Several years ago, my teacher, Eric Tan, designed a jig to hold a router on the lathe, and I have been intrigued ever since I made my first groove on a turned box. Since then, I have been trying to find new ways to incorporate the router with the lathe as part of the turning process and as a way to have more design possibilities.

It turns out it is not too complicated to form grooves, create a pattern, or add inlays to a turned workpiece. Here is how I built the jig and how I achieved various results using different setups and their applications.

The Router Jig

The jig I made is meant to be mounted in the lathe’s banjo. You can adjust the path of the router bit by moving the banjo and/or rotating the support.

With a square base, the router can move in two different directions: along the length of the workpiece and towards the workpiece. When you combine these options, you will have several ways to create patterns and have many design possibilities.

Jig Components

The router holder slides in a lipped track, which is mounted in the lathe banjo.	The track is mounted on a support post that mounts in the lathe banjo. A metal support offers better stability.

This jig comprises three main parts: the router holder, the track, and the support that fits into the lathe banjo.

If you make a support from wood, be sure it has a large area of contact under the track to avoid wobbling.	In this case, the diameter of the turned wood support is as wide as the track.

The photos show dimensions for my setup; you might need to adjust the size of the jig components, depending on the size of the workpiece and/ or your router.

Setup Concepts

The track can be oriented to allow the router to slide either along or towards the lathe’s axis. Ultimately, it can also be set at any angle in between.	And since the router holder has a square base, you can also rotate the router holder 90 degrees in the track, altering the orientation of the bit.

As noted, there are two fundamental ways to set the jig at the lathe. But depending on how the jig is presented to the workpiece, the results will vary. Even though the jig could be arranged at various heights for different cuts, I set the bit at center height (the height of the lathe spindle). Here, I have organized the setups in three different groups to show the different outcomes. Note that I always follow all the same safety rules that I would follow for using a router on a flat work.

Here, the author has set the track along the angled profile of the workpiece.	She uses a straight router bit to form grooves for inlays.

When setting the jig so that the router moves along the length of the workpiece, you can produce grooves on spindles. When you use the lathe’s indexing system, you can ensure even spacing between the grooves. This setup also can be used on the exterior of a bowl or vessel to make grooves for inlays or for texturing to create a visual rhythm — whether it’s a few grooves or a series of them.

Here, the track is set perpendicular to the lathe’s axis, and the router holder is rotated 90 degrees so that the router bit faces the workpiece.	She uses a straight router bit to form grooves for inlays.

Sometimes I set the jig so that the router moves at an angle to the axis of the lathe. This setting is usually for a plate or for the top of the vessel. Besides creating the grooves, this setup also can add some geometric low relief to the surface.

Holes bored straight into a sphere in random locations are filled with whimsical inserts.	Holes bored straight into a vessel in evenly spaced locations, with the help of the lathe’s indexing system, result in a patterned effect.

To create shallow holes or indents in the workpiece, set the jig so that the router moves directly towards, or into, the wood. This approach is unlike the other two setups, which employ a more linear action, and can be used freehand or incorporated with the lathe’s indexing system.

Another idea is to rotate the workpiece by hand after the router contacts the workpiece. In this way, you can create partial or continuous grooves around the circumference of the work.

Router Bits

You can also expand the variations when you use different router bits. Some of the results can be seen as texturing and some can be used for inlay. I use masking tape to prevent tearout. If the router bit burns the wood, I will either sand away the burn marks or take it as an embellishment opportunity and add color, pyrography, or texturing. As for inlay inserts, they can be ready-to-use wood strips from a store or custom-turned on the lathe. Here are some examples.

Straight Bit

When using a straight bit to create grooves for inlays, the visual effects can be varied greatly just by changing the size of the bit. The left photo shows a series of inlays of the same width, while the right shows inlays of varied widths. You can also arrange the inlays in unexpected configurations. When I use ready-to-use wood strips from a store, I check their dimensions to make sure the ones I want are available.

A straight bit is also used to bore shallow holes, as noted above.

Round Nose Bit

A round nose bit is used to form rounded grooves for the legs of this suspended box. The track angle indicates the angle of the inserts.	In this case, the three legs remain perpendicular to the table and are not parallel to the box’s taper.

When you make grooves with a round nose router bit, the inlay insert can be turned on the lathe. In this way, you can fit different turned pieces together.

When using a round nose bit for other setups, you can achieve different creative results. This shows the overlapping of indents made with a round nose router bit.

V-groove Bit

A V-groove router bit can create pointed grooves or angled indents. I used a V-groove bit to accent the edges of some tulip petals. You can also use this bit to add texture to the wood surface.

Plan Your Spacing

Before you turn on the router, you should know how many grooves/ holes you want to make, how big the inserts are going to be, and whether they are going to fit around your turned piece. Take the piece in Photo 11 as an example. I planned to cut thirty-six grooves, so I calculated the circumference by multiplying the diameter by pi, or 3.14. The bottom (smaller) diameter is 5-1/2″ (14cm), so the circumference is found by using this equation:

5.5″ × 3.14 = 17.27″ (44cm)

I then divided 17.27″ by 36 (my desired number of grooves/inlays) to reach 0.48″ (12mm) even spacing. I used wooden inlay strips that were 1/8″, or 0.125″ (3mm), wide. That left me with spacing of 0.355″ (9mm) between inlays, which I felt was a good proportion for this piece.

My lathe router jig helps me add more designs to my turned pieces, and I am sure there are lots of possibilities waiting to be explored. I hope this conceptual introduction will serve as a starting point for you to come up with your own designs by incorporating the use of a router at the lathe with the techniques you already use in your turning.

Cindy Pei-Si Young lives and teaches woodturning in Taiwan. She is a member of the AAW. For more, visit cindypeisiyoung.com or follow Cindy on Instagram, @young_woodturner.

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Sometimes when making a hollow vessel, like an urn, a lid with threads is desirable. However, threading a large vessel can be challenging, especially if the wood is light or porous.

Also, if you make a mistake while threading the vessel or lid, it may be ruined. A solution to these problems is to make a separate threaded insert and glue it into the base and lid.

An insert consists of two rings, one with interior threads (a “mortise” ring) and one with exterior threads (a “tenon” ring). The two rings are threaded and sized to fit into recesses in the vessel and the lid. Once installed, the threaded inserts allow the two parts to be screwed together.

The process involves sizing the rings, threading the mortise insert, parting off the mortise ring, and then turning and threading the tenon insert to fit. The mortise insert will be glued into the lid of the vessel, and the tenon insert will be glued into the vessel opening.

Threading Options

The threading process can be accomplished with either a threading jig, where the threads are cut by a rotating cutter mounted on the lathe spindle, or hand-chasing tools, where the threads are cut by manually engaging specialized tools into the spinning wood.

I used cherry for the threaded inserts shown in this article because it is more visible in the photos. But a general rule about wood choice is, the harder the wood, the better the threads. I use mostly African blackwood for my threaded inserts, whether they are hand-chased or made with a jig.

Conceptually, the steps for making the threads are the same for both methods, but the mechanical threading jigs make the outcomes more predictable. Handchasing tools tend to be associated with more traditional woodturning skills. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The threading jigs will cut threads in soft woods like cherry or maple with better results than will hand-chasing tools. The disadvantage is that they require precise setup and alignment with the lathe.

Advantages of hand-chasing tools are that they require little setup, are less expensive, and are equally effective as the jigs on tight-grained woods like boxwood or African blackwood. However, learning to use thread-chasing tools can be compared to learning to ride a bike: you probably took a few falls before you succeeded. Hand-chasing does require technique and practice, but it is an attainable skill.

The threading jig shown in this article is manufactured by ChefwareKits, but most threading jigs work in a similar manner. A rotating cutter is secured in the headstock spindle of your lathe and turned at 2500 to 3000 rpm by the lathe motor. The workpiece to be threaded is held in a chuck mounted on the threading jig, which mounts in the lathe’s banjo and feeds the workpiece into the cutter from the tailstock end.

Size the Blank

When designing threaded inserts, there are two main considerations. The first is the size of the opening in the vessel that will contain the threaded tenon insert. As noted, the threads on the tenon are on the outside surface. This is to keep material being put into the vessel from getting into the threads.

There will be an opening down through the tenon into the vessel, so the desired outside diameter (OD) of the tenon helps to determine the size of the vessel opening. The mortise ring that fits into the lid and screws over the tenon ring must be larger than the tenon, so the blank size for the threaded insert must be at least the diameter of the lid mortise ring.

I turn the mortise ring for the lid (internal threads) first because it is easier to adjust the size of the tenon ring to fit the mortise ring than to fit the mortise to the tenon. Use a caliper to gauge the required OD of the mortise ring for the lid and the inside diameter (ID) of the vessel opening for the tenon ring. In this case, the OD of the tenon is 1/4″ (6mm) larger than the opening of the vessel.

Turn the blank for the threaded inserts to the ID of the recess in the lid and face off the front. The wood is mounted in spindle orientation, with the grain running parallel with the lathe bed. I prefer this orientation because the wood is less likely to move and become oval over time. Using a Vernier caliper, mark what will become the inside diameter of the mortise ring with respect to the desired OD of the tenon ring.

Cut threads – mortise ring

The threads made by most threading jigs are either 10 or 16 threads per inch (tpi). The depth of the 10-tpi threads is approximately .065″, or 1.6mm, and the depth of the 16-tpi threads is approximately .04″, or 1mm. Here, I’m threading 16 tpi, so I turn a recess into the end of the blank about 1/2″ (13mm) deep and about 1/8″ (3mm) smaller than the desired OD of the tenon ring. It is important that the inside wall be parallel to the lathe bed so that the threads will be evenly deep when cut. There is a tendency to taper the inside wall when hollowing. I use a skew, presented flat on the toolrest and aligned parallel with the lathe bed, and feed it straight in along the inside edge of the recess.

The chuck with the hollowed blank is now moved to the threading jig, and the jig is squared to the lathe following the manufacturer’s instructions. This step may differ with different jigs, so I won’t go into detail about setting up the jig, but it is important that the object to be threaded be parallel with the lathe bed.

