Big Funnel

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well Jim Underwood here is my story. You posted about making a lampshade well I made a funnel. I was in the shop last night after work. I really wanted to turn something. I had a piece of redwood that I picked up on the big auction site for .99 cents plus 10.95 shipping. Well when I got it I wasn't impressed with the wood first off but decided to give it a go. Anyway got the form nice but had a lot of tear out. So I was going to do a thin wall as I hadn't did one for a while. I got the inside finished and sanded. Turned out pretty nice. The outside I had a couple of places a little rough. So I decided to take one more shear cut. The gouge was sharp and oh such pretty angel hair shavings when the door opened and my neighbor hollered "hey Bernie can I borrow your big pipe wrench." Well you guessed it. The walls were 1/8" and when he hollered I jumped. Need I say more. When I jumped I gouged a hole in the side of the bowl about 1/2 or a little more around the center.

Anyway he felt so bad I thought he was going to cry as he is a young guy just married a year. I couldn't get him to shush and quit saying I am sorry. I told him it was just a piece of wood.

Oh well such is life. I hope my next piece of redwood goes better and turns a little bit better. I was not impressed with this piece.

So there ya have it. The saga of a big thin funnel.

[Jason Whelehon]

say put it in your cole chuck, finish it and give it to him as a present!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bernie - sorry to hear about the funnel but at least it didn't blow up and injure someone! I am sure your neighbor learned a lesson! Looking forward to seeing a finished piece real soon!

[Don Carter]

Bernie:
You may need to put a lock on that door or at least a sign on the outside, "Quiet, turning in progress".
Maybe you can make it a gift to the neighbor, sort of a reminder.

[Toney Robertson]

Bernie,

Sorry that you lost the bowl.

That is EXACTLY why I put a barrel bolt on the inside of door where I turn. People can come in the entry door but have to knock to get my attention.

Toney

[Matt Hutchinson]

I feel your pain, as you may have noticed my latest funnel post . Yours was bad luck, but mine was just bad work. Hopefully you will have another opportunity with redwood. I have never turned it, but hope to someday.

I like the others' idea: lock the door and post a sign. I haven't done that yet, but today I told my wife not to come out to the garage. I was finishing a bowl that was quickly becoming a harrowing experience, and I was on edge. Luckily nothing caused me to jump, or else I would have taken it out on any proximate small woodland creature.

Better luck in the future!

Hutch

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks everyone. Yep I went back out and looked today. Thought I might have been dreaming but nope I wasn't. I had thinned the walls down pretty good and was taking one last light shearing cut. I was concentrating so hard. The LOML said it was her fault cause she normally brings people out to the shop when they stop by and knocks on the door to get my attention then comes in. She said she didn't know why she told him I was in the shop. I had used a glue block and my next step was going to part it off. We will give it another try on the last piece of redwood I have for single bowls. I have one great big one I am hoping will yeild 3 maybe 4 cored bowls.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bernie,

Sorry to hear about your funnel. Usually I just have myself to blame.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Yea things happen Bernie, but you should look at the bright side Bernie, remember it for all the practice cuts you got out of this piece of wood, and maybe your neighbor will feel guilty enough to bring you a nice piece of turning wood