First bowl, first disaster

[stevebuk]

hmm, not easy this bowl malarky, so i gets a piece of Ash from turners retreat and decided to have a 'play' with it using my new bowl gouge and new spindle gouge, for some reason the bloody thing would not go smooth, the grain kept splitting and i jusy cannot round off the inside bottom without loads of chatter (i guess wrong approach with the chisel) but no matter what i did i just couldn't get it right.

first picture, you can see the open grain on the bottom of the bowl

second picture, you can see how rough it still is on the inside eve though i sanded loads using from 240 up to 600..

Last picture is just showing the shape i chose, i was dissapointed not to have done better..


Oh well, i will take it to my woodturning club tonight and see if Doug or malcolm can offer any advise.

 

[greggy]

hey steve, your first bowl is crap





no it isnt, i thinks you did great for a first attempt. now if you had done loads like chas and the others, then yes you would be right.
just think of it this way,, you can only get better with each one. well done

 

[CHJ]

Steve it would appear that one or both of the following are the problem.
The tools are not sharp and/or you are not approaching the cutting action correctly to give a slicing action.

The Wood fibres are being torn out instead of shearing/slicing.

 

[loz]

Dont look bad for a first attempt, however i would have tried a more shallow classic bowl shape , might have been easier to keep your bevel rubbing.

Might have been tight at that inside angle !!!

Loz

 

[mrs. sliver]

First I would say that wasn't a disaster! you aren't going to just throw a lump of wood on and turn a masterpiece first go!

The shape it okay and the walls look quite thin for a first bash! so, well done!

your problem is mainly the finish and it takes time and practice, and i am sure you will get a lot of advice on it later on this thread, by many wiser than myself!!

But I think you maybe are too far away with the tool rest (the closer you are the less chatter) and maybe the speed is too low (the faster the speed the cleaner the cut)

and as said. shallow and rounded bottomed bowl would have been easier.

and the usual stuff about sharp tools and bevel rub. all comes with pratice! just enjoy it!

 

[Bodrighy]

That is jumping in the deep end Steve and no mistake. Trying to get a clean cut on the side of something like that isn't easy. As said, have a go at a shallow bowl, much more forgiving and easier to cut instead of tearing. Get the experts at the club to show you at the club.

Still a lot better than my first attempt at that shape

Pete

 

[mikec]

Hi Steve

As has been said, its not a disaster :?

If the next one is better and you know what you did to get it better then the first one is very valuable :shock: :shock:

You chose a difficult shape for your first bowl as the depth and fairly abrupt angle change between the base and the side make it hard to maintain the correct tool position.

Don't despair

Mike C

 

[TEP]

Nothing wrong with that for a first attempt Steve.

Where you have gone wrong is, buying wood - get some free for practice, definitely wrong shape - next one try a conventional fruit bowl shape, don't try anything as deep as that. As said check on your tool edges and how you are presenting the tool to the work.

Sanding will never repair torn grain, when you start picking up end grain again, sharpen the tool, soak area in sanding sealer and let harden. Then cut a shallow as possible.

Good luck with the next one, some of us never even got our first bowl off the lathe in one piece.

 

[robo hippy]

Steve,
Well, the form of the bowl/cup is great, I really like it. Your turning tecnique needs some work. One problem you encountered is that this bowl is turned end grain, or down into the long fibers, like hollowing out a branch. This is considerable different than cutting through flat grain, like cutting out from a flat board. Your club members will love helping you out. Keep trying.
robo hippy

 

[hog&bodge]

Great first attempt stevebuk I would settle for having
a nub of wood left after any session... :lol:
Beats my eggcup

 

[johnny.t.]

Well Steve at least you had a go mate . Don't get disheartened. You've jumped in with a tricky end grain job, as others have said wide, rounded and shallow(no tricky corner in the bottom) is much easier. Sharpen that gouge up , have another crack 8) and buy some 120grit paper.

JT

 

[Turn It In]

Hi Steve,
Well done, a good first attempt and at least you did not get down far enough to get the dreaded silver turnings. As all have said it is a tough form to start turning.
Looking forward to the next bowl!
Regards,
Ian

 

[Paul.J]

Good effort Steve for your first attempt
I should get yourself some free green wood,which turns better and just keep practicing doing simpler forms and getting used to your tools.
Keep em coming :wink:

 

[boysie39]

Steve me ould mate, admit it ,even though it hasent turned out as you hoped it would you have made a start and I bet you are pleased with your first attempt. A diffcult form to start with but you will be rareing to have a go at the next one.
Was your first pen the perfect one? You can do it and will. REgards Boysie.

 

[mattcullum]

You're dissapointed with that? Are you mad? Thats far far far better and shows alot more skill then I possess. I think your judging yourself harshly.

I like the shape (which looks tricky to me) and the sides look very thin and even to me.

Captain Dig-In

 

[big soft moose]

I agree with most all that has been said - thats not bad for a first attempt.

one other point that hasnt been picked up is the sanding - with all due respect to tam in my opinion you can sand out torn end grain but you need to start with a far coarser grit than 240.

my usual route is to go 80 -120-240-320-400- oooo grade wire wool (not the latter on oak as the iron reacts with the tannin) with at least the first three grades being used on an arbour held in a power drill , then hand sanding the 320, 400 and the wool

 

[wizer]

Apart from everything that's been said, Ash is notorious for tearing. I have some that I just could not plane away the tear-out and I'm sure it's the same on the lathe. So don't be disheartened. Try another type of wood next time.

Personally I really like the shape. But as said, try a simpler open curve.

 

[stevebuk]

thanks guys, it actually went down well with the guys at the club tonight, but they also concur a bit ambitious for a first attempt and i never was going to get a flat bottom without the aide of a scraper, i have been asked to members sheds in order to be shown 'how to' do it right, cant wait until friday.
many thanks guys, but i am going to have another go tommorow too.. :wink:

 

[John. B]

Steve I'll go along with Chas on this.
Possibly unsharp tools or wrong action. If that was your first attempt at a goblet shape I would say you are well on the way.
(I hope that doesn't sound patronising) it isn't meant to be.
That is a very good result. It's a good shape, the sides are thin. The rough finish will improve quite quickly.
Well done. =D> =D> =D>

John. B

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Steve,

Well done on your first bowl.

I think Robbo Hippy has the most important point: you've turned it out of end grain/a spindle type blank rather than a cross grain/bowl blank. There is nothing wrong with that at all but it does require different techniques. I guess the best way to explain it is to say (without meaning to offend ) that you've made the cup part of a goblet or the bottom of a box, rather than a bowl (yes I know you can make bowls out of end grain but you see my point!)

The other point is, as made by BSM, I would always start at 120grit (80grit if you're struggling!!) I always emphasise (spelling :?: ) in my demos that the first grit is the most important because, if after this there is still any torn grain or tool marks then a finer grit will never get rid of it. Once all you have are 80/120 girt scraches on your turning, then you're ready to move on to the next grit.

Hope this is of some help and is constructive,

Cheers,

Richard