Ok. Here it goes. I'm new to the forum and have been looking around a bit and chiming in hear and there since about the start of the year.
I thought it was about time to sign up for some critiquing. I learned to turn when I was 12, had some wood shop lessons and haven't turned since. About twenty years have gone by and I decided to get back to turning about a year ago on an old Delta Rockwell on loan from a friend.
I'm quickly finding the limitations of fixed drive speeds. I can only get down to 900rpm, and then next jump is to 1700. This makes bowl turning a real challenge for me. Some of my experiences are pretty close to the unofficial "Don't Do This" thread.
I’m having a problem with a lot of tear out. I think this stems from two main reasons, but not limited to, tool sharpness and cutting in the improper direction in relation to the grain.
Christmas time brought forth a bunch of turning books including Ernie Conover’s “The Lathe Book” and Michael O’Donnell’s “Turing Green Wood”. They are great resources and are helping but I haven’t been able to find any suggestions as to turning speeds, other than a few other sites that suggest 26 feet per second. I'll have to fund my calculator and turn that into rpm versus a given diameter. Where did I put my Machinery's Handbook? Is this a respectable rule of thumb?
I’ve posted the pictures on our family web site so that I don’t clog up the forum. I hope you stop by so that I can get some valuable critiques. http://web.295.ca/cnklzona
Thanks.