will use European oak (Quercus Robur),
a traditional, home-grown timber, for the
main construction of the box, which will be
slab-built, just as much of the pottery was.
For the minor elements that make up the
surface decoration, feel free to use whatever
range of timbers you have to hand, but think
carefully about the mix and the contrast of
colours and shapes you use.
Troika Ceramics
The original Troika pottery was set up
in 1962 at the former
premises of the Powell and
Wells Pottery, at Wheal Dream
near St Ives in Cornwall, but later
moved to Newlyn. It was the brainchild of
three friends, Leslie Illsley, Jan Thompson
and Benny Sirota, and it traded until 1983,
when declining sales forced it to close.
The unique design and bold appearance
have led to Troika being a favourite among
those who frequent antique shops, looking
for symbols of an earlier era.
Health and Safety
As with the turning of any workpiece
which is not circular to start with, caution
needs to be taken. Our box will also be
slightly out of balance, as the centre of
the circular recess on each vertical face
is below its centreline, so proceed slowly
and carefully, select an appropriate lathe
speed and use good lighting to minimise
any ‘ghosting’ of the outline of the box
while it revolves. Much of the turning
will rely on simple pressure and friction
to hold the workpiece, so once again be
mindful of lathe speed and gentle with
your tool work.
 OPEN CUBIC BOX

EQUIPMENT USED
Panel 1
Materials • Chuck with 70mm jaws Recess overall
• European oak (Quercus robur) • Revolving/live centre with 130mm x 10mm
• Blanks: two 180 x 150 x ring-point or steb pattern 2 semi circles
20mm, two 180 x 110 x 20mm, • 200mm-diameter pressure cut from 50mm
diameter disk
two 110 x 110 x 30mm pad (refer to step 7) 6mm thick
• Sundry pieces of your • Bench chisel and mallet 9 bars, each
choice for decoration. • 35mm or 50mm sanding 32 x 6 x 6mm
(radiused
pad and drill top edge)
Woodturning tools • Respiratory & PPE
• 6mm bowl gouge
• 6mm spindle gouge Consumables
• Parting tool • Abrasives
• Hollowing tool or carbide cutter • PVA adhesive
• Two-part epoxy adhesive
Peripheral equipment • Sanding sealer
• Workshop facilities to • Soft wax finish (for Panel 2
prepare the components inside the box) Recess overall
130mm x 10mm
• G-cramps or similar • Aerosol acrylic lacquer
• Try square (satin finish) Circular detail
110mm diameter
• Set mitre • Scrap pieces of timber x 6mm thick
• Steel rules for chucking with 30 x 75mm
slot

3 squares,
100mm each 20 x 20
x 6mm

30mm

Panel 3
Recess overall
130mm x 10mm
For details of
infill panel, 1 semi circle cut
130mm 150mm from 110mm diameter
refer to x 6mm thick
other drawings with 40mm diameter
semi-circular cut-out

3 bars, 19, 13 & 10

x 3mm

Panel 4
Recess overall
Opening 130mm x 10mm
outer diameter
(Viewed from above) 100mm with 9 squares,
6mm thickness 22 x 22 x 6mm

Woodturning 349 7
 1 Select timber and prepare it to the sizes given in
the cutting list – accuracy will pay dividends. Check
your machines regularly for squareness and size
settings and denib any torn fibres left by saw cuts.

2 Assemble everything needed for the glue-up

and have a dry run to ensure all goes well. Set
out the work on a flat, clean surface – a machine
table can be ideal, but be mindful of the blue stain
that can be generated when moist glue lines are
left in contact with steel. Use a PVA adhesive that
dries to a clear finish to avoid black glue lines.

3 Apply the glue evenly to both halves of each

joint, rubbing the joint gently together to disperse 1 2
any pooling. This will prime the surfaces and helps
reduce the problem of the pieces sliding adrift.
Cramp up, gently at first, and when all cramps are
in place, uniformly increases the pressure on them.

4 Set aside to allow to dry then remove the

cramps and lightly abrade the outer edges of the
box in preparation for gluing the final two pieces
into place. If you don’t have access to a belt sander,
lay a full sheet of abrasive flat on a machine table
and rub the workpiece across it to perform this
step. If you are using a belt sander, proceed gently.

5 Remove any excessive seepage of glue. Repeat

steps 2 and 3, gluing the final two pieces into
place. Set the box aside for the adhesive to cure
fully, then remove the clamps and repeat step 4 3 4
to clean away any seepage and to true up minor
discrepancies. Keep checking for squareness.

6 Use a steel rule or straightedge to mark the

centres on both top and bottom of the box and
use a set mitre to mark the centre point of the
circular recesses on each of the four sides. With
the 150mm-wide sides that have been specified,
these centre points should be 75mm in from each
vertical edge and 75mm up from the bottom
edge. Use a suitable centre punch to make a
physical centre mark on each of the six faces.

7 Choose a clean piece of scrap wood as a

pressure pad, around 200mm diameter and no
less than 25mm thick. Attach a faceplate, turn its
outer edge and true up its flat face. When your box 5 6
is pressed against this pad, you have two choices.
Either use a high friction material, such as router
matting, on the face of the pad (as in this image) or
screw lengths of 20x10 scrap wood on to it to help
to keep the workpiece in place, as seen in Step 11.

8 Set the top of the box against the pressure pad

and bring the tailstock up against the centre mark on
the bottom of the box, applying firm pressure. At this
stage, it doesn’t matter what type of revolving centre
you use. If you are not confident enough to work with
a router matting-faced pressure pad, this is the point
at which you can screw the pieces of scrap wood to
the pad, tightly up against each of the four faces of the
box. If your glue-up has resulted in out-of-true ends to
the box, using scrap wood pieces will be the safer way
forward and will help you to true the box up again. 7 8

8 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 OPEN CUBIC BOX

9 Set the toolrest along the length of the box

and revolve the box by hand, checking that
there is a uniform gap as each of the edges
pass by; make any slight adjustments if you
need to. Set the lathe at a slow speed – only
you can assess what is safe for you.

10 Using a set of 70mm chuck jaws, measure the

size of tenon your chuck can safely accept – in
our example photographed this is 60mm. Mark a
60mm diameter circle on the bottom of the box so
you can cut your tenon and, with the toolrest set
across the bottom of the box, use a sharp parting
tool to start cutting, working outside the circle you
9 10 marked, forming a circular groove your chuck will fit
into to a depth required for your chuck. Check the
dimensions and shape of the chuck tenon and, when
you are happy, remove the workpiece from the lathe.

11 Next start working on the four vertical faces,

cutting a circular recess in each. Set one face against
the pressure pad and bring the tailstock up with
a ring-point revolving centre fitted, as this will be
more secure than a single-point centre. This image
shows the use of the scrap wood pieces, applied to
the pressure pad once the workpiece is in place.

12 Set the toolrest across this face of the box and

mark a 130mm diameter circle on the face of the
workpiece. As this face is 150mm wide, this step can
be achieved with the lathe stopped, by making a
11 12 pencil mark 10mm up from the bottom, on the face’s
centreline, then holding a pencil against it revolve
the workpiece by hand. The resulting circle will be
10mm from the bottom and from each side. Use a
parting tool to cut a 10mm-deep groove inside the
circle, also cutting a second groove inside that if
there is any risk of the parting tool binding in the cut.

13 Use a spindle gouge to remove the centre of

the circle to form the 10mm-deep recess, working
from the groove cut in the previous step, towards
the centre. Stop the lathe regularly and check the
depth of the recess by resting one steel rule across
the face and using a second to measure the depth.

14 Leaving a small cone of timber at the very

centre of this circle (where the revolving centre
13 14 makes contact), continue to cut away waste until
you have a cleanly cut bottom surface. Proceed
slowly and gently, giving due consideration to the
fact that this is a hollow, glued-up workpiece.

15 Abrade the surface to 400 grit, remove the

workpiece from the lathe and lay it on a clean surface
with the newly cut recess uppermost. Use a sharp
bench chisel and mallet to gently pare away the cone.

16 Cutting with the grain, remove a small amount

of material with your first cut, then check to see
how the grain is running. If it is running down into
the surface, rotate the workpiece and make light
cuts from the opposite direction. When you have
removed as much as you can by this method, use
a small sanding pad to clean up the surface. Repeat
15 16 steps 11 to 16 for each of the other three faces.

Woodturning 349 9
 17 With a chuck with 70mm jaws on your
lathe, place the workpiece on to the chuck,
using the chucking tenon cut in step 10 to hold
it. This will bring the top of the box, which has
not yet been worked, in line with the toolrest.
Advance the toolrest for extra support and mark
a pencil line across any one of the four sides
of the workpiece, 150mm up from its bottom
edge – use a try square to ensure accuracy.

18 Draw a similar line around the other three

sides, so your line now extends around the
workpiece. This will be your guide to where
excess material will be cut away to form the neck of
the box, leaving 150mm square sides on each face. 17 18

19 Set the toolrest across the top face of the

workpiece, as close as it can safely be, and as
close to the revolving centre as you can get it.
Draw a 100mm circle on the top face to
indicate the outer edge of the box’s opening,
then use a 6mm spindle gouge to start cutting
excess material away. Work from the outside
towards the drawn circle, with light cuts to
reduce any chipping-out at the corners.

20 To keep the bevel rubbing as you progress,

your gouge will increasingly extend over the toolrest
and you will need to sweep the end of the handle
through quite an arc to keep a smooth cut running.

21 Adjust the toolrest regularly to avoid 19 20

excessively extending the gouge over it and
continue cutting to form a pleasant curve, blending
from the square box up to the round neck. Some
slight chipping-out of grain at the top of the neck
(the rim of the opening) is almost inevitable, so
proceed with gentle, light cuts to reduce this.

22 You now have the outer edge of the neck

formed, so this is a good time to abrade it to
400 grit, using the lathe for sanding much of the
neck, but working by hand on the discontinuous
areas. Move the toolrest back around so that it
lies across the top of the box and make a couple
of light gouge cuts to clean away any broken
fibres on what will be the top rim of the neck.

23 Check to ensure the chuck has not slackened, 21 22

remove the tailstock, set the toolrest across the top
face of the box, extending beyond its centre point,
and use a 6mm spindle gouge to drill out a hole at
the centre. Check the height of the toolrest is such
that the tip of the gouge lies on the exact centre
of the workpiece, the gouge is held horizontally
and the flute points to about 45° left of top centre
(you could use a drill in the tailstock if you prefer).

24 Proceed slowly with these plunging cuts,

removing the gouge regularly to clean out the
flute, and continue until you have cut through the
30mm-thick top of the box, into the void inside
it. Next use a 6mm bowl gouge if you have one,
or a 6mm spindle gouge if you don’t, to start
cutting away the waste and opening up the
small hole that you drilled in the previous step. 23 24

10 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 OPEN CUBIC BOX

25 You will soon notice that cutting down into the

void results in grain break-out inside the neck of
the box, so you will have to change tools at some
point to use one that allows a pull cut, working from
just inside the void out towards the top of the rim.
Almost any type of hollowing tool or carbide cutter
is useful for this, and in this image you see a 6mm
Hope carbide cutter performing the task admirably,
but whatever tool you use, make slow, gentle cuts.

26 When you have completed the cutting and the

neck is reduced to about 6mm thickness at the
top, abrade it down to 400 grit and apply sanding
sealer. With the opening of the neck nearly 100mm
25 26 wide and only 30mm deep, it is quite safe to use
a couple of fingertips to hold the abrasive and to
buff off the sealer, but do not extend your hand
into the box beyond the neck while it is revolving.

27 Switch off the lathe and liberally apply sanding

sealer to the whole of the inside of the box, wiping
it back off again before it dries. You are obviously
limited in the type of finish you can apply in here, so
denibbing with a nylon web pad followed by a finish
such as a soft wax, rubbed in by hand, will suffice.

28 While the box is in this position, it is a good

opportunity to abrade the four faces, working
through the grits. On the coarser grits, work with a
hard sanding pad, such as a scrap piece of timber,
to avoid excessive rounding over and, from 240
27 28 grit onwards, gently soften all sharp edges. As all
the sanding can be done with the grain, you will
find that 320 grit will be sufficient for a finish.

29 Set a piece of scrap wood into a chuck such that

you can cut a circular tenon on it to fit comfortably
inside the neck of the box, with a soft paper towel
on it to protect the finished surface. Slip the neck of
the box on to the tenon and advance the tailstock,
applying gentle pressure to hold the box in place.

30 Use a 6mm bowl gouge or spindle gouge to

clean away the tenon on the underside of the box,
blending it into the four sides, retaining a flat edge all
around the outside of the square. Abrade, remove
from the lathe and clean up the cone as before.

29 30 31 Use a little free choice for the decorative

elements you will apply to each of the four circular
recesses. There are thousands of images of Troika
work online and the drawings in this article will give
you a feel for what to use, so chose patterns you like,
but work methodically and accurately. When setting
the elements into place, such as the semi-circle
in this image, use a steel rule to measure across
from the side of the box to ensure it is upright.

32 A few dabs of two-part epoxy resin are

ideal for this sort of work, but be sparing so you
don’t have any glue seeping out on to exposed
surfaces. When lining-up small, multiple elements
of the design, cut scrap pieces of wood to regular
thicknesses and set them between the elements
while the glue dries. With geometric patterns such
31 32 as these, your accuracy will pay dividends. •

Woodturning 349 11
TIME FOR COLOUR?

We’re not suggesting that you need to add colour to everything you make, but used
creatively and artistically it can add an extra element to your work. Need inspiration?
Look no further than the pieces shown here, just an idea of the endless possibilities
open to you, and all achievable using the stains, paints and polishes in our range.

See your local stockist for

further details or contact us at:
Chestnut Products
PO Box 260, Stowmarket, IP14 9BX.
www.chestnutproducts.co.uk
01473 890118

Our thanks to: Emma Cook, Kirsty Dalton, Chris Fisher, Stewart Furini and Gary Lowe for the use of their amazing images.
 Getting to grips with colour
Stewart Furini embarks on a whistle-stop tour of the world of
colour theory and how it can be used in woodturning

If you’ve been reading my other articles in this series, or have

watched any of my demonstrations, you’ll know I’m a pretty keen
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STEWART FURINI
 Red

The colour wheel Red-Violet Red-Orange

Isaac Newton is credited

with producing the first
colour wheel following his Violet Orange
experiments with light in
the 17th century. Others had
split light with a prism into
the colours of the rainbow, Warm hues
but Newton is credited Blue-Violet Yellow-Orange
with passing this through Cool hues

another prism and returning

it to a single white light,
demonstrating the additive
nature of colour in light Newton’s colour wheel – red, orange, Blue Yellow
waves. He took these colours yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet
and arranged them
in a circle, thus producing a new way of representing colour,
which since Ancient Greek times had been seen as a linear Blue-Green Yellow-Green

relationship from light to dark: white to yellow, then green and Green

red, then blue to black. By placing the colours in a circle, the The colour wheel today – 12 colours in place of Newton’s seven
relationships between different colours were highlighted and
we now have a whole language to describe colours and their
connections with each other based on their position on this Primary, secondary and tertiary colours
wheel. There is a huge body of academic and artistic discussion For our purposes, using paint, the primary colours, or hues, are
about attempting to explain what colour is and how and why red, yellow and blue. In theory, we are told, all other colours
colours work with each other or not, and even why colour could be mixed from these primary colour paints. In practice,
wheels aren’t a true representation of how colour works. You though, more paints are needed because for the theory to work
could spend a long time reading all this but I’ll try to distil it the primary colour paints would need to be made from pure
into this short article, though it will of necessity have to simplify pigments, which we don’t have for red and blue. Our colour
what is, in reality, something rather complex. So, please bear printers fare better, being able to create all their colours from
in mind that this is not a full treatise on colour theory – it’s cyan, magenta and yellow with the addition of black, or CMYK
a starting off point to get comfortable with trying out some as the abbreviation goes for this colour process.
colours and ideas, and then maybe for leaving behind as you
experiment adventurously with the huge range of colours and
media available to us today.
Do an internet search for colour wheels and you’ll find a vast
array of designs and ways of representing colour. Some even
add a third dimension when trying to include information about
tones, tints and shades. Newton’s colour wheel had seven PRIMARY COLOURS –
colours, the ones we’re all familiar with from the mnemonic for paint these are red,
‘Richard of York gave battle in vain’, but the colour wheel used yellow and blue
today has 12 colours. This is the colour wheel to which I’ll be
referring. It is of use to us because it helps with understanding
what colours work with each other in harmony, and what will
cause clashes and dissonance. Perhaps it’s no accident that
a lot of the language used to describe colour is also used to
talk about music – Newton even linked each of the colours
on his wheel to a musical note.
SECONDARY COLOURS –
equal measures of two
primary colours, giving
Buy a colour wheel orange, yellow and violet
Commercially-available colour wheels are inexpensive and take the
effort out of remembering colour combinations. Not only does one show
you the main colours on the outside of the wheel, and which colours
are warm or cool, it helps with tonal values and tints and shades
through adding grey or black or white to your starting colour.
It also shows you a range of different colour patterns. If you’re
not sure about making your own
colour choices. This is a great aid TERTIARY COLOURS –
to get you started. a primary colour and
each secondary colour
A double-sided colour next to it mixed together
wheel showing
colour relationships
and results of
colour mixing

14 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 GETTING TO GRIPS WITH COLOUR

Subtractive and additive colour

The mixing of colours in paint, stains, dyes and inks is a
subtractive process. The colour we see in a paint is the
wavelengths of light it does not absorb. The wavelengths
that have been absorbed have been ‘subtracted’ from
light. When mixing different paint colours together,
more light waves are subtracted until we end up with
a dark, sludgy mess of a colour, or an interesting hue
of black if we are lucky and have used paints with
a high concentration of good-quality pigments.
The additive process is what happens with light – mix Subtractive colour process Additive colour process
different coloured light together in the right proportions
and you will end up with white light. Your RGB monitor is computer screen from different intensities Note that, in light, green takes the place
the proof of this, creating all the colours you see on your of each of these three primary colours. of yellow as the third primary colour.

Mix two primaries in equal parts and you have one of the three
secondary colours: red and yellow for orange, blue and yellow
for green, and red and blue for violet. Well, this is the theory,
but given the lack of a true pigment for red and blue, you may
not quite get these results, which is why you can buy these
secondary colours ready-mixed.
This is half of our colour wheel made. The other six colours
are tertiary colours formed by mixing equal parts of a primary
colour with each of the secondary colours either side of it on the
wheel. These colours are named after the primary colour first,
then the secondary colour, giving us yellow-green, blue-green,
blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, and yellow-orange.
This completes our wheel and we can now see the emerging
relationships and harmonious connections between different colours.

Colour relationships
A colour will either harmonise with
another colour, or contrast with it, and
the colour wheel will show us which of
these relationships two or more colours
will have. Those colours closest to each
other harmonise well, while those further
apart contrast.
Take three or four adjacent colours and
you have a set of analogous colours that
will harmonise well with each other. These
colours harmonise because they reflect
similar wavelengths. Stretch the selection
a bit further round the wheel to take in ANALOGOUS COLOURS – COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS –
a sixth colour and the harmony is lost. 3 – 5 colours next to each other any pair of colours opposite each other
Among my favourite colour combinations
are the analogous colours between red
and yellow, with some black to provide
contrast, that sit on the ‘warm’ side of
the colour wheel. Call to mind a peacock
feather and you’ll see the colours are all
next to each other on the colour wheel –
harmony in nature.
Take colours on opposite sides of the
wheel and you have complementary The red looks brightest on its complementary colour green
colours that contrast with each other, the
strongest contrast being between colours
directly opposite each other. A common
complementary colour combination found Complementary colours
in nature is red and green – at the time Complementary colours, while sounding as though they might be polite to each other, are actually
of writing I’m looking out on my runner ‘completing’ each other as each pair contains the three primary colours. The primary colour yellow
bean plants and their bright red flowers has as its complementary colour violet, a secondary colour made from equal parts of red and
against the strong green leaves. The strong blue. This is the case for any two complementary colours you choose to pick on the wheel: yellow-
contrast of complementary colours makes orange and its complementary colour blue-violet contain all three primary colours, with yellow-
these colours look their brightest – useful orange having yellow and red combined, and blue-violet having blue and yellow combined.
to know if you want your decorated platter
rim to have some ‘pop’ in the colours you
choose. If you want to darken a colour,
rather than adding black to it try mixing in
a little of its complementary colour. The complementary colours from the colour wheel

Woodturning 349 15
 Other contrasting colour schemes you can derive from the formed anywhere on the wheel as a starting point for deciding a
colour wheel are the split-complementary and triad and tetrad colour scheme, and can help get you out of a bit of a rut if you
patterns, as the illustrations show. These colour patterns can be find that you’re using the same colours all the time.

