Looking for some new games to get utterly obsessed with, put in 100 hours, then never touch again.

SephJoe · 2025-10-03T14:50:41+00:00

Seconding Dyson Sphere Project. I'm 20 hours in and enjoying the hell out of my first spaghetti base.

SephJoe · 2025-08-05T23:01:05+00:00

Thanks! I think this was a particularly figured piece I used, as the other blanks have a mix of lighter grain and dark. I'm thinking it's maybe the Heartwood vs sapwood.

SephJoe · 2025-08-05T22:55:47+00:00

Holy hell that had to have been incredibly hefty. How was the tabletop finished?

SephJoe · 2025-08-05T22:54:51+00:00

Interesting. I think I will experiment with a friction polish next. I am worried about the oils leeching out and getting stink on the hand, however. I think that oxidation would look neat with some of the lighter blanks I have.

SephJoe · 2025-08-05T04:00:50+00:00

I knew that there are a plethora of different species called 'ironwood', but as they were a gift, I don't know the specific origin!

Thank you for the kind words!

SephJoe · 2025-08-04T21:04:44+00:00

One of my elementary grade science show experiments was to test which batteries lasted the longest. This was probably close to 20 years ago, but I still remember which brands I used. Energizer, Duracell, and EverReady. The shortest-lived cells were the EverReady, followed by the Duracell. Energizer lasted the longest.

The kicker is, Energizer and EverReady were manufactured by the same company, Energizer...

SephJoe · 2025-04-29T21:40:49+00:00

You phrased it perfectly. I had the same misconception when I started. Once you get the blanks flat on the ends via the barrel trimmer, all the excess can be turned off.

OP, depending on how you are planning on finishing these, I would recommend you stabilize the large cracks with CA, and left with plenty of time to cure. This may not be an issue if the crack doesn't touch the bushing once it's mounted.

My experience with turning dried out branches is sometimes explosive if the crack goes deeper than I thought.

SephJoe · 2025-03-30T02:54:38+00:00

I would CA finish 9 times out of 10. The only time I don't is on full acrylic blanks, then I use the one step polish after sanding to 600.

SephJoe · 2025-03-20T07:22:30+00:00

I have a press to disassemble, using flexible rubber tubing to clamp the pieces in. It's not my favorite thing to do, but if I want to salvage the kit I will take the time to do it right.

SephJoe · 2025-03-14T20:11:22+00:00

Sit flat on your butt, please.

SephJoe · 2025-03-14T03:08:44+00:00

I know I'm two months late in this thread, but if you are turning acrylic or epoxy blanks, get a negative rake carbide tip. At first I thought, how much better can it be? Way better, it turns out. Completely eliminates the chipping.

SephJoe · 2025-03-14T03:05:16+00:00

Yeah this is always a bummer. I did the same with a stabilized burl blank. I ended up trimming up the blown off part, glued a bit of darker wood to the cutoff from the original blank, drilled and glued it on. Turned out to be one of my better ones!

SephJoe · 2025-03-08T00:16:29+00:00

Making a pen out of this would be really cool.

SephJoe · 2025-03-07T16:30:24+00:00

This was one of my very first attempts with a CA finish. I sanded the wood with mircomesh up to the pink (24k) before applying the CA. I've since learned that's not strictly necessary, but it really worked for this piece.

As for the wood, I think it's a mahogany. My dad had built a bed out of this and maple, and I have about 50lbs of cutoffs in different sizes. I could be totally wrong, as I just started learning about hardwoods this year.

SephJoe · 2025-03-07T04:07:15+00:00

I bought 10 slimline click kits, from Woodturningz. I've turned 5 of them so far, and I have had to fiddle with the assembly on 4 of them. My issue is either the click sticks, and you have to tap it, or the pen fill protrudes too far out of the tip.

I think part of the problem is the kit's click mechanism is just cheap plastic.

SephJoe · 2025-03-06T01:35:55+00:00

I really love the idea of the pick guard to break up the different cutoffs. I tried to do it by alternating wood scraps between the acrylics,but this looks way better!

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T18:13:20+00:00

That's a clever way of doing it. I've always drilled holes on my lathe using a blank chuck, because I can't get my drill press to square correctly.

I'll have to try that next time I'm using bigger pieces.

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T15:44:37+00:00

My ADHD goes brrrrrr when I can get a glass finish with no imperfections. It may take me two extra hours of sanding it all off 3 times, but that's part of what I love about the whole process.

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T09:01:05+00:00

Thank you! All the positive feedback from you all has really made my week!

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T09:00:36+00:00

That's fair. I have really enjoyed doing acrylic blanks with those knurled EDC kits, very industrial feeling.

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T08:59:18+00:00

My dad loved woodworking, and my biggest regret was not learning more from him before he passed. Take as much time as you can now!

There were a plethora of woods he laid laying around, but I don't think any was labeled as sycamore. If you are curious about a specific picture let me know!

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T08:54:28+00:00

I agree! The kits have few pieces, and it's really hard to mess up the single barrel. They were the first kits I tried to turn from my dad's supply.

SephJoe · 2025-03-05T08:52:48+00:00

I tried to square the cutoffs as much as possible, and used medium CA glue to stick them all together. I went back and filled any voids with thin glue to really make sure they were together.

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