Post by dicklaxt on Nov 26, 2009 3:54:25 GMT -6
A turning that has cracked and split is a reminder of hey,is this worth saving?.It seems eucalyptus is one of the extremes of this problem but many woods do the same maybe not as bad or as much but still to the point of total failure of a piece.
You can have a nice turning that you really like the composition of the shape or one that has wonderful grain etc ,don't despair all may not be lost, remove it from the lathe set it aside and think about it,not right now, not next week or next month or whenever,just think what can I do to salvage this turning .
I can radically burn it ,I can drill holes and fix it,I can mix up some goop and glue it are just a few ways to salvage turnings.I guess you are wondering just what the hell I am talking about.Let me try to explain;
RADICALLY BURN IT,,, get a Propane or Mapp Gas torch and just char the hell out of the affected parts and maybe partially char outwards from a split or fracture on to the body of the turning.Lets call it sculpting with a flame,lightly brush with a rag (old wash cloth) to remove lose char,apply your finish as normal.
DRILL HOLES,,,drill some evenly spaced small holes (think eyelets on your shoes) and lace up the crack or fracture with rawhide, ribbon, thin rope or what ever suits your fancy,don't forget to put the finish on before you lace it up.It gets kind of messy otherwise.
MIX UP SOME GOOP,,,now this is where you can really get innovative,just about anything works.You can buy any number of commercial products used for inlaying.Here's three that I have used in the past.Coffee grounds and two part epoxy,key filing material from your local key maker and two part epoxy,aluminum shavings(small) and the saw dust particles from sawing aluminum(they are usually a little larger than wood dust) and two part epoxy,you can add a number of dye powders to the mix for different colors.Take the mixture and butter it into the damaged areas(work fast,the epoxy is) and let dry.Chuck it back up and finish turning or return and apply your desired finish.
You may be surprised at just what you may come up with and how unique your turning has become.You may hurry into the house to show your wife how smart and creative you are or at the same time you may say, that looks like chit and trash it before someone sees it.
Life go's on................and so will there be, many more screw ups on or near the lathe.
dick
You can have a nice turning that you really like the composition of the shape or one that has wonderful grain etc ,don't despair all may not be lost, remove it from the lathe set it aside and think about it,not right now, not next week or next month or whenever,just think what can I do to salvage this turning .
I can radically burn it ,I can drill holes and fix it,I can mix up some goop and glue it are just a few ways to salvage turnings.I guess you are wondering just what the hell I am talking about.Let me try to explain;
RADICALLY BURN IT,,, get a Propane or Mapp Gas torch and just char the hell out of the affected parts and maybe partially char outwards from a split or fracture on to the body of the turning.Lets call it sculpting with a flame,lightly brush with a rag (old wash cloth) to remove lose char,apply your finish as normal.
DRILL HOLES,,,drill some evenly spaced small holes (think eyelets on your shoes) and lace up the crack or fracture with rawhide, ribbon, thin rope or what ever suits your fancy,don't forget to put the finish on before you lace it up.It gets kind of messy otherwise.
MIX UP SOME GOOP,,,now this is where you can really get innovative,just about anything works.You can buy any number of commercial products used for inlaying.Here's three that I have used in the past.Coffee grounds and two part epoxy,key filing material from your local key maker and two part epoxy,aluminum shavings(small) and the saw dust particles from sawing aluminum(they are usually a little larger than wood dust) and two part epoxy,you can add a number of dye powders to the mix for different colors.Take the mixture and butter it into the damaged areas(work fast,the epoxy is) and let dry.Chuck it back up and finish turning or return and apply your desired finish.
You may be surprised at just what you may come up with and how unique your turning has become.You may hurry into the house to show your wife how smart and creative you are or at the same time you may say, that looks like chit and trash it before someone sees it.
Life go's on................and so will there be, many more screw ups on or near the lathe.
dick