Richard Raffan turns a flat box in forest sheoak

This cross-grain box is turned from two of the quarter-sawn blanks cut in the video on Cutting an Old Beam into Figured Blanks.
• Richard Raffan cuts an...

[@burnleyize]

41 of the best minutes I’ve recently spent! How are you going to keep topping yourself??! What a craftsman.

[@chrisvos2721]

Even after many years of turning about 30, I am still learning some new skills from you Mr Raffan from my first video tape until now. THANKS

[@paulhale3472]

I very much value the explanations of how and why you present the tool in the manner that you do to do a particular cut. Thank you.

[@seanburke8610]

Richard, I get a buzz of excitement every time you post a new video!😊 Thanks for all the brilliant content.

[@johnmitchell1614]

Me too! 🤗

[@jimphilpott902]

Character is defined by what we give or contribute rather than what take or receive. You gift us with so much!

[@jamescarter8813]

What a beautiful piece of timber masterfully made into a great box. I always enjoy that you tell why and how any goofs or mistakes happen, what caused them and how to avid them. That is experience that every watcher of these videos needs to appreciate. Thank you for sharing your skill Richard!

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

My pleasure.

[@harveypflugerh5901]

This is the most informative turning video I have ever seen. There is so much going on I will have to watch it a few times. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I hope you get something out of all the other videos as well....

[@harveypflugerh5901]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning absolutely all very interesting and informative. I have learn much.

[@andreakirkby]

Lovely video. The commentary is useful and the pace is nicely relaxed. And I learned a lot!

[@colinball1960]

Lovely shallow box Richard. Absolutely gorgeous pattern in the wood.

[@63sfletcher]

Could watch you all day, thanks for your time and effort.

[@hfbowerndesigns810]

Lovely little box design Richard Take care Cheers Harold

[@bradbyers7505]

I love this design. I'm going to turn a somewhat miniature version of this for a ring box. My daughter is getting married November 12. Thank you for sharing this technique.

[@brianhawes3115]

I just found some bees wax in a container in the shop and used it with some oil and wow what a great, and easy, finish. Thanks for your lessons on keeping things as simple as possible. That is what keeps me coming back to your videos. Thanks again for your time and experience

[@MarklTucson]

I learn something new from each of your videos; thanks so much for making these available. That wood really has some nice figure as well.

[@johnkriplean1148]

Always a pleasure to watch you turn and learn.

[@DiemenDesign]

WOW, that's some fantastic timber and a lovely box. Thanks for sharing Richard, I really enjoyed this one.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Yep! You never know what's hidden in some of these scruffy old beams.

[@milasiroky3301]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Unfortunately, such wood does not grow here 😞

[@DiemenDesign]

So true, I'm expecting a load of timber from a mate who's been contracted to clean up an old Farm House that burnt down, apparently, it was built with Tas Blackwood and Myrtle and still has large pieces that escaped. Hopefully some interesting pieces in it. Got similar stuff a couple of years ago of Macrocarpa that had been burnt, where the heat had done some interesting stuff to the grain.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@milasiroky3301 The point is that if you have woods like oak or plane with prominent medullary rays you can cut for similar patterns.

[@milasiroky3301]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Yes, that's right, I have to work with the options I have and keep learning. Richard, thanks for the good advice.

[@ValioMadre7]

A master craftsman at work. Always a pleasure to watch & learn. Thank you.

[@patdugas9635]

Always a pleasure to watch you at work! Wondering what angle do you grind your spindle gouge to? Thanks!

[@ArchEdge]

Thank you for another great video Richard - truly inspiring.

[@mikeduvar]

Excellent as always, thank you Richard - especial thanks for the trick of using the edge of the skew to take a very fine shaving - new to me but I'll be using it in future.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I've always found the side of the skew bevel very useful. And knowing it's an 'incorrect' use of the skew chisel makes it all the more satisfying.

[@joevarga3345]

A very enjoyable turning to watch, thank you so much for sharing.

[@woodandmetalandstuffpauldo8561]

Nice work Richard, cheers for sharing.

[@jackthompson5092]

Beautiful little box Richard.

[@oldcharlie5533]

Beautiful ..your chucking technique is very clever....a true master.

[@DougMilleratWoodSpunRound]

Superb! Great use of thin blanks.

[@randykniebes5364]

Very well done .I love the detail you show to help me get a better idea and new techniques.

[@milasiroky3301]

beautifully done!!!

[@jontoolman]

Great video Richard. Always informative. Ghank you

[@tbourk3040]

Thanks!

[@specialsauce305]

Beautiful work.

[@ShevillMathers]

A very nice piece-delightful figure in the wood makes it look so elegant. Thank you for sharing your skills once again. Greetings from Tasmania Australia.😁👍🦘

[@jefffritzlan3946]

Brilliant!

[@terrysharp908]

Excellent, thank you

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks

[@nix8960]

Perfect, thanks

[@jimbrock8928]

Lovely

[@peternewman9713]

Very beautiful. Can't beat WA timber!

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I best not comment...

[@duaneheadworth6275]

Amazing.

[@jimjohnson1901]

Nice job! Jim Johnson, Kansas City.

