Woodturning Videos
As soon as I can get all of the old videos transferred over to this new website design and page, I'll list them below along with some of the new ones we've been working on lately. You will even be able to order them online in either VHS or DVD formats! Stay tuned for those in a few days ... We also do offer video production services for demonstrations, instruction and commercial sale. Got some video from a woodturning club meeting that you want edited and put on tape or DVD? We can do that. Does your club have pictures from meetings, events or of members' turnings in the gallery that you'd like on tape or DVD? We can do that too! Take a look at our Woodturning Services page for details.
Meine deutschen Woodturning Freunde begrüßen!
We now accept
for retail ordersHilton Handcraft of the Ozarks Video Productions - Woodturning
* All of the following Videos are $22 (includes shipping) unless otherwise noted below. They feature our own staff woodturners and are produced right here by us. We show you what we, as woodturners ourselves, would like to see.
Woodturners of Southwest Missouri Club - Greater Ozarks Symposium 2004 - Featuring Tom Crabb
This club had an outstanding Symposium and now you can own part of the Tom Crabb lecture demonstration. In this video, Tom covers how to make his unique and inventive Tri-cornered Bowls (also called "Cube on the Bias") as well as the "Cone on the Bias" forms. There is a LOT of information about these fantastic pieces in this video so we covered it from lots of different angles so you can follow right along. Highly recommended for the intermediate to advanced turner!
Available in the following formats....
Tape - $20.00
DVD (2 disc set) - $22.00Stateline Woodturners Club - A Year in Pictures 2004
This production takes all of the clubs' pictures of 2004 from meetings, special events, workshops and member galleries and puts them into a slideshow format. See what you may have missed; see all of those wonderful turnings again; see what the club was doing this year. A few of the pictures are fuzzy. We had to work with the pictures that were sent in, afterall. But, almost all of them are fantastic and it's a great look back at the way the club and it's members progressed throughout.
Available in the following formats....
Tape - $15.00
DVD - $15.00
SVCD - $10.00
VCD - $10.00Stateline Woodturners Club - A Year in Pictures 2005
This production takes all of the clubs' pictures of 2005 from meetings, special events, workshops and member galleries and puts them into a slideshow format. See what you may have missed; see all of those wonderful turnings again; see what the club was doing this year. A few of the pictures are fuzzy. We had to work with the pictures that were sent in, afterall. But, almost all of them are fantastic and it's a great look back at the way the club and it's members progressed throughout.
Available in the following formats....
Tape - $15.00
DVD - $15.00
SVCD - $10.00
VCD - $10.00
Small Scale Turning - This video shows how we make our mini (under 2" tall) and micro (under 1/2" tall) turnings. These present special challenges both in the actual turning process but also in design. As Andy says "There's only so much wood to work with ... " when you're turning such small objects. It discusses work holding, tools, wood selection, finishing and design.
The Versatile Skew - Shows the "7 Basic cuts" along with a few other tricks that the skew can be used for. It really IS a very useful and versatile tool!
The Basic Bowl - There's only so many ways to turn a bowl and this is no different. Still, you might pick up a few tips and tricks here.
Making the Most of Scraps - 50 Projects! - (Unavailable right now. Please check back later)
Sharpening Woodturning Tools - (previously a 2 DVD set ... has now been pared down to 1 DVD)
Item#: DVDTurn14
A practical guide to sharpening common tools for the woodturner. Lots of information, tips, and tricks. Features freehand and jig use as well as using a variety of equipment such as 2 different grinders and the sharpening disc.
Straight From The Forest - Green to Gallery - "A Bowls' Journey" - - (Unavailable right now. Please check back later)
Green Wood Series - Drying Strategies & Myths
Production Spindle Turning Tricks and Tips - - (Unavailable right now. Please check back later)
Spindle Turning Mastery - 12 Lessons (This follows along with the Pamphlets) - (Unavailable right now. Please check back later)
Tools and Technique - Introduces a wide variety of turning tools, spindle and bowl/hollowform, and explores technique for each. - 2 DVD set - Special pricing of $20 for the complete 2 DVD set.
The Trembleur, An Apprentices' Challenge
Make Your Own Turning Tools - Including the hook tool, chatter tool, small hollowing, negative rake scraper, texturing tool, and others.
Short Video Clips (That you can download FREE)
* Please note that compromises in length, size, and quality had to be made for mass downloading of the following clips. The videos above do not suffer this problem. They are produced at normal DVD and Tape sizes and qualities.