Align the cutter with the inner edge of the recess in the mortise ring. As noted, the 16-tpi thread is only .04″, or 1mm, deep. The instructions with the jig say to turn the depth handle one-half turn for 16-tpi threads to achieve the correct depth. Set the lathe speed of the cutter to 2500 to 3000 rpm and advance the lead screw on the jig to move the workpiece into the cutter. I keep a hand on the chuck to further steady it while advancing the wood into the cutter.

There need only be four or five threads in the mortise ring, and I try to get them done in one pass. Don’t back the piece out while the cutter is spinning, but disengage the cutter from the wood and examine the quality of the threads. On relatively soft woods like cherry, there might be some tearout. One option to mitigate tearout is to saturate the wood with thin cyanoacrylate (CA) glue prior to cutting the threads. Be sure to let the glue harden completely before cutting. After threading, I brush out the sawdust with a soft toothbrush and remove the chuck from the threading jig.

I now remove the jig from the lathe and reinstall the toolrest for the next step, to part off the mortise ring. Use a parting tool to cut off the mortise ring just past the last thread. The mortise ring will now be used to size the tenon for threading.

Cut threads – Tenon Ring

Turn the tenon ring from the remainder of the blank still mounted in the chuck. A rabbet about 1/8″ wide is cut on the end of the blank so that the threaded mortise ring just fits over it. Allan Batty called this the “witness diameter.”

The drawing illustrates how the ID of the threaded mortise ring is equal to the witness diameter. The shoulder just behind the witness diameter is where the tenon threads will be cut, and for 16-tpi threads that diameter will be about 2mm larger than the witness diameter.

Although a Vernier caliper can be set to 2mm larger than the witness diameter, it is such a small dimension that it would be hard to turn to it exactly. So I estimate the diameter to be close but a bit larger than 2mm because the tenon threads can be cut deeper if necessary.

Reinstall the threading jig, and realign the jig with the lathe bed. Adjust the jig until the cutter touches the outside of the witness diameter on the tenon blank. When the lead screw is advanced, the cutter will cut the threads in the raised part just behind the witness edge. After cutting, use a soft toothbrush to remove any sawdust and to clean up the threads.

The finished threads look good, and it is time to see if everything fits. Most often, the two parts will screw together, but the fit may be tight. A slight bit of sanding with 600-grit sandpaper on the outside of the tenon threads will generally improve the smoothness of the fit.

Alternative: Threaded Brass Inserts

If you don’t want to turn threaded inserts in wood, there is a commercially available option—threaded brass inserts available from several woodturning suppliers.

The same construction concepts apply, and you are guaranteed a good fit of the threads.

This vessel, made by Matthew Deighton and Emily Ford, makes use of a 2″- (5cm-) diameter brass insert.

Final Steps

The next step is to hollow the inside of the tenon ring, which will ultimately become the mouth of the vessel. Part off the witness diameter section and extra threads.

Keep just four or five threads for actual use. Then part off the tenon ring from the blank.

Holding the tenon ring in spigot jaws in expansion mode, I thread the mortise ring over the tenon threads, pare away extra wood so that they will both sit flat, and clean up the surfaces.

Finally, the insert rings are ready to be glued into the vessel and lid. After gluing them in, I apply paste wax to the surface of the threads with a soft toothbrush as a final finishing step.

Walt Wager has been a member of the North Florida Woodturners and the AAW since 2004. He taught woodturning at Camelot’s Woodworking Studio in Tallahassee, Florida, and demonstrates regionally and nationally, in-person and remotely. Contact Walt through his website, waltwager.com.

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Beginners understandably struggle when learning to sharpen their tools. I hear students say that even when they can get a sharp edge on a gouge, it won’t cut or it digs into the wood with a catch. The edge feels and looks sharp, so why am I having trouble with it? This is where gouge geometry comes in. Bevel shape, wing shape, and bevel angle all play important roles in how a gouge will perform. In this article, I will describe these factors and explain some of the benefits of certain shapes and the pitfalls of others.

Bevel Shapes

Concave, or Hollow-ground, Bevel

This drawing exaggerates a convex bevel, or hollow grind. How does this happen? In practice, an 8″- (20cm-) diameter grinding wheel naturally creates a hollow grind, but on such a short bevel, you have to look closely to see it. A gouge with a hollow-ground bevel will cut easily since the cutting edge is the most prominent point.

Flat Bevel

A truly flat bevel is the natural result of sharpening with a belt system, which has a dead flat platen supporting the tool. A flat bevel works just as well as a hollow-ground bevel because both shapes provide the proper clearance under the cutting edge.

Convex Bevel

A convex bevel can result from sharpening by hand – i.e., without a jig or system to guide the tool accurately. Sharpening jigs keep the gouge’s bevel on one plane. A convex bevel is problematic. For a sharp edge to cut, it has to be the proudest (most prominent) point of contact. A convex roll, or bulge, will contact the wood first, preventing the cutting edge from even engaging the wood. A good way to understand this dynamic is to intentionally sharpen a skew with a convex bevel; it will take some of the aggressiveness out of the skew cut.

Try a Micro Bevel

Rather than having just one continuous bevel, a micro bevel is a smaller, secondary plane on the tool’s bevel leading up to the cutting edge. You can add a micro bevel by adjusting certain factors/angles on your sharpening system.

A micro bevel is helpful for the turner because it reduces the “bounce” caused by out-of-round wood or other irregularities. With a single long bevel, when the heel bounces, it causes the cutting edge to also bounce. Another advantage of the micro bevel is that it makes it much easier to go around a tight (short/small) radius.

Wing Shapes

Straight Wing

A flat, or straight, wing is my preferred wing shape.

Convex Wing

A wing with a slight convex shape works fine also.

Bump Near Nose

A pronounced bulge on the gouge’s wing close to the nose tends to contact the wood first, causing a catch. That part of the tool is off-axis of the centerline of the tool and will “lever” it over, causing a dig-in.

Concave Wing

A concave wing is problematic. The rear tip of the wing, being the highest point, can catch the wood, causing the cutting edge to lever over and dig in.

Rolled-over Wing

Sharpening systems provide accurate, repeatable grinds. But it is all too easy to roll the gouge too far to the sides, causing the bevel to round over near the top of the wings.

This is a problem similar to having a convex bevel; even if the edge at the wing is sharp, it won’t be the first point of contact and won’t engage the wood. Don’t be tempted to roll the gouge all the way over to sharpen the wings.

Instead, grind away the metal lower down from the cutting edge, on the side of the wing.

What About Bevel Angles?

The angle of the bevel on your tool is an important choice. But turners do not easily agree on what the ideal angle is. In many cases, it depends on the job at hand. Generally, the blunter the angle, the less it tends to cut, or slice, whereas the more acute an angle is, the more aggressively it cuts. A simple comparison is the difference between a butcher knife and a fillet knife. The butcher knife, designed for chopping, has a blunt bevel angle, whereas the fillet knife, better for slicing, has a slim body with an acute angle. For a lumberjack, the similar comparison is between a splitting maul and an axe.

With turning tools, compare the angles on a spindle-roughing gouge (l) and a skew (r) in the photo above. The roughing gouge, with its a blunt angle, plows through a square spindle blank to bring it to round. The skew, with an acute angle, is ideal for slicing wood fibers to achieve a very smooth surface off the tool.

Lyndal Anthony worked as a machinist before becoming a high school industrial/technology education teacher. Already well versed in metalworking, he learned woodturning so he could teach his students to use the one wood lathe in the school’s shop. After taking a one-day course on turning a wooden bowl, he was hooked and has since evolved his skills with the help of world-class woodturners and mentors. Visit his website, midwestwoodart.com.

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Do you break out in a sweat if you have to make two or more turnings the same? Have you turned down project requests because you don’t know how to turn duplicates or copy a broken spindle? If so, I will take the mystery out of the process by introducing you to story sticks, the measuring and layout tools used, and the “point-to-point” turning process. With the right knowledge, you can take the stress out of turning duplicates, whether it is one or 100 identical parts.

Why turn duplicates? Maybe you need one duplicate turning to replace a broken item such as a baluster or chair stringer. Or you may have a project that requires more than one identical part such as table legs. Turning duplicates is a good way to develop new skills, it’s fun, and you can make money in woodturning if you know how to do it.

Turning duplicates is easy if you break down the steps and keep it simple. This begins with an understanding that there are ultimately only three shapes in woodturning: straight (flat), convex (bead), and concave (cove). These shapes are combined to create more complex forms. Duplicate turning can be applied to both spindle and crossgrain work.

Story Sticks/Templates

Story sticks, or templates, are necessary in turning duplicates. I make them out of everything from paper, cardboard, chipboard, plastic laminate, wood sticks, laser-cut plastic, and sheet metal. I determine the material by the size of the job. Is it a one-off project? Do you need ten or 100 pieces?

The higher the volume, the harder the template material. If it is a long spindle project like a porch column, I will make a printout of the full post, plus small templates for detailed areas.

Be aware of scale issues when printing out templates. I recently printed out the computer-aided design (CAD) drawing of a screwdriver handle that was supposed to be 4″ (10cm) long. But when I measured the handle on the printout, it measured about 1/8″ (3mm) short.

So I did the math, scaled up the drawing on a photocopier, and reprinted it at the correct (full) scale. Always measure your story sticks before you start turning. As the old saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.”

Design

Simpler is often better when you are creating a design that requires duplicates. If you examine most balusters, you will find that there are only two to four different diameters. The fillet, or flat, transitions between details are often all the same diameter. Beads and other convex shapes on one spindle often have the same diameter. Coves of course will represent the smallest diameter. Note: I generally turn coves last to keep as much supportive material in the blank as possible until the very end.

When it comes to designing with a CAD system, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. I was contacted by a local custom furniture maker. He had an initial design of some bed posts laid out on a CAD system. The posts featured about fifteen different diameters! After I consulted with the furniture maker, he redesigned the posts with only four different diameters. The new design was more pleasing to the eye and easier for me to turn in multiples, resulting in lower costs and a very happy customer.

Be aware that our eyes don’t tend to notice slight differences in diameters, say on a set of balusters or table legs. However, variances in vertical distances stick out like a sore thumb. That points to the importance of using a good story stick to position transitions consistently from one spindle to the next.

