Author Topic: Resin  (Read 1621 times)

Offline Niall

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Resin
« on: October 11, 2021, 10:27:23 AM »
Hi, I'm new here & also new to woodturning although I've found that I really love it. I bought myself a lathe after watching loads of videos on the Internet & decided I wanted to try it. I found a place to buy some nice blanks from & inside the back of the shop was a chap that had a turning workshop & he runs courses etc so I had a chat with him & explained that I'm very new to it & he suggested that I start by making bowls which is what I have been doing. I've seen many videos about turning wood with resin but I just can't seem to get it right. Either the resin  is sticky when it should be ready or it doesn't stick to the wood I put in the base so I can attach to the lathe or it has just cracked when I do get it on the lathe and start turning. I bought a vacuum chamber (although since buying I haven't used it as when I went online to find out how to use it, they say a pressure pot is what's needed). When I look for one of these online, they seem to be for paint spraying. I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers to advise what I need & where I'm going wrong, cheers.

Offline BrianH

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Re: Resin
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2021, 03:42:45 PM »
Hi Niall
Welcome to addiction!
In my view you are trying to run in far too many directions before you've mastered the walking process.
Securely attach a multitude of cheap.... or, better still, free.... bits of wood to your lathe before turning them all into pretty shavings. There really is no alternative to collecting experiences and to do that you need to practice, practice and then practice some more. Given that you have a basic set of tools put any idea of further investment on the back burner until you know a little more of where you are wanting to go and something of the intended route.
Where are you based? Perhaps a mentor might come forward with an offer of help.
I'm on the Norfolk coast.... and know nothing about turning resin except that it stinks the  workshop out! Is that any help?
All the best
Brian

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Resin
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2021, 03:59:41 PM »
Resin is a completely different skill / tool set to turning Preasure & Vaccuum pots are needed for some things (preassure for squeezing air bubbles small so they don't show vaccuum seldom needed but for stabalising bad wood before adding resin. )

As Brian said learn to turn first, buy some resin blanks from those who hae mastered it, if you want to turn plastic. Once that is done learn how to make resin do what you want from it as a sepperate skill set. Before combining them
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline Niall

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Re: Resin
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2021, 10:10:26 AM »
Twisted trees & Brian, thank you both for your replies. I have been doing bowls, bowls & more bowls & I totally agree that I need to practice loads before moving on too fast. Should I stick with bowls or is there anything else I can make that would help me to learn techniques. I did manage to turn one bowl with resin but since then ive not had any luck so I may just have to slow down and put that on the back burner for now. Also, where can you get cheap or free wood from as buying blanks can add up and i seem to spend a fortune when I go to the shop I have found (luckily it's not near where I live or I my wife may put a stop to my new hobby!!), any advice would be welcome, cheers.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Resin
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2021, 10:32:31 AM »
 When I have students I start them on spindle work not bowls. Spindle worlk will give you a huge choice of things to make and as for free wood try old furniture, tree surgeons, gardeners, buy wood in plank form not blanks to save money.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline Bill21

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Re: Resin
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2021, 11:18:29 AM »
When I have students I start them on spindle work not bowls. Spindle worlk will give you a huge choice of things to make and as for free wood try old furniture, tree surgeons, gardeners, buy wood in plank form not blanks to save money.

Pete

I agree. Spindle work with the grain all running in one direction is in my opinion also somewhat safer for student turners. The first tools I recommend are a spindle roughing gouge and 3/8” spindle gouge. 

Offline Philip Green

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Re: Resin
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2021, 04:33:25 PM »
Quote
When I have students I start them on spindle work not bowls. Spindle worlk will give you a huge choice of things to make and as for free wood try old furniture, tree surgeons, gardeners, buy wood in plank form not blanks to save money.

To me, spindle work is an essential start to learning woodturning. The skills learned presenting turning tools safely and effectively are transferrable to faceplate turning.

I joined two clubs when I started turning. One of them did weekly training sessions and had 6 sample practice pieces to copy. The first was a simple piece with coves, beads, ogees and other shapes. A candle stick, goblet, posie vase and bowl followed - can't remember the other one. After a few years, I helped the other club give taster sessions to youngsters, turning a spindle project in the morning and a bowl project in the afternoon.

