• It's time to cast your vote in the January 2025 Turning Challenge. (click here for details)
  • Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Alan Weinberg for "Elm Burl Bowl" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 27, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

I hate to see a good piece of wood go to waste!

Bobby Smith

Bobby Smith

Joined
Oct 23, 2018
Messages
252
Likes
159
Location
Omaha, TX
So as some of you know I'm practicing my bowl making. Lol I made 2, green wood, both warped, saved one and was about to throw the other in the wood burning stove. But I got to looking at it and thought, I did some hard work on that. Lol So I thought I would go ahead and try to save it because it was some nice looking wood anyway. It'll just sit on my desk in my little office room at home anyway. No one will see it. So here are the salvage pics. Lol
 

Attachments

  • damaged.jpg
    damaged.jpg
    107.4 KB · Views: 93
  • 2.jpg
    2.jpg
    75.1 KB · Views: 94
  • waxed 1.jpg
    waxed 1.jpg
    80.9 KB · Views: 97
Howdy Bobby......I've seen that "L" shape before, and it's usually a first effort from new turners. I've heard it called a "dog bowl" from others. I know your concentration isn't concerned very much with shape at this point, but rather getting your tools to cut wood. That's fine.....we all start at the same starting point. Now is the time to start thinking of an ogee curve:
th

An ogee is basically the combination of two opposing curves. You can bend and twist that ogee into an almost unlimited number of pleasing shapes......plus, a single curve ("C" shape) can be a very appealing shape, as well.

You will be more pleased with your work, when you start putting more effort into shape......and, you can do that, as well as pay attention to your tool usage, at the same time!

You're getting the idea, Bobby.......just keep working at it! :D

-----odie-----
 
Been there done that. I don't know what tool you are using but it looks like a classic case or bowl gouge grabbing and tearing out the edge. When you start the cut there isn't anything for the bevel to rub against so the tool wants to kick out. The way to avoid this is to start the cut with the flute pointing at 3 oclock or what we call closed. If the flute is open(say 2:30 or 2 oclock) when you present it to the wood it wants to be pulled to the ouside, tearing the rim off. We have all been there. Another option is to start the cut with the parting tool creating a very short shoulder. Just 1/8" deep is all that's needed. Then when you start the cut with the gouge there is a shoulder for the bevel to rub against an be supported. Then you can finish the cut down the bowl.
Another problem I see is the shape of your bowls. Trust me we have all made bowls like this, and there's nothing wrong with them if that's the shape you want. However that shape with the steep sides going into a flat bottom is the hardest shape to turn. That transition area between the side and bottom will grab the tool because you can't rub the bevel as you go through that transition area. Because you can't rub the bevel in that area you get catches or at least a lot of tearout. A much more flowing form will let you rub the bevel all the way to the bottom.
Glad your joining us and sharing your work. we will try to get you through the learning curve so you can enjoy this hobby more.
 
Hi Bobby...like Odie said you're getting the idea. I've been turning bowls and platters for only a year myself after several years of making pens and Like you I'm still learning how to use my tools....... and creating different shapes of bowls and platters. I spent 8 hours in the shop yesterday and wondered where the time went!!:D It is great to see your enthusiasm Bobby.....keep it up! ;)
 
That is a nice save. I found a few pieces I turned in the late 70's early 80's, no date... I wish I had. You may already, but if not, just a little signature and date on the bottom. Also, some struggle with how to sign and date, as in, signature, initials or hieroglyph. Wood species or not. Some use a secret numbering system and card catalog, I envy them, as I don't have the discipline. As mentioned earlier, you may already have this part down, if not, starting early you can massage the info till you get something you're happy with. It looks like you are having fun, and that's what counts...
cc
 
Well I appreciate all the comments and tips y'all. I wasn't really going for any shape besides round on this thing. Lol This bowl wound up like it did because of my lack of experience. As John stated, the sides were too steep, plus it was green wood and I took it to finished size. So when coming back to the bowl after it dried, I don't have a jam chuck and thought I could just mount it back on the chuck from my recessed tenon on the bottom of the bowl. The bowl was warped, not real bad and luckily had no cracks. Well dry wood means hard brittle wood and it didn't take but about 1 minute to figure out I'm not cutting that thing right, my tools are probably not sharp enough and somethings messed up. Lol Yep, the first pic is just where I stopped and said the heck with it. So last night I just decided to sand off the rough edges and just throw a coat of bees wax on it. Lol
So thanks Odie for the illustration. My first curve I would like to conquer would be round. Lol But I can see what you're showing and maybe one day I can plan shaped warpage instead of creating it.
John, thanks for the comments. You are right as the shape was my first problem and my tool usage was the next. Thanks for the tips! I'll get there!
 
