A Southwest Inspired Segmented Turning - Feature Rings

I have 150 hours invested in making this vessel with a lot of video clips so I've broken the project into three videos. In this first video I show how I made the feature rings. The main ring is a porthole ring with applied inlaid figures. The secondary feature ring at the top is a sunrise ring. My inspiration for both came from books and articles written by Malcomb Tibbetts a segmented turner in South Lake Tahoe, CA. I thank Malcomb for the inspiration. I hope you enjoy these videos. Questions and comments are always welcome.

[@tahoeturner]

Nice job, thanks for the shout out.

[@slindsley1951]

Thanks Malcolm!

[@kobiekaasjager4822]

Hello Steve this vesel you made is absolutely magnificent I am now watching it for the second time. Now I am waiting for the following videos. Thank you for showing the feature rings it is stunning and breathtakingly beautiful. God bless you.

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much Kobie. It was a fun yet challenging project. Take care, Steve

[@michaelsharps9039]

Hi Steve, what a great project and an absolutely brilliant result. I am one of those less experienced wood workers who is just getting into segmented turning and all your words are much appreciated, they make the various steps easier to follow and very informative. Like some of your other subscribers, I will be using your videos to help me make something similar when I feel I have the right skills and ability. Your work has been a real inspiration and encouragement to go out and try something more complex. Many thanks for all your words and the videos. Mick.

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much Mick. I hope you give the project a try. It's a challenge with with patience and a wedgie sled I'm sure you'll be successful. :-) Thanks again for watching and for the comment. It's very much appreciated. Take care, Steve

[@chandarussell]

Wow. Spectacular work. That is one amazing vase/pot. It’s simply stunning. I don’t know what else to say about it. I’m speechless.

[@slindsley1951]

Chanda - Thank you very much. It was a challenging but fun project. Take care, Steve

[@thomaskuzia8125]

Hi Steve, I'm sitting here shaking my head in awe! This piece is truly amazing and your step-by-step explanation is great! At 75 years old I'm just staring out working with wood and you inspire me to keep going! Thanks for the video!!! Tom

[@slindsley1951]

Thomas - Thank you for your kind comments. This is one of my pieces that I'm most proud of. It has a special place in my office so I can look at it everyday. Never too late to start working with wood. Good luck on your woodturning adventure! Take care, Steve

[@stewartmcmanus3991]

75 years old too and just about to start turning and I love these videos, Steve, Stewart, south west Australia.

[@dawnbigwarfe6871]

Wow amazing! Love it

[@billgrandone3552]

Steve, of all the wood working projects I have seen on You Tube, this is undoubtedly the best. I'm kicking myself because I took college prep courses in high school when I could have taken shop. I never once used calculus in my entire life, but I would have loved to have been able to make something useful and beautiful like your project.

[@slindsley1951]

Bill - Thank you for the comments. This is by far my favorite piece that I've made so far. It's been copied at least twice by others on KZbin so it must have some appeal. It was a difficult but satisfying project. Thanks again for watching and commenting on my video. Take care, Steve

[@danielcross6815]

Steve, excellent work and great presentation. You have a tremendous gift, and of great importance to me is that you make this level of work "doable" so thank you. I just did my first zig zag ring thanks to you!

[@slindsley1951]

+Daniel Cross Your comments made my night Daniel! I can't thank you enough for watching and for letting me know that my videos have been a help to you. Congratulations on your zig zag ring....I'm sure it's just the beginning of a great project. Thanks again! Take care, Steve

[@0602Jonboy]

Your flair, skill and patience is truly amazing, what an absolutely stunning piece of craftsmanship - brilliant - far more than I could ever achieve but really like how you explain your methods. Thanks Steve for a very enjoyable presentation, you narration is so nice to listen to. Regards, Tony(UK)

[@slindsley1951]

Thanks Tony. This is without a doubt my favorite piece I've turned. It has a special place in my office. It was a lot of fun and has been copied at least twice by other turners on KZbin. Give it a try....you might be surprised what you can do. Thanks and take care. Steve

[@garybeasley4885]

Next project like this, stack cutting the figures on the scrollsaw will save time and give more control of the cut due to the thickness of the stack. You might also have fun if you were to inlay the figures into the backing too, great technique for ornaments!

[@slindsley1951]

Gary - Thank you for the tip. I'll give it a go next time I need to cut multiple pieces. Take care, Steve

[@paddydevereux3666]

great job, there are no mistakes in the workshop only learning curves,

[@aftonqualls]

I really like this vessel! Great job!!

