First end grain attack

[David Fried]

Finally decided to try and figure out how this bowl guage works by attacking the end grain on a Birch branch I found next to the road. (It's been sitting around the shop for a while so it's only semi-green.)

My first attempt found me trying to cut from the rim to the center, center to rim, holding and moving the tool every way imaginable. Sometimes I got a good cut, sometimes fine dust, and sometimes just smoke. I'm assuming smoke is bad! I allowed the piece to fly off three times before quitting. I managed to cut in 3/4" but things seemed to be getting better.

After going home to read a little about it and change my underwear, I tried it again. I parted off the last inch of the branch and drilled a 1" deep depth whole. Tried cutting from the center to the rim and this time it started working!! Next thing I knew things felt a little different. I realized I had gone in past my 1" depth whole. Took a few more cuts just because it was working so well. Ended up about 5/4" in.

Off course, I run home to show the kids, neighbors, cat, dogs, shrubbery, etc.
hollow1.jpg

The kids look at me like I'm explaining cold fusion in pig latin but they do want to know what it is. Thinking quick, I came up with this.
hollow2.jpg

It's an egg holder! The egg sits up a little because I ended up leaving a dimple in the bottom where I turned deeper than my depth hole and lost the center a bit.

I was so excited I forgot to try out my new hot fudge spreader

Guess I'll just have to do it again today

Thanks for looking.

Dave Fried

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Excellent egg holder. The younger generations just don't understand or recognize the obvious do they?

Don't fall David as I'm right behind you! I hope to get done with the sharpening station this afternoon. Later this week I need to go to Moscow Idaho to do some work and I found out that a hardware store there sells quite a variety of Robert Larson turning tools. I'll probably be groveling in front of the LOML when I get back for spending some more money after purchasing a bowl gouge!

[Jim Dunn]

Yeah a bowl gouge will cause more wash in the house. I this your IT entry? It could be ya know. Most egg holders are ceramic or plastic. I've never seen one made from wood.

[Keith Burns]

Yeah a bowl gouge will cause more wash in the house. I this your IT entry? It could be ya know. Most egg holders are ceramic or plastic. I've never seen one made from wood.

Jim has it right, enter it into the IT contest ! It's always a nice feeling when things go right and start to click. Keep up the good fight

[Raymond Overman]

David,

I'm glad you're practicing with your bowl gouge and it will soon become your favorite goto tool for bowls once you get the hang of it. It looks like you have a very useful egg holder and have had a learning session that you'll remember.

That said, end grain work is generally not suited to the bowl gouge due to way the gouge works. The reason you threw the piece off, got smoke, and generally didn't get a lot cut is because of the tool itself.

A boring bar or hollowing tool will cut end grain much more efficiently, faster, and cleaner without getting as severe a catch. Especially once you learn to use and sharpen the tool. Bowl gouges get those beautiful long curls and cut most efficiently when turning work in face grain orientation.

If you'll PM or email me with your address, I'll send you a small hollowing tool that will work for items of this size and you can see what I'm talking about. I do small end grain work all the time with one for my little boxes.

[Jim Becker]

What Raymond said!! The right tool for the job makes it so much more enjoyable! Hollowing end-grain is done "inside-out" which is the opposite of face-plate turning with bowls where "outside-in" is the correct motion. The former is a bit hard to do with a gouge (!) beyond flattening something or a slight recess with a pull cut.

But I do like that egg-cup!

[Don Orr]

David, glad you're having fun practicing-cool eggholder. As Ray said, the bowl gouge may not be your best option for this exercise. I was taught to use scrapers for endgrain, working from the center to the rim. Standard scraper approach with the handle higher than the tip, cutting just above centerline with a freshly sharpened tool should produce neat little shavings (not dust) and a real smooth surface. Check out some of the excellent books and videos for more information. Ya know, a thousand words can't say what a picture can show .
Good luck and keep practicing and having fun, Don.

P.S.-if you have any questions or comments, feel free to let me know.

[George Conklin]

Just to let you know, David, shrubbery is not impressed by this. I showed mine a bowl I had completed and they have not spoken to me since.

George

[Ernie Nyvall]

Looks like a good Eierbecher to me.

Ernie

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks good David. Just keep on making the chips fly.

[John Hart]

IT's a cool Lil' Egg holder Dave. IT definitely has a purpose! IT's a great lesson in endgrain....and IT belongs in another thread!