I give you my heart with all my love…

I give you my heart with all my love….

How often will that have been said over the centuries. Very, very often probably. And is still said…. Sometimes the sentence may have been accompanied with a gift. And who wouldn’t fall for a suitor bringing a very nice and very precious gift?

In Sandra Hindman’s book (S. Hindman. 2007. Towards an art history of medieval rings. Paul Holberton Publishing, London, UK. ISBN 978-1903470640. Medieval (gold) rings from a private collection placed in perspective.) a very nice example is shown of a golden ring with a large heart-shaped ruby, lord of stones, with engravings of ivy and the text ‘CORTEPORTAMOR’ estimated to be just for the right period of our re-enactment group, the fourteenth century. Nowadays, I would probably laugh hard and find the ring very much over the top, but perhaps in older times I would just have been delighted. Well, actually no one ever gave me a present like that, so I will just have to make it myself!

The Gothic heart shaped 14th Century love ring in gold and ruby. 

With engravings of clinging ivy and text inscription. Height 23 mm, 

inner diameter 12.3 mm, outer diameter 18.7 mm, bezel 21.6 x 17.5 mm. 

Stone approx. 10.2x 10.8 x 7.7 mm.

The original ring is of course full of symbolism. Ruby is and was a very precious stone surrounded by myths of warding of danger, having the power of fire, removing evil thoughts and of influencing the decisions, mental and physical health of the person wearing it. The ivy expresses fidelity and eternity, as the evergreen crawls and creeps towards the sky, forming a union with whatever it clings to, becoming almost inseparable. And the text to make it even more plain in old Italian that the heart caries love… Someone really had to be convinced.

(Above) Text engraved on the Gothic Love Rings hoop.

(Left) Engraving with ivy on the bezel of the Gothic Love Rings hoop.

In Medieval times rubies were probably traded along the spice trading routes, arriving in Europe from India. Nowadays it proves to be difficult to find heart-shaped cabochon natural rubies of the size desired for the ring. Well, at least, I could not find affordable ones. In the end I resorted to buying a synthetic, opaque one – made in China - that as side bonus seems to come closer in appearance to the more pale pink colour of the original stone.

The ring itself is made from 1 mm thick silver plate material. I started sawing out the shape for the band and the heart in one strip very much like a loop shapes cigar band. Sizes. I neatly filed the ends of my band and soldered them together. Next I made the ring round on my ring mandrel. For the heart shaped stone I made the setting out of 0.5 mm silver plate. I drew the heart shape on a small paper and used to strips of approximately 5 mm to form to half shapes that soldered together exactly fell around my ruby.

 

Repeated annealing the hoop and bezel of my silver ring to be able to slowly mould it to its round shape.

On a half round file I now hollowed out the setting so that the bottom fitted nicely on my ring. I soldered the two pieces together. With a small file I made the top of the setting thinner to make it easier for the time I was going to fit the stone into the setting. Then I had to file and sand the whole thing thoroughly, before polishing it.

The heart shaped setting soldered to the rounded hoop and bezel. After this the heart shape was filed to its final shape and sanded.

The ring was polished except for the inside of the setting. 

The text and ivy has been written with a black marker on the hoop and bezel before engraving.

When it was nice and shiny I used a black marker to draw on the ivy vines and fit all the letters of the text on the ring itself. I am not a good engraver, but having the ring firm and stable in my ring clamp it worked out quite nicely. I lightly polished the ring again to get rid of any small scratches made. Then I placed the stone in its setting and slowly pushed, bit by bit, the setting round the stone. Bling bling, ready to show off!

The result shown from three different sides.

The CORTEPORTAMOR text on the replica.

A small movie to show the ring from all sides.

There are various other examples of heart-shaped rings and jewellery found in private collections and museums. Some examples are given below: A medieval A-engraved heart-pendant of bronze (private collection), a medieval childrens silver ring with gold-plated heart (private collection), an engraved gold ring with a heart shaped wolfs teeth (14th century, V&A museum, London, UK), and a heart shaped brooch engraved at the back with the text (14th century, V&A museum, London, UK).

