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ToolChatter

The Much Maligned Scraper Woodturners, especially the new and insecure woodturners, face the question of whether to scrape or not to scrape? Let me answer for one low level intermediate woodturner – I love scrapers. There, I have said it, and I am now out of the closet and feel liberated! Read the Full Story

Artist On The Cover

Bob Rotche As Jerry Prosise's unprecedented reign as the Artist on the Cover comes to an end, we felt it was time to introduce another member of the tribe in a bit more detail. Ladies and gentlemen, It is my pleasure to tell you a bit more about Bob Rotche. Read the Full Story

Welcome to Woodturners America

TurningTips

Making Of The Tool Donkey A few months ago, I bought a small metal lathe and mill. This started me seeking supplies of aluminum, brass and steel. Locally, I found a scrap yard and the owner was happy to take my money……aaaaah, I mean help me choose scrap and new stock he had on hand. He took me to the back of his warehouse and showed me some stuff; I didn’t have a clue what it was or what to do with it. On every visit, I’d look at it and think there has to be a good use for it. I Googled around and found it’s used for store displays, shop benches and anything you can think of. It’s kind of an erector set stock of extrusions. But at that time I felt, I needed special brackets and fittings to put it together and use it. Then one day, I received an email for the Lathe Tool Mule and the light bulb came on! Read the Full Story

Thats Life

Inspired by Gecko Feet, Scientists Invent New Adhesive Newswise — AMHERST, Mass. – For years, biologists have been amazed by the power of gecko feet, which let these 5-ounce lizards produce an adhesive force roughly equivalent to carrying nine pounds up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered exactly how the gecko does it, leading them to invent “Geckskin,” a device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall. Doctoral candidate Michael Bartlett in Alfred Crosby’s polymer science and engineering lab at UMass Amherst is the lead author of their article describing the discovery in the current online issue of Advanced Materials. The group includes biologist Duncan Irschick, a functional morphologist who has studied the gecko’s climbing and clinging abilities for over 20 years. Geckos are equally at home on vertical, slanted, even backward-tilting surfaces. Read the Full Story

Learnin Stuff

Segmented Bell Christmas Ornaments

These ornaments are so easy enough that even I can do them. But for those that aren't Woodturners they look like something that was really hard to do. Read the Full Story

Editorials

Hone Your Definition of Sharp A woodturner’s scraper can remove wood with the brute force of a bulldozer or the finesse of a barber’s razor. This flexibility parallels that of the furniture or cabinetmaker’s scraper. Such craftspeople know that their scrapers can remove planer marks and dried glue or leave a finish on wood superior to sandpaper. In skilled hands, a scraper can even level a cured finish. These broad abilities are all the result of the way in which the scraper is sharpened and presented. Read the Full Story

Tool Basics

How To Sharpen Forstner Style Drill Bits Some special insights and techniques by John Lucas regarding Turning and Forstner Bits and Sharpening Read the Full Story

Techniques

Sculpting Spirals On A Bowl Sculptured spirals on a bowl are a very effective way of enhancing some very ordinary pieces of timber, or on exotic species to really bring out the features to create an amazing piece. It looks difficult, but really it’s all about careful layout and hand tools. Once you see how it’s done, you will be able to give it a go yourself.
Tools required are a large compass capable of scribing a circle or around 24” or 60cm, either a vee chisel or some sort of power chisel arrangement and sandpaper. Also wood rasps, files and any other means of wood removal your comfortable with; but the first three are all that’s really needed, oh and patience. Read the Full Story

Out Of The Woods

Mesquite pictured: Vaughn McMillan Mesquite Nested Bowl Set
Mesquite (from Nahuatl mizquitl) is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where average annual rainfall is in excess of 40 inches (100 cm). Several species are found in arid to semi-arid regions of southern and western South America. Read the Full Story

Turn Safe

Impact Resistance: Protective Eyewear A look at the standards, and how they compare Background
Historically, impact resistance has been regulated by agencies like FDA since the early 1970s for products furnished through medical and retail channels, such as sunglasses and prescription eyewear. It is simply a drop ball test where a 5/8 inch steel ball is dropped free-fall through a tube from a height of 50 inches onto the lens surface. For protective eyewear meant for industrial or occupational use, the governing document is ANSI Z87.1, and it has been in existence, through several iterations, for almost 40 years. OSHA in its regulations (see CFR 1910.133) specifically cites Z87.1 as the minimum performance requirement for protective eyewear, effectively giving it the weight of law. Where a hazard assessment in the workplace indicates that eye/face protection is needed, such protection must be provided, and it must comply with this ANSI standard. Read the Full Story

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