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One Procedure for Making a "Turned Box" (lidded vessel) in a.b.p.w.

Like the Frank Klausz video on making a handcut drawer, Richard Raffan's vid on making a "turned box" covers a lot of ground and there are a lot of subtle things which are easily overlooked. Do something out of order and you may have to start all over again. Miss one of the less than obvious things which must be done in the correct order and you can split a part while chucking it up, blow through the wall of a part you're hollowing, blow the fit of the lid, etc., etc., etc. . Pitfalls are present throughout what seems to be a fairly simple process - and I'm prone to falling into ALL the pitfalls I encounter.

SO - I'm working on a set of instructions for myself along the lines of my earlier instructions for making a hand cut dovetail drawer based mainly on the Frank Klausz video. Since I'm a "visual learner" there's plenty of illustrations and "NOTE!" text cautions when something critical might be overlooked in an illustrative diagram. That stuff's here if you're interested.

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ANYWAY - I'm posting five pages of my draft instructions for your review and comment, page 5 being under construction. As always, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism will be appreciated. With a few more sets of eyes going over them, holes or flat out errors are more likely to be spotted - and hopefully corrected. Not knowing enough to know if I shouldn't, I'm hollowing with a curved skew and it seems to be pretty quick and easy - and so far no nasty catches or spiral cuts like I've gotten with an Ellsworth Grind bowl gouge. I've included illustrations of what I'm doing that hopefully convey the method adequately.

What I'm shooting for is some web pages that can be downloaded - for FREE - printed, taken to the shop, followed and have the first experience for a newbie to be an enjoyable and successful one. First attempt failures often become the last attempt at something new. But a success on the first try usually is the beginning of many more of whatever you want to do, with refinements and variations leading to some really nice stuff as experience is gained.

"Instructions" posted in alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking.

charlie b

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charlie b
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Reply to
Darrell Feltmate

Charlie this is excellent. One small error on page 2 you have a "pating" tool . Can't wait to see the rest. Good job! Peter

Reply to
Canchippy

Darrell:

Thanks for your response - and your site.

The devil's in the details and what an experienced turner takes for granted and assumes "everyone knows and isn't worth noting" is what often is critical to a newbie. If you don't sand and finish the inside of a turned box BEFORE you finish it's bottom you're probably in for a lot of hand work later. If you make the lip on the bottom part too long you're apt the break it when you chuck it up with the jaws spreading out from the inside.

Re: using a skew to hollow rather than a bowl gouge or hook tool, The long point of the skew lets you position the point of contact with the wood very precisely at the start of the plung cut into the end grain. That's harder to do with a bowl gouge or hook tool.

The skew also works nicely at the transition from cutting (actually scraping - as you noted) side grain to end grain. It can be swung to create a round "corner" which the other tools can do, but it can also create a square "corner" - which the other tools can't.

The one shortcoming of the skew in this application is that it has depth limits. Three inches overhanging the tool rest is about the limits of my comfort level. With a hollowing bowl gouge, the steel is longer and beefier - as is the handle.

Yes, I have a woodwork> Charlie this is excellent. One small error on page 2 you have a > "pating" tool .

Peter:

Thanks for taking the time to go through the instructions as closely as you obviously did. I've fixed the "pating" typo on page 2 so it now is "parting".

Walking that line between K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid), providing just the necessary information in the clearest, cleanest, shortest form and hand holding the user through the entire process down to the most minute detail is tough. I thought I could do a set of "turned box" instructions in a page or two with just illustrations but realized that some text notes were necessary.

I want to have maybe 5 or 6 pages I can stick in a binder, read through everything then pull a page, do what it says and shows then go on to the next page. If the instructions are good enough, when I get to the last page I should have a turned box that is acceptable - no explsions, no flying parts and no blood.

ANYONE ELSE WANT TO BE A BETA TESTER?

charlie b

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charlie b

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