Once you make or purchase a jig it is important to use it correctly. Many jigs are self evident in how they work, but other that a little instruction.Fingernail Grinds with the Tormek

In order to be successful in this endeavor, you will have to have read the article on fingernail sharpening using the One-way jig. This sets the entire basis for what I am talking about here. You will need the same gouge tool jig as in that article (available from Packard Woodwork) as well as a Tormek water sharpener (no kidding) and the One-way Wolverine Jig.

Shop-Built Compression Chuck

This is a jig I had discussed a long time ago on the Pond, and had planned to post pictures to clarify my description. I finally got a round to it, so here they are. I hope this is helpful for all you bowl turners out there. The nice thing about this jig is that it can be made for pennies, assuming you have a faceplate, and most lathes come with at least one faceplate. And, since that faceplate is usually too big for the lathe it came with, it makes good use of a piece of equipment that usually gets stuffed in a drawer and forgotten.

Bowl Steadies and Steady Rests

Bowl Steadies and Steady Rests A cheap solution. It has long been a standard technique among woodturners to hold their fingers to the outside of the bowl to dampen vibration while turning on the inside. Besides being awkward, it can wear away the skin on our fingers, and there is always the danger of a slivers. A sliver can be driven by enough force to pass through our fingers. I had a sliver pass through two of them, making a very effective nail that held them tightly together.

MagSteady

I’ve found that a two-wheeled Back Steady can be very useful in suppressing chatter when turning thin spindles. Since it only has two wheels and the Magnetic Base has limited grip, it won’t secure heavy spindles or suppress a catch. However using the Magnetic Base means it can be mounted on the lathe in seconds without even turning the lathe off, and relocated with one hand if needed.

Segmented Ring Press

Having been tempted to try the segmented turning offered by Woodturning Online, and starting with the 'beginners project' I soon realized that I needed some kind of press to hold the ring layers in place while the glue was setting. For my first few attempts I used my weighty toolbox, precariously balanced, to apply the pressure. Clearly there was room for some improvement on this method

Building a pen assembly press

There are many ways to assemble a turned pen. I wanted a way to assemble my pens which was easy and portable. You can buy assembly presses in the stores and catalogs but I wanted to make my own using my years of experience.