new turner looking for help

Hi,

I'm new at turning and don't really have a clue what Im doing, I've made some small stuff like minature wine glass things but I would like to start doing bowls. I have started one made from 2 planks of jarrah glued together. Me and my dad have been making it (or at least trying to:) ).
Its about 8" wide by about 3" thick. We turned the outside with some difficulty, lots of catching. We went out today and got a 6mm bowl gouge for $64 AUS (its a "hamlet") and a book called Learn to Turn by Barry Gross.

Anyway I was just wondering if anyone had any tips for making bowls?

Oh and also if anybody knows of any turning clubs in Western Australia could you please let me know:)

p.s will post a pic of my lathe soon because I'm not quite sure what it is. All it says on it is "carba tec" TF1996.

Thanks :)

I would obtain a good video on bowl turning. Learning on dry wood is also more difficult, green wood turns much easier. 6 mm seems like a little small for a bowl gouge but if it is the english system of measuring between the flutes, you may be okay. Also be advised that tools new out of the package they came in are not ready to use. They must be sharpened and that requires a good sharpening system (grinder, correct stone, and jig is just one example of a system). And I know that when I started turning, I had many months of frustration until I learned to sharpen correctly. I was lucky enough to have a local club close by so that I could ask questions and see what to do and not to do.
For new turners, catches are usually the result of incorrect tool presentation but it could be the orientation of the wood grain that is giving you trouble. I am not sure about clubs in western Australia but definitely get a video. It is always useful to be able to watch the correct technique being used. Best of luck.
I also found this site for Western Australia, you might give them a shout.
http://www.wawa.com.au/

thanks for the info will be sure to look into it, still haven't got a pic of my lathe yet tho im waiting for my bro to get home with the camera.

Daniel...Welcome to the Creek and turning!

There are no turning clubs within 110 miles of me so when the inmates here insisted I learn to turn I had to learn via videos and books.

Videos I'd recommend...DVDs..."Turned Bowls Made Easy" by BIll Grumbine...Bill's a member here. If you look him up in the members list you'll find a link to his website and you can order the DVD.

Turning Wood by Richard Raffan....hey...I believe he's an Aussie too!:D


Books......"Wood Turning - A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley. This is a well written and illustrated book aimed at beginning turners. Whenever I'm venturing into something new....this is the book I have on the lathe bench beside the lathe for reference.

Good luck and enjoy the learning process! It appears to never end.

Welcome to the Creek Daniel! Highly recommend Bill Grumbine's video. Very informative and unlike a book - you can watch as he makes the various cuts. Have fun with turning and keep us posted as to what you are making - and remember - lots and lots of pictures!

Welcome Daniel. Like Ken and others have said get Bill Grumbine's video. Another is Mike Mahoney's DVD From The Tree To The Table. Also another thing I found that will help on dry wood is if you take a bandsaw and cut the blank in a circle. I have made several templates out of cardboard. I have them from 4" to 16" and can be made from a old appliance box. I also would get at least a 3/8" or 1/2" bowl gouge and sharpen it.

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Books......"Wood Turning - A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley. This is a well written and illustrated book aimed at beginning turners. Whenever I'm venturing into something new....this is the book I have on the lathe bench beside the lathe for reference

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I bought this book after Ken recommended it to me when I started 2 long months ago. Full of information and when I do something wrong and a bowl explodes, I can usually find the reason in the book.

Another thing that has helped is that I've become better at sharpening. I put many hours at the lathe and thought I had my tools sharp. I read some posts on how to sharpen and the difference between what I was using and a really sharp tool was astounding.