Two pictures of a medieval small heart shaped childrens ring in silver and gold (the heart) found on a terp - a man-made dwelling mound - in Friesland, the Netherlands. The ring is ornamented with diagonal ribs.

A medieval bronze pendant with a nice green patina, engraved with an A. Archaeological find, Germany.

Gold heart- shaped brooch with stylised leaves and flowers or feathers, made in France or England around 1400. The brooch would have been colourfully enamelled, both at the front and back. Engraved on the reverse in a dentillated border is the black-letter inscription NOSTRE ET TOUT DITZ A VOSTRE [D]ESEIR (Ours and always at your desire), each word separated by a small floral sprig. Brooches often fastened garments with a slit at the neck; they were used both by men and women (V&A museum, item 86-1899, London, UK).

Decorated gold ring with wolfs tooth set in a heart-shaped bezel, made between 1200-1300 in France or England, inscription added around 1375-1425. Gems, but also other materials, such as teeth, were supposed to have magical properties. Inside the hoop are two engravings: a magic formula and a biblical phrase. The charm: ‘BURO + BERTO + BERNETO’ is to protect against toothache; the biblical phrase CONSUMMATUM + EST are the last words Christ spoke on the Cross, and were used as a charm to calm storms. This large ring likely belonged to a man, possibly a merchant who travelled at sea (V&A museum, item 816-1902, London, UK).

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A New Heart for Big Blue

While turning some 20" platters, I came to the realization that my beloved lathe needs a new heart. Not just any heart, a bigger, stronger, slower heart.  Slower?

Yes, a new motor was in order for my lathe.  The 2hp is good, but when turning large pieces at low speed, it lacks the torque needed.  So, here is where the dilemma begins.  My first thought was to get a 3 or 5hp motor with the same nameplate speed as my current/previous motor.  But, then I have to replace the VFD (brain) with a unit that can handle the increased amperage of the bigger motor.  AHHHHH!!!

Good thing I had more than one thought.  Not initially realizing that motors come in many different RPM ranges, I proposed my situation to my local surplus dealer.  He pointed to a LARGE 2hp motor that is a 870 RPM model.  While he didnt say it, I know he was thinking "Thats the one I tried to give you before."  DOH!!  

So why would I replace my existing 2hp motor with another 2hp motor?  The reason is due to the speed rating of each motor.  The original is rated at 1700 RPM, while the new one is a 870 RPM unit.  The hp rating of a motor is a result of RPM and amperage.  This means that the new motor (870 RPM) has twice the torque of other unit!  In addition to more torque, Im still retaining similar spindle speeds on the lathe by putting a larger pulley on the new motor.  If you cant tell, Im excited!  Below are the two motors side by side.  They seem to be playing nicely.

Well, thats the why.  Heres the how.

This motor came with a key already in the arbor.  I thought this was excellent until I had to remove it to accommodate the bushing and pulley style I used.  So, here is a quick tip in removing a stuck key.  DONT GET A BIGGER HAMMER!!!  I used a small plastic face hammer with a tiny screwdriver to try and pop the key out.  After not having instant success, I grabbed the penetrating oil.  I sprayed down the key and let it soak for a day.  The next morning I tried again without success.  Now I grabbed a pair of vice grips and a propane torch.  After applying heat for maybe a minute I grabbed the key with the vice grips and rapidly tapped the vice grips with the plastic faced hammer.  This lifted up the end of the key allowing me to use a small screw driver to pry the key out with little force.

Now on to attaching the pulley.  I bought a keyed H-bushing and pulley from surpluscenter.com, mainly because it was affordable and fit my needs.  

Having not used this type of pulley before, I did the stupidest thing possible when I initially tried to marry the pulley to the motor.  I fully seated the bushing into the pulley and then fruitlessly tried to push the pulley onto the arbor.  It wasnt until this that I realized a H-bushing and pulley is tapered and not intended to be assembled in this manner.  Luckily, I was able to separate the bushing and pulley using the jack screw holes on the bushing.  

