Nick Cook is a nationally known woodturner. He lives in Marietta, Georgia, where he owns and operates his studio. He grew up around his father’s woodworking equipment and became interested in the art of woodturning in the mid-70’s after several years in furniture design and manufacture.

Nick is a founding member of the American Association of Woodturners. He served six years on the board of directors, including one as vice president. He teaches and lectures on various woodturning topics, has written articles for several woodworking magazines and produced three woodturning videos.

He employs a variety of woods, both domestic and exotic for his one-of-a-kind pieces. The primary materials he now uses are maple, cocobolo and Tagua nuts. Nick’s work is marketed in gift shops and galleries from coast to coast and is included in numerous corporate and private collections.

Morning Session:

Nick began with a discussion of the skew. He feels that every turner must know how to use it. The only way to learn to use it is to use it. The key is for the bevel to support the cut. When this is done you get an incredibly smooth cut. Always place the tool against the tool rest with the end above the piece, then lower it, roll it into the piece in a shear cut, gentle position. Nick moves his body with the tool against his right side. This gives maximum support. The left hand should touch the tool rest at all times. Cutting should be done on the middle third of the skew. Initially the skew should be used at a slow lathe speed. As your efficiency increases the speed can also be increased. The edges of the skew should be rounded to protect the tool rest from being damaged by the HS steel tool. The cutting edge of his skew is at a 20-degree grind.

Next Nick made a square pommel on the piece of poplar previously placed between centers. He used the long point of the tool. The pommel corners were then rounded. It is important to leave a uniformly clean surface; if not, the rougher surfaces will finish darker. A V-cut was then done. It was formed by alternately cutting on both sides of the V. You need to go all the way to the bottom of the cut. If not, trash builds up in the bottom of the V. Once a V is formed you are set up to form a bead. This is done using the short point of the skew and rolling it to form the cut. Taking thin, delicate cuts gives you a better surface. A bead tool such as a Spindlemaster can be used to do nearly everything a skew does. To sharpen you simply hone the flat surface. You should not use a grinding wheel.

Bulb Planting Tool:

Nick placed a 2x2x12-inch piece of poplar between centers. A bead was formed at the tailstock end and a second bead about midway on the piece. A handle was then formed between the beads. The headstock end of the piece was then tapered. Once tapered, distances were marked in inches so that when the tool is used you know the depth you are placing the bulb. Sanding was not needed. The ends were parted off – tailstock end first. This completed the bulb planter.

Honey Dipper:

Nick placed a 1x1x8-inch piece of hard maple between centers and rounded it with the rouging gouge. The gouge was placed on the tool rest and rolled until cutting began. Then a series of cuts were made at the tailstock end with a parting tool. The center of the piece was then thinned and the handle formed to the desired shape. The dipper was sanded starting at 150 grit and progressing to 220 grit. Walnut oil was then applied as the final finish. The advantage of walnut oil is that it dries. Mineral oil does not dry. Bees wax can be applied. The piece was then parted off, tailstock end first. The small nubbins at each end were sanded.

Christmas Ornament:

Another piece of maple was placed between centers. It was rounded with the roughing gouge to about 1 inch diameter. A fingernail spindle gouge was used at the tailstock end to form a hat. The brim was undercut. The head was formed by making a bead about the same size as the hat brim. The body of the ornament was then tapered to form an icicle-shaped snowman. A hatband was formed by burning it into the surface with 1/8” thick piece of Masonite. It was then sanded and parted off. A hanger was placed in the center of the hat. Puff paint was used to make the eyes, buttons and nose. A Sharpie was used to form a series of dots for the mouth. Once the paint has dried the ornament is hung from a fishing swivel, swung and lacquered as it spins.

Snowman:

Nick used a 2x2x8 inch piece of basswood. It was rounded and a sizing tool used to roughly shape two snowman bodies. A round three-eighths inch skew was used to form the beads that made up the body segments. A hat was formed on the snowman at the tailstock end. The piece was sanded. (A coat of lacquer can be applied as a sealer before painting.) A hat can be made of a contrasting wood and glued to the top of the snowman at the headstock end. The hat can be placed at an angle to give an added effect.

Baby Rattle:

The rattle was begun as two halves. Each had a section routed out where the beans would be placed. The two halves would then be glued together. Very smooth surfaces are needed to give a perfect glue line. The piece was placed between centers, the handle of the rattle in the drive center. The piece was then rounded and marked so that the hollow area would not be entered when shaping with the spindle gouge. It was then sanded and walnut oiled. Parting off was done and the nubbins at each end sanded.

Spinning Top:

Nick placed a 2x2x6 inch maple block into the Talon Chuck. The piece was rounded. The tailstock end (tailstock was not used) was turned into a top shape and chatter work applied. It was then colored with Sharpie pens. The top of the top was formed and the top parted off. The entire process can be done with a one-quarter inch bowl gouge with fingernail shaped spindle grind. A second top was then made from the same block of maple. This concluded the morning demonstration.