I've also decided that nothing helps more than experience. It took me 3 tries before I was able to get a bowl completed without making a funnel or blowing it up. I'm on # 4 now and have seen improvement each time. I figure about 1000 bowls and I can turn like Travis Stinson:D

Your gouge, at 6mm is a tad small for doing rapid work. Start with a basic sense that a catch happens when you get under more wood than the shaving you're slicing. Means you want to be above centerline on the outside, so your gouge has nothing but air anytime it's beyond where you're cutting. You want to cut downhill and down grain to the greatest extent possible. Means establishing the downhill portion by getting your toolrest real close for good support and best mechanical advantage, then anchoring the tool firmly with an overhand grip. Once you're anchored, touch the gouge nose sideways across the work, not up into the rotation. Work steeply until you get some wood behind the bevel - not under - then swing out into and through the area to be cut. This keeps your tool at its most stable. A-B-C, anchor, bevel, cut. Repeat the process going inside to out until you have a pretty near circular piece to give you bevel support. Then you can ABC and push the gouge along your contour once depth of cut is established.

Note how the method of cut changes from push to swing when the surface gets irregular. http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...TrueBottom.flv Helps keep you safe and free of catches, because the wood coming over the top of the curved gouge back wants to push it out into the air. Going downhill directs where the cut is going by where it's been, a smoother and smaller diameter. Larger diameter, with greater velocity wants to pull the tool out into the air too.

Inside uses the same principle by putting the cut below center. Makes it that much tougher to get underneath more than the shaving. Doesn't have to be a lot. Be real careful on your entry cut, because the larger diameter will want to pull the gouge toward itself. make sure you have a good A, swing your body rather than the tool, so you've got your muscles locked, and are just shifting weight. Some people nick a bit of a groove where they'll start the B so that when the rotation tries to pull out, the bevel is prevented from doing so by the notch. It's the same as what you'll be using once your get into the cut - referencing where you're going by where you've been. http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ent=Inside.flv shows a hefty "bowl" gouge working, followed by a flimsy old carbon gouge peeling.

I like to keep the gouge as close to horizontal as possible, always. Gives me a problem in one less unknown if it is, most of the initial and rapid force of the shaving is directed down into the rest rather than into my hand, as would be the case if I got to 45 degrees or more. Vector addition.

Control and angle will roll the shavings down the gouge or around the flute, as in the inside video, not throw them. Makes it easier on you, because you're the equal and opposite. It's easier on the wood, which is much less likely to catch and throw, and gives the best surface, because you're not underneath much to lift and tear as the edge exits. That's the way the wood prefers to be cut, which is why it resists you the least.

Daniel,

Welcome to the Creek!!!! Nothing like being in the vortex of the round-world. :D

Hi,

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the information. I'll look into getting another book and the DVD's mentioned.

In the meantime can anyone tell me the best way to actually start the inside of the bowl. So far I've only done the outside and I'm not sure of the best way to begin on the inside.

Thanks.

Daniel.....Do you have a chuck? Have you turned a tenon on the bottom of the bowl and is the bowl chucked up?

Tell us how you are setup to turn the inside.

Daniel,

You can look here to get and idea or two. Faceplate will work, screwchuck will work, and my preferred way is to put it in my Nova Chuck, put a tenon on the bottome and turn that baby around and start hollowing.

Get Bill Grumbine's 1st DVD on Woodturning Basics. It's an excellent video and will provide you with all kinds of ideas and methods. :D

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Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald

Daniel.....Do you have a chuck? Have you turned a tenon on the bottom of the bowl and is the bowl chucked up?

Tell us how you are setup to turn the inside.

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i don't actually have it set up at the mo but i was just going to use a glue block.

also i went out today and got a grinder (its just a cheapy) but i was wondering how to sharpen my chisels most of them are old and dont look like they have been sharpend for a long time. i have had a look in some of the books i have but i am still not sure if im doing it right


thanks,

Hi, I am a 15 yr old turner, I live in Western Australia...I know of the turning clubs in WA. I've been turning for 4 yrs. If you like, you can contact me, for further details:)

ekron1@bigpond.com.au

JB_15000@hotmail.com <<<(MSN)

Be pleased to make your aquaintence:)

[quote=daniel sherwood;584221]Hi,
In the meantime can anyone tell me the best way to actually start the inside of the bowl. So far I've only done the outside and I'm not sure of the best way to begin on the inside.
[quote]

Here's a MickeyMouse technique. "Best" is a relative term.

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n...llowOne001.flv

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n...llowTwo001.flv

Just remember to pivot on the rest until you're able to rest on the bevel.