Richard Raffan turning seven spatulas

Here you see me making a short run of juniper spatulas. The turning is in real time, the sanding mostly at X20 speed.

[@fallentreewoodcrafts]

Since watching your spatula turning videos, I have been turning spatulas to practice and build skew skills on my lathe and having a lot of fun. I've also started using my own turned spatulas and spoons in my own kitchen and have found them better than the crappy plastic ones. Thank you for sharing and teaching.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Good! There's so much pleasure to be gained using things you've made. More turners should follow your example.

[@fastfreddy9341]

I have been using most of my turning chisels wrong...which explains why I get tear-out so often. Thank you for demonstrating how to use them. Now I just need to work on getting them very sharp!

[@TheCanadianJon]

Amazing spatulas these are right up my alley! Thank you for every video you do, keep up the great work!

[@soxkoglunibaba6306]

The smell of juniper will always be a great memory of my grandfather. Enjoy learning from you Richard. 😊

[@johnnyb95678]

Thank you for another expert lesson in turning! You are a master with the skew! Beautiful work. Thank you!

[@MarklTucson]

What a great skew exercise; definitely going to try these with a skew. Appreciate seeing you go through multiple pieces, it really helped in understanding the various techniques with the skew. I'll bet your shop smelled great, could almost smell the juniper through the screen. Thanks again for the videos; they are really helpful.

[@jackthompson5092]

Beautiful spatulas Richard and with a notch in the end they become push sticks.

[@jimphilpott902]

You combine utility with art. Another good video.

[@glennnord2605]

Very nice job with the skew .

[@markschattefor6997]

The way you use the bandsaw reminds me a little bit of how Sam Maloof used it.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I'm nothing like as gang-ho as Sam was on the occasions I watched him in person shaping chair arms.

[@markschattefor6997]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Wow, this is the first time in my life that one of my heroes answered directly to something I said/wrote.

[@Roman-hx3qj]

La primera regla de pilotos de carrera automotriz dice que no hace falta espejo retrovisor porque “lo que está detrás de mi no es importante lo que está frente a mi es” eso no quiere decir que te olvides de tu pasado o personas y experiencias en cuba pero ahora que tienes la oportunidad de hacer un nuevo futuro para tu familia tómala de esa forma estarás en mejor situación para poder ayudar a los demás si eso deseas. Para mi sigues siendo la cubanita brava que desafió el sistema. Bravo!

[@PBUCKY1969]

I really enjoyed watching this Richard thanks - this is something i really must try - Stirling job!

[@bigjgordon]

Love watching you share your skill, experience, and practical approach to everything, Richard. I especially love when you speed up and sound like Alvin The Chipmunk!😜 Thanks for continuing to share with us!!

[@MASI_forging]

Beautiful work as always 👏👏

[@dagwood1327]

I am working juniper or a cousins to it. Making framing for solar panels from 4x4 inch. I have a bandsaw mill and access to some older trees. I am starting with 12-14” trees.

[@jimshaver898]

Hi Richard, As always a brilliantly simple process with your clear guidance. As a long time student of your videos and books it's a bonus to be able to comment with you. I would like to ask, roughly, what size blanks do you begin with at the lathe? Thank you in advance, Jim - Burlington Ontario

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I sahot htis about a year ago. These blanks would have been 250-300mm long.

[@DavidBird-uu8km]

Very nice another great video.

[@johnfrick9159]

Question when you were doing the hand or you had the point down of the skew but when you were doing the blade side of the spatula you had the blade up is there a reason for this? thank you for all your well done demonstration

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I don't change hands when turning. My right hand is always on the tool handle. Whenever possible I cut long curves from right to left so I use the skew long point down pointing in the direction I'm cutting with minimal tool pressure against the lathe axis. When cutting long curves from left to right and I find it more comfortable to use the tool long point up although I can lean on the headstock and use the long point down. So although I prefer to use the long point down on long curves and cylinders, I can only do this comfortably working right to left.

[@Aethalops]

Thanks so much! Enjoyable and instructive to watch, but I'm not sure it's gotten me past being intimidated about using a skew chisel on an interrupted cut.

[@walterklein5768]

Прекрасная работа! Желаю вам здоровья и успехов!

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Спасибо!

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks Richard .

[@archiehebron8944]

Ouch, when your tool rest hit the paddle 😬

[@PerikovRemont]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@christopherharrison6724]

How much do hand made spatulas go for?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It all depends on where you are selling and to whom and in what quantity. Retail in Australia is anywhere between $18 and $40, wholesale would be half that - which means you need to be able to make at least six an hour if you're selling wholesale.

[@jmacca6906]

Those spatulas are beautiful, the practice is evident. Do you have any particular reason for having a hard backed 40 grit sander and a foam backed 240? Is the foam more gentler/kinder on the curves for final touches? (And in the older days before you downsized would you instead use a belt sander for the majority of this - it's consistent speed and goes with the grain?)

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I prefer a belt or drum sander for the paddles. I find the softer pad does a better job on softening the edges and it creates the hint of a concave on the paddle face which I find feels better.

[@Mark-kb9yb]

Hi Richard Thanks for another great tutorial. What size chuck did you change over to at the 6 minute mark? Thanks Mark

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It's a Vicmarc VM100 chuck with pin jaws.

[@williamd.harring2728]

What was the approximate size of the blanks and what variety of wood would you recommend.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Spatulas tend to be anywhere from 200mm to 300mm long depending on how your'e going to use them. I think these are about 250mm (10-in) long.

[@MartinBergner]

So I googled- Is Boiled Linseed Oil considered to be food safe and the answer is NO? What are your thoughts?

[@boooshes]

Modern "boiled linseed" is not boiled but instead usually has metal compound driers instead. Traditionally, the linseed oil would be brought to boiling for a period of time which then caused its natural polymerization process to be faster when used as a finish. However, the boiling process is dangerous and more expensive than adding metal driers. Some say it is food safe, others not - how much residual metal (like cobalt) is sage? I just use walnut oil - it dries at room temperature and is food safe. If you buy food grade linseed oil (sold as flaxseed oil) it will work, but take longer to dry than BLO .

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I've used it as a finish for about 25 years, usually mixed with beeswax as you see on most of my videos. My understanding has been that small amount of toxicity in the oil is not an issue, apart from which the finish is removed when a utilitarian item is washed. If I lived in North America I'd be using Mahoney's Walnut oil which is not available in Australia.

[@Slemi]

I love your videos and I appreciate them a LOT, but can you please increase audio level? Thank you!

[@theojo65]

Beautiful work as always, where did you get that metal sanding disk you used to shape the flat ends?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

The metal sanding disk is a standard 150mm faceplate. I also have Velcroed MDF disks with a recess so they can be mounted on the expanding jaws of a chuck.

[@theojo65]

Thanks for the information Richard, appreciate your time

[@bigbridge1960]

D😊

[@reekiereekie7264]

How much do these wholesale for.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

About $12 Australian

[@GeraldJensen]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning That would be about US$9.00. I have had good luck at art fairs and craft shows selling them for US$20.00.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@GeraldJensenThese retail between $18 and $24 depending on size. They'd only be $9 by the dozen.