This time, I slid the pulley onto the arbor with the tapped holes facing away from the motor.  Next, I slid the bushing in snug to the pulley and pushed the key into place.  Now I used the provided screws to pull the bushing into the pulley until tight.  I didnt use a torque wrench, I just tightened until it seemed reasonable for the bolts provided.  

Its amazing how easily things work when you do it right...

Now to heave this beast onto the lathe.  Mind you, the "small" motor was 79 pounds.  The new motor is 120 pounds.  Thats heavy when you have to hold it 5 inches off the ground and hang it on a few bolts.  No, I dont have a hoist or anything that would have made this an easy task.  What fun!

Well, other than trowing some new belts on, this upgrade is wrapped up unless you want to hear about wiring...  Ok, ok, Ill tell you about wiring the motor.  Before I took the original motor off, I tested the new motor.  It is surplus after all, and wouldnt I have been ill if Id gone through all that work just to put the original motor back on.  So, basically you follow the diagram on the motor for wiring.  Use wire nuts and make sure you ground the thing.  Ok, done!  The heart transplant was a success!

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Roughing Out Bowls

For the past few days, Ive been rough turning some salad bowls.  Ill be finishing off my supply of hickory with these bowls.  Maybe now I can tackle the rest of my lumber pile before I acquire as much Box Elder as I can handle in March!!!  So, to the point of this post...  My process for roughing turning a bowl and what to do when you see splits in the wood.

Admittedly, this post is geared more towards those new to turning.  Ill go through my steps to rough out a salad bowl.  The best part is that I remembered to take pictures this time!

I started off with some bowl blanks that I had cut back in December.  I didnt think it would take me until now to get them on the lathe, but thats beside the point.  What you want to always be mindful of is splitting or cracks that have developed in your piece.  I noticed a few on the end grain of some pieces I roughed out, but they didnt look bad enough to keep me from using the blanks.

No, this post does not end with me reporting that I went to the ER or that anything blew apart on the lathe.  Lots of people will tell you to never ever put a piece of wood on the lathe that has any checking in it.  Well, if youre turning green wood and have the shop schedule that I do, you would be throwing away every other block of wood you came across.  Use your best judgement and if you have hesitancy then move on to the next block in your stash.

Ill be mounting this piece to the lathe with a faceplate for initial roughing.  I could use my beefy #3 MT spur drive, but I find that once the piece gets around 50 pounds I have trouble holding the blank still until I bring up the tailstock.  Maybe I need to hit the gym?  Anyways, back to the faceplate.  Be sure to use good screws for mounting the piece to a faceplate.  You really arent going to do yourself any favors by using drywall screws as these are very brittle and could shear apart from the forces present while turning.  I like to use #10 sheet metal screws which are heavier in cross section.  More important than a specific screw size is selecting a screw that will adequately fill the screw holes in a faceplate.  You dont want a screw has large amounts of slop in the screw hole.  Also, I dont usually bother predrilling my holes for attaching a faceplate.

Now the next step you probably guessed is to thread the faceplate onto the spindle.  I like to hold the piece on the lathe with my right hand/arm and turn the spindle with my left hand.  I would not advise having the lathe under power for this step because one could easily cross thread the faceplate and potentially ruin the spindle threads.  For a blank this size, about Ø 16" I run the lathe between 300 &  450 RPM.  The determining factor is vibration.  Basically if you think the machine is going to relocate itself, then slow it down.  A slight shaking is ok, but you dont want the thing bouncing up and down.

I begin roughing the blank by setting the tool rest at 45° to the work piece and work from the tailstock toward the headstock.  I cut away at the corner first and gradually cut more and more to create the desired shape.  While roughing, I use a 5/8 bowl gouge with the flute rolled 45° facing the direction of cut and the tool handle level.  By holding the handle against my body, I use less arm strength and do not fatigue quickly.  The first picture gives a good view of the flute position and the second shows the shavings flying off of the tool.

I continue to rough out the blank and occasionally stop to check my progress, take a sip of water/coffee, and sharpen my tool.