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much. It was a fun project. Take care, Steve

[@keithsshop6559]

Very nice video and segmented turning Steve. Thanks.

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much Keith. I appreciate you watching and commenting on my video. Take care, Steve

[@oldandfound1]

I have lived in Santa Fe, Flagstaff, and Phoenix. Spot on Steve.

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much! I appreciate the validation from someone that's lived in the Southwest. It was a big, but fun, project. It has a special place in my office and I enjoy looking at it everyday. Thanks again for the comment. Take care, Steve

[@bernardnelsen617]

Excellent video, I really like the design, especially the feature ring. Thanks

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much Bernard. It's one of my favorite pieces that I've turned. Thanks again for watching and commenting on my video. Take care, Steve

[@carolriley8472]

Absolutely amazing!

[@slindsley1951]

Thanks! It's a piece that I'm proud of and has a place of honor in my home. Take care, Steve

[@magsmethurst6423]

Hi steve I have figured it out (I think) ? I probably didn!t explain my self right What I wanted to know was the dementions of the two length!s that you glued together at the beginning To get the overall thickness of outside radius Before I was creating a ring instead of a segmented disc with no hole in the middle Allowing me to drill a hole of my choice The formula I found (purley by accident ) is to add 0.38 to my segment thickness ie outside radius I hope this makes sense to you but it works perfect Thank you for getting back to me I am most grateful I hope I didn!t put you to too much trouble My headache has now gone (lol) I think your channel is great and very informative All the very best and thank you once again John smethurst From manchester ENGLAND

[@gunterschone8402]

Super nice video, Steve. There you have indeed had a lot of work to the segments (solar optics and Western motifs). But the look really great. Looking forward to the next part. :-)

[@moonwoodworks4607]

Very precise work there, lining up the rays on the sunlight ring. I'm impressed with your craftsmanship so I'm gonna hit that subscribe button as I'm about to embark on the journey of segmented vessels, so any critique or advice would be greatly appreciated on my videos.

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you for your comment and for subscribing. Good luck with your segmented turning. I'm sure you'll find it fun and rewarding. Take care, Steve

[@williamdawson3353]

Learned a lot from watching. Excellent commentary. Thanks for doing the video.

[@slindsley1951]

Thanks William. Glad to hear you picked up a few tips from the video. I appreciate you watching and for the comments. Take care, Steve

[@norm1124]

incredible

[@slindsley1951]

+norm1124 Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It was a fun albeit time consuming project. Take care, Steve

[@GordonRock1]

Beautiful job, Steve. Looking forward to the next 2 episodes. Really enjoyed this one.

[@ghlendealdo160]

woodturning

[@kaziklu79]

Amazing masterpiece!

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much. I appreciate you watching and for the comment. Take care, Steve

[@kaziklu79]

You're most welcome! Thanks for sharing this excellent project and best wishes!

[@georgevalente4223]

WOW

[@phooesnax]

top notch!

[@slindsley1951]

+phooesnax Thank you very much. I appreciate you watching my video and for the comment. Take care, Steve

[@nelsangelin9667]

Just curious, what is a vessel like this used for? Is it just a decoration piece?

[@slindsley1951]

Yes it’s just for decoration. Makes me happy every time I look at it. Take care, Steve

[@woodie763]

Thanks for sharing your video,very good explanation on each step.What is the reason for putting in a smaller dowel first ,then drilling out for a larger one?Can't you just drill out larger to begin with?

[@slindsley1951]

Truthfully, I don't remember my exact thought processes at the time. As long as the hole is as centered as possible there's no reason the larger hole can't be drilled and skip adding the dowel. Thanks for watching and for the comments. Take care, Steve

[@kobiekaasjager4822]

Steve I really want to see you put the vase together with the feature rings. Where can I see the vessel.

[@slindsley1951]

Kobie - I believe you found the video you were looking for. If not please let me know. Thanks. Steve

[@Misano-Red]

Stunning!! You're an artisan, not a woodturner!

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much. Take care, Steve

[@magsmethurst6423]

Hi steve Just to clarify what I mean I noticed the video time was at 1903 My fault for not making it clear All the very best John s From manchester ENGLAND

[@slindsley1951]

John - I'm glad you found a solution that helped you. On some of my older videos I often don't recall why I did something one way and not another. LOL One of the reasons I like segmented turning is to figure out a solution to makes the project work out the way that I intend. Good luck with your project and keep turning! Take care, Steve

[@flarealfajolinha]

Speachless!!!

