Fascinating to watch your videos. As a woodturner I appreciate your coolness approach on task. I really like it! Like your end piece, élégant lines. Kingston, Ontario Canada.
I am doing this same plate now, in iroko. This afternoon I will finish the inside and first coat of finish (sealer and Tung Oil). Thanks for the video, I am learning a lot.
I turned a lot of Iroko, since it was donated to me. Oddly enough, I had no sensitivity to Iroko dust, even being me very easy to allergies. I have lots of issues with oak and beech. To work with beech I need a full mask with changable filters, or I risk to be on steroids for days.
Thank you Richard. I am binge watching your videos and am totally amazed how your skill & experience make your projects look so amazingly easy. Again, thank you! Pete in Montana.
Υour great experience is shown in the use of the tools!!Thank you for sharing your knowledge and being inspiration for all the new turners Mr Raffan!!(Mr.. is both Mister and Master!)
I know it’s not the same as being there but these vids are such a great apprenticeship as it were. Just watching how he handles the tools, methods, tools he chooses etc are such a great learning experience. I love that he explains so much as well. This is learning from the best.
I hate myself for saying this, but I feel better knowing that Richard Raffan can get catches and have to adjust his thinking when making a bowl. I learned a huge amount from his books and videos when I first started turning and am so glad I have found this channel. I suppose the moral is that we all make small mistakes - it's just how we deal with them that matters.
I remember going to the Canberra Wood Show about 10 years ago and I saw you walk in. I thought o my god thats Richard Raffan. In awe at you skill, speed, technique etc. Always good for tips and instruction.
You can imagine my joy at finding this video, because I've been reading your"Turning Wood with Richard Raffan"from April, 1985! Its amazing to me, how fast you develope this bowl shape! Not just that, but it seems you haven't fully decided what the details will be before starting, making decisions along the way; then executing the decision within seconds! I am 50 year veteran woodworker, so I can HEAR when a tool is sharp, and yours ARE! Thankyou Sir! I remember, back in 1975, when I was just getting my passion for carving, hearing about the new guy showing everybody how you turn wood into beauty. I wasnt into turning, but remember, you were about the only one out there doing it,then.
Such a pleasure to watch and listen to your working. We are of similar vintage and like you left the UK for Aus. over 40 years ago and have taken up turning as my retirement hobby. Thank you for sharing.you knowledge and words of wisdom. Stay safe, John
That's a lovely simple bowl. I appreciate that you do it all in real time, and not sped up and explain what your doing as you go. I do speed up through some sections of mine, as I feel people don't want to sit through yet another video that doesn't have talking through it like yours do. And my videos are mainly so family, and purchasers of my items can see the process that goes into making their items. Thanks again for sharing Richard, really appreciate a master turner like yourself putting your knowledge out there for others to learn from.
Years ago, I learned to drill a recess with a big forstner bit so I could expand my chuck into it. I think I learned that from you, but don't remember exactly. The same chuck would stay on for the whole bowl turning adventure. Vic 150 I think, with a 2 5/8 inch hole, which has some metric equivalent. We Yankees/gringos, don't understand metric. No screw chuck or face plate to mess with. I have tried to get a clean finish like you show here with my scrapers. They do fine across the bottom, but in the transition and up the side walls, I always seem to get a lot of tear out. I do shear scrape just about every thing for my final surface.
Incredible turner, I've had alot of issues with scrappers. Seems I'm to heavy handed with them, frustrating being I think I'm being gentle. Look fwd to seeing more.
Thanks for sharing such quality tool work . I have enjoyed many of your videos. Can you explain the reason for the asymmetrical grind on some of your tools. Thanks again for showing us how to do it...
When I began turning in 1970 bowl gouges were ground square (like deep-fluted roughing gouges are today). When hollowing bowls I kept catching the left wing, so I ground it back to the swept-back convex curve I use today. From that I developed the short right wing and the spiral grind, with a 45 degree bevel on the nose and a steep bevel on the near-square right wing. This steep bevel makes shear cutting concave curves on a bowl profile very easy, whilst still taking a heavy shaving when hollowing. The steep bevel also allows a shear cut using a gouge as you cut into centre inside a bowl, although I prefer to use scrapers into centre as I have more control over the shape. When I rounded the left wing I soon discovered that it's ideal for heavy cuts when developing a bowl profile. Essentially where many bowl turners have two gouges, one with a steep bevel and one longer, I have a 2-in-1 gouge.
It's always a pleasure to watch the master you are. You autographed one of your books for at a symposium in Provo Utah a number of years ago. You were the best instructor in the program. Thank you for creating this channel. I learn a lot even though I don't have a shop and a lathe. Where do you live?
