Richard Raffan on basic stuff woodturners need to know about wood

This video looks at some very basic stuff woodturners, or indeed any woodworkers, need to know wood but often seem to forget.

[@peterbucy1846]

I have worked with wood all my life, but quickly found out that I had to look at wood very differently when woodturning than I did when doing flat work. Richard's videos on selecting blanks, identifying defects and threats from cracks, is well worth watching.

[@hargharg]

I'm the type of person who needs to understand why I'm doing something instead of how to do something. This video is perfect.

[@tomislavtomasicwoodturning]

This should be a must see for everyone who wants to do turning, expecially the section on bowls with dangerous splits.... Best video on the subject....

[@Cancun771]

Contrast that with all the hacks out there that demonstrate massively unsafe techniques and practices, sometimes _inviting_ users to mimic them. The other day I saw some lucky punk on youtube drive his pointy live center _right into_ a massive crack in a piece of very punky wood. Could have sent the chunks flying at any moment.

[@tomislavtomasicwoodturning]

@@Cancun771 indeed.... There is everything on KZbin.....

[@DacaTimberworks.]

This is a great video and will always remain relevant. Key fundamentals need to be learned and often refreshed. Thankyou.

[@kenvasko2285]

Concise and informative. I loved the way you used flat wood to illustrate your points. Thanks for the excellent refresher course. I didn't want the lesson to end. I want more!

[@deyyoung42]

It's great to see so much knowledge and wisdom contained in a short but easily understandable video. Thank you for sharing your gift of turning to us all.

[@bradbyers7505]

At the risk of repeating myself, thanks for a great demonstration. One takeaway from this is that one always has to be aware of the direction the grain runs in every piece on the lathe. It is so easy (for us mere mortals) to habitually pick up a spindle roughing gouge anytime a piece is shaped like a spindle. Thank you for the safety lesson imbedded in the lesson. I vow to never stop learning.

[@jakegevorgian]

Another great masterclass, dear Richard---thank you! If I had any authority, I'd ban large quantities of epoxy!

[@tomcoker9882]

A basic needed understanding for turners, and a good reminder for all woodworkers. Thanks Richard. Cheers, Tom

[@morningsong7885]

Gosh, what a great teacher you are, in all seriousness, I watch and re-watch your videos, all the questions I used to have in my head watching other KZbin videos neatly and clearly answered one by one 👍🏻 I do not have the space now, but this does not stop me from building up knowledge so when a lathe becomes reality, I have lots of good advice to start practising ☺️ Thank you, Mr. Richard 🙏🏻

[@MikeWaldt]

A superb demonstration Richard, explained in an easy to understand manner. Excellent video.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Many thanks, Mike. This one seems to have gone down particularly well.

[@glencrandall7051]

Basic information for all woodworkers, not just turners. Even though it is basic and all woodworkers should have already known it, a review like this is always welcome. 👍👍Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@mirco.pick14]

Hard to find someone who explains things to that extent so clearly. I can watch your videos over and over again, there is always another detail...

[@dannyboy9784]

Awesome video Richard....thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge in a very simple way....love the drawings on the wood....very helpful.

[@tazccl]

Thank you, Richard that's some very good information.

[@jamescarter8813]

Great information Richard. Something we take for granted when you have been doing this for a while, and forget to pass on in instruction. I will be using the one-by example you show when I teach now. That is by far the best way to demonstrate how wood should be mounted and cut. Thank you

[@roberthortin5357]

Extremely useful, Richard. Cheers. 🦘🦘🦘

[@raydriver7300]

More pearls of wisdom 🌞

[@dtork47]

Always informative and helpful, thank you Sir!

[@atgiovina]

You should have 250k subs. Great videos

[@Cancun771]

I love that you're going into the basics. Might as well have reminded viewers though that the reason for all of this is because wood is made of fibres, which are long thin cells with fairly solid walls. If people just remembered that little fact whenever working with wood, it would solve many problems and answer so many questions even the very moment they crop up.

[@bradgotschall3259]

Good explanations. Not sure where I saw it but a helpful analogy to envision cutting direction is to think of the work piece as being made of a bunch of straws. Cutting down into the bundle is supported as you said but cutting outward wants to lift the straws/grain. Carries over to plane, chisel, and carving work as well. Love your videos sir👍

[@trurex007lee7]

Always sage advice and precautions, thank you.

[@ArchEdge]

Thanks Richard - Great video.

[@DiemenDesign]

Thank you Richard, some good important reminders in this video. I'm with you on the Epoxy side of the argument. While some projects people do, look ok, I'm more concerned about the safety aspect as you pointed out. Plus, I prefer to look of wood without plastic.

[@pauldodge9707]

Great video, thank you. Serves as initial training and a great refresher lesson.

[@ShevillMathers]

I learn something from every video. Thank you & Greetings from Tasmania. 😁

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Thanks you. If you're open to visitors I hope to call on you sometime this year.