[@isaiasaries6270]

A tip: you can watch movies at kaldroStream. I've been using it for watching all kinds of movies recently.

[@rogerforest1729]

@Isaias Aries yup, I've been watching on Flixzone} for since december myself :)

[@lanereuben6461]

@Isaias Aries yup, I've been using flixzone} for since november myself =)

[@jamietitus6220]

@Isaias Aries yea, I've been using flixzone} for months myself :)

[@lucassage8820]

@Isaias Aries Yea, been watching on Flixzone} for since december myself :D

[@celsocarlos9264]

Com louvor, Trabalho de mestre.

[@danielcross6815]

Hi Steve, I am finally trying a sunrise ring. Hope this sounds logical, but how do you calculate what diameter ring to make when constructing the basic sunrise "circle"? I made one that was not pretty but a start. I cut the segments at 12.85 degrees, about 5/8" long, and was able to make two sunrises 1.75" long, the diameter of this test piece was around 3". It was just a guess on that 3" diameter but making that size initial ring would have yielded a 6.5" sunrise ring. It may be obvious but I am struggling to figure out the initial sunrise ring diameter other than using what I did as a general guide. Is there some kind of formula for that initial ring?

[@danielcross6815]

Haha I am answering myself! I went to the drafting board and played with different diameters and what they would yield in terms of finished length sunrise segments. So my 3" guess would yield a max segment length of about 2.25", plenty under most circumstances. Sorry Steve, playing on the drafting board didn't dawn on me until I sent you the above question. If you have more insight, it would be appreciated. Great work as usual by you!

[@slindsley1951]

Daniel - Glad you got it figured out. I generally make a full size drawing of the vessel and of any feature rings. i don't finish the project diagram until I have the feature ring(s) made. That way I can adjust the diameter then cut all the other rings. As you can see in the video I made the sunrise rings much wider than needed. At that point it wasn't much different than cutting any other segment. As to the segment length I used the same formula as any other ring. Diameter times Pi divided by the number segments. Glad you noodled out the answer to your problem. That's part of what I like about segmented turning...trying to figure out how to do a project then actually doing it. Good luck with your project! Take care, Steve

[@isp368]

I'm trying to count the number of segments on the top feature ring and what the radius is. My wife loves this vase and I'm trying to make one. So far the main feature ring has turned out real well. I don't have access to mesquite wood here in Iowa so have to wait till I go to Arizona for the winter and I'll finish it down there..Anyway, if you could give me the info on the sunrise ring I would appreciate it

[@slindsley1951]

Larry - there are 12 segments in the sun rise ring. I was shooting for a 7 inch diameter or 3.5 inch radius. The segment length was 1.83 inches. I hope that helps. Good luck with your piece. Take care, Steve

[@isp368]

That solves my problem. Thanks a bunch. so far it's turning out great

[@slindsley1951]

You're very welcome Larry. Good luck with your piece. I'm sure it'll get you a few brownie points with the wife. :-) Take care, Steve

[@ronopenshaw6916]

Hi Steve. Do you have any plans fo r your Table Saw Sled.I Really enjoyed your Segmented Bowl feature

[@slindsley1951]

+Ron Openshaw Sorry Ron I don't have plans for my sled. I will tell you that I've switched to a different sled that's a lot easier to use and results in perfect rings. It's called a wedgie sled and was invented by Jerry Bennett. He has a video on KZbin that shows how to make it and a couple other videos as well. Here's a link to the video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqGpf3hneK2mmZY If you're going to make a sled this would be the one that I'd go for. Not that hard to make and works great. It's one of those "why didn't I think of that" projects. Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting on my video. Take care, Steve

[@hawkeye10100]

I also use the Wedgie Sled. It's easy to build and works great.

[@dawnbigwarfe6871]

Do you have plans for your jig

[@beaustjohn2342]

hey steve, i was wondering if you could tell if you use a math formula for increasing the sizes of the rings on your turning's? meaning, if you needed say an 8'' ring, how long do the seg's need to be to get that 8'' ring? and reapectively for like say, a 9'' or 10'' or even from 2'' on and on. thanks beau

[@slindsley1951]

Beau - Yes, there's a formula for figuring out segment length for a given size ring. The formula is the diameter x pi (3.1416) divided by the number of segments. So for an 8 inch diameter ring the segment length for a 12 segment ring would be 2.09 inches. Basically pi x diameter gives you the circumference of the circle and just divide that by the number of segments. Hope that answers your question. I have another video on laying out a segmented turning that gives more detail. You can check that out here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIjMkmiuhJZ7iqc Take care, Steve

[@beaustjohn2342]

hey steve, thanks for ending my wood wasting math dilemma ! i really appreciate it!