TRIAD COLOURS – three colours evenly spaced TETRAD COLOURS – four colours evenly spaced SPLIT-COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS –
around the wheel (the primary colours and around the wheel a colour with the two colours either side
secondary colours are triads) of its complementary colour

Theory into practice

If I’m honest, then I have to say I’m a lazy
colourist, tending to use the coloured
media as it comes from the bottle or tube,
seldom making my own mixes. If I were
a portrait or landscape painter then this
approach would probably place a severe
limitation on my achievements (even
assuming I could handle a paintbrush with
the requisite skill needed to reproduce
accurately what was in front of me.)
But as woodturners, we are perhaps not
looking to reach the pinnacles of artistic
achievement with our colouring – rather
we are using it to embellish or decorate
or highlight parts of what we have turned.
The quality of the turning should be
paramount – it’s not quite the case that
form is all, but form should be at the
top of our list as a turner. This is not to
denigrate the artistic achievements of
anyone who uses colour on wood – there
are some highly skilled and talented artists
producing exceptional work around the Two platters with mostly cool colours from the blue-green side of the wheel, but some red and yellow
world. But for bringing some warmth to a on the right-hand one for contrast
platter rim with a couple of colours from
the yellow to red section of the wheel, with
a cooler contrasting colour from the blue-
green side to pick out a highlighted feature
like a bead or cove, the colour wheel is a
helpful starting point.

Close up of the contrast added by using yellow

and red with the cooler colours Strong contrast between the inner colour and outside blues and white

16 www.woodworkersinstitute.com

The colour wheel is also helpful if you’re trying to choose more
than a couple of colours to go together – try them all: analogous
colours and complementary colours, the split complementary
combination, a triad or a tetrad. But remember, the combinations
on the colour wheel are just starting points to get you out of
the blocks. There’s more to exploring colour than just following
some of the theory. For example, how much of each particular
colour you choose to use plays an important part in the final
A swirl of warm red-orange-yellow, with strong blue contrasts
Shades, tones and tints
At their simplest, a shade is a hue with black added to it, a tone with grey
added and a tint with white added. While paint manufacturers will rename
Shades, tones and tints of red
Closing thoughts
To sum up, don’t get lost in the theory – it’s helpful to be
aware of it, and it’s a helpful place to start if you’re new to
adding colour to your turning; it’s helpful to offer ideas for new
colour combinations; it may even be helpful to ‘explain’ why a
particular colour combination didn’t come off in the way you’d
wanted it to. But it’s not a set of rules to memorise and apply
GETTING TO GRIPS WITH COLOUR
look of your decoration; the starting colour of your piece of
wood has a bearing on how your colours will look, especially if
you are using stains or dyes rather than paint as they may ‘mix’
with the wood’s natural colour and change hue; and we haven’t
really had time to talk about using different tones and values
of a colour to bring more variety and texture to your colouring,
or about varying levels of a colour’s intensity. And as for the
psychology of colour, well, that hasn’t had a look-in at all.
Close-up detail of the colouring showing the swirls of the separate colours
and their blending together
tubes of such paints with all manner of interesting titles, it’s pretty
straightforward to make your own shades, tones and tints,
without deviation. I keep coming back to the view that whatever
you do with your turning you should be enjoying it and should
welcome the opportunity to be creative and inventive – it’s an
opportunity to express yourself and try out new things and
make mistakes and learn from them: and it’s much more fun
making those mistakes in colour! •
Woodturning 349 17
 The finest tools for your finest woodwork

Approved stockists for:

· Robert Sorby · Hamlet Craft
Cra Tools
· Tormek · Pro-Edge · Burnmaster
· Saburr Tooth · Kirjes · Abranet

Order online at www.classichandtools.com or call us Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Hill Farm Business Park, Witnesham, Suffolk, IP6 9EW Tel 01473 784983
 Turned
bird box
This month, Richard Findley
accepts the Editor’s
Challenge to make this
home for feathered friends

Occasionally, during my chats with Whenever I’m sent a picture from

the Editor, I am asked if there is ‘the internet’ as inspiration like Bird box fact file
anything I’d like to cover in the this, I am always careful to put my
articles that I haven’t done before. own spin on it rather than just Hole sizes for different birds:
I happened to mention that I had copy it directly. The design is to 25mm for blue, marsh and coal tits
recently been contacted by a lady be quite simple anyway, but out 28mm for great tits and tree sparrows
from Norway who had seen a full- of interest I take a look online 32mm for house sparrows and nuthatches
sized, turned bird box online and to see if there is much inspiration 45mm for starlings
wanted something similar as out there. I have previously seen
a gift. After I got permission from bird boxes made as ornaments Other important information:
my customer to write it up as an for Christmas trees, but not • The hole should be at least 125mm from
article, the Editor said it would be a full-sized one for actual birds. the floor of the box so predators can’t
ideal as autumn is the perfect time My online search largely supports reach in and young can’t fall out
to hang a bird box, so it would this, showing lots of interesting • Birds don’t need a perch – these can
fit in well with the publishing mini versions but very little in help predators
schedule too. terms of full-sized boxes. • Face north or north east to
The other thing I am aware of is avoid the worst weather
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD FINDLEY

Research that bird boxes have some features • Best fitted in the autumn to allow birds
My customer sent me the picture which are important for attracting to investigate before nesting in spring
she’d seen as inspiration and birds and keeping them safe once • Fix 2-4m above ground level
specified it should be between they’re in there. I have compiled • Have drainage holes for air circulation
300mm and 400mm high, but the basic facts courtesy of RSPB and to allow any water to escape
otherwise left it to me to work out. in the side panel.

20 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 EDITOR’S CHALLENGE

The design
The RSPB strongly urges that boxes are
kept simple and made from wood. This is
considered the best material to keep birds
insulated, but not too hot, and is also
completely natural, unlike plastic or metal
boxes, which often do more harm than
good. Granted, this will be far from simple
but hopefully will provide a good home
to some birds for years to come and look
good in place, weathering over time to
blend in with its surroundings. The wood
needs to be suitable for outdoors though,
so I am going to opt for oak for the body
and sapele for the roof and base, which
should give a pleasing contrast.
After drawing out what I have in mind
and getting approval from the customer
I need to work out the best way to
make it. The main body of the box will
be a cylinder, around 250-300mm high,
featuring an overhanging roof with a
feature finial and a simple base. It will be
fixed to a tree, so I also need to come up
with a suitable way to fix it.
When making the body of the box, there
are a couple of options available. I could
glue up a block of timber, as I might for
making a set of large table legs, and
hollow it out, but this seems wasteful
and a lot of hard work. Hollowing deeper
than about 150mm is a real challenge and
not particularly fun (at least to me). The
other option is to segment staves to form
something similar to a coopered barrel,
which would keep waste to a minimum
and, although there is a good bit of
careful work needed in machining the
staves, it will make turning it a breeze.
The lid could be cross grain or end
grain, but I am always wary of end grain
on outdoor projects as it soaks up water
and causes rot. No matter which grain
orientation I use there will be end grain,
there’s no avoiding it, but it seems to me
that using a cross-grain blank will make
for a longer-lasting roof, likewise for the
base, which will simply be a disc fitted to
the underside.
Segmented turning
The few times I have dabbled in
segmented work I have enjoyed it,
despite some of the frustrations that
come along with it regarding the angles
and joints. I have only made a staved box
once, which was the barrel box at the
start of this series, 30 issues ago.
First of all, I need to do a little maths
to work out the angle I need and the
size of each stave. From my drawing, a
diameter of around 170mm looks good.
A look online confirms that a diameter of
170mm gives a circumference of 534mm
(plus a load of decimal points). If I use 12
staves each will need to be 44.5mm wide
(534÷12=44.5), I think we can call that
45mm between friends.
To find the angle I need to divide 360°
(the number of degrees in a circle) by 12,
which means each angle is 30°. Each angle
is made up of two pieces of wood though,
so each joining face needs to be 15° (half
of 30°).
I have a board of ex 50mm European oak,
so by using the thickness of the board
as the width of each stave, I can slice
32mm-wide strips from it. Once planed and
thicknessed, these will give me staves of
45mm wide and around 27mm thick. I am
unsure how much wood will be removed
as I turn it round, so, for now, I err on the
side of caution and leave them a bit thick.
The board is around 700mm long, so I
can get two staves from each length and
only have to cut six strips. This will make
planing safer too, so I am happy with that.

Machining

Setting the fence on my planer to 15° Close-up of the reading Beginning to feed to wood over the planer

Feeding the wood beyond the cutter block After planing the angles, the wood is too thick Now at 21mm, it looks much better

As always, there are a few ways in which I could produce an
accurate angle on the edge of each stave, including a tablesaw
with tilting blade (mine doesn’t tilt) or perhaps with
a suitable router or spindle moulder set up, but my preference
is over my planer.
I had bought a digital protractor for my first segmenting
challenge, so I dust it off, set it to 15° from vertical and
set the heavy cast iron fence on my planer to match. I have
recently fitted new knives so it is cutting beautifully.
The guard is correctly set to cover the cutter block and
leave only enough space for the wood to pass over it.
The longer lengths of oak help me to keep my fingers a safe
distance from the cutter as I pass the wood over the machine.
Each face takes several passes, but I am very happy with the
results. The only thing that does catch my eye is that the inner
face of each stave looks quite narrow, and I need to drill a hole
for the entrance, ideally without cutting into the joints.
With the wood at 28mm thick, the inner face is only
29mm wide, but it is now clear that this is too thick,
so I run all the staves through the thicknesser again, taking
them down to 21mm, which makes the inner face 33mm
wide, and much more suitable.

Woodturning 349 21
 Test fit
I am happy with the look of the staves,
each angle is clean, crisp and importantly,
straight. From the six strips of oak, I cut
12 x 300mm pieces which will make the bird
box and lay them on the bench, face up, to
see how they look. I shuffle them around a
few times until I am happy that the best-
looking wood is at the front and mark this
as the entrance. I then apply masking tape
across the 12 pieces, joining them together.
I flip them over and roll them up, as one
angle closes the next stave is picked up,
and I soon have a 12-sided tube. I am fully
The staves laid out in order
Drilling the entrance hole
The glued tube
22
expecting to have to adjust the fit to get
it perfect. At the very least, run my block
plane along the last angle to close it up, but
I am shocked (in the best way) to see that
the staves close up perfectly first time.
I remove the tape and drill the entrance
hole in the centre piece, which is easily
done on my pillar drill with a 25mm
Forstner bit. Initially, it is 170mm from the
bottom, but I suspect 300mm might be a
little tall, so it allows me to trim a little
off. With the hole drilled, I position each
stave back on the bench and tape them
Test fit looks very promising
Taped up and ready to glue
The joints are tight, inside and out
up again. Once again I flip them over and
this time spread good-quality D4 white
glue lightly on to each face of the glue-up.
As I roll up the staves this time, there
is more resistance and the ends don’t
seem to want to meet up. A wave of
panic briefly passes through me, until I
realise it’s just the glue between each
join and as it compresses, squeezes and
spreads itself out more evenly, the staves
gradually come together and I can add
tape to the final joint to form the 12-sided
tube of the bird box.
Applying the glue
Turning the tube
The following day, I remove the tape and
closely inspect the joints. I am so pleased
with how tight it is, without a single gap
and the tube feels as solid as a rock. I feel
it is a little tall though, so trim it down
from 300mm to 250mm carefully on the
bandsaw. My next challenge is to turn it
into a cylinder. The advantage of a tube
is that it has a central hole, so mounting
is quite straightforward. I cut two 18mm
birch ply discs. One is mounted on a screw
chuck, the other I drill with a 16mm bit and
run a ¾ x 10 tap through it, which matches
the thread on my Oneway live centre and it
simply screws on. Once in place I bring the
two together and turn them to a slight taper,
which allows them to self-centre inside the
tube. It is then a simple case of turning it
into a cylinder, trimming the ends clean and
true, and sanding. The entrance hole causes
no problems when turning, but I recommend
keeping hands and fingers away from it.
www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 EDITOR’S CHALLENGE

Turning the tube to a cylinder Truing the ends Alternative taper block for a standard live centre

Using a standard live centre

What if I don’t have a fancy live centre with a screw, I hear you ask? Use birch ply to it (you could use any ply or even MDF, but birch ply is the
a piece of minimum 50mm-diameter timber and hollow it to fit snugly best quality). Once the glue is dry, you can continue as above, driving
on to your standard live centre. You can then glue and screw a disc of it with the lathe to turn it round and with a taper to fit the tube.

Roof and base

From my timber stack, I find boards of
ex25mm and ex100mm thick Sapele
to use for the lid and base. As I need
the lid as thick as possible, I plane both
flat on two faces and glue a piece of the
25mm on to the 100mm, my idea being to
use the 25mm part as the tenon for the
lid, allowing me to use the full thickness
of the 100mm as the visible roof. Again, I
use the D4 white glue and several clamps
to hold it together overnight as it dries.
The base is reasonably simple turning.
I begin with it sandwiched between my
live centre and the ply tapered block I
already had on the chuck. This allows
me to cut a very shallow recess on the
inside face of the base. I decide that
this shallow recess won’t cause the
nesting birds any discomfort.
With the recess cut, I hold the base
in the chuck and can turn a tenon to fit
the tube and bring the whole thing down
to the correct diameter. I planned to try
to make it exactly the same diameter as
the oak tube, but as I do a test fit it is
just slightly wider and I like the look of
it. I cut a small chamfer on its top edge
to allow any rainwater to run off. On the
underside, I turn a slight decorative recess
with a rounded corner. My customer asked
for a message to be laser engraved in the
base, and I think this will frame it well.
With the glue dry on the lid I can turn
this too. Initially, I use a faceplate to
mount it while I turn the underside flat
and add a small recess. I also turn the
tenon and adjust until I am happy with
the fit of the box. I then mount it with
the recess on the chuck and bring up
the live centre for support as I rough
out the shape. This is a cross-grain
blank, like a bowl, so I have to keep
this in mind as I turn, working with the
grain. I opt for a teardrop-type finial on
the top, but keeping in mind the grain
direction and for strength reasons, I leave
it a little thicker than I might a spindle-
grain blank.

Adding thickness to the roof Cutting the recess in the base Cutting the tenon on the base

Profiling the base with a negative rake scraper Turning the tenon on the lid Testing the lid for fit

Woodturning 349 23
 Beginning to rough out the shape
Fixings
The final detail to turn before sanding is
what would be called a ‘drip moulding’
on a window sill. If you look under an
exterior window sill, you will find a
groove, usually rounded, sometimes
square, but it will be there, even on
plastic and stone sills. The idea is that
water cannot travel uphill, so a groove
of some sort will prevent water from
running along the underside of the sill
and causing damp on the wall. I add a
similar detail to the underside of the roof
of my box.
The base is simply screwed, with three
stainless steel screws, up into the base of
the oak through slightly over-sized holes.
I could glue it too, but decide it would be
better to be able to remove it for cleaning.
The roof is similarly screwed at three
points, through the side of the oak, into
the tenon. At first, I made the tenons quite
tight, which made positioning easy, but
being aware of wood movement once it
gets outdoors, I don’t want the tenons to
swell and potentially split the oak tube, so
Drainage holes
I realise, after I get the
base back from the
engraver, that I hadn’t
added any drainage holes,
which also allow airflow
inside the box and help
keep mould away. I drill
a few carefully placed
holes, which I hope will
be enough and still look
good on the base with
the lettering.
Happy with how it all
goes together and looks
as a finished bird house,
I disassemble it all and
apply five coats of exterior
UV oil, a natural blend
of oils that should give
some extra protection
from the elements. Oiling the components
24
Adding detail to the finial Drip moulding on the roof and stainless steel
screw holding it in place
I remount both the roof and the base and
ease the fit to give some room to move.
The bird house will be fitted to a tree
and the RSPB recommends that you
shouldn’t screw directly into a tree as it
will cause damage – it is better to use
some sort of strap to hold it in place.
With this in mind, I design a bracket with
keyhole plates, which can be strapped to
a tree or screwed to a fence post if the
customer changes their mind. With the
bracket in place, two screws epoxied into
the back of the box will simply drop into
the keyhole plates, locking everything The bracket with keyhole plates
securely in place, but being easily
removable for maintenance in the future.
The bracket is easily cut from a planed
board of oak, cut out on the bandsaw
and drilled to accept the keyhole plates.
I gently round the top to allow rainwater
to run off. I realise that the round body of
the box leaves a gap where it meets the
square bracket, so I plane a flat, by hand,
on the back of the box, before setting the
screws in place with epoxy. Hand planing a flat on the back of the box
Conclusion
This has been an enjoyable challenge and I am pleased with the
look of the finished bird house. There was a lot of work involved
in making it, compared to a standard square affair, but I think
it was worthwhile. Notice I’ve started calling it a house instead
of a box, I think the look of the finished item is definitely worthy
of that promotion. I hope it will be a home for generations of
birds for years to come. •
The base, engraved and with drainage/ventilation holes
www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 Banksia pod project
Andrew Potocnik explores Australia’s native treasure for the first time
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW POTOCNIK

26 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 BANKSIA POD PROJECT

This project is a first for me – I’ve never worked with

banksia seed pods before and had to think long and hard
about how to adapt my making to this material. I’m aware EQUIPMENT USED
of how some prominent makers make the most of this Tools
material’s characteristics so I didn’t want to copy what • 12mm deep fluted bowl gouge
they make, but did hope to learn something from their • 12mm fingernail ground bowl gouge
experiences in how to work with these woody pods. • Parting tool
In doing some research, I found there may be some • Small spur drive
problems in working with the fibrous outer material, but • Luthiers bending iron
to my surprise, the central stem portion is quite solid. • Bandsaw
This led me to go back to one of my more signature • CA glue
forms, pod-shaped pieces that in the eyes of many • Respiratory and eye/face protection,
resemble flower shapes. Although not what I intend them dust extraction for chucking
to be, I appreciate that they do seem floral, especially
as I draw on organic inspiration when assembling these
forms into sculptural pieces.
250mm
I assume razor-sharp tools and correct cutting angles
80mm
will be the key to working this material to desired
shapes, and maybe a drop or two of cyanoacrylate glue
to harden up some soft areas may be needed, so let’s
set off on a journey of learning by doing, and assuming
you’ve never turned these pods, you’ll be sharing my
adventure. Now let’s see where it will lead us.

SAFETY CONCERNS
Banksia pods eject a lot of sharp material during turning, so
respiratory and eye protection is a must. The pods contain
tens of thousands of tiny hairs which if inhaled may cause
breathing problems, immediately or at a later date. They
may also cause local dermatological problems for some
people, so closely sited dust extraction while working is a
must. Advice on PPE can be found on these websites:

250mm

370mm
www.hse.gov.uk/respiratory-protective-equipment/
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis14.pdf
www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/oms/2009/03/om200903app4.pdf

Focus on banksia
There is little information regarding the wood of this
tree as it has minimal commercial value and is only
used as a craft timber, generally harvested and used
by hobbyists for small-scale projects. The pods of the
Banksia tree do have a commercial value though, and
are used predominantly by woodturners. Most commonly
the pods of the bull banksia (Banksia grandis) are used,
the pods from other species, some 170 of them, being
too small and unstable for use.
Banksia pods are the internal structure of the Banksia Pods range from 75mm Ø to 80mm
and are approximately 5mm thick.
flower, left after the flower has died off. The pods are
often compared to the pine cone but the two species Length is approximately 150mm.
are not related. The tree can grow from 5-10m in height ‘Stems’ taper from 10mm to 4mm.
with a trunk up to 0.5m in diameter. It grows as an
understory tree in eucalypt forests in southern regions
of Western Australia, especially under open forests of
jarrah (E marginata) and Karri, where it is commonly be, or become fractured during working the pods.
the only banksia present. The seed cavities can reach deep into the pod, and
Banksia pods range in size from 100mm to over 300mm it is these cavities that give turned projects a unique
long, with a diameter ranging from 65mm to 130mm. appearance and texture. The voids can be filled with
Immediately under the hard, shell-like exterior of the resin or other coloured inlay materials, much as is
pod, there is an area of furry, reddish-brown material. often done on burrs and wood with knot holes and
This can be an irritant while turning. Further toward fissures, or they can be left open as an integral feature
the centre is the denser, wood-like core, which may often of the finished object.

