Who do I believe?

[cwearing]

Posted as a relatively new turner:

From "Two Ways To Make a Bowl" with Stuart Baty and Mike Mahoney ---use the gouge and avoid the scraper (scraper tears fibers)

World Great Richard Raffan said turn with the gouge and clean up the bowl with the scraper.

Ellsworth in his DVD demonstrates the beauty of his gouge where you can proceed to 180 sandpaper---no mention of the scraper.

If everybody is a self-proclamed expert where does that leave the beginner? 😕

 

[Wally Dickerman]

All of the people that you mention aren't "self proclaimed experts". They ARE experts. You could ask many more experts how they turn a bowl and the tools used, and you would get many answers. As turners become well experienced, they all develop their own ways of doing things. Ther is no one "correct" way.

I suggest that you try various ways of turning a bowl based on the videos, etc. of the experts that you have, and make your own decision.

 

[Steve Worcester]

I won't proclaim myself an expert, but I would consider myself as knowing what I am doing.

Like anything in life, some of us learn better by doing. Watch the videos, watch live demos, take classes, ask questions. When all is said and done, do what works for you.

I always stress in my demo and teaching that there are many techniques to accomplish most anything in woodturning. None are necessarily wrong, some are just more safe than others.

Now the scraper is one of the more controversial of tools. I don't know if I have ever seen David (Ellsworth) use one. I do know that Sturat does though, and markets a Glaser one.

I keep several around from my early days and on rare occasion even use one. Usually to get a nib out of the bottom of a bowl.

 

[Bill Grumbine]

To make matters worse, in a few more days you will have yet another opinion! 😀 I call the scraper the tool turners love to hate. I do quite a bit with a bowl gouge, but a scraper ground with a sharper bevel than most is capable of removing very fine shavings even on spindle work, and so I use it too.

In the end it depends on the wood. Some pieces will only be smoothed with a scraper, and some will tear out like you wouldn't believe. Then there is using a bowl gouge in a shear scraping position. Isn't that scraping? I think it is, but that might open yet another can of worms.

Bill

 

[pfduffy]

Scrapers vs bowl gouges

To add 2cents; think about the way a bowl gouge is used to do fine work- - on its side, as if it were a scraper, and it is.
One should strive to use the tools he/she has for accomplishing the best result attainable and stop worrying about the form and shape of the thing at the end of the stick. Phil

 

[AtSam]

Depending on the type of wood I will use hand held cabinet scrapers. Pretty hard to get a better starting finishes than that on SOME woods. Meaning there are many ways to get the job done.

 

[Dave Smith]

You are not alone.

You have received information from two turners for whom I have a great respect. Bill Grumbine is the only person to get me to give him money for formal lessons. Money well spent. Wally Dickerman can tell you about how turning was done before the bowl gouge was developed. He is a most amazing turner and even more amazing person. Their advise is always worth heading.

My take on the scraper is that there are a lot of people who equate proficiency in turning to mastering certain tools or techniques. Since the bowl gouge is a relatively new tool in turning, that greatly improved the bowl turning process, apparently using it is a sign of a good turner. My problem is that I cannot tell the difference in the shavings from a shape scraper and those from a bowl gouge. Then there is the problem , mentioned before, that a bowl gouge used for shear scraping is then just a scraper. So someone doing a shear scrape cut is really a better or more accomplished turner because they have mastered the bowl gouge and can make it function like an old fashion scraper.

Then there are the hollowing tools most of which are scrapers.

Dave Smith

Just scraping by in Longview, WA.