# Back on the lathe



## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

After several months otherwise engaged, I was back on the lathe a couple of weeks ago and was surprised that instead of going backwards, I feel that I've actually improved! This Jacaranda bowl I feel is probably the best that I've turned so far.

There appears to be a problem with uploading photographs, in the past I've been able to select then upload 20 photographs in one hit, these photographs had to be uploaded five at a time and attempting to upload a pdf, well below the size limit, I found impossible.


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## Jack Wilson (Mar 14, 2010)

Nice bowl Harry, and it's already in use! I suffer from longtime disease, it takes me months or even years to complete simple projects for the home,  . Good hear from you!


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Harry that is a beautiful bowl. Really well done and in use. Glad to see ya back turning again.


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Harry, 

It's guys like you and your pictures as well as my brother in Alaska that sure are causing me to want to get a lathe and to attempt to learn the artistic talents that you have displayed here. Very very nice, thanks for sharing, it appears as though you are not at the learning stage of turning bowls.

Jerry


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

As usual Harry, great looking bowl!!


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## Maurice (Sep 24, 2004)

Nice going Harry, you're not an amateur any more!


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

*how did you do that.......*

Great post Harry.

Glad to see you out in the shed again.

re:
_



in the past I've been able to select then upload 20 photographs in one hit, these photographs had to be uploaded five at a time and attempting to upload a pdf, well below the size limit, I found impossible

Click to expand...

_In "manage attachments" I have only been able to upload 10 pictures, how did you manage 20?

Sounds like this new server issue again?????


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## The Warthog (Nov 29, 2010)

Jack Wilson said:


> Nice bowl Harry, and it's already in use! I suffer from longtime disease, it takes me months or even years to complete simple projects for the home,  . Good hear from you!


I hear ya! I'm about to give my neighbour a pasta board that I started for her a year ago. The heart attack only took four months out of my production, so I have no excuse.

Harry, that's a great bowl. Now can I have a caramel?


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

What's the reason for drilling the starting hole (pic #6)?


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## cedarwood (Feb 3, 2012)

Very nice bowl Harry lovely clean simple lines in fact it's perfect oh and can I have an caramel too please :lol:


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Gee whiz guys, you're all so kind. Whilst this was probably my best so far, I've a very long way to go and I doubt enough years ahead of me to reach anything like the level of Bernie and Maurice, two of the finest turners it's been my pleasure to know.

Ralph, a friend assured me that a starting hole would make hollowing a lot easier and that proved to be so, it makes it so much easier to go from outside to inside and visa versa.

James, after uploading ten shots, it's possible to then upload a further ten and was so when I posted the shots on this post. The problem was that after downloading ten shots I have always clicked "upload" and they all transfer to the thread, but not this time, it just hung up. It seemed like it couldn't handle the total file size which was way below the 10Meg limit that's why I did them five at a time, so something is/was wrong with the forum.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

The Warthog said:


> I hear ya! I'm about to give my neighbour a pasta board that I started for her a year ago. The heart attack only took four months out of my production, so I have no excuse.
> 
> Harry, that's a great bowl. Now can I have a caramel?


Thanks for your kind words Roger but unfortunately I can't send you a caramel, they've all gone, only Lemon Sherbets now!


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks, Harry.

I forgot to ask how deep did you make the starting hole?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

The full depth that I intend to remove Ralph. I'd be very interested to know if all turners use this method.


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

harrysin said:


> The full depth that I intend to remove Ralph. I'd be very interested to know if all turners use this method.


On a different computer than this one, I saw a set of pictures on the web showing turning a bowl from a blank. The blank was held to the faceplate by screws - it was pointed out that the screw holes didn't matter because that was the face that was to be scooped out by turning - the inside of the bowl. Instead of a tenon, the turner made an inside cut on what would be the bottom.
After that was completed, the blank was reversed and held by the jaws of a chuck expanded to it was griping the inner edge of the cut on the bottom. (faceplate was removed of course) I doubt a starting hole was made; there would have been a picture of it.

I'll try to find the website tomorrow when I'm on that computer.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

harrysin said:


> The full depth that I intend to remove Ralph. I'd be very interested to know if all turners use this method.


Harry I don't use a starter hole. I tried it once a long time ago and didn't like it. So when I reverse and mount it in the chuck I start scooping out.


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## cedarwood (Feb 3, 2012)

I too have never drilled a starter hole, preferring to remove wood from the outside and working inwards especially if the walls are to be thin so that the core supports the bowl.
Others like you, do make a hole to set the depth to work to, some also say it relieves stresses in the wood.
I use either a face plate or a screw chuck to mount the blank and turn the base, if the bowl is small I turn a spigot like you did and remove it at the end, with a large bowl I turn a dovetail recess and do some decoration in it to make it part of the bowl.


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## mark greenbaum (Sep 26, 2010)

Harry: Very nice bowl and photo gallery. I think that's a great learning tool for me, especially that it's my first sighting of a Donut Chuck. Did you make that, too? I'll have to try to make one of my own. Do you have different sizes or different length bolts to accommodate the the variances of the bowls?

Thanks for posting.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

mgdesigns said:


> Harry: Very nice bowl and photo gallery. I think that's a great learning tool for me, especially that it's my first sighting of a Donut Chuck. Did you make that, too? I'll have to try to make one of my own. Do you have different sizes or different length bolts to accommodate the the variances of the bowls?
> 
> Thanks for posting.


Mark, I copied one shown by Bernie. so far that is the only hole size that I've needed, probably because I only have a mini lathe. I do however have three different length bolts, I'm sure that Bernie will be pleased about that since one of my early posts showed bolts so long that they had to protrude facing the tailstock!
Here is a pdf showing the making of the doughnut chuck.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Harry did good. I have about 6 different size bolts from 3" to 8".


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## monty.smith (May 2, 2012)

Very nice

One day....Maybe

Monty


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

rwl7532 said:


> On a different computer than this one, I saw a set of pictures on the web showing turning a bowl from a blank. The blank was held to the faceplate by screws - it was pointed out that the screw holes didn't matter because that was the face that was to be scooped out by turning - the inside of the bowl. Instead of a tenon, the turner made an inside cut on what would be the bottom.
> After that was completed, the blank was reversed and held by the jaws of a chuck expanded to it was griping the inner edge of the cut on the bottom. (faceplate was removed of course) I doubt a starting hole was made; there would have been a picture of it.
> 
> I'll try to find the website tomorrow when I'm on that computer.


Here's the website:
Kevin Brady - Bowl Turning on the Lathe


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

rwl7532 said:


> Here's the website:
> Kevin Brady - Bowl Turning on the Lathe


 
I screwed a faceplate to my first bowl but the screws worked loose so I never tried that method again. For the next few bowls I drilled a 2" recess using a Forstner bit and this was successful, however, once I started by driving the blank using a four spur drive, I found that turning a male dovetail suited me better.


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