Latest Segmented Woodturning

Nice work GG. tell us non-segmenters a few things: do you plan your segment angles with Excel, software or by pencil? Do you hollow halfway before adding final rings? keep up the good work, Max

Really nice, Greg... my brother does segmented stuff and my only "problem" with his is too many colors..

I like the clean lines of yours and the use of color as an accent, not a theme.. (everyone's a critic)

mac

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Thanks, Max. Fire away. This is only the eighth piece I've done. The second with 18 segs per ring. In fact, the feature ring is half a ring cutoff from the last vessel built. (I cheated...)

I draw the general shape full scale on graph paper. The cut lengths are calculated by home-brew software. The angles are cut on a self-designed jig. The sanding is done on a homemade disk sander.

More or less, just not the final closing rings. I knock off the edges before topping, but leave a bit of meat so as to match the outside when it is finally shaped.

Thanks, I'll try. I'm still not that happy with the time consumed by finishes, and have tried them all. Ironically, I have no patience with drying glue, drying shellac/varnish/lacquer, or anything that requires one to wait to complete a task. I use up some of the wait-time with jig-making and cleanup, but after a bit, you run out of secondary things to make. And with finishing, you can't stir up dust while drying. Having done electronics work for 35 years, I find waiting for things to dry to be the most frustrating part of woodworking in general.

FWIW,

Greg G.

Thanks again. I do mostly hollow the bottom before gluing on the closing ring(s), but not to final dimensions. The top I have not been, but I believe I'll have to come up with a method to ease this process. I've got a DIY vacuum chuck, but that's of no use, and I'm not particularly fond of double sided tape. Hot glue is a possibility, but can release unexpectedly if you get a catch, and since I'm a beginner, that's a real possibility. The other problem is that I glue and true each layer during assembly to maintain absolutely level layers. And I only have one faceplate. I don't break down the stack/faceplate assemblies until finished because they never go back exactly the same way, leading to the need to re-true everything. Until I sell one of these blasted things, I won't be buying any more faceplates either. I'll eventually come up with something...

Greg G.

Thanks, Mac. I've noticed your past references to the brother's segmented work. I didn't know when I got into this that so many others would enter the fray. The market is becoming glutted... ;-)

As for my "designs", there are many turners who overload (IMHO) every piece with some detail or another, and I find them cluttered and distracting. Malcolm Tibbetts comes to mind. Impressive detail, and a whole lot of work, but just too busy for my tastes. For me, it's about the wood, as mangled and chopped up as it may be. I spend more time comparing the colors of cutoffs and such to find the most pleasing blends of grain and color than I do trying to inject every possible wood type and/or color into a turning. I'm after something that could be considered subtle "art", not a kaleidoscope. ;-) I'm also hoping that some wealthy industrial magnet wants to part with $500 to own one of my painstaking creations. Although I have several on display at a friend's local gallery, Fat Chance so far.

I shouldda made compressed horseshit pens instead. :-/

Greg G.

Hi Greg, Yet another very nice looking piece. As to the hollowing. When I do a piece like this I hollow as I go along then when you get to the top you only need to deal with the top ring. Are you building them completely before turning? It's much easier to turn along the way. If I was doing a very flat piece I would do it as Darrell describes by building it in 2 halves and gluing them together. This piece however I would hollow before the rim was attached when the piece is wide open. I actually sand and finish the inside as I go along also. If I might make one suggestion and this is only a suggestion and not a negative in any way. I think this piece would have been better if you followed the curve of the side all the way down. The little curve outward at the bottom doesn't do the piece justice. If you put your thumbs in front of your monitor and follow the curve of the piece I think you will see what I am talking about. It seems that a lot of newer turners put this little whoop-de-do at the bottom of there turnings and in time eliminate it. Again not a negative comment just trying to be helpful. Bob

Thanks.

I hollow them as I go, on something this small, just before gluing the top rings. I do the final shaping and finish after the entire piece is completed, however. Perhaps I place too much concern on matching the external shape. The top (enclosing) rings are not turned at all before gluing, thus the difficulty with the interior. The cherry was very hard, and my only swept neck hollowing tool is a Sorby Hollowmaster - and it barely reached the outer periphery. I'll come up with a serviceable technique eventually - when that bulb appears over my head. I have to contemplate it a bit first...

all the way down.

Funny, I originally drew it that way, but since everyone seems to follow that convention, I changed it on the fly. Truth be told, I would like to remount it and remove about 3/8" from the bottom anyway... I became impatient because the vacuum chuck was pulling wet shellac through the open pores of the base material, and slinging it around the already finished interior - even at 10 inches of vacuum. Also, when using the DIY vacuum chuck, I spend each moment in fear that it will pop off when doing stock removal around the base and go tearing across the room - leaving dings and scrapes around the feature ring. DAMHIKT. Still working on that delicate relationship between diameter, vacuum, and crushing the vessel vs. insufficient hold. This DIY setup will generate over 26" and it will implode items handily. Ah, live and learn.

Greg G.

What about one of these?

Very nice work, someday I will get serious and try a segmented piece, jus too much cutting & gluing for me. But I do like the finished projects.

Funny you said that.. I think Malcolm is his mentor..

Some of my brother's early stuff:

mac

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