Woodturning 349 27
 Examples of the raw material

A pod cut in half along its length shows the woody core
through to the less solid outer. The structure changes
from one pod to another

Cut across the pod you see the woody centre section
and ‘eyes’ that once contained seeds. The outer
Bare as they come from the tree, if you’re lucky enough to find them in Western Australia, edges have a furry, reddish fibre that may need to be
otherwise this is how they’ll look in your supplier’s stash stabilised with glue or something similar

The making
1 With the ‘tops’ and ‘tails’ nipped off on the
bandsaw I located the centre point of the
woody core at both ends of the pod so it could
be mounted between centres. An extra-small
drive spur was fitted to a scroll chuck so it
gripped firmly into the woody core of the pod.

2 Trimming the pod down, density of material

could be determined as cuts approached the
core, each level exposing the change in structure,
colour and potential patterns I could make
the most of in the piece I planned to make.

3 With a small tenon cut at one end of the pod it 1 2

could be reversed into a scroll chuck. Now I could
cut a narrow collar of about 10mm width and 40mm
diameter, by which the piece could later be held in
a scroll chuck. The stem of the form was trimmed
with a 12mm deep fluted bowl gouge, which I like
to grind to a fingernail profile. If rolled over on to its
side I can use the wing as a skew, which reduces
pressure on the wood as cuts are taken. My prime
concern was the structural strength along what we
normally consider the grain of a wooden blank.

4 Wrapping fingers under the toolrest while

thinning the stem can add support to the spinning
material, reducing the potential for ‘whip’, catches
and possible disaster. The stem needs to be thinned
enough so it fits inside the inner portion of your
chuck’s jaws and inside the spindle of your lathe. 3 4

28 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 BANKSIA POD PROJECT

5 With the pod reversed into a scroll chuck

it’s time to begin hollowing the interior using
a 12mm fingernail ground bowl gouge. This is
when the thrill of working with this material
comes to light. I opted to work to a wall
thickness of about 4-5mm so the pod stayed
intact. Soft portions were hardened with thin
CA glue, as I expected would be needed.

6 ‘Eyes’ of the pod come to the fore

as the pod is thinned and expose just
how beautiful this material is.

7 To reverse the pod and continue its outer

5 6 shaping relies on pressure between the
tailstock centre and chuck to hold the piece
in place. With this material I could not rely
on grain running along the stem to provide
strength and support, so I turned a domed
carrier that could support the inside of the pod.

8 Rather than rely purely on tailstock

pressure I applied double-sided adhesive to
the carrier so the tailstock would only hold
the stem in line, rather than act as a clamp.

9 Reversed on to the carrier, the collar

can be trimmed down as it is no longer
needed. Fingers wrapped under the
toolrest add support to the thinning
material – as it becomes more flexible
7 8 the risk of catches increases.

10 As you approach the woody pith

of the ‘nut’, wonderful wood-like
shavings flow from the gouge.

11 Sanding the stem requires finger support

as the material becomes flexible. I worked
from 120 grit down to 320 using sanding
as part of the shaping process to ensure a
gradual taper from pod to end of stem.

12 In making other pods I found that the

‘eyes’ of the seed cavities can protrude
quite a way into the material, which can
add wonderful interest to some projects,
but were unwanted here as they form
9 10 weak spots when bending the stems.

11 12

Woodturning 349 29
 13 Once turned and sanded to shape, the
stems can be bent to give an air of grace
and create flow to each segment of this
combined piece. I used a Luthiers bending
iron, which, when heated and water is
applied to the woody material, allows it to
be bent into smooth, flowing shapes. After
the forms cool and moisture has evaporated,
the ends can be shaped further to a fine
taper. I use sandpaper to achieve an angle
that follows the curve of the stem.

14 Applying a wipe-on, wipe-off

polyurethane to each pod reveals a rich
chocolate brown that softens from the stem 13
to the outer portions of the banksia nut.

15 Once the finish dries it’s time to glue

the pieces together and to a banksia
backing (a slice cut through the length
of my sample nut), using strategically
located dobs of thick CA glue.

16 Something in my mind told me this piece

needed to be framed like a painting, so I
bought a length of moulded timber to make
a frame, cut a backing board and made a
choice from three stain options. But here’s
an example of where something that looks
good in the mind’s eye may not work out
successfully as a finished three-dimensional
piece. The result? Something I wasn’t happy 14 15
with and a piece I couldn’t get a decent photo
of… so what to do? Take a few deep breaths,
step back and think about how to highlight
the core of this piece, the banksia nut cluster.
After a couple of days all became clear and I
was off and running, straight to my stash of
wood in the waiting, from which I extracted
a board of natural-edged ash (Fraxinus
excelsior) which just needed to be thicknessed
to about 10mm, and then scorched to
darken the wood and expose the grain.

17 Scorching wood in this manner involves a

couple of steps. After burning with a gas torch
it’s best to remove unwanted residue with a
brass brush rubbed along the grain. This will
wear away softer parts of the grain, which can
be enhanced by rubbing a colour – or liming
solution in this case – deep into the grain
and then wiping off residual surface material
to expose the timber’s inherent structure.

To complete the piece, I fitted the banksia

cluster after adding a hanging system
to the back of the ash board. •

16 17

30 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 Keeping your edge
TWS S10
120W WHETSTONE
SHARPENER
Fitted with a pre-dressed, high-
grade 220 grit grindstone and
leather honing wheel, the Triton
Whetstone Sharpener produces a
polished, razor-sharp edge on
cutting and shaping tools.

What’s in the box

1 x TWSS10 120W Whetstone Sharpener
1 x 220 Grit Grindstone
1 x Water Trough Attachment
1 x Leather Honing Wheel
1 x Honing Metal Polish
1 x Grinding Angle Set-Up Jig (TWSGAJ)
1 x Support Arm
1 x Stone Grader (TWSSG)
1 x Straight Edge Jig (TWSSEJ)
1 x Spanner
1 x Instruction Manual

Triton offers a range of sharpening jigs and accessories for a variety

Optional Accessories of woodworking blades including chisels, gouges and carving tools.
For full accessory range visit tritontools.com

TWS SAE TWS CTJ TWS LHW TWS TGJ TWS DTT
Support Arm Extension Carving Tool Jig Profiled Leather Turning Gouge Jig Diamond Truing Tool
Provides simultaneous Clamps narrow & butt Honing Wheel For controlled, Quick restoration of the
tool support above the chisels firmly. Internal ‘V’ Hones & polishes the accurate sharpening of grinding surface. The
grindstone & honing shape automatically inside of V-parting tools woodturning tools. back bar controls rate of
wheels. centres the tool. & turning woodcarving material removal.
gouges.

3YR
GUARANTEE
 Stiles & Bates
The Woodturning People
Upper Farm, Church Hill, Sutton,
Dover, Kent, UK. CT15 5DF
Tel: 01304 366 360 FREE
Mail Order
www.stilesandbates.co.uk sales@stilesandbates.co.uk Catalogue
(No 20)
Woodturning blanks and timber are
our speciality, but there’s more . . .

Exclusive to
Stiles & Bates!

Nova Voyager OSC1 Crown Large Octagonal Shear Cutter £85.00

DVR Variable OSC2 Crown Small Octagonal Shear Cutter £75.00
Speed Drill
Press
Coronet
CrushGrind® Mills
Regent
£1995.00 CGM100 Crushgrind® Mini Mill 100mm £5.30
£1525.00 CGM123 Crushgrind® Mechanism 123mm £5.60
£5.70
CGM135 Crushgrind® Mechanism 135mm
CGM195 Crushgrind® Mechanism 195mm £6.20
CGM260 Crushgrind® Mechanism 260mm £6.40
Nova Galaxi DVR CGM284 Crushgrind® Mechanism 284mm £6.45
Variable Speed CGM470 Crushgrind® Mechanism 470mm £7.60
Lathe CGM-W Crushgrind® Wood Mechanism £5.40

Quantity discount.
Buy any mix of ten or more Crushgrind ®

£2350.00 mechanisms for 10% discount.

We only sell genuine CrushGrind® mills

Coronet
Envoy £1595.00
Two-Part Epoxy Putty
Nova Saturn DVR
Clear Epoxy Casting Resins Variable Speed
Self de-gassing Lathe
No vacuum chamber needed
MIL-STA Milliput Standard £2.20
MIL-TER Milliput Terracotta £2.45
£1995.00 MIL-SIG Milliput Silver Grey £3.50
MIL-BLA Milliput Black £3.65
MIL-SFW Milliput Superfine White £4.40
MMIL-TUR Turquoise £5.95
Buy all six for a 10% discount

GC3-500 GlassCast 3 - 500g Kit

GC3-1K GlassCast 3 - 1kg Kit
£15.50
£23.90
Our shop opening hours:
GC3-5K GlassCast 3 - 5kg Kit £83.90

GC10-500 GlassCast 10 -500g Kit

GC10-1K GlassCast 10 - 1kg Kit
£15.50
£23.90
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
GC10-5K GlassCast 10 - 5kg Kit

GC50-500 GlassCast 50 - 500g Kit

£83.90

£15.50
Saturday 9am - 4pm Assisted parking
GC50-1K GlassCast 50 - 1kg Kit £23.90
GC50-5K GlassCast 50 - 5kg Kit £83.90
Sundays and Bank Holidays - Closed
Prices and offers shown apply to current stock but we expect to hold them
subject to re-stocking availability and currency exchange rates. Images are not to scale.
 Wall mirrors
Jason Breach shows how to turn potential waste wood into something useful and decorative
With the stem mirrors we made in issue
347, I parted off two wooden rings of
200mm diameter and about 25mm thick,
as I hate seeing material end up on the
floor as shavings. I also try to do the same
to avoid waste when making platters and
some bowls. These wooden rings have a
number of uses, depending on the size. My
most popular use is wall mirrors; these are
a functional item so appeal to most people.
This saving of material provides me with
saleable items, which can be made in
several sizes and decorated, coloured,
burned, textured to add to the design.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF JASON BREACH
Care needs to be taken when parting
these off. How much the tool protrudes
over the toolrest puts forces on the tool
and handle – the more overhang, the more
leverage and force is applied to what we
are holding. Depending on the depth, this
type of cut can be done with a parting tool,
but bear in mind the amount of overhang,
the weak area of this type of tool is the
tang, where the metal fits into the handle,
this is reduced in size compared to the
main bulk of the tool. Many years ago, I
broke a diamond section parting tool trying
to core out a bowl blank – a little scary.
On the deeper cuts and bigger diameter
I use a McNaughton bowl saver, which is
robustly built to do the task. There are a
number of cutters, straight and curved,
and the set-up has a gate and support
arm, which supports the tool when cutting
and reduces the force to the handle,
making it safer.
Which cut to make first? I do the cut
towards the headstock, measuring the
depth, then with the tailstock in place cut
from maximum diameter towards the centre
of the lathe. The tailstock is important as
this catches the ring, stopping it from
bouncing around the workshop. Speed is
important and slower is safer. Yes, this
might take a bit of time and effort
but nothing is free. The cutting edge
of the tools needs to be sharp and
remember that this type of deep parting
cut will make the tool very warm, so be
careful when handling it. Hopefully, this
has not put you off.
The holding of these wooden rings on the
lathe is problematic. Faceplates and screw
chucks are out, so how to hold them? It is
possible to use a faceplate with a backing
disc of plywood or MDF and hot-melt glue,
but this takes time and can cause issues
in getting the workpiece off – there is
nothing like breaking the work when trying
to separate it from the glue.
Button jaws work nicely, but over the
years I found the buttons got in the way
and did not grip as well as I would like.
Axminster Tools makes steel buttons
which are shallower in length than rubber
buttons and have a tapered profile edge
Woodturning 349 33
 that grips into the workpiece. These
can also be stacked together, which
increases the height, thus providing
more surface contact and more hold.
They screw into the holes in the button
jaws, which can be used to expand into
and open or contract on to the workpiece,
so are very adaptable.
Mirror ‘glass’ can be bought from many
craft outlets and is available as glass or
acrylic plastic mirrors. A look online will
provide different companies. Many of the
mirrors available are set sizes, but it is
possible to order mirrors to be cut to the
sizes you require, although you will pay
more for this. Remember, wood shrinks
so always factor in a gap between the
glass and frame to allow the timber to
shrink – you cannot be superstitious if you
are making these. The timber used needs
to be dry, but we also need to ensure we
treat this properly. The back that goes
against the wall is not seen, but will need
to be sealed with something, such as oil
or cellulose. This needs to be the same
as on the front. Remember to balance the
timber – what you put on one side you
need on the other, otherwise the timber
will cup and twist.
How to hang these on the wall was
an issue. I have added hanging plates,
picture wire, and D hooks, but different
people have different views of how and
where the grain pattern should look. A
simple undercut recess ring in the back
of the frame means these can be hung
however the purchaser prefers. Problem
solved and no cost or fiddly screws to fix
in place.
For this article I have made some larger
frames, partly because they show the
ideas and details more clearly in the
picture. At the same point I also made the
smaller frames from the sections parted
off in the stem mirror article.

125mm
119mm
83 Ø
3mm 3mm
EQUIPMENT USED
Tools
• 10mm and 12mm bowl gouge
• 10mm beading tool
Front

• Skew chisel
• Chuck and button jaws or faceplate
and plywood disc as carrier

Materials Mirror Glass

• House paint and matt black paint
• Spirit stains
Back

• Oil finish
• Abrasives 120-400, rotary sander optional
• Mirror to suit
• Hot-melt glue gun
• Timber rings and MDF insert, size
depending on lathe and what is available
See expanded
MDF: 117 Ø below
Mirror Size: 103 Ø
Mirror Recess: 107 Ø

3mm bead

83 Ø

18mm 18mm
205mm

3mm mirror Under cut

4mm MDF recess
3mm gap
4mm MDF
Recess for hanging
MDF
60mm 16 7 10 GLASS
3

3mm mirror
plate glass 10 5
2 3
18mm
Sizes are a guide and can easily be adapted
EXPANDED DETAIL

34 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 WALL MIRRORS

1 An assortment of rings. The smaller

ones are off the stem mirrors, the bigger
ones are from some ash bowls I made
that have a wide rim. The smaller ones
are easily parted with a 6mm parting tool,
the bigger ones cause more issues.

2 The stackers that are used for the

primary holding of the rings. They
bolt on to the button jaws and can
be stacked together. The edge of
these bite into the work, creating a
small dent. The countersunk bolts
make these nice and safe to use.
1 2
3 The stackers in position and used
in expansion mode. These grip the
workpiece centrally and provide an easy
and safe way of holding the ring, which
is 530mm in diameter. On the smaller
wooden rings, I used these in compression
gripping on the outer diameter.

4 With the work spinning, it is tricky to

see the overall height of where these are
holding, so it is worth drawing a pencil line
as a guide. This line is the position of where
the face of the mirror will be positioned.

5 & 6 Using a 10mm beading and parting

tool, cut the recess for the mirror in several
3 4 cuts, working down towards the pencil
line. I use 3mm plate mirror glass, so at
this stage I create a stepped recess 3mm
deep. The step creates the recess for the
mirror glass and also the support position
on to which the MDF board can be fixed
to hold the mirror in place. The side wall
from the front to the back of the mirror
frame needs to be parallel as the MDF
backing board needs to fit into this nicely.
The overhang of the timber over the glass
needs to be about 8-10mm minimum.

7 With the recess complete I level off

the back of the frame using a bowl
gouge. This can be slightly undercut
then can also be sanded. I know it
5 6 is never seen but it looks better.

8 The easiest way to provide a mounting

for the mirror is a dovetail-shaped recess
cut into the internal opening edge of where
the mirror fits in. This is undercut and
looks like an oversized recess to expand
a set of dovetail jaws into. This allows
a wood screw or picture frame nail to
locate and hold the frame on the wall.

7 8

Woodturning 349 35
 9 It is worth sanding the mirrors recess
– nothing fine, 120 grit will be good
enough. This levels any torn grain, and
then I paint the recess where the mirror
sits in with matt black paint. This stops
the overhanging section of the frame
from being reflected in the mirror.

10 Reverse the work and re-hold. On the

smaller mirror this can be done with jaws
that fit on to the chuck expand into the
back opening or, in this case, due to the
size I repositioned and built up the height
of the stackers, expanding these into the
recess that has been cut to take the mirror. 9 10

11 Check the thickness at the internal edge

of the opening, the matt black helps highlight
this. The front edge of the opening still has
a slight taper from the parting cut – this is
where the stackers held, and this needs to
be removed. Using a bowl gouge carefully
square up this edge. Keep checking as we
need the recess for the glass to sit in and
this needs to be at least 4mm deep.

12 Use a bowl gouge to true up the outer

edge. Working with the tip of the gouge
from the headstock towards the tailstock
will ensure that the fibres already sanded
on the back of the frame do not chip out.
If you work towards the headstock the 11 12
fibres on the back are unsupported.

13 Start to shape the front profile of

the mirror frame – this can be as simple
or elaborate as you like. Think about
which way to cut to work with the grain
to ensure supporting the fibres.

14 While shaping the front of the frame it

is important to stop the lathe and check the
thickness; it is too easy to get carried away
and then end up with a two-part mirror
frame. With the shape achieved sand the
front of the frame, including the outer edge
and the 4mm lip where the mirror will be.

15 The next stages are optional, you 13 14

may like to leave the frame natural, but
there is the option to decorate the front..
With the lathe switched off and isolated
from the power I used a brass bristle
brush working with the grain direction
of the timber. The aim is to brush out
the softer spring growth fibres.

16 I then brushed on some red household

paint. This is wiped back with a paper towel
to reduce the thickness of the paint but also
to push the paint into the areas that the
brass brush removed. Work in stages around
the rim – locking the spindle can help to
hold the work in place, and stop you having
to fight with the work manually rotating.
15 16

36 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 WALL MIRRORS

17 When the paint is dry, with the lathe

running sand the paint back to the surface
of the wood, which will leave a limed effect.
This works for any colour, or even more than
one colour. I find a rotary sander works well,
but depending on the paint this may clog
the disc – a peel off and rustle of the disc
will drop off some of the clogged paint.

18 A wipe over with finishing oil brings

out the colour and building up the coats
will help protect it long term. This method
of liming highlights the grain. It is easy to
do and uses up tester pots of paint. It can
17 18 be done in whatever colour you choose.

19 This is another ash frame, made in the

same way. Simple shapes work better for
the decorated frames , it can be difficult to
evenly sand the stain or paint on complexed
shaped frames. My intention of using a spirt
stain on this frame means that the sanding
is very important , any torn grain or starches
will show, and be highlighted by the stain, I
finish with a 400 grit rotatory sand sander.

20 With sanding complete the frame is

coloured using a blue spirt stain, working
around the frame in small stages, I use a
small section of cotton cloth and gloves
to apply this, using a brush will produce
19 20 runs or flick stain about creating a blotchy
surface. The cloth allows the stain to
be pushed into the timber evenly.
.
21 This again was then re-sanded with a
240, and then 400 grit rotary sander. The
stain will be pulled into the spring growth
fibres of the grain more. When sanded
back these are left with the applied colour.
The aim is to remove the stain evenly.

22 Over the top of the blue stain, a

green stain was applied and then sanded
back using 400 grit. This can then be
polished. Oil will work well over the top
of this, but finishes such as cellulose
sealer that are brush applied will make
21 22 the stain run, so will not work here.

23 I use 4mm MDF to make backing discs

to holds the mirrors in place; these can be
cut just over size. To turn this to fit I use
three screws to hold these on to a scrap
disc held on a faceplate, which is one way
of test fitting and adjusting. Once complete
with the mirrors inserted, I use a hot glue
to fix the mirrors at two spots on the long
grain points of the frame. This stops the
mirror glass from moving but allows the
timber to move, then glue the MDF in place.

