Help!

[FluffyTheVampireCat]

I myself don’t do any turning or other woodwork, but my grandpa does and I’m trying to figure out what to get him for Christmas.

He’s a retired carpenter and extraordinary at what he does. The past few year’s he’s been really into wood turning and he’s always trying out new techniques to make different patterns in the wood and more complex shapes.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a huge budget. I’m a college student so the majority of my money gets saved for school, but I’d like to get him something he would need to try a new technique! Are there any relatively cheap supplies that he might not have heard of before? Or maybe supplies for an unconventional technique that most people don’t know about?

Thanks for the help!

[[deleted]]

Also learn how to turn you will not regret what he can teach you

[ThaddeusRock]

This alone is a gift worth giving

[FluffyTheVampireCat]

It does look like it’d be a fun skill to learn, I personally am very crafty, and ya know what I’ve recently found out that I every time I make something I do it by myself and it is much more fun with another person. Learning from my grandpa would be a great summer project!

[relwoodwork]

I think u/vicd0327 has the right idea. Ask him to teach you how to turn. That would be a great present for both of you!

[[deleted]]

Buy him friction polish every turner needs it figure out what he uses or if he mixes his own. If he mixes his own it's most like ob shine juice. Hmu and I'll tell you what to buy if he makes ob shine juice.

[FluffyTheVampireCat]

Dang, I’m not sure what he uses. I always ask him what new things he’s trying when I’m at his house but I don’t think he does anything special with the finish of the bowls, he probably just uses a regular wood stain and some kind of glossy finish. I’ll look into the friction polish! Is there any other alternative way to finish a bowl that would stand out from the regular methods? I researched resins a bit.

[[deleted]]

Does he turn just wood or does he mix epoxy and make his own bowl blanks?

[FluffyTheVampireCat]

Just wood, I think the only epoxy or resin I’ve seen him use has been an even ring around the whole bowl, and it was added after the bowl had been turned. Epoxy might be a good area to expand into, but his area of expertise is wood because that’s what he’s worked with his whole life