@Vlats i generally use urethane based glue for durability. On other non-dropped or heavy-impact objects that have more complex clamping and need more working time, I'll use a basic wood glue like titebond. @htimSxelA sad about the koa result. I know certain woods require either stabilization or oil to be properly wet sanded at higher grains due to the nature of the fibers. Which oil/finishing compound you use depends on the wood. But if you get through the courser grits into wet territory, then use the oil and work up through to 1200+ grits it should come out beautifully. Beautiful work on those kens. Fond of the koa maple pin especially. The coloring on the burl is rad.
@Vlats thanks! I'll try to post up some more pics as I finish new products. @DPatten Titebond is the homie! I really haven't found any species it doesn't work well with yet. I've read that some people use solvents to pull the oil out of REALLY oily species before gluing sometimes, but I'd wager a guess that this is for projects that have a larger glue cross-section than your average kendama. In those cases, I guess long-range stability in the joint would be an issue, but for a kendama I've never had problems with glue-joints splitting.
I am so glad that this has become a thread! Downspike is becoming better and better each and every day! @htmiSxA I love that you are sharing tips and trick that you have learned over your years of working on kendamas. It is truly amazing that I can learn a thing or two from you. I have been working on a lathe for a few years now and as inspired by you to begin my journey into the art that is turning kendamas. I have made pretty good progress so far but nowhere near you as of yet. Attached is an image of my best piece I have made. For anyone looking into getting into working on a lathe, pen turning is a great place to start learning some basic techniques and it is a fairly low-cost hobby so if mistakes are made (they most likely will) it isn't as hard on the wallet.
Right on! Glad you tried it out, turning is actually quite fun. That dama looks good, how many have you made total?
I have probably made about 10 damas, a few kururin to try out and for friends, tons of pens and other random items. Sadly I can't take my lathe with me to college so I can only turn when home for breaks. Once I have my own, permenant space for woodworking it will make that a lot easier for sure!
Here is a picture of a kendama i made when i was still learning how to make them. This one is all chiped out and easily cracks... it is madeout of really old skateboard decks that i used to skate. Now it just stands as a decoration And here is one that i made this fall. Its one of my best works.
Hey guys! I've been practicing on the lathe off and on for a few years now. I've never actually completed a ken because I don't have a bit with the proper taper to drill the sarado. Can someone recommend a good tapered bit size?
oh that ! yeah that is a tricky part where you have to be utmost careful. The diametar of hole depends on the radius of the spike. i make 10 or 11 mm wide spike. so that means i have to use 10 or 11 mm drill... the most important thing is to determine the middle of the sarado. the other important thing is to drill it perfectly straight through that middle. to achieve that i work from smaller drills to bigger. steping up for 1 mm. lets say i start with 1 mm then i proceed to 2, 3, 4 and so on until 10 mm when im done with that try puting it on a spike. sometimes i adjust the perfect fit by putting the drill half way through the hole on sarado and wiggle it a bit... to make sort of a funnel. but very delicate funnel. i hope this helped 10 mm = 0.4 inches ( roughly )
It'll depend on the size and shape of your spike. When I started out, I used a dremel with a sanding drum to slowly bevel out the hole, after drilling a pilot hole on my drill press. It isn't easy, but it is possible
I know the mods will say that this belongs in the lumberyard, but i'd appreciate it if it would stay on the sesh because not that many people look on the lumberyard. If i want to begin hand turning kendamas, what machinery do i need, how much will it cost, and what are your experiences hand turning kendamas?
@Ryan Brewer I've merged your thread with an older one that has pretty much the exact same name and purpose. There is some good info in here, give it a read and then post up if you have any other questions. While the sesh does have better visibility, anyone that actually knows what they're talking about in regards to handturning damas will have lurked through this thread in the past. So I would guess that even though more eyes would see it in the sesh, the eyes that will be able to help out will be hanging out in here.
Ive been trying some wood turning recently and I want to try turning a ken. I've seen many videos but I don't want to miss anything. Can someone give me a quick crash course on hand turning kens? Or any tips? Thanks
I tried it, and it is harder than it looks. carving the cups is the hardest part, and I can't find a good way to drill the holes