general wood turning questions

[Sadhaka Nilakantha]

Greetings
I am a fairly new wood turner of about 3 years. I had a basic questions about turning end grain. I've noticed that there is a lot of chatter when turning the inside of the bowl even the the tools are very sharp. Also, the tool gets very hot. Are these two examples common for turning end grain. In particular I am turning a bunch of Norfolk pine lately. Any ideas?

[Richard Wolgemuth]

Here are a couple thoughts for what they are worth. I just took a class with Trent Bosch and he made a comment that changed everything for me. he said that if you are getting chatter or a rough ride while you are turning, then you are probably pushing the gouge into the wood. My first thought was, "Duh! It's woodturning, that is what you do". But he explained that you only put pressure in the direction of the cut. If you try to force the bevel of the gouge to ride you will ride the unevenness in the wood and get bounce and chatter. Hope that makes some sense.

Regarding your tool getting hot, it sounds like you are turning dry wood. When I do bowls, I turn them green and only finish once they have dried or go all the way and finish wet and then let dry and warp. Heat comes with the territory so no worries there. Just remember that hot tools dull faster and so you have to sharpen more often.

Also, what type of tool are you using? Gouge, "easy tool" or other types of carbide scrapers?

[Sadhaka Nilakantha]

Thanks for your suggestions. I am turning very wet wood, as in is was cut a week ago. I haven't noticed the chatter on other woods just when doing end grain. I agree I probably was pushing a bit too hard. I'll try to lighten up on the cutting. As for tools we use the Henry Taylor Kryo. I usually use the 1/2 for the inside and sometimes scrapers at the bottom or if I am turning a platter.

[John Thorson]

If you take a pencil and paper and draw your bowl's outline and then sketch in the grain pattern you will quickly see how you are cutting into end grain with many of your techniques. This is always tough going and prone to catches and chatter. To go 'downhill' on an end grain form usually means cutting from the center to the rim on the inside of the piece. This is a tough cut for a standard bowl gouge and you will probably do better to use a hollow form style of working in this grain orientation.

[Sadhaka Nilakantha]

Great! Thank you for that. What other type of tool would you use to do the inside of that "traditional style pine bowl"? From what little I know those are almost always end grain most are bowls. Thanks again.

[Jim Bliss]

End grain is tough with a bowl gouge. You will get tear out until you get the hang of it. If it is an open bowl a scraper with a good burr on it works great . I know ,,scrapers get a bad rap but they work. The other tool to use would be those tools that hold the round carbide cutters. After roughing the bowl out with a bowl gouge or scraper, use a tool with a burr, turned just a little at an angle so the burr peels a nice curl. This is a very light touch cutting action, called a shear scrape. This will clean it up nice.
Jim

[Jim Bliss]

One more thing. When you get chatter, slow the lathe speed down some, just enough to stop the chatter. Your tool getting hot may be remedied by this also. No need to push the tool in hard, just let it cut.
Jim