Uploaded February 2014 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
Hello there:
This is a project made from a piece of the top of a Douglas-Fir that snapped off in the last big wind! You can see a piece of it leaning up against the trailer at the beginning of the video. You can see even more of it over on my other channel... Larry McCafferty in the video Winter Waterfalls.
For those few who read this far I wanted to let you know that this was very nearly my last video!
At the point where the boring with the Forstner bit was done, (the second time)... the bit had become very dull and by then there was so much smoke in the shop that even with the respirator on, I was having a tough time breathing! That is door and windows open... fan going... the whole nine yards!
I pulled the bit out of the wood and checked to see if the hole was as deep as I had hoped, taking care not to touch the bit as it would be very hot, and I was disappointed to see that it had become so dull that it had had to burn its way through. The sawdust had a darker tint to it that showed how hot it must have been getting... but by then I needed to breathe again so I went back in the house.
After a time in the fresh air I started feeling better and sat and watched a hockey game. (that didn't help much as my poor Canucks lost another one!)
And I wrote while I watched...
A number of thoughts have gone through my mind as I have started this piece. The idea of a lamp shade is a good one but I am not sure about being able to give the bulb adequate clearance...It is a new double helix bulb that doesn't give off much heat so it may not be too bad. While I was drilling it out I had thought that maybe I should make a coffee cup, as this grain type is good for that kind of shape. But no sooner thought than a split shows up on the top rim... it ended up almost 2" long and filling it didn't seem to help very much.
So... back to the lampshade... as it only needed to be five inches to cover, and as this end of the cylinder seemed to be a little thicker. So after cutting the split off I then needed to drill it out another inch to get the right depth. I needed at least a 3 inch diameter as the bulb Is 2 ½". I plan on lining the inside with a self-adhesive metal ducting tape to the inside... to protect the wood and to add reflectivity to it. So the more I can take from the inside the better. I will have to finish the outside and then work my way out...
The next morning ...
When I went out to the shop, the smell of burning wood was really strong and I made a mental note (for all the good that those do anymore!) to sharpen the Forstner bit again! But then I noticed that the sawdust seemed awfully dark... I hadn't remembered it that dark... and on closer inspection I found that the sawdust wasn't just dark... it was black! The shavings that had been so hot... they had actually smoldered sitting in their little pile! I was very fortunate that the wood was so wet that it didn't burn quickly! It had burnt through the top layer of the chips and had eaten away at the top of the plywood decking of my lathe!
So... Important note to self!!! Spray down all hot shavings with water before leaving... regardless of how much smoke there is! And if you read this... it is a note to you as well! Just because it isn't flaming doesn't mean it isn't burning!
To cover up the burned area I have painted the whole thing black and I can say that it is to make better contrast for the videos... but you and I will know! I almost lost my shop and you can bet that I won't make that mistake again!
So take care
and ...
Check your shavings!
Larry
Hello there:
This is a project made from a piece of the top of a Douglas-Fir that snapped off in the last big wind! You can see a piece of it leaning up against the trailer at the beginning of the video. You can see even more of it over on my other channel... Larry McCafferty in the video Winter Waterfalls.
For those few who read this far I wanted to let you know that this was very nearly my last video!
At the point where the boring with the Forstner bit was done, (the second time)... the bit had become very dull and by then there was so much smoke in the shop that even with the respirator on, I was having a tough time breathing! That is door and windows open... fan going... the whole nine yards!
I pulled the bit out of the wood and checked to see if the hole was as deep as I had hoped, taking care not to touch the bit as it would be very hot, and I was disappointed to see that it had become so dull that it had had to burn its way through. The sawdust had a darker tint to it that showed how hot it must have been getting... but by then I needed to breathe again so I went back in the house.
After a time in the fresh air I started feeling better and sat and watched a hockey game. (that didn't help much as my poor Canucks lost another one!)
And I wrote while I watched...
A number of thoughts have gone through my mind as I have started this piece. The idea of a lamp shade is a good one but I am not sure about being able to give the bulb adequate clearance...It is a new double helix bulb that doesn't give off much heat so it may not be too bad. While I was drilling it out I had thought that maybe I should make a coffee cup, as this grain type is good for that kind of shape. But no sooner thought than a split shows up on the top rim... it ended up almost 2" long and filling it didn't seem to help very much.
So... back to the lampshade... as it only needed to be five inches to cover, and as this end of the cylinder seemed to be a little thicker. So after cutting the split off I then needed to drill it out another inch to get the right depth. I needed at least a 3 inch diameter as the bulb Is 2 ½". I plan on lining the inside with a self-adhesive metal ducting tape to the inside... to protect the wood and to add reflectivity to it. So the more I can take from the inside the better. I will have to finish the outside and then work my way out...
The next morning ...
When I went out to the shop, the smell of burning wood was really strong and I made a mental note (for all the good that those do anymore!) to sharpen the Forstner bit again! But then I noticed that the sawdust seemed awfully dark... I hadn't remembered it that dark... and on closer inspection I found that the sawdust wasn't just dark... it was black! The shavings that had been so hot... they had actually smoldered sitting in their little pile! I was very fortunate that the wood was so wet that it didn't burn quickly! It had burnt through the top layer of the chips and had eaten away at the top of the plywood decking of my lathe!
So... Important note to self!!! Spray down all hot shavings with water before leaving... regardless of how much smoke there is! And if you read this... it is a note to you as well! Just because it isn't flaming doesn't mean it isn't burning!
To cover up the burned area I have painted the whole thing black and I can say that it is to make better contrast for the videos... but you and I will know! I almost lost my shop and you can bet that I won't make that mistake again!
So take care
and ...
Check your shavings!
Larry
