Club Night Report
Wednesday 11th September 2024
Club Night Photos for Wednesday 11th September 2024 - Guest Demonstrator: Keith Fenton
The demonstrator for the September 2024 meeting was a welcome return of Keith Fenton (see website: www.aroundwood.co.uk) who last visited us in September 2023.Keith's demonstration for the evening was the making of a Xylon (pronounced: zoolon) - which is ancient Greek for 'timber, tree, log' - these were used for transporting parchment documents. Keith described it as a 'tactile toy' - perhaps the sort of thing you might fidget with, whilst watching television…?
A boxwood 'log' - 3.5" diameter by 5" long (approx.) was mounted between centres, utilising a Steb drive (held in a 4-jaw chuck). Keith started by cutting a large cove in the centre of the log - working from both ends - to make it look like a 'dog bone'. Both ends of the piece were trued up, and a spigot to suit a 4-jaw chuck was cut at the tailstock end. The shape was further refined to create a smooth pleasing curve. The part was then sanded smooth through the grits, sealed with cellulose sanding sealer and finished with a 50/ 50 ratio (beeswax and carnauba wax) wax stick.
The part was mounted on the spigot in a 4-jaw chuck. A 1 ¼" diameter Forstner bit, held in a Jacobs chuck, in the tailstock, was used to drill about three-quarters of the way through the part. The drilled hole was opened out, using a spindle gouge, to generate a smooth trumpet shape - following the curve of the outer shape - to leave a wall thickness of about 5/16" - this was then sanded, sealed and polished.
The part was then reversed and mounted on a 'loose' jam chuck/ pommel - which was trued up and sized to suit the internal shape of the part. Paper towel was used to protect and help drive the part. The mounting spigot was turned off and the interior shaping was started - to leave a long support stem. Good quality masking tape was used to secure the part to the jam chuck. The tailstock centre was removed and the Forstner bit was used to remove the centre and drill through the part. Once again, the hole was opened out, and blended into a smooth curve. Finally, sanded, sealed and polished.
Keith's second demonstration was also a Xylon - but, something very different to what we have seen in the Club before. With this part - the grain runs at 90 degrees to the spindle centre line - and would be cut across the width of a board (about 2.5" square by 10" long), the bark on one edge would be a bonus - and preferably in wet timber - so that it distorts/ moves as the wood dries. The timber being used tonight was walnut. Keith explained that his success rate in making this particular part is about 50-50 - owing to the short grain orientation and turning pressures involved.
A partially turned and drilled part was used to save some time - it was mounted in a 4-jaw chuck, held with gripper jaws. The part was drilled to within 2" of the end with a 50 mm diameter Forstner bit, on an extension bar - ensuring to clear the chips on a regular basis - as too much chip build-up behind the cutter, can lead to a jam - such that the bit cannot be removed, without destroying the part.
The drilled part was then mounted on an aluminium support mandrel that was approx. 1 mm diameter smaller than the Forstner bit used to drill the hole. The green tape on the mandrel was there to ease the release of the part after turning. The tailstock centre was used to apply pressure sufficient to drive the part.
The outside diameter was cut in stages - making it into a cylinder - using small cuts. The clearance between the drilled hole and the mandrel meant that the part flexed slightly as it was being turned. A 2-3 mm wall thickness is desirable - so the timber will move as it dries.
Unfortunately, on this occasion the part broke as it was being turned - a small bark inclusion near the base chipped out! It is likely that superglue could be used to hold it back together - and save the part. Keith had brought along some examples of previously successfully completed parts.
Tonight, we were entertained with the holding and cutting of a couple of different pieces - very much food for thought. Skill, precision, technique and humour were all on display in large measures. Keith peppered the evening with many anecdotes and stories from his long career as a woodturner. Probably, one of the best pieces of advice was: "Use your sandpaper like somebody else pays for it"!
Thank you, Keith.
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The Display Table was reasonably well supported with some interesting items on display...
Sean Snook showed several items - the timber used being the successful result of some 'skip diving.' A large bowl was presented - made out of OSB (Orientated Strand Board)
- the high amounts of resin in the timber required carbide tools to successfully cut it. A tall vase and a shallow platter were made from laminating plywood offcuts -
all finished with acrylic spray lacquer. Ron Carter showed a shallow dish with a raised centre.
Frans Brown displayed a complex, turned, hollowed and carved, burr
elm pot. He had retained the natural edge at the mouth of the pot, and hand carved and blended three-feet on the base.
Roger Blake showed a prototype for an oak
candle holder - to be used in a local church for two-inch diameter, oil-filled candles - with a decorated, spiral pattern stem.
Dave Newman presented a beaded
oak bowl - made with his home-made beading tool - and finished with friction polish.
Geoff Speake showed a tray of turned pens. Mainly 7 mm slimline twist pens
along with some bullet pens. They were made in a range of different timbers. Considering that Geoff had only been making pens for 3-weeks - it was a fine display!
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