24 A selection of finished mirrors,

200mm to 600mm diameter •

23 24

Woodturning 349 37
 WHY-AYE WOOD
WOODTURNING SUPPLIES
Cockenzie House and Gardens
22a Edinburgh Road, Cockenzie. East Lothian. Eh32 0HY
Tel:- 07730791935 WOODWISE UK
Email:- info@whyayewood.co.uk EXOTIC TIMBERS LTD
Suppliers of Quality Exotic & Native Hardwoods
Visit our online shop for mail order Bowl Blanks
www.whyayewood.co.uk Turning Squares
Pen Blanks
Lumber
Slabs / Logs
We stock a range of:- Australian Burls
Bowl Blanks Rare one of a kind pieces,
Orders cut to size
Spindle Blanks A Family run business with over
Pen Kits 20 years experience in the exotic
Project kits wood trade. Well renowned for our
second to none customer service
Crown Woodturning Tools and great prices. Based in the village
Chestnut Products
of Upper Hulme at the foot of the
famous Roaches.
Charnwood Products Large selection of numbered blanks, so
Milliput when ordering online what you see is
We are increasing our what you get !!
range daily. VISIT OUR ONLINE SHOP
www.woodwiseuk.co.uk
Fast and efficient mail order
Open Times (including EU countries)

Monday to Saturday OPEN 6 DAYS Mon-Sat

Customers are very welcome to visit
10am - 3pm our Mill, ( appointment only )
Sunday Closed 07792 565 661
All major credit cards woodwiseuk@yahoo.co.uk
Upper Hulme Mill,
accepted Follow us Upper Hulme,
on
Nr Leek, Staffordshire,ST13 8TY
 Domesticware
Andy Coates looks at more objects intended for everyday use
As you may have already surmised, I like
wooden domesticware. I can’t think of
a single thing I don’t like about it. On a
very personal note, I like it because I can
make it myself, and there is little that can
give the sense of satisfaction that is to be
derived from using something practical
that you made with your own hands.
What does still surprise me – and this
is after 15 years of earning my living at
it – is that other people seem to like it
too. I suppose even I still have the deep-
rooted prejudices associated with wooden
domesticware buried somewhere in my
psyche. Woodware suffered connotations
of being ‘lower class’, poor, rural, and
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDY COATES
unsophisticated for a long, long time. It
has, at various times, enjoyed resurgences
of interest, but these periods never lasted
long and woodware dropped back into the
doldrums of niche appreciation.
Today? It’s an odd situation. There seems
to be an undercurrent of appreciation
that is swelling and flexing its muscles.
This may be attributed to celebrity chefs
and their all too obvious predilection for
alternative serving ware. Dinner on roof
slate anybody? Baked beans served in a
miniature watering can? Or, more apposite,
chopping boards that are simply a length
of natural-edged plank, scrubbed and
oiled. And with that I believe a trend was
born. Wood was back in the running.
I have made dinner plates, complete
service sets, and associated wares for a
number of celebrity chefs and restaurants,
and the feedback has been encouraging.
‘They bounce’ is a common, and always
funny, thing to hear.
What still surprises me, though, is
the more general appreciation. By the
very nature of being a self-employed
woodturner, making things one at a time
from materials you have sourced, dried,
machined and then turned, the cost of
a dinner set is going to be significantly
more than a crockery set that can be
purchased from a supermarket or kitchen
store. This does not seem to matter to
the right customer. The set I made for
this article sold immediately for what
I consider to be a price that makes it
worthwhile. And I now have orders
for more.
To give you an alternative to the more
obvious woodware items commonly made,
I decided to make a cheese and biscuits
platter with the added interest of a central
lidded bowl for butter. The plank I chose
to use also provided a 92mm blank to
be used for a lid and two 100mm blanks
which will be used to make side dishes for
accompaniments. A scrap from the side of
the board will also be used.
So let’s make one...
Woodturning 349 39
 SERVING PLATE
CHOPPING BOARD
EQUIPMENT USED
Materials
Discs of brown oak: 5mm
Cut Scorched
• 1 x 225 by 25mm (platter)
90mm
• 2 x 100mm (bowls)
• 1 x 92mm (lid) 80mm
• 2 short lengths of dry hazel branchwood 5mm
10mm
Tools
25mm
• 15mm long-ground bowl gouge
• 10mm long-ground spindle gouge
• Negative rake scraper
• Negative rake detail tool
• 25mm skew chisel
210mm

LID

30mm

5mm

20mm

80mm

SIDE BOWL

7mm

25mm

2mm
5mm
100mm

Suitable material for turning woodware

We looked at this issue in the first article, but a brief
recap is appropriate. Unless we are making bowls for eating
from or displaying fruit in, the stock we choose does not
need to be at least 50mm-deep blanks; we can use thinner
stock that might otherwise never see the lathe.
Boards of 25mm-30mm are ideal, and we often find them
lurking on wood racks gathering dust, perhaps purchased
once upon a time when we convinced ourselves that were
going to make a piece of furniture. I’ve done it, and I’m sure
you have to. Thin boards though, present an immediate
problem as turning stock: how do we mount them safely
and securely on the lathe?

40 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 DOMESTICWARE

Mounting blanks cut from thin boards

The first possible method of mounting that might occur is
the screw chuck. While the screw chuck is a perfectly secure
method for holding blanks, it is less appropriate for thin boards
for two reasons. First, the screw tends to be too long and
spacers are required, and this reduces the effectiveness of the
hold. Second, the resulting mounting hole needs to be removed
during turning, and this can limit design options on such a
shallow object.
So how do we mount the blanks? In my opinion, a vacuum
chuck is probably the best option. It is safe, secure, solid,
and adaptable, but there are a couple of potential issues.
Most obviously, you may not have one due to the cost.
Also stock material that is not near flat and clean may prove
difficult to hold a vacuum on. Finally, though the least
concerning issue, is the potential for loss of vacuum during
turning. This can occur due to loss of power and results in
immediate loss of hold. Fortunately, the workpiece will simply
fall to the lathe bed rather than fly off, but it is still a concern as
this invariably damages the work. The potential can be mitigated
by installing a reservoir in the vacuum line between pump
and headstock feed line. This can provide valuable seconds
during such an eventuality, allowing the workpiece to be
safely removed.
If you do not have a vacuum chuck then Cole jaws may seem
a logical choice. I have three or four sets of these, and in all
honesty they rarely get used. They work fine for simply holding
thin forms, such as platters, while the foot is cleaned up, but
as a holding method for turning they are woefully inadequate.
So our options are reducing, and where do we go? Well, I tend
to go back to the old-school option of double-sided tape, or,
if time is not an issue, glued-on sacrificial tenons. In this
instance I opted for double-sided tape.

Blanks achieved from a short board of oak Chucking options

Mounting a blank
Buy the best-quality double-sided
tape you can. Thrift has no place here.
When applying the tape remove one of
the backing strips and apply to a plywood
platten. Burnish the tape on to the wood
using the rounded end of a screwdriver
or turning tool handle. Once the platten
surface is covered, remove the upper
backing paper. With the centre of the
blank marked it is a simple task to bring
the tailstock up to mount the blank
concentrically. A revolving ring centre
is the ideal accessory here. Clamp the
blank using the tail centre to apply
light pressure to secure the blank to
the platten and then manually apply
pressure all around the blank to ensure
full adhesion.
With the tailstock still in place, true the
blank edges and as much of the face as
is possible. A long-ground bowl gouge
is ideal, and pull cuts cause less stress
on the hold than push cuts. As soon
as the edges and face are completed,
a negative rake scraper is used to
finalise the surface. The tailstock can
be removed and the centre finished to
the same depth. Lighter cuts are used
to prevent knocking the blank from
the platten.

Applying the double-sided tape Using tailstock support Finishing the centre

Woodturning 349 41
 Finishing the underside
The underside of the serving platter needs to be absolutely flat
because it is designed to also serve as a chopping board when
not being used as a serving platter. A final pass with a negative
rake scraper ensures the flat surface.
I have mentioned abrading on domesticware, and my
preference not to use it, but appreciating that this is a
Abrading with an arbor Cutting a decorative detail with a negative rake scraper
Turning the upper face
Using a paint scraper or other slim blade, carefully remove
the blank from the platten by gently prising it away from
the tape. If the tape is undamaged it can probably be used
again, but if damaged then remove it and apply fresh tape
as previously.
Align the blank carefully and affix to the platten in
Checking the blank is running true Cleaning up the edge
Completing the upper face
Use a bowl gouge to clean up the surface of the face until
it is flat. Mark a central ring 90mm in diameter and an inner
ring 80mm in diameter, and one mark 5mm in from the edge.
Between the outer mark and the 90mm ring cut a shallow cove
in the surface, and when completed cut V-cuts at the outer and
Cleaning up the upper face Cutting a recess for the lid
42
contentious issue, you may wish to abrade. Once the surface
is complete a simple decorative V-cut is made 5mm in from the
edge of the platter. This cut can be scorched using a piece of
Formica or hard, dark wood cut as a wedge. No sealer is used
because this is a domesticware piece.
Underside used as chopping board
reverse. Marking the centre with a gouge can help here. Bring
the tailstock up for support as previously. Marking the extreme
edge confirms alignment. V-cuts are made on the edge about
5mm in from each face. These can be scorched as we did on
the underside. And a slight cove is turned with a 10mm spindle
gouge between the V-cuts.
Making decorative V cuts
inner marks and scorch as before. Next cut a shallow,
5mm recess at the 80mm mark. This is for the lid.
Then hollow the bowl to a depth of around 10mm.
Make the recess hemispherical to aid removal of butter
with a knife.
Hollowing the butter dish
www.woodworkersinstitute.com

Making the lid
Mount the 92mm blank on a double-sided tape chuck and clean
up the edge and face. Mark a 90mm circle and true down to this
diameter. Using a parting tool, cut a tenon on the edge to suit
the 80mm recess cut in the platter. The fit does not need to be
tight for this, it only has to sit in the recess.
Begin to shape as much as you can of what will be the upper
face of the lid. A 10mm spindle gouge with a ling grind will allow
Cleaning up the blank Marking the tenon
Shaping the lid edge
The lid hollowed
DOMESTICWARE
you to get into the tight space. When you have shaped it as much
as you can, begin hollowing the interior. Aim for a pleasing dome
shape. Once completed mount a scrap block in the chuck jaws and
turn a recess to act as a jam chuck for the lid tenon. Make this a
tight fit to enable turning the remainder of the lid into a pleasing
dome shape to match the interior. Leave a 15mm flat area in the
centre and use a Forstner bit to drill a 10mm-wide hole 4mm deep.
Cutting the tenon
Hollowing the lid
Making a jam chuck to complete the top of the lid
Woodturning 349 43
 Making a finial
A small section of dry hazel branchwood makes a good material for the finial and breaks up the look
of the lid nicely. A section is mounted directly into the chuck jaws and a domed head turned. A little
shaping of the short stem and a tenon 10mm wide and 3mm deep is turned. This is glued into the lid
with wood glue and left to cure.

Mounting the branch in the chuck jaws Shaping the finial

Making two simple side bowls

The two 100mm blanks are turned into simple side bowls. The at the face edge of the bowl and a shallow cove turned to mirror
blank is mounted between drive centres and the face and edge the edge of the serving platter. The bowl is then hollowed as
trued up. A 60mm tenon is turned on the read face and the for any other bowl, leaving a flowing curve all the way to the
blank is remounted in it in the chuck. A 7mm flat edge is left top edge of the rim.

Roughing the bowl blank between centres The pair of bowls complete

Adding value
Adding a good-quality cheese knife to the set increases value and
makes a complete package. I have some good-quality Sheffield
steel blades that only require a turned handle, and here I thought
a hazel handle to match the finial would work well. The ends
of a short length of hazel are rounded over, tapering at the end
where the blade will be fitted. A suitably sized hole is drilled on
the drill press and the blade is fitted with two-part epoxy.
From the remaining scrap of oak from the original board I quickly carved
a simple butter spreader and pyrographed a design on the handle to
make it look more attractive. Providing you point out that such a knife
will probably not last forever it makes an appealing addition to the set.
Making the base a chopping board is not strictly necessary, but it will be
perceived as an added bonus, and makes the platter doubly useful. Turning a hazel handle

Conclusions
Once completed you will have an appealing set of usable wooden domesticware. The wood is
unsealed but can be oiled with a food-safe oil, such as raw linseed oil, and as soon as it is
cured the platter is ready to be used. Washing, as previously mentioned, is to be done by hand
only in warm soapy water. These items should not be considered dishwasher safe. Make one
set and you will get orders for more. •

44 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 INNOVATIONS MADE IN THE USA FOR OVER 90 YEARS

The AXE
C a r b i d e Wo o d t u r n i n g To o l s
™

Setting the New

Standard for Carbide
Woodturning tools.
- Extended Length Stainless Steel Cutting Bar for Strength & Balance
- Flat base with Skew Bevel for Easy Transition to Skew Cutting
- Ergonomic Handle for Extreme Comfort and Control
- EZ ID™ Color Coded Ferrules across the entire size line
- Super Sharp Long lasting Carbide Cutters
- Free 2nd Cutter with every tool (up to $19 USD value)

ACCURIGHT® MULTIREST® HOLLOW ROLLER® PERFECT SPHERE™ STRONGBORE™

CENTER MASTER Vessel Support System Vessel Turning System Sphere & Bowl Turning System Modular Boring Bar
Blank Creation System

Austria/Europe Germany/Europe Australia Russia Norway/Sweeden Japan

International
Dealers
www.neureiter-shop.at/ www.drechslershop.de/ www.gregmach.com www.jettools.ru/ www.gustavsenas.no/ www.off.co.jp

Band Saw Accessories

® Lathe Accessories
Band Saw Guides
Band Saw Blades
Band Saw Tires
and More!

Innovative Solutions for all your Woodworking Needs

WWW.CARTERPRODUCTS.COM • 616-647-3380 • US TOLL FREE 888-622-7837

 "<K

5IF
Hogger provides the best

#FBMM
end grain hollowing tools

8PPE

Little Hogger
 L = = <;

#VGGJOH
4ZTUFN Little Hogger on a bar tipped at 25 Degrees

Pro Hogger

used with pull cutting and the Pro Hogger

is is mounted on a round bar allowing the
experienced turner to find his sweet spot.

Cutters available for

many of the carbide
hand tools made today.

Check out our nano

carbide cutters on
AZCarbide.com
We ship internationally
 30
NA
ND TEC
IG H
S

N
DE

OL
INNING

OGY FOR O
D-W
YEARS

AR
VE
AW R

Voyager DVR 18”

Drill Press
“Exceptional quality; quiet operation;
easy to set up for every type of drill
imaginable; does everything you
could possibly want to do on a drill;
the only drill press you
will ever need.”
- Jonathan Salisbury, November 2019

RRP
inc. VAT £1,599.99

Scan the code to

find out more:
 Repeat collaboration
Dutch designers Marisa Klaster and Suzan
Doornbos tell us about their tableware project

REPEAT is a new tableware collection

based on one design principle: functional
and elegant items that can be stacked
into beautiful objects. The range is
the result of a collaboration between
Dutch designers Marisa Klaster and
Suzan Doornbos, two women working
together out of their own studios in two
cities, Rotterdam and Nijmegen.
Each piece is handcrafted from American
walnut and finished with food-safe Treatex
hard wax. The collection is comprised
of a cookie jar, which can also be used
separately as a bowl and plate; a small
storage jar; and an egg set, which
includes salt and pepper shakers and two
or more egg cups. The design of each
item is based on one basic shape and the
intention is that they can be stacked
to create new objects.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF MARISA KLASTER & SUZAN DOORNBOS

REPEAT tableware collection

48 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
FEATURE — REPEAT COLLABORATION

A shared design aesthetic

Marisa and Suzan are both addicted to
the challenging possibilities of wood.
Suzan turns art objects aiming for minimal
design, while Marisa specialises in
functional items of a raw elegance.
Based in Rotterdam, Marisa spent 25
years working as an art director but her
love of the forest, with its tall trees, their
numerous colours and slightly damp
smells, led her to working with wood. She
mostly works with ash, maple, sycamore
and oak, making contemporary furniture
and table accessories.
‘What I love about wood is that it brings
the outdoors indoors and becomes more
beautiful when used. It gets softer and
the colours fade into more subtle shades.
Every piece has its own unique character.
When turned on the lathe or constructed
into furniture, it’s always a surprise what
difficulties you may have to deal with, but
most of all what beauty lies beneath. And
if a piece gets broken… wood can always
be restored,’ she says.
Suzan makes limited-edition wooden art
objects and home accessories from her
workshop in Nijmegen. Her pieces follow
a minimalist design, clear in shape and
powerful in their simplicity.
Suzan began woodturning after reading
a book about the life and work of Dutch
turner Marisa van Kesteren, one of the
first prominent female woodturners of
the mid 20th century. ‘Struck by the
power of her objects, I decided to learn
woodturning. I discovered that many lines
converge here for me. My love for wood,
simplicity and pure shapes, the craft, the
art, working with my hands and centring
my attention,’ Suzan explains.
Marisa and Suzan met around three
years ago. They had both taken turning
courses with Ronald Kanne and,
recognising that the women shared a
similar approach to design, he introduced
them to each other. It proved to be a
productive meeting.
Woodturning 349 49
 Making the REPEAT collection
The REPEAT collaboration began with one day of fun, experimental
turning. ‘We picked a day to turn together, just for fun and to see
what we could come up with together. I brought my Midi 350 FU
and tools with me to Suzan’s studio in Nijmegen,’ Marisa explains.
‘There the first idea about a collection of stackable tableware
came up. The second time we turned at my workshop in
Rotterdam. There I turned on my Stratos XL and Suzan on the
Midi. And then Nijmegen again, then Rotterdam and so on.
Sometimes we worked for one day, sometimes a whole weekend.
‘After each turning session we made a list of things that had
REPEAT cookie jar plate
REPEAT stack cookie jar
50
to be tried, turned, sketched, written or even calculated. It was
a list of things for us to work on separately in between turning
sessions; we shared the list via WhatsApp, calls or emails.
‘Now we both have a large technical drawing on the wall
of our studios of a complete REPEAT collection and three
items are finished: the cookie jar, little storage jar and egg
set. In September we will start working on tea and espresso
cups and plates in two sizes. All stackable of course.’
It’s an exciting collaboration and we can’t wait to see
what Marisa and Suzan come up with next.
REPEAT little storage jar
www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 FEATURE — REPEAT COLLABORATION

REPEAT little storage jar detail

REPEAT cookie jar detail

REPEAT is available via: hethoutlokaal.shop and suzandoornbos.nl

Woodturning 349 51
 Vicmarc lathes
&
Chucks

Stratos series
lathes

Indasa abrasives
Unique texturing tools

HOPE
Threading jigs woodturning
and so much more.......

Carbide tools
Pro sanders
carving jigs

Tool handles and

blades

Negative rake tools

www.hopewoodturning.co.uk. Tel: 01206 233334
Hand Polished Flutes Lifetime Guarantee Sharp & Strong Edge

son

at
www.stainlessbottlestoppers.com
sales@stainlessbottlestoppers.com
 Square platter series
Pat Carroll continues his look at this genre
with a design that’s unusual for the shape

As I progress through
this series of work, square
platters, I find an endless
supply of design possibilities.
The design on this piece is far from
original but is not usually seen on a
square platter. So, I would like to reiterate
the point of giving credit to your source of
inspiration. The wood used for this project
is oak and the beauty of the grain against the
textured rim gives this piece a balance. The rough
with the smooth, the dark colour of the exterior
married with the wonderful depth of the grain. Oak is
such a beautiful wood and is always seen for its strength
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAT CARROLL

and durability, which gives this piece the look of durability

but also makes it a very pleasing piece to look at and tactile in
its feel with the textured rim. The wood used for this project was
50mm thick, so to maximise every millimetre a glue block was used.
As the design did not call for a foot or a recess, the sacrificial glue
block seemed the logical way to work with this piece.
 EQUIPMENT USED • Nylon rotary brush
Tools • Sandpaper
• PPE (personal protection equipment) • Lacquer
• 10mm bowl gouge
• 4mm parting tool Materials
• 10Omm faceplace Oak (Quercus) 300mm x 300mm
• Drive centres x 45mm. Guideline measurements,
• Cordless drill create to your ability, requirements
• 50mm grinding disc and lathe capacity
• 5mm burr in flexishaft pendant motor
• Sanding arbor

225mm

145mm Ø

4mm

4mm
6mm
30mm
20mm

6mm

58 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 SQUARE PLATTER SERIES

1 The piece of oak used is cut as square as

possible to try to achieve 90° corners on
the platter. This isn’t essential and a little
variation will not have an adverse effect on the
design. A line is drawn diagonally from corner
to corner to locate the centre point. As the
faceplate is 100mm, a dividers is set to 51mm
and a circle drawn on the piece. This gives
a locating ring to centre the faceplate. The
tailstock is brought up for additional safety.

