Richard Raffan turns two juniper test bowls to learn how the wood works

[@29jug11]

Dear Richard, I want to thank you, for vastly improving my confidence and Woodturning skills, transferring from ,my usual, end grain boxwood boxes, to small a selection of small bowls turned from a variety of gifted Timbers, from small logs, to blanks cut from old mahogany doors. I have managed to master the bowl gouge , and scrapers. Even going as fas as purchasing a new gouge and carbide tipped tools. I’ve also brought into use a set of large old negative rake scrapers, which had been inherited, but never used; you have given them a new lease of life. I’m an ancient 85 years old now, turning for an hour or so , most days keeps me motivated , and prevents me from napping so much.. ..THANK YOU! So much.

[@micheleheddane3804]

It’s your finesse that captivates me , just a slight tilt on a tool and it’s perfect, calm perfection

[@seamusday1964]

How lucky are we to have the opportunity to learn from a lifetimes experience by the master himself - modest though he is! Richard thank you for being so generous with your time to make these fabulous videos and impart your incredible, hard earned experience! Love the tin can lathe light fitting by the way!

[@jakegevorgian]

Richard, the more you show different tools in use, the more I learn. I'm sure that the vast majority of your audience will agree with me on this.

[@johnnyb95678]

Seamus hit the nail on the head! We are all so lucky that you are sharing your wisdom and experience with all of us. I have learned so much from Richard's videos! Thank you very much.

[@scottstubberud1137]

Richard, I think specifically what you have is what we in the south west (New Mexico) call western red cedar, which is probably more accurately eastern red cedar that now grows out west. There are sources for it in my area. Not common but intensely desirable for its insane beautiful reddish to intensely purple wood with a lighter heart wood for amazing contrast in your turnings!! Super dry if left for awhile. Notorious for radial micro splits. They don’t open hardly more than a human hair and they can develop after the piece is finished. I usually rough turn it then apply some thin CA before returning to final shaping. Usually no more attention is later needed. They can penetrate and go through deeper than anticipated so chipping chunks out is not uncommon. Cuts beautiful with someone with good technique like Richard (and myself occasionally). Sands well and finishes gorgeously. Easily in my top 3 favorite woods. Knots look amazing in the finished process and I highlight them every chance I can. Usually, at least out here in the desert the tree grows haphazardly and the trunk is seldom round, and they often grow here in very rocky terrain almost like an octopus clinging to the top of a rock outcropping. They twist and turn and don’t grow tall usually. I’m so excited to see Richard turning it!! Great choice. Caution it is considered reasonably toxic as wood goes! Skin dryness and irritation (speaking from experience) and I wouldn’t consider cutting or sanding it without my respiratory gear. Just a little dusting makes my sinuses shut down hard. I don’t let that happen.

[@scottstubberud1137]

By the way eastern (western) red cedar is part of the juniper family as opposed to the true cedar family

[@trevorhuntley8093]

Thank you Richard for taking the time to make these special videos, I also agree for you to use all the tools necessary to achieve the beautiful finish that we are all aiming for.

[@ShevillMathers]

Does it matter how many tools you use? You come up with perfectly finished products in record time. A benefit of seeing you use a variety of tools is that we get to see how each tool is used correctly, a big difference to seeing someone using the wrong tool incorrectly-as so often is the case. Greetings from Tasmania Australia 👍🛠😁🇦🇺🦘

[@MASI_forging]

Great to see your post. Keep up the great work. 👍

[@daviddickmeyer5231]

Nicely done bowls sir. And I say that you can use as many tools as you want. You are a master of your craft and a joy to watch!

[@jackthompson5092]

Very beautiful Richard.

[@markhunt6177]

I should try some juniper. We have them in my region. Very nice looking bowls.

[@dt.woodcreations2064]

The Juniper reminds me of Red Cedar. I have learned so much from your videos. Your use of various tools is very useful. I don’t have a sock but I have the rag. Thanks for a great video.

[@terryyancy3957]

Very nice bowls. Thanks for sharing

[@NathansFerroceriumrods1]

Beautiful work.

[@bobg8997]

I so enjoy watching you turn. As both a hobby woodworker and cook, your “feel for the wood” approach reminds me of the classic cook who uses feel & taste to make magic. My only question for you is how often do you sharpen your scrapers off-camera? Your burrs seemingly last forever!!

[@ronroberts9612]

Thank you for all your info and the way you share it. Can you please tell me the bevel angle for your 1/2 inch spindle gauge and the 3/4 inch? Thanks

[@emgiwoodworks]

Well, I cannot imagine you being bothered by a guy who complains about using too many tools. If you are sensitive to those things, YT can be a bad place. Over a certain # of views you always get negative remarks, regardless of how good you are. Main thing is it gets the job done and I'm always stunned at how seemingly effortless you succeed in that. There's still a lot I can learn from you so please don't be bothered by the moaners! 😎

[@timofeyzhukov-khovanskiy9173]

That's great that you can finish off the gouge with 180 grit paper, I seem to have some problems with that, since I get the tool marks on the bowl, guess gotta work on my technique so I don't have to go through all the grits from 80

[@TheCanadianJon]

Very nice!

[@davebenson1021]

Mr Raffan, what size "wide-thick" scraper are you using ? Love your handling of tools. So deliberate and accurate. Thank you Sir.

[@pjenslin1]

Thanks for video! What size bowl scraper are you using in this video?

