Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 31 to 43 of 43

Thread: Do I need a new grinder or a new bowl gouge?

  1. #31
    Adam,

    I use a Tormek Grinder & associated jigs. Whilst it is a pretty big up-front expense, I have found a number of things :

    1. my tools last much longer as I remove less steel with each sharpening,
    2. my grinds are consistently the same, so my approach to using the tool is the same (no relearning how to best present the tool to the wood), and
    3. it is fast, so I resharpen often (rather than using a tool when it is too dull).

    I've had mine 15+ years and still consider it one of my best turning expenses : in fact, it is the only tool I've not upgraded / replaced.

    Rich

  2. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Canfield View Post
    Adam - I advocate the use of 2x6 material for starting out since it can often be picked up as scrap or reasonable if you have to purchase a 8' board. The 2x6 is really only 1-1/2 x 5-1/2" but that gives you plenty of material to learn the tool control and sharpening required. Most 2x6 is either pine or spruce and fairly soft but has definite grain pattern that helps you learn about wood also. Being only 1-1/2" thick, it helps prevent you from having the steep side wall that has the greater problem and requires a different grind (bottom feeder) gouge. Believe me, you will definitely see the difference between sharp and almost sharp tools on the 2x6 lumber with end grain tearout.

    I second this recommendation. I am new to turning and have bought a couple 8' pine boards and glued them for practice. I've turned 5 bowls so far, each only costs about $3 worth of wood and it is dry so I can take my time without significant movement. Here are a couple I recently made and finished with dark brown Watco Danish Oil: IMG_2060-1.jpg

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Schenectady, NY
    Posts
    1,500
    Adam, it looks like you are making major progress. The newer grind is way better than where you started and will improve as you learn more. Finding a club and/or mentor will speed up this process. Keep at it-we all started as beginners and worked our way forward. It's a lot of fun. Work with what you have. Wet, fresh cut wood is great fun to turn. I personally recommend hardwoods for practice-and you can never practice too much.
    Happy and Safe Turning, Don


    Woodturners make the world go ROUND!

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Syracuse, New York
    Posts
    83
    Those bowls look phenomenal I would never have guessed they started as cheap pine boards. I think I will pick up a couple 2x6s. I have been practicing with some small ash pieces that were cut down from a friends farm. How ever they are not dry.

  5. Adam, here is a link to the AAW chapter search page........there are 16 local chapters in New York. Perhaps at least one is within driving distance for you.

    http://www.woodturner.org/?page=Chapters
    Remember, in a moments time, everything can change!

    Vision - not just seeing what is, but seeing what can be!




  6. #36
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Strongsville OH
    Posts
    113
    I currently use 8" CBN wheels but I think that I would use a belt rather than a 6 inch grey wheel. There is a significant minority of turners who prefer belt sanders/grinders. Your first option is to buy a dedicated belt grinder, Sorby is the only one I know about. I saw a demonstration on it and it works well. Second, there is an article in the AAW magazine a few years ago about hacking a Harbor Freight machine into a tool grinder. Third, Captain Eddie has a YouTube video or two about using belts to grind tools.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Moscow, Idaho
    Posts
    294
    106628-img.jpgHere's one example a grind that works well on bowl gouges.

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Woodturner John Lucas showed these pictures recently of some of his grinds for different purposes. The tools on the left are bowl gouges, the others are spindle gouges. Some sharpened by hand. As you can see, there is a lot of variation possible.

    501598_2.jpg 501598_1.jpg

    JKJ

  9. #39
    You are making great progress. That grind should serve you just fine to begin with. Personally, I would linger longer on the wings next time you grind, but do this gradually each time you re-sharpen. Don't do it all at once. It is good learning to feel the impact as the wings sweep back a little at a time. Also, sweeping the wings can have the unintended consequence of creating a pointy nose. That can be good in some cases, and not desirable in others. But to start, take care to have a rounder nose.

    I would definitely start with larger, and shallow wood. The taller your stock, the more you have to navigate with vertical walls. The smaller the stock, the more abrupt the transition is from wall to base - and the harder it is to see what you're doing. Both of these things mean possible catches.

    A 2x6 is a great size to start with. Think 'shallow platter'. Bowls don't need distinct walls. To start, I would think of the inside as a continuous curve.

    And to answer your question, your ash bowl seemed to cut just fine. Nicely done!

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    SW Michigan
    Posts
    668
    Not to hijack but a seeking little clarification . John Jordan mentioned the Thompson bowl gouge. Just wondering John, Thompson offers a V shape and a U shape. Which do you think would be best if I were to have only one bowl gouge ? I am just an occasional turner with a few spindle tools but have an ample supply of wood that in my imagination could create some good bowls. I'm kind of looking for a gouge with a shape and size to do bowls up to 10" diameter max.

