Has anybody here met Richard Raffan in person? I met him ages ago at a Turn Fest in the Brisbane Showgrounds. Forty of us from the Toowoomba and District Woodworking Club, we hired a bus to bring us all down. The club members had a wonderful time. Richard Raffan was demonstrating his various techniques with him turning timbers. I purchased two of his books and during a break Richard Raffan autographed them for me. It was amazing to watch a master in his craft for me.
Ever since this video came out I have wanted to try it. Turned the first one tonight. Don’t have a microwave but may have to go get one in the morning. Thanks Richard!
I've been turning for as many years as you have, Richard. You always add an embellishment or technique that makes watching you a pleasure. Thanks for sharing. John
Thank you, Richard, for the link, I missed this video somehow. It is interesting because I have many slabs like this of Huon Pine and other timbers, so I will have a go at a HP tube. Recently a friend gained access to a mountain of sawmill offcuts, and he came round with some 100mm thick slabs of Blackheart Sassafras about 350-400mm wide, only 1.5m long but too heavy for me to lift. This looks to be a good source of fresh material, so video's on turning wet wood and various drying techniques is spot on for me at the moment.
Many years of experience and experimentation captured in a 30 minute lesson. Thank you so much Richard, I've been turning for a few months now and watching you has prepared me to learn by doing.
As always your tool use is phenomenal. Though it is a salutary lesson that even a master can make a mistake and cut himself. Love the grain on these pieces. Thanks for another entertaining and instructive video.
Very interesting Richard. Quite a different figure with this cut. Interesting the way they distort when drying. Thank you for sharing. And remember, when the wood goes around, the face shield goes down.🙂🙂
It certional is valuable information. Years ago, I had a revegation nursery consisting of Australian native plants. One that l grew was a Grier species. The seeds were so tough that half an hour with blue metal in my cement mixer did absolutely nothing to have them germinate. Sixty seconds in my microwave did the trick. Nearly every seed came up for me to successfully have them planted out.
Fantastic, inspiring work and demonstration as always Richard! Any idea where we can get these mt cone forstner bit extensions? Thank you so much for your incredible work!
These curved tubes are very interesting and cool! I've looked for long spigot jaws and was wondering where you obtained yours from or did you have them manufactured for you?
I do love the design. Now I know why you call them sculptural. Do you sell them in groups? I noticed there was no sanding on the inside. Was that intentional or was it left on the editing floor? Thanks for showing us your techniques.
I don't sand the insides but I do often paint the inside. I usually sell tubes in groups of three or five, occasionally in pairs. I forgot to add a few images at the end of the video, but you can see them on my website www.richardraffan.com.au.
In 4:36 min., etc. .. Do you think you should sharpen your bandsaw-blade a little?! Last time when i parted a log to boards i resharpened my bandsaw by hand with a medium diamond plate on the top of each tooth of my Saw. 333 strikes :-) in 2820 mm bandlength. Best greetings!
I've had wood catch fire from the microwave. It was the strangest thing. It looks completely fine on the outside when you take it out. Then half a minute later the endgrain end turns black and starts erupting smoke. It must start on the inside, possibly from pressurized superheated steam, possibly in the mineral rich heartwood, but it can't actually start burning until it get exposure to oxygen from the air. When I cut it open, there's a vein of char running through it.
That's why you need to stay close to wood cooking in a microwave. I've never seen flame but at a turning group meeting I did see a jet of steam coming from a vase that had been inadvertently cooked for several minutes. The microwave had been set on 40 minutes rather than 40 seconds. Fortunately we smelt something wasn't right, then saw steam.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning absolutely. I was watching it the whole time. I actually put it in multiple times because there was still some steam coming out. But the drier the wood gets, the less time it takes to burn it.
Very good, and very interesting. I'm wondering if anyone has tried to make a turning back into shape once it's dried out enough to stop moving. I ask, as I turned some, what I thought was seasoned Rhodondendron, a closed vessel, that was going to have a finial lid, but it has gone oval, so I wandering anyone has tried making a turning go back into the shape desired? I was thinking of soaking the piece in water for a few hours, perhaps even over night, then using a band clamp or jig to hold it in the shape while it dries.
I'm sure people have tried forcing distorted forms back to their original shape, but there's a reason why we rough out turnings and true them up once the forms have stabilised. Turners in production like myself choose, and traditionally chose, timbers known for their stability so warping was/is less of a problem and what warping there is/was is acceptable.
Agreed, I was hoping to save this piece as it came out quite nice. I might try giving it a soaking and reshaping a try, if anything I'll learn something, lol. I'll have to use an actual bucket rather than the pond, the ducks might attack it. Yes, we have ducks in our house yard, lol, and chickens, turkeys (on eggs atm), and Geese which I've been collecting their eggs to try carving.
