What's the Trick ???

[Paul Hannaby]

Assuming your blank is mounted with grain running parallel to the lathe bed, you should be hollowing from centre to edge. Cut on centre height with the left wing of the gouge and with the flute pointing at 10 o'clock. If the gouge is too agressive, rotate it more anti-clockwise. Take care not to allow the gouge to rotate as you pull it from the centre of the hole to the edge. That's where a lot of people get into trouble.

 

[Fergie 307]

I would say the same as others, tool height is perhaps the most important thing. Get that wrong and you are just making life difficult for yourself. You want to position the rest so that the part of the tool that is doing the cutting is at centre height. Once you get some practice you will learn how to tilt the tool to fine tune this. Personally I would have thought you are best to start out with something mounted between centres, much easier way to become familiar with the tools and how they behave. Starting out with an egg cup is a bit like trying to do a three point turn on your first driving lesson.

 

[Richard_C]

Starting out with an egg cup is a bit like trying to do a three point turn on your first driving lesson.

In the Suez Canal. In a very big container ship.

 

[Adam Pinson]

One of the best teachers on the web.......
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwV2Djnj756vpxL51zd4Uw

 

[Glossopguy]

Thank you all for that ... and a few chunks more wood in the rubbish bin I'm getting a better feel for it.
Well done Robbo3. I am using a 4Jaw wood turning Chuck so I should have realised, But your chucking diagrams reinforced what I had missed on my first and second attempts. I was holding the work IN the chuck not ON/AGAINST the chuck. That improved things no end Thanks Robbo.!
Your right - Patience is a virtue - seldom found in Man, (Never in a Woman) and I am Testament to that !

Also - I've found the tools, as Supplied in the box, are not conducive to hollowing out. having Reshaped and rehappened them, A few more Bum attempts and I should be well on the way.

Again
Thanks for everybody's contribution

 

[Democritus]

Here you go, found the little book.
Don't be fooled by the apparent old style simplicity (and the school masterly tone - it works, honest).
I'll attach front and back cover, plus an inside, partly to amuse with the photo, but to show sort of exercises he suggests.

I got a copy of this book recently (new £12). It is described as a re-print but is actually photocopied pages of the original book, nicely bound as a paper back. Like all photocopied books, some of the details in the original pages are a bit blurry. The book covers spindle work in some detail, with reference to the making of coves and beads. There are supplementary exercises, aimed at producing a variety of things. So, if you’ve always wanted to make a molder’s rammer, or a glove mender, they are covered in this section. Interestingly, there is no mention of bowl turning.
It is illustrated with black and white photographs (again suffering from the photocopying). Some of the photographs show practices which would not pass current Health and Safety legislation, e.g. no masks, no face shields, and long flowing dresses on women turners.
Overall, it’s an interesting glimpse of a past time in turning practice.