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you for answering. I'll check my book. Enjoy your Chanel. I was excited to find your videos. I've always liked your videos and seeing you in person was a real treat. Good luck with your endeavors in the future!!!
Very enjoyable and instructive. I see you using an angle sander which looks like a Makita. Could you please pass on the serial number as I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to track one down. Thanks again for your demonstrations
It's a Makita angle drill, about 15 years old and pre-cordless. Hitachi used to make one and in the USA I seem to remember a Sioux 45-degree drill being popular for power sanding.
Great viewing! So I was told one should not use a spindle gouge on a bowl, and I see you are using it on the outside. I’m sure for the inside would not be a good idea but the outside? Very interesting . Anyways thank you for your videos! Love them
A spindle gouge is fine on the inside of bowls up to 50mm deep if the bevel is 45-degrees or steeper. If turning an internal a cylinder, a detail gouge with a long bevel (which is thicker than a standard ½-in spindle gouge) is the only gouge that will cut comfortably into a corner. You'll see that when I turn a crossgrain box.
Hey Gonzalo, my guess is you were told not to use a Spindle Roughing Gouge on a bowl because those typically have thin square section tangs that are not designed to hold up to the alternating end grain you get on a bowl. Mr. Raffan is using round section Spindle Gouges that have enough tang to support the size of their cutting edge.
Mr. RAFFAN, I’ve seen you use beeswax many times, but where does one find it? I’ve always encounter beeswax as a softer type wax, but what you use looks very solid. Thanks!
Where you can find beeswax rather depends on where in the world you are. Any woodturning supply store should stock sticks of beeswax, or you might know someone who keeps bees. A good alterniative is paraffin wax in the form of a plain wax candle.
What a pair of remarkable little bowls you made from what most would have considered scrap cutoffs. Thanks for the video. Only question I have is how did you speed up the process whiteout it looking like you did? 😧I think most turners would still be trying to figure how to mount it to a glue block or something. I guess you learn a lot of magic after years of turning. Thanks for sharing you magical skills. Cheers, Tom
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning well then, there must be a lot of truth in the phrase “practice make perfect”. It was fascinating to see how quickly you were able to turn those chunks of wood into beautiful little bowls so quickly. Thanks for the demo of how to turn what I would have probably either thrown away or more likely kept until they rotted away trying to figure out how to a lid, finial or pen blank out of them, because I would never even thought of tiny bowls. I still think you employed so so of magic to make not just one little bowl, but two out of those chunks of wood. Thanks again. Cheers, Tom
Thank you for all the great content. I don't understand your style of getting your fingers all over the tool beyond the tool rest. On skew use, your hand is literally on top of the razor sharp tool. What is the practical reason for exposing your fingers to the cutting edge when catches are a regular occurrence with such aggressive cuts?
My hand is never directly over the edge of he skew chisel and my fingers are never exposed. In nearly 50 years of teaching this technique I've never had anyone cut using this technique. If there's a catch the tool is kicked away from the supporting fingers. The hand is to equalise any tool pressure against the wood and limit vibration. If you do not use supporting grips or some form of mechanical steady on slender work it is near impossible to cut a surface free of chatter marks. You need to appreciate that a wide or thick shaving comes from presenting the edge at the best angle, not by forcing the edge into the wood. Tool prssure against the wood needs to be minimal.
Thank for these videos, I have sort of a silly question, I notice when you grab a scraper to use, for the most part you don’t grab a neg rake scraper that are all the rage today. Is this by design or more or less like I grew up eating apple pie, if I want cherry I would have ordered cherry?
The only tools I have that might pass for negative rake scrapers are skew chisels. I think negative rake scrapers are a waste of time and nothing more than a marketing ploy, another tool to sell, another tool for turners to demonstrate at symposiums. Everything I've been told and shown, could only be done with a negative rake, I could do as well or better with my standard scrapers. The geometry of a negative rake scraper makes cutting internal cylinders trickier than using a standard scraper, although for turning internal cylinders, a bedan is even better.
Love your demos'. what is the oil you use for finishing ? You seem to get a lot of shavings with your scrapers, what angle do you grind them at ? Do you hold the scraper at a slight angle down ? The video looks like you hold it leverl.
I"ve been using boiled linseed oil on just about everything for about 30 years, usually mixed with beeswax during finishing. YOu'll see it in most of my videos. My scrapers have a 45-degree bevel on the nose and steeper on the sides. There's a video in this series on grinding scrapers. When using a scraper I make sure the angle between the top of hte tool and the surface I'm cutting is less than 90 degrees - the so-called negative rake. .