Everyone I know believes that learning spindle work first is the best way to go.
Philip from sunny St Issey

Offline Niall

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Re: Resin
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2021, 01:01:24 AM »
Once again cheers for the replies & advice. Now, I hope I don't sound too stupid  but the advice is pointing to spindle work. Am I right in thinking that spindles are like the downward pieces on a staircase banister and if so is there a way of finding out pieces to copy to practice. Also, I have bought a set of Robert sorby turning chisels but they are still brand new on the hanging rack I bought them with as I have been using some carbide tipped chisels ( 2 x Square, 1 x round & 2 x diamond shaped). I did get some chisels like bowl gouge & roughing gouge when I bought my first lathe ( which ii bought 2nd hand & is a Clarke 40' lathe), but I then got myself a charnwood lathe (W824) which I find much better with the variable speed dial. I bought a record 8' bench grinder but when I tried to sharpen the older chisels the tips looked terrible so I didn't want to mess up the new ones, do I need to buy a jig. When I look on you tube & see someone sharpening chisels they have a wheel that looks like flat metal but my grinder has a rough wheel that sparks, is this the correct thing to use.

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Resin
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2021, 03:00:01 AM »
Oh Niall you have a journey in front of you  :)

Spindle work is anything that has the grain of the wood aligned along the bed of the lathe, that would indeed contain stair case spindles, also table legs chair legs actually most legs... candle sticks, goblets, rolling pins, and anything else that fits on the lathe in that direction.

Face plate work is where the grain crosses the bed typically bowl, platters, clocks,

Then there is between centres and chuck mount.

Then carbide v traditional... as it happens i have a borrowed set of carbides this week, not impressed at all! BUT I am a novice with the tools and they are not great carbides so the jury is still out but I am using traditional and happy.

Sharpening, that is another that will get you 27 answers from any group of 10 turners.

Do you have a club near you? you are going to need a guide or 3!
 
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline John D Smith

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Re: Resin
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2021, 03:35:59 PM »
 Hi Niall,
            I think one of the best pieces of advice I can give you if get yourself a copy of the book by Keith Rowley title
 "WOODTURNING a foundation Course" you will not regret it you can find copies on ebay or Amazon it covers quite a lot of info for
starters I am sure some of the previous members who have given you advice will agree Best of Luck.

                                                              Regards John

        I have just looked on the internet there are quite a lot for sale cheap as chips                                       
« Last Edit: October 13, 2021, 03:42:05 PM by John D Smith »
John Smith

Offline John Peachey

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Re: Resin
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2021, 05:51:19 PM »
Hi Niall,

Also have a look at the AWGB website, under read /educational videos. There are some basic projects there to help you. All the videos have been vetted for safe practice. I would also recommend the Keith Rowley Book and video.

As an aside if anyone else knows of good videos to link to please email me at the datamanager@awgb.co.uk and we'll add them to the page.

John

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Resin
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2021, 06:24:39 PM »
It may be an AWGB thing, but yes the Keith Rowley "WOODTURNING a foundation Course" was the first book I bought, and it is still in my workshop as a resource. Highly recommended.
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline Bill21

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Re: Resin
« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2021, 11:20:43 PM »
As t happens i have a borrowed set of carbides this week, not impressed at all! BUT I am a novice with the tools and they are not great carbides so the jury is still out but I am using traditional and happy.

I’m not surprised if you’re used to traditional tools. Most of the standard flat square and round carbide tools are of limited use to a traditionalist, no offence intended.  ;) The small round cup shaped carbide inserts most often found on hollowing tools however are a different matter. For someone used to HSS tools I recommend you look at Simon Hope’s tools and Hunter Tools. You will see the difference just by looking at them. I use traditional HSS but I’ve made my own carbide tools for some jobs and they work very well.

The cheap flat carbide tools do have their place, particularly those that maybe can’t afford a grinding setup straight away?

