Articles by Alan Lacer
Shellac - NEW!!!
The Shell of the Lac Beetle.
Oliver Lathe - NEW!!!
Muscle machines from 1903 to 1999.
Straka Chuck - NEW!!!
Versatile and proven reverse chucking.
A precision fit Lid that Snaps Shut!
Buy the parts; turn the handle.
Innovator, Toolmaker - Jerry Glaser
You may be lucky enough to own a Glaser tool. What you probably don’t know is that Jerry Glaser is one heck of a woodturner, too.
More than 25 years ago, I was sitting in a Shaker meeting hall when something amazing happened. There was a turned column in the middle of the room—unusual in itself—and the more I looked at it, the more impressed I became with the turning.
Whether used alone or over other finishes, wax is a common and versatile finish for turned pieces.
From Bedposts to Baseball Bats
In 2006, Louisville hosted the AAW symposium, which was believed to be the largest contemporary gathering of wood turners. It was fitting for Louisville to play this role, as it is home to one of the most successful and longest-running turning companies in America: Louisville Slugger.
In defense of your favorite Skew
Nick Cook and Alan Lacer are well known in turning circles as master skew practitioners. Wherever they teach classes or demonstrate, they spread the gospel of a turning foundation based on skew skills. And do these long time friends embrace the same skew profile? Not exactly.
What speed do I turn at? A number of years ago in a class at Arrowmont, someone asked the instructor that question. After some thought he responded," well I guess it should go around." What an insight!
"Yes I honed my tool, and no apologies for it. It is faster than grinding, it gives a finesse no ground tool can offer; on occasion one can even tell by the finished product whether a person honed or not."
-Del Stubbs
When one thinks of the Vikings one hardly thinks of woodturning. Thanks to Hollywood and popular literature, about all that comes to mind are tusked helmets, raids of destruction and plunder, and ships with dragonhead prowls.
The skew has gotten a bad rep. I know of no other tool that evokes such groans and laughs, yet leaves such a superb finish, adds such crispness to the work, or is as versatile as this angled piece of flat steel.
Learn to Sharpen-Progressively - Part 1
Working with dull tools is like trying to drive your car with flat tires-it just isn't very satisfying.
Learn to Sharpen Progressively - Part 2
Don't be too bashful in grinding tools. You really can't hurt them, you only shorten them.
Kids, their parents, and woodworking machines? Doesn't sound like a healthy mix does it? As it turns out-especially if a lathe is the piece of machinery-it can be an almost perfect fit.
Freehand turning of a near perfect wooden sphere without flat spots or bumps is a wonderful challenge for a turner.
Caught just at the right time, this wood can be spectacular.
Turning four table legs that match may sound impossible, but it's not. With these tried and true tips, and a little practice, you can successfully turn even the largest legs.
Are you driven to turn large, green bowls or are you more intrigued with pens and small boxes? Maybe you only want a lathe for making table legs and chair parts. Perhaps you want to do a little of everything. Answers to these questions will help you choose the right lathe.
The hook tool is essentially a right-angle gouge that enables the woodturner doing inside end-grain hollowing to achieve two goals: work with the grain and use a cutting rather than a scraping action.
To me, selling a woodturner a handle is like shipping cheese to Wisconsin or televising Ivy League football games in Oklahoma-something wrong here.
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