Having trouble turning beads lately

[Ron Stadler]

Iv'e blown up a few perfectly fine bowls now with the spindle gouge trying to roll a bead, just can't fifure what I'm doing wrong all of a sudden. It usually catches when I start rolling down the side of the bead, but it don't look like I'm catching the top edge on anything, ahh just so frustrating. :mad:

The bowl I blew up today was a Hickory bowl and all was going quite nice and even have been getting better at my shearing cut leaving a really nice smooth surface, yee ha, I could have started out with 150 or even 240 easily with the sandpaper so I was thrilled.:cool::) But then I thought Id'e like to put some detail work in the side of the bowl and that I did, well as Bill Grumbine sais "Words will have to be said" and that they were.:D

Well I know I could go out an get a beading tool but I would really like to learn how to use this tool right, so if anyone has any suggestions please help!!! Ive been placing my rest as close to the bowl as possible and parallel to the bowl not the ways of the bed, I think my point of the gouge is about even with the center of the bowl. When I start to roll the bead I'm holding the gouge perpendicular to the bowl and start cuting the I lift up on the gouge handle and roll the handle slightly with the right hand or the one holding the handle. Well that's about it, hope someone can help.

[Brian McInturff]

Ron, do you have a detail gouge? Try using it. Is it catching at the end of the roll or somewhere from center of bead to end.

[Jim Burr]

Not in the "I'm selling them" mode Ron, but several of us hit Dave at D-way tools up for some beading tools. I have tried pen spindle gouges, detail gouges, Sorby's and so on. These are the easiest and best so far IMHO. I'm old and stupid so I still use them unhandled. Head over to his site and look at the video's...very helpful and educational.

[Michael Mills]

Just a possibility….
In a video by David Hout he addresses a similar problem. The gouge or skew must rotate 90* for the full cut. If you do not start out with your hand on top of the handle your wrist will have to make a sharp twist about 2/3 way through the turn in order to complete it. This pulls the bevel off of the wood leaving the cutting edge on the wood. You can try it and see, if your hand is straight (on top of the tool handle) you should be able to rotate it without the wrist twisting out of alignment, if you start out at 1:30 or so the wrist almost has to twist to complete the curve.
I think the 1:30 to 2 is a normal hand position for most other tool and cuts.

[John Keeton]

Ron, the D-way beading tools are the ticket to clean beads done quickly. But, using a spindle gouge, Michael is correct. When you reach the valley on that bead, your spindle gouge MUST be turned to 90* - the wings need to be vertical. This gets really critical on finial work, too.

[Mike Peace]

I have learned never to try a new tool, finish or technique on a new project until I have practised or tested it. If it is beads on a bowl, you might want to practise on a rough turned bowl blank that hasn't even been hollowed. Make a mistake, then cut it back and try again. Good practise makes perfect!

[Jim Burr]

I have learned never to try a new tool, finish or technique on a new project until I have practised or tested it. If it is beads on a bowl, you might want to practise on a rough turned bowl blank that hasn't even been hollowed. Make a mistake, then cut it back and try again. Good practise makes perfect!

You hit it on the head Mike. I was at my turning mentors place and tried the Sorby...scared me to death:eek:. Tried my detail gouge, since I had it, with mild sucess. The beading tools really helped me move on. I still do pens on a 3/4" spindle gouge;)

[Ron Stadler]

Ron, do you have a detail gouge? Try using it. Is it catching at the end of the roll or somewhere from center of bead to end.
Just a regular spindle gouge, but never had problems turning beads before and now all of a sudden there killing me. But its catching about half way down the bead.

[Ron Stadler]

Just a possibility….
In a video by David Hout he addresses a similar problem. The gouge or skew must rotate 90* for the full cut. If you do not start out with your hand on top of the handle your wrist will have to make a sharp twist about 2/3 way through the turn in order to complete it. This pulls the bevel off of the wood leaving the cutting edge on the wood. You can try it and see, if your hand is straight (on top of the tool handle) you should be able to rotate it without the wrist twisting out of alignment, if you start out at 1:30 or so the wrist almost has to twist to complete the curve.
I think the 1:30 to 2 is a normal hand position for most other tool and cuts.
I'll have to look into that Michael, seems like I'm doing all that but maybe I'm missing something.

[Ron Stadler]

Well I might have to check into these beading tools but I still want to learn how to use the spindle gouge and detail gouge properly, I guess I'll have to keep on practicing.

[Ron Stadler]

Your right Mike and Jim, gonna have to just keep on practicing, thats what I did on that last bowl I messed up - I kept on trying to fix it and it kept getting smaller and smaller.:eek:

[Bob Bergstrom]

"I lift up on the gouge handle and roll the handle slightly with the right hand or the one holding the handle. Well that's about it, hope someone can help."

Sounds like that lifting on the handle has caused the trailing edge to be exposed and causing a kick back. if the roll is not moved in conjunction with the lift the trailing edge will catch. Might try keeping the handle at tool rest height and just swing the handle toward your body( depending on which side of the bead is being turned). Don't raise the handle at all. Also sometimes the putting a bead on certain areas of the curve of a bowl can be much more difficult than up near the rim of a more straight sided bowl. Ones that curve back toward the center would be typical.

[Tim Thiebaut]

I have learned never to try a new tool, finish or technique on a new project until I have practised or tested it. If it is beads on a bowl, you might want to practise on a rough turned bowl blank that hasn't even been hollowed. Make a mistake, then cut it back and try again. Good practise makes perfect!

This is what I try to do as well, practise before useing it on anything I want finished off nicely. Also, I thought more people used the skew for beading for some reason, that is what I use for the most part whenever I have turned a bead on anything.

[Jonathan Spool]

I can probably roll a bead on a bowl 8 times out o 10 wihout a problem, but between tearout at the grain change and catches, the two times things go wrong is either a disaster, or a design change!
I can pop out 100 out of 100 using Daves beading tools. One of the best turning tool inovations since captured hollowing systems IMO.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have to agree with Bob B. Don't raise the handle and turning beads on certain area's of a bowl can get interesting at time. I would practice on a rough turned bowl that is just returned to the lathe to be finished.