2 As with all woodturning projects, safety

is the first port of call. Ensure all safety and
PPE is used, both for your own protection
1 2 and the safety of others in the work area.
The piece is safely secured to the lathe with
the speed at its slowest rpm. Gradually
increase the speed to a safe and comfortable
level for your confidence and turning ability
As the cuts used are not impacted by the
tailstock being in the way, it is always a good
addition to safety. This also leaves a centre
point for realigning when finishing the foot.

3 With the majority of the initial cuts being

in negative space, very light cuts are taken.
Gradually work the lower wing of the tool
slowly into the piece so as to not engage
large cuts, which could run the risk of a
catch if the tool was pushed to severely
from negative space to solid wood.
3 4
4 As the picture shows, the tool seems to be
cutting in fresh air, but due to the rotational
speed, the time that the tool is in negative
space is minimised. Because the lathe you
use may be turned up to 3000 rpm plus
does not mean that this is the speed you
are aiming for. Always turn at a safe speed.

5 As the tool enters into the solid body of the

wood, a more continuous shaving is achieved
from the tool. Remember to maintain the
cutting edge by sharpening a little and often.

6 Gradually the flat area that the design

requires is achieved, with constant
checking using a straightedge. The
5 6 diameter of the bowl is also established.
Measurements given are suggested sizes
only, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

7 The piece is marked out with radial

lines as a guide for the texturing. The
index system could be used, but it’s not
essential as these are guidelines only.

8 A 50mm disc with two carbide teeth fitted

to a rotary grinder is used to create the initial
part of the texture. Practise with this tool
on a scrap piece of wood is advised. Pay
careful attention to the rotation of the cutter
as presenting the tool in the wrong way may
cause the tool to kick back and cause injury.

7 8

Woodturning 349 59
 9 By creating a series of long and short
lines in keeping with the direction of the
pencil lines, a textured surface begins to
appear. Try not to work in one area for too
long, keep moving the piece after every
two or three cuts. This helps to keep the
design random but also adds uniformity.

10 Using a small burr in a rotary shaft tool,

the areas where the 50mm carving disc could
not reach are textured to blend in with the
design. Again be conscious of the rotation of
the tool. The outer edge is also done at this
point and light carving is applied so as to not
cause tear-out on the cross-grain areas. 9 10

11 Cleaning up the fibres created by the

texturing is done with a rotary nylon
brush. These brushes come in different
grades and can be aggressive on softer
woods. The oak cleaned up nicely with
no loss of definition to the texture.

12 Ebonising lacquer is applied with an

aerosol, as this won’t bleed through the
end grain like dyes tend too. Several light
coats are applied. Allow adequate drying
time between coats. If possible, apply
the lacquer in a well-ventilated area.

13 The piece will not have a foot or a recess,

which minimises wasted wood. So, to hold 11 12
the piece a glue block will be added. The
surface for the glue block must be prepared
first. This needs to be flat or even slightly
concave. The 10mm bowl gouge is used
to refine the surface by traversing gently
across the toolrest. The lower wing removes
minimal wood until the surface is trued up.

14 A scrap piece of wood is prepared

to be used as a glue block. A tenon is
formed and, once it is sized, the glue
block is held in the chuck and the surface
is trued up. Check that the surface is flat,
or slightly concave, to accept the glue.

15 With the glue block held against the

platter, a pencil mark is drawn around it 13 14
as a reference to keep the pieces in line.
Hot-melt glue is used to hold the two
pieces together and kept in place with
tailstock support until the glue dries. An
extra bead of glue is added to the perimeter
for additional security. The glue block is
trued up before removing the tailstock.

16 With the piece turned around and the

glue block held in the chuck, the faceplate
can now be removed. The top of the platter is
trued up, once again taking light cuts and with
the tailstock in place for added support. The
impression of the bowl protruding through
the square rim is achieved by ensuring the
bowl on the underside of the platter is in
alignment with projection through the rim. 15 16

60 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 SQUARE PLATTER SERIES

17 The piece is marked out in

the same fashion as in step 7, in
preparation for the texturing.

18 The texture is completed on the top

side of the rim to match the pattern on
the underside, again finishing with the
nylon brush to remove any fibres.

19 The piece once again receives several

light coats of ebonising lacquer until a desired
finished is achieved. Then, using a soft brush,
lightly brush on copper gilt cream until the
high points have a dusting of copper gilt.
17 18
20 The centre can now be removed from
the piece, taking care to establish bevel
contact initiating the cuts. This helps avoid
the tool skipping out across the rim.

21 The centre is sanded with 180, 240,

320, 400 and 600 grit sandpaper.
Power sanding is the preferred method.
Be sure to take all safety precautions
regarding respiratory protection.

22 The platter is now reversed to finish

the bottom. A scrap piece of wood with
some router mat forms a support to hold
the platter against with tailstock support.
Light cuts are taken from the centre out,
19 20 removing the glue block in increments.

23 The centrepiece can remain until

the main body is sanded through the
same grits as in step 21. Great care must
be taken not to damage the blackened
area. Then remove the remaining stub
and sand through the grits again.

24 The finished piece. •

21 22

SAFETY
• Always follow all safety guidelines recommended
by producers and manufacturers
• Think twice, cut once!
23 24

Woodturning 349 61
 Innovation has been key to the progress of the Laguna brand
and it is fully embraced here in the new REVO 12|16 Midi Lathe.

Turn to Perfection
Large heavy duty cast iron bed, headstock, tailstock and banjo
1 Hp Motor with Pulse Width Modulation to ensure constant torque and speed
Three speed settings and full variable speed from 50 to 3,500 rpm
12 1/2” swing over the bed and 15 1/2” between centres
Forward / Reverse and 24 position indexing system

£999 inc VAT

Shown with optional Floor Stand: £329 inc VAT

 OUR CONTRIBUTORS

ANDREW POTOCNIK ANDY COATES BRIAN HORAIS CHRIS WEST

Andrew sees Andy is a professional A woodturner since 2010, Chris has spent a
inspiration around him woodturner and has a creating non-round multi- good deal of his time
every day. He ‘arrived’ workshop and gallery axis works of art. His work designing, turning and
on the Australian in Suffolk. He makes has been jury-selected writing on the subject
woodworking scene one-off pieces, small- for the East Tennessee of salt and pepper mills.
in 1983, and since batch runs, antique Master Woodworkers He has also published
then his work has restorations and other Show multiple times. He a book, Adding Spice
developed into areas strange commissions. has published 3 articles to Woodturning: 20
of sculpture, furniture- He also demonstrates in American Woodturner Salt, Pepper & Spice
making and the odd and teaches. and demonstrated at the Shaker Projects for
bit of cabinet work. cobwebcrafts@ 2019 AAW International Woodturners.
andrewpotocnik@ btinternet.com Symposium. www.westwood
telstra.com cobwebcrafts.co.uk www.horais.com turnery.co.uk

LES SYMONDS
After a career in teaching,
Les developed his hobby
of woodturning into
a career. He is on the
Register of Professional
Turners and has a small
shop and gallery in Bala in
the Snowdonia National
Park, where he displays
and sells his work.
www.facebook.com/
pren.bala
JASON BREACH KURT HERTZOG MARK SANGER PAT CARROLL
Jason started turning A professional Mark pursued As a builder/carpenter,
at the age of 12 woodturner, woodturning full time Pat has always loved
and has built up a demonstrator and in 2004, making one- working with wood.
reputation as a tutor teacher, Kurt writes for off sculptural pieces In 2002 he took a
and demonstrator that various woodturning that include colour and woodturning class and
has taken him around and woodworking texture as well as pure was very quickly hooked.
the world. He produces publications in the US. woodturned forms. He is keen to explore the
a range of items, but kurt@kurthertzog. He demonstrates combination of texture
is best known for his com and teaches in the and colour in his work.
unusual turned boxes. kurthertzog.com UK and abroad. slievebhui
jasonbreach@ www.marksanger. woodturning@
hotmail.com co.uk gmail.com

PETE MONCRIEFF- RICHARD FINDLEY STEPHEN LONG has STEWART FURINI

JURY Richard is a full-time been woodturning for 30 Stewart loves
Pete learned turning production turner years and is the Chairman colouring bowls
in school and, when specialising in small of the Woodbury and platters,
made redundant 12 batch work, one-off Woodturners Club in East demonstrating at
years ago, became a commissions and Devon. Stephen retired woodturning events,
full-time woodturner. turning for furniture from engineering 2 years and making YouTube
He focuses on making and restoration. He also ago and often instructs videos. By day he
for high-end shows. offers demonstrations new members and teaches English.
He also demonstrates and a range of anyone who wishes to www.stewartfurini
and teaches. woodturning supplies add to their skills. woodturning.co.uk
bodrighywood@ through his website. woodturner@ stewart_furini@
bodrighy.co.uk richardfindley.uk hotmail.co.uk yahoo.co.uk

64 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 Introduction to platters: part three
Mark Sanger looks at developing platters further with colour and texture
Within this third article on turning platters
I am looking at how we can develop our
projects further with a few techniques
for producing texture and colour that can
be included within our designs. The flat
profile of the platter makes it an ideal
canvas to experiment with as we start
moving away from the functional to a
more aesthetic project for display. Here
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK SANGER UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED
three platters of the same form have
been turned as a canvas with each being
approached differently starting with a
scorched rim in the first, then beads are
turned into the rim of the second which
are then textured using a high power
pyrography unit after which a red water
based stain is added to enhance the
visual interest of the grain. Finally, in the
third example the texture and colour are
altered to show a different effect using
66
similar techniques showing that with only
a few simple changes we can greatly
change the look of the piece with only a
change in texture and colour with each
piece being finished with acrylic spray
lacquer. If you do not have access to a
high-power pyrography unit this texture
can be omitted as can the colour if you
prefer the effect of the natural wood.
There are so many ways for us to explore
the platter as a canvas for our projects
and here I can only scratch the surface
but I hope it will inspire you to try a few
of the techniques shown here either in
their entirety or as you choose.
The turning techniques for producing
the platter itself here have been included
within the previous two articles issues
WT347 & 348 for you to refer to if
required. For this article to save time in
making I have reduced the diameter of
the projects also to save space when
displayed, the size of project is not
relevant to the methods being used and
can be applied to any size or shape. You
will notice if you have read my previous
articles in this series that here I have
changed to a spigot as the method of
work holding as opposed to a recess,
here using long nose 50 mm chuck jaws,
this is purely my preferred method for
smaller forms turned from thicker wood
blanks but you can adopt your preferred
work holding method as long as safety
is priority. The wood turned here is
hickory (Carya) as I wanted a wood with
an interesting grain, but any sound hard
wood blank that you have to hand can
be used instead. Above all stay safe and
enjoy your turning.
www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 Main Illustration

INTRODUCTION TO PLATTERS

Design
Here the design has been kept minimal circular texture
with a main section for the texture being
framed with grooves produced using the 6 mm textured beads
toe of a skew chisel as well as beads
being produced, using a 6mm beading
tool, for texturing further with pyrography
also as for the third example. See the
main illustration for the profile and sizing 250 mm Dia
but as ever this can be altered to suit your 36
own taste.
5
Producing the platter 140
The platters are mounted on a suitably
sized face plate and the base is turned 250 mm Dia
with a long-grind bowl gouge, and refined
with a square-nosed scraper. The foot
and spigot diameter are marked on to the
surface. The spigot was formed with the
toe of a skew chisel presented in scraping
mode on the tool rest. The base and foot
are finished with abrasive from 120-400
grit abrasive. The platters are then held
using long nose chuck jaws which give scorched texture
safe clearance for finishing and allowing with black stain
the base and face to be finished at the
same time. The choice here is yours with
140
my preference to finish the main section
of the foot and lower part of base with 25
the remaining of the underside and top
being finished together once reversed 70
onto the chuck allowing all areas to be
blended together in one go.
250
It is particularly important to take time
finishing so all blemishes are removed Design options
prior to any finish or stain being applied
as any imperfections will show up when
stain is applied. Once reversed into the
chuck the front face is cleaned up to flat
using the bowl gouge. Mark the section
for texturing onto the rim as per the main
diagram using a pencil and rule, with a
gradual convex turned into the surface
between the lines marked using a small
spindle gouge.

Long nose jaws provide clearance

Abrading the base of the platter Forming a convex detail with the spindle gouge

Woodturning 349 67
 Next leaving the platter in the chuck
the chuck is removed from the lathe and
taken outside for scorching. Here I want
to limit the amount of heat applied
while maintaining precision as I scorch
so I use a low-cost catering/micro blow
torch, the flame being fine enough to
work accurately. There are many refillable
types available online or from local
hardware/kitchen stores, they are a
worthwhile addition to your toolbox
for this type of work.
Work carefully around, up to and
slightly over the edges previously turned.
Scorching produces an organic texture
which is more evident once gently
brushed with a soft bronze wire brush to
reveal the grain of the wood. As with any
fire hazard fumes and dust are our enemy,
so scorch outside on a non-flammable
surface while wearing a suitable face
mask to protect your lungs.
Before further shaping I created burn
lines at the edges of the texture using a
piece of ‘Formica’ pushed into the grooves
with the lathe rpm set to 1500 rpm. This
frames, defines and seals the edges with
the heat produced boiling the resins
within the wood and sealing the surface,
greatly reducing the chance of the
stain seeping into adjacent areas when
applied. Here I have applied black stain
to maximise the contrast between the
scorched area and natural wood. Allow the
stain to dry, and then re-define the edges
of the scorched area using the toe of a
freshly sharpened skew and continue with
the skew to define the adjacent groves
and detail as before.

Scorching with a micro-blow torch Brushing with a bronze brush Scorching burn lines with Formica

Black stain applied Defining the edge of the stained area with a skew chisel

The bowl is hollowed with a bowl gouge and surface refined the lathe chuck with RPM set to around 2000 RPM. I decided to
with a round nose scraper with all surfaces, excluding the leave the finish matt and sealed only with spray sanding sealer
scorched area, being finished with 120-400 grit abrasive. Next here to keep the finish a subtle satin but you can apply a satin
seal the surfaces front and back with several fine coats of acrylic or gloss lacquer if preferred cutting back as before with the
spray sanding sealer, allowing to dry between each coat, then abrasive pad.
cut back the surface using a fine grade synthetic abrasive pad
with the lathe running at approximately 500 rpm. Don’t run the
lathe too fast as this causes excess friction between the pad
and surface and may result in the acrylic surface melting and
ruining the surface.
Holding the platter with the extended chuck jaws enables safe
access to all surfaces when spraying and cutting back with the
abrasive and synthetic pad. If you do not have these jaws simply
apply the sanding sealer prior to reversing into the chuck after
finishing with abrasive. Remove the platter from the lathe and
sandwich centrally between a rubber-faced homemade friction
plate and revolving tail centre. Reduce the waste and concave
the underside of the foot using a small spindle gouge, with a
groove being added as before with the toe of the skew, continue
reducing the waste as close to the revolving centre as safely
possible, reducing the lathe RPM down to around 500 as you
go. Stop the lathe and remove the platter and snap the small
amount of waste remaining off by pushing with your thumb and
finish using an abrasive disc glued into a waste block held in Abrading the interior of the bowl

68 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 INTRODUCTION TO PLATTERS

Applying acrylic sealer Using a synthetic pad to knock back the surface

Forming the foot recess Using an arbor and abrasive to finish the base

Variations on the theme

The options available to us in texture and
colour are vast, so here I am showing three
variations to show how different the same
platter can look with a few simple changes.
In version two the beads are turned into the
rim previously left scorched using a 6mm
beading tool to the desired overall width.
It is my preference to shape the beads
this way as it is a simpler process that
eliminates the need for precise marking
out. A negative of using a beading tool
is that we are limited to the size in which
they are commercially available as well as
it being difficult to achieve sharp detail on
low density woods. The detail and bowl of
the platter is then turned and finished as
before with texture being added between
the beads using a coiled pyrography wire.

Forming the beads with a bead tool Applying pyrographed texture

Health and Safety for pyrography

Any burning of wood produces with it a smoke that is particularly hazardous to our health if
breathed in, so it goes without saying that we need to protect our lungs during any pyrography/
branding process. For this I use a dedicated extractor specifically designed to extract the
smoke through a carbon filter as well as wearing a carbon filter face mask. Make sure when
carrying out any pyrography or branding that you work in a clean, well ventilated space away
from flammable liquids and other materials with an appropriate fire extinguisher to hand.
Alternatively take the piece outside to texture but still wear your carbon face mask.

Pyrography machines and dedicated carbon extractor fan

Woodturning 349 69
 Pyrography, branding and texturing
Pyrography is the technique of decorating wood and other
materials through burning with a hot wire. Handsets can be
fitted with commercially shaped wire tips as well as homemade
tips. There is not the scope within this article to cover the
machines and techniques in any great depth, so here I am
introducing you to the subject and aim to cover it in much
greater detail in a subsequent article.
Branding requires a high-powered pyrography machine.
There are a number manufacturers and models commercially
available, as well as carbon filter extractors designed to
extract the smoke produced as we work. My preference is to
use a machine that will produce both low heat for shading and

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PETE MONCRIEFF-JURY

drawing as well as having ample power to heat thicker wire
continually to brand deep into the wood efficiently without
the loss of heat in the tip that occurs in lower power units due
to wood being an insulator that absorbs the heat of the wire,
cooling it quickly.
Pyrography machines designed to allow for high as well
as low power techniques such as shading offer us many
possibilities for creating limitless designs containing both
detail and shading as shown in a beautiful piece titled,
‘Dragonfly’ turned by Pete Moncrieff-Jury and decorated with ‘Dragonfly’ by Pete Moncrieff and decorated with pyrography by Mo
pyrography by Mo Moncrieff-Jury. Moncrieff-Jury

Shaping a pyrography branding wire

Pre-formed pyrography tips are
commercially available as well as wire
allowing the user to shape their own tips
specific to the desired design. There are
many shapes available to order online
or purchase at good woodturning supply
stores. Shaping our own wires is a cost-
effective way to produce the desired
shape wire and texture effect required. For
this we need nickel chromium pyrography
wire and a few simple tools, including but
not limited to, small standard and long
nose pliers, wire cutters and various small
diameter nails or screwdrivers or similar
for bending the wire around. Here I am
using 19 SWG wire 1.02 mm diameter to
shape a coil. The wire is simply twisted
by hand around a small screwdriver – the
amount of times will depend upon the
power of your machine – here the wire
was wrapped seven times compressed
the wire to close any gaps between each
strand with pliers finally the wire is cut to
length to fit into the handle and test on a
scrap piece of wood, if the shape needs
refining just bend gently with long nose
pliers until optimal. To shape the wire for
the second texture example simply wrap
your wire around a suitable sized nail or
skew driver to the desired circumference
then bend the two ends perpendicular
to the shaped section that will be used
to texture. Snip the ends to length and
clamp into the handle of your pyrography
machine, test on scrap wood and adjust
if needed.

