Turning a vessel with a top cut right off the top of the same blank yields some cool results. I've turned a couple of vessels with very small mouths and have always parted the blank partway and then cut it with a saw.
Last weekend I was parting the top for an 8" diameter walnut container and decided to keep right on cutting. It was hot and I was sweating away while the smoke curled up and the hot chips were flying. Well, yes, that's not the way woodturning is supposed to work, but it's what this old fool did anyway.
Funny thing was, those hot chips sure were sticking my hands and arms pretty good. It wasn't until I had that top parted off and was cleaning up a bit that I realized what had happened. Those chips were hot enough that they stuck to my skin and steamed the sweat on me. I have hundreds of little burn spots on my hands and arms that are slowly going away.
So, ok, next time I follow that old rule: use the correct tool for the job and do the job correctly.
Last weekend I was parting the top for an 8" diameter walnut container and decided to keep right on cutting. It was hot and I was sweating away while the smoke curled up and the hot chips were flying. Well, yes, that's not the way woodturning is supposed to work, but it's what this old fool did anyway.
Funny thing was, those hot chips sure were sticking my hands and arms pretty good. It wasn't until I had that top parted off and was cleaning up a bit that I realized what had happened. Those chips were hot enough that they stuck to my skin and steamed the sweat on me. I have hundreds of little burn spots on my hands and arms that are slowly going away.
So, ok, next time I follow that old rule: use the correct tool for the job and do the job correctly.