[@randycosgrove3608]

As always I enjoy seeing how cleanly and quickly you work. I know seeing a video is not quite the same as seeing the work in life but the cuts you get with your scrapers seem really clean. I'm wondering if you ever go straight from sheer scraping to the sock ( or other finish ) and never have to resort to sanding? Or am I just not able to see the minor blemishes you sand out?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

No matter how clean the cut off the tool, the endgrain never feels quite as smooth as the long grain, so you have a surface not smooth enough for those who like high gloss, and not rough enough for people who want rough and rustic. I've never had much success selling bowls finished off the tool although in the long run they develop a wonderful patina with use.

[@glencrandall7051]

Two very nice little bowls. I love Juniper. Is that the same as Cedar that I find here in the US? Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I don't know which juniper this is. It's on the ground as a log and I know only that it grew on a local golf course. .

[@randyscorner9434]

I have been turning juniper here in Utah. Is this material you're doing also very aromatic? I have not been able to get the kind of cuts I see you getting, perhaps because I'm turning both heart and sapwood. (Many here call it Utah Juniper but I think I'd call it Aromatic Cedar).

[@kevinvieyra7468]

Kind of an unrelated question...what are your thoughts on bolting the lathe to the floor? I have a one-way 24x36. It's fairly is heavy and I've preferred the option of being able to move if necessary. Maybe you could talk about lathe setup? Heigh? Have you already, maybe I missed it.? Cheers

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

There's a look at my lathe setup in kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqjYd3hnYpukeJI and also the workshop tour video. My lathe isn't bolted down. You want center at about elbow height. The big Oneway is heavy enough you don't need to bolt it down unless turning very out-of-balance blanks or a heap of multi-axis turning. If you do bolt it down be sure to fill any gaps under the feet before tightening the bolts in case you twist the lathe bed. Sounds unlikely, but I'm told that can happen.

[@michaelmcdermott2178]

Lovely!

[@jorisdemoel3821]

Those are lovely little bowls, very fine colour and form. Do you think you could have made them into a simple box as you started the second? I assume the lack of experience with juniper hs to do with the lack of juniper in Australia? Also almost everything is a better with an application of sock. Thanks for another instructional and wonderful video.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I contemplated a box, but needed to find out if the wood has any nasty habits first.

[@andoidv8945]

Very nice Richard. What width is the scraper that you used on the inside of these bowls? Hello from Scotland

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It's a 30x9mm Raffan Signature tool made by Henry Taylor. It's designed for endgrain and small facework like these little bowls.

[@andoidv8945]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thank you very much 🙂

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@andoidv8945 Correction: 30x9mm. I had occasion to measure one yesterday.

[@debbyknott7163]

Very nice bowls. What size wood did you use?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

You can see the blanks in kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGHFgYZ-ibmcnsk. The bowls are 65mm diameter so the blanks were probably no more than 68mm wide.

[@donntisch365]

It just so happens i made a large scraper like the one you've used here. I was pretty surprised. Im not going to say it was easy, but certainly not overly difficult. I was uncertain of what angle grind to put on it. In the end i chose a 15 degree angle figuring i could adjust later if necessary. I found an shovel handle that i was able to use to create the handle. Mr Raffan i know you put a lot of your own grinds on your scrapers, do you use a variety of angles and if you do, can you explain to me the reasoning? Is there an angle that is more versatile or preferable? From watching your videos it seems to me that the reach or being able to fit the scraper is more important than anything else, am i correct in that?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I have a 45 degree bevel on the nose of all my gouges and scrapers, then the bevel steepens on swept-back gouges and round-nose scrapers. There are too many variables to address here, but you'll find the reasoning behind my various grinds detailed in my books and particularly in Turning Wood and Turning Bowls.The bottom line is that I grind tools the way I do because they enable me to work efficiently. www.richardraffan.com.au/books-and-dvds/

[@donntisch365]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning thank you. This morning while watching some of your videos I found that I was actually ahead of you quite often in what tool you were going to grab to manage the next cut. I thought that very funny. I must say I am a big Richard Raffan fan. Your techniques for using scrapers are simple brilliant!

[@alangibb3100]

Richard why would some idiot say you use to many tool, you use as many as you like when turning its what makes the tuning easier and the end result. QQ what grind do you use on your scrappers as they seem to cut fantastically all the time. From bonny Scotland

[@mgmoody42]

Too many tools? I bet he doesn't say that to his car mechanic.

[@henniebasson515]

Perhaps a stupid question - but why not open the divider half-size, keep one point at the centre and scribe with the other point? It seems to me to be easier and more accurate. Kind regards.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I find it easier, faster, and more accurate to measure the diameter with dividers then transfer the diameter to the wood - rather than measuring the diameter, divide that in half, then set the dividers, then find exact centre, after which any error is doubled plus there's a small and undesirable pin hole at centre.

[@pieta23]

What speed are you turning these bowls at?

[@milasiroky3301]

I'm quite curious as to how it is possible that two of the last three videos have subtitles and this last one doesn't...🙄

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I have no idea but suspect you can set up subtitles at your end.

[@milasiroky3301]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning I can not. Most of your videos have subtitles and I can set up automatic translation, but some videos don't allow it, for example the Cassuarian small flat box ;-)

[@mwhelan53]

The juniper is quite a nice looking species Richard, was it green when you turned it? I'm not sure why but I keep expect to see William Simmons appear in the corner of the shot with s fag hanging out of his mouth.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I was nearly-dead tree. Moisture proably about 20%. I've not idea which William Simmons you mean or why he reats a mention.

[@brettgl21]

Anyone that thinks they can tell Mr. Raffan, or anyone else for that matter, how many tools to use should take a good hard look in the mirror and ask the following question. How did I become such an arrogant prick?

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Using too many tools? 1 or 100 its all the same - its not the tool, its the person behind it!