Clifton C said:
That is a nice save. I found a few pieces I turned in the late 70's early 80's, no date... I wish I had. You may already, but if not, just a little signature and date on the bottom. Also, some struggle with how to sign and date, as in, signature, initials or hieroglyph. Wood species or not. Some use a secret numbering system and card catalog, I envy them, as I don't have the discipline. As mentioned earlier, you may already have this part down, if not, starting early you can massage the info till you get something you're happy with. It looks like you are having fun, and that's what counts...
cc
Click to expand...
I hear ya Clifton! I'm rather OCD and organized. Lol I keep a file on my computer for everything I make. I don't usually sign any craft stuff I make, and I can't sign my ink pens. But I do take pics of them and put them in their own folder and date the folder. Now since I started trying to make bowls, I have marked these. It's just a date and my initials (BS). Lol
 

Attachments

  • sig.jpg
    sig.jpg
    75.7 KB · Views: 22
You have a fine wife there. I sand off the lathe all the time. I use a 5" radom orbit sander and it could fairly easily knock off the grooves on the outside diameter and get rid of tear out. Personally, I'm glad I didn't keep my early stuff. I have a perfect memory of how horrible they were. Maybe even a slightly exaggerated memory of how bad they were. No shame in turning designer firewood. After I got a few years of experience in, I realized that I should have been concentrated on technique and not about making a "project" every single time. Learn some technique, throw it away, make some more, throw those away. Pretty soon the effort brings about a good result.
 
Part of turning is what is out of the ordinary. When I first started turning, I would have never guessed leaving the bark on a bowl and call it a Natural Edge Bowl. That is a nice bowl; love the grain and the finish.
 
Richard Coers said:
You have a fine wife there. I sand off the lathe all the time. I use a 5" radom orbit sander and it could fairly easily knock off the grooves on the outside diameter and get rid of tear out. Personally, I'm glad I didn't keep my early stuff. I have a perfect memory of how horrible they were. Maybe even a slightly exaggerated memory of how bad they were. No shame in turning designer firewood. After I got a few years of experience in, I realized that I should have been concentrated on technique and not about making a "project" every single time. Learn some technique, throw it away, make some more, throw those away. Pretty soon the effort brings about a good result.
Click to expand...
Yea Richard, I'm not getting heartbroke over what I'm doing. I'm learning to use my tools better, learning to sharpen my tools better, learning more about wood characteristics and learning to move at speeds I'm comfortable with. YouTube videos can be very intimidating, but not until you put tools in your own hands do you realize there's a lot more than just gouging and shaping. I'm enjoying the turning. I will get better over time.
 
It just occurred to me that one of the things you don't see or learn from videos and DVDs is the stance and motion of the turner. I recall suddenly noticing this aspect of turning bowls when I first went to live demos. So here's a pointer I typically share with our high school woodturning club kids:

The lathe is the only tool in the shop where the motor moves the wood. That means WE are controlling the cutting edge. Since we can't bolt the cutter down, we need to press the business end down onto the tool rest and lock the handle to ourselves. As a result, we don't turn with out fingers, wrists, elbows or shoulders, we turn with our big leg, back and flank muscles. In order to make a curved bowl shape, you have to position your feet in the right way, lock the handle to your side, bend your knees, and turn your trunk. How you rotate your trunk will determine the shape the cutting edge makes on the wood. ​

Recently, I've started having them hold a gouge and practice the movement, back and forth to start developing muscle memory. The students nearly always make a straight sided bowl for their first one, but we can often get them to see and achieve a curved shape with the second one. Or the third.
 
Good save.... You won't fine any evidence of mistakes in my shop.... I do have a wood stove....

Dean, there are several videos that comment about stance and moving with your tools, Stuart Batty, Dave Ellsworth, and I have one dedicated to that. For me, first day in Tai Chi class, which was about 5 years after I started turning was 'hey, this is what I do when I stand at the lathe!'. Cathleen Duncan, on the Board with the AAW, or she used to be anyway uses 'Dance with the lathe' as a teaching method, where you do a dry run with the lathe off, holding tool in position you will use when you actually turn. Good for visualizing. Other than that, from a martial arts instructor years ago, "10,000 more times!" "But Teacher, that is what you said last time!" "Well then, 10,000 more times!" Running your hands over the curves is one of the best ways to get a feel for form. Fingers are pretty sensitive, and if some thing doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Form evolves!

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
Good save.... You won't fine any evidence of mistakes in my shop.... I do have a wood stove....
robo hippy
Click to expand...
I have a wood stove also but I just couldn't bare to throw that pretty wood grain in there. Lol Btw, I just got done watching about 5 of your videos. I was enjoying the roughing ones you have. I'm gonna have to learn to drive better instead of concentrating on steering. Lol Great vids!
 
Dance with the lathe? Hmm. Rather dance with the wife. I recall some demos at our chapter that emphasized the movement to control the tool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top