bowl turning

[loz]

Hi All,

Newbie here, im mainly doing spindle work, due to the tools i have, but fancy a go at a bowl.

Is it possible to turn , either end grain, or face, without a bowl/combination gauge ??

I have a few spindle gauges,roughing gauge, and a skew.

i imagine ( maybe incorrectly ) that the outside might not be so difficult, however i probably dont have the tools to be able to manage even the miost shallow hollowing,

Please advise if i need to go shoping for a bowl gauge, or a scraper or two !!

;-)

 

[PowerTool]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Yes,invest in a bowl gouge (you can get them for just over a tenner in HSS)
Spindle turning tools are not designed for the extra stresses associated with bowl turning - going side/end/side/end grain every revolution,and the extra overhang from the toolrest that you sometimes have.
Trying to do it with the wrong tools will take the pleasure out of turning;however,you don't need to spend a lot of money to get one or two reasonable tools that will make the experience much more enjoyable.

Andrew

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Loz and welcome
All that Andrew says really.I use a Record 3/8" bg,and now have an 1/2" which i haven't used yet
My first question on the forum was about getting dig ins when i first started using a bowl gouge,and it does seem a common problem for newbies,so be prepared,but don't give up.
Don't forget some piccys
Paul.J.

 

[CHJ]

Hi Loz, the spindle gouge you have may look similar to a bowl gouge but it is almost certain that the grind pattern is not suitable for use on the inside of a bowl, it may be too lightweight to use on the outside of a bowl also. In spindle work you are normally working along the grain of the wood which presents much lighter loads on the tool than when working on a bowl where you will be presented with cross grain cuts twice in every revolution, a example of the differing load is if you have ever tried the plane the endgrain of a piece of hardwood with the same smoothing plane you used on the side.

Make sure any bowl gouge you purchase has the 'wings' ground back at least a little to help avoid catches, You may well have to do this yourself unless you purchase one of the branded 'signature' models.

Also useful for internal bowl work as a beginner is a good stiff (thick) scraper, I suggest something like a 1/2" round nose. Used correctly it can be quite effective at removing wood and blending curves and as you get used to turning it can be used in shear mode to clean up a surface.

On the internal of a bowl get your tool rest as close to the surface being cut as possible the more support the tool has near the surface the less leverage you have to counter and the better control you have.


When using a scraper, Remember:
Below centre for outside work,
Above centre for inside work.

That way any tendency to catch pushes the tool into free air not the revolving wood.

 

[Ken Furminger]

Hello Loz
If you do buy a bowl gouge try and get a 3/8 with as long a handle as possible and start with wet wood, with the grain and working down from the largest to smallest diameters. It's a great introduction to bowl turning to see long shavings flying over your shoulder and if you practise getting the best finish you can straight from the gouge you can leave them thick to dry out and buy other scrapers etc in months ahead when they have dried out enough to finish.
I hope you enjoy it.
Ken

 

[duncanh]

It is possible to turn a bowl without a bowl gouge and the first 4 that I turned I did without. I was taking a woodworking night class and the teacher was a retired cabinet make with some spindle turning experience and virtually no bowl turning experience, so either he didn't know how to use bowl gouges or just didn't want to show me. As far as I recall the outside was turned with a spindle gouge (NOT a roughing gouge) and the inside was turned with a scraper. This is probably ok for small bowls but using the scraper like this takes a long time and it will need regular resharpening (which for me was a real pain as the teacher was the only one doing it)

In the long term, if you continue turning, you'll be buying a bowl gouge anyway so get one from the start.

I have the Axminster bowl gouge suggested by Andrew (I bought it as part of the set) and it virtually never gets used. I'd say that it isn't really a bowl gouge but a long spindle gouge - compared to my other bowl gouges the flute is way too shallow. I now have it ground for spindle use. Before I bought the set I saw several people mentioning the same problem.

If you can find a local turning club then I thoroughly recommend that you join, or at least go along to a couple of demos. There should be someone there willing to show you the basics

Hope that helps

Duncan

 

[Russell]

It is possible but IMO dangerous to turn a bowl without a bowl gouge. I have seen roughing gouges bent and spindle gouges snap when people try to do this.

Both roughing gouges and spindle gouges have a large cutting area this is too big to deal with the alternate end grain cutting you get with bowl turning. A bowl gouge has a small cutting area and is a very strong tool the deep flutes add to the tools strength and the tool is a constant diameter and does not narrow at the tang like a roughing gouge does.

