My first turning project

[Chris Tsutsui]

So I am completely new to wood turning with zero past experience. My friend is a wood turner and was supposed to teach me, but I just couldn't wait for him to get back.
I watched just about every episode of Tim Yoder's woodturning workshop (PBS) and mimmicked him and was able to have a pretty awsome time making my first bowl out of figured maple.

The toolset i'm using is the basic 6pc Sorby set. I want a carbide roughing tool though because I feel as though the roughing gouge needs sharpening already after one bowl.

For this I used a spindle roughing gouge for most of my work, but had to clean the slight tearing with the scraping tool. I used a couple of sand papers and the results were nice and smooth. Of course I'm afraid to go thinner for my first project so I'm just keeping this bowl as is.

A ton of questions come up after this first project...

1. What options do I have to sharpen my chisels with good results? I have a 6" and 8" delta grinder, and 2 cheap sharpening stones. After one bowl, my roughing gouge isn't as sharp as it used to be.

2. How do you remove sanding marks? The only thing that was working was using a 220 grit and sand it by hand on a bench and not sand it while on the lathe. This is time consuming hand sanding the curves...

3. Finally, is there a good "how to" on the web for making pens? Do I just buy a pen kit and a lathe drill bit holder? After I finish my mini-baseball bat I'm going to make some pens...

Thanks

185954

185955

[Tony De Masi]

Chris, first things first. Please NEVER EVER use your spindle roughing gouge again on a bowl turning. It's not meant for that and only bad things can happen. Turning can and will require sharpening and maybe frequently depending on what type of wood you are turning. Look into the Wolverine sharpening system by Oneway. Very popular system and does a great job on any tool you may use. True sanding marks will only be removed by sanding properly. Going through the grits effectively and properly will remove them. There are some decent videos on pen turning on YouTube but you can pick up and inexpensive DVD as well.

Also, you may want to look into a turning club in your area. Look under the AAW site to find the one closest to you.

[charlie knighton]

good 1st bowl, follow Tony's hints and instuctions

you did not gloat about your lathe, but you should, congratulations on that also

you did not mention dust protection, it is one of the more important safety concerns

oh yeah, welcome to the creek, alot of knowledge and people who are glad to help ya here

[Deane Allinson]

[QUOTE=Tony De Masi;1657746]Chris, first things first. Please NEVER EVER use your spindle roughing gouge again on a bowl turning.

Maybe explain to him, and others, which tools and when he should have used them, based on his bowl and lathe in the photos.
Deane

[Chris Tsutsui]

Thanks for the advice I took a trip to woodcraft that day and picked up a flier that had the next beginner wood turning classes that will be on a saturday.

Perhaps I should be more clear on the tools I used so I could receive the proper advice.

I used the 3/4" roughing gouge to make the basic form at the bottom of the bowl. Then I used the oval skew to make the foot along with the parting tool for some details.

So I shouldn't have used the 3/4" roughing gouge to make the inside of the bowl? I think i figure this out part of the way because I couldn't make the curve inside the bowl and ended up switching to the 3/8" bowl gouge to make the inner curved part of the bowl.

To clean up the inside of the bowl and outside I used the 1/2" round nose and that cleaned up some tearing.

I think I need a class so it will be 100% clear to me what angle, technique, and what tool to use...

[Chris Tsutsui]

good 1st bowl, follow Tony's hints and instuctions

you did not gloat about your lathe, but you should, congratulations on that also

you did not mention dust protection, it is one of the more important safety concerns

oh yeah, welcome to the creek, alot of knowledge and people who are glad to help ya here

I sort of already gloated about the lathe in a different post.. It's a thread that got buried here last week or so about a $1,000 oneway 2436. Members here told me to go buy it and so I did and cleaned it up. :)

I have the oneway spindle steady, stronghold chuck with 2 sets of jaws, and I've got a 2.5" face plate, and sorby spur drive. I don't have the knockout rod so a 2' piece of rebar is sufficing. I'm also missing the 6" face plate but plan to get a b-stock from oneway for $45.

For dust protection I've got a 3M full face mask (6000 series), plus a Jet afs 3000 air filter set to medium the entire time i"m turning. I've also got a 2HP DC, but havn't set it up because the big shavings just fall to the ground.

[John Keeton]

Chris, very nice first bowl!!! And, yes, you did get a steal on that lathe! The problem with the roughing gouge is that they normally have a light weight, and short, tang that is subject to shattering under stress. The "spindle" roughing gouge is just that - a spindle tool. You can get by with using it for light roughing on the outside of the bowl, but you will do much better with a 1/2" or 5/8" bowl gouge with swept back wings. And, never put that roughing gouge inside that bowl - bad things can and will happen!

[Dick Wilson]

Thanks for the advice I took a trip to woodcraft that day and picked up a flier that had the next beginner wood turning classes that will be on a saturday.

Perhaps I should be more clear on the tools I used so I could receive the proper advice.

I used the 3/4" roughing gouge to make the basic form at the bottom of the bowl. Then I used the oval skew to make the foot along with the parting tool for some details.

So I shouldn't have used the 3/4" roughing gouge to make the inside of the bowl? I think i figure this out part of the way because I couldn't make the curve inside the bowl and ended up switching to the 3/8" bowl gouge to make the inner curved part of the bowl.

To clean up the inside of the bowl and outside I used the 1/2" round nose and that cleaned up some tearing.

