Nice piece of ash, and some more questions...

Roger Tulk

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St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
this is a bowl I made today for my daughter. She's just taking over a house, and I thought she could use another piece of whatever to clutter the place up!

Housewarmer 01.jpg Housewarmer 02.jpg

It's the first piece I've felt confident enough to use as a present. It's a housewarming present, but of course I can't wait for the party. Even though there's a nick in the edge, she'll love it. After all, she's my daughter!

I had a look at the videos I was given in my last turning thread.. When I tried to do what the nice lady and the gentleman appeared to be doing, I got catches, and twice threw the bowl off the chuck (no damage, to me or the bowl, except maybe that nick, hmmmm.) I wanted to take a picture of how I present my tool to the work, but I had no one around to take it, and I can't find my tripod. I hold the tool with the flute towards me, tilted slightly down. Then I rotate the tool until it begins to take a light shaving, and move the tool in the direction I want to go. This is the same whether I'm doing a pull cut or a push cut. I developed this technique after watching some other Youtube videos. I think I was watching Brendan Stemp, and a Fine Woodworking video. I've also watched that nice preacher from the west or midwest. What I'm doing gave me a smooth cut and lots of angel hair shavings. Yes, my tools are sharp.

In the videos from the last thread, the turners appear to be presenting the tool the way I was taught to do spindle turning (rub the bevel, lift the handle until you take shavings. I"m going to see if I can find a local bowl turner to work with me, but what I am doing seems to work OK for now.
 
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Roger, Each one is better than the last. Try rotating/twisting the tool in your hand slightly to the right a couple of degrees, so you are not presenting the flute at 90 degrees. It sounds like maybe the left wing is digging in and causing catches? All will become clear when you find someone nearby to show you the ropes.
 
Thanks again, guys! I am hoping in a couple of years to be good enough at this that I can teach other people how to do it. So far, the only non-work skills I've taught anyone are doing cryptic crosswords, and using chopsticks. Wood turning is a few levels higher than these. My brother in law is staying with us, though, and he wants to see me make a bowl, so that's my task for this afternoon. I'm not letting him near the tools, though.
 
Nice little bowl Roger!

I might have spent a smidge more time with the lower grit on the outside to get rid of the tool marks. No fear 80 grit is here (yeah its certainly nice when you can start higher but practicalities must.. :D)

There are mostly two reasons for catches. The first is where a point or wing digs in during the normal cut (which is what I believe Ted is describing). The other is where the point of contact on the work isn't in line with the supporting point on the tool rest (which is what I think is most likely happening). The latter is somewhat more difficult to diagnose in practice because its a subtle play of angles and approaches that changes as you move into the cut but (again yeah I know its a soapbox :rolleyes:) I've had pretty good luck re-creating my faux pas (and real paws as well) with the lathe turned off and applying the tool to the wood manually.

The Raffan video on catches is pretty good - I've watched it 3-4 times and am starting to "get it", he gets into bowls at around 6:00 in (the rest of its interesting in explaining the supporting principals behind it).

Jamisons article https://www.lylejamieson.com/instruction-classes/documents/AAWArticle-FearFactor-Winter06.pdf is also pretty useful.
 
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