IF YOU ARE A TURNER LIKE
ME, then you have dozens, maybe dozens of dozens, of scrap
pieces of wood lying around the shop. Stored in bags,
boxes, bowls or coffee cans in every odd corner of the
shop, they are too small to do much with and too good
to throw away. So we continue to save them for just the
right project. This is just such a project.
I combine these treasured odd bits of
woods with different types of palm nuts; I've come up
with some interesting variations for using Tagua and other
palm seeds, as shown at right. These are only few of the
dozens of nut-type seeds that are suitable for turning
and can be bought through various sources (A list of suppliers
is on the last page of this article).
Most of the seeds are solid throughout,
but others have a void. The most troublesome is that of
the Tagua Nut. The void inside this nut is fairly unpredictable,
and has nothing to do with the shape of the nut. Identical
nuts have different voids; nuts with different shapes
have different voids. All the voids, however, have deep
cracks that will grab your hollowing tool for a nasty
catch. The way to minimize this is to take very light
cuts during the beginning stages of the hollowing process
until the hollow is smoother and friendlier to turn.
Since most of these turnings are small,
or even downright tiny, the best hollowing tools for the
job are shop make tools, like those shown at the last
page of this article. These tools can be as complex as
a soldered assembly of high-speed steel cutter to a softer
rod or bar (like the "Rosand" tools, shown in American
Woodturner, 12.4:30). Or it can be as simple as grinding
an edge on an Allen wrench and equipping it with a wooden
handle (another good use for small pieces of wood. Notice
a few of the handles shown are made from pen blanks).
When gluing the Allen Wrench into the handle it is a good
idea to align the cutting edge with one corner of the
handle (a tip picked up from Jim Kephart). This will give
an indication of where the cutting tip is when it is hidden
inside the vessel.
Lathes, Chucks, other sundries. You don't need an expensive chuck to
turn these little buggers. You can just as easily turn
these vessels with a faceplate. Since many of your "waste"
blocks with be the precious scraps you save, they can
be mounted on the end of a less important wood. The precious
wood then becomes the finished bottom in the last parting
cut. You don't need variable speed either, although it
is generally more convenient to use. Thickness gauges
are fashioned from coat hangers and still other scraps
of metal or wood. Designs come from photos in catalogs
and magazines.
Mounting nuts for turning
For smaller seeds, simply sand a flat
on the end of the seed you want to be the base. Use Super
Glue (cyanoacrylate glue), as shown at the right, and
turn. For the larger nuts like Uxi and Ivory Palm you
can turn a tenon on them before gluing. Turn a matching
recess in the "precious" wood to accept the tenon. Then,
for variety, before drilling the depth hole, turn and
true the end of a contrasting piece of wood to add to
the top to form the rim. Fix it with Super Glue. Remember,
for larger pieces it is necessary to check the surface
for flatness with a metal straight edge. Go ahead, ask
me how I know.
Remember the glue joint will be exposed
in the finished turning. It should be as tight as possible.
Of course, I do not have a drawer full of turnings with
fat glue joints. Nor do I have any that have been turned
so thin they showed my hollowing tool thru the finished
surface.
On a serious note, it is VERY important
to be sure the Super Glue is cured before turning the
lathe on. When Super Glue is applied thickly, it tends
to "case harden." The Still liquid glue, inside, can be
thrown out through tiny pores in this skin and deposited
on the turner. Please take proper precautions and wear
the appropriate safety gear. Give the glue adequate time
to cure. Apply it only as thick as you need it to be.
Turning the outside
At this point you must decide on the external
shape. Usually the shape of the nut will help you determine
it. In the case of Uxi kernels and especially Jessinia
Nuts consolidate the piece with thin super glue. Using
a 3/4 inch roughing gouge, a fingernail spindle gouge,
or a skew as a scraper, turn the outside nearly to completion,
as shown at right.
Drilling the maximum depth
Using the desired drill, here a 1/4 inch
diameter bit as shown at right, mark the maximum turning
depth on the flute of the drill bit, mount it into a Jacobs
chuck in the ram of the tailstock and drill the starting
hole to the required depth. Be sure to clear the chips
often.
Hollowing a nut
Once the starting hole is drilled, you
have access to begin hollowing. Turn the rim of the vessel
to the desired thickness as shown, top left. Here I'm
using a skew as a scraper. After the rim is established
and turned to completion. Begin hollowing with a square-end
scraper to clear out the waste from the center and create
enough room for the hooked tools to work. Choose rather
benign hollowing tools at first, taking light cuts to
establish the shoulder. In Tagua Nuts be especially careful
at this point as the nuts contain misshapen voids and
ridges. It is best to tame these right away, as it is
the easiest place to catch. Continue hollowing until you
reach the desired thickness. Check with a wire gauge,
as shown top right. I strive for 1/32 inch of thickness.
It is important to develop small hollowing tools to get
down to the very bottom to take out the waste material
in the foot of the vessel. Since the wood base will remain
solid, it is necessary to get rid of as much as weight
as possible in the meat of the palm nut. You will notice
a poorly balanced vessel, with too much weight in the
bottom, as soon as you pick it up. To avoid an overly
thick bottom, you can use a small flashlight to check
for thick spots. See the darkish area in toward the bottom
of photo, second form the top at left. We will continue
to turn in this area to eliminate the excess material.
Completing the outside shape
Once the hollowing is complete, you can
turn your attention to the outside again. Using a skew
as a scraper, gently refine the outside again. Using a
skew as a scraper, gently refine the outside shape taking
very light cuts. Also start to shape the bottom of the
nut as well as the wooden base Fair the curve between
the base and the bessel, as shown the previous page. Make
a parting cut to establish the lower arris line, as shown
in bottom left photo of the previous page. Sand to completion.
Now is the time to apply the finish of your choice. Any
good finishing was applied with a "Q-Tip" is usually all
that is needed. Finish parting off. Part the base (with
the parting tool at a slight angle to form a concave bottom)
to about 1/16 inch diameter. During a recent demo the
question was asked, "Do you finish the bottom?" Absolutely!
Just because the turning is small does not mean good craftsmanship
does not apply. Sand and finish the bottom. The right
photo at the bottom of the previous page shows how the
remaining waste block is used for sanding the bottom the
turning. By gluing bits of sandpaper to a tenon (which
has a convex surface to match the concave bottom of the
vessel) I go through al the grits up to 400 or 600 grit
before applying wax.
If you decide to try tuning these palm
nuts, you must understand that they should be sold with
a warning label that reads, "highly addictive and cantankerous
to turn"
I hope you, with the help of this article,
overcome the learning curve faster than I and become as
taken with them as I have been taken. Also that you find
the joy that I have found working these little nuts, making
me, well, a little nut!
Angelo
Iafrate is a turner in Johnston, RI
Small
Tagua Nut
To
Avoid an overly heavy bottom, use a small flashlight
to check for thick spots.
Skew
After
the Vessel is hollow out, fair the curve between
the base and the nut itself.
Skew
Make
a parting cut to establish the bottom, then cut
off the vessel.
Bottom
Glue
sandpaper to the remaining waste block to sand the
bottom.
Tamarind
Woodturning - P.O. Box 19366 - Johnston, RI 02919
-
iafrateturns@cox.net Last Revised:
May 23, 2003
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