A selection of commercially available tips Tools for making tips 7-turn coil

Compressing the coil Wire end

70 www.woodworkersinstitute.com

Texturing – variations on a theme
With the two wires shaped I textured the rims of both platters.
In the first example I branded between each bead with the
coil wire making sure that the texture penetrates to the same
depth all the way around as I worked so each separate texture
sits adjacent to the next without any gaps. The rim of the next
was textured in exactly the same way except the beads were
omitted and the wire was shaped in a loop, again making sure
the textures are as close to each other without overlapping,
after which red spirit stain is applied and allowed to dry before
mounting the platter back into the chuck to cut back the surface
as previously shown. After this all surfaces were sealed with
acrylic spray lacquer as before. The images above show the
finished three pieces after the waste and spigot have been
removed, with the only additional work being to either add stain
Branding the texture
The finished platter
A selection of finished platters
INTRODUCTION TO PLATTERS
to the underside with a fine brush, cut back by hand
with the fine abrasive pad and seal with acrylic sanding
sealer and lacquer.
There are so many ways for us to texture our projects
from a simple scorched and branding shown here and a
plethora of tools with which to achieve our textures. Some
are commercially made such as texturing and spiralling tools
that can produce a texture similar to that produced with the
pyrography wire as shown above in a lightly but effectively
texture Sapele wood (Entandrophragma cylindricum) platter
turned, textured and enhanced with colour by Barry Starkey.
I will focus on texturing tools in future articles. It is my hope
that this article has you thinking a little more about how to
experiment with a few new ideas based on age-old techniques.
Have fun and stay safe. •
Applying red spirit stain
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BARRY STARKEY
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BARRY STARKEY
Woodturning 349 71
 NEVER
SUBSCRIBE TO MISS AN
ISSUE

Subscriptions start
from just £24.30
PHOTOGRAPH BY GMC/ANTHONY BAILEY

Free early delivery

direct to your door

www.gmcsubscriptions.com/woodturning
 Community letters
Here are some letters the Editor has received from readers

Taming of the skew

Dear Editor,
Les Symonds’ article in WT347 is very the causes and prevention of
helpful and covers almost all that is catches, here without danger.
needed to gain mastery of the skew When the fear of a catch
chisel. is eased the values of this
He rightly stresses the need for both versatile tool can be fully
newcomers and experienced turners to explored.
take the trouble to study what happens at Yours sincerely, Charles
the cutting edge with the lathe turned off. Bradshaw
It is when the lathe is turned on
and catches take place the turner has
unpleasant experiences. These might be
so difficult to cope with that the skew
could be totally rejected.
Alan Lacer has an excellent YouTube
video where he advocates the use of a
cup drive chuck rather than a pronged
one. Catches are then not so vicious
because the piece is stopped without
wrenching the skew. A lighter hold
becomes possible and the process is more
relaxed, without anxiety and fear.
I work on my own and do not have a
tutor looking over my shoulder to guide
me while I practise so it has been very
helpful advice as catches are now not a
frightening experience.
Alan Lacer advocates pushing the
experience by getting catches intentionally
thereby getting a better understanding of

No age limit on
woodturning!
Hi Mark, even now at 81 I
still love making big pieces.
The bowl is 16ins dia.

Best regards.
,
Michael Webb

74 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 COMMUNITY LINKS

In memory of Ray Key

I had the pleasure of a brief
meeting with Ray Key at Carpenters
Hall some years ago.
In June last year Paul Hannaby
demonstrated at Hampshire
Woodturners. On his display table
there was a small rough turned
spalted beech hollow-form, left over
from Ray Key. I offered to buy
it and this is the finished item.
It may well have been abandoned
by Ray as it had many natural
defects. It needed super-gluing,
filling, stain blending and finish
turning. I added a finial in African
Black with a pewter teardrop. I
hope Ray would have approved
Regards, Mike Haselden

Barley twist
Morning Mark,
a little barley twist goblet to feast
your eyes on! Cup & base is cherry
& the stem London plain, amazing
what you can do when you’re
locked down with time on your hands.
Hope you & all the gang in
Lewes are staying virus-free.

Best regards Jim Harris

Woodturning 349 75
 D

OVER 100+ NEW

JEWELRY & BOOKMARK KITS
st a r t i n g at NOW AVAILABLE
$3.25
See these all here: http://wt.gs/WM8

Mix & Match

WoodTurningz.com +1-317-873-4485
SHIP WORLD-WIDE | 15248 STONY CREEK WAY | NOBLESVILLE, IN 46060, USA
 Split turning for perfect mouldings
Alan Holtham describes how to master this useful technique

Split turning is a handy addition to

any woodturner’s armoury of practices,
particularly when it comes to creating half
and quarter mouldings. Theoretically,
you could turn these mouldings from
a solid piece and saw them down, but
this method is fraught with difficulty. It
is tricky to hold a round firmly without
damaging it and then you have to try to
saw it down the length accurately.
Split turning eliminates these
difficulties and you end up with
perfectly matched mouldings every
time. All you need is some glue and a 1 2
bit of newspaper.

1 Prepare the material so that the

thickness is exactly half the width
and long enough for your profile.

2 Spread a thin layer of glue over one

face of each piece and fit them together
with a single sheet of newspaper between
them. Firmly clamp the blank with two
or three clamps to prevent bowing.

3 Take care when you come to mount the glued-

up blank on the lathe as it is easy to force the
joint apart with careless use of the centres. There
is a danger that the point of the centres will act
as a splitting wedge. Ideally, use a ring centre at 3 4
the tailstock end as this will help hold it together.

4 For perfect centring I prefer to grip the blank in a

chuck at the headstock end, which also helps with
security. However, if you need to use a standard,
four-prong centre, drill a pilot hole for the point first.

5 The blank can be roughed down in the

normal way, but it is essential that you wear
some sort of eye protection in case the glue
joint should fail. A full-face visor is preferable.

6 Turn your desired profile, leaving just a tiny

piece of waste at either end. It is no different
from turning a standard blank and if you
have used PVA there is very little blunting
effect on the tools caused by the glue line.

7 When you have finished turning, take the blank

off the lathe, clean up the ends, and use a craft
knife to carefully split it down the paper join. Once
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAN HOLTHAM

you get the knife started the joint soon fails.

8 You will now have two perfectly matched

mouldings to apply to a piece of furniture. For
quarter mouldings, adopt the same procedure
but use four pieces with two paper joints. • 5

78 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 SPLIT TURNING

6 7

Woodturning 349 79
 Next issue on sale 5th November

Andy Coates continues his

domestic wear series with a
storage pot for ground coffee
Chris West reveals the
secrets of the Brighton
Bun travel candlesticks

Les Symonds allows

you enough turning time
to create his LED
Christmas tree
Brian Horais
shares part
2 of his
introduction
to multi-axis
turning

TO SUBSCRIBE, VISIT WWW.GMCSUBSCRIPTIONS.COM

Editor Mark Baker Production Manager Jim Bulley Distribution Save 10% with 6 issues Telephone: 01273 488005
Editorial Andy Coates Subscriptions Seymour Distribution Ltd Save 15% with 12 issues Fax: 01273 478606
Editorial Assistant Karen Scott E: pubs@thegmcgroup.com T: +44 (0) 20 7429 4000 Save 20% with 24 issues Cheques should be made
T: 01273 477374 Marketing Anne Guillot Woodturning Plus UK subscribers can save an extra payable to GMC Publications Ltd.
E: karensc@thegmcgroup.com T: 01273 402871 (ISSN 0958-9457) 10% by choosing Direct Debit Current subscribers will automatically
Designers Oliver Prentice/Claire Stevens Origination is published 13 times a year by Post your order to: receive a renewal notice (excludes
Illustrators Oliver Prentice/Claire Stevens GMC Reprographics the Guild of Master Craftsmen The Subscription Department, direct debit) subscribers
Advertising Printer Publications Ltd. GMC Publications, 166 High Street,
gmcadvertising@thegmcgroup.com Precision Colour Printing Subscribe from £24.30 Lewes, East Sussex
Publisher Jonathan Grogan T: 01952 585585 (including free P&P) BN7 1XU, England.

Woodturning will consider articles for publication, which should be sent to the Editor together with a stamped-addressed envelope for return. GMC Publications cannot accept liability for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. Views and
comments expressed by individuals do not necessarily represent those of the publishers and no legal responsibility can be accepted for the result of the use by readers of information or advice of whatever kind given in this publication,
either in editorial or advertisements. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the Guild of Master Craftsmen Publications Ltd.

80 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 THE ULTIMATE IN
WOODTURNING LATHES

FINISHING SCHOOL

Wet Sanding with Food Safe Finish

and Net Abrasive.
Wet sanding with an oil is a
1 great way of reducing the
amount of dust generated in Made in Germany

the workshop. You can wet

sand with Finishing Oil, Lemon
Oil, Hard Wax Oil and Food
Safe Finish. The extra
lubrication will give an
exceptionally fine, smooth
2 surface and apply a coat of the
oil at the same time.
1 When using an oil as a
lubricant/dust collector it's
sometimes easier to coat the
timber with the oil.
2 Sand in the usual way. Net
3 Abrasive is ideal for collecting
dust without getting clogged
too quickly.
3 The dust mixes with the Quality Tools and Timber to match our Service
oil and is trapped in the Net
Abrasive.
4 Net Abrasive is easy to Dust Collectors
clean, either by beating it
4 against a suitable surface or
using a soft wire brush.
5 The Net Abrasive is ready
to use again. Net Abrasive is
more flexible than other
similar abrasives, sharper and
longer lasting.
5 If you aren't using oil as your
final finish, use the final
abrasive grit dry and sand
thoroughly to remove any
residual oil so the surface is
clean and dry, ready for the
coating of your choice. WE ARE EASY TO FIND:
11/2 miles from the M6, J40.
Take the A66 towards Keswick, Open 8am to 5pm daily.
See our YouTube channel for more tips! turn left at first roundabout, 10am to 5pm Saturday.
follow the Brown Signs to Closed Sunday.
More information available from your The Alpaca Centre.
local stockists or contact us at: G&S SPECIALIST TIMBER
The Alpaca Centre, Snuff Mill Lane, Stainton, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0ES.
PO Box 260, Stowmarket, IP14 9BX Telephone: 01768 891445. email: info@toolsandtimber.co.uk
Tel: 01473 890118
mailroom@chestnutproducts.co.uk www.toolsandtimber.co.uk
you can order online now
www.chestnutproducts.co.uk
 Kurt’s clinic Kurt Hertzog answers some readers’ questions

Knocking down ridges

Question: I was using some Wenge blanks, turned down, sanded, and coated with CA as a finish. You can see the ridges
in the glue, which I guess is somewhat expected. What do you recommend to knock the ridges down? Dry sanding with
regular sandpaper, or wet or dry sanding with Micromesh, or wet sanding with Zona??

My method for CA application is light coats of thin CA wiped on axially end to end incrementally, indexing the headstock by hand at end of each wipe

Answer: I’m not sure how you applied your CA finish but I’m thin coats of any brand of thin CA you wish to use. The only
pretty sure I know if you have radial ridges in your finished improvement might be some judicial Micro-Mesh use, starting
blanks. I’m guessing you used medium or thick CA to try to halfway through the pack and finer. I know this method is heresy
hurry things along and applied it with the lathe running. Very for those professing that you must use their specified brand of
conducive to creating ridges. The big problem now is that you CA, their brand of the paper towel, and mixing your CA with a
need to sand the ridges away and flush with the lower coating certain number of drops of boiled linseed oil. Trust me. I’ve used
without cutting through the existing good part of the finish. I this technique for 20 years and have found no better way. For
don’t have a magic solution for you to fix things. Any sanding more indepth information on applying CA finishes to pens and
you do, regardless of the abrasive media you choose, will likely larger turnings, visit Woodturning 298, November 2016, for a
damage the undercoatings to some degree. I’d like to suggest five-page spread called 10 Tips for a Better CA Finish.
you try a different method of applying your CA finish. You can
sand away your current finish completely or just try this method
on your next endeavour. Use only thin CA and apply many,
many thin coats to build your desired finish thickness. Do not
apply the CA with the lathe running and in a radial manner. I
suggest you keep the lathe turned off and apply your CA in an
axial wiping motion while incrementally indexing the headstock
manually at the end of each wipe. By applying very thin coats
you’ll have no incentive for wicking of CA into your bushing and
mandrel. The builds will go very quickly. Fold your application
paper towel into quarters, applying a few drops of CA to the
corner, and do your axial wiping process through the finish of
one complete revolution. At that point, pick a clean corner of
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KURT HERTZOG

your application towel to apply your next bit of CA and repeat.

When all four corners have been used, discard that bit of
toweling and get a new piece to repeat the process. You can
put on 20-plus coats in under five minutes, because the CA will
dry almost immediately. Keep going until you are happy with
the build depth and look. In this method, there are no ridges
created, no sanding other than the initial prep for finish, no CA finishes aren’t just for smaller spindle type turnings. Proper technique
mixing of chemicals, and no voodoo. Just simple application of will allow you to apply a CA finish to larger turnings too

82

Choosing a chuck
Question: When I bought my lathe, it came with a faceplate that I have been using all along. As my skills are growing, I want to get rid
of mounting everything with a faceplate and screws. My next purchase is a chuck and I’d like some advice. Which brand, which size,
what accessories, etc? Recommendations please?
Answer: While the faceplate is a great
workholding device, it does present some
limitations so expanding your workholding
capabilities is a natural growth in turning.
Without knowing you, your budget, your
exact location, and most importantly
what you wish to turn, I can’t recommend
anything to answer your questions
specifically but I can give you some
guidelines and considerations.
On brand… Buy a quality chuck, avoiding
the bargain-basement versions since a
quality chuck should last you for your
turning lifetime and be serviceable for the
next owner. The size will be dependent on
your lathe size, but mostly on what you
intend to turn. Accept that a single chuck
size usually won’t service 14in bowls and
very small, delicate ornament finials well,
so over time you may want more than
one size in addition to different jaw sets.
Most manufacturers offer two or three
Chucks are available from a variety of manufacturers for a variety of sizes of workholding. Various body sizes and jaws
will let you accommodate almost anything
different families of chucks to address size
needs and limitations. Decide on the size
of turnings for your interest and buy the
model of chuck that best suits that size.
Nearly all manufacturers offer a wide array
of jaws for their chucks so you’ll be able
to start with one set and add as needed to
better hold other things you’ll undoubtably
branch into. If you have turning mates in
your club, try out the various makes and
sizes of chucks either on their lathes or
borrow the chuck if it will fit yours. There
is no better way to decide if you like a
chuck than to use it and more than once
if possible.
The shape of the jaws, the type and
functioning of the key, the direction of
key rotation, and the jaws available are all
things you’ll either like or not once you’ve
spent some time using them. Do not feel
the pressure to buy new. There is little to
go wrong with a quality chuck. Other than
KURT’S CLINIC
messing up the scrolls or stripping the jaw
mounting screw threads, there is little that
the previous owner can have done that is
more than cosmetically detrimental. Check
all of those out by changing jaws and using
the chuck to tighten and loosen your grip
on work.
Bargain pricing can sometimes be had
from fellow club members as they migrate
to different brands, sizes, or thin their
equipment holdings. However, do strive for
a chuck that has the proper threading for
your lathe, trying to avoid adapters. Thread
adapters are available but space the chuck
away from the headstock usually increasing
run-out error. You may wish to review some
or all of the 13-part Workholding Aids and
Chucking series that ran from Woodturning
238-250 for more materials on chucks,
jaws, and a wide array of workholding
methods that you might employ now or in
the future.
Woodturning 349 83
 Looking for inspiration
Question: I try to create new designs when I turn but struggle with finding ideas. Everything seems to have been done. What can I do to find
new ideas to expand my horizons?

Perusing the instant gallery at any of the woodturning symposia should provide plenty of inspiration and ideas for you to pursue

While it often seems that everything has
already been done, I can assure you there
is a huge reservoir of ideas available. If
you are a member of a turning club, you
can see a variety of ideas on display there
during the ‘show and tell’. Woodturning
magazine, the AAW Journal, and other
print and digital publications can give
you a worldwide perspective. Attending
woodturning or woodworking symposia
and viewing their instant galleries should
fuel your new horizons for quite a while.
The web should give you a host of avenues
to pursue. Don’t feel that everything to
be created is in the past. There are still
wonderful bowls, just one example, being
created every day even after the millions of
bowls have been turned. If you feel you are
stuck in a creation rut, explore afterturning
decoration on any sort of turnings you
create. Painting, piercing, pyrography,
and other artistic additions can give you
a lifetime of variations to create. Much
like painting, music, or any other creative
medium, they haven’t run out of truly
unique results building with the same
basic elements.

Adding some afterturning decoration whether a bit of colour from painting or pyrography and dyes can expand your creations

Send your questions to Kurt’s email: kurt@kurthertzog.com

84 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 HOPE
woodturning

Introducing the new

MIDI-PRO 0i
nc vat

120
£

A small sized lathe

with grown up
capabilities!!!

- M33 X 3.5 spindle

-1HP motor variable speed
-3 x pulley range
-65kg
-14” swing over the bed
-1” tool post stem
-2 MT
-Bearing distance for
strength 100mm
-Tail stock stroke 100mm
-Swivel head
-Bed ex available

www.hopewoodturning.co.uk
TaylorsMirfield.co.uk
Unit 49b, Holmebank Business Park,
Station Road, Mirfield, WF14 8NA

A family run business specialising in quality pen turning kits.

Established in 2014.

Call today for our free Catalogue and if you quote the promo code “MWT20”
The Shakespeare, the only pen kit manufactured we will send you our new demo DVD free of charge
in the UK
J & CR Wood Ltd, Dept MWT20, 66 Clough Road, Hull HU5 1SR
We also supply: 01482 345067 info@jandcrwood.co.uk
Finishes and polishes including Yorkshire Grit, Chestnut Products
and Hampshire Sheen · Project kits · Bowl Blanks · Pen Blanks

VICEROY 
5/8” & 1/2”
Shaft Available We so not scrape, “Can I just say, what a lovely,
well illustrated and structured
book. I ordered it for my dad,
we cut and he is over the moon with it.”
Mrs A D. North Yorkshire
We cut knots, end grain,
side grain “What a fantastic book. You
have covered every detail and
We cut bark inclusions procedure, so anyone can make
a Windsor chair, no matter their
We like controlled precision ability. Your book is a work of
excellence.
cuts Mr B C. Northumberland

We cut exotic, dense woods

How-To Videos
HunterToolSystem@gmail.com

www.HunterToolSystems.com
 Turning a multi-axis twist
Brian Horais shows how to create unique twisted and spiral shapes
on the lathe with a multi-axis technique
PHOTOGRAPHS AND IMAGES COURTESY OF BRIAN HORAIS

Many turners develop their skills by turning cylindrical shapes
(bowls, vases, etc.), but then find themselves looking for new
challenges. They should try multi-axis turning, specifically a
three-point method that produces eye-catching, twisted spiral
shapes on a lathe. My interest in twisted turning began with
a class taught by Barbara Dill at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg,
Tennessee, US. Barbara is a recognised expert in the world of
multi-axis turning and has published a book on the topic. You
can find out more through her website (www.barbaradill.com).
This article will focus on one aspect of multi-axis turning –
three-point intersecting axes that yield pleasing, yet practical,
shapes. It will describe the geometry behind multi-axis turning
and the process for developing twisted shapes on the lathe.
Methods for embellishing the twisted shapes using various
carving and shaping tools will also be described, with examples
and sample projects. Additional articles in this series will
expand on the basic topic to address spiral vases, sculptures,
peppermills and half-twist bowls.

Woodturning 349 87
Basic multi-axis geometry
Offset or multi-axis turning can produce a number of unique
shapes. One of the simpler methods for offset turning is to
use multiple intersecting centrelines to generate a twist in
the desired shape. The reason for the twist and a practical
application can be seen in images 1 and 2. When three
cylinders intersect with their centrelines on slightly different
but intersecting angles, the points of intersection yield a
gentle curve. Translating this to a useable shape such as a
twisted peppermill, you can produce a practical kitchen tool.
This might be a little easier to visualise if we look at a clear
cylinder with three coloured centrelines. Two cases are shown:
no twist (centrelines are parallel) in image 3, and 120° of twist
(centrelines intersect) in image 4. 120° refers to how much the
upper endpoint of each centreline is rotated compared to the
lower endpoint. 120° represents one-third of a full rotation as
seen in image 4.

Intersecting cylinders Twisted peppermill Offset parallel centrelines Offset intersecting centrelines

Preparing the turning blank

Now that the geometry is better
understood, it is time to select a blank
of wood and prepare it for multi-
axis turning. I recommend using an
inexpensive wood, such as poplar, for
practice turning. It turns fairly well and
yields smooth surfaces. Pine is not
recommended because it usually does not
yield acceptable results. Twisted turning
can be a little challenging at first, so why
complicate it with inferior practice wood?
 TURNING A MULTI-AXIS TWIST

Marking the offset axes

Marking the offset axis points is
straightforward, but takes some
careful measurement and planning.
A compass, protractor and hole punch
are recommended tools, along with a
marking pen. Using the centre of the blank
as a guide, draw a circle on one end of
the blank, leaving about ¼in or more to
the edge of the tenon. This will leave
enough room for your drive end to get a
grip without tearing out the wood. Then,
using a protractor, draw three lines from
the centre at 120° intervals, effectively
splitting the circle into three equal
segments. If you are doing this more
than once, I recommend that you create a
marking template with lines separated by
120°. This will make the marking steps a
lot easier.
After this step is complete, use the hole
punch to mark the offset points where
the wood will be suspended. A spring-
loaded hole punch is accurate and can
be supplemented by a pointed punch
lightly tapped with a hammer to deepen
the hole slightly. Number the holes with
a marking pen in sequence as in image 9.
I like to use a clockwise rotation on the
tailstock end for numbering. Then draw
a straight line from point number one to
the other end of the cylinder. Use this to
align the three 120° marks on the other
end, but do not number them yet. The
numbering will be determined by
your direction of twist. We will be using
120° of twist for these examples, but you
can pick an arbitrary amount of twist to
highlight a grain pattern in the wood.
Just adjust the location of your drive end
marking lines accordingly.
With a twist direction selected, mark
the points on the drive end so they
correspond to their paired numbers
(1-1, 2-2 and 3-3) in the direction of twist.
If you marked them correctly, they should
rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as
shown in image 10.
The numbered marking scheme provides
a way to keep track of where to mount
the drive bit and tailstock as you turn
each of the sides.