 

[loz]

Thanks Everyone,

Iv'e dispatched the wife this am to get me a 3/8 bowl gauge, a round end scraper, and a square end scraper.

Let the bowl making begin !!

- Ive just finished reading Keith Rowley's foundation course, and am now full of tips, but i might be posting here for help if you dont mind !

First bowl tomorow - tonight is goblet first attempt ( end grain )

Thanks again

Loz

 

[Taffy Turner]

Loz,

In my experience, turning a bowl is easier than a goblet, so you may want to revise your planed order of attack!

Regards

Gary

 

[Russell]

Turning a small goblet in end grain is completely different to a bowl. For a small goblet I would use a 3/8 spindle gouge ground with a finger nail and not a bowl gouge.

 

[Taffy Turner]

Turning a small goblet in end grain is completely different to a bowl. For a small goblet I would use a 3/8 spindle gouge ground with a finger nail and not a bowl gouge.

Me too! I must admit that I don't seem to have the knack of hollowing end grain with a gouge very well though!

I have a video of Richard Raffan doing it, and it takes hime about 10 seconds - it takes me about 10 minutes! :?

Gary

 

[loz]

Turning a small goblet in end grain is completely different to a bowl. For a small goblet I would use a 3/8 spindle gouge ground with a finger nail and not a bowl gouge.

I wasn't planning on using the bowl gauge for the goblet, !!!

Im following a project from the above book. End grain, Mount on wood screw chuck - hollow down with spindle gauge, bringup the tail stock with a live centre and some padding as a support - outside of cup, stem, base, part off, bobs yer aunt,

what can go wrong !!

 

[loz]

Loz,

In my experience, turning a bowl is easier than a goblet, so you may want to revise your planed order of attack!

Regards

Gary

I was saving the bowl till saturday as i will have more time, but you find bowls easier ?

What part of the gobet do think is most difficult ? ( tonight will be my first so im just curiuos of what to watch for ) - is it the hollowing out, of the profiling the cup outer/stem etc ?

All my turning so far has been between centres - handles, dippers, spoons, ladles, rolling pins etc, iv'e never hollowed anything yet !!!

Thanks

Loz

 

[Taffy Turner]

I was saving the bowl till saturday as i will have more time, but you find bowls easier ?

What part of the gobet do think is most difficult ? ( tonight will be my first so im just curiuos of what to watch for ) - is it the hollowing out, of the profiling the cup outer/stem etc ?

All my turning so far has been between centres - handles, dippers, spoons, ladles, rolling pins etc, iv'e never hollowed anything yet !!!

Thanks

Loz

Loz - personally I find bowls easier yes.

I find the hollowing of the end grain part difficult, the rest is straightforward spindle turning.

Good luck with both projects! I'm sure that you nail both of them.

Gary

 

[PowerTool]

Same as Gary - find bowls easier generally,and the bowl of a goblet seems to me to be a lot harder to get right than turning the stem (currently practicing with a ring tool,which so far I'm finding easier than the spindle gouge)

Good luck,and don't forget the pictures :wink:

Andrew

 

[Ken Furminger]

As the others say bowls are definitely easier especially if wet and much easier and enjoyable to practise on.
I use a medium 3/8 bowl gouge for goblets as the long and strong aspect means you can go deeper inside, but then I use the bowl gouge for nearly everything and have had plenty of practise. A BCT hollowing tool finishes the insides well and a skew finishes the outside and gets into the tighter parts of the stem.
Ken

 

[loz]

Hi All,

Well the wife went off to get a bowl gauge for under a tenner - and came home with a Sorby 3/8 bowl gauge and a round nose scraper - not under a tenner - but delighted.

below my first attempt, Ash i think.

"sorry pics so big, ill resize them for next post"

Let me know what u think
Loz

 

[Paul.J]

Looks pretty good Loz for your first attempt
What have you put round the rim. :?:
How did you cope with the new bowl gouge.Good choice by the way.
Paul.J.

 

[PowerTool]

Nice shape,very pleasing to the eye

Andrew

 

[duncanh]

Not a bad start Loz. A good idea to start small and work up when you feel that your skills are progressing.
I would say that the wood is definitely not Ash. Looks like Iroko to me, and from experience it's very dusty. Did you wear any protection from the dust?

Duncan