NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1983, No. 43, $3.50 Making ... - Wood Tools

After the grooves are cut on the plywood sanding
more important, you can control the amount of overhang. I
use somewhere between Ya2-in. and X-in. overhang, depending
on whether I'm going for a hard line or a soft, rolled
effect. Usually, Va in. is preferable. Also, after I cut an 8-in.
disc out of 8�-in. by ll-in. paper, I am left with enough
scraps to use for lathe sanding and drum sanders. I recycle
discs worn at the perimeter by cutting them down for 5-in.
Power Pads and orbital sander discs.
I sand each groove in sequence, going two or three times
around the bowl with the Power Pad in each grit. I begin
with 80-grit aluminum oxide paper, then repeat the process
with 150-grit aluminum oxide, 220-grit aluminum oxide and
400-grit silicon carbide. Then I move to the Sand-O-Flex
flap sander (which can also be run on the lathe), using a
combination of 240-grit and 320-grit, Va-in. shred, for removal
of sharp edges and concave fmish work. Final-sanding
is done on the Power Pad, with 400-grit and 600-grit, then I
hand-sand. The piece is now ready for buffing.
The buffing process I use was originally designed for briar
smoking pipes and works well on closed-grain hardwoods.
The beauty of it is that, unlike metal buffmg compounds, it
Freehand disc-sanding also lends itself to less regular, asymmetric
decoration, as in this 6-in. dia. Indian rosewood bowl.
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, Hunter uses a foam-baLked disc to refine the shapes.
does not clog the pores of the wood and it tones but does not
discolor hardwoods. It is quick, and it burnishes the wood,
adds luster and depth, and produces a hard, gem-like fmish.
I use buffing wheels, compounds and waxes available from
Pimo Pipe Supplies, Box 59211, Chicago, Ill. 60659. The
wheels, designed for pipemakers, have a beveled edge that
allows more detail in buffmg. I generally use a I-in. wide
beveled buffmg wheel, 9 in. in diameter. Wider wheels work
best on broad surfaces because they provide a consistent polish
with less danger of removing soft areas in the wood's surface.
All of these wheels are designed to run at 1725 RPM,
either with a �-HP motor or on the lathe. The compounds are
colored waxes-green, red and white-impregnated with abrasive
grits equal to 700-, 800- and 900-grit. I use four wheels.
The first is a firm sewn muslin, which I use with green compound.
The second is a softer sewn flannel, used
to
with red
compound. The third, a soft unsewn flannel, is used with
white compound. The fourth, a vety soft flannel, is for the
hard carnauba wax. It is important not to overload the wheels
with abrasives.
If all has gone well, you now have a spiraled bowl, the
exterior of which is complete. Time now to return the lathe
to hollow the bowl. I prefer a closed form for my spiralgrooved
turnings because it allows me greater surface
FWW
area to
explore sculptural techniques.
I fmd it helpful to begin with a %-in. drill bit in the tailstock,
to clear the center and defme the bottom of the piece. I
hollow-turn with a combination of handmade chisels, using a
spear point for clearing waste and a roundnose for fmishing.
(For a detailed discussion of hollow-turning, see # 16,
pp. 62�66.) Mter I'm satisfied with wall thickness, usually
Va in. to X in., and that the last chisel cut is smooth, I cut the
bowl from the faceplate, beginning with a parting tool and
finishing with a backsaw. I finish the bottom on the disc and
belt sanders.
Freehand disc-sculpting is workmanship of risk. It takes
hundreds of passes with the disc's edge before you capture the
spiral and you hold the finished form in your hands. Then
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you feel its weight for the first time, to know the thickness of
its walls, and the piece comes to life.
Bill Hunter is a professional turner in El Portal, Calif