[@slindsley1951]

Glad it was helpful Beau. Take care, Steve

[@magsmethurst6423]

Hi steve I am a regular subscriber to your channel I have watched you make the sunrise ring several times And I have tried to make the initial rings with small hole in the middle I use the wedgie sled and my segments come out spot on But I am having difficulty getting the small hol in the middle It isn!t the segment len I have a problem with its the segment width As an example the two pieces that you glued up what is the total width Hope this lot makes sense Would be eternally grateful if you could help All the very best John s from england

[@slindsley1951]

Mag - to give you a good answer I’ll need to back and watch the video. I’ll get back to you shortly. Steve

[@slindsley1951]

John - I'm not 100% sure that I understand your question. Are you talking about the hole I drilled at 21:15 in the video? My final segment width on the sunrise ring was 1.375 inches but that was after the pieces were cut into segments. However, yours will mostly likely be a different width. To center up the first hole, that I drilled for the 1/2 dowel, I drew a centerline on two of the segments. You can barely see it if you stop the video around 21:15. To center the bit side to side I just eyeballed the point of the forstner bit on the center of the spacers I put between the pieces. If the hole is a few thousands off one way or the other it won't be noticeable. The important thing is to keep the pieces together as pairs when you glue in the larger dowel. If you try and mix and match the pieces they pieces might not go together properly. If that doesn't answer your question please let me know and I'll try again. Thanks for subscribing and watching my videos! Take care, Steve

[@ravenhart5796]

I love this video but have a question do you have a video for making the sled love the design

[@slindsley1951]

+Raven Hart Thank you very much for the comment. I'm sorry but I don't have a video for the sled. I made mine after watching a video by thesegmenter. Search KZbin for thesegmenter (all one word) and you'll find the video. I'll probably replace this sled with what's called a wedgie sled. Search KZbin for Jerry Bennett and you'll find a video on how to make and use a wedgie sled. Good luck. Thanks again for watching and for the comment. Take care, Steve

[@ravenhart5796]

tyvm for the information and leads

[@garybeasley4885]

That lathe have a reeves drive? Wondering about the noise it makes when running

[@slindsley1951]

Gary - Yes it does and it drives me crazy. The problem is that Delta no longer makes parts for this particular lathe so I can't rebuild the drive. I've rebuilt it a couple of times in the past. I guess a new lathe is in my future with this one gives out. Take care, Steve

[@garybeasley4885]

Steve Lindsley it may be possible to take the reeves drive out and put in a variable drive motor if you wanted to spent the money on it. I would get a newer lathe before going to that trouble.

[@slindsley1951]

@@garybeasley4885 Gary - I bought this lathe on Craig's List 11 years ago for $200 and put about $200 into parts. I think at this point, I'll thank it for its service and move on to something new. Take care, Steve

[@t-toysufos4929]

Nice video great project. Just one think, may be you should not talk so much. It would shorten the video. Not trying to be mean, just pointing out that most of us are experienced woodworkers & turner's. Therefore, each little explanation is not needed. You could then get the whole project on one video card.

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you for the comment. I understand what your saying and agree that if you're an experienced turner you probably find some of the information of little value. However, I have at least two subscribers that have used these videos as instructional to help them turn one of these pieces. I find it rewarding when someone new to turning uses my comments/video as inspiration to try a project they might not try on their own. Thanks for the comment and for watching my video. Take care, Steve

[@Maloy7800]

What do you mean "southwest"?

[@slindsley1951]

Southwest refers to the southwest portion of the United States (Arizona and New Mexico). The cactus, lizard and Kokopelli on the piece are inspired by this part of the country. Most of the wood in the piece is mesquite which is native to this area. Lastly the shape is inspired by native American pottery and baskets of the area. Take care, Steve

[@aftonqualls]

After seeing your completed project, I decided to make one. If you don’t mind sharing your email address, I would like to send you a picture of the one I made. I think it turned out great. Thanks in advance.

[@slindsley1951]

Sorry for the delay in responding. My e-mail is [e-mail] if you'd like to send a photo. Take care, Steve

[@hmwill3636]

No

[@paddydevereux3666]

great job, there are no mistakes in the workshop only learning curves,

[@slindsley1951]

Thank you very much Paddy. You are absolutely correct! Take care, Steve