I think I need a class so it will be 100% clear to me what angle, technique, and what tool to use...

Great decision to take a couple of classes. I never went anywhere until I took an all day private class with Lyle Jamison. I there after progressed in quantum leaps. By the way, that is a great looking first bowl. I wish my first bowl was as nice.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Hi Chris, welcome to the spiney side! Nice lathe there man I am jealous!! That is a great looking first bowl. All of the people here have been great mentors to me, I am sure they will be for you as well, as said above the wolverine system is the way to go for sharpening your tools with the vari-grind for gouges.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Thanks for clearing that up with me John, it makes perfect sense now. I like to get the right tool for the job so I guess I have some more shopping to do...

Right now I just have the following set:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000392/20865/Sorby-6-Piece-Intermediate-Turning-Set.aspx

Includes 3/8" bowl gouge
1/2" round nose
3/8" spindle gouge
1/8" parting tool
3/4" roughing gouge
3/4" oval skew
Ash handles

BTW, I'll be called a total noob for this, but it took some research to figure out what tool was called what because they arn't labeled...

So I'll add the 5/8" bowl gouge to my wish list.
Do the carbide roughing tools work well? I have my eye on the ci1 easy wood tools rougher.

About the wolverine, woodcraft has a sale going on. Can I get by with the long box with the base wolverine setup plus purchasing the vari grind 2? I probably should have asked somebody there... They had a few other items like vari-grind, and something else.

Also, is it normal that when you are cutting wood that the wood hits your arm or hand it feels quite warm? Or is my tool dull and using too much friction to cut the wood?

Ok, that's probably enough questions... I'll save the rest for a class or salesman to answer.

[Fred Belknap]

Nice bowl, lot better and bigger than my first one. When I first started I thought the roughing gouge was for rough work like getting blanks round. Very nice lathe, Oneway make good equipment. I think you are on the right track. Have fun.:D

[Marc Himes]

Nice first bowl, Chris. You seem to be headed in the right direction with the classes and add my vote for the wolverine set up with the Vari grind jig. Your dust collector should have an intake very close to the piece you are working on and is used to pickup sanding dust not chips, so keep on using it while you sand. Look in to getting a 1 micron bag to get the best filtration. Congrats on the fine lathe and welcome to the Creek. I also suggest finding a local chapter of the AAW. The meetings can be lots of fun and very informative as well as put you in touch with other local turners.

Marc Himes

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Chris,

Excellent first bowl!

About the spindle roughing gouge. Look at it's tang where it enters the handle. It's small, tapered and get's smaller as in goes farther into the handle. Now look at your 3/8" bowl gouge....it's round....stays round to the very end inside the handle. The diameter doesn't change. It's stonger than the tang on your roughing gouge. That's why the spindle roughing gouge is not recommended for bowls. If you go to CSUSA website....under information....turning safety...they tell you specifically...not to use a spindle roughing gouge on a bowl and that's why. Yes, there are some guys who will say they do it. I wouldn't recommend it.

Your 8" grinder and a Wolverine base system with a Vari-grind or Vari-grind II would work great for sharpening. Dull tools take a lot of the fun out of turning.

Sanding.....I do it on the lathe.....typically power sand....but do hand sand too.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice bowl Joe. You got some good advice on your tools. It is used just for it's name "spindle" roughing gouge. A 3/8" to 5/8" bowl gouge is what to use on bowls. A lot of turners use the Ci easy roughers but I feel a bowl gouge which is swept back works as well IMHO. Check out Thompson tools as his hold a edge really well and are pretty well priced.

[Dan Forman]

I would hesitate about using rebar for a knockout tool, as it is rough texture and might mar the inside of your spindle, which you might want to preserve for a vacuum chuck someday. Aluminum or brass would be safer, as they are both softer than steel. You could turn a nice handle for it. I like a 5/8 bowl gouge for bowls. The bowl looks great for a first project.

Dan

[Mark Hubl]

Nice first bowl Chris. Looks like you have jumped into the vortex with both feet. You have gotten some good advise on tool use. If you can find a mentor that is great, if not I would recommend viewing some of the DVD's that are available. Check your local library. If you have an AAW chapter near, check it out. Most clubs have a lending library with videos and books. There are also some good websites on line that have texts and instruction. Check out woodturning online, the late Russ Fairfield's site, Neal Addy's site. There are plenty of others as well, I am sure some others will chime in with there favorites.

[Michael James]

Way nicer than my 1st! There's some good info here, and I will echo the safety factor as a priority. Live tutoring is extremely beneficial so ask lots of questions. Have fun!
mj

[Chris.hicks 82]

3. Finally, is there a good "how to" on the web for making pens? Do I just buy a pen kit and a lathe drill bit holder? After I finish my mini-baseball bat I'm going to make some pens...

Thanks

185954

185955 Psi has a free pen turner dvd it helped me on my first pen here is the link to it http://www.pennstateind.com/store/videos-free-dvds-books.html I am new to turning but I have had my lathe for about 3 years just no time or money to use it

[Kelvin Burton]

[QUOTE=Do the carbide roughing tools work well? I have my eye on the ci1 easy wood tools rougher.[/QUOTE]

I have the Ci1 David J. Marks Pro Series (has a longer handle) and the Ci0 Easy Finisher. I really like both of these! They are indeed "easy" to use and give great results.