Google images is a great resource for design ideas. Also, there are some wonderful books on woodturning design and architectural shapes. If you are looking for inspiration and design ideas, I highly recommend Classic Forms, by Stuart E. Dyas (Stobart Davies Ltd, 2008), and Turned Bowl Design, by Richard Raffan (Taunton Press, 1987).

One last thing to consider when designing a project for a customer or to sell is to think about how you will pack and ship the item. Will it fit easily in a typical post office box? Can you reduce the length to fit in a box with a known size, rather than having to potentially pay more for a longer box? As a production turner, I care about shipping costs for my customers.

Layout Tools

Accurate layout of design elements is an important early step in making duplicates at the lathe. I use a variety of tools when laying out my design and making story sticks. The story stick material is selected for the job at hand. It could be paper, cardboard, wood, or plastic. Rulers and tape measures are used to lay out vertical, or long, dimensions. A variety of calipers and other gauges are used to measure diameters. I use a small engineering square to mark key transition points on the story stick and a triangular file to cut notches for a pencil point to lay in, which improves accuracy.

I also use two types of center finders. If I am duplicating just a few spindles, a plastic center finder or a ruler marks the ends of the blanks by spanning from corner to corner. But if I have many pieces to turn, my shop-made center drill gauge is used to quickly locate the center for drilling a 1/8″ hole to be used with a friction safety drive.

Drives

An old-fashioned cup center is my preferred drive center, as it allows the blank to stop spinning if I get a catch or cut too aggressively when roughing a square blank to round. If I’m turning several identical parts, I use a shop-made friction safety drive. It is made of wood and has a short metal pin made from a nail that fits into a centered, pre-drilled hole in the end of the blank.

Live rotating centers with interchangeable tips are preferred at the tailstock end. I modify the tips to be smaller in diameter for thin projects, as the standard 60-degree tip can split your turning blank.

Toolrests and Steady Rests

If you are turning long projects such as balusters, a long toolrest is very helpful. A long toolrest will require having a second banjo for your lathe and can be made from metal or a strong wood such as oak. I’ve used wood toolrests several times when I had a shortrun job of long spindles. The main advantage of having a second banjo and long toolrest is that you won’t have to move the toolrest as often (or at all). Another advantage is that when using a steady rest, you won’t have to remove everything from the lathe to move the banjo to the other side of the steady rest and then remount everything.

Depending on the projects you have made, one lathe accessory you may not own is a steady rest. Steadies are used when turning balusters, porch columns, or anything long and thin that could flex during turning. Recently, I had a job of turning 30″ (76cm) balusters out of 3/4″ (19mm) square white oak. Needless to say, without a steady rest, it would have been like turning a jump rope! Steady rests can be purchased or homemade.

I’ve used two rollerblade wheels mounted on a post that mounts in a spare banjo. Some turners use a simple stick with a V-notch. Remember, you are just using a steady rest to prevent whip and flex. It just has to capture the blank lightly.

Duplicate a Stool Leg

Let’s look at duplicating a stool leg as an example. I find that a point-to-point approach helps when making duplicates because it breaks the project down into manageable steps. When you simplify the sections of a turning, repeatability gets easier, and the overall project becomes less daunting. If I were duplicating a stool leg with a square top section, I would follow this process:

Preparation

1. Select the material for a story stick, mill your stock to size, and grab your layout tools.

2. Using a square, locate and draw all the transitions on the story stick. Then mark the diameters of each detail on the story stick, sketching the design from one transition point to the next.

3. I use multiple calipers, each set to a different diameter. To make it easy to identify which caliper to use where, mark each one with a piece of tape.

At this time, I usually draw the layout lines on the spindle blank where the elements transition from square to round (called a pommel). Now you have your blank, story stick template, and calipers all set, so you can start turning.

Point-to-point Turning

1. Using a skew chisel, work your way in from the waste side of the pommel (tailstock side) until you have completely cut around the blank. Then using a spindle roughing gouge, turn the blank round and size it to the maximum diameter needed.

At this time, use your story stick and mark each of the transitions on the blank.

2. Using a parting tool and diameter gauge, establish all of the required diameters on the spindle. I use a skew to make V-cuts between beads and round details.

Note that on this design, the top of the cove diameter is smaller than the maximum diameter. I have sized that section and redrawn the two transition lines.

3. Now that the transitions have been marked and the different diameters and V-grooves turned, I now focus on rough-turning the details, going from one point to the next.

By breaking down the project into little elements of straight, convex, and concave shapes, it becomes easy and much less daunting.

4. Now that the stool leg’s features are rough-turned, begin refining the curves and shapes. Holding the original up for comparison will show where to make minor adjustments. Because this is a stool leg, the last step is to turn a small chamfer at the bottom. This helps to prevent chipping when the stool is slid across the floor.

Summary

Remember there are only three shapes—straight, convex, and concave. It helps to recall these shapes as you lay out the various elements on a story stick. Mark the transitions and work from the largest diameter to the smallest, using the point-to-point method. You’ll be amazed at how your work production increases as you become familiar with each step by repetition.

With more than 45 years’ experience in custom woodturning, writing, demonstrating (Live and IRD), and teaching, Jim Echter specializes in production turning and makes products for spinners and fiber artists around the world. He is well known for his custom and architectural restoration work. Jim was the founding president of the Finger Lakes Woodturners Association, an AAW chapter. For more, visit www.tcturning.com.

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Dull tools steal the joy out of working with wood. New turners quickly understand that in addition to turning wood, they need to learn how to sharpen their tools. Sharpening turning tools can be broken down into two parts. The first is a potentially overwhelming range of peripheral information about grinding wheels, motor speeds, sharpening systems, grind angles, etc., and the second includes the physical hand and body movements used while sharpening. This article covers the first part, peripheral issues, with a goal of simplifying concepts.

Sharpening Systems

Back when a turner’s primary tool was a scraper, sharpening was done by hand, without any special jigs or fixtures. The turner steadied the tool on a platform while advancing the tool against a grinding wheel. This was okay for a scraper, but as scrapers gave way to the more complex curves of spindle and bowl gouges, sharpening by hand consistently became more difficult. The amount of practice needed to achieve success gave rise to multiple sharpening systems and jigs, which hold the tool for you and limit its movement on the grinder to just what is needed.

There are several sharpening systems available commercially, but it is beyond the scope of this article to list and compare them. The purpose here is to convey the underlying concepts. All of the sharpening systems work by removing metal from the tool by way of an abrasive. The abrasive can be mixed with a bonding agent and formed into a wheel (friable wheel), it can be a coating adhered to a metal wheel (CBN wheel), or it can be on a flexible belt. Regardless of the configuration, each approach achieves the same end: the removal of metal from a turning tool in a controlled manner, leaving the edge sharper.

When you consider purchasing a sharpening system, here are some factors to weigh:

Safety

Sharpening accidents, or catches, most frequently happen when the tool moves past the edge of the wheel. This can cause the tool edge to dig into the wheel. Catches on a sharpening wheel are much scarier than on wood, but more recent sharpening systems limit the tool’s traverse, making it impossible for the tool to go off the edge of the wheel.

Consistency of Grind/Bevel

The bevel of a tool should be one continuous surface, not have multiple facets. This allows the tool to ride against the wood and the cutting edge to be advanced into the wood in a controlled fashion. Having multiple flats on a tool’s bevel makes this difficult.

The goal of sharpening is to remove as little metal as possible to achieve a sharp cutting edge with a single, continuous bevel. When a tool is placed on the wheel, or belt, at exactly the same angle every time, less metal has to be removed and sharpening happens quickly. If you change the angle of approach, even by the smallest amount, more metal has to be removed in order to get that one flat bevel. When you couple this with the fact that the diameter of friable wheels reduces as it wears away, there is a need for jigs, setup gauges, and sharpening systems that ensure consistency and repeatability.

So a key question is, will the sharpening system produce a consistent grind each time? How easily and accurately does each system return to the same angle each time it is used?

Learning Curve

New turners might feel impatient to make something. Curls flying and a form taking shape in front of our eyes is what we crave. Learning to sharpen our tools might feel like a distraction. It is necessary, but the faster you can learn how to put an edge on a tool, the better.

As you compare sharpening systems, look closely at the instructions that come with them. Are they clear and understandable? Are there supporting diagrams and videos specific to the turning tools that you normally use? Does the system seem intuitive to you? Talk with members of your turning club and see their sharpening systems in use. It is best to see a range of systems, not just one. Keep in mind that sharpening has changed in recent times and many turners are set in their ways.

Value

Evaluating sharpening systems also involves weighing their cost. The initial cost is not the total cost. Include the add ons that are sold to support the core system and the longevity of the wheel or belt.

Motor Speed

A little background in metalworking helps in understanding which motor speed should be used. Often in a metal shop, the goal is to remove metal rapidly. That is achieved by using a high-speed grinder with a coarse wheel—typically 3450 rpm coupled with a 36- to 80-grit wheel. But the goal with woodturning tools is to sharpen, not to grind away a lot of metal fast. This is why many turners opt for a slow-speed grinder, sharpening at 1750 rpm, with a finer-grit wheel. This makes it easier to control the removal of metal, which means you can remove less of the expensive high-speed steel (HSS).

Belt-based sharpening systems also use a moderate speed. The measuring unit for a belt is not revolutions per minute (rpm), but lineal feet per minute (lfm). Typically, the lfm for belt systems is 1440 (440 meters per minute). To put this in context, a typical belt sander for wood at its highest setting runs at 3000 lfm.

At the other end of the spectrum are the ultra-slow, water-cooled sharpening systems, which run at 90 rpm. These systems excel at producing surgically sharp edges, while minimizing heat. They are great for carving tools and bench chisels, but are agonizingly slow when attempting to modify a grind on a turning tool.

Grinding Wheel Type

There are two main categories of grinding wheels—friable and cubic boron nitride (CBN). My sharpening station comprises both types.

