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October 2008: Inside This Issue

Welcome to all of our new U.S. and International subscribers and thank you for joining us! This is the twenty-third edition of Lathe Talk, a free monthly newsletter (e-zine) for subscribers of Steve Russell’s "Woodturning Videos Plus" woodturning website. This newsletter will be delivered on or about the fifteenth of each month to the email address you indicated on your sign-up form. All back issues of this newsletter are available to subscribers here.

Lathe Talk will offer tips and tricks to make your woodturning easier and more productive. I’ll also show you ways to save money in your studio, so you can stretch your hard earned money. In addition, we will periodically offer subscribers only specials on our videos and e-books. If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a favor by forwarding it to them. If a friend DID forward this to you and you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting our subscription page.

Hurricane Ike Update: Thanks for all of the kind words of encouragement and support we received after Hurricane Ike. We were very lucky to have sustained no significant damage to our home, or property. Although we're getting back to normal now, the memories of Hurricane Ike will linger long after the last piles of debris have been removed. Please keep those who are still struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in your thoughts and prayers as the area continues to recover.

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Additional $5.00 Discount off Our Volume II e-Book and DVD Video Combo. From now until the end of October 2008, you can save and additional $5.00 off the current sale price of $40.00 on any Volume II e-Book and DVD Video Combo set ordered from our website. With this special sale, your price will be $35.00 (plus taxes if you live in Texas) plus postage. The regular price of this combo is $45.00.

In the Volume II e-Book, topics include how to find free wood, drying green wood, processing logs and perfecting various finishes. Sharpening your turning tools, shear scraping, resharpening bandsaw blades and boiling to reduce drying degrade (part two) is covered. Volume II articles include more than 60,000 words and 450 pictures.

In the Volume II DVD Video, I demonstrate all the steps necessary to turn an elegant writing pen. Steps include blank selection and preparation, gluing, drilling, milling, mounting, roughing, finish turning, sanding, multi-step finishing options, assembly and more. More information on this e-Book and DVD Combo pack can be found here.

To access this special offer, enter the coupon code 344 on the shopping cart page in the coupon box area. Click the "recalculate" button and your discount will show on the screen. Offer ends October 31, 2008 at 12:01 midnight, CST. Additional subscriber only discounts and specials will be offered in future editions of Lathe Talk.

Side view of the Crown 1/4" thick Shear Scraper.
Thin scrapers like this must be used close to
the end of the tool rest for best results.

Overview

If you've ever used a scraper before, you know that you need to keep the edge sharp, present it at the correct angle to the wood and control vibration. No matter how sharp the edge is, if your scraper vibrates during use, you cannot produce a clean and smooth surface. There are several strategies available to help reduce vibration when scraping. These include using a scraper made from a thicker tool blank, using a tool rest that can be positioned closer to the surface of the wood or by using specially designed heavy-duty scrapers.

These 1/4" thick scrapers are excellent
for working on the outside of bowls, platters
and hollow forms.

Thin Scrapers vs. Thick Scrapers

This Henry Taylor Tools 3/8" thick half
round scraper is used for shear scraping
inside bowls and shallow platters.

Weight and mass are critical in scrapers. If you're considering purchasing a new scraper, buy the thickest scraper you can afford. Using thicker scrapers allows you to extend the length your tool can be extended off the edge of the tool rest, and still produce an acceptable surface. Thinner scrapers need the tool rest support very close to the cutting edge, or they will vibrate excessively.

Side view of Henry Taylor Tools Half
Round Scraper. The thicker mass in this 3/8"
thick scraper allows a much longer working
distance off the end of the tool rest
compared to 1/4" thick scrapers.

Normal scrapers made from 1/4" bar stock and work well if the edge of the tool is kept very close to the surface of the wood. That means you need tool rest designs that closely conform to the profiles of projects you will be turning, so you can minimize any overhang. Since none of us has a custom tool rest for every shape we produce, thicker scrapers are a better all around tool.

These 7/8" diameter scrapers were made
from automobile shock absorber rods.

Heavy duty scrapers increase the thickness of the bar stock to 3/8" and allow a much longer workable length off the tool rest before the quality of the cut degrades. An even thicker ultra heavy-duty scraper is available made from 1/2" thick bar stock. Now we're talking!

The large diameter on these homemade
scrapers virtually eliminates vibration during use.

