22 Jun 2021 – Tod Raines Online Demo

Even though England and Scotland were playing football in the Euro’s we had 30 of our members tune in for Tod Raines to demonstrate for us, all the way from the Dallas area in USA. Tod’s project a bowl within a bowl, difficult to explain in words and one of those challenges you need to see to really understand; but with Tod’s keen focus on getting it right he engaged us all with a great demonstration. The pictures tell the whole story. His camera setup and presentation was excellent throughout the evening as you can see from the screen grabs.

Tod explained the bowl within a bowl is achieved in 4 stages, starting with a Cedar Elm blank mounted on a screw chuck he started to create a spherical base with a tenon chucking point, using a swept back grind bowl gouge. Tod has several templates for different sizes of bowls which he uses to get the correct shape to the bottom, this is important for the finished bowl final look. A variety of sharp tools were available throughout the including different scrapers to achieve a good finish to the outside.

Stage two reversing onto the tenon to start the internals, during the change over Tod showed a short video of his sharpening methods to keep us entertained assuming we all knew how to do that bit; we did. Decision time to decide on wall thickness and orientation of the desired final look. Again using a variety of tools, which Tod had prepared earlier as the timber used was very hard and demanding on the tools sharpness, bowl gouges with different grinds and also scrapers for final finish, a final measure and a little sanding ended this stage.

Stage three as the Cole jaws were fitted and the bowl reversed we saw a second video on a different sharpening method for gouges; this stage was to remove the tenon from the bottom, with great care taken to maintain the spherical base. This again an important stage to make sure the bottom was the right shape to fit the ram chuck for stage four.

Stage four, a ram chuck was formed to match the profile of the bowl base enabling it to be mounted off centre with the aid of a tailstock rubber chucky cone, the magic then happens when the outer bowl is turned away, down to the inner bowl that then appears to be sitting inside. Look at the pictures and it will make sense. Bowl would then be sanded and finished; great care should be taken when turning off centre as there is a danger of catching fingers etc. A really good demo from Tod who was always ready to answer questions and to explain each of the stages in detail. At the end of the meeting, we also got a chance to look around Tod’s workshop and the camera setup which would please the techy types amongst us.

Many thanks to Tod and to all the members who joined us online, as a bonus Tod is going to give all paid up members a link to watch again the demo online for those wanting to have a go, so again thank you for that.

Write up kindly provided by Ian ‘Zak’ Flack.

This Saturday, 26 June 2021, from 10am to midday, Mick will be opening up the Club Shop so you can stock up as necessary.  Please support Mick by coming along and making it worth his time and effort.  You can also check out the new container porch which Mick, Peter Hallam and John Radford have been very busy building over the last few weeks.  Well done guys.

Don’t forget your mask and please remember you need to be staying 2 metres apart at all times.  It’s for everyone’s protection, so please keep your distance. 

Our next meeting is the Workshop Night on 13 July at 7pm, so if you have any photos to show us of items you have been making please send them to me, Martin as soon as possible.  You can use the contact form on this website or use the Dropbox link recently sent out to you via email.  Any problems please contact me.

On the 27 Jul 2021, we welcome to our screens, a demo by Andrew Hall who we have seen several times in person, so it will be interesting to see what he has to show us via these online demos.