Offline BrianH

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Re: Resin
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2021, 05:45:22 PM »
Nill, you really need the kind of help only available face to face.
Everything..... BUT EVERYTHING.... you read here, in books or magazines but especially on tinternet is only one person's opinion. There are loads of such opinions which are generally accepted as correct but that doesn't make them into facts. Collect as many differing opinions as you can, try any that you feel happy with before forming your own collection of opinions.
Free wood really does fall off trees so keep your eyes peeled for neighbours cutting garden trees, in your local woods or verges or even floating in rivers. Try turning anything that isn't too rotten to hang together, starting at your lowest speed, and gradually build up experience. Don't concern yourself with what you are turning so long as you are practicing. Keep your eye on the shavings coming off the tool, they will tell you at least as much as the piece being turned. If you are producing dust you are doing something wrong. If you produce proper pretty shavings you are cutting nicely.
Last, but not least, find a willing mentor or pay for a few lessons...... or, better still.... do both and compare the opinions. If they differ that doesn't mean either is wrong.
Brian

Offline Blake

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Re: Resin
« Reply #14 on: October 21, 2021, 03:21:11 PM »
Hi Nial - I embarked on similar journey starting a couple of years ago after an impulse buy of a micro lathe at a car booty, sadly there are no Wood Turning Clubs in my neck of the woods (South Ayreshire) so I'm self taught from experimentation and hours of watching many many video's  - I'm sure there would be gasps and shudders from many on these forums if they saw my techniques and it's on my ever growing 'to do' list to get myself on a course to improve or in some case relearn those techniques!

Like yourself I was tempted by resin early doors and can share the following tips that I've found having experimented over the last 18 months:
There are 2 types of resin commonly used Epoxy & Polyurethane - as noted above Polyurethane smells but allows for deeper pours apparently - I've only used Expoxy so far which also has 2 varients - quick set & deep pour (a bit missleading as deep pour is typically about an 1")
Using epoxy it's critical to get the following 3 elements correct, failing to do so can see the epoxy either boil (thermic reaction) or fail to set:
- Mixing ratio must be accurate - some do by weight, other by volume
- Ambient temperature - to hot and the resin will likely set or boil before your ready, to cold and it doesn't fully set at all
- Mixing - failure to mix the component parts thorougly will result in the resin not setting properly
I'd also note that all resin suppliers are not equal so you may need to shop around to find one that works for you - I've been using Depoxy Germany lately with good results.

Turning resin is also 'easier' with Carbide Tools, it can be done with traditional but you'll probably find your cursing a lot of the time as large chips of resin fracture off and ping around your workshop!!

A vacuum pot can be used for extracting the air out of the mixed resin prior to pouring (or as noted above used to stabilise wood) but your likely to get air bubbles again when you pour the resin, a pressure pot is the ideal as it reduces the bubbles to a size you can't see; also to note you'll likley see air emerge from the wood your bonding to so it's good to seal the wood first - I've found Sanding Sealer works a treat but you could use PVA or even brush on resin and allow to dry first. Don't be tempted to leave the bark on either as this will come away from the underlying wood over time.

Pressure pots don't come cheap over here in the UK, you can buy a paint spray pot & convert yourself (plenty of how to video's on YouTube - seems spray pots are cheap as chip in the US from all the video's of conversion) or buy ready converted as I did from sprayequipment.co.uk - there's a few other sellers if you search the Interwebs for resin casting pots - your also going to need a compressor if you don't have one already. I've found with the expoxy I use currently I need to keep under pressure for at least 12 hours (preferably 24) but if your using a deep pour your likley looking at 72 hours - and keep in mind upsetting the neighbours by having a compressor running through the night.

Finally - you'll learn Zen like Patience from all the sanding you need to do to get a glass like finish, Wet & Dry upto 3000 grit works although I've started using some polishing compounds and buffing wheels which are speeding up the process hugely.

Hopefully the above won't put you off - trial & error goes a long way in the learning & satisfaction process (and in my case a tolerant wife who puts up with my "I just need this one more piece of equipment, honest it's the very last bit I'll ever need...."); if your interested you can see some of my creation attempts by searching for "Ignopti Craftworks" on YouTube.

Feel free to ping me with any other questions.
Blake