Club Night Report
Wednesday 14th August 2024
Club Night Photos for Wednesday 14th August 2024 - Club Demonstrator: Dave Branscombe
The demonstrator for the August 2024 meeting was a welcome return of Club Demonstrator Dave Branscombe, who last entertained us in July 2023.Tonight's demonstration was the making of two different Offset Bowls.
Dave started by marking a circle on the blank to suit his spigot jaws - then mounting the blank (4" square by 2" thick, cherry) between centres, with a Steb drive in the headstock. This was turned round, an accurate spigot to suit the 4-jaw chuck was cut at the tailstock end - and the outside shape of the bowl was roughed out, finish turned and 'wet' sanded using wax on the abrasive.
A square ended scraper was shown as a useful technique to refine and get a good/ smooth curve on the outside of the bowl.
The part was held in the 4-jaw chuck, in gripper jaws; which are deeper and longer, and will allow the spigot to be held at an angle - and the front face was cleaned up. The bowl was then offset in the jaws by approx. 2-teeth (about 1/8"). Using tailstock support, the inside of the bowl was roughed. Note: there was some intermittent cutting, requiring firm control of the bowl gouge. The tailstock was removed and the inner surface was completed and wet sanded.
The bowl was reset back (square) into the gripper jaws and the front face was sanded.
A shaped support block was mounted in the chuck and the bowl, plus some router matting to protect and drive it, was aligned - off centre to produce a second offset (in the base), and held in position via the tailstock centre. The tenon was turned off and the face hollowed (slightly) to produce a small button - which is Dave’s signature style, used when finishing a bowl base.. The face of the button was sanded smooth with a sanding pad mounted in a Jacobs chuck in the headstock.
It should be noted that Dave was using a home-made tool rest, consisting of a piece of angle-iron, welded to the toolpost, with a 45-degree chamfer cut on the end to enable it to support the tool closer to the centre of the work.
Dave's second demonstration of the evening featured the making of another offset bowl.
He started by showing his technique for adding and aligning a sacrificial plywood spigot to the face of a timber blank; so that it could be turned without wasting too much timber. The plywood spigot had a hole drilled through it - so that it could be accurately aligned on the timber blank using an awl, as it was hot-melt glued to the face.
The demonstration blank (8" diameter by 2" thick, sycamore) was held between centres, similar to the first bowl - turned round, roughed and then finish turned the back of the bowl - and trued-up the plywood spigot.
The bowl was reversed and held on the spigot in gripper jaws in a 4-jaw chuck. The front face of the bowl was cleaned up, and the offset via the gripper jaws was set to about 2-teeth (1/8"). The bowl was then hollowed leaving a raised feature in the centre - and the inside was sanded. The bowl was re-aligned square and the front face was sanded.
The bowl was mounted on a flat faceplate, with router matting to drive it, and supported via the tailstock - centred on the tenon.
The glue holding the tenon was cut through so the tenon could be removed - alternatively, it could be turned off. The bowl was re-aligned and held via the tailstock, so the base could be finished/ hollowed, and a button shape turned in the base, to complete the part.
Dave showed once again his mastery of bowl and spindle gouges in the production of two offset centre bowls - adding an extra dimension, and degree of difficulty to the making of a 'standard bowl.' Thank you, Dave!
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The Display Table was well supported with some interesting items on display...
Sean Snook showed two bowls made from spalted beech, finished with three coats of spray lacquer.
Frans Brown presented a small yew winged bowl finished with 3 coats of oil.
Martin Barrett displayed a flat beech bowl, along with a small thin, square edged dish made from African rosewood.
Mike Pearce showed a multi-part, delicately painted nutcracker ‘soldier.’
George Gansbuehler presented a wide rim bowl, along with a bangle, a weed pot complete with test tube and a red mallee burr bowl.
Dave Branscombe displayed a large, deep, elm vase along with a Father’s Day gift he had made for Richard. The globe had been pyrographed with a poem.
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Dad |