The
New Turning Wood - DVD
with Richard Raffan
Published
by Taunton Press, USA
R.R.P.$24.90
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 146
Canberra-based Richard Raffan has produced several books and videos over the years and one of his most popular worldwide is his introduction to woodturning, Turning Wood, both as a book and a video.
However, tools, techniques and products change over the years. Richard has recently revised and expanded his Turning Wood book and now completely revised and reshot the Turning Wood video, hence its title of The New Turning Wood DVD.
The video and sound is very clear. Richard talks to the camera for most of the time, but he also uses his own voice-over on occasion to convey additional information. His style is friendly and informative.
Richard starts by explaining the set-up in his own workshop including his Vicmarc VL-300 lathe. Several other brands are mentioned as the video progresses. Richard qualifies why he uses them and what you should be looking for when making your own purchases.
The first main chapter centres on the lathe, its design and features, what to look for and how to set one up to suit your personal requirements.
The second chapter deals with shaping and sharpening scrapers, skew chisels and gouges. Richard prefers the Tormek wet grinder but the techniques are demonstrated on a standard bench grinder as this is the most common tool used by turners for this purpose.
Next he commences between-centres or spindle work, using roughing gouges and then detail gouges. The blank is roughed down to a cylinder, turned into a series of coves and then shaped into beads.
During the video Richard demonstrates the occasional 'mistake' as well as the correct way to turn, to illustrate what happens when things go wrong and why and how to correct the mistake without ruining the project.
A similar exercise is followed to demonstrate the use of the skew chisel. The blank is roughed down, shaped into a series of grooves and then turned into a series of beads. This is repeated a few times in quick succession until the blank is very slender. At this point he demonstrates how to turn a loose ring on the shaft.
The first project is a (turning) tool handle, shaped between centres with skew chisels. The projects that follow - chair leg, drawer knob, egg, pencil pot and scoop - are turned with skew, parting chisels and gouges as appropriate. The choice is deliberate as each requires a new technique. For example, the egg requires the use of a home-made friction chuck and the pencil pot is an exercise in hollowing end grain.
The chapter on facework includes an explanation of the process of bowl work as well as the use of bowl gouges and scrapers. This is followed up by two projects - a tray (a very shallow platter) and a bowl (deep enough for a small fruit bowl and decorated with a series of fine beads). The bowl exercise also illustrates the use of a jam chuck.
The New Turning Wood DVD is an excellent introduction to turning for the beginner but it also contains a myriad of tips and suggestions that would be of use to more advanced turners.
Duration: 120min
DVD - English - NTSC