These scrapers are the thickest you can purchase currently and offer superb, vibration free performance for most turning situations. Of course, everything has its limits and these scrapers do as well. At some point, you need tool rest support close to the cutting edge, or the quality of the cut will be compromised.

Close-up view of the bevel grind
on my homemade shock absorber scraper.

The design of Oneway's 14" and 6" straight tool
rests allows them to be positioned inside smaller openings.

Obviously, we need close tool rest support when we're using a scraper. Therein lies the rub… Typical straight tool rests are great for working on the outside of most projects, but are sorely lacking when it comes to supporting the tool for inside work. This is especially true when hollowing deep semi-hemispherical (half-round) bowls, boxes, or tall open vase forms. Unless you have a large supply of tool rests on hand that will provide close support for these types of projects, you have a long road to hoe to control vibration.

The design of an "S" curve tool rest allows
it to be positioned much closer to the inside wall
on bowls than a straight tool rest.

"S" curve cast iron tool rests offer an option that can be useful for some turning situations; however, the design is limited in its overall usefulness. The width of the tool rest can interfere with proper positioning when working on smaller forms. In addition, the bottom of these types of cast iron rests usually incorporate two mounting holes for the tool post. The area around this secondary mounting hole can interfere with close positioning when working inside curved forms.

Straight tool rests like this Jet
Tools 14" long model offer easy access
on the outside of projects, but limited access
on the interior of some projects.

Extra Long Heavy Duty Scrapers

Kel McNaughton's shear scraper has the
correct shear angle ground into the shaft
of the tool. Unlike most shear scrapers,
this tool can be used flat on the tool
rest, producing superb results.

When you need to go deep, extra heavy-duty scrapers like Kelton's shear scrapers are worth their weight in gold. Kel McNaughton's scrapers feature a large 7/8" bar stock, ground with flats so the correct presentation angle of 50 degrees is automatically presented to the wood. The backside of the scraper is round, for maximum flexibility in presentation angle. Two versions are available, a short 7" version and an extra long 17" version (not including the tang, or handle length).

The scraper cutter on the end of the tool is adjustable for proper cutting angles and is easily removable/replaceable if necessary. The long and heavy metal handles help to dampen vibrations and allow for good control of the tool when scraping. These tools can be used freehand, or they can be mounted in a captured bar hollowing system like Kelton's Hollowing rig for greater control when working long distances off the tool rest.

Scraping When Deep Hollowing

Dennis Stewart's arm brace hollower
can be fitted with scraping tips
as well as cutting tips.

Scraping when deep hollowing presents unique challenges since unsupported tool overhang distances can be quite long. One of the ways to help reduce the potential for vibration when deep hollowing is to use a larger boring bar. The larger mass of a heavy-duty boring bar combined with a heavy-duty scraper tool greatly reduce vibration and help to produce clean, smooth surfaces.

Close-up view of Stewart cutters (mounted
on boring bars) and scraper tips (lower center).

If you're into deep hollowing, check with your system manufacturer about getting an extra large deep boring bar. Most manufacturers offer these heavy-duty boring bars as an optional accessory. If your hollowing system manufacturer does not offer one, check another manufacturer. Many accessories are interchangeable with various receiver handles.

Kel McNaughton's 1.5" diameter heavy duty
boring bar measures 19.5" in length
and fits into standard 3/4" receivers
on hollowing tools.

Overview

Power sanding mandrels come
in many different sizes.

Many years ago in junior high woodshop class, I hand sanded every project I turned on the lathe. At the time, this was the only option available to me. While the rest of the class were using large stationary drum sanders, horizontal sanders, oscillating spindle sanders and belt sanders to sand their flatwork projects, those of us who preferred lathe work used abrasive cloth strips for sanding.

Thankfully, those days are long past! We now enjoy a plethora of tools for sanding our projects on the lathe including rotary tools, random orbit sanders, dual action sanders, inertia sanders, in-line sanders, pen sanders and more. Oh, how I would have loved to power sand a bowl back in the day! Although there are many different tools to choose from in every price range, one of the most useful tools you can own for sanding is an ordinary rotary or pneumatic drill, equipped with a Velcro sanding mandrel.

Not only will using mandrels save your fingers, they can actually produce a better surface than hand sanding in most situations. They are also easier to use when working deep inside larger projects, where you may not be able to hand sand. Through the years, I've used and made more than a hundred sanding mandrels and have found that some designs work much better than others.

