What did you do in your shop today?

Isn't it also a function of the speed you run the router around? When I was making those curved legs on the hall table I found there was a sweet spot where I didn't get burning but not so fast I got tear out. Of course, staying in that sweet spot going around curves wasn't easy. Guess if it was easy everyone could make awesome furniture. My guitar coach runs his router wide open, but it's the speed he moves the router around the guitar that controls the tear out.
I never owned a variable speed router until about 8-10 years ago. I also sent all my router bits to be sharpened after each job I did while in business. Unfortunately, most of the sharpening companies here in Tucson at the time have all retired or moved to other locations. The sharpening services here don't do as good a job as the old guys. I'm not that busy as I'm supposed to be retired, so sanding out burn marks is okay, except for burns on Hickory.

I did some experimenting with actually grinding my own bit about 5 years ago by getting a 6" grinder from Harbor Freight. The first thing I did was toss out the wheels supplied, and put on 4 different Lapidary discs with grits from 80 to 3000. Worked better than any I ever bought or sent sent out for sharpening. Did this mostly for the carbide turning tools I use. .............. Nubs
 
London plane sycamore blank measured approximately 4.5X14.5 inches. Was extremely wet throwing water. Rough turned and wrapped in three ply paper and will sit for several months. Spent from about 9:30 until 5:00 in the shop today. Tuckered out tonight.

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London plane sycamore blank measured approximately 4.5X14.5 inches. Was extremely wet throwing water. Rough turned and wrapped in three ply paper and will sit for several months. Spent from about 9:30 until 5:00 in the shop today. Tuckered out tonight.

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That's going to be just a lovely bowl when you are finished with it. Sure is a reddish/pinkish/purple color in the photos. Chuck
 
My neighbor and his wife went to Arizona to watch some college baseball games (Oregon State fans). He texted a picture of sunny green grass, flowers, holding a beer... I'm going back over to his house with the snow blower and blow all the snow BACK onto his driveway.
 
Turned these today to try fuming. After turning didn‘t want to mask the unique cherry sap lines so oiled as usual, only doing the oak and locust. Will look tomorrow morn to see what happens and go from there.

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Here’s after 24hrs… like the locust so far, only minimal change on the oak. Back in and will check again at 48 hrs.

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I bought some industrial strength ammonia but haven’t found any oak!
Dont have to use oak, there are some common woods that react better. The chart is copied from a great detailed posting Tim @trc65 did about a year ago on the subject. It motivated me then to give it a try and finally getting to it. Would link it here but don’t know how, search fumed black locust and it’ll come up.

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