What would you do

[Dalboy]

I have a small problem I think a picture first might help.



I have roughed out the top bowl in the picture and then I used a parting tool to go in at an angle with the hope of getting two bowls out of one piece of wood. This has left about 4" still attached in the bottom.

Now I have tried to break this away with no success the wood is still very wet would it be easier when this has dried or will I need to go in at a much shallower angle and end up with a shallow second bowl

The wood is beech

 

[yorkshirepudding]

A lovely piece of beech, I can see why you want to save some. However, unless you are going to save lots of bowls and buy a proper bowl saver (very expensive) then I would just get used to wasting wood. I don't know of any alternative.

 

[Dalboy]

It would be nice to have a bowl saver but I don't have enough call for one. Maybe in the future.

If you think that wood is nice this was from further down the trunk

 

[gregmcateer]

Put a call out to see if anyone locally has a bowl corer.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I've never done this but it might be worth a try.

Bore down through your chucking recess keeping the sides perpendicular, stop just short of the depth of recess you plan to have on the smaller bowl. Turn a spindle to be a close fit in the bore three times the depth of the bore. Insert the spindle into the bore and hit the top sideways with a mallet. Can't make my mind up whether across or along the grain would be best.

Good luck if you have a go

Regards Mick

 

[CHJ]

..... This has left about 4" still attached in the bottom.

Now I have tried to break this away with no success the wood is still very wet would it be easier when this has dried or will I need to go in at a much shallower angle and end up with a shallow second bowl

The wood is beech

You will have to go in a lot shallower, anything much wider tham 30mm core is likely to be far too strong to break.
Turn yourself some cross grain spindles and try to snap them in half for a good guide.
See here for an indication of typical sizes I've managed to shear

 

[woodfarmer]

I understand your frustration, it breaks my heart to waste so much wood, but I cringe at the cost of a bowl saver. maybe there is a club near you that would lend/hire one/ you might even take the blank with you.

Some woods I don't mind so much, but I have walnut and big pieces of Yew to cut.

I have decided to plank out some of my wood, partly because it will then dry faster but also to eventually make segmented bowls. This does give the option of mixing woods.

The piece you have will break easier (or should I say with less difficulty) across the grain.

 

[Grahamshed]

I think a local club is your best bet,or if you don't like clubs start making lists of members here who may be local to you and see if they want to go shares in a bowlsaver ?

 

[Vic Perrin]

I have a bowl saver and as part of the instructions on its use it says that when you are almost through the cut you stop the lathe and try to break the remaining core of wood retaining the saved bowl.
It always amazes me how thin I have to get the central core before the saved bowl will break off.
Even with softer woods the strength of the core is unbelievable .

Vic

 

[KimG]

I would admit defeat and hollow it out. Any other options seem expensive for the sake of saving a small bit of wood.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Try a crowbar but rather than levering against the chuck, lathe spindle etc. take it off the lathe and stand on the crowbar for better leverage.
Alternatively, reduce the size of the core you are trying to break off.

 

[Grahamshed]

Actually I think I agree with Kim. Saving the beech would cost more than it is worth unless you were going to do it regularly. It it were Yew or Walnut say, it might be different.

 

[Dalboy]

Thank you for all the replies have just come in from the shed the centre is now shavings. I know it is only beech but I wanted the large bowl and was just seeing if I could get a centre out of it. Rather experiment on a cheaper piece than try it on a nice piece and ruin it.

I still have 10 pieces to rough turn yet and the carrier bags of shavings are getting many.

I have to clean the shed at least twice a day other wise I start to loose tools in the piles of shavings