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Grider View Post
    ...Thompson offers a V shape and a U shape. Which do you think would be best if I were to have only one bowl gouge ? ... I'm kind of looking for a gouge with a shape and size to do bowls up to 10" diameter max.
    I see Doug Thompson makes four sizes of V and four of U gouges. I'd have to look to check but I think most of mine are V gouges. That doesn't mean much since I don't consider myself a bowl turner, although I've turned a lot of bowls, platters and such, some large, some tiny. But most of the time (when I get time to turn!) I prefer spindles and the like - things like lidded boxes, goblets, carved things, etc. And teaching - I have almost as much fun teaching as turning! (Come visit for free lessons - the first tool in the rank beginner's hand is the skew chisel!)

    Is U or V best? Ask several people and I think you'll get different answers. I have no idea. That said, the V gouges do everything I ask them to. Others I know like the U. Some swear by the parabolic which I don't think Doug makes. I think the biggest difference in the V and U are how you grind it - people have commented that the V was harder to get a good curve on the swept-back wings but I never had a bit of trouble with that. I think that either, properly sharpened will let you turn anything you can imagine. I suspect it's like almost anything, either will work once you get used to it.

    Turner and demonstrator John Lucas commented about the bowl gouges in his photo I showed elsewhere in this thread: "Top is a homemade U shaped gouge I ground with vertical wings. I am playing with this using it flute up and cutting with the wing. Very clean cuts with little pressure against the wall of the bowl. The next is my Thompson V 1/2" that I use for most things. Then there is a no name U shaped bowl gouge that ground this way has very long acute wings. Very handy for pull cuts to get a clean finish. Bottom is a Henry Taylor U shaped gouge with the 40/40 grind. I use it for difficult tear out wood and like to use it flute up or slightly rotated for natural edge bowls. "

    I grind some gouges with a sort of Ellsworth grind and a couple with a bottom-feeder grind I learned from Chris Ramsey, the cowboy hat guy from Kentucky. One has a very long side grind that Mark StLeger uses (and a few weeks ago I watched Graeme Priddle use one very much like it for some amazing cuts in green wood.) John L. said he prefers the 1/2" V Thompson gouge. When face turning I probably use the 1/2" the most also, with the 3/8" to get into tighter coves and things. I seldom use the 5/8". I never bought a 3/4" gouge from Doug.

    I suspect a 1/2" gouge will be perfect for the 10" bowls and smaller. You could send John Lucas an email and ask him I could ask him - I'll see him in about a week or I could call. Also, consider calling Doug Thompson, number on his web site. He can make a recommendation. (Doug does more tool making these days than turning but he's quite an expert - for example he used to give demos making cowboy hats.) If you buy a gouge from Doug tell him I said hello! The last time I saw him I told him I wanted the biggest honkin' skew chisel he made and went home with the 1-3/8". Tell him I said it is wonderful! (Takes a while to sharpen, though. )

    Do you have any of Doug's spindle gouges? Of all the spindle gouges I've had the 3/8" Thompson is my absolute favorite. I use the 3/8" so much I keep several, all sharpened identically. When one gets dull I set it in the "sharpen" pile and grab another. Once I set up the jig to sharpen it only takes a few minutes to sharpen all of them.

    BTW, between the Thompson tools and Mike Hunter's tools I think I could turn everything I could imagine. (Doug carries round stock of the same 10V steel that make most of the little special scrapers and things I use.)

    Yikes, I hope this doesn't sound like a Thompson commercial. I have no connection to Doug's business other than being a satisfied customer and having known him a long time.

    JKJ

  12. #42
    Jon-

    I have 2 Thompson U's and 2 V's. It is said (on his website) that the V can be better for roughing green wood and the U can be better for shearing dry wood. I don't notice much difference between the two styles. For a few years, I use my 5/8" U for roughing green blanks, and my 1/2" v for finishing them when dry. The size (to me) was a bigger determinant of aggressiveness and control.

    I now have a 1/2" u I'm hard pressed to notice a concrete difference between the two styles in the same size. If anything (ironically) I find the v to offer a little more control and delicacy than the u. But this could be because my 1/2" u is much longer, and has a more stout handle than my 1/2" v; that additional leverage may play a role in its aggressiveness and manipulation difficulty in tighter situations.

    One caveat: I don't turn a lot of steep sided, flat bottomed bowls, which might be where a bigger difference between the styles might manifest.

    I think the style, grind, and size that suits you is highly personal. I can say that you won't go wrong with either the 1/2" or 3/8" Thompsons in either v or u; mine are well made, hold an edge well, last a long time, and work well in almost all (bowl) situations.

    (Boy that's a lot of words and very little advice!)

  13. #43
    Adam,

    Remember all high speed grinders become slow(er) speed grinders once the power is switched off. Use momentum left in the wheel to grind at a slower speed. It's not the best solution, but something cheap you can try until you get something better.

    -Karl
    Last edited by Karl Loeblein; 11-21-2017 at 4:37 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •