Segmented Birch Bowl

Thanks. I'm making some similar ones in teak right now. Stay tuned...

Nice work. I like the shape. I also do segmented turning. I like that you can use cutoff scraps and turn any size or shape bowls. Jerry

On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:15:47 -0500, Kevin Miller wrote (in message ):

it is good for me to see what others are doing with using small pieces of wood for larger turnings. I am encouraged to try this. In all the years I've been turning, I have never glued up more than 2 different pieces of wood for a project. I just started gluing up a piece today for a project. It is a bit hard for me to visualize what the thing might look like, while there is still glue and clamps, and maybe more gluing in the offing. I think there may be a temptation to go overboard on somethinglike this, so I'm going to be pretty conservative on this project. Thanks for posting your work. Looks good! tom koehler

There's a lot of resources on the web for segmented turning. I find the most important thing is a cutoff sled set at the appropriate angle. In my case I'm doing 12 segment rings, so 15 degrees is the setting. Accuracy and repeatability is the key. You may have to mess with it a bit to get it dialed in, but once you have good tight joints you're golden.

It's a great way to use up scraps. A lot of segmented turning is really fancy, but really, even a bowl with a single type of wood can be very nice. As the bowl is turned, each segment reflects light differently so you get a lot of chatoyance. The most important thing is a pleasing form. A good shape with plain wood beats fancy wood with a lousy shape any day.

Automotive band (hose) clamps work great for gluing the segmentes into rings.

Be fun to see how your project turns out - hope you post it...

...Kevin

On Fri, 1 Oct 2010 2:03:31 -0500, Kevin Miller wrote (in message ):

well, I'm starting out pretty simple, I think. Some chunks glued up into a solid block, and then cut away anything that isn't supposed to be there. Am not sure what it will be, yet. It will tell me. I know that a fussy kind of repeatable accuracy is the key, and that is what I really have to practice. I've generally boasted that I can make one of anything. Now, to make two or more of them identical - that is a skill I have to seriously work on. If it escapes the fireplace, I'll post on Flicker. tom koehler

I always read about using a sled on a table saw to cut segments. I've been using my chop saw for two years now and get accurate cuts with it. Does anybody else use a chop saw ??

Jerry

I have used sleds many times for cutting large prices. I am not as comfortable with small. I posted some of my first tries at segmented turning a couple weeks ago. They were all done on a miter saw. I dialed in the 15 degrees and they came out perfect the first time. I also tried stacked rings cut at an angle on a scroll saw. It worked out well.

I have before. I only have the one sled at 15 degrees which does 12 segments. If I do a ring w/a different number of segments I'll use the chop saw. Can't beat the sled for 'instant gratification' but it does take up shop space.

But yeah, with a good blade a chop saw is a dapper way to do them as well.

...Kevin