[@Huttify]

Thankyou for this one. I will pass this video along to those asking me how to turn. Better explained than I can right now. A video request for the future: how to cut a green log to get most out of it after drying. I have many trees to cut down, but expect most of them to be firewood after drying because I cant see where in the log a stable piece hides.

[@jackthompson5092]

Great lesson Richard.

[@Brush0akie]

In essence the technics and physics of carving dry splintery wood grain is the same. Just to make it interesting we will spin the wood at 1,000 rpm’s. Excellent example and discussion, Richard Raffan i look up to you. Every day you lead by example, hopefully the youths around you will absorb your knowledge. Best to you.

[@coljter15]

Extremely helpful, thank you

[@peterkelly8953]

Excellent!!

[@evangeorge5898]

This is brilliant!

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks Richard

[@Laikeen]

Very interesting Thank so much

[@danielmetzler307]

I agree with all he says. Great intro video.

[@Redthumb45]

Great instruction here!!! A question: Instead of cutting the blank along the split, wouldn’t it be more efficient to just drive a wedge into the split.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

That definitely depends on the split. Saws are usually a better option when a knot or twisted grain is involved. In the distant past I spent a lot of time and ingenuity removing jammed wedges.

[@dianadougherty7187]

Thankyou

[@GeraldJensen]

This video is not just for beginners ... those of us with a little more experience need to pay attention to the thing RR covered!

[@krikukiks]

5:50 More likely it shrinks more outside because the radius is larger not because it might have more water in sapwood?

[@kugeldrechsler866]

Hello Richard! At 6:51 min. - Could that wood be a Gletitsia tricanthos, in Europe called Christusdorn" or Gleditschie ? F.I. What is red silk? Greetings and many thanks for your souveign explanations !! 👏👏

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Grevillea robusta, commonly known in Australia as silky oak.

[@brianhawes3115]

I really like the cross grain tube, the slightly warped shape is more “organic “ I never thought to try and turn a piece like that, I’ll give it a try. If you had a burl piece, with little stress cracks all over would you throw it out, or would you fill the tiny voids with epoxy?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It depends on the splits. I went through my filling-splits-with-coloured-epoxy phase 40 years ago and found that longterm the epoxy remains inert whilst the wood moves around it. Plus the wood darkens so eventually the surface is totally different to what I had initially. Then I took to sand blasting, charring, and brushing. I've just made a video on some of that.

[@brianhawes3115]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thanks for the reply, I have madrone burl with little voids, and I fill it with black ca glue, or black epoxy, they seem to hold well, but my oldest one is only a few years, I also have tons of manzanita burls with the same voids, sometimes rocks are in side, but when I get some relatively solid pieces it is very stable and has a quality almost like stone, super hard to throw away

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@brianhawes3115 Occasionally I was given madrone and manzanita for demos and always enjoyed turning both woods. Filling voids it's best to use epoxy rather than CA which only lasts a few years.

[@brianhawes3115]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thanks so much, I have a question for you, I have a nova lathe, I think it’s from Australia, it has two different speed indicators one for us and one for down under, when you call out your speed would that be the Australian one? Don’t know why things spin faster down there

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@brianhawes3115 Nova lathes and chucks are manufactured by Teknatool New Zealand, made originally in NZ but now in China. I only used Nova lathes infrequently when demonstrating in NZ or the US and can't remember much about them other than I never had time to learn how to work the speed control effectively.

[@tagi3d]

Richard do you paint or seal the ends of green blanks? Any tips

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I do wax or paint the ends of fresly felled logs sawn into boards, but reckon that generally it merely slows the enivitable splitting. Turning bowls for a living I rough-turned all boards and logs as soon as possible, then let them dry without sealing the endgrain. I'm mostly using timbers known for their stability so splitting has never brern too much of a problem.

[@danielmetzler307]

When I cut a new green log, I inspect the ends for splits first. If no splits, I section the log into 3 pieces. I take out a center section of about an inch to one and one half inch for a future platter or dish depending on the size of the log and the grain widths. This leaves two bowel blanks. I immediately coat the ends and a ways up the sides of the blanks with end grain sealer. Depending on the tightness of the grain I may seal the entire center board. Richard lives in a much drier climate than I do , so he will have a faster rate of drying.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@danielmetzler307 I spent most of my production-turning years in damper Devonshire then overlooking the Tasman Sea, always coping with high humidity. I've never found sealing endgrain helps me get more bowls from a log. Rough turning ASAP is a far better way to go. Then the wood can move rather than split. With all the shorts kept solid I've found endgrain splitting on anything less than 200mm long has been so minimal that sealing the endgrain was never worth the effort or expense. I do choose my timber carefully and process it quickly, which makes a lot of difference when it comes to seasoning.

[@milasiroky3301]

I sent you a FB friend request and thank you.

[@milasiroky3301]

Thank you Richarrd very much.