Click on thumbnails for the complete image

The picture says four, but Peter said five. Five mini turning tools that is. All made from hardened masonry nails.

Lee Prescott’s thin parting tool was most impressive. Made from a common sawzall blade, this beauty looked very professional.

Who’s up for this to be the subject of a tool making session someday? Someday soon, that is. Let us know.

Click for Lee’s handout

Sheila Wiken’s battery operated lathe from her childhood very quickly had Lancaster on the phone to Kevin Clay urging him to secure manufacturing rights.

Tom Raymond presented his success story with microwave drying rough turned bowls. He’s done all the homework for us.

Click for the CliffsNotes.

And then Andy Hoyt shared his experiences with drying those bowl blanks with Denatured Alcohol. Click for more info.

John McAlevey stepped up and introduced us to his bowl layout guide; and showed how he uses it to achieve perfectly spaced rim embellishments.

Then Mark Irving came forward and explained the fabrication and usage of numerous homemade chucks he’s developed over the years.

All photos this page by Andy Hoyt and Don Caron.

Click on thumbnails for the complete image

Ken Shepherd was next. and showed us his neat jig for getting bowls mounted symmetrically while keeping the face of the jaws away from the turning. So simple it’s brilliant.

Ken Shepherd was next again, and demo’d his third arm sanding jig. It’s a foot-operated friction brake that allows one to sand fast without stopping to rotate the piece.

And then Ken Shepherd was up once more. This time it was to show us a cleverly designed storage box for keeping his circle templates organized.

This Shepherd guy is unstoppable! This time it was to show how he combined a faceplate along with some nuts and bolts to create a bowl blank orientation jig.

Then Lou Landry came forward to explain how he uses a faceplate to get successive natural edge corings.

Andy Hoyt came back up and demo’d the use of the Beall Buffing System.

Then it was Peter McCrea’s turn to come back up and show us his leverage tools.

First up was a “beater cheater” he slips over the lock down bar on the tailstock.

And then it was this little puppy he uses to impart controlled force to straighten coring knives.

Page last updated March 1, 2008