What do I really need to get started?

[Roger Chandler]

Great resource John..........I saved that file for future reference, and yes all wood needs to be acclimated properly and if one air dries wood it should be stickered correctly and checked periodically with a moisture meter in several locations.........thanks for the information.

I don't know if this is a diversion or a detour..........but I am going to give it a try and see what I can do with it among some other things.

[Charles Drake]

Roger, you might want to put www. segmentedwoodturners.org on your reference list. Very informative. Good luck.

Charlie

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, you might want to put www. segmentedwoodturners.org on your reference list. Very informative. Good luck.

Charlie

Did that last evening Charles............might even have to become a member [there's another $25!] but no doubt worth every penny!

[Michelle Rich]

good morning roger: I have been segmenting for many many years. You are heading down the slippery slope!! The first book I always recommend is Woodturning with Ray Allen, by Nish. The reason is that this one has a large section that shows you how to build, piece by piece, the wild featurebands! It also has quite a few projects (and they are not sissy ones) with all the measurements for you. Also a great gallery of pieces to get your juices flowing!DSCN0709.jpg
Now as to tools, you can use an arm powered mitrebox if you have one. it will need a very nice blade. You can use your osbourne, but it will be hard to hold your wood strips and you may get kickback..maybe not. I use an incra with a sled, but I used a mitrebox for years. I would really suggest you don't rely on sanding to achieve your angles. Get it right when you cut it, and you can ignore the sander. I use a Freud 55.00 blade and it cuts well. One does not need a 100.00 blade. Your biggest hurdle will be the precision needed for PERFECT joints. You can't fudge here at all. they will show & look awful.
Hose clamps & i use a chuck for weight if I need it, but I rarely do. Just cinch up the hose clamp and whack the pieces down with a mallet if you have to. Your pieces should be all the same height, tho, and should flatten easily as you cinch up the row. Almost forgot..use good quality kiln dried wood/lumber...
If you have questions, Roger, send me a pm..I'll be happy to help. The piece I showed above was cut on a mitrebox and is 800+ pieces with my own original design. Give you something to strive for!!!

[Roger Chandler]

Thank you for that information Michelle............and btw, good mornin'! I look forward to getting started, once I get Malcolm's book here and get it read...........I have a few boards laying around that are cutoffs from other work.........mostly red oak, but I also have a bit of mahogany, walnut, and of course pine............I will get some melamine for my glue-up surface, as it can be wiped clean easily [thanks Curt!] ...........I think I am going to get addicted with this, Michelle!

[Michelle Rich]

malcolm's book is good, but ask your local library to get the book I suggested. Malcolm's is , in my opinion, not a beginner's book. Reading both won't hurt. He also has videos if you are flush. Having been addicted to segmenting for decades, i am pleased you'll be suffering the same with me. Misery loves company!!!

[Mike Cruz]

Roger, I'm going to say this as a caution from theory, not from experience. Those with experience can either support my caution, or refute it...

I would be carelful combining woods of very dissimilar density, like pine and oak, becase it may be difficult to A) get a good clean even cut, B) sand without gouging the soft stuff, and C) "control" the movement of the pieces...during the glue up stages and over time. Not really sure how much C would come into play, but I can imagine A and B could make life a lot more difficult on you.

Again, not talking out of experience with segmenting, but out experience with woodworking in general and in theory about turning it.

[Roger Chandler]

Yeah Mike, I will watch about using pine......I just mentioned it because it came to mind as something I have on hand.....segmented should be hardwoods........and kiln dried, from what I see others with experience saying........I may try to air dry some small boards over a year or so, but that will be just to utilize the wood I have that has cracked some........I am not one to waste precious resources.

[Michelle Rich]

you can make vessels from pine..just make it all from pine. i've seen it done successfully