turning spanish cedar question

allen levine

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new york city burbs
glued up some Spanish cedar and maple, no matter how fast, slow, put in new carbide blade in chisel, I still get a lot of rough, tear out? no matter which way I turn this wood. Too soft? Any ideas or suggestions from an experienced bowl turner?
I only have carbide tools and one 3/8 bowl gouge. I have all the other chisels but its a cheap set from harbor freight, so I prefer to use carbide,
 

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Hi Allen. I've not turned Spanish cedar before, but I have turned red cedar and mountain cedar. Now I only use regular deep fluted bowl gouges but nonetheless, I experience the same problem from time to time. Also have the some problem with elm, hackberry and cottonwood. All soft woods and I think that is just an inherent problem we run into with softer woods at times. I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with your tools (as long as they are razor sharp) as much as the softness and texture of the wood. Since you are doing a glue up this may not apply but when I am drying those softer woods, I always give them a coat of walnut oil before I put them in the kiln after roughing out. Seems to help some but not always the desired amount. Good luck. I hope I helped some anyway.
 
Time for shear scraping, although the Spanish cedar may just be too soft. You can shear scrape with carbide too, but I would use the bowl gouge...and think about getting a 1/2" bowl gouge from Doug Thompson. Also depends on what carbide tools you have. I don't have any of the recent carbide tools from Easy Wood Tools and Hunter, but I know they have tools with circular cutters designed to do a great job on finishing cuts. You could also put a shot of finish on the bowl and try turning it wet. Sometimes that helps with tear out.
 
Time for shear scraping, although the Spanish cedar may just be too soft. You can shear scrape with carbide too, but I would use the bowl gouge...and think about getting a 1/2" bowl gouge from Doug Thompson. Also depends on what carbide tools you have. I don't have any of the recent carbide tools from Easy Wood Tools and Hunter, but I know they have tools with circular cutters designed to do a great job on finishing cuts. You could also put a shot of finish on the bowl and try turning it wet. Sometimes that helps with tear out.

I'll echo Ted's advice. He saved me a bunch of typing, lol. :thumb:

Ditto

Sometimes I spray the wood with water to help with tearout.
 
I got a little better turning today, managed to eliminate 90% of the tearout sections. light passes, didn't have much luck with the bowl gouge, tried a scraper, but the round head on the carbide seemed to get me best results. Then 80 grit sandpaper before I start sanding with 2 inch pads(On drill)
halfway through today, the tenon I turned to attach to chuck cracked and split apart, I sanded down the bottom, drilled a 2 and 1/8 hole with fortsner bit remounted on chuck. I didn't want to give up on this bowl, amazing how challenging this stuff is to me. I watch videos all the time and it seems they turn bowls so easily. I must be doing something wrong.
heres where Im at.(I really miss flatwork)
 

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We've all had tenons break up now and then. Aggravating for sure. I've done the same thing with a forstner bit before, but I took the pilot point out first so I didn't have to deal with that little pin hole as well. The broke tenon was enough. I've heard of the spraying with water but never did it myself. I have coated some mountain cedar with walnut oil and then went at it and it did help. Guess I'm an oily kind of guy. And, don't no one try and go anywhere with that one, please.
 
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