Friable Wheels

As the name suggests, friable grinding wheels are made of materials (often aluminum oxide) that wear away as tool metal is ground. These wheels have been the standard in metal shops for years. They come in a range of colors, grits, abrasive materials, and binders. There is as much to learn in the world of abrasives as there is in the world of woodturning. Grit type, grit size, wheel hardness, grain spacing, and bond type all should be considered when selecting the correct wheels for use on HSS turning tools. It can be a bit overwhelming, but the decision is important. Bill Neddow provides some excellent distinguishing information in his April 2011 AW article, “Grinder Wheels.” A practical solution is to purchase your grinder and wheels from a retailer that specializes in woodturning equipment.

Friable wheels wear with usage. As you can see, this wear reduces the diameter of the wheel. All of the wheels pictured started with an 8″ (20cm) diameter; the one on top now measures 7″ (18cm). The fact that friable wheels wear away has driven the design of some sharpening systems that need to be flexible enough to continue producing a consistent bevel angle.

As they are used, friable wheels will develop grooves. They can also wobble side to side as they wear from density variations within the wheel. Friable wheels will also glaze over as metal loads the wheel, essentially burying the cutting grit. Supporting tools and gadgets are needed to address these issues. The primary advantage of friable wheels is their low initial cost. But when the cost of the needed supporting tools is added, most of the initial cost advantage is lost.

CBN Wheels

In recent times, CBN wheels have become common in woodturning. CBN is second only to diamonds in hardness and has high abrasion resistance. Abrasive particles are bound to either a steel or aluminum wheel. With their hardness and abrasion resistance, CBN wheels can sharpen HSS easily without wearing away or losing diameter. Plus, the metal wheels retain their factory balancing over their entire life. The constancy of CBN wheels has led to a redesign of sharpening systems; for example, workarounds are no longer needed to account for a diminishing wheel size.

CBN wheels are designed for highspeed steel and the newer metals used in turning tools. Soft metals such as carbon steel, used in older turning tools, will clog and glaze the wheel, reducing its cutting action. Do not use CBN wheels with other soft metals such as aluminum, brass, or copper. If a CBN wheel becomes loaded, it can be cleaned by hand, but it is a slow and laborious task.

While the side of a friable wheel should never be used for grinding or sharpening a tool, CBN wheels with side grit can be used for this purpose.

Belt Sharpeners

Belt-based sharpening systems are similar to belt sanders used in woodworking — they have a belt that moves across a flat platen. Specially designed jigs hold the turning tools and control tool movement across the belt to sharpen the tool. Belts come in a range of grits and materials suitable for a range of metals.

The flat platen means that the sharpened tool bevel will be flat, rather than having a slight hollow-ground curve that comes from the shape of a grinding wheel. The advantage of a belt sharpener is that grits are easily changed by removing one belt and installing another with a different grit. Belts do wear with usage and will need to be replaced.

Abrasive Grits

Turners use grinders or belts to either sharpen a tool or reshape it to a new grind. Abrasive grits above 220 remove less material and leave a sharper edge. Grits in the 60 to 180 range are a better choice when reshaping a grind. Changing the grind of a tool with a fine-grit wheel is agonizingly slow. Use coarser wheels to reshape a tool or to raise a burr on a scraper, and finer wheels to achieve a sharp edge. Having a combination of wheels—a coarse 80- to 180-grit and a fine 350- to 600-grit—is suitable for woodturners.

Which Grind for My Gouge?

You are likely to come across many names for gouge grinds: traditional grind, fingernail grind, Irish grind, swept-back wings, Ellsworth grind, bottom-bowl grind, and the list goes on. The number of grinds and the opinions about which is best can be overwhelming and confusing. The confusion increases when you survey a group of experienced turners. Ask a dozen turners what grind they use, and you will receive fifteen answers.

The single most important thing about grinds is consistency. Once I found a grind angle that works for me, I took a picture of it for future reference at my grinding station. Your mind and body learn what a tool will accomplish when there is consistency of how the tool is sharpened. It is normal for new turners to try one tool for a given cut, then try another, and yet another until the tool is achieving what is in their minds. The correct grind makes a given cut flow easily from a tool. It takes time, experimentation, and repetition for muscle memory to learn the most efficient tool and grind to achieve a cut that flows and needs little sanding.

Over time, grinds will reflect the type of forms that a turner makes most frequently. The tools of a production turner of large bowls are different than those of someone who specializes in miniature hollow forms.

Your stance at the lathe and the bevel angle on your tool are interrelated. Picture your stance with a bowl blank mounted in a scroll chuck on a tenon. As you ride the bevel of your bowl gouge down the outside of the bowl, your body leans in and to the left further and further. You might even end up straddling the leg of the lathe trying to maintain bevel contact to the end of the cut. A blunt grind angle worsens this issue. One way to resolve it is to switch your grip to your left side and switch hand positions to complete the cut. Turning from your left side also allows you to direct the path of the shavings away from your body. It is helpful to develop some ambidexterity at the lathe. Changing to a low angle grind can also allow the cut to be completed.

While there is no “correct” or “best” bevel angle and grinds vary widely with user preference and application, below are some generally accepted ranges that will serve as a good starting point:

The cutting burr on scrapers of all types are formed with the use of a platform. A grit between 120 and 350 works well. Again, the consistency of the angle when presenting the scraper is critically important. Some platforms have markings that allow the platform to return to a desired position. An angle finder or jig can also be used to return the platform to a specific angle.

A Few Rules of Thumb

Here are some general rules of thumb when it comes to tool shapes, or grinds:

• Tools with a steeper grind (above 45 degrees) and a rounded nose are more friendly.

• Tools with a low angle grind (less than 30 degrees) are “grabbier” and more difficult to use.

• Rounded tool tips tool are easier to control than pointy tips.

• Tools with a low angle grind (less than 30 degrees) and a pointy tip may be useful for getting into tight places.

Sharpening without a Grinder

Often it is not necessary to put the tool back on the grinder to refresh the cutting edge. With a little practice, you can quickly bring an edge back to sharp by passing a diamond card or sharpening stone over it.

Skew Chisels

Skews can be honed to a razor-sharp edge easily with a diamond card. It has been years since my skews have touched a grinding wheel. Diamond cards also eliminate the need for special jigs when sharpening skews on a wheel. A diamond card or sharpening stone can be used wet or dry. Lubrication with water, or a lapping fluid, increases the life of the diamond card but is not necessary.

Scrapers

The cutting burr on a scraper can be refreshed with a bench stone, a diamond card, or a handheld CBN hone. Scrapers lose their cutting edge quickly in use. A few upward swipes with a stone or card raises the edge.

The burr on a scraper can also be raised with a burnisher. The burnisher can be as simple as the shank of a highspeed steel gouge or a hardened drill bit. High-speed steel teardrop cutters Teardrop cutters can be sharpened with either a diamond card or on a wheel.

With a diamond card, place the cutter flat on the card or stone, and move it across the surface. Lapping oil will improve the results and increase the longevity of the cutter. This simple procedure should be done with a light touch and often.

Carbide Cutters

Carbide cutters can simply be replaced when they become dull, but you can also sharpen them by hand with a diamond card. Friable wheels are too soft to cut carbide, and CBN wheels will glaze over with the carbide and be ruined. Remove the cutter from its holder and place the top of the cutter face down on a diamond card or diamond hone. With light pressure, make a series of figure eights across the diamond surface to refresh the edge.

Round carbide cutters can be dressed by mounting them on a jig held in a chuck on your lathe. Use the lowest speed setting on your lathe, align a diamond card with the plane of the cutter’s bevel, and lightly touch the diamond card to the cutter as it rotates.

Conclusion

Writing this article has been eye-opening for me. I learned how to sharpen as I learned to turn, but then I focused my attention on other aspects of the craft and never came back to sharpening. Meanwhile, things had changed. The steel in turning tools improved, grinding wheels went through several generations of advances, and manufacturers have evolved sharpening jig designs. I found that I had closed my mind to sharpening and just stuck to what I knew.

I hope this article helps new turners to understand the many aspects of sharpening. But I would also challenge experienced turners to take another look at your sharpening skills. A second motivation for updating your approach is that experienced turners are the teachers of new turners. Today’s sharpening systems are safer and more easily learned. You owe it to your students to have evaluated today’s choices.

Dennis Belcher retired from a career in the investment world to his lifelong passion of working with wood. He is a frequent contributor to American Woodturner and was a demonstrator at the 2022 Symposium in Chattanooga. Dennis is a member of the Wilmington Area Woodturners Association (North Carolina). You can visit his website at dennisbelcher.com.

Photos by Denise Freitag

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Soon after I started turning, I came across a photo in an old textbook of a captured, or captive, ring on a spindle. The ring was unattached to the spindle and could be slid up and down its length but not removed, as it was “captured” by the larger diameters at each end. I couldn’t wait to try it, though I had no idea what tools to use.

I scraped the bead with a skew and, believe it or not, used an old butcher knife to release the ring. (Don’t try that at home!) It was not pretty; the inside of the ring was awkwardly shaped, but it was complete and captured.

Since then, I have turned a lot of captured rings. They are fun, not too difficult to make, and can be used creatively on spindle projects.

Shopmade Beading and Captured-Ring Tools

Early on, I found it a challenge to cut the left and right sides of a ring to the same depth, which resulted in rings that weren’t quite round. I had made several tools that “did the job” but required extra sanding.

Eventually, I decided to make tools based on the commercially available versions, and they work much better. Here is how you can make your own beading and captured-ring tools.

Step 1 – Drill: Drill a hole the size of the bead/ring you want near the end of a length of flat tool-metal stock. I used high-carbon steel I had purchased from a metal warehouse. Make two of them, one for the beading tool and one for the captured-ring tool.

Step 2 – Cut: Cut the ends of the stock across the holes. Cut one at 90 degrees for the beading tool and one at 50 degrees for the captured-ring tool.

Step 3 – Refine: Grind a bevel on both the top and bottom surfaces, creating a negative-rake scraper effect. I honed the top surface of both tools. For the beading tool, angle the sides inward until you have two sharp points. For the captured-ring tool, refine the “hook” to a point. I enlarged the captured-ring tool hole just a hair so it would fit around the bead without rubbing. I also polished the inside of the hole with various stones.