Keith Tompkins posted an experiment wherein he applied clamps and over a period of time, slowly brought a piece (bowl?) back to round. This was on the WoW site; don't know if it is posted elsewhere. Of course, as the master mentioned, turning green and thick and then re-turning dry is always the best. And speaking of the master, I hope that you never tire of thank-yous. Regardless, I am one of the legions who's lives have been made happier and ever more proficient by your teachings, in my case since the mid-90s. And I'm still learning from you. So yet another Thank You. And, wonderful video, yet again.
If you want a lot of distortion, you can't turn green wood soon enough. I've cut small trees and had them on the lathe within an hour, usually rough turning, but also taking bowls through to completion. The longer you wait the more likely splits are to develop, so to get the most from a log it's best to convert it as soon as possible.
It's deep-fluted spindle-roughing gouges that are not recommended for facework. Deep-fluted spindle-roughing gouges are designed specifically for roughing centrework blanks with grain lying parallel to the lathe axis. Deep-fluted bowl gouges are designed for hollowing bowls where strength is required working well over the rest. This video shows the gouges that can be used to turn bowls: ua-cam.com/video/9BH41jx05KI/v-deo.html
Has anybody here met Richard Raffan in person? I met him ages ago at a Turn Fest in the Brisbane Showgrounds. Forty of us from the Toowoomba and District Woodworking Club, we hired a bus to bring us all down. The club members had a wonderful time. Richard Raffan was demonstrating his various techniques with him turning timbers. I purchased two of his books and during a break Richard Raffan autographed them for me. It was amazing to watch a master in his craft for me.
So much skill and technique shared in a relatively short 30 minutes. I always learn so much. Thank you for sharing!
Fascinating! I must try this ehen I can get my hands on some fresh-cut wood. Thank you for another excellent video!
Ever since this video came out I have wanted to try it. Turned the first one tonight. Don’t have a microwave but may have to go get one in the morning.
Thanks Richard!
Microwaving just speeds the process so warping happens in a few minutes rather than a week or so.
I've been turning for as many years as you have, Richard. You always add an embellishment or technique that makes watching you a pleasure. Thanks for sharing. John
Thank you, Richard, for the link, I missed this video somehow. It is interesting because I have many slabs like this of Huon Pine and other timbers, so I will have a go at a HP tube. Recently a friend gained access to a mountain of sawmill offcuts, and he came round with some 100mm thick slabs of Blackheart Sassafras about 350-400mm wide, only 1.5m long but too heavy for me to lift. This looks to be a good source of fresh material, so video's on turning wet wood and various drying techniques is spot on for me at the moment.
As a newbie to wood craft, your teaching is invaluable to me. Thank you! Learned much today!
Many years of experience and experimentation captured in a 30 minute lesson. Thank you so much Richard, I've been turning for a few months now and watching you has prepared me to learn by doing.
All this knowledge, thank you for sharing my friend.
Enjoyed every moment of this beautiful demonstration and particularly to see you turning those beads is a joy. Thank you for sharing.
So Cute! Maestro!!! I Like It!
As always your tool use is phenomenal. Though it is a salutary lesson that even a master can make a mistake and cut himself. Love the grain on these pieces. Thanks for another entertaining and instructive video.
The grain on this timber is beautiful.
It's amazing that even though I am a novice turner almost half a world away that we check the edge of our gouge in the same manner🙂
Very interesting Richard. Quite a different figure with this cut. Interesting the way they distort when drying. Thank you for sharing. And remember, when the wood goes around, the face shield goes down.🙂🙂
Thank you very much, dear Richard, for this great demonstration.
Incredible tool work making the beads.
I love this design! Totally charming and beautiful.
Man o man, Richard. This looks like dangerous work to me.
Tricky business, this. Excellent demonstration.
Very cool design and really neat to watch how you make these.
Excellent, as always, have been doing the trick of turning off the lathe at the parting off of the nub from the bottom. Works great, thanks
Pretty neat concept Richard. I have had turnings warp on me but never intentionally.
ooh, these are interesting. i might have to try something like this
Because Richard talking as he’s performing each cut is invaluable information in real time?
It certional is valuable information. Years ago, I had a revegation nursery consisting of Australian native plants. One that l grew was a Grier species. The seeds were so tough that half an hour with blue metal in my cement mixer did absolutely nothing to have them germinate. Sixty seconds in my microwave did the trick. Nearly every seed came up for me to successfully have them planted out.
Thanks Richard
Thanks for sharing.
Might it be worth turning the outside including beads, before drilling? I'll give this a go this weekend, thanks for posting yet again.
Another excellent demonstration, thank you. I must try your technique for cutting beads. What species of wood is this?
Any ide where i can buy the Forstner bit extension for the lathe? So far all the bits sold by the usual suspects seem far too lightweight
Fantastic, inspiring work and demonstration as always Richard! Any idea where we can get these mt cone forstner bit extensions? Thank you so much for your incredible work!
I think drill bet extenders are standard engineering tools. I found my morse taper extender at an estate sale but can't recall where I got the others.
Thanks a lot @@RichardRaffanwoodturning I have found bit extenders as well, I can't find the MT2 extender though. Thank you for getting back on this.
