Turn Anyting Into Cast Iron

Hi everybody,

I'm a hobby woodworker and I like woodturning. I recently finished woodturning many singing birds (in beech) in fact 26 to be specific and I wanted some variation. I got inspired by the look of my cast iron cooking pan. I am a great fan of products in cast iron, but I don't have the possibilities to cast iron.

I started experimenting how to get a cast iron look on my products. In this instructables you can follow my journey and who knows, maybe you will try this yourself as well.

The inspiration from the bird is a bird a friend of the family turned for over 50 years ago.

Please be gentle as English is not my native language.

To make a cast iron look you will need:

• Wood glue, I used this one but any brand will do

https://www.slojd-detaljer.se/produkter/fixa-forvara/lim-limpistoler/tralim/cascol-tralim-1566?gclid=Cj0KCQiAieWOBhCYARIsANcOw0yG7UuN6E7rrJ6QzQNGtTJO-1ggq5WXDjQk_6KP7fSSq9_zv_nImzAaAvGsEALw_wcB

• A strainer or tea-strainer

https://www.amazon.com/Strainer-Mulling-Stainless-Perfect-ARTIST/dp/B07FZP5YFB

• A paint brush

https://www.amazon.com/Transon-Watercolor-Acrylic-Gouache-Painting/dp/B07X864TW9/ref=sr_1_24?crid=2F1LY1MKYXCLP&keywords=paint+brush&qid=1641656523&sprefix=paint+brush%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-24

• Spray paint for example and respirator with quality filters

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Paint-Spray-Paint/Black/N-5yc1vZapz5Z1z1a3ok

• Fine saw dust, which I made by sawing stocks on my band saw

• Sanding paper 400 grid

• And a surface you want the cast iron look on in my case a wooden singing bird

To make a singing bird you need:

• Birch or Beech

• Band saw

• A lathe and turning tools (I used roughing gouge, spindle gouge, parting tool and a small scraper)

• Eye protection, a visor

• dust extraction system

• Sanding paper, 100 and 240 grid

• Calipers

• Dividers

• Wooden mallet

• Little hand saw

How to make your cast iron look?

I collected some sand by the nearest lake and take it home. It was quite coarse so I strained it.

Take a left over piece of wood and glued the sand onto the wood and let it dry.

I applied (spry) paint. Don't forget you're peronal procection equipment when using spray paint. Make sure you wear a respirator with good quality filters.

See the result on the pictures.

I wasn’t satisfied with the sand surface. It was too coarse. So I sent my husband to the pet shop to buy bird sand. This is very fine sand made from crushed seashells. https://www.zooplus.com/shop/birds/bedding_and_litter/sand/190455

But as it was blended with larger bits of shelves so I had to strain it again, but this time I used a tea strain witch was finer than the strainer I used in step 1.

I glue this fine sand onto a piece of wood again by pouring the fine sand, let it dry and painted it. The result was beautiful. The surface had an even structure but it was still coarse.

I still wasn’t satisfied with the look of the bird in step 2 so the third experiment started.

I started to collect dust. I saw some logs (birch) with my band saw without the dust collector. (When doing so use a respirator with good quality filters to protect yourself inhaling saw dust). After sawing only 8 times I had enough sawdust. This time I strained it again with the tea strain and only the finest dust remained.

I repeated the procedure from step 2, applied wood glue on the bird poured the saw dust over the bird and let it dry for about 3 hours. I sanded the surface slightly with 400 grid sand paper.  Then I painted the bird two times with spray paint.

And yes this was the structure I was looking for. I am happy with the results, what do you think?

Choose a log (140 m long and 70 mm diameter) for the head of the bird.

Find the center (you can use a divider) and make a mark with your wooden mallet. Take a look at the pictures that will explain “everything” .

Put the blank in between centers, the dents on the drive spur and rough out the wooden blank with a roughing gauge. Start turning at slow speed (600 rpm) until your log is round. You can higher the speed 1200rpm

When the blank had reached the desired diameter (for the head 65 mm and the body 80 mm) I turn a little shoulder so I can mount the log in the chuck.

Make marks on the log were to begin and end the beak, and head with a pencil.

Start making the beak. Make an indentation with a little scraper (20 mm wide and depth about 14 mm)

Now you can turn up the speed to 1600 rpm and make indentations on the marks with a parting tool.

Round the log with your spindle gauche or skew chisel and turn it into a ball. Use your calipers and measure all the time.

When you are pleased with the head sand it smooth. Take it of the lathe. I saw the head of the log with a small saw.

The body is much easier to turn than the head.

Choose a log (17 mm long and 77-80 mm diameter) for the body of the bird. Find the center (you can use a divider) and make a mark with your wooden mallet. Take a look at the pictures in step 4 and 5, that will explain a lot.

Put the blank in between centers, the dents on the drive spur and rough out the wooden blank with a roughing gauge. Start turning at slow speed (600 rpm) until your log is round. ( 74 mm diameter)

 When the blank reached the desired diameter, I turn a little shoulder so I can mount the log in the chuck.

Make marks on the log were to end the body..

Turn upp your speed to 1200 rpm. Make an indentation with a little scraper (18 mm wide and depth about 14 mm)

Now you can turn up the speed to 1600 rpm and make indentations on the marks with a parting tool.

Round the log with your spindle gauche or skew chisel and turn it into a body. Use your calipers and measure all the time.

When you are pleased with the body sand it smooth. Before a take the body och the log I look if the body and the head fits together. If not make the body thinner. Take it of the lathe.

Now place the head in every position you like. the head isn't fit/secured on the body, in that way you can give the bird a happy expression or a sad expression.