The bowl is coming along nicely.  The grain from this hickory log continues to captivate my interest.  Since these bowls are just being roughed out, I will not spend the extra time to clean up any torn grain until the bowls are seasoned and finished being turned.  Now Im ready to put this blank into the chuck and hollow out the inside.  One last thing to check before removing the bowl is to verify the spigot is the proper size and profile to allow the bowl to sit flat against the top of the jaws.  Done?

Sometimes removing the faceplate from the spindle can be tricky.  My faceplates have a hole drilled in the side of them to assist with removing them from the lathe with a tommy bar.  I lock the spindle and use a bar to break the faceplate free from the spindle.

I now put the chuck on the lathe and remove the faceplate from the blank.  Open the jaws so that the spigot on the bottom of the bowl will easily fit inside of the jaws and sit flat against the top of the jaws.  I tighten the chuck enough to hold the bowl and then bring the tailstock up close and lock it into place.  Then, I loosen the chuck slightly and advance and lock the quill to push the blank evenly against the jaws.  Dont forget to tighten the chuck!

This blank had a split starting from the pith of the tree.  I was a bit too greedy when splitting the log and did not remove enough of the pith to prevent checking in this blank.  As a result I had to reduce the height of the bowl until the crack was removed.  I hollow a bowl using two cutting movements.  One is more aggressive and a bit more likely to pull the bowl out of the chuck.  The other is good for refining the inside shape and directs the cutting force towards the headstock, which reduces the likelihood of forcing the bowl out of the chuck.  

With either cutting method, the tool should be held level on the tool rest and lined up on center of the bowl.  Adjust the tool rest if necessary.  The more aggressive cut starts from the middle of the bowl with the flute at 45° to the left (if standing facing the headstock) and the tool angled about 30° across the tool rest.  Begin by pushing into the center and slowly pulling the tool across the inside of the bowl.  I generally use this cut to begin hollowing a bowl with the tailstock engaged and do not use it much to shape the walls of the bowl until the tailstock is removed.  This cut can be grabby and self feed, so this cut can be a little thrilling if youre not paying attention.  

The other cut I use starts at the rim of the bowl.  This cut requires a greater range of motion and is much easier to do with the tailstock removed.  There are two variations of this cut.  One variant is to have the flute rolled 45° to the right and starting at the rim of the bowl with the tool about 30° to the top plane of the bowl (handle still level) begin cutting and swing the tool handle proportionately as the tip of the gouge cuts the wood.  This is a good cut for removing moderate amounts of material.  I find it easiest to perform while standing at the end of the lathe and shifting my weight from right to left.  

The second variant of cut starting at the rim I only use for light material removal and finish paces.  This is a bevel rubbing cut that produces a superior surface finish compared to the first two hollowing cuts I described.  This cut can skate upon initialization, which can leave a nice dig in on a cut rim bowl or blow out a natural edge piece.  If this proves to be a problem, then cut in about 1/4" using the previous cut described.  Now with a shoulder for the bevel to be supported on, present the tool at about 20° to the top plane of the bowl (handle still level).  With the bevel rubbing, you will begin to produce shavings as you advance the tool through the cut.  

In the photos below, you can see a great example of a split that must be removed before this bowl is finished with rough turning.  If this split was left in the piece, it would continue to propagate and could severely reduce the likelihood of having a bowl worth finish turning once the piece was dry.  On this particular bowl, I turned away all of the excess.  While that wouldnt be a big deal for softer woods, it can be time consuming on a timber like hickory.  

I had a similar split in another blank of hickory that I removed with the chainsaw in less than a minute!  I wish I had a picture of that, but I fear that when my wife saw me grinning with the chainsaw next to the lathe it would have been all over.  Hey, it sure beat the heck out of a pile of shavings.  AND...... I was able to get two blanks from the cut off for some small plates!  Win Win Win!

These bowls are tossed in a tub of denatured alcohol for 24 hours - until I remember to take them out.  They then drip dry and are wrapped with brown paper or news print on the outside.  The paper wraps around the rim and leaves the inside of the bowl open.

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