# How not to make a bowl



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I set out to make a bowl, ahead of the photo shoot promised by Bernie, I now wish I had waited. Everything started out fine, the outside looked good and removing the bulk of the inside also went just fine, until I started to shape the inside with my 1/2" bowl gouge, then the trouble started, I held the chisel this way, that way and the other way but it kept digging in. Eventually I reached the stage where the damage was as little as I was likely to get it, any further attempts were likely to make the bowl explode, so I decided to try to salvage what I had by sanding a great deal of wood. I ended up using 2 1/2 sheets of 80 grit Silicon Carbide paper followed by ever decreasing grades until I had a decent finish. During all this sanding I've made all my finger tips tender from the heat generated.
I finished it with a good soaking of mineral oil.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

That is a beautiful bowl, Harry. I love the wood and grain. Maybe you need to watch this 55 min. video from Woodworking Online ... 
*Podcast #7: Bowl Turning - From Log to Bowl in Under an Hour*

He is turning green wood, but the techniques are the same. You can watch it online or download it for later viewing. Brian Simmons really knows his stuff when it come to all things lathe and turning.


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

_"During all this sanding I've made all my finger tips tender from the heat generated."
_

Sounds like you need to craft a wooden sanding "finger". 

What do you think was causing the dig-in problem, Harry? Was the tool not sharp enough, too much vibration, or was the grain just "squirrelly"?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks George, I'll watch it tomorrow.

Ralph, I wish I knew the reason, the earlier bowls that I turned from the same tree branch was dripping wet and easy to turn, but the inside of this dry one was a totally different matter. It could be the grain, it could be the chisels, but more likely my lack of real understanding of bowl turning.


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## Maurice (Sep 24, 2004)

Beautiful bowl Harry, it was well worth the effort.
Kudos to you for sticking with it to the end and ironing out all the problems.
I like that whacking big roughing gouge.
When hollowing, do you ride the bevel on the gouge?
I find that a 5/8 bowl gouge works much better than the 1/2 inch.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Well Harry.... there is nothing wrong with the outcome of that bowl at all. It looks great despite your broken ego over the bowl gouge. I believe Bernie will even attest to what Bill Grumbine, the famous bowl turner here in the states, says.... everyone needs a 80 grit bowl gouge in their turning tool assortment :sarcastic: 






<---- who believes that sandpaper is a woodworking "tool"

Harry, it really did turn out nice :yes4:


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## rwyoung (Aug 3, 2008)

That looks pretty good from here! I've seen various plans for people making their own power sanding rigs, that will save the ole' finger tips. Not made one yet so I identify with the tender-tips syndrome.

I like the donut chuck you made too. 

I don't have a 4-jaw chuck but I could definately make a donut chuck and use that on the face plate.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Harry, your sandpaper positively did not go to waste. Great looking bowl. BTW, what is the wood?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Gene Howe said:


> Harry, your sandpaper positively did not go to waste. Great looking bowl. BTW, what is the wood?


I purposely didn't mention type of wood, I wanted to see how observant viewers were. It is of course Jacaranda.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

"everyone needs a 80 grit bowl gouge in their turning tool assortment"

That makes me feel a little better Bob, but it still wasn't my idea of "turning" a bowl.

Thanks to you all for your kind remarks, after lunch I'll watch the video that George posted a link to.


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## Glenmore (Sep 10, 2004)

Harry very nice. That burning of the fingers I thought that is what is suppose to happen. It happened to me.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Next time you are turning out a fine looking bowl Harry, use an oven mitt while sanding.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Great looking job Harry, when I first started reading your post, I had visions of some amateur looking results but your bowel is anything but. Sand paper + perseverance=burnt fingers + great looking bowl. Don't care for the equation, but the answer is first class.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

"When hollowing, do you ride the bevel on the gouge?"

Next question Maurice, and please make it one that I can understand!


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Dr.Zook said:


> Next time you are turning out a fine looking bowl Harry, use an oven mitt while sanding.


Dave my friend, that would be like a brain surgeon operating wearing oven mitts., I kept touching the surface to make sure there were no ridges etc.