Sharpening the Spindle Gouge -
Take a look at our Gouge Shapes Article
Fingernail Grind on the Grinder Freehand (AVI Video - 2.3 MB)
This video clip shows the correct way to sharpen a spindle gouge (shallow fluted gouge) on a grinder freehand (without jigs). Notice that the tool is moved up and rotated onto one side, back down and rotated straight and then reversed for the other side. It's all one fluid motion that can be performed as shown or just one side at a time.
Fingernail Grind on Sharpening Disk Freehand (AVI Video - 1.0 MB)
This shows the use of a sharpening disk instead of a grinding wheel. Note that you have a lot more room on the disk to move around and you can see straight down onto the bevel of the tool being sharpened unlike on a grinding wheel. On a grinding wheel, if you want to see the bevel as you are sharpening, you have to stoop down and around the side of wheel to see what's going on. Obviously, not nearly as nice as the sanding disk.
Wrong Way on Grinder Freehand (AVI Video - 1.1 MB)
Here's the most common problem in freehand (or even with many jigs) sharpening a spindle gouge. You would think that you could just simply roll the tool from one side to another and get it shaped the way you want it. Unfortunately, that's not the case. You'll end up with what's commonly called a "Spear" point or "Arrowhead" grind. It's not useful at all and can be frustrating until you learn the trick of how to sharpen this gouge properly (as seen in the first video clip of this series above).
Spindle Sizing Cut - Wide shot (AVI Video - 1.5 MB)
Here's the simple and quick way to make a sizing cut (cutting into a spindle to a certain, measured diameter) in a spindle. This shows the use of a parting tool although you could use a beading tool, bedan, or skew to perform this cut as well. It also shows the use of the outside calipers to do the actual measurement. Please note that the sharp edges (where they touch the wood) of these calipers have been rounded over so they won't catch on the wood! Professional spindle turners have many of these calipers around and get them all setup beforehand to the correct diameters for the project at hand (where there may be dozens of specific sizes in a single spindle needing to be cut) and just pick up the correct caliper for each section. This goes quickly and easily without having to adjust anything or pick up another tool.
Spindle Sizing Cut - Zoom shot (AVI Video - 1.0 MB)
Just a zoomed-in clip of the above method.
Rough Turning a Spindle -
with a Roughing Gouge (AVI Video - 1.7 MB)
This is the way I teach how to rough a spindle down to round. I start at one end of the spindle and nibble away a few inches at a time. Gradually working my way to the other end. This method is easier to control and safer than working the entire length of the spindle all at once.
with a Skew - the good and the bad (AVI Video - 2.3 MB)
This clip shows a couple of different ways to rough out a spindle with the skew. Toe up and toe down to show the aggressiveness of the toe-down orientation versus the toe-up one. In the middle of the clip you can see a common problem with roughing with a skew, the fact that it's far too easy to cut too deeply and getting "stuck" with a deeper cut than you can continue with. You then have to pry the shaving/chip up to release it so you can go on or pull out and restart the cut.
with a Bowl Gouge (AVI Video - 1.2 MB)
Finishing off this section with roughing with a bowl gouge. This tool isn't just for bowls. It's equally as adept at spindle turning. This is one reason why I prefer the term "deep fluted gouge" instead of "bowl gouge". This tool makes an efficient rougher especially for larger spindle stock. It's not, however, as quick as the roughing gouge for this task in spindle orientation blanks.
Sharpening the Parting Tool (AVI Video - 1.5 MB)
See the article for more information.The 7 Basic Skew Cuts - Split into 3 parts. It goes by quickly but hopefully you can see what's going on while still staying a reasonably sized file.
Roughing, Planing (AVI Video - 600 KB)
Vee, Beading (AVI Video - 4 MB)
Peeling, Facing, Parting (AVI Video - 4 MB)
Cutting a pommel with the skew (AVI Video - 3.5 MB)
The Back Cut or Backcut or Back-cut (AVI Video - 3.8 MB)
You're likely to have read about it. And you've probably even heard other woodturners talk about it. Heck, you may have even seen it done at some demonstration. Still can't figure it out? Still wondering what it's all about? Well, here it is. It's a bit of a tricky cut but it does work to quickly hollow out endgrain using nothing more than a normal spindle gouge. In this short assembly of clips from a larger video of ours, you'll see that the flute of the gouge has been colored red to help show you where the gouge is in relation to everything else. Basically, in this cut, you'll be cutting on the left side "wing" of the gouge while it has been rotated to the right almost so that the turner can't see the flute anymore. And you'll have the gouge tip pointed up to the 2 or 3 o'clock position on the wood. The bevel MUST be supported during this cut ... even though the bevel is actually riding on the top of the hollowed out section! Sound complicated? It's not too bad once you get the hang of it. Much like everything else, right? We've slowed way (WAAAYY) down and not gone too deep in the wood in order to show better what's going on. We hope it helps you.
