Turned out nice. I have a bunch of standing shagbark hickory that I am dieing to turn. I can't wait for one of them to fall.

A quick Google search turned up this site.

Usually, the boards are laid out so that they run parallel to the longest dimension of the room. Some may debate the aesthetics of that orientation, but I would maintain it's just practical because it requires fewer cuts and therefore takes less time to install. If you have a hallway that is perpendicular to the long dimension, then you make a threshold and run the boards along the length of the hallway.

I don't think so, unless you want to prevent them rattling after they shrink a little. Even so, I usually skip the glue on the slats since getting the whole assembly together is enough of a headache without the complication of glue.

Jet starts with a 10 - 20
Small

Then goes to 16 - 32

Medium

I have the 16 - 32 and find it very useful.

Floor drain under the machine?

That's a nice looking piece of furniture.

So, will it be a new sharpening station? Hold the miter saw?

All I can say is WOW, those are beautiful. Great job.

Mel

Looks like a pair of leather shears to me. Often, one blade is serrated.

There is a stain that is used to turn oak black that is made by putting some iron nails in a solution (vinegar??) and letting it sit for a while. The solution is then applied to the oak and it turns black.

Perhaps there was a film residue on the jaws that triggered the blackening reaction.

If you clean the jaws with a good solvent, I would expect this to be a one time thing.

Also, congratulations on the new chuck accessory.

I very much like the shape of the bowl. I would suggest putting it on a display shelf for now. When you get a bit more experience, I would suggest making a pedestal post and a smaller diameter bowl or plate to top it. You might have to do an in-fill of the original mortise in order to get enough structural support for the tenon on the pedestal post. If you do the in-fill with the same contrasting wood that you use for the post, it would tie everything together. You do want this bowl to be absolutely air dried for your local area prior to doing the in-fill, though.