Russ gave me a chunk of Rosewood—specific species unknown. I have worked on it and I’m in the final stages of sanding and shaping. This chunk has some heartwood and some areas which are softer. Coloration ranges from creamy white to dark red-brown. There are some distortions running through the grain.
I mostly used my PN brand 1/2” bowl gouge inside and out. The early rough turning was done with the gouge sharpened on my 180-grit CBN wheel. I resharpened the gouge twice during this initial shaping. I used this method to bring the piece down to zero flat spots on the outside.
Once I had the major irregularities off the outside, I re-sharpened the gouge on the 600-grit CBN wheel. There was a
definite difference in the feel of the gouge going over the wood. It was as if the wood was less hard. The surface, as the wood spun, looked shinier. It took less pressure on the gouge to make the cuts. I re-sharpened on the 600-grit wheel once to get to the final outside shape.
Turning the inside, I stayed with the same gouge, sharpened on the 600-grit wheel and touched up with fine diamond hones inside & out. The wood peeled off the gouge in short ribbons with light to medium pressure on the gouge. Usually, with denser woods like hard maple, I would describe the pressure on the gouge as medium to heavy. I finished the inside bottom with another gouge, shaped to a 85 degree angle with the back rounded off.
My analysis of the work with the CBN wheels is that I felt that the 600-grit wheel not only gave me a smoother
looking cut on the wood, it also made the tool, sharpened to the same angle, sharper than the same tool sharpened on the 180-grit wheel. Now I have to ponder which CBN wheel to use for what purpose.
You Can’t Move On If You Won’t Let Go.
Probably 30 years ago, my Rotary club started having a family night at our property near the edge of Randolph. Initially, a couple of the guys did a genuine clambake; dug a hole, filled it with wood and rocks, then layered it with corn, clams, mussels, fish fillets, and sausage. Then covered it over with wet canvas and buried it.
That only lasted a few years when the original experts lost interest. Too much work, too few workers.
After a couple of years, I came up with the idea of having a simple lobster night. We bought a small watering tank and 3 of the turkey frying propane burners. I bought a string hammock which we use as a net to hold the lobsters in while they cook and allows us to haul them all out of the cooker at once. So, for about 25 years or so, I have been the captain of the lobster cooking. The club expects that cookout every year and I dread having to
do all that work. Finally over the last few years, I’ve taught a few guys the fundamentals of timing and labor to put this together. The mix varies from year to year, mostly good-sized lobsters and a few hearty steaks done on our charcoal grill. Our club consists of about 31 people, about 24 truly active. This year, we had 32 total attendees, including family members.
And this year, I sat back (mostly) and two other Rotarians set up the lobster cooker, lit the charcoal for the steaks, set
up the serving line, and actually did the entire job of cooking.
This year, for the first time, I didn’t touch a lobster until it was on my plate. I didn’t haul the lobsters out of the cooker. I didn’t crack the claws and put them on the plates. I didn’t cook the steaks. Yes, I still lend a hand setting up, but I have finally stepped back and allowed others the honor and pleasure of conducting this great gathering of Randolph Rotarians.
Arny
Last modified: August 9, 2018
