Richard Raffan turns a crossgrain green ash spatula pot

This crossgrain storage pot is turned from green claret ash. You see how I hollow to a depth of 150mm (6-in) using gouges and scrapers. Finally you see variations involving verdigris and rust.

[@richardhefty]

Cliffhanger ending! Never seen the "verdigris treatment" before. Looking forward to the explanation.

[@johnwhitteron5296]

"Ah, the tool was upside down. That's what was happening there!" 😂 I love the understatement and that you always revel in your mistakes. Very encouraging to us mere mortals. Many thanks Richard.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

We only really learn through mistakes and stuff going not as it should or could.

[@timofeyzhukov-khovanskiy9173]

I made myself a 30" Oland tool scraper with a 3/8" m42 lathe bit for those deep scrapings, definitely helps to have it in my armpit

[@gummittgiantcleaver7622]

As someone just getting back into turning Richards small details are something to listen to. Also the replies to some comments will prove valuable and increase safety. Thank You

[@ShevillMathers]

From a white knuckle ride ‘internal scraping’ to works of art. A superb transformation of what nature provided for you to sculpt. Fascinating, thank you for sharing your expertise once again. Greetings from Tasmania Australia 👍😁🦘

[@billy19461]

It is always fun to watch a true master at his craft!😊

[@colinchalmers1099]

Nice one Richard,like the tip on rubbing the bevel on the drill bit before pushing it in,thanks for sharing.cheers Colin.

[@threestarfancywoodworks1902]

youtube.com/@threestarfancywoodworks1902

[@MarklTucson]

Really enjoy watching your videos; I always learn something from them.

[@robertcornelius3514]

It's amazing how much more work and effort is needed in hollowing out a six inch deep box vs only a three inch deep box.

[@tagi3d]

Wood turning really is versatile. So much more than spindles and bowls is possible. Thanks again RR!

[@RobbieBolog]

Love the physical nature of this one. Keeping that square end scraper stable and avoiding catches at that depth was impressive. Thanks for showing some of the end products as well. Love the variety and randomness that they all take!

[@kenvasko2285]

I made my first pot. It's only 5-1/2" x 2-1/4" outside dia. I had a 9" long blank but I quickly discovered I do not heavy enough scrapers to turn the inside. I made it out of apple. I know that was a bad choice but it was practice. I ribbed it and it really looks good. The microwave drying put a good warp into the piece but the top 3/4" split vertically near the pith. I like the design and feel of the pot even with the split. Do you think I should cut off the top 3/4"? Or keep it? I appreciate the work that goes into making your pot!

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I’d keep it, Ken. Splits can be detailed - or filled if you’re then going to hide the split with paint or verdigris. It’s one of those design opportunities. Apple is generally a good choice if you want some distortion, but it does have a nasty habit of splitting if the wall thickness is uneven and around knots. Including the actual pith invites radial splits.

[@emgiwoodworks]

Hollowing such deep & narrow holes is still giving me problems. But one thing I noticed is that I do not have the right tools for the job. Fortunately Santa is almost there. 😁

[@joefernandes1359]

Interesting and excellent learning from the guru ofcourse. Thank you Richard!!!

[@sethwarner2540]

Im watching this one to see how you DONT get a catch!! Im guessing you don't use a drill for this so we who don't have a drill bit this size will be able to do this; thanks! I love it when you say"Nope; it doesn't sound right!" Much of expertise is a matter of sound verification.

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

I'm not a wood turner but I appreciate the artistic elements of your work. The finished products look like ceramic vessels fired using the Raku method. The warping adds to the effect. Splendid! I'm subscribing to your channel. Thank you for sharing your process with us and I look forward to learning your finishing techniques.

[@jimbessette5353]

Thank you Richard. Can't wait for the finishing topic.

[@pkaul5012]

Cant wait for the video on how you make that rust and green patina look so natural! Thanks Richard!

[@DiemenDesign]

Interesting projects, thanks for sharing Richard.

[@brianhawes3115]

Great project, will have to try this , as I need a place to put all the spatulas!

[@jackthompson5092]

Great looking pots Richard.

[@woodturner1954]

I like them, think I'll try it myself

[@dennisoliver6421]

Just love those things!

[@leegtd]

Thanks! Beautiful work. Thank you for doing these videos for us.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

And thank you.

[@rootvalue]

11:50 is priceless. 😂 Love watching you craft.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

We need these moments of light relief.... No point in pretending they never happen.

[@russellseaton2014]

I like how at 31:50 you are taking off the tiny piece under the tailstock and say shear cut here and we can almost push it off and turn the lathe off. Then you do and the wood is perfect where it broke off. Some expertise and experience there.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It suprisingly easy and a matter of timing.

[@chrisisalmon]

Richard, it might be trick of the camera angles but you never seem to tighten the banjo as you're working around the pieces. Should I just get my eyes checked?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I always have the banjo locked down although occasionally not as tight as it could be.

[@chrisisalmon]

Eyes checked it is then. 😁

[@nielsvlietland5406]

good video again. question: what is the adventage of drilling a center hole before hollowing? and i see a lot turners hollow fom the outside to the inside and leave the center in as long as possible because they say it would be more stabile . what is you´re reason to take away the center first. i´m a beginner so i try to learn as much as i can about all the tecniques and the reason behind it.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

The centre hole is drilled to the depth to which I wish to hollow. This saves time measuring the thickness in the base of a project. There are other advantages: On bowls a depth hole also reduces the risk of gouge catches at centre. Inside small diameters as here and hollowing endgrain, not having wood at centre (where the hole is) makes hollowing with scrapers easier at centre, of if you're back-hollowing a depth hole makes starting the cut easier.