By the way, remember that you mentioned (jokingly) that I should consider making a pen from stainless steel, well I couldn't get any 10mm rod unless I ordered a full length at some astronomical cost so I advised several of my friends as to what I required and low and behold one of them turned up with an 8.5" length of 10mm SS at no cost, together with advice from a steelworker to use standard tool steel cutters well sharpened and apply plenty of pressure using light oil as a lubricant. For drilling the advice was to use Cobalt drills, I found a store that carried a very limited range but not the size I was after. The price for a 1/4" was $A19.95 ! I hope to locate one in the very near future and have a go.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Hopefully Jerry in time I won't need much more than a gentle touch of 400 grit! (I can dream can't I)


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

harrysin said:


> I purposely didn't mention type of wood, I wanted to see how observant viewers were. It is of course Jacaranda.


In the Appalachian states of the U.S., there is a social practice called sittin'. A group of friends will gather on a porch and just sit. Talking is optional, but the properties of your Jack on the Veranda wood would be a perfect subject of conversation, I think.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Harry you don't need my shoot. You turned a beautiful bowl. Yes it is harder going from start to finish on a dry piece of wood. Green wood rough turned and then let dry when returned to the lathe is so much easier because you don't have cut so much dry wood. Well done.


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## drasbell (Feb 6, 2009)

Great looking work.. fingers will heal.. nice job..


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

BernieW said:


> Harry you don't need my shoot. You turned a beautiful bowl. Yes it is harder going from start to finish on a dry piece of wood. Green wood rough turned and then let dry when returned to the lathe is so much easier because you don't have cut so much dry wood. Well done.


Bernie, supposing I do rough turn green blanks, would I need to coat the turned ends with wax like was done with the blank I just used? So much to learn, so little time!


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

harrysin said:


> Dave my friend, that would be like a brain surgeon operating wearing oven mitts., I kept touching the surface to make sure there were no ridges etc.
> 
> By the way, remember that you mentioned (jokingly) that I should consider making a pen from stainless steel, well I couldn't get any 10mm rod unless I ordered a full length at some astronomical cost so I advised several of my friends as to what I required and low and behold one of them turned up with an 8.5" length of 10mm SS at no cost, together with advice from a steelworker to use standard tool steel cutters well sharpened and apply plenty of pressure using light oil as a lubricant. For drilling the advice was to use Cobalt drills, I found a store that carried a very limited range but not the size I was after. The price for a 1/4" was $A19.95 ! I hope to locate one in the very near future and have a go.


Harry, that SS pen sounds like a lot of fun. Please post pics when you get started.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Gene, I've started, the front half is finished, complete with chrome tip and mechanism and a few photos. The second half in a day or so. I still couldn't get a 7mm cobalt drill so I went into another branch of the same company, they also didn't have a 7mm BUT, a 1/4" identical bit was only $A13.97 so I bought one and today went into the local branch and brought the discrepancy to their attention, the scanner showed the correct price, it was the label that was wrong. I also bought a 7/32" to drill a pilot hole before the 1/4", it was marked at $A9.97 but at the check out they tried to charge me $A23.97, I soon put the young lady right on that!


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## Neil Moon (Jul 14, 2008)

Keep up the good work harry


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## Barry99 (Feb 10, 2009)

Great work Harry. Many years ago when I heard the riddle "how much wood could a wood chuck .........etc, I didn't know the wood chuck was named Harry. 

Where do you get the chunks of wood you use.


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## Barry99 (Feb 10, 2009)

harrysin said:


> I purposely didn't mention type of wood, I wanted to see how observant viewers were. It is of course Jacaranda.


I saw the writing, did't know it was a type of wood. It leaves a nice pattern.


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## Barry99 (Feb 10, 2009)

Dr.Zook said:


> Next time you are turning out a fine looking bowl Harry, use an oven mitt while sanding.



Better yet Harry, invite someone over to give you a hand, they could hold the sandpaper while you turn.:lol:


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Barry99 said:


> Better yet Harry, invite someone over to give you a hand, they could hold the sandpaper while you turn.:lol:


Hopefully Barry, in a day or so I'll have a power sander like that shown by Bernie.


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## chippypah (Dec 24, 2007)

Great work Harry, keep sanding.
Cheers
Pete


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