This blog is the result of my son and his fiancée asking to see samples of various wood textures with a finish applied so that they could choose a particular wood for a matched pair of goblets.  In your endeavor to find designs or ideas, remember that the next project you envision may be whimsical and it may also serve a useful purpose.

As I was mulling the various ways to display the multiple woods the thought of a Swagger Stick came to mind.  A friend who is a coin collector had shown me a hand-made Swagger Stick made with various woods from the Philippines with a dated Philippine coin embedded in the knob.  As that particular Swagger Stick was made during World War II, the tip was an expended pistol cartridge.  Research on-line showed the typical Swagger Stick was approximately 18 inches (45.75 cm) long.  Swagger Sticks were carried by commissioned British officers and also senior non-commissioned officers.

For my sample Swagger Stick I picked seven examples of woods that would make good goblets from my ‘stash’ of turning blanks and then found seven pen blanks of similar woods to use on the Swagger Stick.  A thin slice of Ebony between each wood type contrasts very well with the chosen woods.  The quantity of wood in the actual shaft being six, ultimately requiring each segment of wood to be about 2-3/8 inches (5.4 cm) long to allow for a 1/8 inch (31 mm) slice of ebony.

First I sliced 1/8 inch (31 mm) pieces of Ebony pen blank to go between the various wood types.  I then trued up one end of each pen blank.  Using two-part pen epoxy I then attached a slice of Ebony to each pen blank.  Clamping each assembly ensured a tight glue joint for the each assembly.  I then set the glued assemblies aside for overnight setting of the epoxy.

I decided on using a 10 X 32 threaded rod to provide additional strength and to minimize the weight of the display stick.  For the tip on my Swagger Stick I decided to turn a brass block.  Turning brass on a wood lathe is relatively easy but you must ensure the metal shavings do not get into the motor of your lathe.  I drilled the center hole for the 10 X 32 threaded hole before I turned the tip.  Using a 10 X 32 tap I threaded the tip so it could be threaded onto a segment of 10 X 32 threaded rod clamped in pin jaws in my mini chuck.  By threading the brass onto the threaded rod it ensured the brass would remain true to the threaded rod.

Once the two-part epoxy had cured in the glued assemblies I found an issue that I had not planned on.  A 3/16 inch brad point drill bit sized for the 10 X 32 threaded rod flexes too much to be able to drill the complete length of the 2-1/2 inch blanks.  I solved this issue by drilling slightly more than half way into the blank and then reversing the blank and drilling slightly more than half way from the other end.  Any mismatch would be in the center of the blank and the hole at either end would be perfectly centered.  I could have increased the size of the threaded rod to something like ¼ X 20 to allow for using a larger drill bit but that would have also increased the overall weight of the Swagger Stick.  This drawing illustrates that drilling from both ends will keep the holes at the ends of the blanks in the respective centers of the ends and any mismatch would be in the center of the blank.  The mismatch is not as great as shown in drawing.

Once all of the segments had been drilled I cut a length of threaded rod about four inches (10.16 cm) long.  To rough the segments to their approximate tapered diameter I made small wooden bushings similar to pen bushings.  First I turned a spigot sized to fit into my live tailstock.  Then figuring the end of the stick near the brass knob would be 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) while the end at the wooden knob would be 0.9 inches (2.286 cm) I drew a simple chart and calculated the diameter of seven bushings.  Drilling a center hole in each bushing ensured they would line up when threaded onto the 4 inch piece of threaded rod.  I marked each bushing with a sequential number for ease in identifying which bushing to use.

I put bushing number 1, a piece of Olive wood, and then bushing number 2 onto the 4 inch threaded rod.  I clamped the end of the threaded rod at bushing number 1 in a chuck with pin jaws.  Then I brought up my live tail stock to hold bushing number 2 in place.  I then turned the first segment of my stick.  I then removed bushing number 2, the Olive wood, and bushing number 1.  The next segment would require using bushing number 2 to be next to the pin chuck and bushing number 3 to be at the live tail stock.  I then proceeded to turn each segment individually with the respective bushings until all segments were to their approximate proper size.  This is actually easier to do than try to write on paper.