[@nielsvlietland5406]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning it makes sense. Thanks

[@ronreynolds8207]

At about 4:30 you mention the spindle gouge is less expensive steel than the bowl gouge. What do you mean by that?

[@ronreynolds8207]

Why hollow with the smaller bowl gouge? Opening size?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Spindle gouges are much less expensive than deep-fluted bowl gouges - often almost half the price.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@ronreynolds8207 A ½-in deep flute gouge, or even ⅜-in, would have been far too big in that situation, even with a very long 30-degree bevel and steep right wing. The ¼-in asymmetric gouge has a very long bevel and steep right wing that's ideal for hollowing tall narrow crossgrain and undercutting a rim in an enclosed form. YOU can see this at 15:45 in kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZa5cnp7qKatoLs, the Hymalayan Pot video.

[@ronreynolds8207]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning yes, but that lack of a wing is so much more stressful. what i pay for in bowl gouge i make up for in not worrying as much about catches. :)

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@ronreynolds8207 I don't understand what your problem is. You see the ½-in spindle gouge used to turn the square to a cylinder. The lack of a wing shouldn't be a problem unless you present the wing of a gouge with the flute up in which case any gouge will catch.

[@oshgcan3350]

Richard, why do you never use a roughing gouge? The name implies it would be good for rounding square wood.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Here I'm turning crossgrain with the grain at 90-degrees to the lathe axis, so facework techniques are required rather than those for spindle turning. Deep fluted roughing gouges, now usually sold as deep fluted spindle roughing gouges, are designed specifically for roughing spindles square to round when the grain is parallel to the lathe axis and running the length of the blank. They should never be used for roughing facework. This video shows gouges for roughing spindles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmXIo4Wba9mIqpo

[@scottstubberud1137]

A spindle roughing gouge is not made for cross grain turning to round a piece. As I am sure Richard will tell you. Hence the name spindle roughing gouge. It is made for peeling cuts and it is not built for the impacts that a cross grain catch can produce. It can break where the tang and handle meet causing a very sharp tool to be flung violently back at the operator. People have been killed doing this exact same thing! Please never do it!

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@scottstubberud1137 Thank you for your input. We can't make this point too often.

[@scottstubberud1137]

Thanks Richard! I’m honored that you have responded favorably to my comment. You are the man I go to if I ever want answers. You always have them and I always learn something new even if I’ve watched your video 10 times already, I get something new every time I watch it. You have mastered so many amazing details that are common sense once you’ve seen them implemented but they are like magic if not explained correctly to back it up. Thank you for sharing your skills with us!!

[@oshgcan3350]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning I watched the video you linked. You showed several ways to round end grain. At the end, you said you usually use a skew. Why?

[@jimmit77]

Thanks Richard. You're the most agressive turner I've watched, but you really get the job done.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Many thanks for the contribution. I like to thinkin terms of positive rather than aggressive. If you get an edge at just the right angle a shape comes easily.

[@tomcoker9882]

Thanks for the video and ideas on doing things others say you shouldn’t (grain orientation for one), of course I think even you might agree it works better if you use tools right side up 🙄. I like the finish pieces and it’s neat how the look after shifting all over the place. However, I personally am not too fond of the painting, sorry. Cheers, Tom

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Fortunately we all have different tastes. lIfe would be very boring otherwise.

[@jorisdemoel3821]

So end grain is harder work, and but are there advantages to it? (Not working it, the finished product) Looking forward to the finishing video to see how you get those results.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I think the advantages are almost entirely to do with ease of turning and consequent speed when making quantities of small items. Bowls up to 55-60mm diameter can be turned in a few minutes with none of the endgrain problems that arise with crossgrain on that diameter. Problems arise with endgrain items over that diameter which are quite fragile if the wall thickness is less than 2mm. Grain running vertically is much more likely to split than grain running across. Visually you get more interesting grain patterns on crossgrain unless you turn a whole branch when you have broad patterns similar to those on sheets of plywood made of peeled veneer. Then the problem is that you have the pith in the base of the bowl or box that's very likely to split unless the wood is particularly dense or stable like the horizontal scrub box on the right , fourth down in the right-side column in my website gallery. www.richardraffan.com.au/boxes/

[@jorisdemoel3821]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Many thanks fot the clear explanation.

[@markthompson6860]

you never say thank you

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

My apologies. So thanks you for your earlier comment which I've only just seen as I've been playing snooker all morning. And I don't have time to respond to every comment as well as the emails.

[@gregmcateer8752]

To be fair, he's no real need to - Richard is sharing his decades of knowledge for free, to, literally EVERYONE. Not sure everyone thanks him every time they watch and learn.

[@WhoGnu08]

@@gregmcateer8752 Richard, thank you very much for this and all your other videos.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@WhoGnu08 My pleasure, Greg. I hope to save novices much of the frustration and trauma I experienced as a beginner in 1970 when tuition beyond the absolute basics wan't available - unlike today. And hopefully there are some insights to help those with more experience work more effeciently.