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Square Bowl

Joined
Jul 28, 2004
Messages
107
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Location
Smithfield, KY
Website
www.vinceswoodnwonders.com
Huy Guys,
Here is a sqaure bowl I turned not long ago. If you have not tried one of these they are a lot of fun. Just make sure your wood is sqaure before you start. I turned this peice out of Mahaganny which tears out easy on the edges so I had to be very careful with the edges. Thickness is 1/4 inch which seemed right on the peice. I finished by sanding with my Blue Micro Film Discs through 600 grit and sprayed with laquer.
 

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Joined
Mar 7, 2006
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Location
Hanover, MD
Very nice, Vince. Did you glue waste wood to the edges first or was it strictly from square wood?
 
Joined
Jul 28, 2004
Messages
107
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Location
Smithfield, KY
Website
www.vinceswoodnwonders.com
Hi John and John,
That was easy.
The bowl is 6" x 6". How much swoop? I do not know. I just went freehand and created a smooth flowing curve. Keeping the line moving is something that I have been really paying attention to since the first of the year. I did not use blocks on the outside edge. I seen that use that a symposium last year. I like the idea but I I just want to try the project without blocks. Mahaganny is known for chipping so the challenge was on. I did have one edge that was starting to chip slightly. When I got to the edge I was sure to take the cut from the outside edge in. Lots of fun and people really respond to the square shape. Vince
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2004
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Location
Columbus, Ohio
Website
www.devonpalmer.com
How to keep the trailing edges from chipping out?

Greetings,

I recently made something very similar out of a 2 inch thick 10 inch square black walnut square. It was more of a winged platter with a gentle slope towards the center. I used a "bleeding sharp" spindle gouge to make the last several cuts and while the gouge would enter a "wing" and make a clean cut, it was still getting chip out as the gouge would leave the "wing". Any suggestions on how to combat this? or, was the problem more centered around the type of wood I was using? (Yeah, hard to tell without being there....)

- Devon Palmer, Columbus Ohio
 
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
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Location
Winston, OR
Possible ouch!

Vince, I've turned a few square bowls & platters. Yes, they are fun to turn. Yes, it can be a painful experience if you don't keep your eye on the "shaddow." :eek: That's why I spin'um fast=easier to see the edge shaddow. They also make a nice sound @ 2,000 rpm+. :)
 

Steve Worcester

Admin Emeritus
Joined
Apr 9, 2004
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devonpalmer said:
Greetings,

I recently made something very similar out of a 2 inch thick 10 inch square black walnut square. It was more of a winged platter with a gentle slope towards the center. I used a "bleeding sharp" spindle gouge to make the last several cuts and while the gouge would enter a "wing" and make a clean cut, it was still getting chip out as the gouge would leave the "wing". Any suggestions on how to combat this? or, was the problem more centered around the type of wood I was using? (Yeah, hard to tell without being there....)

- Devon Palmer, Columbus Ohio
After years of square turning, I can honestly say, some it is the wood, some the speed, some the angle of attack, some of it is luck. Mainly because of the way you have to mount it on the lathe, you can't always make an uphill or a downhill cut in reference to the grain.

I use a fingernail ground (Ellsworth) gouge in a finish cut, with the flute facing up.
The other thing I find real effective is a negative rage scraper. I use a 1/2" square and can make fine cuts with little tear out.
There is always sandpaper for cleaning up the edges after, providing you don't get alot of tearout.
 
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