Une question Mr Raffan , pouvez vous me dire ou je peux acheter votre Racloir Richard Raffan Robert Taylor , je suis en France près de Nîmes , et fan inconditionnel de vos vidéos ,malgré mes difficultés a comprendre l Anglais ..en tout cas merci pour vos vidéos ! Bien cordialement
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Merci pour votre réponse, je ne l ai pas trouvé sur ces deux sites ( dont je suis client ) je leur téléphone demain Encore Merci
I did my last production order about 14 years ago. I was ready to retire after nearly 40 years standing at a lathe, and galleries were either closing after the GFC or insisting on consignment - which I never had to do and wasn't going to start doing. I've done very little turning since apart from a few symposium demonstrations, an occasional hands-on workshop, and a few commissions. I've never been a hobby turner.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning That's totally understandable. Thank you for doing these videos. I've learned more in the past 3 days than I've learned in the past 3 years lol.
I was never going to remove the foot. Dishes tend to look better with a foot, so it's there to raise the profile off the surface it's sitting on and make it easier to pick up.
I've learned more in the past few months that Mr Raffan has been posting videos than I've learned in the past 3 years.
Thanks, Richard!
These videos are such a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to share these with us Mr. Raffan!
Fascinating to watch your videos. As a woodturner I appreciate your coolness approach on task. I really like it! Like your end piece, élégant lines. Kingston, Ontario Canada.
I am doing this same plate now, in iroko.
This afternoon I will finish the inside and first coat of finish (sealer and Tung Oil).
Thanks for the video, I am learning a lot.
Take care with that very nasty dust.
I turned a lot of Iroko, since it was donated to me. Oddly enough, I had no sensitivity to Iroko dust, even being me very easy to allergies.
I have lots of issues with oak and beech. To work with beech I need a full mask with changable filters, or I risk to be on steroids for days.
Thank you Richard. I am binge watching your videos and am totally amazed how your skill & experience make your projects look so amazingly easy. Again, thank you! Pete in Montana.
Υour great experience is shown in the use of the tools!!Thank you for sharing your knowledge and being inspiration for all the new turners Mr Raffan!!(Mr.. is both Mister and Master!)
two large videos today, it's like watching you in a demonstration, with the issues that appear and how you solve them.
I know it’s not the same as being there but these vids are such a great apprenticeship as it were. Just watching how he handles the tools, methods, tools he chooses etc are such a great learning experience. I love that he explains so much as well. This is learning from the best.
A great demonstration, many thanks Richard Raffan, very classy
Outstanding, I learn so much from your videos.
Thank you!👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
I hate myself for saying this, but I feel better knowing that Richard Raffan can get catches and have to adjust his thinking when making a bowl. I learned a huge amount from his books and videos when I first started turning and am so glad I have found this channel. I suppose the moral is that we all make small mistakes - it's just how we deal with them that matters.
Showing how to overcome problems and work around defects is what makes a demonstration interesting and more informative.
I remember going to the Canberra Wood Show about 10 years ago and I saw you walk in. I thought o my god thats Richard Raffan. In awe at you skill, speed, technique etc. Always good for tips and instruction.
You can imagine my joy at finding this video, because I've been reading your"Turning Wood with Richard Raffan"from April, 1985! Its amazing to me, how fast you develope this bowl shape! Not just that, but it seems you haven't fully decided what the details will be before starting, making decisions along the way; then executing the decision within seconds! I am 50 year veteran woodworker, so I can HEAR when a tool is sharp, and yours ARE! Thankyou Sir! I remember, back in 1975, when I was just getting my passion for carving, hearing about the new guy showing everybody how you turn wood into beauty. I wasnt into turning, but remember, you were about the only one out there doing it,then.
Such a pleasure to watch and listen to your working. We are of similar vintage and like you left the UK for Aus. over 40 years ago and have taken up turning as my retirement hobby. Thank you for sharing.you knowledge and words of wisdom. Stay safe, John
Love watching your videos!
Always a pleasure watching you work, Mr Raffan. How about a video on your boat making?
I am so glad to see you on UA-cam! I have many fond memories of the class you taught in Nashville, TN! Looking forward to more videos from you!
Really enjoy your videos Richard...keep it up.
That's a lovely simple bowl. I appreciate that you do it all in real time, and not sped up and explain what your doing as you go. I do speed up through some sections of mine, as I feel people don't want to sit through yet another video that doesn't have talking through it like yours do. And my videos are mainly so family, and purchasers of my items can see the process that goes into making their items. Thanks again for sharing Richard, really appreciate a master turner like yourself putting your knowledge out there for others to learn from.