8
Marking the offsets

9 10
Numbering scheme Numbering the points

Mounting and checking the twist

Mount the turning cylinder between the drive bit and tailstock by
connecting number 1 to number 1 to prepare for cutting the first surface.
After this surface is complete you will shift the points to the number 2
pairs and then to the number 3 pairs. Tighten the tailstock until the four
blades of the drive bit are engaged with the drive end. You will notice that
each end of the cylinder is angled relative to the lathe centreline. This is
why a smaller drive bit is used to ensure good engagement on the drive
end. Soft wood or points too near the tenon shoulder could result in tear-
out of the drive bit as shown in image 11. Then you will find yourself in 11
a redesign mode. Not all is lost, just cut and sand the damaged end flat, Torque tear-out
glue on a disc of denser wood, re-turn the tenon and remark the points.
Your blank is a little bit shorter but none the worse for wear.
With the cylinder blank mounted, hand rotate it to make sure there is
clearance with the toolrest. You will notice that the ends come closer
to the toolrest than the centre of the cylinder. You can also check the
direction of rotation by holding a sturdy pencil against the cylinder as you
hand rotate it or rotate the lathe at a very slow speed as shown in image 12
12. The spiral set of lines defines the twist. Checking the twist

Woodturning 349 89
 Turning the twist
We are now ready to start turning the
twist. One thing you will quickly notice
when you turn on the lathe is the wobble.
You will be turning a shadow of the
original shape as shown in image 13. Set
a slow rpm and gradually increase it until
you feel vibration, then back off the rpm
slightly. It never ceases to amaze me how
a 1lb piece of wood mounted off-centre
(and out of balance) can cause a 400lb-
plus lathe to vibrate at only 600rpm.
Vibration limits the available rpm for
off-centre turning. Before you engage
the wobbling shadow with your spindle
roughing gouge, a few words of caution.
The cutting surface is rotating past the
toolrest only one-third of each rotation.
This means that you will be turning air
for most of the rotation. As a result, you
need to approach the edge of the shadow
slowly with your spindle roughing gouge
firmly placed on the toolrest, especially
at the ends where the rotating cylinder
comes closest to the toolrest. Start your
13
Turning the wobble
16
16
Twisted side
90
cuts slowly and work back and forth,
following a curved contour that dips in the
middle as shown in image 14. The curved
contour is needed to create a uniform
surface cut on your rotating blank.
Remember that the centre of your blank
is located farther from the toolrest than
the ends. If you turned a flat, horizontal
line on the shadow, the ends would be
tapered and the centre thicker. When
turning you are watching the upper edge
of the shadow to determine the cutting
line and smoothness. It takes a little
getting used to, but once you learn to
watch the shadow, it becomes easier. It
may help to have something with contrast
behind the immediate turning area to
increase the contrast of the shadow.
Progress through the turning sequence
of offset axes until you have the desired
shape and depth of cut. It is useful to
make less than a full-depth surface cut
on each of the three sides when you are
first getting started, as shown in image
14
Partial twist
17
Twist complete
15. That way you can come back to a side
and complete it rather than removing too
much on the first turning sequence. The
tenons on each end provide a gauge of
how much surface you have removed to
create the twist. Use this to even out the
three sides and then produce the finished
three-sided twisted shape as shown in
images 16 and 17. Your first few tries may
not be completely satisfying, but keep
trying. Turning air is a new technique
for most of us and, like anything new,
it takes practice to understand what
to look for and how to use your tools
properly. Keep making practice items
and put them somewhere so you can use
them as reference items. Vary the twist
direction. Vary the twist amount. Get
comfortable making the three-sided twist.
We will explore practical applications of
the twisted shape before completing this
article and then will continue to expand
the variations and applications in two
subsequent articles.
15
Cut depth
www.woodworkersinstitute.com

Embellishing the twist
Remember reading that the tenons on
the ends of our turning had multiple
uses? One use should be familiar –
gauging the depth of cut for each
twisted side. The other use is to hold
the turning in a four-jaw clamp to
make a useful object. We will explore a
simple object in this article, a twisted
cup. Embellishments will be added to
individualise the cups. Our first step is
to hand sand the twisted shape with
it mounted on centre to remove tool
marks. These twisted turnings must be
sanded with the lathe turned off. If you
sand them with the lathe turning, those
sharp edges you worked so hard to
achieve would be rounded off. Instead,
hand sanding in the direction of the
grain (image 18) provides a means to
achieve smooth surfaces without tool
marks. You may wonder why it’s difficult
to turn the twisted surfaces without tool
marks. The main reason is that for the
majority of each rotation you are turning
18
Sanding the twist
21
Shaping the cups
air. When you attempt to ride the bevel
of the tool, it starts bouncing and cutting
uneven surfaces. Getting the right touch
to cut cleanly without bouncing the tool
is a big part of turning air and achieving a
smoother twisted surface.
With sanding complete you may need to
clean up the tenons to create sufficient
surface for your four-jaw clamp. Once the
twisted turning is mounted in the four-jaw
clamp with the tailstock engaged, we will
be parting the turning somewhere in the
middle to create two smaller turnings,
each with its own tenon, as seen in image
19. I use a parting tool to cut through
most of the material and finish the cut
with a hand saw and the lathe turned
off. Parting items all of the way through
usually results in something flying off in
an unintended direction. You have put a
fair amount of work into your creation so
far, so why not finish the parting with a
hand saw and have control over the parts?
Each individual cup is bored out to the
19
Parting the twist
22
Completed cups
TURNING A MULTI-AXIS TWIST
desired depth with a Forstner bit (image
20). This is why the tenon is essential to
provide a means of holding the twisted
shape while completing the boring out,
shaping and sanding. With the cup bored
out you widen the opening and then use
carving tools to shape the opening and
interior surfaces, as shown in image 21.
Twisted shapes suggest organic curves
and lines that can be enhanced with
carving and shaping. After you have
shaped and sanded the opening of the
cup, flip it around and mount it on a jam
chuck to finish the bottom side, much
like you would do for a bowl. Your work
on the cups is nearly complete. All you
need do is to apply a finish to create
shapes like those shown in image 22.
Your journey into twisted turning is just
beginning. There are two more articles to
follow in subsequent issues in which we
will create increasingly complex twisted,
off-centre shapes and designs. Enjoy the
twist. Not everything has to be round.
20
Boring out the cups
Woodturning 349 91
 Turning air Shaping and sanding
Shaping and sanding your twisted shapes can be a lot of fun. When you
have open shapes, such as the cups created in this article, shaping and
sanding tools allow your creativity to flow. I use Microplane and Kutzall
tools for most of my shaping. The Microplane tools may look a lot like your
cheese grater – if you go to the Microplane website, it sells kitchen tools as
well. I’m convinced one of its employees was a woodworker hobbyist and
found that cheese graters make great (or is that grate?) shaping tools. For
sanding, I prefer to use Abranet mesh sandpaper because it lasts longer
and can be folded repeatedly into different shapes to sand small areas.

Turning a shadow

The term ‘turning air’ refers to turning procedures when you are not turning
a continuous object. This can occur if the object has an irregular shape or if
you are turning an off-centre mounted object. When turning air, it is important
to first hand rotate your wood blank to make sure there is clearance with
the toolrest. Then carefully adjust the turning speed until you feel vibration.
Back off the speed slowly until the vibration stops. Turning a vibrating
object makes smooth surfaces impossible. With the object rotating, you
are cutting wood only a portion of each rotation. For the remainder of each
rotation you are literally turning air. Tool engagement must be done slowly
while watching the shadow of the turning object. You will also judge where
and how much to cut by observing the shadow of the turning object.
Shaping tools

Preview of coming attractions

This first article on twisted turning introduces the turner to three-axis offset turning. Simple shapes are created
but the same techniques can yield an array of useful and unique shapes. The two subsequent articles will address
refined turning techniques that can produce a variety of twisted, spiralling shapes as shown here. •

92 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 From design to a functional
item – final assembly
Chris West discusses turning, finishing and assembling the pepper mill

In previous issues we have designed a pepper mill, turned a

prototype, produced drawings of both the blank and one of
the mills itself, plus the mill’s blank has been drilled. Before
turning the mill, consideration needs to be given to the choice
of methods of holding the blank. Just two are mentioned here.
The drilled hole in the bottom of the base can be held in a Fitting jig
chuck with expanding jaws, or a hardwood drive plug can be
turned to fit into the bottom of the base. My personal choice is 13mm (½in)

the drive plug, which is a multi-use jig also used to press home
the mechanism when the CrushGrind lugs are left on the main
grinding mechanism.
Spigot or dovetail
43mm (111⁄16in)

35mm (13⁄8in)
63mm (2½in)

to fit your jaws

41mm (15⁄8in)

As can be seen, the mill has been designed such that the top 32mm (1¼in) Ø

‘flows’ into the top half of the mill. The two halves should be x

turned together to achieve this continuous flow. 54mm (21⁄8in)

The false tenon will have been glued into the top of the base
and drilled appropriately, so will require an amount of kitchen
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS WEST

paper wrapped round it to give a tight fit into the base.

The top of the mill has a hole drilled in it, into which a
‘coloured’ insert will be glued once the majority of the mill’s top
16mm (5⁄8in) 20mm (¾in)
has been turned. This will help identify the contents of the mill,
salt or pepper. A live centre is inserted into the hole for support. Jig plan

94 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 FROM DESIGN TO A FUNCTIONAL ITEM

In the design, there are three beads to be formed and

there are alternative turning tools which can be used:
a 1/2in skew chisel, a 1/4in spindle gouge or a 10mm
(3/8in) bead forming tool. The image shows a burn line
either side of the beads. A burning wire can be used to
achieve these black lines. My first burning tool was just
a piece of 1mm diameter wire, approximately 9in long,
wrapped round two pieces of dowelling. Place it over the
workpiece, applying pressure which creates friction and
will burn the wood. Do not try holding the wire with your
fingers – nasty cuts could occur.
When the major part of the turning is complete, the
mill is sanded before the two halves are taken apart.
Depending on the quality of your turning, sanding can
begin with either 120 or 180 grit. On the areas of the mill
other than the beads, try to finish sanding horizontally
between grits – 240, 360 and 400 grit are used to
complete the sanding. A tack cloth is well worth using
to remove the dust left from the final sanding.
The top is initially held by the hole drilled for the
coloured insert. Expanding jaws in your chuck are used
for this. The false tenon is supported by a live centre and
its diameter is reduced just enough to allow the bottom
of the mill to fit comfortably. It is important that the false
tenon is turned from a dry piece of wood. Having the
tenon swell in the future could well cause the mill’s top
to become tight when it is turned. The top is removed
from the chuck and reversed, held in compression jaws.
This allows the coloured insert to be glued in and, when
dry, curved over to match the rest of the domed top.
Protection for the tenon is recommended – kitchen paper
wrapped around it is usually sufficient.
After being sanded the mill is sprayed with a sanding
sealer. The next step is to apply your chosen finish,
whether it is a cellulose or an acrylic lacquer or some
other waterproof finish. Whichever you choose it must be
a hardwearing, waterproof finish. I tend to leave my mills
overnight in this state to harden before buffing first with
Tripoli, then White Diamond and finally carnauba wax.

A dedicated bead forming tool Commercially available line burning tool

Woodturning 349 95
 Fitting the mechanism
If you choose to leave the lugs in place you will need
to turn the jig from the plan on page 88 to help fit
the mechanism.
This jig is held in the chuck by compression jaws, which
hold the 35mm-diameter spigot shown below. Position the
mill and mechanism into the jig with everything square. Bring
up the tailstock and lock with the piece of wood central over
the tailstock barrel. A ½in hole is required, which allows the
CrushGrind shaft to be pressed through it and into the hollow
barrel of the tailstock. When everything is parallel and the
tailstock locked, wind in its barrel to force the mechanism
into the mill’s base. The lugs need to have clicked into the
recess. This can be seen from the top of the mill’s base.
Shortening the stem
When the mill was designed it was noted that the shaft
of the CrushGrind mechanism would need to be shortened.
The process is shown below. Having fitted both parts of the
mechanism, push the top over the shaft as far as it will go.
The gap between the bottom of the mill and the top as
seen in the drawing is the result of the turned mill not
being exactly the right height for the CrushGrind shaft
mechanisms available. •

Jig in compression jaws Bottom of the mechanism ready to be pushed in Note: The plywood square has a 12mm hole
in its centre to allow the stem to pass into the
tailstock’s barrel

The drive plug is pressed into the top of the mill using a piece of 75mm Measure and note the gap between the two halves of the mill
square plywood

The shaft needs to be shortened by this amount, Hold the top of the shaft in a vice and remove Amount to be cut off from the end of the shaft
plus a further 6mm (¼in) the excess using a small hacksaw. Finally, file a = gap (25mm) + free space (7mm) = 32mm. This
chamfer on the top edges of the shaft will leave 6mm (¼in) of the stem above the top
of the drive plug.

96 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 NEW FULL RANGE OF TOOLS AVAILABLE Tel. 0114 261 2300
Hardened to 66/69 HRC, massively Fax. 0114 261 2305
out performing standard HSS tool
Cryogenically treated giving a huge increase in Web. www.crownhandtools.ltd.uk
performance over standard M42 Email. Info@crownhandtools.ltd.uk
Beautifully balanced ‘Copper black handles’
Available from
Triple tempered for Ultra high performance
www.axminster.co.uk
Hand Honed to a Razor Edge
www.marksanger.co.uk
Hand crafted in Sheffield, England

Two Technologies Giving Unequalled Performance

LINCOLNSHIRE WOODCRAFT
SUPPLIES
Specialist in High Quality Turning Blanks Make Exclusive Gifts!
The Old Sawmill, Burghley Park, London Road
Stamford, LINCS. PE9 3JS
Open 9am to 4pm - Monday to Friday
9am to 12:30pm - Saturday
Please call beforehand if coming from some distance Meat & Chicken Espresso Tampers
Tel: 01780 757825 Mobile: 07808 319280 Tenderizers Can Tab Lifter
for arthritic hands
www.lincolnshirewoodcraft.co.uk
Retirement Sale 20% off non-Paypal sales
20% off sales over £20

For skill, integrity FDA Food Grade

Stainless Steel
and expertise... Classy Bottle Opener Made in USA Solid Brass Whisky
& Wine Stoppers
Guaranteed
...choose a member of All products
designed and
The Guild of Master Craftsmen patented by
Recognising craftsmanship in a modern world Ruth Niles

GO Simply Superior

TO www.findacraftsman.com nilesbottlestoppers.com
 Pizza cutter
Stephen Long turns
the perfect pizza cutter
from beech

I have always enjoyed a pizza

so decided to have a go at
making a pizza cutter out of
beech. I chose this wood as
it is close grained and food
safe. It is used for all manner
of kitchen utensils, such
as rolling pins and spoons,
chopping boards and scoops.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STEPHEN LONG

98 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 PIZZA CUTTER

EQUIPMENT USED • Chuck • Hot-melt glue

Tools • Drive spur • Abrasives 120-1000 grit, sandpaper,
• Personal and respiratory • Revolving tailstock centre Webrax pads and emery boards
protective equipment • 8mm drill
• Spindle roughing gouge • External callipers Materials
• Spindle gouge • Tenon saw or Japanese pull saw • Handle – beech 40 x 40 x 210mm blank
• Beading and parting tool • Coping saw • Blade – beech 7mm x 105 x 105mm blank
• Bead forming tool • File • Homemade clamping fixture,
• Detail point tool or skew chisel • Food-safe oil drilling V-block and holding aid
• Bowl gouge with fingernail grind • Masking tape • Chuck spigot

Spigot to fit
your chuck BLOCK FOR HOLDING HANDLE
30mm
120mm 45mm

5.8mm

75mm
8mmØ 45mm 32mm 22mm Ø

22mm Ø

BLOCK TO TURN CUTTER Slots for elastic band

12mm

50mm
30mm

60mm 100mm 70mm

6mm
VEE BLOCK FOR DRILLING
SPACER FOR SLOT

HANDLE
200mm
80mm
75mm 60mm 5mm bead
15mm

6mm slot

8mm hole
6mm 18mm Ø 21mm Ø
22mm Ø
100mm Ø 24mm Ø
36mm Ø
HANDLE BLANK 40X40X210MM

5.88mm CUTTER BLANK 7MM X105MM Ø

8mm Ø hole

80MM Ø x 30mm dowel

Woodturning 349 99
 The cutter blade
1 You will need to start by making the
fixtures detailed in the plans. The block
for holding the handle is 45 x 45 x 120mm
long with a 22mm diameter hole through.
This is cut in half along the length. You
will need to put two grooves in for elastic
bands. These will keep both halves
together. The blade turning block is 36 x
75mm diameter. Turn between centres
to produce a spigot to suit your chuck
on one end and a spigot 8mm diameter
x 5.8 mm in length on the front face.

2 A plank of beech is re-sawn for the blank. 1a 1b

A 100mm disc is marked off and cut on the
bandsaw before an 8mm hole is drilled in
the centre. Make a mark on the side that
is flat on the table so you know the hole
is square to this side. You will need to put
masking tape on the side with the mark
then hot-melt glue dabs on the tape, giving
it a twist as you stick on to the holder. This
is the method I use quite a lot as it leaves
no fixing marks on the finished item.

3 Now that you have secured this

on the spigot held in the chuck allow
the glue to set. Set the toolrest at
90° to the bed bars and run the tool
along the rest to give you a flat cut.
2a 2b
4 In this picture the part has been
turned to 100mm diameter and faced
off flat, then create a taper from the
edge of approximately 20mm to
give the profile of half the cutter.

2c 2d

3 4

100 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 PIZZA CUTTER

5 This is then sanded through the grits,

finishing with a 1000 grit nylon pad.

6 Take the part off the spigot. You will need

to clean off the old glue from the holder
before you can turn the part around and
re-glue it using the hot-melt method as
before. Don’t forget the twist to set it true.

7 The second side has been turned

to match the profile of the first side,
sanded to a finish and showing
the profile of the cutter blade.

5 6 8 Enlarge the hole a little to give clearance

on a 8mm diameter dowel – use a
rolled up piece of sandpaper for this.

9 Soak the cutter blades in

food-safe finish overnight.

The handle
10 Mount the plank between centres,
turn to a 36mm-diameter cylinder and
use a parting tool to square off the ends.
Create 5mm-long spigots on each end
(these will be cut off later to remove
your centre drive marks). Now mark a
line 80mm in from the left-hand end.

11 Turn the part down to 24mm diameter

7 8 and create a radius on the left-hand end,
blending in from the 24mm diameter to
the 36mm diameter on the 80mm line.

12 Now turn the rest of the handle to

22mm diameter, blending in to the 80mm
mark (the flange is there to protect the
hand from the blade when in use).

9 10

11 12

Woodturning 349 101

 13 14

13 Turn a 21mm-diameter ball on the right-hand

end and mark the position of a bead 60mm
from the flange, using a bead forming tool to
produce a bead (any design of your choice may
be used to decorate this end of the handle).

14 Sand the finished handle down to 400 grit then

saw off the drive spigots from each end and sand
the ball end to remove the saw marks.

15 This picture shows the handle in the clamping

fixture with the mark for the depth of the slots
at 70mm. Set this vertical in a bench vice
ready for sawing. Do not attempt this on the
bandsaw as it can be extremely dangerous.
14a 15
16 Hand saw the slot with the grain. Saw down to
the 70mm mark. You will need to make two saw cuts
to give a 6mm wide slot on the centre of the part.

17 Use the coping saw to cut out the waste. Now

file and sand the slot to finish. Use a file, and I use
homemade emery boards to give a flat bottom
and smooth sides to the slot. I make these by
cutting a strip of emery tape 300mm long and
gluing it to a length of plywood, 25mm wide by
200mm long. (You can make them out of different
widths of ply or purchase from a manufacturer).

