tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165192532008-06-07T14:04:43.459-03:00Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-23440860208933362512008-03-10T20:28:00.002-03:002008-03-10T21:04:19.847-03:00

You are probably familiar with Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Now there is another wiki, one specifically for woodworkers, called wikiWOOD. It is still very much in it's infancy, and there isn't a lot there yet, so this is a good opportunity for new editors to get involved and maybe set some benchmarks. A good place to start is the Community Portal, but woodturners may

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-35810715642242848752008-01-24T09:43:00.001-04:002008-05-15T12:10:01.933-03:00

Last updated January 24, 2008 Woodturning technique Remounting dried bowl blanksMarking dark woodGetting started in woodturningSanding adviceGrain raising Materials What's that tree?Some low-tech approaches to drying woodBox lids and wood movementA step back in timeA splash of colorHardening spalted woodTurning ancient woodTight fitting wine corksTreat your Cherry to a sun tanCutting large

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-9518798538413069462008-01-24T08:44:00.000-04:002008-01-24T09:35:09.439-04:00

Six months ago you started off with a green log and roughed out a bowl blank and left it to dry. It is now a cupped oval shape, and you need some method to secure it on the lathe for final turning. Any spigots or recesses you left are now oval too. If you used a coring system, there are probably no spigots or recesses anyway:- There are many options available, and will depend to some extent

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-80778323690628692452008-01-03T07:34:00.000-04:002008-01-03T07:46:08.790-04:00

Here is a video showing Finnish turner Antti Sorvamaa turning a honey dipper. This is a nice project for beginners who have already learnt to use the basic spindle tools. Don't forget that Antti has probably made quite a few of these before, so don't expect to be able to work nearly as fast as he does. Choose straight grained wood, free of knots and figure, and something not to hard. I suspect

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-58466771086553073272007-08-02T08:33:00.000-03:002007-08-02T08:40:36.051-03:00

Lesya Popil, a dancer from Group Motion Dance Company, spent time in the workshop with the turners taking part in the International Turning Exchange and choreographed three dances based on their work. Following is a video of Part One, Seasprite Capering To Her Demise, based on an artwork by Sean Ohrenich. What did you make today that made you get up and dance?

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-89301568431503931512007-07-31T16:08:00.000-03:002007-07-31T16:20:34.116-03:00

I have a couple of videos for you today, both a bit of a blast from the past. The first is Robin Wood turning bowls on a pole lathe, the second is Stuart King turning flowers on a treadle lathe.

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-82036200149661374662007-07-25T21:08:00.000-03:002007-07-25T21:26:36.645-03:00

Many woodturners are drawn to making vessels. Many make simple bowls, some make more elaborate bowls, often with decoration added by methods other than turning. Some make hollow vessels with tiny necks, others make goblets or boxes. Inspiration has been drawn from many sources including ancient art, nature and contemporary art. The Empty Vessel is a blog by Susan Lomuto Rose about "the container

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-91922543702854896892007-07-17T07:48:00.000-03:002007-07-17T08:53:57.095-03:00

Have you ever been offered some logs or a whole tree for turning, but don't know what it is? The website Discover Life might help. Although it covers all life forms, the tree guide is for woodturners. To get started you do need a leaf, so be sure to get a sample or two, along with fruits and flowers if available. If no live samples are available check for dead ones under the canopy. Click the

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-72849693737300292452007-07-12T14:25:00.000-03:002007-07-13T13:34:31.714-03:00

How important are handcrafted items in your life? This is the question that will be addressed on the Maritime Noon phone-in, tomorrow, Friday, July 13th. In a world that's awash in mass-produced products, certain individuals still devote themselves to making things that are unique. Artisans around the Maritimes create everyday items like coffee mugs & breadboards, accessories like earrings &

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-89216350004215213652007-07-12T08:05:00.000-03:002007-07-12T08:46:26.516-03:00

The International Turning Exchange is underway at the Woodturning Center, and resident Lynne Yamaguchi is blogging the activities there. The ITE has been underway for a month now, but I only just found this blog which is a shame. There is a lot to catch upon. I sometime use masking tape in my shop to hold things on the lathe, but the example shown in this post seems a little extreme to me, but

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-17998210296095197682007-07-04T10:21:00.000-03:002007-07-04T10:53:29.508-03:00

Blogger Alan Irwin has been covering the 2007 American Association of Woodturner's Symposium in Portland, OR. So far he has covered day 1 and day 2. The AAW have also published a lot from the symposium, the best in my opinion being the catalog from the invitational exhibition, Japanese Bowls: a western perspective, and Turning Green - An International Juried Exhibition of Woodturning.