Interlocking Rings

The piece shown in the opening image of this article is a wedding goblet, signifying the joining of two people. You may have noticed that the two captive rings are interlocked. How did I do this? The process involves breaking one ring apart and gluing it back together captured on the stem and another ring. With careful breakage and realignment, the glue joint will be nearly invisible. Note: The article photos show three captured rings, as I turned an extra as a spare, in case my first attempt at interlocking went awry.

Put one ring in a small vice and break it along the long grain, which should leave a clean break line.

To glue the ring together again, I used yellow woodworking glue. Don’t use CA glue, as it won’t allow working time for fine adjustments. With yellow glue, you can push the parts together, wipe off excess glue, then squeeze the sides of the joint to get them to align perfectly. Hold them in place for a minute or so, then clamp with rubber bands until the glue dries. After the glue dries, hand-sand the joint lightly and apply more finish.

Practice on Scrap

Although turning captured rings is a pretty straightforward process, I recommend practicing on scrap wood before you attempt it on a project you hope to keep. Your first rings might be misshapen and require a lot of sanding.

To practice, mount a length of scrap between centers, turn it round, and form a bead on one end. Then undercut the bead from both sides until it is released from the spindle.

Several tools could be used for these processes, such as a skew, spindle gouge, beading tool, and/or a specialized captured-ring tool. The latter two make it easier to get good results. Once the ring is cut free, pull it off the spindle to examine it. Keep practicing until you are satisfied with the shape of your rings.

Begin with Beads

To illustrate this article, I turned a Celtic wedding goblet with two captured rings. To hollow the goblet, you’ll have to mount a spindle in a chuck, so you’ll have full access to one end. Turn the cup of the goblet first, leaving the stem thick to reduce vibration while hollowing.

Now it’s time to turn the captured rings. The first step is to determine their size relative to the goblet cup and foot. The inside diameter of the rings should be smaller than the diameter of those elements, so the rings will remain captured on the stem.

After determining what the size of the rings will be, I reduced the goblet stem to a diameter equal to the rings’ outside diameter. Then I used a beading tool to shape the outside of the ring. This tool makes it easy to form a truly round bead. If you want more than one ring, leave ample space between the beads, as this will provide clearance for the captured-ring tool, which I use in the next step to release the rings. After you have turned the outside of the rings (beads), use a parting tool to reduce the diameter of the stem between them.

Release the Rings

A captive-ring tool — either commercially available or shopmade — is useful for releasing the rings from the stem. First, push the tool in so the gullet, or curve, surrounds the bead. The curve on the captivering tool should have the same radius as the curve on the beading tool. See Shopmade Beading and Captured-Ring Tools sidebar at the end of this article.

Next, move the tool handle in an arc from left to right to undercut the right side of the ring. As you proceed with the cut, keep the curve of the gullet against the bead, so it will act as a depth gauge. Then flip the captive-ring tool over and undercut the left side of the bead, but don’t cut all the way through just yet. To determine how close I am to releasing the rings, I put a bright light on the opposite side of the cut and check it frequently. The light acts as a useful gauge that indicates how much wood is left, as it appears brighter as the wood becomes thinner (more translucent).

Sometimes at this stage, if you didn’t quite follow the shape of the bead, the ring’s sides may be parallel and flat, rather than curved. There are two tricks I use to improve the shape of the ring. The first is to use the inside corner of the cutting portion of the captive-ring tool to remove small amounts of wood and further shape the sides of the bead. This can be tricky, so take gentle, light passes. The second trick works well only if your tool has sharp, clean edges on the inside curve. Tilt the outside of the tool up and make light shear-scraping cuts with the inside of the curved portion of the tool.

When you are satisfied with the shape of the rings, you are ready for the important part — sanding. Sand as much of the rings as you can before releasing them. If you were not able to round the beads over sufficiently with the tool, use coarse sandpaper to continue the shaping and to clean up the outside of the rings. Proceed with sanding through the grits.

After sanding the rings, use a captured- ring tool to finish releasing the rings.

Sand the Rings

With the rings released from the stem, you can sand the inside of the rings. This is done by affixing sandpaper to the spindle and rubbing the rings on the spinning abrasive.

First, turn the stem down to a cylinder a little wider in diameter than its final width. I use medium cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to fasten the sandpaper to the stem, making a sort of flap sander. Apply a strip of glue to the back of the sandpaper. Then spray the stem with accelerator and stick the paper down.

With the lathe running slowly, sand the inside of a ring by rotating it around the sandpaper, twisting it as needed to refine its shape and to clean up the area last cut. Sand each ring, then pull the sandpaper off and attach the next grit. Sand through the grits before turning the stem to its final shape.

Final Steps

Sometimes as you turn the stem, the loose rings will naturally go to one end or the other and stay out of your way. Sometimes they won’t. If the rings bother you, use masking tape to temporarily hold them out of the way. Finish turning the stem and base, sand them, apply a finish, and part the goblet from the lathe. I prefer to use a wipe on polyurethane, as the rings won’t stick to the stem as the finish dries. Then I buff the finish to a high sheen. Note that you might have to run the buffs at a slower speed so the wheel can reach the inside of the rings.

John Lucas, a retired photographer, has been working in wood for more than thirty-five years and also dabbles in metalworking. He enjoys modifying machines, making tools, and sharing his knowledge through written articles and videos. He has taught classes at John C. Campbell Folk School, Arrowmont, and The Appalachian Center for Crafts.

The post Turning Captured Rings appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

If you can turn a spindle, then making a stool is not above your abilities. I often see turners making simple three-legged stools that look like a milking or foot stool. This is a great beginning point for stool and chairmaking, but with just a few extra steps, it is easy to make a more sophisticated chair, barstool, or bench with stretchers. Stretchers can provide a place for your foot to rest, and they add stability.

Design Your Stool

All of my projects begin with research and development. That means paying attention to every seat I sit on. When I find a comfortable seat, I study it. Why is it comfortable? Is it the shape, the height, the placement of the stretcher, the curve on the edges, the angle of the legs?

I typically begin with a sketch. It does not need to be perfect, just an idea on paper. This allows me to think through details and building challenges before even cutting a piece of wood. When the idea of the stool is clear in my head, I make either a scale or full-sized model using scrap wood and dowels.

The legs of the stool are angled, or splayed. This is the hardest part of the design. My most common stool leg angles range from 11˚ to 19˚. If you set your stool legs at 90˚, like a table, it could be tippy, and if the legs are too splayed, the feet could stick out and become a tripping hazard or cause the legs to break. This is the kind of detail I work out in a model.

I start by determining the size and shape of the stool’s seat, which can be made from one piece of wood or gluedup pieces. The stool I made for this article has a seat 1-1/2″ thick × 15″ deep × 17″ wide (38mm × 38cm × 43cm), and I decided the stool would stand 24″ (61cm) tall. To determine the shape of the seat, I cut paper half the scale of the seat, folded it in half, and cut patterns until I found the shape that works best with my drawing. I then traced the drawing onto a scrap of wood.

I then grabbed three scrap dowels (not worrying about final leg shape) and cut them to 12″, or 30cm (half the final leg length). Holding them at different angles to the model seat, I was able to determine the leg splay that looked right to me. Keepin mind the two front legs can be a different angle than the back leg. I consider not only the angle from the actual seat, but also the angle I want it to be from the centerline of the seat, splaying out to the sides. To identify the final angle, I used a bevel square and bevel gauge, but you can also use a protractor.

You must also decide how far in from the seat’s edges the legs will be positioned. Too close to the edge might cause breakage, and too far might look odd and/or affect stability. I usually place the center of the legs 1-1/2″ to 2″ (38mm to 5cm) in from the seat edge.

Once you have determined all of these details, make a “map” of the seat by cutting a full-sized version of the paper cutout. This pattern will aid in applying the final shape of your seat to the wood, and it will allow you to reproduce this stool anytime in the future. I write all of the key pieces of information on this map: leg angles, direction of splay, center location of leg holes, etc. I will also note any bevels or sculpting on the final seat, including depth and point of the deepest cut in the seat.

At this stage, you should also decide on a leg shape. Cut out a full-sized paper mockup of a leg and hold it up to the seat cutout, making adjustments until you are happy with the shape.

Seat-drilling Jig

Transfer all of the mapped information from the paper cutout to your seat blank, including all of the drilling locations, and cut out the shape of the seat.

The splay lines will start at the centerline and continue through the center points of your hole locations; continue these lines down the edge of your seat blank.

I use a simple shopmade jig for drilling the leg holes in the seat. The jig comprises two pieces of 3/4″- (19mm-) thick plywood, one piece cut about 1-1/2″ longer than the other, with the top overlapping the bottom.

My drilling jig measures 19″ wide × 17″ long (48cm × 43cm), but this may vary for you depending on the size of your drill press table. Two hinges at the bottom edge hold the two pieces together and allow for angle adjustment at the drill press.

The bottom of the jig is clamped to the drill press table, and a small arc butts up against the drill press post and acts as a centering pivot point.

It is important that both pieces of the jig line up edge to edge. Draw a centerline on the top piece from the drill press post to the hinge end. This line will help you align the stool seat on the jig.

Center the jig on the drill press table by pushing the arc against the drill press post and rotating the jig until the centerline aligns with a drill bit chucked in the drill press. Lock the drill press table, and clamp the bottom of the jig to it.

Set Jig Angle

For this stool, the front legs are splayed 12˚ and the back leg is splayed 15˚. I drilled the back leg first. Set a bevel square to 15˚ and set it on the top surface of the drilling jig on the centerline with its blade facing the drill bit. Lift the top piece of the jig until it is at the correct angle, and temporarily shim the jig with scrap wood at this angle.

On the bottom piece of my jig are two strips of wood with 3/4″ space between them. With the temporary shims in place, measure the distance between the bottom and the underside of the top piece at the back edge. Cut a strip of plywood to fill that distance and slide it in between the two strips. Remove the shims and doublecheck the angle. Slight adjustments can be made by adding veneer to the spacer or cutting a little off.

Drill Leg Holes

I use one of two ways to join the legs to the seat. If the top of the leg where it meets the seat bottom has a decorative element, I drill one hole. This way, only the tenon is inserted into the hole. But if the top of the leg has no special features, I drill two holes, allowing the top of the leg, in addition to the tenon, to be inserted into the seat bottom. This was the case for the stool shown in this article, and this method provides a very strong, tight union. It also hides any gap that might be seen where a flat and angled surface meet.

