First bowl from oak beam

[woodfarmer]

My introduction to turning, a piece of old very hard slightly flawed oak beam. It started off at about 8" square by 4" deep (200mm square x 100 thick in new money)

I remember turning from my school days in the late 50's to be much easier so lots to learn. Finish if you can call it that is some of my wife's beeswax furniture polish. wipe on, wipe off.

 

[bellringer]

I have turned the off cut of an oak beam and if yours was as hard as the bit i had then you have done well only thing i would say is get a scroll chuck

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Good first attempt in not the easiest wood to get to grips with =D>

For your next go I would suggest you make sure your tools are really sharp - give them a final touch up before you go for the finishing cuts. If you get more 'catches' make sure you turn away all of the torn grain before moving on to the sanding phase.

Remember to keep the tool rest as close as possible to the work and rub the bevel wherever possible.

Regards Mick

 

[woodfarmer]

Hi

Good first attempt in not the easiest wood to get to grips with =D>

For your next go I would suggest you make sure your tools are really sharp - give them a final touch up before you go for the finishing cuts. If you get more 'catches' make sure you turn away all of the torn grain before moving on to the sanding phase.

Remember to keep the tool rest as close as possible to the work and rub the bevel wherever possible.

Regards Mick

Thanks for the advice, I did have a problem as you can see with catches, not helped inside because I kept pivoting on the back of the rest giving the oak more leverage. In my opinion it ought to have more slope... I may be tempted to attack the rest with an angle grinder. I think the 45 degree sharpening angle I used might be a bit too sharp, so will look out for another gauge to sharpen at about 60 degrees. None of this helped my lack of skill, but I am learning

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I would add....try turning something green for your nest project. You'll find it much for forgiving, its a real pleasure to turn and it helps with developing the tool skill because you're not wrestling with dry scratchy dusty hard material like I imagine that oak probably was. Have a dig around the firewood pile....there's usually some great turning material in many log piles.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

It would be a good idea to re-profile your bowl gouge to something closer to 60 degrees - you will find it easier to control on the inside cuts. You can always work back towards 45 degrees as your expertise develops.

The other approach is to carry out your finishing cuts with a freshly sharpened scraper until you get the hang of the bowl gouge.

Regards Mick

 

[woodfarmer]

Scraper on my xmas shopping list

On spindle cuts all I needed do was raise the toolrest, but it was difficult manoeuvring inside the bowl. I even took the tailstock off so I could get at it easier as the gauge handle kept fouling on odd things. Wasn't until I had finished I realised I had been resting on the back of the rest, which does not slide well.

 

[winemaker]

very good

 

[Paul.J]

Very nice WF
Good start with a nice wood but watch the tanin that comes from Oak as it will send all the metal on the lathe a nice brown colour :shock:

 

[woodndrum]

Forgive 'teaching to suck eggs' but another older friend complained of a similar difficulty turning inside a bowl. When I eventually turned up (no pun intended) his difficulty was obvious, and easy to fix. I showed him where to put the spindle gouge in his tool rack, and gave him a 10mm bowl gouge with the wings ground well back to a pointed fingernail shape and hey presto perfect inside cuts (almost) and never a scraper in sight!

 

[woodfarmer]

Forgive 'teaching to suck eggs' but another older friend complained of a similar difficulty turning inside a bowl. When I eventually turned up (no pun intended) his difficulty was obvious, and easy to fix. I showed him where to put the spindle gouge in his tool rack, and gave him a 10mm bowl gouge with the wings ground well back to a pointed fingernail shape and hey presto perfect inside cuts (almost) and never a scraper in sight!

Thanks, I have the spindle/bowl gauge sorted, but wonder what it is I am doing wrong, In my youth it seemed so simple and natural, now I have read up about it I seem to have lost the knack. Somewhere along the way I am making a big basic mistake but what exactly eludes me. I am sure when I find it or am shown it it will be an "oh bu--er" moment.

Today I started to play spindle turning with a bit of very fresh willow, with the intention of making some dummy eggs to induce new pullets to lay. The tool I am having the most success with is the skew chisel, which is odd because it and scrapers were both things I used to dislike using. Clearly I am doing something different that is wrong.

 

[Robbo3]

Have you inquired about other woodturners or woodturning clubs in your area?
There was a thread on here recently that might help,
- turners-in-france-t75390.html

An hour with someone who knows what they are doing would answer all your questions & sort out your problems with technique & tool sharpening.

 

[Harry 48]

Stop looking for problems when you are young you just do it. I've got loads of books watched hours of you tube videos and over the years picked up loads of info but nothing beats hours on the lathe get yourself some easer wood to turn poplar or sycamore and make some shavings .I think your bowl is a great first attempt

 

[Grahamshed]

I do not know what, if anything, you are doing wrong but if my first bowl turns out like that I will be well chuffed.