Richard Raffan on re-turning three roughed-out cylinders

Lots of useful stuff in this video as I work around common problems. You see several ways of holding a cylinder on the lathe. You see similar cuts from different angles, a few recovery techniques for when things don't go as planned, and finally using a thread-chaser to create clumps of beads.

[@jimphilpott902]

It is always such a pleasure to attend another class at Raffan University. Your generosity and skill is a gift to we woodturners.

[@Penqueen2010]

Richard Raffan has taught many people, myself that turning chisels have many purposes. A half-inch spindle gouge isn't just for spindle work. Nor is a bowl turning chisel just for turning bowls. During the first Woodworking Club, that l was a member of that was what I was told

[@DancingFox6]

Watching you get the out of round piece into the chuck in the most secure way was worth the price of admission. Some things just don’t occur to one until they’re pointed out, even though they seem obvious afterwards.

[@Penqueen2010]

When, I was learning to turn timber, l got hooked on turning pens and that is why the people at the Ipswich Timber Club called me Penqueen. A friend of mine here in Toowoomba is the King of Pen Turning

[@Penqueen2010]

Always very informative and interesting wood turning by Richard Raffan

[@geraldguyette470]

Richard , thanks for todays lesson , three beautiful turnings . My turnings have improved greatly watching you create so thanks again .

[@DennisHutton62]

The voice over works very well.😊

[@jakegevorgian]

Great woodturning masterclass! Ever since I've implemented a slight camber on my square scrapers, thanks to you, I've been getting amazing cuts and tool control over at the bottom ridges.

[@johnnyb95678]

Another great class by professor Raffan. Thank you very much.

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks Richard I am going to copy your work light i love the shade bit .

[@MarklTucson]

As always, there were many take-aways from this video, especially the tool techniques. Had never thought about using a thread chaser for decorative effect; that is a really cool idea and the results are quite pleasing.

[@brettgl21]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I learn something every time I watch one of your videos. Truly appreciated sir.

[@jackthompson5092]

Beautiful cylinders Richard.

[@MichaelKieweg]

Nice work! The tallest pot is my favourite

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I agree.

[@bobking6323]

Love the P&N tool, I have several myself

[@ShevillMathers]

Very nice end products, a little tricky with the inside finishing-not quite a beginner project but something to work towards. Greetings from Tasmania Australia 👍😁🇦🇺🦘

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

You'd be amazed at the projects many novices tackle and with considerable determination and grit (both metaphorical and cutting) complete.

[@ShevillMathers]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Richard, I have to agree with you on this, whe I look back only a short time ago and look at the first piece I turned, it certainly makes me think twice how I managed to make it when I look at it now!! Thank goodness we have folks like yourself who can show us the proper & safe way to turn wood. Today, based on yours and others demonstrations, I am sawing up more hard eucalyptus tree trunks (firewood) with a different eye on what might be suitable for turning rather than burning. Quite exciting too.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@ShevillMathers So you won't be dying of boredom just yet.....

[@ShevillMathers]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning I have too many interests and projects, astronomy being a major one, along with climate change data collectionat the local university along with anothef ageing colleage, playing music, landsape painting, building observatories and big telescopes and equipment, just to name the main ones, my enemy now is time, or rather the lack of enough time, the fact is I am slowing down in my otagenerian years as the mechanical struction lets down the brain.

[@MASI_forging]

Great making video anyway 👍👍

[@elgardog]

PS interesting use of the Thread Chaser.😊

[@donntisch365]

Brilliant!

[@MarkThompson-ms5wn]

well done

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Lovely, Richard! Lots of great tips there. I should try using my thread chasers for embellishing. Are the cylinders intended to be used for display in a group of three or are they intended to be actually used as containers?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

The tall one's going to the kitchen for spatulas, the middle stays in the workshop or studio for pencils, and nothing is planned for the other.

[@missteeturns]

A big Thank You for this and all your videos, you have given me so much guidance in my turning. Also the inspiration to emulate your work. I notice you favour gripper jaws over dovetail jaws, is this because they're more versatile?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Expanding jaws always grip on a small diameter, so the grip is never as secure as jaws gripping around a foot or tenon. Any chuck marks are easily removed using one of a number of techniques. Expanding jaws limit the depth to which you can hollow a bowl (or anything else), whilst compromising design options and usually leading to visually and physically heavier bases. Using expanding collets in the base of cylinders like these would be a ridiculous approach. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoeVhWmlf8x2n5Y

[@jacobbrowning8144]

