Long-Handled Air Broom
To clean up the shop floor using the hose without having to bend over, take an old shovel handle and attach a couple of Velcro strips to it with screws.  Place the strips about 1.5 and 16 inches from the end of the handle.  Wrap the Velcro strips around the hose so that it extends beyond the end of the handle a couple of inches.  Now you have a long-handled shaving-eating air broom.

Snorkel Extension
If you have hard to get at places that collect lathe debris or sawdust, make a simple extension for your dust collector hose to get into those nooks and crannies.  Cut three circles from ¾ -inch wood stock that are five inches in diameter.  From two of these, cut a 4¼-inch circular hole out of the middle with your band saw (yes, you can cut through the side of the outer circle, it doesn’t matter).  In the last piece, drill a 1-inch diameter hole about ½-inch from the edge; then, leaving a ¾-inch wide rim, remove most of the remainder of the wood to make a large hole that your hand can cover.  (Note: the ¾-inch rim will act as a seat for the end of the dust collector hose.)  Now stack and glue the three pieces together with the unique one on top (Note: if you’ve cut through the outer edge on the discs, locate the cuts so that they are not on top of one another).  After the stack dries, insert a 1-inch diameter piece of PVC pipe (the one I use is 12 inches long) into the one-inch hole. You now have a snorkel extension for your dust collector that easily slips over the end of the 4-inch flexible hose.  You can control (or release) suction through the snorkel by covering or uncovering the large hole in the top disc with your hand.  To make the snorkel even easier to use, I punched small holes about 2½-inches from the end of the dust collector hose on opposite sides so I could tie rubber bands around one of the wire ribs of the hose. I then connected the rubber bands from the opposite sides with a link made from a bent finishing nail.  This combination of rubber bands and metal link lies neatly against the side of the hose when not in use, but can be easily extended over the snorkel to hold it in place while working. 

                                                                                                                                              Bruce Gibson, OVWG   5/01

I use a “D” handle for deep hollowing.  When working, I often found myself spending needless time trying to guesstimate whether the tip of the cutting tool was above or below center in the work.  Being at centerline, with the cutting tip pointing slightly downwards, is critical for getting a clean cut without “catches”.  Since the height of the tool tip changes as the hollowing progresses, there is a continual need for cutting tip height adjustment.  To make adjustment easier, I’ve simply marked the centerline height on a piece of wood dowel that I stand on the lathe body.  To adjust the cutting tip height, I mark the point where the tool shaft crosses the rest while the tool is in the work.  I then remove the tool from the work (with the lathe off!) and put it back on the rest at the mark, but with the tip outside the work.  I check the height of the tip against the dowel and adjust the tool rest up or down as needed.  I’m now able to resume turning knowing I am working at center height. 

                                                                                                                                              Bruce Gibson, OVWG   5/01

I took a piece of round stock and bored two holes to accept 4" vials for bud vases.  The holes were each ½ of the radius on the line of the diameter.  I then turned a vase shape to my liking, took it from lathe and cut it in half.  I now had two vase shapes with flat backs suitable for hanging, with a place for a flower bud or two, dry or fresh.

I jokingly refer to these as “wall flowers”, but they offer a nice design challenge and with a selected figured wood, they add an appealing addition to any wall.  My wife has one in which she puts a few dried grasses, and it has brought many favorable comments.

Perhaps there’s nothing new about this, but as I’ve never heard about it or seen it elsewhere, I thought the Guild members might be interested.

                                                                                                                                                         Jim Blough, OVWG
 

      Click here (it will take you to Arizona Woodturners Association article).