[@markthompson6860]

well done

[@dagwood1327]

I like how you brace with your other hand. I bet it relieves joint stress all the way to you neck.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

More the lower back I find. Often my left forearm is planted on the headstock so my right hand is pulled towards a fixed point.

[@tomcoker9882]

That was impressive use of two thin pieces of wood to make a beautiful little lidded box. A couple of questions if you don’t mind; what is the grit of the diamond hone you use to touch up your tools and what is the oil you use with the bees wax to finish your items? Thanks in advance and thank you for another informative video. Cheers, Tom

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

The oil is boiled linseed and if the hone is green it's coarse, whilst others are finer.

[@ned711]

Watching you work is always a pleasure. I’ve enjoyed you and your contribution to wood turning all the way back to the black and white days of FineWoodworking and your Taunton books. They introduced me to and got me excited about wood turning. You are able to do something that I have trouble with. You are able to take a piece out of the chuck and put it back so it’s still balanced. When I put it back, it always seems to be a bit out of whack. I uses serrated chucks and you use smooth dovetail chucks. Is that the problem and solution? Thanks for your great contribution to woodturning!! Ned

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I've used all sorts of chucks in production and had to use others in demonstrations when my preferred chucks wern't available. For nearly 30 years I've used Vicmarc chucks and I continue to rate them as superior to all others, particularly for their dovetail jaw rims. I never found serrated jaws offered a better grip and they always mark the wood. Did you see kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoeVhWmlf8x2n5Y

[@ned711]

Richard: Thank you for referencing your video on the Vicmarc chuck and it’s dovetailed jaws, which I just looked at. Very informative indeed. I wish I had invested in Vicmarc chucks rather than Oneway’s. Oneway’s jaws are claimed to be “serrated dovetailed” jaws, but they don’t seem to work as well as Vicmarc’s. I will check, but I don’t think Oneway makes smooth jaws that are dovetailed like Vicmarc’s. Thank you again. Ned

[@tricolorturners]

Sweet! It looks like the stock started around 3/4" and 1 1/4" or so.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

The lid blank was 15mm thick so the base must have been around on inch.

[@nljack123]

Richard, another great video. Thank you for posting. What is the width of the sheer scrapers that you use?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

My preferred size for a shear scraper is 1-in x ¼-in. skewed about 15-degrees

[@garyjanes2358]

Of course, you make it look so easy with the sanding/finishing. I have been working with Ash, and am having a very difficult time getting the tool marks/bruising to disappear. In general, I do not get the sanding to be satisfactory with 180 up to 220 range. Also, using scraping on the Ash promotes bruising as well. Recommendations?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Bruising is always to do with riding the bevel too hard against the wood. You aim for pressure similar to rubbing your hands under a hot-air dryer. With scraper finishing cuts you need to think in terms of stroking the surface but I don't see how you'd bruise the wood unless the scraper was very blunt and not cutting at all. On top of that, ash varies with the species, and if it's not air dried that usually makes it more difficult to turn. I use a lot of claret ash which is a joy to work, and recently some nearly identical (to look at) desert ash which isn't.

[@garyjanes2358]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you. I will pay more attention!

[@neabud]

Simple yet very elegant dish. Have you done a show n tell of your dust collector? Thank you

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqjYd3hnYpukeJI

[@sethwarner2540]

Hey! Leave the knot in there! Makes it unique! At 28:14, I do't see how you grab the edge (cuz its so TINY). At 32:11 I was hoping the fit would be more of a "PMUK!(suction fit)", but you know best! I know about wood movement...

[@archiefieldhouse]

Also, although its satisfying, a suction fit on this box would result in the user picking up the whole box when trying to lift the lid

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Too much messing around to deal with that knot and the box will be unique enough without it. The grain patterns always make a turning unique. At 28:14 the chuck jaws expand into the base of the dome inside the lid. You see that at 14:36.

[@nickjan67]

At one point you mentioned breaking several knuckles years ago when the sandpaper (I believe) caught on the far side of the box edge. Could you elaborate on what happened and have you experienced other serious mishaps in the course of your career?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

If you push abrasive to about 4 o'clock when sanding a bowl or platter, the upward motion of the wood can drag your fingers to 12 0'clock. It happens in a millisecond and you're still pushing when the wood loses its grip, so your fingers shoot forward into the upcoming wood which grabs them again and bends or thrusts them back. In 52 years of turning wood I've had three or four major injuries involving blood and stitches, two from exploding bowls that simply flew apart, no catches involved. A finger was crushed loading a sanding pad into an angle drill and I crushed the end of another finger when my bandsaw somehow grabbed a squared blank. Craft Supplies in Provo probably still displays the 6-in x 2-in ash square that I interacted with - that was 13 stitches on my forehead.

[@ericmoorehead1100]

Would you ever use a glue block as an alternative mounting method?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

It's a good way to go if you have the time but not the chucks. Glue blocks add a few steps to the process as well as more opportunities to stuff things up. In these videos I'm trying to show a wide range of chucking options and haven't got the glue blocks yet, but they're miniatures waiting in the wings.

[@bprades]

Très joli! Quel produit utilisez vous pour la finition?

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

L'huile est de la graine de lin bouillie, la cire est de la cire d'abeille

[@bprades]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning merci pour vos réponses ! J aime beaucoup votre travail et l utilisation de mandrins sans dommages ..