Both holes are drilled with the jig at the same angle, but one hole is drilled for the diameter of the top of the leg and one is sized for the tenon. Always drill the larger hole first. In this case, my tenon was 1″ wide, and the top of the leg was 1-1/2″ wide. I drilled the wider hole first, about 1/4″ deep on the shallowest side. Forstner bits are a good choice for these holes.

Place your seat blank onto the jig and position it by putting the point of the drill bit on the center point of the hole to be drilled. Keeping the point of the bit in this location, pivot the seat blank until the splay line over the edge aligns with the centerline on the jig. Clamp the seat to the jig, and drill the first hole for the back leg.

Since I wanted all the hole depths to be consistent, I noted the depth of the first hole (back leg) and set the depth stop on the drill press. I then changed the angle of the drilling jig to 12˚ for the front two legs, using an appropriate spacer, repositioned the seat on the jig, and drilled the holes for the front legs. It is easy to realign the seat on the jig. Just use a smaller centering bit in one of the holes, and align the edge lines with the centerline on the jig.

After drilling all four holes for the front legs, first the larger and then the smaller, I repositioned the seat and drilled the smaller tenon hole for the back leg, the depth stop now being set for that hole after drilling the tenon holes for the front legs.

Turn the Legs

Glue the paper leg cutout to a piece of cardboard, keeping the centerline of the drawing parallel to the edge of the cardboard. To make a story stick, draw perpendicular lines through the leg and to the edge of the cardboard. These lines should include positions for joinery, the widest and narrowest points, and a few lines in between that will help maintain the leg shape.

I rough-turned the first leg blank, then used the story stick to mark key positions. I continued shaping the leg by using a parting tool and caliper to transfer all positions and depths to the wood.

As you turn down to the various depths, the overall shape will develop. Take care fitting the top of the leg and tenon.

Hold the drawing up behind the leg and compare the horizon lines as you get close to the final shape.

Make Stretchers

I decided my stool would have two stretchers, one between the front legs and one extending from the center of that stretcher to the back leg.

With the legs tapped but not glued into their holes, place your stool on a flat workbench or table. I decided that my stretcher would be 7″ (18cm) up from the table surface. Cut a block of wood the height of the stretcher’s center, slide it up to one leg at a time, and make a pencil mark on each leg.

Since the holes for the stretchers are drilled by hand, I needed a horizontal reference to drill straight and parallel to the table surface. Use a straightedge clamped to the front legs. To position the straightedge, cut two blocks the same length and a couple inches taller than the 7″ marking block. These blocks need to be tall enough so the ruler will not get in the way of the drill but be as close as possible to act as a guide for drilling. Clamp the straightedge to the front legs.

Wrap tape around a bradpoint bit to indicate the depth you want to drill. I usually go 1/2″ (12mm) deep, but that will depend on your design and leg thickness. Drill both of the front legs.

The name stretcher is literal; it pushes the legs apart, “stretching” the width. Holding the bottom of the front legs, pull them apart just to the point of resistance. I cut a piece of scrap wood to fill the span between the bottom of the legs and hold the legs in this position.

Here is a trick to determine the required length of the stretcher. Cut a thin strip of wood several inches longer than the width of the front legs. Then cut the strip in half. Place the two halves all the way into the stretcher holes, allowing the halves to overlap in the middle. Mark the two halves where they overlap.

Remove the strips from the holes and place them on a work surface, realigning the marks. The two halves taped together indicate the required stretcher length; transfer this length to your stretcher blank, and cut the blank to length.

The taped strips can be used as a story stick after rough-turning the stretcher. Use the stick to capture the depth of the holes in each leg, and transfer that depth to the ends of your stretcher blank.

Turn the blank to your desired shape. I drilled a hole in a scrap block using the same drill bit, so I could test-fit my stretcher ends at the lathe. It helps to bevel the end of any tenon before test-fitting.

When testing the stretcher in the stool legs, first insert the two ends into the legs without the seat; then tap the legs into the holes in the seat bottom. If the tenons will not go in all the way, you will need to shorten the stretcher or adjust the leg tenon fit. To remove legs, put a block of wood on the seat and tap down while holding leg and pulling up. Keep trimming and testing until the legs go all the way into the seat and the stretcher fits snugly in its holes.

Once the front legs fit, start on the back stretcher. Locate the center of the front stretcher and then disassemble the stool. I drill into the stretchers at the drill press. To drill straight into round spindles, hold the stretcher in a V-block, first centering the bit over the V-block before drilling the hole. If your spindle is tapered or has decorative details, you will have to shim it in the V-block so it sits parallel to the drill press table.

To keep the drill bit straight and parallel when drilling the back leg, I positioned a wide block beneath the hole height and used its top surface as a visual reference.

To determine the length of the back stretcher, use the same process as before. Turn your second stretcher. When dryassembling the stool, loosely insert the front legs first, then add the stretchers and back leg before tapping the legs into the seat. The stool should feel tight enough to function without glue.

Sculpt the Seat

Now you have a stool, but what about comfort? Shape the seat any way you want, but remember it needs to be functional. Softening the front edges and sculpting the seat to the shape of the human body makes the stool look and feel better. I have used carving tools, traversers, scrapers, and grinders.

Recently, I acquired a large air compressor that allows me to run a die grinder, which I use with a variety of rotary rasps, but some people love the relaxation of slowly shaping with hand tools. To sculpt the seat, an angle grinder with a rotary rasp removes wood quickly.

When I finished shaping the seat, I sanded all of the parts before final assembly, using wood glue in the leg and stretcher joints. Now that you have made a stool in this way, it is easy to add a backrest with spindles using the same drilling jig, which turns the stool into a chair.

Beth Ireland, a professional architectural woodturner and sculptor with more than thirty years of experience, lives and works in St. Petersburg, Florida. She teaches the two-month Turning Intensive at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine, as well as workshop classes at major craft centers around the country. For more, visit her website.

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Over the years, I have admired butterfly patches (also known as dovetails, dutchmen, bowties, or pewas) in turned pieces. Aside from becoming a primary visual feature, they add value to the piece by demonstrating the maker’s skill. Additionally, being able to turn a finished bowl with a crack in it extends your usable wood inventory.

Adapting to a Curved Surface

Butterfly inlays are common in flat work. Traditionally, the maker scribes around a hand-cut butterfly, drills or routs out most of the recess, then uses a chisel to work to the line for a perfect fit. But I wondered how to transfer that process to the curved surface of a bowl. I was doubly impressed with turners who had used butterfly inlays in turned work.

The opportunity for me to learn came when I offered to repair a broken bowl for a desperate customer. A bowl (made by another turner) had been dropped and all but broken in half. I researched various methods of repair and landed on the one I knew I could do with the tools I already had.

I decided to use butterfly patches using a router with an inlay guide-bushing set and a pattern to make both the recess and the insert. I chose a different bowl to illustrate the process in this article.

Note that the grain of the butterfly inlay must run 90 degrees to the crack to give it full strength. If it runs the same direction, the butterfly itself could eventually break. Usually, I prefer the butterfly to be of a contrasting wood, but that is a matter of preference. Choose wood that is strong but relatively easy to work by hand because you will typically have to do a little tweaking with a chisel or knife. I usually use black walnut for dark patches and birch for light patches.

Router Considerations

I originally used an old Craftsman router with good success, but its motor was often misaligned, and it required a lot of care to advance the bit and keep it in the same relative position. Although the handles were fairly high on the base, I didn’t find it a problem, but when I tried a friend’s small plunge router (trying to solve the misalignment issue) with even higher handles, I found it had a very “top heavy” feel and was hard to maintain fine control.

I decided to get a new router, a smaller one for ease of handling, with as much power as my old router, and handles as low as possible. Variable speed and a soft start are also nice features. But most important of all, it had to be able to stay on center when I advanced the bit. While there were several choices on the market, I bought a Bosch Colt.

Inlay Bushings and Router Bits

Inlay bushings are made to attach easily to most router bases, with the face flush to the bottom of the base. A centered protrusion around the bit follows a pattern and has a removable collar that allows for negative and positive shapes (recess and insert). Leave the collar in place to create the recess, and remove it to make the insert. Before you purchase an inlay-bushing set, confirm that it will work with your router base. In my case, I used the lathe to turn a custom router base from 1/4″- (6mm) thick acrylic, so it would accept the bushing with a perfect fit.

While it would be possible to make the cuts using a bit with straight flutes, spiral cutters make much cleaner cuts. Downward spirals leave a very clean cut at the surface but tend to load the recess with shavings. Upward spirals clear the chips better, but they tend to rip the surface of the wood. So if you find yourself installing a butterfly in a finished bowl, an upward spiral would be a poor choice. My preference is the downward spiral cutter; I simply clear the chips between levels of cut. Router bits are available in 1/8″ (3mm) and 1/4″ diameters, so you must take that into account when choosing a removable collar for an inlay bushing.

Make an Inlay Pattern

As far as I can tell, all commercially available inlay patterns are made from acrylic, so I had a friend with a laser engraver make my first one. I found pretty quickly, however, that I wanted more sizes because the inlays should be in proportion to the turned piece. So that I wouldn’t have to constantly go cap inhand to my friend’s shop, I came up with an easy method of making the router patterns from wood. Choose a hardwood like hard maple, oak, or similar.

A pattern should be large enough for the router to ride on it securely without rocking. About 3″ × 5″ (8cm × 13cm) is good, as it will work for most “bowl-size” butterflies and still provide a stable platform. If you had to make a significantly larger butterfly, consider increasing the outside dimensions to maintain stability. I now make my patterns 3/8″ (10mm) thick, rather than the more common 1/4″, for two reasons. First, I found (sadly, during an IRD) that because the pattern was barely thicker than the inlay bushing, the router teetered on the bushing on a small-diameter bowl, messing up the cut. Second, a thicker pattern allows more room for shavings, which helps to prevent build-up.

An inlay pattern requires a top, bottom, and four center sections cut to your preferred dovetail angle for the butterfly. After some trial and error, I chose to make my dovetail angles 15 degrees.

