Perhaps it would be good to start with a question of scale. Some wood turners consider themselves to be pen turners and almost everything they turn will be a pen. This is itself leads to small scale turning. Among others, two obvious questions may be raised. First, what about moving to larger scale items? Second, what else might be turned using the same scale? In the first case, one will find that the spindle techniques used in making pens lend themselves quite well to larger items such as tool handles, candlesticks and mallets as well as many others. Some thoughts for the latter might be light pulls, key chains and Christmas ornaments.
In the end, exactly how to repair a crack is a personal choice that expresses the woodturner’s philosophy and creativity. Conceal the repair, accept the repair, or emphasize the repair. There is no “right” answer. When life gives you lemons, why not make lemonade. When a crack happens in a green woodturning, maybe the end result could become more beautiful and noteworthy. Where are the bounds of creativity?
An even greater escalation may be to expand the project. For one bowl, another woodturner suggested making a stand or foot that inserted into the crack. This made the crack an essential feature of the expanded project.
Fourth, one of the skills that all woodturners need to develop is the ability to quickly make precise cuts. Turning duplicate pieces makes one take the time to measure and turn to the measurement so as to carefully match the first piece with the second. While this is obviously important with chair spindles and the like, it is also called for in a set of salad bowls or candlesticks. Repetitive work to a measurement will gradually enable the eye to make cuts that are close enough in a medium that moves as much as does wood.
A trip to the woodpile should give a suitable piece of wood for the handle. In fact, since a square of about 1 1/4″ will be sufficient, a piece of ash or maple will likely supply three or four appropriate blocks. Just a few minutes at the band saw or other cutting station and the wood should be ready to go.
In other words, turning a series of duplicate works allows for greater understanding of the art and craft of woodturning. At the same time, the challenges allow for a great deal of enjoyment in the learning itself. It is a woodturner’s win win situation.
If you finish with an unmarked area on your work, put a colored glaze-a semi clear substance like the thinned-out paint. Alter the color and exposure until you get it almost similar to the stained wood. Allow it to dry and start the topcoat.
In addition, in today’s fast paced world, small projects allow the busy woodturner an opportunity to get into the shop and complete a piece of work without many of the pressures of the rest of the day. The shop truly becomes a refuge from the bustle of the work place as small woodturning projects come to the fore.
Most of us who turn wood come from a woodworking background in flat work. The wood lathe opens up a new world of woodworking with new tools that have their own learning curve and the preferred way to learn is to turn simple projects. A file handle meets the basic criteria of a woodturning project for learning purposes in being inexpensive, entertaining, and useful as a finished item as well as teaching important skills in basic woodturning.
Excessive sanding makes wood fuzzy: There are types of wood that become fuzzy when you do too much sanding. The wood fibers shred and make hair like fuzz on the wood’s outer portion. You don’t want to discolour or have an initial color in that case.