The diameter of the wooden knob was the result of visiting a hiking store and just feeling the knobs on various walking sticks.  The knob would be about 3 inches (7.62 cm) in diameter.   Once I knew the relative diameter that felt right for my hand I basically copied that diameter at home.  In the knob, I figured on an inlaid coin could serve as a focal point.  A quarter showing the current year could identify when the Swagger Stick was made.  There are Forsner bits that are sized to the U.S. quarter but I figured I would inlay a gold plated presidential dollar.  While the coin sounds expensive, an uncirculated coin can be had for about $2.50 at a coin show.  I used a 1 inch (2.54 cm) Forstner bit and found the gold clad dollar coin fit snugly.  I turned the knob to its relative size and then drilled a 3/16 inch hole with the drill bit that I had drilled all of the segments with.  The hole is centered on the end of the knob that will be attached to the shaft.  I then parted the knob off of the turning blank.  Reversing the knob I then drilled the 1 inch (2.54 cm) hole the depth of the coin.  I then drilled a ¾ inch (1.905 cm) hole to allow for a nut.

Threading the segments onto a 20 inch (50.8 cm) threaded rod allowed me to place a nut inside the wooden knob and use two nuts at the opposite end as jamb nuts.  I then proceeded to finish turn the shaft, sand through the various grits of sandpaper (remembering to sand with the grain between grits to remove sanding marks) and ultimately apply the finish.  I used French polish for this project.

Removing the two jamb nuts and attaching the brass knob completed this phase of the project.  I used a drop of thread sealant to ensure the brass knob would not loosen unexpectedly. The remaining task was to make a small display stand.  This was as simple as a board with two uprights to hold the Swagger Stick.  I did sand a dimple on each upright to keep the Swagger stick from rolling off of the stand.

2 part Pen Epoxy

1 inch Forstner bit

3/4 inch Machinist bit

Chuck with Pin Jaws

French Polish

The subject of this blog is going to be sharing. While some may hoard all the wood and other materials they acquire, there are advantages to sharing. Yes, we all know that person who if offered something will never reciprocate. It will not take very long to figure out which of your old and new friends who will be more than willing to share with you as much if not more of treasure.

A few years ago a friend called to inform me that he had a very old apple tree that he had to cut down. Dave is not a woodturner but he thought I might have use for some of the wood even if it would only be to burn it in my wood stove. As a thank you, I turned Dave a pen using his apple wood. Two years ago another friend had a very large pear tree come down in a storm and she wondered if the wood might be good for woodturning. For this friend I turned a miniature bird house. Yet another friend needed to cut down a black walnut tree and wanted to give me some of that wood. For him I made a pen and pencil set. Another friend is a member of a woodcarving group that auctions off pieces of wood as a fund raiser for their club. There have been neighbors that ask if I would like some of their trees that they are having removed. One neighbor in particular asked if I would like some ‘lumps’ that were growing on her trees. She did not know the correct name was burl but when I turned a miniature birdhouse using one of her ‘lumps’, it gave me a chance to explain and actually show her how unique the grain is within a burl.

By making something on the lathe to give to the person using their own wood has sparked others to offer me more wood. There are always going to be the people that as the joke goes; ‘have streets named after them – One Way’, but if you share your bounty with others, the typical friend will want to share some of their bounty with you. If you give some friends each a block of wood you may be amazed at what they ultimately make from that wood. You might envision a bowl while they would make a pair of goblets or they may make a platter.

Another way of sharing is giving of your knowledge. One turning friend has always had problems using a skew. When we were discussing how I use a skew, I realized they had not sharpened the edge correctly. I mentioned the Mike Darlow sharpening guides that allow you to get the edge back to a known angle. Once she got a good edge on her skew she has been very happy with her turning results.