All that I know has been out there for nearly 40 years in books and videos which deal with all the techniques in these videos oin greater depth.
I am aware, and am looking at adding to my collection of turning literature during the year.
So good to see you back on the lathe, great info, cheers.
Great project, masterfully done. Thanks again, for sharing your years of knowledge and experience.
Years ago, I learned to drill a recess with a big forstner bit so I could expand my chuck into it. I think I learned that from you, but don't remember exactly. The same chuck would stay on for the whole bowl turning adventure. Vic 150 I think, with a 2 5/8 inch hole, which has some metric equivalent. We Yankees/gringos, don't understand metric. No screw chuck or face plate to mess with.
I have tried to get a clean finish like you show here with my scrapers. They do fine across the bottom, but in the transition and up the side walls, I always seem to get a lot of tear out. I do shear scrape just about every thing for my final surface.
Beautiful work and technique thank you
Une vraie leçon de tournage 👍 magnifique bravo Richard 👏👏👏👋
Incredible turner, I've had alot of issues with scrappers. Seems I'm to heavy handed with them, frustrating being I think I'm being gentle. Look fwd to seeing more.
thank you Sir!
Great video
Congratulations on a beautiful bowl. What is/are the final thicknesses of the bowl and rim?
thank you for that i have learnt a lot
Rex sent me. Glad he did.
Thanks for sharing such quality tool work . I have enjoyed many of your videos. Can you explain the reason for the asymmetrical grind on some of your tools. Thanks again for showing us how to do it...
When I began turning in 1970 bowl gouges were ground square (like deep-fluted roughing gouges are today). When hollowing bowls I kept catching the left wing, so I ground it back to the swept-back convex curve I use today. From that I developed the short right wing and the spiral grind, with a 45 degree bevel on the nose and a steep bevel on the near-square right wing. This steep bevel makes shear cutting concave curves on a bowl profile very easy, whilst still taking a heavy shaving when hollowing. The steep bevel also allows a shear cut using a gouge as you cut into centre inside a bowl, although I prefer to use scrapers into centre as I have more control over the shape. When I rounded the left wing I soon discovered that it's ideal for heavy cuts when developing a bowl profile. Essentially where many bowl turners have two gouges, one with a steep bevel and one longer, I have a 2-in-1 gouge.
THE MASTER. Enough said.
Thank you.
Wow very nice
It's always a pleasure to watch the master you are. You autographed one of your books for at a symposium in Provo Utah a number of years ago. You were the best instructor in the program. Thank you for creating this channel. I learn a lot even though I don't have a shop and a lathe. Where do you live?
There's probaby a date with the signature. I'm in Australia, in Canberra.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you for answering. I'll check my book. Enjoy your Chanel. I was excited to find your videos. I've always liked your videos and seeing you in person was a real treat. Good luck with your endeavors in the future!!!
Very enjoyable and instructive. I see you using an angle sander which looks like a Makita. Could you please pass on the serial number as I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to track one down. Thanks again for your demonstrations
It's a Makita angle drill, about 15 years old and pre-cordless. Hitachi used to make one and in the USA I seem to remember a Sioux 45-degree drill being popular for power sanding.
Great viewing! So I was told one should not use a spindle gouge on a bowl, and I see you are using it on the outside. I’m sure for the inside would not be a good idea but the outside? Very interesting .
Anyways thank you for your videos! Love them
A spindle gouge is fine on the inside of bowls up to 50mm deep if the bevel is 45-degrees or steeper. If turning an internal a cylinder, a detail gouge with a long bevel (which is thicker than a standard ½-in spindle gouge) is the only gouge that will cut comfortably into a corner. You'll see that when I turn a crossgrain box.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thank you very much
Hey Gonzalo, my guess is you were told not to use a Spindle Roughing Gouge on a bowl because those typically have thin square section tangs that are not designed to hold up to the alternating end grain you get on a bowl. Mr. Raffan is using round section Spindle Gouges that have enough tang to support the size of their cutting edge.
@@GardnersGrendel makes sense, thank you as well! Appreciate it and you are correct
Greatly enjoy your books and videos!!
Would you please tell the brand and model of your safety glasses?
Thank you!!
JCB with prescription lenses purchased through my local optometrist.
Awsome dish😀🥗
I was quite pleased with that one.
Mr. RAFFAN, I’ve seen you use beeswax many times, but where does one find it?
I’ve always encounter beeswax as a softer type wax, but what you use looks very solid.
Thanks!
Where you can find beeswax rather depends on where in the world you are. Any woodturning supply store should stock sticks of beeswax, or you might know someone who keeps bees. A good alterniative is paraffin wax in the form of a plain wax candle.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you, boss.