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-85483907932169206672007-05-25T10:07:00.000-03:002007-05-25T11:30:05.929-03:00

Yeah, I know. It's been a long time since my last post. I recently got an e-mail from Philip Streeting of Woodturning Plus wondering why I hadn't posted anything here in a while. Apart from doing nothing but uninspiring work in the shop like bottle stoppers and coring bowl blanks, I have started a new blog A Somerset Family History and I'm giving SunriseTrail.ca a makeover. To make matters worse

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-52814294851783700562007-03-18T12:13:00.000-03:002007-03-18T13:32:05.637-03:00

One of the reasons I read blogs about other crafts is that they often have ideas and links that I can apply to my woodturning. My friend Cyndi recently posted Online Jewelry Design Tools, which includes some resources that applies to the artistic design of anything. Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition by Jeremy Glatstein is a very concise explanation. It is worth

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-22490981570625117142007-02-22T10:10:00.000-04:002007-02-22T10:21:47.810-04:00

Hey folks! My friend Cyndi Lavin, a professional blogger who writes for b5media has just posted an interview we did recently. Thank you Cyndi! You asked some searching questions that made me really think about things I take for granted in my day to day work.

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-1162818823116493252007-02-15T18:43:00.000-04:002007-02-16T18:30:45.745-04:00

I acquire a lot of my wood while it is still green; kiln dried boards are expensive and often not available in thickness' greater than one inch. In the maritime climate in which I live, air drying is slow and only gets wood down to about 15% EMC (equilibrium moisture content). This is not low enough for work that is to be glued, or if it is going to find a home in more arid climates. Anyone

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-29353400290118051112007-02-11T17:41:00.000-04:002007-02-11T17:50:16.884-04:00

Remote controls for dust collectors are a real boon, but the controller is usually pretty small and easy to misplace in a cluttered workshop or worse still, shovelled out with a pile of shavings. My solution is to tie a piece of high visibilty marker tape to it. In six years of use I haven't lost it yet. Now, where did I leave the remote?

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-82681087696295754852007-02-09T09:22:00.000-04:002007-02-10T14:23:57.975-04:00

One of the simplest methods of making our work more visually interesting is to repeat a motif. If we limit ourselves to pure woodturning, this might be as simple as using sets of small beads as I have done here, using a group of three inset beads and a group of two inset beads. We might also get more adventurous by using other techniques such as pyrography, painting or carving to add a

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-4743680547095882192007-02-08T10:00:00.000-04:002007-02-07T11:46:08.130-04:00

There is a new blog on the block. Woodturning Plus is written by UK turner Philip Streeting. This seems to be a blog with a mission. Philip is critical of the British woodturning scene: "...the focussing of attention in British woodturning on matters relating to technique and finish, was inhibiting the growth and development of the craft." So this is what Woodturning Plus is going to be all

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-1162819276443836552007-02-06T20:25:00.000-04:002007-02-06T20:25:27.137-04:00

Every woodturner knows the importance of keeping their gouges and chisels sharp, but what other tools need occasional maintenance? The two things that I tend to forget are drill bits and the tailstock. I do a lot of drilling on the lathe, typically several thousand operations a year. I use mainly brad-point bits when making bottle stoppers and weedpots. If the flutes of

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-1162819171851385462007-01-30T20:42:00.000-04:002007-01-30T20:42:24.753-04:00

A pencil line on many exotic woods is nearly invisible. The bark of most trees is equally difficult to mark before cutting. One answer is a white china marking pencil, available from office supply stores. Its is designed to mark on glossy surfaces, and the white line is easily visible.

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-1162818370389639312007-01-26T08:55:00.000-04:002007-01-26T10:10:53.124-04:00

My lathe bench is made from construction grade spruce and plywood. It is 26" wide and 60" long to accomodate both my Nova 3000 and Delta. It is square with no splayed legs but the width makes up for this. The legs and cross members are 4x4's. The frame joints are all mortice and tenon. Plywood has been fitted to the bottom and sides. This will help keep it square and add rigidity. Eventually

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-88426348692199881482007-01-24T09:45:00.000-04:002007-01-24T09:55:41.777-04:00

The Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery at Frostburg State University (Maryland, USA) presents “Wood 2007”, on view Feb. 10 through Feb. 28. The exhibition looks at how the craft of woodturning is gaining popularity with local artists. It will feature an interesting mix of expressions in woodworking by craftspeople of all levels. It opens with a free, public reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-53163384586224236022007-01-23T10:11:00.000-04:002007-01-23T10:41:17.690-04:00

I once took some nicely fitting boxes to a craft show and by lunch time the lids were all stuck. Since then I have have pretty much given up trying to make boxes as a commercially viable product. Never the less, here are a few thoughts that may help boxmakers refine their process. First, it's important to realise that a round box and lid will become oval as their moisture content changes, so

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-1162818953690212612007-01-17T21:15:00.000-04:002007-01-18T22:02:08.523-04:00

Do you ever cut tiny slivers off with the bandsaw, only to find that they get stuck between the blade and the throat? When I am cutting small pieces I use a couple of sheets of fridge magnet material on the table, set so there is zero clearance between them and the blade. I used to stick cardboard to the table, but the magnetic sheets are much more

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16519253.post-1164936118099573732006-11-30T20:58:00.000-04:002006-12-01T10:22:43.773-04:00

Every now and then I stumble across a gem of a website. Today I came across Stuart King's website, and in particular the articles he has written, many of which are about woodturning as it was practiced in days gone by. Do take a look. There are stories from England of bodgers, bowl turners and twist cleaners. There are tales from eastern Europe of bow lathe turners, drop spindle makers and

Derek Andrewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12058511671737531988noreply@blogger.com