Frank Fusco
Member
- Messages
- 12,791
- Location
- Mountain Home, Arkansas
As most here know, the bowl gouge has been a real nemesis for me. Using it has been a constant 'touch and catch'. I even got lessons from a friend and those didn't help much. The other day, after playing with my new Wolverine jig and sharpening everything in sight, I decided to try out my bowl gouges (again). I had a, sorta, started bowl already mounted on a faceplate. This was my practice piece when my friend gave lessons. I had it mounted on an aluminum plate with hot glue. Friend did not trust the glue and ran some long screws up the bottom. I attacked the thing with my big bowl gouge and miraculously wood shavings flew like crazy and I used it like I had been doing this my whole, long, life. Don't know of it was coincidence, but I was hearing Herald Angels singing at the same time I was doing this. I knew I wasn't going to get the shape I originally planned because of the screws so I shaped best I could, removed the screws and parted off. But, then I had a very thick bottom. And, I just do not care for thick bottoms at all. So, I chucked it up again, this time using the 'giant' faceplate for my new Barracuda 4 chuck. Did some more shaping and just removed excess bottom from the bottom but leaving a pedestal. The wood is very punky, imported exotic Dunno Wood from California, compliments of Vaughn. It contained several inclusions and quite a few dried up buggies. Soaked up sanding sealer like crazy and even more lacquer. As can be seen, I still need to work on the finish. With finish the work showed some tool rings and tear-outs. I just wasn't able to eliminate completely the tear-out on this wood. But, it is a practice piece. Since, so far, I have only made some 'sorta' hollow vases and never a bowl, I'll call this bowl #1 which will save it from the fireplace.