Design Considerations

Sanding mandrels are manufactured with either a straight side or a tapered side. At first glance, you might think both would work fine for any sanding tasks you might throw at it, but this is not the case. Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Standard sanding mandrels
feature straight sides.

Straight-sided sanding mandrels
can mark beads when power sanding.

• Straight Sided Mandrels feature a 90-degree sidewall construction, with a Velcro or PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) face. These mandrels work well for projects like shallow open bowls, platters and other projects without much intricate detail. However, the straight side becomes counter-productive when trying to use the mandrel near design elements like beads. When you try to sand next to a bead, the side of the mandrel can touch the bead, causing the foam to melt and mark the surface of the wood. Although the mark is easily removable with mineral spirits, it can be easily avoided by using mandrels with tapered sides.
• Tapered/Angle Sided Mandrels feature sides that have been tapered (angles vary by manufacturer) to reduce the potential for contacting adjacent design elements when sanding. When using a tapered side mandrel, it's easy to sand right up next to the side of a bead without touching, or marking it. For all around use, a tapered side sanding mandrel is a better choice for power sanding most woodturning projects.

Tapered sanding mandrels are a
better choice for most power sanding needs.

Tapered sanding mandrels can sand next
to beads without marking the bead surface.

Mandrel Sizes

Sanding mandrels are available in numerous sizes,
including these 1", 1.5" and 2" versions.
These are excellent for power sanding
smaller projects and for cleaning up
bowl and platter bottoms.

Sanding mandrels come in a variety of sizes including 1.0", 1.5", 2.0", 2.5", 3.0", 3.5", 5.0" and 6.0." For most woodturners the 1.0", 2.0", 3.0" and 3.5" mandrels are the most useful. You need several sizes on hand so you can match the pad to the size of the project you need to sand. For example, if you need to power sand a 16" round Mesquite salad bowl, a 3.0" or 3.5" mandrel would be a good choice. You could of course use a 2.0" pad, but it would be much harder to maintain a smooth, fluid curve.

These sanding mandrels feature machined arbors
that fit The Sanding Solutions inertia
(self-powered) sanding tool.

You always want to use the largest pad you can to sand your project, as long as it will follow the contours of the profile. This will give you a more uniform surface than using a pad that's too small. The smaller 1.0" and 1.5" sanding mandrels are great for removing the last little bit of nub on the foot of bowls before finishing. A shallow carving knife can easily remove the bulk of the nub (where the tailstock's ball bearing center was placed) before using the sanding mandrel to smooth surface.

These tapered sanding mandrels from
www.thesandingglove.com measure 5" in diameter
and are available with medium density
and soft density foam hook and loop pads.

Foam Pad Density

The density of the foam pads on sanding mandrels varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some are quite firm, others are medium density and some are very soft. Knowing which pad to use at any given time is the key to achieving sanding success. If the pad is too stiff, it may not be able to follow the contours you created, which can lead to flat spots on your profile. If the pad is too soft, it may create undulations in the surface by sanding away the early wood areas (springwood) more than the late wood areas (summerwood).

These tapered sanding mandrels feature soft
foam faces that easily conform to curved surfaces.

I like to keep a variety of different mandrels on hand with varying pad densities, so I can match the pad to the project I need to sand. If you do not have several different pads on hand, you can still achieve the same effect by using an interface pad between the abrasive and the face of your sanding mandrel.

Interface Pads

Interface pads (also known as backing pads) are foam core pads with Velcro faces that allow you to vary the density of the sanding mandrel by simply changing the interface pad. Interface pads are inexpensive and if used regularly, they can extend the life of your sanding mandrel almost indefinitely. If you use an interface pad on all of your sanding mandrels and the Velcro face becomes worn, you simply replace the interface pad for a few dollars and you're back in business.

If you use a sanding mandrel without an interface pad and the Velcro face becomes worn or the hooks melt off, you have to replace the entire mandrel or try to resurface it. For most of us, it's much easier to just rip off a cheap interface pad and replace it rather than trying to resurface the pad.

Resurfacing Velcro Faces

Eventually the Velcro face on your sanding mandrel will wear out. Since many turners tend to use the edge of the pad more than the face, the edge is usually the first part of the pad that wears out. If you get the pad too hot when sanding, you will soften the hooks and they eventually wear off. They can also wear from the action of pulling the abrasive disks on and off the Velcro face.