Carter & Sons have such a system with MT2. 3 and 6 inch extensions. Fairly robust.
These curved tubes are very interesting and cool!
I've looked for long spigot jaws and was wondering where you obtained yours from or did you have them manufactured for you?
Richard uses Vicmarc chucks and jaws IIRC. Axminster also make long jaws, as do Nova and others.
I do love the design. Now I know why you call them sculptural. Do you sell them in groups? I noticed there was no sanding on the inside. Was that intentional or was it left on the editing floor? Thanks for showing us your techniques.
I don't sand the insides but I do often paint the inside. I usually sell tubes in groups of three or five, occasionally in pairs. I forgot to add a few images at the end of the video, but you can see them on my website www.richardraffan.com.au.
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩
In 4:36 min., etc. ..
Do you think you should sharpen your bandsaw-blade a little?!
Last time when i parted a log to boards i resharpened my bandsaw by hand with a medium diamond plate on the top of each tooth of my Saw. 333 strikes :-) in 2820 mm bandlength.
Best greetings!
This blade was due for resharpening. I do that on my grinder: ua-cam.com/video/Ab-xw7QxLJo/v-deo.html
I've had wood catch fire from the microwave. It was the strangest thing. It looks completely fine on the outside when you take it out. Then half a minute later the endgrain end turns black and starts erupting smoke. It must start on the inside, possibly from pressurized superheated steam, possibly in the mineral rich heartwood, but it can't actually start burning until it get exposure to oxygen from the air. When I cut it open, there's a vein of char running through it.
That's why you need to stay close to wood cooking in a microwave. I've never seen flame but at a turning group meeting I did see a jet of steam coming from a vase that had been inadvertently cooked for several minutes. The microwave had been set on 40 minutes rather than 40 seconds. Fortunately we smelt something wasn't right, then saw steam.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning absolutely. I was watching it the whole time. I actually put it in multiple times because there was still some steam coming out. But the drier the wood gets, the less time it takes to burn it.
Very good, and very interesting. I'm wondering if anyone has tried to make a turning back into shape once it's dried out enough to stop moving. I ask, as I turned some, what I thought was seasoned Rhodondendron, a closed vessel, that was going to have a finial lid, but it has gone oval, so I wandering anyone has tried making a turning go back into the shape desired? I was thinking of soaking the piece in water for a few hours, perhaps even over night, then using a band clamp or jig to hold it in the shape while it dries.
I'm sure people have tried forcing distorted forms back to their original shape, but there's a reason why we rough out turnings and true them up once the forms have stabilised. Turners in production like myself choose, and traditionally chose, timbers known for their stability so warping was/is less of a problem and what warping there is/was is acceptable.
Do you find this audio any better?
Oh yes, I forgot to mention, it was much better. I appreciate you listening, not just to myself, but I've noticed you do projects people ask about.
Agreed, I was hoping to save this piece as it came out quite nice. I might try giving it a soaking and reshaping a try, if anything I'll learn something, lol. I'll have to use an actual bucket rather than the pond, the ducks might attack it. Yes, we have ducks in our house yard, lol, and chickens, turkeys (on eggs atm), and Geese which I've been collecting their eggs to try carving.
Keith Tompkins posted an experiment wherein he applied clamps and over a period of time, slowly brought a piece (bowl?) back to round. This was on the WoW site; don't know if it is posted elsewhere.
Of course, as the master mentioned, turning green and thick and then re-turning dry is always the best.
And speaking of the master, I hope that you never tire of thank-yous. Regardless, I am one of the legions who's lives have been made happier and ever more proficient by your teachings, in my case since the mid-90s. And I'm still learning from you. So yet another Thank You.
And, wonderful video, yet again.
What is the timescale between cutting the wood and then turning it on the lathe? I'm never sure how long to wait before I turn green wood.
If you want a lot of distortion, you can't turn green wood soon enough. I've cut small trees and had them on the lathe within an hour, usually rough turning, but also taking bowls through to completion. The longer you wait the more likely splits are to develop, so to get the most from a log it's best to convert it as soon as possible.
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you, much appreciated.
I want one to drink beer out of
I can sell you one or you can turn your own.
I’ve always heard it is dangerous to use a spindle gouge on cross grain work as the flute isn’t strong enough, yet you do it and seem to prefer it.
It's deep-fluted spindle-roughing gouges that are not recommended for facework. Deep-fluted spindle-roughing gouges are designed specifically for roughing centrework blanks with grain lying parallel to the lathe axis. Deep-fluted bowl gouges are designed for hollowing bowls where strength is required working well over the rest. This video shows the gouges that can be used to turn bowls: ua-cam.com/video/9BH41jx05KI/v-deo.html
@@RichardRaffanwoodturning by the way, I love your demeanor, your skill and your willingness to help others learn. You are much appreciated.
Tbata simple conversation. It's 5 mil😅
Why in the world do you always talk with the machines running ?? Its annoying.