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Thread: Need bowl turning advice...

  1. #1

    Need bowl turning advice...

    OK - I know it's best to shape the outside of the bowl first, right? But when working on the inside of the bowl (using a bowl gouge), is it best to work from the middle toward the edge of the bowl or visa versa? Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Philip,
    The best way to think of it is like stroking a cat or dog. (You rub in the direction of their fur.) If your piece is mounted as facework (grain perpindicular to ways) then for inside hollowing you want to work toward the center. Start close to the middle and make short scooping cuts toward the center; with each pass begin a little further out and work your way in. That way, you're going "with" the grain and are less prone to tearout. If the piece is mounted as centerwork (grain parallel to ways) then you want to begin at the center and make your cutting direction outward. Try to keep that animal analogy in your head and after a while it'll be second nature for you.
    Mark
    Last edited by Mark Pruitt; 05-24-2007 at 2:03 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Phillip, I start at the center, and make cuts progressively away from the center. but toward the center. This does not sound clear to me, you better buy a video.
    Last edited by Glenn Hodges; 05-24-2007 at 2:17 PM.
    Glenn Hodges
    Nashville, Georgia

    "Would you believe the only time I ever make mistakes is when someone is watching?"

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Pruitt View Post
    Philip,
    The best way to think of it is like stroking a cat or dog. (You rub in the direction of their fur.) If your piece is mounted as facework (grain perpindicular to ways) then for inside hollowing you want to work toward the center. Start close to the middle and make short scooping cuts toward the center; with each pass begin a little further out and work your way in. That way, you're going "with" the grain and are less prone to tearout. If the piece is mounted as centerwork (grain parallel to ways) then you want to begin at the center and make your cutting direction outward. Try to keep that animal analogy in your head and after a while it'll be second nature for you.
    Mark
    On the same note, I started getting much better results on the outside of bowls by making push cuts starting at the base and going to the rim. Stu Batty demo's it nicely in his video with Mike Mahoney "Two ways to make a bowl".

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Bowl Hollowing

    Phillip, Mark has it explained the way most bowl turners do it. To expand slightly on his dog/cat analogy, which I also use when teaching, you want the long fibers of wood ahead of the cutting edge to act as support for the fibers being cut so the tool does not get up under the fibers and lift or tear them. The cutting edge should push down on the fibers and not lift them up. As Mark said, when working on a bowl with the grain oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation, begin near the center of the bowl and make a mini-bowl starting say, about 1" from the center and moving to the actual center. Go a little farther from the center and make another mini-bowl. Keep doing this til you get all the way out to the actual rim of the bowl you have designed. Try to keep a smooth, flowing curve so you can make a single, long, continuous cut from rim to bottom as your final finishing cut. Also remember that every cut is a practice cut til the final cut. Use the waste removal as practice to get better at smooth curves, tool control, light touch, etc.

    If you happen to be working on a bowl with the grain oriented parallel to the axis of rotation, think about where the wood fibers are situated and you will be able to figure it out. One of the most basic concepts in woodturning, or any woodworking for that matter, is to understand wood grain and direction. It's no simple thing at first, but is extremely important. Even for something as simple as whittling a stick, grain direction matters a lot.

    Have fun and show us what you come up with!
    Happy and Safe Turning, Don


    Woodturners make the world go ROUND!

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