Make a simple clamping device and glue and clamp the components, as shown. This photo shows the completed inlay pattern, trimmed and ready to use.

Rout the Inlays

As described earlier, the router bushing set has a removable collar. Take the collar off, leaving the small-diameter “follower” when cutting inserts. Before adhering the pattern to the wood with hot-melt glue, I put masking tape on both the pattern and the wood being machined. This allows for easy removal of the pattern and the hot-melt glue.

Rout as many inserts as you can get from a piece of waste wood, making them as thick as you want. I make mine at least 1/4″ thick, from wood that is at least 1/2″ to 3/4″ (13mm to 19mm) thick. You’ll have to re-attach the pattern for each insert. When you have as many routed as you want, cut the inserts out at the bandsaw. If you don’t have a bandsaw, this can be done with a handsaw or table saw with a zero-clearance table insert.

Rout the Recess

Butterfly inlays are generally “blind,” meaning they don’t go all the way through the vessel wall. If you have a thin-walled vessel, where the butterfly does go right through, be aware that the small amount of handwork in fine-tuning the recess must be precise. Any cuts that aren’t 90 degrees to the surface of the bowl can show up as a gap on the inside.

I like to re-mount the bowl on my lathe at an angle, using the face of the chuck and the tailstock to position the work area as horizontal as possible. Determine where you want the butterfly inlay, place the pattern on the crack, trace around the inside of the pattern with a pencil, then check to see if the shape, orientation and proportions are to your liking.

Place masking tape outside those lines in any place you expect to place hot-melt glue (usually the full outside dimension of the pattern). I use blue painter’s tape because it tends to conform to the compound curve of a bowl nicely.

Apply a spot of hot-melt glue at the two points that form the “waist” of the butterfly, and secure the pattern in place. Once it is in place, glue wedges under the four corners, or wherever possible, to provide adequate support while routing.

Important: Be careful to maintain the angle of the pattern so that it is tangent to the surface of the bowl. I usually have a selection of wedges at the ready, dry-fit them, then apply a dab of glue on the top and bottom of the wedges before affixing them. Having long wedges keeps your fingers away from the hot hot-melt glue.

Butterfly inlays just 1/8″ thick will provide adequate strength, so I rout the recess at least that deep, plus an allowance for any finishing cuts on the bowl during turning. After setting the router-bit depth so that it is contacting the surface of the bowl, I put a piece of tape on the router’s depth scale at the full depth to make it easier to see. I like to use one of the corners for the “home” corner, extend the bit while the router is running, then move the router clockwise around the pattern.

Be sure to remove any wood remaining in the center as well. I usually take a 1/8″-deep cut, remove the router to clear the chips, go back to the home position, then lower the bit the rest of the way. If you can’t lower the bit while the router is running (like my old Craftsman), extend the cutter away from the pattern and enter the cut somewhere away from the edge before moving it to your home corner. Always let the bit come to a full stop before removing the router from the pattern.

After routing the recess, it will be necessary to cut the dovetail corners to a sharp angle, as the router will leave them rounded. Alternately, you could leave the rounded corners as is, in which case you would have to not only round the corners of the insert to match but also do all the fine-tuning on the insert, not the recess.

Fit and Glue the Inlay

Test the fit of the inlay in the recess to see which way it fits the best, then mark an “X” on one end so you will always test the fit in the same position. The inlay bushing creates a fit that is actually “too” exact, so the fit will have to be relaxed a bit. Place the insert over the recess, hugging one side of the recess with one side of the insert, and scribe around the other side and both ends with a sharp craft knife.

Use that line to locate the chisel to take off fine shavings as required. Alternately, you can work the sides of the butterfly insert to adjust the fit. It is safer and allows greater accuracy to hold the insert with a clamp while making these cuts. You can touch the ends on a belt sander or use your chisel. I’ve taken both approaches and have found that adjusting the recess is easier.

Chamfer the inside edges of the insert to make for an easy entry into the recess. The fit should be a nice push fit or even a tap fit. Don’t put it all the way in until you apply glue, as it probably won’t come back out without damage.

While cyanoacrylate (CA) glue is acceptable, I prefer regular woodworking glue, as I feel it offers a more permanent hold. If possible, drive the inlay home with a clamp, making a glue bond at the bottom of the recess. Depending on the glue brand you use, clamping is usually required for an hour, with full strength in 24 hours. However, there is very little stress on a well-fit butterfly while turning, so it is reasonable to turn in an hour. I have never had an insert move during turning.

With regular glue, there is usually some squeeze-out into the crack. I try to “dam” the crack with a sliver of wood to prevent that. You could also remove the squeeze-out with a series of pointy blades, slivers of wood, and/or dental picks. With the butterfly inlay glued in place, continue turning the bowl as you normally would.

Closing Thoughts

Generally, cracks that need a repair are obvious, but some aren’t. My feeling is that when the wood’s moisture content has reached equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere, as with a roughturned bowl that has sufficiently dried, it will not move or crack further. So if a crack is clearly minor, while others on the same bowl have been patched, most people will understand that the bowl will remain stable in its current state.

I am often asked if filling a crack (along with using a butterfly) is a good idea. If you have a salad bowl with a crack low on the walls, filling the crack would maintain the bowl’s functionality. But for more aesthetic pieces, I would leave it unfilled. You may also just simply want to fill it. In either case, I would fill after inserting the butterfly, in case the placement of the butterfly breaks the bond between the filler and the wood.

When I teach new turners, I emphasize the need to honor the wood, to give it their best effort. Using butterflies to salvage a broken piece or to make use of wood with natural imperfections is a way of honoring the wood. The Japanese call the art of repairing broken pottery vessels kintsugi. Cracks are part of the “scenery” and history of a vessel and should be honored, rather than disguised. A butterfly repair on wood is no less attractive than figured grain and becomes part of the story of a wooden vessel.

Ed Pretty has been turning wood for more than sixty years, initially learning traditional spindle techniques from his father. After retiring from a thirty-six-year career as a professional firefighter, Ed now turns full time. Ed offers an interactive remote demo (IRD) on crack repair in turned bowls. Learn more at edswoodturning.com.

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The idea of a small lidded container for holding pills, sewing needles, toothpicks, or garden seeds will probably conjure up different images for all of us. When we think of making a lidded box on the lathe, a long, narrow shape may not be the first form that comes to mind. I have turned many pill boxes over the years; however, calling this container a pill box might limit ideas for design variations. Regardless of the box’s intended use, choosing to make a small item just for the pure joy of making it might be reason enough. And whatever you call it — an ornamental case, a box, lidded tube, or even an etui — it ultimately is a lidded container with an atypical shape and design. As I present my procedure for turning this delightful little box, you will discover it is a project ripe for exploring options.

Etui: an Ornamental Case

French in origin, this small ornamental case, usually featuring a hinged lid, dates to the early 17th century. It was designed primarily for women to hold scissors, needles, cosmetics, perfume, or miniature writing sets.

They were mostly made of silver, ivory, bone, leather, gold, or enamel, and, not surprisingly, woodturners have adapted the form for the lathe as a long, narrow lidded box. Past President of the Yellowstone Woodturners Bruce Blackketter, now of Joplin, Missouri, turned his own version, as shown.

Material and Design Choices

Materials suitable for this small container include wood, cast resin, acrylic, and other man-made plastics. Some design choices may affect the material you choose. For example, when considering a threaded connection or a slip fit for the lid, material choices make a difference. For a thread-chasing project, I might select a hard, dense material such as African blackwood or a two-part cast resin. For a nice friction-fit connection, any material, hard or soft, will suffice. For a lidded box that holds my daily pills when traveling, a nice tight suction fit will hold the container together safely. But if you prefer more security, nothing beats a threaded connection.

The focus of this article will be turning a box using spalted cherry with a slip-fit, or friction-fit, connection of the lid.

The old maxim, form follows function, may be front and center in this discussion. If the intended use for this small object is to securely hold pills, needles, or toothpicks, long and narrow is a better design. Perhaps arriving at the best design requires first deciding what the container will hold. A prototype made from a suitable scrap of wood costs little in either time or material and may be the best method of determining the proper inside volume. Starting with a very small female opening in the lid will dictate the size of the opening in the base at right. Consequently, the opening is very small. Proper sizing of both the lid and base openings will provide the maximum volume for your project. The photo shows the completed lid above the base, which is chucked in pin jaws. In the finished box, the inside diameter (ID) of the lid is 25/32″ (20mm) and the ID of the base is 19/32″ (15mm).

With a rather long cylindrical form, the usual shape and design possibilities available in “boxes” that woodturners typically make may be difficult to apply. Fibonacci’s Golden Ratio, which is sometimes used to determine the lid-to-box ratio in lidded boxes, may not be optimal for an etui-inspired box. For my own favorite design, I lean toward long flowing lines with delicate details

As for etui dimensions, a good place to start is with a 1″ (25mm) square blank, 3″ (8cm) long. The dimensions of your own project will depend largely on the intended use of your container.

Turning Process

In the following steps, I chuck the blank directly into pin jaws, eliminating the need to form a tenon, or spigot.

This process does require alternative methods for reverse-mounting the lid and base (jam-fitting), which I’ll discuss later.

Start by turning the blank to a cylinder using a spindle-roughing gouge . With the tailstock removed, true up the end of the blank with a reverse and true up the other end.

With the rounded workpiece chucked up in the pin jaws, part the base section from the lid using a parting tool.

Turn the Lid

I drill a recess in the lid using a 5/8″ (16mm) Forstner bit. By drilling the recess in the lid, rather than hollowing the lid by hand, the walls are perfectly straight and parallel. Sand and apply a finish to the inside of the lid. If your container is to hold medication, it may be prudent not to apply any finish at all.

Remove the lid from the chuck, and mount the base section. The lid will mount to the base by way of a friction fit on a tenon at the end of the base, so I form that tenon using a small beading and parting tool.

Sneak up on a good fit by cutting and testing the connection repeatedly, until you have a snug fit. At first, I attach the lid to the tenon with a tighter than necessary connection while I complete the turning of the lid and add decorative elements. This connection can be fine-tuned for a more serviceable fit in a later step.