Afternoon Session:

Angel: (As shown and described in the winter 2004 “American Woodturner” – Vol. 19 No. 4)

The afternoon session began with Nick making an angel from a 3x3x8 inch round hard maple blank. A tenon had been previously made and this was placed in the chuck. The piece was trued-up. The tailstock was not used. The end was trued-up. The blank was then hollowed in a cone shape configuration using the Berger tool (you could use the Martel Hook Tool). A step was made in the opening so the piece could later be re-chucked at that end. The hollowing should be tapered in because the final form of the angel will be conical. Once hollowed the outer surface of the piece was shaped. The piece was then parted off. That portion left in the headstock was used to turn a halo which was then parted off. Before parting the halo should be sanded as much as possible.

The angel’s body was then placed in the expanding chuck. Caution should be taken not to put too much pressure on the piece with the chuck. The body was again trued. The angel’s head was formed. The head and body were sanded. While in the chuck a three-eighth inch hole was drilled to insert the wings. The piece was then removed from the chuck. A screw chuck was then used with shims to shorten the screw. A 5/4 hard maple round piece was placed on the screw. Prior to turning two holes had been drilled into the maple disc. These holes would later be used to delineate the two sides of the wing. The piece was removed and a waste block placed on the screw chuck. A tenon was turned and the wing piece glued to it. The wing was hollowed as if it were a small bowl. It was then sanded. Caution: Be careful of the holes when sanding. “They will get you!” The wing base was then turned to three-eighths inch to fit into the hole that had been drilled into the angel’s body. The wing was then placed on the body and the halo on the head. Further refinement of the wings would be with a coping saw opening up the two previously drilled holes. This completed the angel.

Chattering was then discussed in response to several requests. It is used only on end-grain hardwood. It should be presented below center. The pressure applied and the lathe speed are also factors. When chattering you need a smooth clean surface. When coloring do not apply much pressure with the Sharpie. You can use a point tool to delineate areas of chatter work.

Bottle Stoppers:

A draw bar is placed through the headstock and the threaded end is screwed into a #2 Morse Taper collet, which accepts a three-eighths inch, tenon. A piece of pine was placed into the collet. The pine was then shaped in the form of a Christmas tree. Aniline dyes are used to color the stopper. This is set aside to dry for at least 24 hours, then lacquered two times. Finally cork is placed on the three-eighths inch tenon using CA glue. A second stopper was then made using cocobolo. Nick takes the corners off the hardwood with a bandsaw in order to make rounding easier and more efficient. He uses a parabolic drill bit to drill the holes to accept the dowel rod piece that fits into the cork and into the collet. The piece was turned using a spindle gouge, then sanded. It was waxed using 4-0 steel wool and buffed with paper towels.

On a humorous note: Nick does not know why anyone would use a bottle stopper because you can drink the entire bottle using a straw and not have to stopper it again.

Peppermill:

Nick placed a laminated blank between centers and rounded it. The laminated board had been cut on an angle to give a unique effect when turning. Tenons were placed on each end and one about one-third of the way up the piece. The piece was then parted at the middle tenon. A drill chuck was placed in the tailstock and the larger of the two sections placed in the chuck. A one-and-five-eighths inch hole was drilled about three-eighths inch in. Then a one-and-one-sixteenth inch hole was drilled about one-half inch farther or deeper. Then a one-inch hole had to be drilled all the way through the piece. Nick’s drill bit was not long enough to go all the way and that is why a tenon was formed on both ends. The piece was reversed and drilled from the other direction. Before drilling the tenon was removed and the surface flattened. This completed the one-inch hole through the entire piece.

The smaller piece was then placed in the chuck and a tenon made to fit the one-inch hole in the larger piece. The fit cannot be a popping fit because it needs to twist when you grind the pepper. Next, a shallow hole was drilled into the tenon’s surface to accept a small metal turnplate. Then a seventeen-sixty-fourth inch hole was drilled all the way through the piece. It was then removed from the chuck. The mechanism was then placed in the peppermill and the depth measured on the top piece. This was placed in the chuck and parted off at the measured depth. This permits the rod to screw properly into the bottom piece.

A waste block was then placed on the screw chuck and a one and five-eighths inch tenon was formed. The bottom piece was placed on the tenon using the previously drilled shallow one-and-five-eighths inch hole. The remaining tenon on the bottom piece was then eliminated. Both pieces were placed between centers (one in the chuck) and a bead was formed on the top piece using the gouge. The lower portion of the bead was at the joint between the top and bottom of the peppermill. A bead was formed on the bottom piece beginning at the joint. The bottom was then shaped with the roughing gouge and sanded. A urethane gel finish was used and the entire peppermill assembled.

This completed a busy, interesting and informative demonstration. For further details, and there are many, the video will be available in the club library in February 2005.

Happy Turning!

--Bob Gunther

Nick's Website

Nick's Previous Demonstration