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Natural Edge Youtube video

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Nov 24, 2010
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I have posted a 15 min video on Youtube of a natural edge cherry burl bowl turning. If you have time to watch it, I would appreciate feedback. I know that there are many techniques for turning bowls. This may be helpful for some beginners and there may be parts of my method that I could be advised on for improvement. Perhaps some experienced bowl turners can view it and comment. Hope you can watch it and let me know what you think.
Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX6tHeKet4k
 
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john lucas

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Well done Martin. It's a good video to show the steps a beginner could follow to do a bowl. I only have a couple of suggestions. I think beginners need to see how the tool is oriented and cutting. Since you mentioned your camera won't focus closer than 4 feet that really isn't an option.
A brief discussion of grain orientation and direction of cut would be nice. When you are hollowing the inside the video sort of makes it look like you do some of the hollowing from the center out and some from the outer edge in. Probably just in how you edited the video but is confusing for a beginner.
It also might have been nice to show you actually cutting the excess off on the foot.
Just nit picky things, overall a good job. Obviously you did a video on boel turning and I haven't yet so I looked at it as a sort of what would I do differently so when I do get time to do one hopefully I will so some of the things I mentioned.
 
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Nice job Martin. I use a two prong spur drive when turn bowls that size vise the face plate. I start out with a 1" fostner bit which is allot more managable than that 3" monster you used. My two cents.

Walt
 
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Thanks

Thanks for the video.
I just got 2 cherry burls.
Having never turned a burl, I was looking for just the info you included.
 
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Erwin, thanks!

I've been surprised at how many views these have. I'm glad you found what you are looking for. I have one more cherry burl bowl blank left, but I'm trying to learn how to use the bowl saver system I have prior to turning it so that I might get a few bowls out of it. Good luck on your turning. Is your bowl blank include natural edge? Hope to see a post of the final turning.

Regards,

Martin
 
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Hey Martin! Didn't realize you turned anything but pens. Good on ya. I hope you brought it for Show 'n Tell but I've missed a few meetings lately so must have missed it. Maybe I'll see you next month........Ron
 
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Hey Ron!

I'm slowly branching out into larger projects since my Powermatic purchase. Loving this machine so much. Turning a lot of bowls and recently got the center saver system that Mahoney promotes. I've been wanting to get into hollow vessel turning. I signed up for a class, but it was cancelled. I am signed up and excited to go to an extended weekend with David Ellsworth in PA next month. Learning to turn green wet wood will be interesting and I'm hoping to learn some hollow vessel technique over that weekend.

I don't make it out to the local meetings any more. I may pick it back up sometime in the future, but it doesn't work out often with the family schedule and the topics of demonstration usually don't interest me. I did enjoy seeing and participating in the show and tell though. There are some talented turners in that group.

Good to hear from you. If you are ever going to be up in the Redlands area, let me know. Would love to have you come by the shop.

Regards,

Martin
 

Steve Worcester

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I agree with John, but on a natural edge bowl the difficult part, especially for a beginner, is the unsupported cut of the inside. In that part the video, I don't see a lot of explanation, and from what I saw, unless it is a real steep bevel gouge, I can't figure out how you rubbed the bevel in this cut (not that it is mandatory).

I am not saying what you did was wrong, everyone has differing styles, the end results shows you know what you are doing, but the video doesn't adequately explain that.

I do like the video, good job.
 
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Thanks Martin. I know this is 4 1/2 months ago that you posted this but I just became a participant. This my 1st post on AAW. As usual I learned a bit once again. Nice natural bowl.

Leo in AZ.
 
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I'm fairly new to bowl turning. I'm still learning about technique and the video is just a video of me turning a bowl - I'm not an authority or professional turner. I have seen many pieces by other turners and by those who have posted here and I hope to continue to learn and achieve the level of craftsmanship represented by many members of the AAW. Thanks for all the comments and I will add them all to the learning pot. I have some techniques to "un-learn" still. I'm going to be spending an extended weekend with David Ellsworth later this month in PA and hope to learn many good things. Thanks!

Regards,

Martin
 
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Martin as a total newbie to turning I really appreciate the video should be a great help. I hate that so many of my neighbors have have lost so much here in North Georgia in the past week. Just wish the twisted tree were more useable for turning. But please post more videos I would love all the help I can get
 
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natural edge

Hi,

Nice video and nice bowl. have a related question. I have turned bowls as you show, that is coming up from the tail stock side. Also have tried coming up from the tail stock side until I get close to the bark. Then I come down from the headstock side. Seems to preserve more of the bark that way. Thoughts anyone?

Herb
 
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Herb,

You are very correct. Approaching the bark side from the headstock is the way to go. I hope to show/execute the many tips I've gleaned from comments in the next video I do - whenever that might be.

Thanks

Martin
 
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Hi,

Nice video and nice bowl. have a related question. I have turned bowls as you show, that is coming up from the tail stock side. Also have tried coming up from the tail stock side until I get close to the bark. Then I come down from the headstock side. Seems to preserve more of the bark that way. Thoughts anyone?

Whatever floats your boat. Bark can (should?) be reinforced for best success, regardless. If you swing a well-anchored tool rather than "ride" the bevel into the bark and over the edge, which is more fragile than the wood, it's not a big deal either way.


This one's a barkless, because of the age of the wood, but you can see that pickup is minimal. Tiny hairs, rather than splinters. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/Peeling-Outside.jpg You can see the two roughing passes outboard of this smoothing pass.

Or this piece after the final pass.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/PinJawMount.jpg

Here's what happens when you don't run CA to hold the top flakes of cherry bark.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/Bark-up.jpg
 
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