With the lid jam-fitted onto the tenon of the base, I use a beading tool to add some decoration to the top of the box and to the area near the join.

I complete the lid by sanding, applying an abrasive paste, applying a friction polish, and finally buffing to a nice sheen.

Wood Jam Chuck

A jam chuck is a workholding method, or fixing, that makes use of a tight friction fit, usually of the workpiece onto a piece of scrap mounted in a chuck or on a faceplate. This operation is accomplished by carefully turning the jam chuck to the correct size. A caliper can be used at first, followed by test-fitting until the two components mate securely together.

One key benefit is that it does not require tailstock support, allowing total access to a piece while completing the turning and finishing. Note that for larger pieces, tailstock support is recommended when possible. My favorite tools for this operation are a ½” (13mm) skew chisel and 3/8″ (10 mm) beading/parting tool. Both can be used in either cutting or scraping mode and will serve to accomplish the task.

I start with the skew presented in a cutting orientation to remove the bulk of wood . Next, I use the beading/parting tool to scrape the surface and make minor adjustments. Sneak up on a good fit by cutting and testing the connection repeatedly.

Correcting a Loose Fit

When you are learning to make jam chucks, it is common to remove too much wood, creating a fit that is too loose. Several options are available to tighten up the connection and make it more secure. One is to lightly spray the jam chuck with water, which will swell the wood fibers for a better fit. This can also be accomplished by applying a layer of wax. Another idea is to add a layer of tissue paper or paper towel between the jam chuck and the workpiece to help take up the slack. Finally, if the failed jam chuck is a piece of waste wood, save it for a future project and start again with another scrap.

Turn the Base

I drill the opening in the base with a 1/2″ (13mm) bradpoint bit. I make this opening as large as possible to allow for more volume inside the box. Note that if you drill too wide a hole in the base, the walls of the tenon will become too thin. Maintain ample thickness here so you won’t weaken the tenon that holds the lid.

To turn the rest of the box body, I reverse-mount the work onto a jam chuck made from a scrap of dowel mounted in the chuck.

I use a beading/parting tool as well as a small spindle/detail gouge to shape the base and add decorative details. At this point, I finetune the lid-to-base connection to my desired fit—not too tight, but not so loose that the lid will fall off.

The photo shows a good view of the dowel used to chuck up the base for final turning and finishing. At no point do I chuck up either the completed lid or base directly in the pin jaws. Jam chucking eliminates the possibility of marring the surface of the wood.

Threaded Lid option

The steps in making this project are similar if not identical to the process most turners use for making a lidded box. Adding threads to the female recess and the male tenon may slightly alter your approach to completing this container. A threaded connection will certainly add more security to the lid’s fit. Since most woodturners do not have the skills for chasing threads by hand, using a thread-chasing jig might be an alternative. If you prefer to add a threaded connection to this project, watch my video, “A Small Ornamental Container,” available on my YouTube channel, @wyomingwoodturner.

Conclusion

I find a certain joy in turning miniatures. Usually, a different approach and a higher degree of precision is required. You can transform a small bit of scrap wood or even a pen blank into a work of art. Many small items, from pills to batteries, can be held in this narrow-lidded box. However, no reason is needed for turning one other than the sheer pleasure of turning your own little ornamental case.

Sam Angelo retired in 2011 after forty years in public education. He is currently the president of the Yellowstone Woodturners, an AAW chapter in Billings, Montana. Sam has published hundreds of videos on his YouTube channel, @wyomingwoodturner, including one on making a small box, as shown in this article. He offers turning classes and continues to turn daily in his shop.

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I enjoy turning large platters from highly figured woods. Highly figured woods are beautiful, but they present special challenges for woodturners. They tear out readily and ripple if sanded excessively. In this article, I will explain how to cut highly figured woods successfully — to turn them absolutely smooth and tearout-free right off the tool. This reduces the need for sanding and thereby avoids rippling, resulting in gallery-quality woodturnings.

A Challenging Material

The figure in wood is created by irregular wood fibers. Think of wood fibers as a bundle of tiny cellulose straws. In straight-grained woods, the straws are arranged together in straight lines, hence the name straight-grained. But in figured woods, the cellulose straws grow in irregular patterns. The more irregular the patterns, the more figured the wood. The sides of the cellulose straws appear lighter and more reflective, while their open ends appear darker, creating beautiful patterns of light and dark.

As woodturners, we know that cutting into sidegrain (the sides of the straws) is easy, but cutting into endgrain (the ends of the straws) is more difficult and often produces tearout. As figured wood turns on the lathe, we are continuously cutting into a mixture of side- and endgrain fibers. Without specialized techniques, tearout is inevitable.

More sanding is not the answer. Excessive sanding on highly figure woods creates ripples because sidegrain and endgrain are intermixed, and the sidegrain abrades much more rapidly.

Ready Your Tools

For most of my woodturning, I use gouges with cutting edges ground at about 40 degrees. On straight-grained woods, these gouges cut fast and clean. But on highly figured woods, the 40-degree cutting edge tends to get under the irregular fibers of dry wood and tear them out. If the gouge is sharpened with a 55-degree bevel, however, it has far less tendency to get under the irregular endgrain fibers. So for finishing cuts on highly figured woods, I prefer a gouge sharpened at 55 degrees.

A dull gouge with a 55-degree bevel will hardly cut at all, but a very sharp gouge will cut like a dream. Dull tools always cause tearout, always! So keep your tools sharp. For finishing cuts on dry wood, I prefer a gouge with a U-shaped flute. Why? The U flute is broader at the bottom, and if the wings are not swept back, the nose of the tool has a longer, straighter cutting edge. If the gouge is presented to the workpiece with the bevel rubbing and the cutting edge held almost parallel to the direction of travel of the spinning wood, the cutting edge slices the wood fibers smoothly and beautifully, minimizing tearout and producing fine, hair-like shavings.

For years, I used tools made of M2 steel, which is a wonderful, conventional high-speed steel. But in recent years, I have upgraded to tools made of particle metal. I prefer them because the cutting edge of a particle-metal tool is richly supplied with tiny, uniformly distributed, carbides. There are many excellent particle metals. My personal preference is CPM 10V (an A11 metal), which contains almost 10% vanadium. Vanadium carbides are particularly hard and abrasion-resistant, which is why tools rich in vanadium stay sharp longer. For finishing cuts, I sharpen with a 600- grit Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) wheel. It gets particle-metal tools wonderfully sharp, so they cut highly figured woods cleanly and stay sharp longer.

Sharp Tools = Better Results

Keeping tools very sharp is fundamental to success when turning highly figured woods. To get the best results, take advantage of the technology improvements in both tool steels and grinders. Consider upgrading your tools to particle-metal. They offer significant advantages over conventional tools.

I grind and sharpen my tools on two low-speed 8″ (20cm) grinders, each fitted with two CBN wheels. One grinder has an 80-grit wheel for rough-shaping tools and a 180-grit wheel for sharpening negative-rake scrapers. The other grinder has a 350-grit wheel for sharpening gouges used for rough-shaping platters and bowls and a 600-grit wheel for sharpening gouges used for finishing cuts. Consider replacing your old wheels with CBN as soon as your budget allows it. You’ll be amazed at how much better they are.

Your grinder setup should invite you to sharpen frequently. The necessity to fiddle with anything on a grinder is a disincentive to grinding. My platforms are always set at the correct angles for my gouges and scrapers, and I never move the platforms. I can quickly regrind every tool and be back at the lathe in just seconds.

Two-step Turning Process

I advocate using a two-step turning process. I remove 99% of the wood with my gouges, but before sanding, I smooth and refine every square millimeter of the surface with negative-rake scrapers. These tools can smooth curves, crisp-up transitions, and remove every vestige of tearout, getting the workpiece “perfect” before any sanding commences. Negative-rake scrapers are particularly effective on dry highly figured woods.

You might be wondering…If the surface is “perfect,” why sand at all? Under magnification, the burr on the cutting edge of a freshly sharpened NRS looks like sandpaper. It smooths the wood beautifully but inevitably leaves a pattern of fine scratches. Light sanding removes these scratches and prepares the workpiece for a gallery-quality finish. I hand-sand, usually beginning with 220-grit sandpaper, progressing through 400 grit, and ending with a very slightly dampened 500-grit Abralon pad. This process removes all of the fine scratches left by the NRS.

Negative-Rake Scrapers

Unlike traditional scrapers, negative-rake scrapers have a bevel on both the top and bottom, ground to the same angle. You can customize their edge profiles to match the surfaces of your workpiece.

A negative-rake scraper need not be heavy. Since effective scraping requires a very delicate touch, I prefer a lightweight tool. And since it is a finishing tool, it should be “floated” delicately across the wood with almost no forward pressure on the tool. It should not be used to remove much wood, but instead only to smooth the surface. Used correctly, a negative-rake scraper produces fine, hair-like shavings, not dust.

At the Grinder

I set my grinding platform at 22.5 degrees so, after grinding both sides, the included angle at the cutting edge is 45 degrees.

As the scraper is ground, a burr forms on the upper side of the grind, and in use, the scraper is held horizontally on the toolrest, burr-side up. Feel the upper edge of the tool as it comes off the grinder to make sure it has a good burr. When the burr is gone, the tool must be resharpened immediately, as the burr is the only part of the scraper that cuts. When the burr has worn away, the tool is dull and will do more harm than good. But when a freshly sharpened negative-rake scraper is used correctly, it is very effective in removing tearout on figured woods.

In Summary

Keep your tools very sharp. A dull tool will always tear the wood, and heavily sanding figured woods may cause a different problem—rippling. Take advantage of new technologies by using particle-metal tools sharpened on CBN wheels.

When making finishing cuts on highly figured woods, choose a gouge with a U-shaped flute, ground to a 55-degree bevel. Then smooth and refine the entire surface of the workpiece with negative-rake scrapers, getting everything “perfect” right off the tool before sanding. Sand lightly but thoroughly before applying a finish.

Tom Wirsing is a physicist, woodturner, furniture maker, and a former AAW Board member and president. A past president of the Front Range Woodturners (Denver), Tom lives on a ranch in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where he turns wood, builds furniture, and grazes Angus cattle. For more, visit thomaswirsing.com.

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