# An Experiment??



## Nubsnstubs (Aug 11, 2019)

Last night I was thinking about my scruples. I have a demo at my club meeting next month. While dreaming up a plan, I grabbed a pencil and a tablet, and started laying out a design. Of course, the plan was nothing near being a scruple. Totally off topic and a totally different design. Time for an up front disclosure; I do not draw up anything related to wood turning. Anyway, I drew it up, and this morning. I attacked it. It's still a WIP, but here it is. I have no idea what to call it.
It started as a 2 1/4" thick x 3 1/8" square of walnut. I marked the centers on all 6 sides, and turned 6 tenons. It was definitely interesting because my tools are too large for that type of turning. If the piece was over 6" square, I believe it would have turned out much better as my tools would have worked better. I need to make some smaller swan neck tools for right and left and forward reverse turnings. 
This is done all on the lathe. No other tools used other than wood turning chisels.

It's 2 7/8" OD and 2 13/16" tall and 3/32" thick. Unfinished of course.



 



 



 

Like I said, it's an experiment and still working on it. The base will be cut square on the table saw. The divots seen on the base are cuts from turning the other tenons. The scrape seen on the bottom 
is from not having enough pressure between centers. 

Crap!!! I just got another brilliant idea to try. Going ot to try it......... Stay tuned.. I really should be getting my stuff ready for Waco, but oh, know. .......Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


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## David Hill (Aug 11, 2019)

That’s cool!!
I like trying to make things that I _see _in my head.
6 tenons— not thought of much needing more than two—yet.—then multiaxis gets me more confused. Do have a chuck for that— not used yet.
Looking at it—Have you thought about chucking the big end and turning the same shape? Then cutting or carving the flanges? Just a thought.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Gdurfey (Aug 11, 2019)

Define “scruples “...... I like it, I just stop myself instead of jumping in. There have been times I have jumped into the deep end in life but not lately..... not sure why I wrote that,... except, Jerry your work, like many others on here, is what I look upon as example and inspiration.


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## Mr. Peet (Aug 11, 2019)

still think once you swing the club to hit the golf ball you will shatter the "T"...


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 12, 2019)

Gdurfey said:


> Define “scruples “...... I like it, I just stop myself instead of jumping in. There have been times I have jumped into the deep end in life but not lately..... not sure why I wrote that,... except, Jerry your work, like many others on here, is what I look upon as example and inspiration.


Garry, there are several definitions for scruples. One definition is it is a unit of measure used in weighing drugs. It's just like our dollar sign. The sign usually has a number indicating a quantity. 

I made my first scruple by mistake. It was done to compete in our club's 2x4 challenge. Rather than just cut squares and mount them onto the lathe then turn a bowl, I figured it would be more of a challenge to try and turn into end grain. I wasn't wrong on that. My biggest mistake was doing it with Doug Fir/Redwood. When the tool exited the piece, there was major tear out on the back face. I got a good clean face going it, but terrible coming out of the cut. 

I made several more in Mesquite and Walnut and posted a picture or two here on WB. I believe Sarah, aka Echoastoreth, informed me I had just acquired a scruple or two. That made my day. Anyway, her icon is a scruple, or pretty close to what I've seen in my searches of scruples. 

My problem with turning stuff like that is I always have to make a tool or two to get the job done. So, off I go to my friends machine shop to make what I need in metal so I can work something in wood. I rarely get anything done in wood cuz I'm playing with metal instead of my wood................. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 12, 2019)

Here is the latest of my brilliant ideas. Redwood 4x4 cut into a cube. Mounted with Chuck Plate and live center, turned a tenon and shaped it. Remounted it into the chuck, and cleaned up the general shape, and hogged out until I punched through the flat sides. This is one of the first pieces that was actually mounted pretty accurately. The blowouts are all pretty much the same size. I believe if I had used Mesquite, it would have had cleaner blowouts rather than the mess seen in the pictures. 

If anyone has seen this type of turning before, please let me know.







The corners are about a 1/4" thick. I think I'll sand the flats to see if the blowouts clean up and look like they should. Maybe use my table saw...... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Way Cool 2


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## kweinert (Aug 12, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> If anyone has seen this type of turning before, please let me know.



I have - but I believe that normal people call them inside out turnings and have a few intermediate steps :)

Yeah, I know - not quite the same thing, but that's what it reminded me of.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 12, 2019)

kweinert said:


> I have - but I believe that normal people call them inside out turnings and have a few intermediate steps :)
> 
> Yeah, I know - not quite the same thing, but that's what it reminded me of.


Yep, our club just 2 days ago, Saturday, had a demo on inside out turnings. When I first Oh crapped this, my vision was to make a bowl, about 10" OD with 8 sides and a hole in each side. 

I will challenge anyone on this site to make one. It's actually pretty easy, with the only 2 requirements to be extremely accurate on mounting and making the flats even size for the holes to be even. Any one up for it? I might get one set up and then turn it at Waco if I have the time to do it.........Jerry (in Tucson)


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## kweinert (Aug 12, 2019)

Did that crack on turning or was it always that way?

I can now see a use for all those pen blanks that aren't used for pens any more - glue up a block, turn it like this, have a tea light holder :) Even doing this with cedar or redwood 4x4s could make interesting tea light holders.

A variation on the theme - turn it like this only don't go all the way through - then use your dremel/dental tool to do piercings in the thinned sides.

See, this is my curse - not seeing the original concept but then coming up with variations once the ground has been broken. I'm much more of a synthesizer than a big concept sort of person.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 12, 2019)

Ken, this piece of 4x4 Redwood from Loews has been sitting outside in the weather for the last 3 months. Saturday was raining all day, and I cut it yesterday. I believe the crack was there and posed no issues until I was almost done. It was glued, but cracked again while working the inner rim. That's when I decided it was good enough as an experiment. I achieved my goal, and will now do one larger because I want to. 

Oh crap again!! I think a cube would give a better effect if it was mounted at one of the points. Leave the center points sharp but round off the edges on the other sides. 

My idea for these two pieces in this thread was to do all the work on the lathe only. It gives me a better idea of what the equipment will allow me to do. I have to be a little more intelligent than the chunk of cast iron I'm using. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## William Tanner (Aug 12, 2019)

Jerry, I like what you are doing. Sharing and creating ideas as you go.


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## rocky1 (Aug 12, 2019)

Odd it would crack across the grain in that fashion. You have a minor catch on that axis, over tighten your chuck, or something else to cause that?


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## ripjack13 (Aug 12, 2019)

Like this ?

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Mike Mills (Aug 13, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> If anyone has seen this type of turning before, please let me know.



Al Furtado (rebel turner) turned a couple like that a few months back. A bit more difficult (I assume) as Al left the round ball inside the square turning instead of just hollowing.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 13, 2019)

ripjack13 said:


> Like this ?
> View attachment 170199


Yep, something like that, but the holes were drilled on another tool. Mine was done only with woodturning tools and on the lathe.


rocky1 said:


> Odd it would crack across the grain in that fashion. You have a minor catch on that axis, over tighten your chuck, or something else to cause that?


Rocky, this is an end grain turning. It's cracked on both sides of the flat grain of the 4x4. It's funny that it's not cracked along the edge grain sides. The crack is looking for the pith.




Mike Mills said:


> Al Furtado (rebel turner) turned a couple like that a few months back. A bit more difficult (I assume) as Al left the round ball inside the square turning instead of just hollowing.



One day maybe, but not yet........ 
............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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