How do you deal with difficult woods like white oak or apple when drying blanks or roughed out pieces? Does the age of the tree affect how prone it will be to checking? I have quite a bit of oak from a tree trunk over 250 years old and limbs over 100 years old. Will they behave differently when drying than the younger limbs from the same tree? So far, I rough turned four 11½" bowls and several quarter sawn blanks for boxes, and they all have split, most quite badly. I put 2 coats of wood glue on them as sealer, which has worked flawlessly until oak and apple. Your channel is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to post so much content and for sharing your knowledge of the trade.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I've found that it's species that have different drying characteristics, so if a wood likes to split or warp it'll do so regardless of age or size, trunk or branches. As a production turner I looked for woods known for their stability that also appealed to the general market. Timbers that split readily often warp dramatically as boards so I avoid those for regular symmetrical bowls, but that's just what i want for my green-turned distorted Wavy Bowls. www.richardraffan.com.au/bowls-turned-green/ When you rough turn bowls maintaining an even wall thickness and grain densitity reduces the chance of splitting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/opKlgZSmpcqmhpo

[@jacobbrowning8144]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thanks

[@nickjan67]

Impressive to follow the finishing of these three cylinders. While completing the bottom of the second cylinder, you remarked that such a (finishing) cut could not be achieved with a carbide cutter. I don’t question the observation, but I wonder whether you feel there is a place for carbide tools in the arsenal of the woodturner. What is your ‘take’ on carbide tools? Do you use them or see a place for them in the craft.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

There's probably not much difference between carbide and traditional scrapers when it comes to hogging out the insides of bowls or cylinders like these. When it comes to finishing cuts and particularly curves, I find it much easier using wider scrapers rather than narrow. Mostly I avoid replaceable tips on the grounds of inconvenience, and above all their expense in relation to traditional M2 tools. I think they're a triumph of marketing over substance.

[@gordcameron4409]

Your effective work with the shear scraper reminds me that I have a Richard Raffan "signature" spear point shear scraper (Henry Taylor, I think) that I could use more. If you have one, it would be good to see it in use, and to have your thoughts on it.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I lost my spearpoint for a few years ago and never replaced it. Instead I took to using the bevel side on a skew chisel which you'll see in a few of my videos. I can't recall for sure which ones, any of the boxes are most likely. .

[@jpncompany6275]

Is your camera mounted on an overhead rail system? What camera do you use? The 1st person views are very nice and appear to be high quality.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I had to design a camera stand for my very limited space. It's a steel pole on the small heavy base you see at the end of kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmPKlop7qrSqpdE . The camera is mounted on the end of a 400mm long piece of 90x20mm pine with a hole at the other end that just fits over the pole. When the camera arm is horizontal it can be quickly and easily repositioned to anwhere on the pole, then gravity keeps it in place. A short video will clarify matters. I'm using an old iPhone 5.

[@franciskisner920]

Other than right at the top of the cylinder where you might want to add a lid, is there a reason that the interior has to be a round cylinder? If the interior was left as an ellipse, would it cause any problems? In fact, would it even be noticeable? Thanks for sharing the video.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It rather depends on the purpose of the cylinder. For me having any turned form go slightly oval will usually add to its appeal. If it's a pencil pot, having it wider inside might be an advantage too. When a cylinder goes oval it's very unusual for the rim to remain absolutely round and flat.

[@elgardog]

Hi Richard, just seen your callipers for hollowing ( which I didn’t know existed) made by Veritas £70 ouch!! Dave UK

[@burnleyize]

I thought so also, but finally bit the bullet. It turned out to be a wise decision.

[@wesleyhead]

They're great- but still $55 here.

[@brianhawes3115]

Do you try and put a burr on your scraper? I’ve been taking mine to the grinder upside down to get the maximum burr, seems to work OK

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I use tools straight off an 80-grit CBN wheel so there is always a small burr on the edge. The green hone I use is coarse - it came with a garden tool and isn't marked as to grit, but also raises a small burr. On some very hard woods like gidgee or cocobolo I find a finely honed edge preferable.

[@robhoward9504]

Is a cross-grain box better than the spindle turning?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Crossgrain boxes need loose lids whereas endgrain boxes can have suction fit lids. So it depends on what sort of bo you want to make. Crossgrain is probably easier and for boxes over 3-in / 75mm diameter, suitable material is easier to obtain.

[@walter67435]

Okay! so this is a good example of a situation where I might feel nervous about making a lid for something like this. Things won't remain round. Lid must be very loose... Hence wall of cylinder too thick. Am I on the right track? I've found an aesthetically pleasing solution but I'd be interested in hearing whether you'd even consider turning this into a box.

[@walter67435]

Gosh so many things in this video that help me right now in a direct way. I'm going to need to consider buying your books to ease my conscience!

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It'd be easy enough to turn a lid to cover any one of these tubes. I don't expect these to change shape much now they're seasoned. The design of a lid is a whole other issue! I'll give that some thought for a follow-up video.