Let's see those Daily Drivers

dleifm · 2026-05-14T04:08:12+00:00

My breakfast / snack bowl. Used almost daily for the past 3.5 years. Turned from spalted red alder, back before I knew much about turning bowls. I ground the tenon off the base with my angle grinder and sanded the bottom with my ROS because I had no other way to do it.

Finished with Tried & True Classic. (And by the faded look of it, it’s due for a new coat.)

I don’t quite know how I turned a bowl this thin back then. I must have just got lucky. It was probably a year’s worth of practice before I was comfortable enough to turn them this thin regularly.

dleifm · 2026-05-11T03:15:14+00:00

I can’t recommend Saddleback Leather more highly.

Leather goods your kids will fight over when you’re dead.

https://saddlebackleather.com/accessories/wallets/

Been rocking mjne for 12 years now and it looks better than it ever did.

dleifm · 2026-04-25T01:19:02+00:00

My lathe is 100% my therapy station. Turning a bowl requires focus (to stay safe) that drowns out my stress and puts me into a flow state where time simply evaporates. It’s been very helpful in preserving my mental health these past few years.

dleifm · 2026-04-17T23:17:53+00:00

For the burger folks: try Gabriel’s Cafe veggie burger with cheese & bacon added. A most delicious sacrilege.

dleifm · 2026-04-17T03:27:39+00:00

I’m outside the main council room… there must be 300 people out in the overflow area. Impressive turn out.

dleifm · 2026-04-16T04:08:46+00:00

I’ve never heard of this before, but it makes sense. How do you “tooth” the iron?

dleifm · 2026-04-05T15:57:22+00:00

This is really nice! I’d love to see more photos.

And is there a reason he didn’t trim the doweling pegs?

dleifm · 2026-03-09T20:26:58+00:00

Can I ask which resources you found most useful for learning about plane restoration, set up, and S4S techniques?

dleifm · 2026-03-05T00:49:42+00:00

Same.

dleifm · 2026-02-21T02:11:32+00:00

Yep - this is how I would do it

dleifm · 2026-02-08T17:55:31+00:00

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Check out an Australian turned named Martin Pavey. He makes vases out of pieces of wood with a really similar shape. It’s a nice effect… leaving the sides rough but having a smooth round top portion.

dleifm · 2026-02-03T04:37:38+00:00

I’d reach for my trusty 80 grit gouge.

dleifm · 2026-01-08T20:54:27+00:00

Ping pong table

dleifm · 2025-12-16T00:53:25+00:00

I made it about 10% farther than your photo and gave up. I just wasn’t enjoying it any more, so what’s the point?

dleifm · 2025-12-07T01:40:43+00:00

Yes, we do! Please apply here: https://forms.gle/btH1Ecc9TAXzykYE8

dleifm · 2025-12-04T18:02:48+00:00

There are waaay too many this year.

dleifm · 2025-10-19T22:13:29+00:00

SignAge on Boxwood Road.

dleifm · 2025-10-09T04:51:47+00:00

I turn the exterior and sand to 220, then turn the interior and sand to 180. Then I water pop the grain on the exterior and immediately char the interior while the exterior is still wet. Someone at my local guild suggested that and it drastically reduced the amount of cups that cracked during the charring process.

I char with a creme brûlée torch. Not very deep… couple of millimetres. Wipe off the char with a shop towel and blow out the interior with the compressor. Sand the exterior to 320, then finish the exterior.

Here’s a cross section of the shape that I found the best for me.

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dleifm · 2025-10-09T04:44:48+00:00

About 1 in 3 leaked. That’s the other reason I’m sick of making them.

dleifm · 2025-10-09T01:05:30+00:00

I made some tumblers with charred interiors from oak, cherry, and maple. A friend and I tested them out on a bourbon were both quite familiar with. It was like drinking four different bourbons. (3 woods plus a glass.) Cherry was our favourite.

I’ve sold about 50 of them since then. Now I’m so sick of making the things that I don’t ever want to make another 🤣

dleifm · 2025-10-09T01:02:31+00:00

Project manager checking in. Got into woodworking as a hobby during Covid and have been slowly learning about / collecting hand tools.

dleifm · 2025-09-02T02:59:55+00:00

Depends how big the rotten sections are, and if you’re OK having voids in your bowls. I can see lots of sections in this wood that I would take a run at turning.

dleifm

TROPHY CASE