Our local wood turning group, the Dakota Woodturners, recently held a free pen turning workshop. The goal was to teach newer wood turners the process of making a slimline pen on a lathe. Soon after, over 100 pens were made to be donated to the Freedom Pen project.
The process of making a pen from this kit involves drilling out a 7mm hole to place a brass tube which will hold pen components. After gluing the tube in place the pen is held on the lathe using a pen mandrel. The pen is brought to shape, sanded, and finished all on the lathe. Lastly a pen press is used to press fit all pieces together.
Making a pen is a very fun project for a beginner woodturner.
Leprechaun traps have gained in popularity as kids learn about simple machines and build interesting trap mechanisms to catch the leprechaun for Saint Patrick’s day. Legend has it that if you capture one, he will grant you three wishes. However; he is tricksy and will try to get outwit you and get away.
When the kids came home from school talking about Leprechaun traps, I had no idea they were a thing. We did some planning and picked up a couple dowels and a small amount of hardware for hinges and the clasp.
Making leprechaun traps is a simple and fun project to get woodworking with kids. The one that we put together used dowels as bars. Getting the spacing for the holes drilled accurately was the most difficult part. Although it wasn’t very difficult. After the positions for the holes were laid out, the drillpress quickly bored out the multiple holes to a consistent depth. A bit more care would be required for a handheld drill as verticle holes are necessary.
Using a jigsaw we cut out shamrocks to hold the handle. This turned out well and was a fun part of the project. A bandsaw, hand coping saw, or a scroll saw would also work out well for cutting out these two parts. Time (and skill!) permitting, I think these would be fun to spend more time on and carve in more details.
Another improvement would be to not have the hinge on the top of the leprechaun trap. While it does make for an easy trapping mechanism, it almost seems more like a carrying case for leprechauns.
It was a great woodworking project to get the kids into the shop and have them help with some of the various design and cutting decisions. The girls helped with the design, assembly, and some of the hand tool work. At the time they were too young to use any of the power tools.
I want to teach them how to work through problems and visualize projects. A simple woodworking project such as this one was a fantastic introduction. I’m hoping to come up with more fun projects to do with them.
If you have any questions about the leprechaun trap, want me to write up plans, or share a story of woodworking with kids, let me know in the comments.
I decided to make some better handles for these cheap files. I bought the set for around $7 and expected their lifespan to be limited to the immediate project. However, they proved to be useful and stuck around.
I wanted to keep my mind off of something so a simple project like this was ideal. I started out by removing the plastic handles. They came off easily with a twist of my locking pliers. There are a number of ways to mount and drill small spindle pieces on your lathe. I’ll show you two of them.
The first way is using a scroll chuck. If you don’t have small pen jaws, you can turn a very small tenon that is captured in the center where the woodworm screw usually attaches. You don’t get the benefit of the dovetailed chuck jaws, but it does hold. You have to be sure to keep your knuckles away from the jaws as there is not a lot of clearance. They stick out further than the piece you are working on and if you let them, they will bite you. ouch! The second way doesn’t require a chuck at all. I’ll show you that in just a minute.
To drill out the handle, I first made a small recess in the center to help guide the bit. Using locking pliers, I slowly worked the bit in. It is important to back out the bit to clear out the waste. For this depth wasn’t critical, but when it is a piece of masking tape on the bit lets you know when to stop.
Using the roughing gouge and then my skew chisel, I brought the piece down into roughly a teardrop shape. I like using a skew for spindle pieces when I can. Using a planing cut and rolling out beads will give you fantastic surfaces right off the tool. The sandpaper equivalent to a well-executed planing cut with a sharp skew chisel can easily be 400 grit. The payoff of learning this tool is tremendous, but it can be frightening to the uninitiated. Find a mentor, take a skew skills class, study the tool, practice, and most importantly don’t give up.
I had made three shallow v-cuts with the skew for decoration and used wire burner.