A while ago another friend called me to say they had a problem with turning blanks coming off of their lathe! They wanted to come to my shop to see how I attached the wood. As they only live a few miles away I told them I would stop over and see how they were attaching the wood to the lathe. After they had turned the outside of a bowl using a wormwood screw, they reversed the wood and mounted it in a standard four jaw chuck. Before they turned the lathe ON again and while they were reaching for a tool, I just hit the wood with my palm. The turning blank fell off of the lathe! The issue was the person did not have the strength to tighten the jaws properly. This was remedied by swapping the standard ‘T’ handle chuck wrench for an ‘L’ shaped Allen wrench. Now they are able to tighten the jaws properly plus they now nudge the wood with the palm of their hand to check that it is securely attached to the chuck.

As this is the season of Craft Fairs and Craft Shows I thought this blog should be about displaying your turned items.

The very first thing to consider is something to cover the table top. This does not have to be an actual dining table cover but can be as simple as a paper table cover available at party supply stores. A basic color like white will make your turned articles stand out. Avoid a print with multiple colors as it becomes too busy and would interfere with easy viewing of the items on display. By having a solid color it will not distract the viewer from seeing your turned object. A table skirt is an accessory that allows the table to look more finished and also provides you with a place to put / hide your boxes that you used to bring the your objects to the fair / show.

A nice addition to your display is name cards for your articles. This is so the potential customer can ask about a particular item. I use a simple computer program that is sized for business cards like the Avery 5877 or 8371. By printing the tags with information to fill only the bottom half of a business card then you can fold the card in half lengthwise when you put the cards on the table. The card standing up in a basic tent shape is easier for the viewing by your potential customer. If you have all of the cards used to identify your turned objects sized the same then your display will look more professional. For my typical identifying card I use a soft yellow card made using card stock printed with black ink. This will contrast with the white table cover yet was easily readable. Try to avoid using white cards on a white table cover.

The font used on the cards should be easy to read so I use something similar to ‘Times New Roman’ or ‘Arial’. I avoid using any script style font as it is harder to read at a distance. The items that I make typically contain multiple types of wood so I use a font size slightly smaller than that used for the item description to identify the types of woods contained in the turning. As I also use different types of sea urchin shells for ornaments I use the common name for the various shells like Alphonso, English Channel, Fragile Pink, and Sputnik so the customer will know what they are looking at.

Displaying ornaments is something that requires a little thought. If the ornament is viewable from any side then there is no problem. A miniature bird house might have the opening sideways from the customer if the hanger is positioned incorrectly. If you designed your ornament to hang on a Christmas tree branch you will need to display your ornament at the show in a similar angle to the customer. I solved this issue by making a display stand and having golf tees for the ‘branch’ that the ornament will hang on. This will put the ornament at the same angle as a typical customer might hang it on a tree after they purchase it from you. If you are selling ornaments, be sure to have single and multiple ornament stands available for purchase by your customers. Some people want to display their turned ornament year round so they will want a stand to do this. Remember this is another item to sell!

If you are trying to display pens then remember that the customer is giving your display a fast once over and might miss the pens if they are laying flat on the table. A slight tilt towards the customer will allow them to see your pens better. I have found that the slight angle also reflects light back towards the customer making the metal bands and clips appear brighter.   A simple stand similar to the type used to hold a small picture frame will lift the pen up off of the table and make the pen look more elegant. A tray of pens can have something as simple as a piece of wood under the back edge raising the back and tipping the display slightly towards the customer.

Remember to make a sign for the front of your table. I took my standard business card and enlarged it to fit a standard 8-1/2 X 11 sheet of card stock. This is attached to the front of my table skirt. A receipt book is something to have on-hand. I preprint my information on Avery labels and stick this label on the pages in the receipt book before I go to the show / fair. As a final note make sure you have business cards available for the potential customers to take with them.