The candle option never occurred to me.
What a pair of remarkable little bowls you made from what most would have considered scrap cutoffs. Thanks for the video. Only question I have is how did you speed up the process whiteout it looking like you did? 😧I think most turners would still be trying to figure how to mount it to a glue block or something. I guess you learn a lot of magic after years of turning. Thanks for sharing you magical skills. Cheers, Tom
Nothing speeded up or cut out in my videos, Tom. You see it all as it happened, just like a live demo at a woodturning club demo or symposium.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning well then, there must be a lot of truth in the phrase “practice make perfect”. It was fascinating to see how quickly you were able to turn those chunks of wood into beautiful little bowls so quickly. Thanks for the demo of how to turn what I would have probably either thrown away or more likely kept until they rotted away trying to figure out how to a lid, finial or pen blank out of them, because I would never even thought of tiny bowls. I still think you employed so so of magic to make not just one little bowl, but two out of those chunks of wood. Thanks again. Cheers, Tom
Thank you for all the great content. I don't understand your style of getting your fingers all over the tool beyond the tool rest. On skew use, your hand is literally on top of the razor sharp tool. What is the practical reason for exposing your fingers to the cutting edge when catches are a regular occurrence with such aggressive cuts?
My hand is never directly over the edge of he skew chisel and my fingers are never exposed. In nearly 50 years of teaching this technique I've never had anyone cut using this technique. If there's a catch the tool is kicked away from the supporting fingers. The hand is to equalise any tool pressure against the wood and limit vibration. If you do not use supporting grips or some form of mechanical steady on slender work it is near impossible to cut a surface free of chatter marks. You need to appreciate that a wide or thick shaving comes from presenting the edge at the best angle, not by forcing the edge into the wood. Tool prssure against the wood needs to be minimal.
Thank for these videos, I have sort of a silly question, I notice when you grab a scraper to use, for the most part you don’t grab a neg rake scraper that are all the rage today. Is this by design or more or less like I grew up eating apple pie, if I want cherry I would have ordered cherry?
The only tools I have that might pass for negative rake scrapers are skew chisels. I think negative rake scrapers are a waste of time and nothing more than a marketing ploy, another tool to sell, another tool for turners to demonstrate at symposiums. Everything I've been told and shown, could only be done with a negative rake, I could do as well or better with my standard scrapers. The geometry of a negative rake scraper makes cutting internal cylinders trickier than using a standard scraper, although for turning internal cylinders, a bedan is even better.
Love your demos'. what is the oil you use for finishing ? You seem to get a lot of shavings with your scrapers, what angle do you grind them at ? Do you hold the scraper at a slight angle down ?
The video looks like you hold it leverl.
I"ve been using boiled linseed oil on just about everything for about 30 years, usually mixed with beeswax during finishing. YOu'll see it in most of my videos. My scrapers have a 45-degree bevel on the nose and steeper on the sides. There's a video in this series on grinding scrapers. When using a scraper I make sure the angle between the top of hte tool and the surface I'm cutting is less than 90 degrees - the so-called negative rake. .
You make it look so easy Richard! may i ask what kind of dust collector you are using?
It's a Jet DC1200 with the Vortex Cone and the cannister conversion on top.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thanks!
Une question Mr Raffan , pouvez vous me dire ou je peux acheter votre Racloir Richard Raffan Robert Taylor , je suis en France près de Nîmes , et fan inconditionnel de vos vidéos ,malgré mes difficultés a comprendre l Anglais ..en tout cas merci pour vos vidéos ! Bien cordialement
Savez vous maisondutournage.com ou www.auvergne-tournage.com/outils-hamlet-crafts-tool-c102x4186509?PGFLngID=0
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Merci pour votre réponse, je ne l ai pas trouvé sur ces deux sites ( dont je suis client ) je leur téléphone demain
Encore Merci
I've seen your name many times over the few years I've been turning.
Did you stop turning for awhile?
I did my last production order about 14 years ago. I was ready to retire after nearly 40 years standing at a lathe, and galleries were either closing after the GFC or insisting on consignment - which I never had to do and wasn't going to start doing. I've done very little turning since apart from a few symposium demonstrations, an occasional hands-on workshop, and a few commissions. I've never been a hobby turner.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning That's totally understandable.
Thank you for doing these videos. I've learned more in the past 3 days than I've learned in the past 3 years lol.
You were going to take the foot off?
I was never going to remove the foot. Dishes tend to look better with a foot, so it's there to raise the profile off the surface it's sitting on and make it easier to pick up.