The second way to mount small spindle pieces like this is to turn part of the wood to match the taper on your lathe. The easiest way to match the taper is to make a small taper template jig using 3 pieces of scrap wood. Lay a drive center onto one piece of scrap and sandwich either side with smaller pieces of scrap. Glue these pieces on and you can now turn a piece of wood to match the spindle’s taper without having to constantly take it off and re-mount it or mess around with calipers.
Using a wooden mallet, tap the taper in and you are all set. Be mindful of any cuts that push directly out from the headstock, but if the fit is nice and snug you will have few problems. I like this method because you don’t have to worry about clearance from chuck jaws and it is very quick to set up once you have your taper template made. The only real downside is the wood inside the taper isn’t usable for this project, so it might not be ideal for exotic and expensive woods. But it is a rather elegant solution.
I used some fine grit sandpaper just to make sure things were cleaned up where I had parted the handles off of the lathe. After wiping off the dust I simply used a coat of mineral oil. These are working tools, so an elaborate finish is not necessary. The oil gives this alder wood a nice feel and emphasizes the grain patterns.
After letting the oil soak in I put the files into the handles. They have a decent pressure fit, but if they wiggle to much during use I’ll think about using CA glue or epoxy to secure them.
Once you start making tool handles on a lathe, it is easy to start looking for other things that “need” their handles replaced. Files, chisels, awls, screwdrivers, lathe tools, power tool levers and knobs, are all begging for the upgrade. Serving spoons, whisks, and other kitchen implements are also great candidates.
Thanks for watching wood frontier. I’ve got a new woodworking video each month so hit that subscribe button to make sure you see it. Also feel free to let me know in the comments if there are any specific builds you want to see or questions you have.
In order to make hollowforms such as vases, vessels, ornaments, and urns, I needed to make a tool that would extend through the narrow opening and into the interior of my piece.
This woodturning tool will allow the creation of wooden hollow forms such as ornaments, vases, vessels, urns, and other interesting designs. The technique for making a hollowing tool is adapted from master woodturner David Ellsworth’s book, “Ellsworth on Woodturning: How a Master Creates Bowls, Pots, and Vessels”
Materials needed for this project:
– Steel Rod for tool shank
– M2 High Speed Steel for cutting edge
– Hardwood for Handle
– (Optional) Pipe or cord for feral
– Epoxy
– CA Glue
Learn how to make a custom wooden sign using a woodworking router without using a cnc machine.
I carved out material on a maple board using a woodworking router, filled the recess with paint, and then cleaned up the surface of the board. The project is fairly straightforward and would be an easy one for newer woodworkers.
Tools Needed
A Saw – Almost any type of saw will work. If you want a sign with straight edges, a tablesaw, miter saw, or circular saw will work. Curved edges will mean a jigsaw, bandsaw, or scrollsaw will allow you to create the desired profile. If you are using handtools then pick out your favorite saw.
A Router – An electric router will serve you best here, although it could certainly be made with various carving gouges and chisels. There is a plunge cut for the interior portion of the sign and an edging cut on the outer profile.
Sander – There will be plenty of sanding on this project to clean off excess paint. Like the saw, almost any sander will work.
Materials Needed
Lumber – I used maple
Carbon Paper – Used to transfer your design onto the wood.
Paint – Spray paint works well to produce an even coat without staining the wood
Finish – I used a wipe on polyurethane to coat the board.
In looking for a supply of beeswax to make some food-safe finishes I met with a beekeeper who needed a custom sign made. We made a deal and I set to work on the sign.
Snowman, Icicle, Ball, Bell, Santa Hat, Top Hat, nutcracker, and stylized elves, and peppermint rings are all great examples of ornaments that can be made on a lathe.
In this video I am making an icicle snowman. This is a fun spindle project which gives you great practice rolling beads and using the skew chisel. It is quick to make and can be batched out fairly easily. They can be decorated with paint with a couple dots for buttons and the face. Or the entire thing can be painted with small children.
The Icicle Snowman was popularized by production turner Nick Cook. He did one at a demonstration in April and it looked like a lot of fun. I added a middle section to the snowmen for more of a traditional look.
