Well, I started using my wood turning lathe this afternoon. It was a fairly tough undertaking and already encountered problems even before turning. The turning wood square I was using was quite small, so the thingy (I'm too lazy to search for the term) that goes on the headstock had a sharp long point and the 'teeth' thingy weren't square on the wood. I moved the tailstock closer so that it could 'dig' in, and then I heard a “crack” sound and almost ruined the turning square. I was going to stop there, 'cuz that was my only piece of “trial” wood and I ruined it, but I decided to move along and begin spinning the darn thing. I tested it first, to make sure it doesn't fly off the lathe and knock me on the noggin… It was fine.<\/p>\n
\nHaving no skill at turning at all, and barely knowing which chisel does what, I tried the different turning chisels I had before finally settling on this gouge thingy and this other chisel thingy that had a straight beveled edge.<\/p>\n
\nA few nicks and uneven chips later, I ended up with a decent piece. I can't exactly tell you what I turned because I'm giving these as presents to a few select people, but I'm telling you, it's not too bad looking! LOL. IMHO, the nicks make it look “hand chiseled”… ^_^<\/p>\n
\nAfter giving it a good sanding, working my way from a lower grit (which I can't remember) to a higher grit (around 320), I used the Behlen's wood polisher thingy and ran the lathe. It looks so purdy all shiny!<\/p>\n
\nI haven't actually removed the piece from the lathe because 1. I'd like to remove it when the finish has dried; 2. I haven't a bag for my vaccuum so there's crap and dust all over the place. Thank goodness for respirators. <\/p>\n
\np.s.,
\nI'm so freakin' tired right now. I need like, a bench to sit on while turning.<\/p>\n
\np.p.s.,
\nDon't ask me for my NaNoWriMo word count… I'm sooooo behind! >.<<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well, I started using my wood turning lathe this afternoon. It was a fairly tough undertaking and already encountered problems even before turning. The turning wood square I was using was quite small, so the thingy (I'm too lazy to search for the term) that goes on the headstock had a sharp long point and read more