The Back Cut or Backcut or Back-cut ALTERNATIVE (AVI Video - 7.8 MB) It's big but you can see it better this way.
We're all about choices here at Hilton Handcraft of the Ozarks. So, in that spirit, here's a video clip of, well, basically a better technique of back cutting. We find it a whole lot easier to learn and less "catchy" while still blazingly fast and efficient at hollowing endgrain. This clip starts out by showing the position of the spindle gouge in the "classic" back cutting presentation. Then the gouge is slowly positioned in the alternative presentation that'll be used. You'll notice that the position of the gouge in relation to the endgrain of the wood is the same here as in the "classic" presentation. You're doing the same thing but in a more comfortable, easy to maintain position that does the same job..
Why you don't use old files as turning tools (AVI Video - 4.8 MB)
Here's the classic reason why you don't EVER use a file as a woodturning tool. This video clip was taken at a club demonstration and shows an old metal file that had been converted into use as a scraper for woodturning. You see that the "file scraper" was not hanging over the toolrest very far at all or being used harshly when it suddenly snaps in half. This turner, the club, and especially the onlookers were very (VERY) lucky that the broken off piece of steel file just slammed down onto the bed of the lathe and didn't take off toward the audience. Just watch how long the file scraper is at the start and how short it is in a few seconds. I've said it countless times to my woodturning students and to audiences at lectures and demonstrations .... Files (those used in metal, stone, or woodworking) are NOT acceptable for use as a woodturning tool. The metal is just too brittle, of poor quality and you'll never get those properly heat treated to withstand the rigors of even the most gentle of woodturning operations. They are DANGEROUS. They are the WRONG tool for the job. Make those old files into something actually useful and safe. Don't be cheap. Be safe.
Hook tool on the outside of a sidegrain bowl #1 (AVI Video - 5 MB)
The traditional Hook Tool is a versatile tool, to be sure. While this video was made on a modern motored lathe, the tool was originally made for a pole (spring-pole or self-powered) lathe. It shows that, in many cases, the hook tool is the easiest tool for the job. A modern bowl gouge would have worked here but it wouldn't have been as easy to position that tool. With the hook tool, it's easy to hold and manage.
Hook tool on the outside of a sidegrain bowl #2 (AVI Video - 4.5 MB)
A close-up view.
Hook tool on the outside of a sidegrain bowl #3 (AVI Video - 5.5 MB)
A different angle showing the same thing.
Hook tool # 2 on the inside of a sidegrain bowl - Pull Cut (AVI Video - 4 MB)
Another traditional Hook Tool hollowing out the inside of a bowl. This type of tool is actually a lot more versatile than the other one shown above. Here you can see it being used to hollow out the inside of a bowl by pulling from the middle to the outside of the bowl. In later videos you'll see how it can be turned over on the other side and used in a push-type cut going from the outside to the inside of the bowl, much like the use of a modern bowl gouge. It can also be used to whittle down that cone (remember, these tools were made for use on a pole lathe where that cone is necessary) near the end. And finally, it can be used to "core out" a nest of bowls like the modern "Bowl Saver" or "Bowl Coring" tools.
Hook tool # 2 on the inside of a sidegrain bowl - Push Cut (AVI Video - 5.5 MB)
The same hook tool as above using it in a push-cut type of hollowing move ... from the outside to the inside of the bowl.
Modern Hook tool Hollowing out an Endgrain Hollowform (AVI Video - 8.9 MB)
This is a hook tool in the process of testing it before shipping out to a customer. We test everything ourselves and fine-turn our tools so that it's ready to go and be used right away when the customer gets it. This one will be ending up in Tennnessee in a few days. What's being cut is a rather "punky" piece of soft maple. Just starting the endgrain hollowing process. Notice the shavings flying off the tool already (and it's not yet even fully sharpened / polished). And it's ENDGRAIN! Oh, and this tool is a 1/2" thick by 16" long tool. No handle yet ... just the steel rod. We think this one will work out pretty well.
Captured Ring with the Skew (AVI Video - 3.1 MB)
Tiny (NO, I mean TINY) Turning (MPG Video - 2.8 MB)
Frame Grab of a tiny Cocobolo GobletRough Turning the Outside of a Bowl - Fast Forward Video (MPG Video - 4 MB)