18 Make the hole for the blade. Carefully mark

out the hole position 15mm from the end of
the slot in the centre of the part. You will need
to make a piece of plywood 6mm thick, 70mm 16 17
long and 50mm wide to use as a spacer that
aligns the handle slot to the V-block. This
ensures that it is 90° to the slot through the
handle. Drill an 8mm hole, you will need to
drill from both sides to reduce breakout.

19 Assemble the parts and glue in a dowel (this

can be either homemade or purchased from a DIY
store). Make sure the blade spins freely and then
leave to dry. Cut the ends of the dowel off and sand
to a good finish. Allow the glue to set overnight
before you move on to apply food-safe finishing
oil to the handle or it will not stick. (The picture
shows a holding fixture I made from scrap timber).

The Pizza Cutter is now ready for you to enjoy

your pizza. • 18 19

102 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 READ ANYWHERE FROM

ONLY £2.92
PER ISSUE

© Shutterstock
 Sharpening:
A Woodworker’s Guide
We review the latest book from woodworker Randall A Maxey

One of the most important aspects to successful

woodworking of any kind is having sharp tools. This new
book from US-based woodworker Randall A Maxey will
help ensure your tools are always in tip-top condition. It’s
a comprehensive guide that covers sharpening by hand,
machine sharpening, traditional sharpening techniques
and the latest innovations in sharpening technology.
It begins with the basic principles of sharpening,
explaining bevel angles (illustrated with easy-to-follow
diagrams) and giving an overview of all the different
tools and supplies, with guidance on using abrasives,
oil stones, waterstones, diamond stones, strops, honing
guides and powered sharpeners.
The ‘Sharpening in Practice’ section is broken down
by tool type, demonstrating how to sharpen chisels,
hand planes, router bits, planer/thicknesser blades,
drill bits, and carving, garden and kitchen tools. Such a
comprehensive list makes this book useful beyond the
workshop and you’re bound to find something around
the house that needs sharpening! All of the techniques
are illustrated with clear photographs.
The book is aimed at a broad audience of woodworkers
of all kinds but it will also make a useful addition to any
turner’s bookshelf.

Sharpening : A Woodworker’s Guide By Randall A Maxey is

available now for £16.99, published by GMC Publications

104 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 Speed Genie
Barkers Lane, Snainton, Nr. Scarborough,
North Yorkshire YO13 9BG
TEL: 01723 859545
Open Mon-Sat 10.00am-4.00pm £74.00
“Keeping wood turning at different
OFF speeds since 1997”
Sunday + Bank hols - CLOSED

Visit our new website: www.snaintonwoodworking.com

RRP !!!
CHARNWOOD
W815 Mini Lathe £189
PYROGRAPHY
Peter Child Pyrography Machine £119.95
1HP kit from £469
W824 Midi Lathe £379 Peter Child Splitters From £32.99 1.5HP kit from £569
W813 Lathe From £425
Retro fit digital readout £119.99
Accessories, Books & Blanks in stock
1624V V. S. Lathe & Bed Extension Ex Display £1515 RECORD/CAMVAC
BD15 Belt/Disc Sander Package £99 DML250 10" Mini Lathe £249
BD46 Belt/Disc Sander 4" x 6" Package £129 DML305-M33 Midi Lathe £299
BD610 Belt/Disc Sander 6" x 10" Package £299 DML320 Cast Midi Lathe 1HP £599
W711 8" Bandsaw
BS410 10" Bandsaw
£179
£269
Coronet Herald Lathe Inc. Leg stand
Coronet Envoy Lathe
£999
£1599 **OFFER**
CHESTNUT
Buffing System £56
Coronet Regent Lathe
BS250 10" Bandsaw
£1999
£259
1.5HP basic kit
Buffing Tree
Large range of finishes in stock
£40 BS300E 12” Bandsaw £599 With
BS350S Premium 14" Bandsaw £749
CHISEL SETS
NEW Record 3 Pce Bowl Turning Tool Set £79.99
Sabre 350 14" Bandsaw £999 FWD / REV (RRP £593)
NOW £519
Sabre 450 18" Bandsaw £1499
NEW Record 3 Pce Spindle Turning Tool Set £89.99 RSBG6 6" Bench Grinder £69
Robert Sorby 67HS 6 Piece Turning Tool Set £149 RSBG6 8" Bench Grinder £89
CHUCKS AND ACCESSORIES
Large range of machines, tools, and accessories
Charnwood Viper 2 Chuck £89
Charnwood Viper 3 Chuck £99 ROBERT SORBY
Charnwood Nexus 3 Chuck £99 NEW Deluxe Tool Racks From £29.99
Record RP2000 Scroll Chuck From £69.99 447 universal Sharpening System £119
Coming Soon Record SC1 Mini Chuck £69.99 ProEdge Basic Free Delivery UK Mainland £287
Coming Soon Record SC2.5 Mini Chuck £79.99 ProEdge Deluxe Free Delivery UK Mainland £355
Record SC3 Geared Scroll Chuck Package £95 ProEdge Deluxe Inc. Proset, + Long Grind Jig
Record SC4 Geared Scroll Chuck Package £125 + PE120Z Belt Free Delivery UK Mainland £385.85
Longworth Chucks From £99.95 STOCKISTS OF
GLASSCAST RESIN PRODUCTS Arbotech, Beber Carving Tools
T , Flexcut, Hamlet,
Resin, Pigments, Alcohol Inks & Accessories. IGaging, Microplane, Proxxon, Rhynogrip,
LAGUNA Simon Hope, Shogun Saws, Stubai Chisels,, TTrend
12/16 Revo Lathe £949 TORMEK
T4 £399.95
12/16 Revo Lathe/Leg Stand/Bed Extension
18/36 Revo Lathe
£1359
£2499 HTK-806 £161.75 S. Haydock
BFLUX1 Extractor
14/12 Bandsaw
£499
£1299
TNT-808
Package deals available.
£249.75 Spring Bank Farm, Goosefoot Lane, Preston, PR5 0UU.
Tel: (01254) 851918/07849 725195
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL/NEWSLETTER www.haydockconverters.co.uk
It's free to join @ www.snaintonwoodworking.com
Keep up to date with offers, new products & demonstration days haydockconverters@gmail.com

Paul Howard Woodturning Superior Design, Legendary Quality

www.paulhowardwoodturner.co.uk

Fluting Jig
Routers from 42mm to
65mm can be fitted as
standard or other tools
with a parallel collar
from 65mm down can be
fitted with a simple ring
adaptor
£159.00 plus P & P
Index System
Index plate 60 48 36 14 • 24” swing over bedway
hole pattern spindle sizes
• 36” between centers
to suit most lathes. Unique
position clamping system. • Inboard & outboard
£55.00 plus P & P
extensions available
• 1.5, 2 & 3 HP available
• 42” max. outboard swing
Spheres up to 300mm
Sphere Jig • Tailstock swinger available Designed and Made in Canada
Diameter depending on
Standard Jig
capacity of lathe.
£187.00 Plus P & P
(UK £15.00)
With Dual Round
Suitable for flat bed and dual
round bed bar Lathes.
Riser Blocks for Lathes from
2436 LATHE
Bed Bar Adaptor 125mm to 250mm spindle
£197.00 Plus P & P height included. Additional Powerful, Precise, Smooth.
(UK £15.00) risers can be fitted
Carbide Cutter for consistent
results. www.onewayeuropa.com
Self centring with disc or cen-
tring plate fitted
tel +49 2566 905 106
mark@onewayeuropa.com
Tel 01621 815654 Mob 07966 188559 Superior Design, Legendary Quality
 Pole lathe
bowl turning:
part two
Gareth Irwin completes his
explanation of bowl turning
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GARETH IRWIN

on the pole lathe

106
 POLE LATHE BOWL TURNING PART 2

1 With the bowl blank shaped to a rough dome,

the mandrel can be attached. If you are just
experimenting with bowl turning it is easiest to turn
a mandrel with a 25mm-wide tenon at one end.
A 25mm hole can simply be bored into the centre
of the flat surface of the blank and the mandrel
hammered in. If you plan to continue turning
bowls, this tenon will crush and wear and cease
to fit tightly after a few bowls. With this in mind, a
spiked mandrel should be turned (preferably from a
hardwood such as thorn or box). Four coach screws
with their heads cut off and the shafts forged or cut
to flat spikes can be threaded into holes drilled into
one end of the mandrel.
1
2 Orientate all the flat spikes to align with the
grain and, using the smaller, inner circle marked
on the flat face of the blank as a target, drive the
mandrel in with a lump hammer (these spikes
should not be too wedge-shaped or they will
split the blank at this point). Whether a spiked or
tenoned mandrel is used, it is important to set it at
90° to the blank’s face.

3 With the lathe toolrest removed, place the

joined blank and mandrel loosely between the
lathe centres and give it a spin. It will immediately
become apparent whether the work is in line with
the centres. When it is, the mandrel should have no
deviation as it spins and if the mandrel was carefully
attached to the blank, the blank will spin fairly
2 3 evenly too. A well-balanced blank will be a lot easier
to turn. When in the right position, hit the back of
the right-hand poppet with a mallet so the pointed
centre makes a hole in the blank. Open up this hole
with an awl or gimlet and put a spot of oil in it along
with the centre hole of the mandrel. Wrap the lathe
cord around the mandrel a couple of times, tap the
right-hand poppet into place and wedge it. The work
should spin freely when the treadle is depressed but
not rattle at all in the centres. The toolrest can now
be replaced and set as close to the work as possible
– but not touching it – and turning of the outside of
the bowl can begin.

4 The outside of the bowl needs to be worked down

in a series of passes, taking 2-3mm with each. The first
few passes obviously just clip the high spots of the
4 5 irregular surface left after the axing process, getting
closer with each pass. The bowl being made here is
a piece of (rather dry) spalted alder. The roughing,
outside bevel hook is best for these first passes.
The end of the tool should always be pointing to just
below the spot where the mandrel meets the blank.
Therefore the tool should be in line with the lathe
axis as the cut starts near the lathe centre and move
round to be at 90° to the lathe axis by the time the
cut reaches the bowl’s rim. The hook at the tip of the
tool should face straight up (12 o’clock), with the left
edge of the tool touching the work. Rotate the hook to
the right (about seven minutes past) until it starts to
take a slicing cut as the foot is depressed and the work
turns towards the tool. Release the tool from the work
slightly as the spring pole returns the treadle to the
top, ready for the next depression, and slowly the pass
6 7 can be made.

Woodturning 349 107

 5 Once the roughing tool has removed all of
the axe marks and the desired curve shape has
been created, the inside bevelled finishing tool
can now take 1-2mm passes to leave a clean
finish. A flat or concave foot can be created
at the base of the bowl at this point. With the
roughing hook, a groove can be cut 10mm from
the lathe centre and, with the right-hand edge
of the hook, cuts can be made coming down
into this groove, forming the foot. There should
now be a stub created which the lathe centre
runs in. This will be removed upon the bowl’s
completion. The mandrel and blank can now
be removed together from the lathe and reset
with the blank on the left, and the cord can 8 9
be re-wrapped around the mandrel, ready for
hollowing out the bowl.

6 Set the toolrest closer to the work. This time

hold the roughing tool with the hook facing
downwards and cut a 5mm-deep groove into
the flat face of the blank, about 20mm from the
mandrel. Rotating the hook upwards again, use
the right-hand edge to cut down into this groove.
Move outwards with each cut until the whole of
the flat face has been worked. Take care at the
very edge of the bowl for a ‘catch’ of the tool and
cut this edge outwards.

7 Repeat this groove near the mandrel and

moving out towards the edge, but stop 13mm
away (more if a thicker-walled bowl is required) 10 11
then repeat until most of the waste is removed.
Use finger and thumb to keep checking for wall
thickness.

8 The finishing tool can now be placed, hook

up, directly beneath the mandrel to smooth the
inside of the bowl, following the inner curve and
working towards the mandrel. Again, check with
finger and thumb for regular wall thickness.

9 The final part of the turning process is to

undercut the core. Take the curved hook tool
and follow the inside profile of the bowl coming
in from the side.

10 As the core base gets narrower, feel for flex.

As the wood fibres are running across the core, it 12 13
will become weak and when the core is down to
about 20mm it can be carefully broken and the
bowl freed.

11-13 The stub on the bottom of the bowl can

be removed with an axe and chisel and the point
at which the core was connected on the inside
of the bowl can be tidied up with a sharp hook
knife, working across the grain.

14 The finished bowl can now be left to season

before oiling. •

14

108 www.woodworkersinstitute.com
 Allan Calder’s Ltd Sandpaper Supplies
Unit 2B Churnet Works, James Brindley Road, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 8YH

We are supplying top

quality brands of
sanding abrasives for all
types of wood turners.

Web: www.sandpapersupplies.co.uk
Email: sandpapersupplies@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 01538 387738

www.trucutbandsaws.co.uk

Suppliers of quality blanks,

spindles and boards in
native hardwoods and
exotics. Also abrasives and
We specialise Tredegar House finishes. We will cut to
in supplying Newport NP10 8TW customers requirements.
Mob: 07854 349045
Woodcraft www.iscawoodcrafts.co.uk Visits to clubs welcome.
accessories and iscawoodcrafts@yahoo.co.uk Mail order available.
tooling for the
Woodturner THE WOOD SHED
stocking both exotic 11 Lowtown Road
and homegrown hardwoods Temple Patrick
Co. Antrim BT39 0HD native and exotic woods
· Kits · Tiles · Accessories · Tooling
02894 433833 woodturning tools
www.OakleaWoodcraft.co.uk | info@oakleaproducts.co.uk | 01952 884064 accessories • finishes
The Workshop, Calcutts Road, Jackfield, Telford, Shropshire TF8 7LG www.wood-shed.com woodturning courses for all abilities
BARGAIN BOOKS
HALF PRICE OR LESS!
*Limited offer - 5 books per order. UK only.

£14.99 £5.00 £7.99 £3.00 £16.99 £5.00 £14.99 £5.00

£16.99 £5.00 £16.99 £5.00 £19.99 £5.00 £14.99 £5.00

£16.99 £5.00 £14.99 £5.00 £16.99 £5.00 £16.99 £5.00

£16.99 £5.00 £16.99 £5.00 £16.99 £5.00 £16.99 £5.00

HTTP://WWW.WOODBOOKS.CO.UK – WHILE STOCKS LAST!

 Woodturning in history
Pete Moncrieff-Jury researches the history of the craft
One of the things I enjoy about
woodturning is actually not making things
but researching the history of the craft and
the way it has evolved. Historically wood
turning has always been either a way of
creating tools and equipment or as part
of something else such as furniture. Artistic
work for the sake of it and the idea of it
being a hobby is relatively new. Arguably
it has become artistic in its own right only
since the middle of the last century (I feel
old when I realise I can remember those
days). Prior to that most turning was for
more practical purposes. A walk around
stately homes for example will reveal
artistic work in carved wood, ceramics,
glass, fabric and so forth but rarely in
wood turned work. One exception is
perhaps the work inspired by Holzapffel
known as ornamental turning from the
Victorian days.
Looking at the different ways wood
turning has been used to make things
led me to the ways in which it was
instrumental in creating tools and
equipment for other crafts. One of my
main bread and butter works are creating
these tools for other crafts and some are
truly unusual. Most are used in various
112
fabric crafts and some, such as lace
bobbins, are well known.
Less known are the literally dozens
of different styles of spindles used for
creating various yarns from two stranded
silk to heavy flax for linen. Others are
even more obscure such as the couronne
sticks, trumpet and cone sticks used in
habedo embroidery. Often, I get asked
to make something and have to do some
research just to find out what the object
is before I can tell the customer I can
make it. I have a dozen different types
of drop spindles on my website but often
get asked to make a style that I have not
come across before. Classic example was
a recent request for a specialist spindle
for spinning silk. ‘Can you make me a
Natalie spindle?’ That and the Txoatile I
was asked for recently had me digging
around on the internet before saying yes.
The history of woodturning evolved very
slowly for many centuries with perhaps
the equipment being used the main area
of change. I may be wrong and am always
happy to learn but so far I have found
no reference to hollow forms, heavily
carved and decorative bowls, vases etc
being created prior to about the 1950s. I
remember (and often see in charity shops)
candlesticks with a hand carved barley
twist but no true off-centre work for
example. Today it is interesting that those
who use pole lathes or treadle lathes
tend to make treen and other such items.
Artistic work is mainly created by those
with electric lathes and appropriate tools
and equipment.
I have mentioned in a previous article
about how we have so many tools and
equipment that are relatively new to
the craft and wonder which inspired
which? Chicken and egg situation. Did the
upsurge of interest in artistic work inspire
the new tools or was it the other way
around? Does it really matter? Maybe it is
PHOTOGRAPHS BODRIGHY WOOD/SUPPLIED BY PETE MONCRIEFF-JURY
a mark of my age but I find looking back
at the history of the craft, the things that
were made a fascinating subject and if the
number of people requesting traditional
tools are anything to go by, it seems I
am not alone. In this time of enforced
incarceration for many of us perhaps now
is a good time to look at some of the
more traditional areas of the craft and
seeing what our forefathers made and
how. I wonder how many of these tools
(pictured above) you can identify?
www.woodworkersinstitute.com
CRAFTPROKITS
STAINLESS STEEL
BOTTLE STOPPER
£7.98 Inc.vat | Code 106538
Here’s a chance to turn some of those offcuts
that are too good to waste into something
practical and highly decorative. These British
made, solid stainless steel bottle stopper bodies
only require you to turn a top piece to transform
them into your own uniquely designed wine
bottle stopper.
TIMBERKITS
BEGINNER KIT
- CATERPILLAR
£9.98 Inc.vat | Code 107130
Enjoy building this wooden mechanical Caterpillar. Turn the
handle and watch a fun loving, wriggling caterpillar with
a beautiful butterfly flying overhead. The fun doesn’t stop
there, you can go on to paint or decorate your model.
Beginners Timberkits are ideal if you are just starting out in
the world of Automata. View the whole range on our website.

VIEW OUR FULL RANGE OF WOODTURNING KITS AT

AXMINSTERTOOLS.COM/WOODTURNING

To find out more, visit one of our stores, search

axminstertools.com or call 03332 406406.
For the complete Axminster experience and to keep up with projects, how to’s, news
and much more, browse knowledge.axminstertools.com and follow us on social media.
Prices may be subject to change without notice.

Axminster • Basingstoke • Cardiff • High Wycombe • Newcastle • Nuneaton • Sittingbourne • Warrington

Rated ‘Excellent’ on
 P R O U D LY M A D E I N S H E F F I E L D , E N G L A N D

A collection of tools
designed for the
woodturner to measure
wall thicknesses, internal
and external dimensions.
Available in the range:
Part No. Description Note: *All calliper sizes denote the measurement
973 Threading and Sizing Gauge from the pivot point to the tip
9725 2½” Vessel Calliper
9750 5” Vessel Calliper
9710 10” Vessel Calliper *5”
974 4” Double-ended Calliper
977 7” Double-ended Calliper
976 6” Inside/outside Calliper
9785 8½” Inside/outside Calliper
970 Sizing Tool
9750 - 5” Vessel Calliper

DOUBLE-ENDED CALLIPERS
An indispensable addition to a turner’s armoury for
measuring both wall thickness and diameters.
VESSEL CALLIPERS
Enables accurate measuring without the need to
Designed for internal ‘B’
remove callipers ‘A’ = ‘A’ .
and thin-wall
dimensioning ‘A’ INSIDE / OUTSIDE CALLIPERS
Not only allows measurement of wall thickness ’A’ but also
inside dimensions ‘B’, like the size of an aperture. 977 - 7” Double-ended Calliper
976 - 6” Inside/outside
Calliper
THREADING & SIZING GAUGE
Ideal for box-makers, this gauge has a built-in compensation factor
to ensure a perfect thread between internal and external diameters
everytime.
SIZING TOOL
970 - Sizing Tool The Sizing Tool is used in conjunction with a parting tool to obtain
accurate and consistent diameters up to 3” on spindlework. 973 - Threading & Sizing Gauge

Visit our website to find your nearest stockist

www.robert-sorby.co.uk
Robert Sorby, Athol Road, Sheffield S8 0PA ENGLAND
Tel: +44 (0) 114 225 0700 E-mail: sales@robert-sorby.co.uk

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL @ROBERTSORBY

Made In Sheffield Mark, a symbol of the City region’s ongoing commitment to quality and excellence.