If your Velcro face is worn, you have two options… Buy another mandrel, or resurface the face. You could just buy a brand new mandrel of course, but most mandrels are a tad bit expensive to replace. When you consider that the metal arbor and the foam face on your worn mandrel are probably still in good order, it's much cheaper to just replace the Velcro face.

Replacement Velcro faces are inexpensive, but they do require you to remove the old facing and prepare the foam surface for the new pad. I use a long razor knife like the ones sold for cutting wallpaper to remove the old worn pad. Once the pad is off, I smooth the surface if necessary with sandpaper and blow off any residue before gluing the new pad to the foam face.

The replacement Velcro faces do not come with an adhesive backing. I use E-6000 adhesive, which remains flexible when cured to secure the new Velcro pad onto the freshly prepared foam face. The adhesive should fully cure for at least 24 hours before using the pad for sanding.

PSA to Velcro Upgrade Kits

If you've got some old PSA faced sanding mandrels lying around and you prefer to power sand with Velcro backed abrasives, you can purchase an inexpensive PSA to Velcro upgrade kit that will convert your mandrels to Velcro faces. Since few abrasives are available with sticky backs, switching to Velcro faced pads will make it easier to sand your projects.

Make Your Own

These sanding mandrels have arbors made
from bolts with plywood backing plates and are
covered with a dense foam Velcro facing.

If you're the type of person that enjoys making your own tools and accessories, you might want to consider making a few of your own sanding mandrels. Although new sanding mandrels are not particularly expensive, they are not inexpensive either. For folks on a budget, or for those who just enjoy making some of their own tools, making a few sanding mandrels can be a nice way to spend a Saturday morning in the studio.

One advantage of making your own sanding mandrels is that you can control the quality of materials you use to construct the pads and if you use recycled materials, the pads cost next to nothing. There are several ways to make your own mandrels. One way is to make everything from scratch. Another way is to find an el-cheapo sanding mandrel and modify it to suit your needs.

Making Mandrels from Scratch – If you take a look at a sanding mandrel there are only a few components -- the arbor, a stiff backing plate, the foam pad and the Velcro facing. For the arbor, you can use an ordinary bolt (not all thread), which costs a few cents at any home centre.

The backing plate can be made from numerous materials and turned to shape with a drilled hole to accept the arbor. Scrap Corian, or any good hardwood works just as well. I have used Baltic Birch plywood many times for backing plates. Almost anything will work; so feel free to use what you have on hand.

The foam pad is a little harder to scrounge. I have used dense foam scraps that were used as packing material and scraps from custom foam fitted luggage interiors. You can also buy dense foam pads from any foam manufacturer. Old mouse pads can also work. Some woodturning clubs purchase some bulk foam and split the cost among club members to keep the price low. Then, they have a "sanding mandrel party" to make up mandrels for everyone.

The Velcro faces must be purchased, but they cost a lot less than a complete new mandrel. These usually come without adhesive on the mounting side. I use a flexible when cured adhesive like E6000 for mounting the Velcro face to the foam disk. Let the adhesive fully cure for 24 hours before using the mandrel.

If you're using scrap foam or you need to taper the sides of the mandrel, simply mount the finished mandrel on the lathe in a Jacob's chuck. A sharp skew can easily cut the foam to shape. Use another sanding mandrel mounted with a course abrasive (180-grit) to further refine the sides of the foam and smooth it out. If you use scrap materials, your mandrels will cost $2.00 or $3.00 tops and you will have a nice new tool to use in your studio.

Modifying El-Cheapo Manufactured Mandrels – Another way to make your own mandrels is to buy a cheap manufactured sanding mandrel and modify it to suit your needs. Most cities have stores like Big Lots, Harbor Freight and similar stores that sell large rubber backed sanding disks with a 1/4" arbor. These are usually offered with a thin foam face made for using PSA (sticky backed) abrasives. A 5" PSA sanding pad can cost as little as $3.00. You can even find them two for $3.00 on sale.

Simply purchase a few of these and cut them down to the proper size on the lathe using a skew chisel. Once the mandrel is cut to size (for example 3") simply apply the foam (if necessary) or the Velcro face and you're good to go. You can taper the pad, or sand it to smooth any rough surface using an abrasive disk. This approach is faster and easier than making a mandrel up from scratch, but it does cost more. Either way, you will end up with some nice sanding mandrels for a few pence.

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Steve